A very interesting travel to the Japanese Culture

1. JAPANESE CULTURE
Japanese culture has many roots in traditional Chinese culture,
however Japanese culture, even historically differed from Chinese
culture and due to the separation of the two land masses, plus the
enforced periods of isolation from the outside world, further
extended the differences between the two cultures.

2. One people, one race?
• Japanese people appear at first glance to be one of the most socially and ethnically homogenous
groups in the world.
• Until recently, Japanese workers have associated themselves primarily with the company they work
for - a businessman will introduce himself as "Nissan noTakahashi-san" (I am Nissan's MrTakahashi).
By extension, we might get the idea that a Japanese person subordinates the self to the objectives of
society.
• In 1994 the firstAinu politician was elected to the Japanese Diet, suggesting that the Japanese are
keen to officially recognize distinct ethnic groups in Japan.

3. Traditional sports
Sumo
• Deeply rooted in Japan's culture, sumo has a history
of over 1,500 years.
• Legend has it that the very survival of the Japanese
people balanced on the outcome of a sumo match
between the gods, and indeed sumo originated as a
form of Shinto ritual.Though it has developed into a
professional sport, elements of these rituals are still
apparent, from the use of salt to purify the ring, to
the shrine-like roof hanging above.
Kendo
• The furious, noisy sport of kendo is perhaps Japan's
oldest martial art and blends power, skill and
bravery.
• Kendo could be described loosely as "Japanese
fencing", though the "swords" are today crafted
from four substantial bamboo slats, usually held
together by leather straps. Its origins lie in the
Kamakura period (1185-1333) with the samurai, who
needed to practice their swordsmanship.

4. Japanese food: a whole lot more than just sushi!
Kobe Beef
A delicacy renowned worldwide is
produced from cows raised
according to strict tradition and
provides a wonderful flavor that
melts in your mouth.
Zaru Soba
Buck-wheat noodles served cold with
a dipping sauce.
Fish
It's fair to say that fish is an integral
part of the Japanese diet. Whether
it's eaten almost live (odorigui - still
dancing!) raw (nama or sashimi),
grilled (yaki) or deep fried (tempura).

5. Manga & anime
As manga (Japanese comics) and anime (Japanese animation) have
become integral parts of modern Japanese life and culture, there is no
way of escaping their influence wherever you go in the country.
Without either of them, Japan would definitely not be the colorful and
intriguing country that it is.

6. Manga
Manga books are generally printed in black
and white cover, a wide variety of genres
and subject matter aimed at both sexes
and all ages, not just for young boys - to
whom comics are generally marketed in
theWest.
Themes include romance, action
adventure, science fiction, comedy, sports
and can also venture into darker subject
matter for adults such as horror and more
risqué material; though the latter tends
not to be acknowledged in everyday life
and culture.

7. Anime
Once certain manga have proven their worth by
popularity, the natural progression is for an animated
TV series to be created, however, manga is not the
only source of inspiration for anime. For example,
Pokémon was a worldwide hit as a video game for
Nintendo before it was made into manga and anime
series.
The obvious differences from manga such as colour,
movement and sound bring anime to life, but there is
one additional element which is extremely important:
the theme song. Artists from the J-pop and J-rock
world are all falling over themselves to write the
theme songs for the next big anime series as it is
almost a guaranteed hit and provides great exposure.
On a visual level, his animation style is very unique
and cannot be mistaken, especially as his characters
tend to have small eyes, going against the usual trend
for larger eyes as mentioned earlier.Another
distinguishing feature of his work is that most of the
protagonists are strong independent girls or women.

9. Samurai
For those interested in Japanese history, samurai culture and
the role this military class played in shaping Japan is a
fascinating one.

10. Samurai and "the way of the
warrior"
Although samurai no longer exist, the influence of these great warriors
still manifests itself deeply in Japanese culture and samurai heritage
can be seen all over Japan - be it a great castle, a carefully planned
garden, or beautifully preserved samurai residences. It is also deeply
ingrained in the psyche of the Japanese people.
The basis of samurai conduct is bushido, "the way of the warrior". This
unique philosophy valued honor, reckless bravery and selflessness, as
well as duty to the warrior's master with the purpose of giving up one's
life and embracing death.There was no place for fear in the way of the
warrior and this conduct of self discipline and respectful, ethical
behavior was to become the role model behavior for other classes
throughout Japan's history. -