Enkai is a Japanese work party. These are commonly held to celebrate the completion of important events like school festivals and final tests. I never attended an American work party but I would imagine that it is more family oriented than an enkai. Unlike American workplaces, many Japanese offices are places strictly for work and not personal interactions. Unlike the offices I experienced in the past where people talk about their families and their plans for the weekend in between classes, Japanese schoolteachers stick to business while they are at work and party hard when the time comes. Often, I feel like a drag at these events because whoever gets stuck sitting next to me feels obliged to speak English even if they are not comfortable with it. Anyway, this enkai was great. There was lots of good food and beer and I got to participate in tossing people up into the air and we also all shared a huge circular group hug and sang a spirited version of the school song. The place we were at was super fancy and the way everyone was partying so recklessly, I felt like I was hangin’ with Jake and Elwood when they went to the fancy French restaurant to get the band back together.
