Culture of The Rising Sun.

     When talk about the Japanese culture, it is normal to think about the common subjects that symbolize Japan like Samurai, Geisha, skyscrapers and advance technology. Japan or also known as “The Land Of Rising Sun” has develop its unique culture by extracting ideas from other countries over the time of its past. The Japanese lifestyle today is a mixture of two different cultures, which are Asian-influenced traditional culture and Western modern culture.

Social Convention

One of the most obvious conventions is bowing. The Japanese bow to show respect, gratitude and greeting. There are several forms of bow and each bow tells a different message.  “Eshaku” is the 15-degree semi-formal bow, usually used for greetings when meeting people for the first time. “Keirei” is the 30-degree, which is used to show respect to superiors. There is also the 45-degree “Saikeirei” bow, used to show the highest of respect or sincere apology.

Eshaku              Keirei                   Saikeirei

Food

     The Japanese are very enthusiastic when it comes to food. Rice has been a staple food for the Japanese for over 2000 years and is still used as a base for many meals. Aside from the famous Japanese cuisine, Sushi, Donburi is another popular dish. Donburi is simmered fish, meat or vegetables served over rice. There is also Onigiri, which is a small parcel of rice wrapped in dried seaweed. Another popular Japanese dish is Mochi, which is pounded rice cake.

Donburi 

Onigiri

Mochi

Entertainment

Manga (Japanese comic) and Anime (Japanese Animation) are considered as entertainment sources. They have become a part of the modern Japanese life and culture as it makes Japan a colourful and intriguing country that it is. Manga books are usually printed in black and white and cover a wide range of genres, targeted to both sexes and all ages. Some famous examples of Manga comics are Dragon Ball, Doraemon, Bleach and Death Note.

An Anime can be an adaption of a Manga that has proven its worth by popularity such as Death Note and Bleach. However, Manga is not the only source of inspiration for Anime. For example, the famous anime, Pokemon was initially a hit game by Nintendo. Here are some other examples of the more popular Anime: My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Full Metal Alchemist.

     Besides Manga and Anime, games are another common source of entertainment for the Japanese. Kendama is one of the most popular and significant traditional games in Japan. The Kendama is a traditional Japanese toy made of wood, consisting of two cups with different sizes and a wooden ball attached to its centre piece by a string. For more information on how to play the Kendama toy, click here.

Festivities

     Every city, town and village in Japan celebrates at least one festival, also known as Matsuri in Japanese, each year. There are numerous festivals celebrated annually for the deity of a shrine or to honour any historical or seasonal event. These are some of the most famous festivals of Japan:

Sapporo Yuki Matsuri

It is a winter festival and is celebrated for a week in February. This festival is celebrated at Sapporo, the capitol city of Hokkaido Island.

Omizutori

It is a religious ceremony of Buddhist that is celebrated as a festival. Omizutori is held every year at the Todaiji Temple’s Nigatsudo Hall on the first two weeks of March.

Here are some useful Japanese phrases that you should learn upon travelling to Japan:

Konnichi wa             : Good Afternoon/Hello

Ohayo Gozaimasu : Good Morning

Oyasumi Nasai        : Goodnight

Arigato Gozaimasu : Thank You

Do itashimashite     : You’re welcome

Sayonara                  : Goodbye

     It is important for us to truly understand the culture of a certain country before travelling. Personally, I have experienced the Japanese culture before and I can honestly say that it is indeed, very fascinating. I hope you learn a thing or two about Japan and its culture as I did while writing this blog post. Thank you for reading.

Prepared by Suraya Zulkifli.