Hina-Matsuri : Festival for Japanese girls on the 3rd March

Hina-Masturi 雛祭りis a festival for Japanese girls, which has thousands of years of history. It’s called the Peach festival too because that week is the season of peach flowers. Around when I was a kid, many houses decorated Hina-dolls in each house.

Now there are many types of Hina-dolls which are made and sold. Because traditional dolls are very expensive and it’s a heavy work to decorate those dolls. So my wife has some kinds of Hina-dolls which are very small.

This festival originated in China in the 6th century, it's said. But it’s not clear when this ritual was transferred from China. I think that the oldest novel “Genji Monogatari 源氏物語” would be written back then.

When it comes to the 5th of May, the Japanese boys festival is held. This is called Tango-no-Sekku 端午の節句. So, when I was a kid we often joked. “If so, what festival is the 4th of April?” “It’s a festival for gay boys” Although, it was a bad taste joke.

At the beginning of March, plum blossoms are still in bloom. Cherry blossoms are not yet.

Is work-life-balance possible in your country?

Regarding Japan, I have to say it’s impossible to answer this question. Japanese business guys still work for a long time everyday. 

Most miserable guys usually work from 9:00 to 24:00, and incredibly they are elites in central ministries. They are working for not themselves and their family but a nation.

You may be surprised to know that workers in Tokyo spend 4 hours commuting every day. Living costs in Tokyo are very high, so they need to commute from around to the center of Tokyo. It's common sense.

As for me, I had commuted 4 hours around my 40s. And I drove more than 100 kilometers every day to commute. Working 8 hours, commuting 4 hours, sleeping 8 hours. I had to eat, bathe, wash my face and teeths, and chat with my wife, in only 4 hours. 

I will turn 60 years old this year. So I’m considering how to keep work-life-balance. What will you need to do to keep your health? According to Confucianism, it’s important to save the virtue of moderation. What’s the virtue of moderation? In this thought, you shouldn't be angry too much, you shouldn’t grieve too much. And you shouldn’t work too much, rest too much, eat too much, and so on. Everything needs to be in moderation.

I want to say that Japanese people shouldn't overwork. But convenience stores are working 24 hours, railway workers never strike, and Amazon delivery workers are delivering every day here in Japan. 

And there isn’t night in Tokyo.

お仕事 vs 仕事 : What's a different meaning between two words?

The Japanese language is sometimes complicated. Two words having the same meaning, sometimes have a bit of different meanings.

“仕事 Shigoto” means work or job in Emglish. “お仕事 Oshigoto” is a polite way to say more than 仕事. For example,

Man : パパはどこへ行ったの？ Where did your daddy go?

Little daughter : パパはお仕事. My daddy is job.

We use “お仕事” between familiar people. And we prefer to use “お仕事” against elders. And we use “仕事” relatively on formal relationships, public relationships.

Man1 : 君はこれからどこへ行く？ Where are you going from now?

Man2 : 仕事に行きます. I’m going to job.

“お” is a unique beautiful language in Japanese, but you can’t use it all Japanese words. I can say, there is a rule which we are using “お”. You can say “酒” and “お酒”. However, you can say “ビール” but not “おビール”. If you said “おビール” while talking with friends, they definitely say “You are funny!”.