Japan Discovery How Japanese people think “Okage-sama”
“Oshigoto no choshi wa do dekka(How is work going?)" “Okagesama de bochibochi desu wa(I’m doing okay)" This is a conversation between merchants in Osaka, known as a commercial city. The meaning is somewhat clear, but if you think about it carefully, it’s a difficult conversation to understand. First of all, “bochibochi" is difficult to understand. Who does “Okage-sama" refer to?
Osaka people’s conversation
Conversations like “Kodomo-san doshita hari masu(What’s up with your child?)" and “Okagesan de bochibochi yatte masu wa.(Thanks you, things are going okay)" are also common.
“Bochibochi shuppatsu no jikan desse(It’s about time to leave)" and “Sō dekka, bochibochi ikima~yoka.(Is that so, let’s take it easy)"
What is “bochibochi".It is a word often used in the Kansai region, and it has two main meanings. “Bochibochi hajime mahi ~yoka" means (Shall we start soon?)". “Bochibochi ikima~yoka" can mean either “Shall we take it easy?" or “Shall we go soon?" The difference depends on the mood when you use the word.
Another way is to use it like “bochibochi desu wa". In this case, it means “it’s okay" or “not bad". Why does “bochibochi" become “okay"? Is it because there is enough time to walk slowly?
The strange word bochibochi
Osaka people say “bochibochi" humbly when business is going very well, and they use “bochibochi" to hide when business is not going well. The only way to understand which meaning is to judge by the other person’s facial expression. In either case, the other person thinks it’s troublesome to explain in detail. They use the vague expression “bochibochi" because they don’t want to strongly reject the idea. Therefore, people who hear it should not pursue the content too much.
If the answer is “(Ma~a, bochibochidesu wa(Well, it’s okay)" you should reply “Sore wa yoroshi idesuna(That’s fine)" and move on to the next topic. Don’t say “Bochibochi iu temo dorekurai dekka(How much is okay?)" Be careful, because it might make things awkward, like “Nande, anta ni sore o iwan to akan noya(Why did I have to tell you that?)" “Bochibochi" is like a greeting. It’s probably close to the English “I’m fine."
Okagesama is a Buddhist word
Now, let’s slowly move on (bochibochi)to the next explanation of “Okage-sama". “Okage-sama" is not a person’s name, nor is it the shadow that light creates. It is a word that Japanese people use to express gratitude, and it often appears in business conversations. It is used like this “Thank you very much for this opportunity. Thanks to you, the project is progressing smoothly (Okage-sama de purojekuto wa junchō ni susunde orimasu)" and “Thanks to you, we were able to get the contract (Okage-sama de keiyaku ga toremashita)"
“Anata no okage" means gratitude for the success of the work thanks to your cooperation and support. In this way, the object of gratitude is clear in business situations, but in everyday conversations, the object of gratitude is often unclear. “What’s wrong, child?" “Thanks to you, he’s doing fine (Okage-san de genki ni yattemasu)." “How are you feeling?" “Thanks to you, I’m fine (Okage-san de yoi desu)." In this case, you are not thanking the person who asked the question.
So who are we thankful to? It is the Buddha. We are thankful that thanks to the Buddha’s protection, our children are able to live healthy lives and that we ourselves are healthy. Most people use this phrase as an idiom without realizing that it is a word of faith, but it is originally a Buddhist word. So why do we say “Okage-sama" and not “thank you"?
The great shadow of the Buddha
“Okage-sama" is written in kanji as “お蔭様". The wisdom and mercy of the Buddha covers this world like a large tree so that people can be happy. People live under its shadow. People say “Okage-sama" in gratitude for that shadow. From there, it came to be used to mean the benefits and support we receive from others.
People cannot live by themselves. In order to live, we are helped by everything, including our family, society, nature, and the creatures of the natural world. The word “Okage-sama" came from the feeling of gratitude for that. It is often said that Japanese people do not have faith, but in this way, they have faith unconsciously.
“Okage-sama" is a word of faithAnd the word. “Bochiboch is to use when you don’t want to bother to answer the other person’s question in detail. “Bochibochi."may not be understood in Tokyo.