#3108

“Benkyoukai” Helps People in Japan Get Ahead

Great way to meet people

Allow me to introduce you to a term Benkyoukai.
The term Benkyoukai is made up of three Kanji Characters and the first one is written as 勉, which means “exertion”. The second character is written as 強and it means “strong”. The third character is written as 会 and it means “meeting, association, party, interview or join”.
If you put the first two characters together 勉強, then it means “study” thus Benkyoukai means “study group or study meeting”. I’ve learned that many Japanese people like to attend Benkyoukai to improve their professional knowledge, expand their sphere of influence by networking and simply attend these social functions to enjoy the company of people with similar interest.
I am invited to several Benkyoukai during my time in Japan and you can learn anything from Japanese culture, business practices, special events to sports and hobby activities. To participate in these events, find an event you may be interested in via the web or if you know someone who attends these events, ask him/her for an invitation and register to attend the event. Usually there is a small entry fee to cover refreshments, which is served at the end. Also, it is a great opportunity to get to know other business related professionals or people with same interests. Typically, these event presentations are done in Japanese so it will be helpful if have basic understanding of Japanese language.
One of the Benkyoukais I often attend is sponsored by HRM Organization and their forte is business professionals and entities. You can find more information by writing to info@hrm.or.jp
Try attending one during your visit to Japan! I think you will enjoy it.

AustinA image

AustinA

United States

AustinA's other advice

Have you Heard of Hayama Gyu Japanese Beef? images

Have you Heard of Hayama Gyu Japanese Beef?

Just a few days ago, I had an opportunity to visit one of the best “Wagyu Cattle Ranches” in Japan, which is located in the city of Hayama, less than 2 hours train/ bus ride from Tokyo. The ranch is …

Journey on the Tokaido (Shinagawa is Stop Number Two) images

Journey on the Tokaido (Shinagawa is Stop Number Two)

Now that we have left the first stop Nihonbashi (described in my previous article), we are approaching our next stop of Shinagawa. Imagine you are traveling from Edo (Present Tokyo) to Kyoto during e…

Journey on the Tokaido Goju San Tsugi (53-station Highway) images

Journey on the Tokaido Goju San Tsugi (53-station Highway)

Recently, I took a casual walk to a very famous Tokyo locale known as “Nihonbashi”. It is to the North of JR Tokyo station. It was a nice 10-plus minute walk from the station and as I walked carefull…

Shomyoji Temple, A Beautiful Place in Yokohama Japan images

Shomyoji Temple, A Beautiful Place in Yokohama Japan

I am going to introduce you to a temple call Shomyoji Temple, which is located in Kanazawa Bunko, Yokohama. Kanazawa Bunko is located approximately 20 minutes south of Yokohama JR station. To get to …

Ginkgo Biloba, Get Ready for a Gold Tokyo! images

Ginkgo Biloba, Get Ready for a Gold Tokyo!

I live in the city of Shinagawa and on my way to Shinagawa JR train station, I walk along the properly spaced and placed trees along the main road along the JR train tracks. The tree I am describing …

Good Smoking Rule in Japan images

Good Smoking Rule in Japan

Many years ago, my Dad as well as some of my other family members from the US were stationed in various parts of Japan from just after WWII. When I was with them, one of the questions they often ask …

You might also like

What to do at a Japanese Funeral | Funeral Etiquette images

What to do at a Japanese Funeral | Funeral Etiquette

Attending a Japanese funeral can be stressful, even shocking, if you don't know what to do. The more you know beforehand the better, as you'll be able to comfort and support mutual friends and their …

Former Deep Japan Writer image

Former Deep Japan Writer

Don't Wear Black in Japan images

Don't Wear Black in Japan

In Japan, the color white is attributed to happiness and good times. Death is a time of mourning and so people must dress in the color of depression, black. Men usually wear a black suit with a black…

GenS image

GenS

Yurei, Yokai and Obake: Japan's Very Busy Ghost Scene images

Yurei, Yokai and Obake: Japan's Very Busy Ghost Scene

Ghosts and spirits hold a place in the folklore of many cultures around the world. In the western world, Halloween, observed on October 31st, is a time for scary, spooky tales, while Latin America w…

jdlawrence image

jdlawrence

Enjoy bath, Japanese style images

Enjoy bath, Japanese style

Enjoy taking bath with Babu(Bub), a popular Japanese bath tablet to Relax after Exploring Japan on Foot.All travelers know how sight seeing can be exhausting. Especially walking around on foot, t…

mimichan image

mimichan

Ride The Tokyo Metro Like A Boss With These Apps images

Ride The Tokyo Metro Like A Boss With These Apps

To people new to Japan, the Tokyo subway system, stylishly called "Tokyo Metro" is a confusing labyrinth of lines going every which way. Orderly thought and planning, it would appear, seem to be the…

jdlawrence image

jdlawrence

Why Do Japanese People Call Mt. Fuji, Mr. Fuji? images

Why Do Japanese People Call Mt. Fuji, Mr. Fuji?

If you wondered why Japanese people refer to Mt. Fuji as Mr. Fuji, you are not alone.When I first came to Japan, and actually until about two years ago, well okay, actually it still happens a lot…

 image