CULTURE OF JAPAN

1. CULTURE OF JAPAN

2. Japan Religion MostJapanesepeople do notexclusivelyidentifythemselves as adherents of a single religion; rather, theyincorporateelements of variousreligions in a syncreticfashionknown as Shinbutsushugo. The 90% of theJapanesepracticeBuddhism and Shintoismtogether and there are veryfewJapanese are BuddhistpureorShintopure. Theremaining 10% practiceChristianity, Judaism, ShintoRyukyuan

3. Japanesecuisine 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.

4. Education in Japan Theschoolyear in Japan begins in April and classes are heldfromMondaytoeither Friday orSaturday, depending on theschool. Theschoolyearconsists of threeterms, which are separatedby short holidays in spring and winter, and a onemonthlongsummer break.

5. Kindergartenstakechildrenfromunderageone on up tofiveyearsold. Elementaryschoolisfrom 6 yearsto 12 years. Grades rangefrom grade oneto grade six.

6. SecondaryEducation in Japan issplitintomiddleschoolswhichcoverthesevenththroughninth grades, and highschoolswhichmostlycover grades ten throughtwelve. Lower-secondaryschoolcovers grades seven, eight, and ninechildrenbetweentheages of roughlythirteen and fifteen. Uppersecondaryschoolisnotcompulsory in Japa, ittakesfrom 16 yearsto 18 years.

7. Universityentranceisbasedlargely on the scores thatstudentsachieved in entranceexaminations. Privateinstitutionsaccounted for nearly 80% of alluniversityenrollments in 1991, butwith a fewexceptions, thepublicnationaluniversities are themosthighlyregarded.

8. Japaneseclothing 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.Thebestknowntypes of lolita are: Gothic lolita, sweet lolita

9. 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.

10. 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).

11. 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.

12. Popular Culture Hanami HanamiistheJapanesetraditionalcustom of enjoyingthebeauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almostalwaysmeaningcherryblossomsorumeblossoms. In modern-day Japan, hanamimostlyconsists of havinganoutdoorpartybeneaththesakuraduringdaytimeor at night

13. Maneki The ManekiNekoalso 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. ManekiNeko come in different colors, styles, and degrees of ornateness. In addition to sculptures, ManekiNeko 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 ManekiNeko was made in his honor.