31 March, 2012

Today is the end of the year

Did you know that today is the end of the year in Japan? Well, the end of the financial year and the school year. This flows on to be the end of the general business year and church calendar too.
This time of year is somewhat tied to the Sakura blossoms
(cherry blossoms), the symbolic beginning of spring in Japan.
That doesn't mean the sakura bloom on this day, but in Tokyo
they are often blooming about this time (not this year, though).

This means that this is the time of year that students start school, change schools, start university, and are looking for jobs. Companies transfer their employees at this time of year. Churches hold AGMs, finish programmes, and begin new ones.

Because most of our lives are bound up with an American-style school, it doesn't affect our family very much. Our end of school year is still two months away.

Are there any other countries in the world that start their "functional" year in April, at the beginning of spring? I've got no idea. Maybe you do.

2 comments:

KarenKTeachCamb said...

Not sure about the functionality aspect of it, but we've got Khmer New Year coming up. Holidays start 11th April and go to 16th April. Definitely big celebrations will be happening, although many head out to provinces rather than being in Phnom Penh.

Wendy said...

It isn't the New Year in Japan, as in the capital lettered version. That is January 1 and has its own significance. This "new year" isn't celebrated except as graduation/entrance type ceremonies for schools etc.