Culture


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Culture

Religion Shintoism 83.9% media type="custom" key="7848249" align="right"  Buddhism 71.4%  Christianity 2%  other 7.8%

Contemporary Japanese Beliefs
 *  To most Japanese people, it is more important to have good relationships with others and to fulfill obligations than to have a personal relationship with God.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;"> Self-development, order, and harmony are three of the biggest values in Japanese culture.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;"> The Japanese also put a lot of emphasis on fulfilling obligations to one's family as well.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Individuality can sometimes be perceived as selfish in Japanese culture and is therefore looked down upon.

<span style="color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 160%; text-align: center;">Geisha
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;"> A geisha is not a prostitute, but rather a traditional Japanese entertain[[image:http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/japan_picture/albums/upload/kyoto/geisha/normal_kyoto_geisha_IMG_2212.jpg width="206" height="480" align="right" caption="Geisha" link="http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/japan_picture/displayimage-52-2.html"]]er. However, some prostitutes refer to themselves as geisha.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">This was a very common job occupation for young women in the 18th and 19th centuries.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">In the past young girls were usually bought by geisha houses and then trained in different arts such as playing traditional instruments, learning traditional dances, and performing tea ceremonies.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Some geisha may marry one of their wealthy patrons which is called a //danna//. While some of the geisha may fall in love with their //danna//, the relationship is usually based on financial support.

<span style="color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 160%; text-align: center;">Japanese Tea Ceremony
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Cha-no-yu 茶の湯 "hot water for tea" - This phrase is used when talking about a single tea ceremony.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Sado or chado 茶道 "the way of tea" - This phrase means the study of tea a ceremony.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;"> This is a very formal and old tradition in Japanese culture. Usually a few guests are served in a very peaceful setting by a tea ceremony practitioner.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;"> If someone wants to become a practitioner of the tea ceremony, they must go to school for many years. At school they learn about types of tea flower arranging,calligraphy, kimonos, and other traditions.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Someone who wants to participate in the tea ceremony as a guest must have some knowledge about the proper phrases to say and how to conduct themselves according to the traditions.

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<span style="color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%; text-align: center;">National Holidays


 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">New Year's Day (shogatsu) - January 1st
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Coming of Age Day (seijin no hi) - Second Monday in January this celebrates the coming of age of 20 year old men and women
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Doll's Festival (hina matsuri) - March 3rd. This is not a national holiday but a festival day all over the country.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Greenery Day (midori no hi) - May 4th. Originally celebrated on April 29 which was Emperor Showa's birthday. He loved nature and plants.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Respect for the Aged Day (keiro no hi) - Third Monday in September. The elderly are celebrated on this day.

<span style="color: #ff0000; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%; text-align: center;">Japanese Food

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Since rice is a major cash crop of Japan, many of their popular dishes have rice as an ingredient.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Rice Bowl - Most Japanese dishes are served with a plain bowl of cooked rice. Sometimes eggs or soy sauce are added for flavor.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Sushi - Sushi is usually filled with sea food and can be either raw or cooked. Rice that has been cooked in sushi vinegar is wrapped in seaweed.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Domburi - This a a bowl of cooked rice that has other ingredients put on top of it such as eggs, noodles, beef, or chicken. [[image:http://www.japan-guide.com/g3/2035_08.jpg width="144" height="105" align="right" link="@http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2035.html"]]
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Udon - These are a type of wheat noodles that are served either hot or cold with different kinds of toppings.
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Shabu-Shabu - This is a Nabe dish. That means it is served around a hot pot in the middle of the table. Shabu-Shabu is a kind of meat fondue. Tofu, vegetables, and thinly sliced meat are dipped into a very hot soup. From there it is dipped into either sesame sauce or ponzu vinegar before it is eaten.

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Information for this page was adapted from:

Central Intelligence Agency. (2010, December 7). East and Southeast Asia: Japan. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from The World Factbook: @https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.html

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Japan-Guide.com. (2008, May 30). Japanese Dishes. Retrieved December 14, 2010, from Japan-guide: @http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2035.html

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> Japan-Guide.com. (2008, June 7). Japanese Holidays. Retrieved December 14, 2010, from Japan-guide: @http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2062.html

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Mi Marketing Pty Ltd. (2010, October 29). Japanese Culture. Retrieved December 8, 2010, from Japanese Lifestyle: @http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/culture/culture.html\

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">U.S. Library of Congress. (1994). Values and Beliefs. Retrieved December 1, 2010, from Japan: A Country Study: @http://countrystudies.us/japan/58.htm