While you may not spend Japan’s 勤労感謝の日 (Kinrō Kansha no Hi, Labor Thanksgiving Day) on Nov. 23 with a turkey packed with stuffing and drowning in gravy, the exercise of giving thanks is scientifically proven to make you happier, improve relationships and even reduce aches and pains.
Fortunately, Japanese is a language full of gratitude. There are far more ways to express thanks and appreciation than you can count, let alone fit into one article or Japanese lesson. Some are simple, and some are highly specific to formal or business settings. Regardless, it all starts with the universally beloved ありがとう (arigatō, thank you), which can be modified in myriad ways: a more polite ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) or どうもありがとうございます (dōmo arigatō gozaimasu) for strangers and superiors, the past tense ありがとうございました (arigatō gozaimashita) for favors already completed, with the addition of 色々 (iro-iro) to give thanks for not one but various things, or with 本当に (hontō ni), 大変 (taihen) or 誠に (makoto ni) at the front for really expressing your gratitude. But the multiplicity of ありがとう only touches the surface. Oh, and with most thank-yous it is best to thank the person twice — once at the time of the favor, and again the next time you see them.
In a dark, conflicted and pandemic-ridden year, what is there to be thankful for? I can definitely thank my Japanese teachers for helping me to survive here. To my girlfriend, who has taught me Japanese much more casually, I say, “日本語を教えてくれてありがとう” (Nihongo o oshiete-kurete arigatō, Thanks for teaching me Japanese).