Departments
茶の間
CHA-NO-MA
"tea room"
A cha-no-ma is a living room, or “tea room” in a Japanese-style home. In the center of the room sits a chabudai / 茶ぶ台 (tea table), which people gather around while enjoying their tea. During the cold months, the chabudai may be replaced by a kotatsu / 炬燵, ---a foot warmer with a coverlet. In some rural homes, there is a hearth (irori / 囲炉裏) in the center of the cha-no-ma.
茶飲み話
CHA-NOMI-BANASHI
conversation over tea
While Japanese employees are expected to work hard for long hours, the Japanese workplace is also characterized by close personal relationships.
These relationships are built on shared goals and on-the-job cooperation, of course—but also through time spent to together and conversations share during coffee, tea, and (unfortunately!) cigarette breaks.
The conversation that takes place during breaks usually has some connection to work. It is common to overhear two employees on a smoke break discussing a knotty work-related problem or mulling over recent office gossip.
Whereas Americans strictly divide their lives into “work time” and “personal time,” Japanese are more likely to blend the two. In Japan, a job is not just something one does for money, but a major source of personal identity and fulfillment.