Nomunication

29 August 2003, 04:26

I learned a new word the other day – “Nomunication”, the art of communicating while being juiced to the eyeballs.

The word (apparently common in Japan although I’d never heard it before now) is made up of “Nomu”, the Japanese verb “to drink” (in this case, the assumption is that it will be a piss-load of alcohol) and “Communication”. Let it be said that Japan’s adult population consists of a fairly large number of lushes and most of the time, its fuckin’ superb. Alcohol and company is, in my opinion, one of the finest recipes for human bondage…erm, bonding.

But there is, of course, a dark side to this pre-occupation with nomunication. A friend of ours, a Manager of a Japanese company, went to a Bonenkai (end of year party) last year with his colleagues. He got rather, ahem, soused, stumbled to the train station, fell over on the platform, and broke his right cheek bone.

For three months he couldn’t wink or smile with that side of his face. Unfortunately, when he was recounting his story, some miscommunication occurred with the translation and we thought he’d said that until the accident he couldn’t wink or smile and now he could, to which we were on the verge of searching the heavens and proclaiming “It’s a miracle!!!” Two weeks after the accident, he had to make a speech to his company to welcome in the New Year and apologised profusely for his licentious behaviour.

In the Japanese business culture, there is a real emphasis on getting drunk with colleagues after work. Interestingly this does not extend to the Friday lunchtime write-off enjoyed by their Australian counterparts. Getting pork-chopped over lunch is frowned upon whereas the post-work izakaya liquor-spree is positively encouraged.

One of my students, a salary man in his early 40’s and a Senior Manager of his company, carouses with his colleagues or clients 5 out of 7 nights a week. After teaching him the critical phrase, “I have a hangover”, I asked him why he felt compelled to get his liver wet so often. He regarded me with haunted, hungover eyes and replied, “I have to. It is very important.” Now when a Japanese person says “It’s very important” it usually means “Its reasonably important” but in this case, I didn’t doubt him…

For the most part, nomunication has a positive effect on company and personal relations, although I did wonder what my student’s wife thought about him being crocked for 60% of his waking life.

While the answer remains a mystery, I, for one, am looking forward to nomunicating with my fellow passengers tomorrow on the train down to Shimoda!!! Long live the liquid eki-ben!

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