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Tweet of the Week #157: Back To Office Blues

The state of emergency may be over, but not everyone is itching to get back to the office in Japan.

By 1 min read

The coronavirus situation in Japan has improved thanks to good vaccination rates. Thus, the government finally ended the state of emergency—great news for restaurants, businesses, and those looking forward to going out and about again. But for company employees who got to taste remote work, this could mean the end of working from home in Japan. Especially sad since Japan’s work culture is notoriously rough.

At their recent online company meeting, this @aki8ma_3 learned he would be required to come back to the office from January, and the company is planning to organize a year-end party. If some enjoy drinking with colleagues, other dread these often “mandatory” work parties called 忘年会ぼうねんかい (bonenkai).

Aki8ma_3 didn’t take the news well—sharing their feelings using their take on the “this is fine” meme.

This is not fine

オンライン会議かいぎで「今月こんげつまつ在宅ざいたく勤務きんむ終了しゅうりょう」と「忘年会ぼうねんかい開催かいさい」を同時どうじげられたわたしです。

“Me [on] the day I was told in an online meeting that remote work would end this month and that I would have a year-end party at the same time.”

Expressing ‘at the same time’

The JLPT N2 key phrase “同時どうじに” expresses at the same time as; while; simultaneously. You can combine 同時に in various ways with verbs, nouns and adjectives. Here are some quick examples:

  • わらうと同時に: To laugh and cry at the same time.
  • きなものであると同時にいやなものでもある: Something you both like and hate.
  • 仕事しごと生活せいかつするためのものであると同時に自分じぶん変化へんかしていくための手段しゅだん: “Work is not only a way to make a living but also a way to change oneself.”
  • ほぼ同時に: “Almost at the same time.”
  • みんなで同時にはなしてはいけない: “Don’t speak all at once.”

Vocabulary

Japanese Romaji English
忘年会ぼうねんかい bounenkai Year-end party
オンライン会議かいぎ onrain kaigi Online meeting
今月こんげつまつ kongetsumatsu End of this month
在宅ざいたく勤務きんむ zaitakukinmu Work from home
終了しゅうりょう shuuryou Termination
開催かいさい kaisai Opening
げらる tsugerareru Be informed
hi Day
わたし watashi I, me

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