#soubetsukai

[redheadinjapan]

The End and The Beginning: Graduation Ceremony, Farewell Parties, and Entrance Ceremony

It’s about that time of year when school comes to an end, at least, it is in Japan. In America, we’re used to the September to June school schedule, but Japan’s schools run from April to March. This means the school year ended a few weeks ago and is just starting back up after a couple of weeks of spring break (for the students, not really for the teachers, at least not in my area). As such, I’ve just been through a lot of firsts: first graduation ceremony, first farewell party, and first entrance ceremony.

Depending on whether you have one school or many, you may be asked to attend the school’s graduation ceremony and entrance ceremony, which are usually held in the school gym. While I wasn’t asked specifically to attend either, if the day I was there overlapped with when they were happening, the schools made sure I knew where to go and what to do. The graduation ceremony at my middle school was short, about an hour, just long enough to watch the 3rd years (9th graders) graduate. The entrance ceremony at my elementary school, on the other hand, was a little more than an hour, maybe an hour and a half. For that one, they did ask me to stand with all the teachers when they announced our names and classes at the end. The entrance ceremony seemed mostly geared towards welcoming the students and the new teachers, which put me in a strange position because it was my first entrance ceremony, but I wasn’t exactly new. It also sounds like there was another entrance ceremony specifically for the first graders that weekend.

The other important event that comes with the end of the school year is the farewell parties. Known as sobetsukai (送別会) in Japanese, these farewell parties are for the teachers to–well–say farewell to any teachers leaving the school or retiring. They’re held after hours and are a nice, less formal environment to get to know the teachers you work with, especially non-English teachers who you don’t normally talk to. They usually hold events like these throughout the year for teachers to mingle, but because of Covid, this was the first time any of my schools has held one. Or, in my case, two, because two of my four schools invited me. Beware, though, they are hard on your budget. One of my farewell parties was 7,700 yen (about $77) and the other was 100,000 yen ($100)! But as long as you’re willing to pay that, you’re in for a fun night of fancy food and lots of drinks. At one farewell party, they even put bottles of beer on the table for people to pick up and use to refill other’s drinks. One of the English teachers told me this was a typical way to mingle at these parties, but it didn’t happen at the other one, so I can’t be too sure. 

And if you’re lucky, you might also be invited to a second party (nijikai / 二次会) or even a third (sanjikai / 三次会). After the fancy farewell party, any teachers that aren’t ready to go home will head to another bar or izakaya where things get even less formal in the more casual environment. It’s almost a little like barhopping. We went to a separate bar for nijikai at both my schools, and one school invited me to sanjikai which was basically just late-night soba. That school’s teachers said that you have to end the night with noodles, but I haven’t been able to confirm that either.

These end- and beginning-of-the-year events are a great way to become more a part of the community at your school (or schools). It can be especially hard to get involved in everyday things, like clubs and afterschool activities, if you have multiple schools, but these one-day events are a great way to get to know teachers and be there for your students. While the ceremonies might seem tedious, especially if you can’t understand any of the Japanese, and the parties are expensive, I highly recommend them if you want to make the most of your time working at a Japanese school.

[patchoulism]

I stayed in Japan, but I also learned a lot about other countries, because there was 49 of us, each one from different country. I took part in a Tonga traditional dance perfomance for soubetsukai, I was one of small amount who could repeat farsi and georgian ejective sounds. I ate sweets from Nepal and Uzbekistan. It was great.

[brittanyshows]

Soubetsukai #japan #selfies #filter #party (at 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0nYl76Hezt/?igshid=1cvfd1vtclqgg

[jetrabbut]

I want someone to look at me the way Bethany looks at fried gyoza.

V at the soubetsukai tonight

[amerishiki]

3.30.17

When I signed the form back in early January stating that I would not be renewing the contract for my current position, I shut off all my emotions. I don't feel anything when I talk about leaving this place, I don't think about how sad I will be when I leave all these people. I also stopped caring about the co-worker changes I knew were coming April first. But there are big changes coming to my current work situation on Saturday. I will no longer be working with the two people I have been the most indebted to since coming to Japan. 「また会うからね!」we exchanged with smiles as I went over to pour two drops of beer out of courtesy. I KNOW we will meet again soon, I KNOW it's the truth, but in that moment, just for a second, it struck me hard. What if we don't? I fought back the tears. This event, as always, made me feel so insignificant. The only thing constant in this world is change. この広い、広い世の中で、私の居場所はどこにあるのでしょう。実家でもないし、この職場とこの町でもないし、大学でも、母校でもなかったです。次の職場と次の町は一体どうなるのでしょう。 When looking at it that way my life seems quite sad. I've just been wandering from place to place looking for a place where I belong. But it's only after you overcome the difficulties that you can look back and think 「あの頃本当に楽しかったな、本当はよかっただよな」 The truth is I have many feelings regarding my workplace, the people around me, and my solitary life, and I'm worried that in the future my situation won't change that much either. But these are things I only think about at events like these, and luckily I won't have to go to any more at this school. I walked all the way home in the dark from the hotel, my skirt flowing and my hard shoes echoing through the streets. And as I walked up the stairs to my apartment, I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my eyes.

[sugisawasentan]

Office gathering with staff's families #soubetsukai with Kania, Sandra, and mama at 90 Gourmet – View on Path.

[biriikun]

昨日のリエ三宅さんの送別会です。 @miyakerie.miyake, いろいろありがとうございますね！お疲れ様でした！Muito obrigado por tudo. 😊😊😊 #FarewellParty #Soubetsukai #TotalStaff

[empatheticquinoa]

When my body decided that it was going to succumb to food poisoning from yesterday's lunch than stay for the soubetsukai (Going away party.) (Apparently teachers at multiple schools happened to order from that same restaurant yesterday and had symptoms of food poisoning between then and when I got those symptoms last night. Wanna go Liam Neeson(sp?) upside that restaurant.)

[lemyahmad]

#soubetsukai/farewell party #um #livemusic #

[kohisuki-blog-blog]

fruitss #gundai #malaysian #soubetsukai #2012 (Taken with instagram)

[patchoulism]

One of the best moments of my stay was when one guy from Nepal and another guy from Morocco exchanged their traditional outfit hats on soubetsukai.

[luxue]

I love my old co-workers.... Only in Japanese companies do they not care if they eat a shitload of yakiniku, drink a shitload (almost everyone, regardless of age....), and sing a shitton at a karaoke box. For hours. Since 6pm. Sadly it was a soubetsukai, a goodbye party for my old boss. But it was fun singing at the top of our lungs, partially (if not completely) drunk, then I left around 2:30. God, I hope everyone comes up to SF to visit me. In the meantime, watch Kazuma rock out one of many times. Enjoy!

[amerishiki]

Best quote from the soubetsukai last night: "Fax machine is Japanese heritage!!!" (He also kept justifying conservative Japanese ways by saying “because, Japanese are farmers!")

[kohisuki-blog-blog]

tiramisu, cookies #gundai #malaysian #soubetsukai #2012 (Taken with instagram)