I share Chugalug's thoughts on the Japanese language, for one of the surgeons who performed such an excellent overhaul upon me was Japanese. (Needless to say his English was perfect). Less than four months after he closed up my nose cowling, the join has faded to a thin line with not a stitch in sight, for they are all internal -- the surgical equivalent of flush riveting I suppose. On my discharge I thanked him for his neat closure, not to mention the wonderful plumbing work within, and he said goodbye with a deep formal obeisance.
Thanking him in Japanese was the least I could do, but I soon realised how difficult it was for one who has little difficulty with French or Italian. Where German tacks words together, Japanese seems to conjoin entire phrases. There are formal and informal thanks, thanks for a service or deed performed in the present, another for deeds in the past, and one can also throw in words to apologise to the thankee for troubling him. Arigato means Thanks! Domo arigato a more formal Thank You. Adding Gozaimas constructs the formal thanks in the present, Gozaima****a for something in the past. At least, that's my understanding of it.
Six weeks later we met again for surgical review, and Masa-san seemed pleased when his happy patient climbed seven flights of stairs to pronounce Domo arigato gozaima****a and make my bow of thanks.
May I return your good wishes, our dear virtual crewmate Danny, and may we all be around to share them again in another 12 months.