Have you ever wondered what Japanese culture is like? Well, I have; and after doing much research, I have come to a conclusion that Japanese culture is uncommonly unique. However, the word culture itself when said, covers a wide range of topics. From the way they communicate to the way they dress, they all add up to the idiosyncrasies of Japanese people.

To start off, religion in Japan combines elements of Buddhism and Shinto. Whereby Shinto is the worship of multiple deities. For the Japanese, religion is not a moral guideline in life rather it is more so for myth and traditions of the local people.

Besides that, the Japanese language is said to be ranked as the most difficult language to learn. Truth be told, it is easy to learn how to SPEAK Japanese what’s difficult is the writing system. There are three main scripts in the Japanese writing system namely kanji, hiragana and katakana. Kanji characters are adopted from Chinese characters. Though they are adopted from Chinese characters, the Kanji meaning and the Chinese meaning of the same characters sometimes differ. As for the Hiragana and Katakana characters, they represent syllables. Due to these scripts having several thousands of characters it makes the Japanese language the most difficult to learn. 

Bathing Etiquette

Japanese Bathroom

Besides cleaning your body, the main purpose of taking a bath in Japan is for relaxation. Before soaking, Japanese style of bathing requires them to first rinse their body. After soaking, soaping and rinsing should all be done outside the bath tub with a washbowl. It is important to make sure no soap gets into the bath tub so that the water can be left for the next member of the house. Once clean, enter the bath tub again for a final soaking. 

Dining Manners & Etiquettes

Itadakimasu! (Thanks for the food)

In Japan, before eating, you say “itadakimasu” which means I gratefully receive and after finishing the meal you say “gochisosama” which means thank you for the meal.

When refilling drinks, it is customary to serve each other instead of pouring your own beverage.

Furthermore, you may want to copy the slurping sound from people around you when dining at a noodle shop. This is because in Japan, slurping noodles is considered evidence of enjoying the meal.

Do’s and don’ts when eating with chopsticks:

• Chopsticks should be held towards their end, not in the front third or the middle.
• When you have finished eating or are not using your chopsticks, place them down in front of you with the tips to left.
• Never stick chopsticks into your food or pass food directly from your set of chopsticks to another’s. This  is a funeral tradition that involves sticking chopsticks into rice that is put on the altar and transferring bones of a cremated body.
• Spearing food with chopsticks are considered bad manners.
• Don’t point with your chopsticks.
• One shouldn’t wave around or play with their chopsticks.
• Plates or bowls must not be moved around with your chopsticks.

Greeting & Addressing People

The Japanese folks greet each other by bowing. Depending on the social status of another, a bow can range from a small nod of the head to a 90 degree bend at the waist. The higher his/her social status, the deeper and longer the bow, to show respect. Bowing is also used to express gratitude, to ask for forgiveness or to request something of someone. Shaking of hands is scarcely seen in Japanese society.

Japanese not only address each other by their last names but they also add honorifics or a title to the name depending on the gender and social position of a person. Therefore, in rare cases where people address one another just by name it would show the intimacy of their relationship. What more if they address one another by their given name? Nonetheless, children are also sometimes addressed by their given names. Here are examples of the most frequently used titles:

san: (for example Sato-san) 

   Can be used in most situations to show respect and to address equals of any age.

sama: (for example Sato-sama) 

   More polite form of san. Commonly used in very formal situations and letters.

kun: (for example Yusuke-kun) 

   Informal title to address boys and men younger than oneself.

chan: (for example Megumi-chan) 

   Informal title to address young children and family members or very close friends.

senpai : (for example Fuji-senpai)

   To address ones senior colleagues or seniors in school.

sensei: (for example Sato-sensei) 

   Used to address teachers, doctors and other people with a higher education and from whom you receive
   instructions.

Kimono

The most common traditional Japanese garment is the Kimono. Kimonos can be worn by either gender. Men’s kimono are plain, simple and consists of only 5 pieces of clothing. In contrast to men’s kimono, women’s kimono are decorated based on the changing seasons and there are 12 or more pieces of clothing. For instance, in the summer when it is hot Japanese people would wear a Yukata, also known as a casual summer kimono. In addition to that, Yukatas are also used as bathrobes at places like hot springs.

Sumo wrestling is known as Japan’s national sport and is well-known throughout the world. It is a traditional combative sport that consists of competitors weighing from 100kg to 200kg.

Kendo is a swordsmanship-based sport and is known as Japanese-style fencing.

Judo and Aikido are amongst the few martial arts practiced in Japan. Judo focuses on self-defense techniques that makes use of the opponent’s strengths or force while Aikido redirects the force of the attacker.

Japan has a large variety of food to choose from. The most popular Japanese cuisine known throughout the world is sushi. However, sushi is also popular in Japan. The main ingredient in sushi is sushi rice. Here are some of the popular types of sushi:

Chirashi

Gunkan

Norimaki

       

Inari

Nigiri

Oshizushi

Temaki

Other than sushi, there is also Udon. The noodles in Udon are thicker of that than Soba noodles(another Japanese cuisine).

Another popular Japanese cuisine is Okonomiyaki. Some people compare it to pizza or pancakes but it is actually pan fried food that consists of cabbage and batter with selected ingredients and toppings. It is particularly popular in Hiroshima and Osaka.

The word manga when directly translated means “whimsical drawings”. Manga are comics produced in Japan. Manga are written and drawn in different genres so as to make it available for people of all backgrounds and ages. Manga are also well-known for their in-depth characters and plots. Unlike Americanized comics where there are heroes and heroines saving the world, manga represents plenty of Japanese essence. They integrate Japanese culture into the manga world to create their own scenarios and stories.

Anime are animated cartoons that conveys its plot through a movie or episodes. Most anime are usually based on manga or animated comics but in rare cases, an anime can also be adapted into a manga. 

I could go on and on about Japanese culture but I reckon this much knowledge about Japanese culture is sufficient enough to cause you to be itching to plan a trip to Japan for the upcoming holidays. In that case, why not experience all of it(Japanese culture) first hand? All in all, thank you for reading! Sayonara!

Prepared by :
Melissa Teh Poh Ling