These daikon (Japanese radishes) accurately sum up New Year Holiday - finished! They might also sum up how a lot of people feel today about going back to work this morning!
They're hanging outside a local organic restaurant - the only reason I can think that they might be there is that hanging daikon is the first step in the process of making daikon pickles, although usually you need a bit of sun for that! Still, it's been interesting seeing them looking just a bit more floppy each day this past week.
In the background you can see a sign that has been posted on almost all the shop fronts this past week. The stylised kanji read 賀正 (がしょう) meaning 'New Year' or 'Happy New Year!' Today they're being taken down, as the working year for many in Japan starts this morning, with company presidents across the land calling upon their workers to gather round, as they deliver New Year speeches to inspire and motivate. I imagine there'll be a familiar theme to them today; "the past year was very tough for us, but we hope that this year things will improve, so please, everyone do your best to help us recover…"
Although today is the start for most 'normal' workers, for senior management this will be their second, as yesterday they will have paid a visit to a shrine to pray for the company's health in the year ahead.
I don't think we ever had New Year speeches in any company I worked in in the UK, at least, not serious ones first thing in the morning. Is Japan the only country that does that?
Joseph
