Hanami or Cherry Blossom festival
Geographical position
Japan is an island country located in East Asia. Total area is about 377 000 km2
Japan consists of several thousands of islands, of which Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are the four largest.
Japan's closest neighbors are Korea, Russia and China.
The Sea of Japan separates the Asian continent from the Japanese archipelago.
What is Japan popular for?
Japanese culture is rich and diverse. Japan is known worldwide for its unique culture and heritage, which has been preserved by the Japanese people since ancient times.
Traditions and customs
Traditional clothes
Kimono is considered to be one of the most typical and traditional costumes in Japan. It is a kind of costume which has the design with subtle and meticulous detail. The kimono is simply a tunic with a waistband around the waist. Although today Kimono is no longer as popular as before, however, the Japanese still wear kimono in celebrations and festivals.
Fundoshi are traditional Japanese loincloths that were historically worn as men’s underwear and as outwear by laborers. Today they are commonly worn to festivals. They are also famous worn by sumo wrestlers.
Yukata are inexpensive traditional cotton robe that are widely worn to summer festivals in Japan. They are worn by both men and women and help to give events a festive feel.
New Year’s celebration
New Year is ine of the most important annual holiday in Japan. And there are a lot of traditions related to it.
Preparation for New Year
In Japanese culture, the new year must begin on a clean slate. As a result, Japanese people usually do oosouji, or "big cleaning" several days before the New Year.
Nenga are New Year’s greetings. Sending nenga greeting cards to friends and family is a very popular New Year’s tradition. People receive them on the 1st of January.
Bonenkai is Japanese drinking party that takes place at the end of the year, and is generally held among groups of co-workers or friends
New Year’s Eve
Kohaku Uta Gassen is an annual music show on New Year’s Eve. This television program takes the most popular Japanese musical artists of the year, splits them into two teams (red and white), and has them perform on a grand stage. At the end of the program, the audience and a panel of judges vote to decide the winner
Otoshidama are annual envelopes with money gifted only to children. These envelopes are given by parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other close family members alike.
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On the night of New Year’s Eve, the bell rung at a temple is referred to as joya no kane. The bell is rung a total of 108 times, 107 times before midnight, and the final strike as it enters the new year. The number represents the 108 evils, or 108 worldly desires that a person has throughout their life.
New Year
During the first few days of the new year, many people head out for hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year, to pray, make wishes, express gratitude, and stock up on lucky charms
Hatsuninode, literally “first sun” is the Japanese tradition of waking up to see the first sunrise of the year on New Year’s Day. In Japan, families have a big traditional breakfast on New Year’s Day and wake up early anyway.
Shogatsu is a major celebration of New Year with a lot of shows and performances ending at the 3rd of January with a firework show.
New Year’s traditional food
Toshikoshi Soba or “New Year’s Eve noodle”. Japanese people have the tradition of eating toshikoshi soba because it wishes for long life and a healthy body for the next year.
Since the soba has a soft texture and is easy to bite, it represents letting go and forgetting about the old rivalries, hardships, and unhappiness experienced throughout the previous year.
Ozoni is a Japanese mochi soup for the new year.
Ozoni soup is eaten on new year's eve and on new years day to welcome the new year and to wish for a good year.
Osechi is a traditional Japanese dish that is eaten a few days after New Year. They eat osechi because there is a saying that one should not use a cooking knife within three days after New Year. The food in osechi represent prosperity, good health and fortune.
Setsuben
Setsuben is a Japanese holiday which takes place on February 3rd. On this holiday, the Japanese believe that the spirit world is closest to our world. One activity during the holiday is called mamemaki, this is where the children are given the opportunity to scare the demons out of their house. During mamemaki, a parent will put on an oni mask to represent the demons and they scare their children. The children then fend of the demons by throwing soy beans.
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Hanami or Cherry Blossom festival
Cherry Blossom Festivals : In spring there is one of the most beautiful festivals in the world – Cherry Blossom Festival. Every year, when the spring comes around, people go out for flowers, so that they can enjoy the miraculous beauty as the Sakura flowers bloom. These days people even take a day-off. Japanese people often gather with their relatives and friends under the cherry trees while enjoying a box of rice and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere under a pale pink sky.
