CULTURE OF JAPAN

Japan Religion

Most Japanese people do not exclusively identify themselves as adherents of a single religion; rather, they incorporate elements of various religions in a syncretic fashion known as Shinbutsu shugo.

The 90% of the Japanese practice Buddhism and Shintoism together and there are very few Japanese are Buddhist pure or Shinto pure. The remaining 10% practice Christianity, Judaism, Shinto Ryukyuan

Japanese cuisine

The Japanese cuisine is dominated by white rice. Any other dish served during a meal is considered a side dish. The Japanese cuisine is dominated by white rice. Traditional Japanese table setting is to a bowl of rice on your left and to place a bowl of miso soup on your right side at the table. Behind these, okazu is Served Each its own on individual plate. Chopsticks are generally place at the very front of the tray near the diner with pointed ends Facing left and Supported by a chopstick rest, or hashioki.

Education in Japan

The school year in Japan begins in April and classes are held from Monday to either Friday or Saturday, depending on the school. The school year consists of three terms, which are separated by short holidays in spring and winter, and a one month long summer break.

Kindergartens take children from under age one on up to five

years old.

Elementary school is from 6 years to 12 years. Grades range from grade one to grade six.

Secondary Education in Japan is split into middle schools which cover the seventh through ninth grades, and high schools which mostly cover grades ten through twelve. Lower-secondary school covers grades seven, eight, and nine children between the ages of roughly thirteen and fifteen. Upper secondary school is not compulsory in Japa, it takes from 16 years to 18 years.

University entrance is based largely on the scores that students achieved in entrance examinations. Private institutions accounted for nearly 80% of all university enrollments in 1991, but with a few exceptions, the public national universities are the most highly regarded.

Japanese clothing Lolita fashion is a fashion subculture originating in

Japan that is primarily influenced by Victorian clothing as well as costumes from the Rococo period. Lolita has made this into a unique fashion by adding gothic and original design elements to the look. The Lolita look consists primarily of a knee length skirt or dress, headdress, blouse, petticoat, knee high socks or stockings and rocking horse or high heel/platform shoes. In Lolita fashion, it is generally accepted that "Lolita" does not refer to Vladimir Nabokov's famous novel. Adherents present themselves more as Victorian children or porcelain dolls and prefer to look "cute" or "beautiful" rather than "sexy". The usage of the word may also be considered wasei-eigo. The best known types of lolita are: Gothic lolita, sweet lolita

The kimono is a Japanese traditional garment worn by women, men and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" (ki "wear" and mono "thing"), has come to denote these full-length robes.

Today, kimonos are most often worn by women, and on special occasions. Traditionally, unmarried women wore a style of kimono called furisode, with almost floor-length sleeves, on special occasions. A few older women and even fewer men still wear the kimono on a daily basis. Men wear the kimono most often at weddings, tea ceremonies, and other very special or very formal occasions. Professional sumo wrestlers are often seen in the kimono because they are required to wear traditional Japanese dress whenever appearing in public.

Otaku Culture

Otaku in JapanIn modern Japanese slang, the term otaku refers to a fan of any particular issue. Common uses are anime otaku (anime fan), manga and cosplay otaku (a fan of Japanese comic), pasokon otaku (computer geeks), Gemu otaku (video games), and Wota (pronounced 'ota', previously known as "otaku idol ") that are extreme fans of idols, heavily promoted young singers. There are also Tetsudo or denshamania otaku (fans of trains) or Gunji otaku (military fanatics).

Otaku outside JapanThe Otakus outside Japan are focusing their interest in manga and anime but also expand to other tastes as video games. Are related to Japanese culture by participating in conventions of Anime and Manga, J-Music heard in two subgenera J-Pop and J-Rock or J-Ska genres that are exclusive in the Japanese music scene.

Popular Culture Hanami

Hanami is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms or ume blossoms. In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night

Maneki The Maneki Neko also known as Welcoming Cat,

Slappy Cat, Lucky Cat, Money cat, or Fortune Cat. Sometimes incorrectly labelled Chinese Lucky Cat) is a common Japanese sculpture, often made of ceramic, which is believed to bring good luck to the owner. Maneki Neko come in different colors, styles, and degrees of ornateness. In addition to sculptures, Maneki Neko can be found as keychains, piggy banks, air fresheners, and miscellaneous ornaments.

The Temple Cat: This story goes that a wealthy feudal lord was taking shelter under a tree near Gotoku-ji temple (in Western Tokyo) during a thunderstorm. The lord saw the temple priest's cat beckoning to him and followed; a moment later the tree was struck by lightning. The wealthy man became friends with the poor priest and the temple became prosperous. When the cat died, supposedly the first Maneki Neko was made in his honor.