2019 忘年会 (bo-nen-kai) End-of-Year Party!

December in Japan is bounenkai season, when workplaces and social groups gather for end-of-year parties.

忘年会 (bounenkai, end-of-year party) is one of my favourite Japanese words.

忘 means “forget”, 年 means “year”, and 会 in this context means “party”, so a bounenkai is a “forget-the-year party”. Isn’t that great?

We have a bounenkai at Step Up Japanese too! About half the time I forget it’s a bounenkai and call it a “Christmas Party”, but I think that’s ok.

I hope 2019 brought you some things to remember, not just things to forget!