The Japanese tea ceremony
The Japanese ceremony of preparing and offering tea to respectful guests is a formal and stylized ritual, almost like a meditative performance. The art or skill of preparing tea and all the elements of the tea ceremony have special and symbolic meaning. A person that holds the ceremony should sit in seiza, a traditional way to sit on Japanese tatami floors.
Food
White rice is a staple element of almost all meals and other ingredients include soy products, grilled or raw fish, thinly sliced stir-fried pork with bean sprouts and vegetables.
The Japanese are primarily fish eaters. Japan is the number one fish importer in the world, consuming around 12% of the world’s caught fish.
Soba are native Japanese noodles made of buckwheat flour or a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour
Udon are Japanese noodles made of wheat flour. Udon are thicker than soba and are also served either hot or cold and with various toppings such as fried tofu (kitsune udon), tempura (tempura udon) and mountain vegetables
Miso soup is a popular dish made from miso paste and containing tofu and/or vegetables.
Sushi is a dish containing sushi rice, cooked, white rice, flavored with seasoned rice vinegar.
Onigiri are made of cooked rice and are typically wrapped in nori seaweed.
Sashimi is raw seafood.
Language
The national language is Japanese.
Modern Japanese consists of three alphabets:
· Kanji (adopted Chinese characters)
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· Hiragana (a phonetic Japanese alphabet)
· Katakana (a phonetic alphabet used for foreign words)
The Japanese use chopsticks to eat their food. Sometimes a large spoon may be used
Non-verbal communication
All facial expressions, tone of voice and posture are very important for Japanese. They often trust non-verbal messages more than the spoken word as words can have several meanings. That’s why most Japanese maintain an impassive expression when speaking not to be misunderstood.
Personal space. The Japanese prefer to have some distance, at least arms-length in their personal space.
Eye Contact: The Japanese avoid eye contact with strangers as it is considered rude to stare.
Body Language: The Japanese do not gesture very much while speaking as their body language is largely restrained. Instead, they often hold their hands together as they speak which prevents them from gesturing throughout conversation.
Bow is a traditional greeting. How far you bow depends upon your relationship to the other person as well as the situation. The deeper you bow, the more respect you show.
Waving: Shaking the hand with the palm facing forward from side to side means “no”.
Facial Expressions: It is common for Japanese people to maintain a impassiva expression and smile during an interaction regardless of the topic. This evidently differs between personalities, but a modest, reserved behavior is polite.
Pointing: Pointing is done using the entire hand.
Feet: Displaying the soles of your feet is considered rude.
Beckoning: It is impolite to beckon people who you are not close friends with. Beckoning is done by facing the palm of the hand to the ground and waving one’s fingers towards oneself. Individual fingers should not be used.
Frowning while someone is speaking is interpreted as a sign of disagreement.
Conversational nuances
Naming
The suffix "-san " is a title of respect added to a name. It can be used with both male and female names, as well as with either surnames or given names.
"-kun" is used to address men who are younger or the same age as the speaker. Usually in schools or companies, a male might address female inferiors by "-kun”.
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"-chan" is often attached to children's names when calling them by their given names.
Gift giving
•The ceremony of gift giving is as, if not more important, than the gift itself. The gift should be wrapped nicely and given at the end of an exchange or event.
•Gifts that are considered taboo include white flowers (such as lilies, camellias or lotus blossoms) or items given in groups of four or nine.
•Gifts are usually opened in private after the giver leaves, in order to save face should the receiver dislike the present.
Safe topics for small talk
Where are you from?
Weather
Food
Japan
Hobbies
Entertainments
Traveling
Taboo topics for small talk
Politics
Money
Personal lives
Personal opinion. Individualism and strong opinions are not valued in Japan and most people will feel embarrassed at being asked to express an opinion.
Japanese royal family
Religion
The Yakuza
The Second World War
Recommendations
• In Japan, there is no tipping!
• Slurping is considered as a compliment.
• Remove your shoes before entering and put on the slippers left at the doorway.
• Wait someone to introduce you. Introducing yourself is impolite.
• Always wait to be told where to sit.
• Don’t use OK sign. In Japan it means “money”
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