Everything Has a Beginning and End in Ippon-jime Culture

Everything in Japan must have an official beginning and end, an ippon-jime, from drinking to sports to school trips and meetings. There are many reasons for this, but here are some theories.

"Yooooo-o Clap!" 

That's the sound of 20 salarymen in suits suddenly yelling and clapping in unison. Ippon-jime sounds like a karate move, and might startle the casual foreign observer enjoying a beer in an izakaya-style pub. Like a Spanish tapas bar, izakayas are the ubiquitous post-work watering holes offering delicious food and cheap drinks. 

Indeed, izakaya, literally, means "place to stay and drink." They are full of office workers, students, and middle-aged men avoiding the early train home. Drinking in izakayas certainly ruins the image of the Japanese as quiet, shy, polite, or demure. In fact, izakayas are where Japanese discard the formalities of the office, relax, discuss frankly, conclude business transactions, and sometimes go wild.

There is one drastic difference from Western drinking, though. Even a raucous drinking party, especially a work function, must have an official beginning and ending with a formal aisatsu or greeting. No one can drink until everyone holds something (typically nama beeru) in their hand and the kanpai (toast) is announced, often with a short speech from the organizer or highest-ranking member. 

Ikkai shime mashouka? "Shall we close this party?" is a phrase to indicate the party's conclusion. 

Unity

Unity remains one of the most prized values in Japanese culture. The members of a company or team may be individuals, but performing something in unison brings them together. At a drinking party, unity is established through the kanpai and shime, but there are also other ways. 

Most Japanese companies have stricter dress codes than Western companies, so everyone appears more or less the same. Many companies also perform a chorei, or morning greeting, to initiate the workday. In some, they chant the company song and do radio taiso (an odd-looking stretching and exercise routine often broadcast over loudspeakers) to raise motivation and keep employees healthy. 

The same goes for schools, where at the start and end of the day, everyone stands up and straightens their posture (called kiritsu). Then they bow, asking, then thanking the teacher for the instruction.

Japan is changing, though. Kids are not drinking, and managers cannot force them to. My friend told me about a co-worker who refused to attend a company drinking party for free, agreeing to go only if they paid her hourly wage. 

Abstaining from a drinking party or asking such a question would have been unspeakable a few years ago. Perhaps the custom of opening and closing every event is fading with it.

'Jogekankei' the Up and Down Relationship

For those who still attend drinking parties, another reason for ippon-jime is knowing when it is socially acceptable to leave. After the official function, there is almost always a nijikai, or second party. However, anyone wanting to leave finds an excuse to go home after the first party. Lower-ranking members at an office party must pour drinks for the higher-ups, so they tend to leave first. I have heard excuses, including "I have work the next day," "my kids are at home," and "my husband needs dinner." Any excuse will do. 

Just like staying at work until the boss leaves, leaving a party before the official ending is socially awkward. One's official duties are typically finished at the end of the first party.

Behavior for Each Situation

When presenting a business card, which is still required for doing business in Japan, people introduce themselves as belonging to the company. If I worked for Google, I would be "Google no Daniel," meaning Daniel of Google. In a work, school, or team setting, Japanese effectively represent the company, school, or team where they belong. And they are expected to behave accordingly. Any inappropriate behavior or negative perception reflects poorly on the institution.

However, individuals still represent themselves before the official greeting of an event, work day, or competition. They are free to behave as they choose. Within the hours of the opening and closing ceremonies, however, each one becomes part of the collective. They are expected to look around to conform and behave according to custom. 

Growing up playing sports, the phrase, "You are still at practice until you reach home," was repeated often. It served as a reminder not to mess around while still representing the team. The practice of having an opening and closing greeting delineates when you are on and off duty, so to speak.

Religion

Finally, a Japanese friend suggested another reason for having a beginning and an end to everything. In Shinto, Japan's native animistic belief system, there is the concept of the shime nawa. Using the same word (shime) to describe concluding a drinking party, the shime nawa is a rope tied across torii gates to delineate the spiritual and secular worlds. ]

Entering a Shinto shrine by passing under the shime nawa signals to be respectful because one is entering a special place presided over by the Shinto kami. Similarly, within the lines of an official function, one should behave according to the rules. In the case of Shinto, having a visible reminder helps people understand how to act. Beginnings and endings go much further back than Japanese corporate drinking culture.

Just Daniel

I live in a gray zone of knowing Japanese culture inside and out, but only instilling the aspects that suit me. For example, I use business cards and have an official title because I own a company. However, I introduce myself as Daniel. No company, position, or even last name required. 

People remember me because I'm a foreigner who speaks fluent Japanese, so I feel no need to explain further. I can also walk out of a drinking party without feeling too guilty. I apologize, but ultimately, I do what I want. Succeeding long-term as a foreigner living in Japan is ultimately about balancing understanding and conforming to the culture, and not caring about what people think.

Nevertheless, I enjoy performing ippon-jime. It is a fun way to end a drinking party. I even started using it to conclude the official end of a tour.  

Ultimately, I believe the culture of ippon-jime, along with societal and work expectations, makes Japan a great place to live and a terrible place to work ー at least if you work in a Japanese company. Because people respect their work and feel pressure to perform, Japan's service quality is exceptional. No one can slack off because during work hours, everyone else is working just as hard. 

However, if you are the one providing the service, it means long hours, low wages, and navigating the complex social structure of a Japanese company. 

Figuring out a way to live in Japan without working for a Japanese company is something I have been fortunate enough to do. It is the best way to get the best of both worlds. Then you don't have to worry so much about how you perform during the opening and closing ceremonies.

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Author: Daniel Moore
Learn more about the wild side of Japan through Daniel’s essays. Leave questions or comments in the section below, or reach Daniel through Active Travel Japan.