December 27, 2010 in All about Japan, Sekaione Press by adminsekaione

All about Japan: Oshougatsu – Japanese new year

The Japanese celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1 each year on the Gregorian Calendar. Before 1873, the date of the Japanese New Year (??, sh?gatsu) was based on the Chinese lunar calendar, just as the contemporary Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese New Years are celebrated to this day. However, in 1873, five years after the Meiji Restoration, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar, so the first day of January is the official New Year’s Day in modern Japan. It is considered by most Japanese to be one of the most important annual festivals and has been celebrated for centuries with its own unique customs. Read more »

December 2, 2010 in All about Japan, Sekaione Press by adminsekaione

All about Japan : Christmas

December 25th is not a Japanese national holiday. Unless it is on weekend, Japanese people work and go to school on the day. Christmas is mostly a commercial event in Japan. Many people don’t know exactly what the origin of Christmas is. The big corporations do the main decorating. They light their buildings and the trees. Read more »

December 1, 2010 in Sekaione Press, e-magazine by adminsekaione

e-Mag: December event in Japan

Year-end Sales

Special year-end sales are organized everywhere, in shopping quarters, department stores or supermarkets. A lottery sale attracts many shoppers who collect tickets and draw lots. Prizes may be an airline ticket to Hawai or Hong Kong, a new deluxe car, a fur coat and so on.

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December 1, 2010 in All about Japan, Sekaione Press by adminsekaione

All about Japan : Winter bonus

In Japan there is a bonus system on the salary, in which bonuses are paid 2 or 3 times a year.

Monthly wage usually consists of a base salary plus pay for overtime and supplemental benefit payments to cover commuting, housing and family costs, a management premium, and sales allowances.

Many companies pay bonuses on a regular basis, usually in summer and winter. In addition, some companies pay bonuses at the end of the fiscal year based on the company’s or individual’s fiscal year performance. Read more »