Japanese Culture Examples : Lists you need to know

This page explains what a shrine is, the difference between a shrine and a temple, how to visit a shrine, the relationship between shrines and Japanese events, and a list of shrines. What is a shrine? A Shrine is a facility that enshrines the gods of Shinto, a religion unique to Japan. The origin of the Shrine According to the association of Shinto Shrine, large trees, huge rocks, and mountains were thought to be places where the gods descended and settled in the ancient times. The area around them was considered a sacred place. Eventually, temporary ceremonial sites were built ...

The main religions in Japan are said to be Shinto and Buddhism, but what exactly is Shinto? What is Shinto? Shinto is a indigenous religious beliefs and practices that emerged spontaneously from ancient times in Japan. There is a belief in the so-called "eight million kami": the sun kami for the sun, the water kami for water, the tree kami for trees, and so on.("eight million" is an example of a large number.) Also, the original beliefs do not have founders. There was no "holy book," the equivalent of the Bible in Christianity or the Koran in Islam. It is ...

In Japan, the main religions are Buddhism and Shintoism, but there is also a uniquely developed faith in Japan called Shugendo. What is Shugendo? Shugendo is a unique faith that incorporates elements of Buddhism, Taoism, and Esoteric Buddhism into Japanese ancient mountain worship. In Japan, there was originally an animistic belief in nature. Not only mountains, but also rivers, plants and animals were believed to have gods in them, and people worshipped them for various purposes, such as praying for a good harvest and preventing disasters. This animistic primitive belief later developed into Shintoism. Learn more about Shinto here. Among ...

This page introduce the origin of the surname, the history of the surname in Japan, and the ranking of surnames in Japan. Patterns of Surname Patterns of Surnames Example 1.Surname derived from place names Watanabe(渡辺) / Yokoyama(横山) / Sasaki(佐々木) 2.Surname derived from topography/landscape Kotani(小谷 : Small Valley) / Yamaguchi(山口 : Mountain outcrop) 3.Surname derived from direction / position Kamimura(上村 : Upper Village) / Nishimura(西村 : West Village) 4.Surname derived from Occupation Hattori(服部 : Clothing weaving occupation) / 5.Surname derived from Fujiwara clan (藤原：A powerful family in Japan) Sato(佐藤 : using same Kanji "藤") There are five patterns of origin for ...

When I was at a meeting to decide on the schedule for cutting the grass with locals in Kurokura, I was asked about my Yago(屋号). When Yago(屋号) is translated into English, comes out as a trade name. Today, Yago(屋号) are still used as the names of sole proprietors, but it seems that Yago(屋号) are also commonly used in rural areas. In Matsunoyama Kurokura, people write down each other's Yago(屋号) on the sign-up sheets for community activities such as shoveling snow and cleaning public facilities. What is the meaning of the yago used in rural areas? What is a yago in ...

Although the name "ninja" is now known outside of Japan nowadays, many aspects of the reality are still remained a mystery. In modern times, Ninja is depicted in manga, movies, and games, and are often seen as heroes. But what is a ninja really like? Hope this page help you to explore the ninja world. What is Ninja(忍者)? Ninja(忍者) were type of warrior who uses ninjutsu(忍術). The main purpose of Ninja is to infiltrate the enemy's stronghold and gather information to gain an advantage in the war. They can also disguise themselves to hide their true identity and confuse the ...

Oni are imaginary monsters that have existed in Japan since ancient times, and the idea of Oni is used in a wide range of contexts today. Oni are sometimes described as monsters in folktales, sometimes revered at festivals as a force to ward off evil, sometimes used in cartoons, tattoos, and other forms of art, and even used in everyday Japanese language. Let's take a look at what demons are and how they have permeated modern society in this page. What is Oni? Oni are imaginary monsters and demons that are usually thought to harm humans. However, Oni, which have ...

Did you know that the textile culture was very prosperous in the deep snow area of Niigata Prefecture? In the old days, weaving was the best possible work to do when the heavy snowfall would close the area in winter. The textiles from the snow country were highly valued as goods to be offered to the shogun (general), daimyo (Japanese feudal lord), and other influential people. What kinds of textiles are existed in snow country? The "Echigo Angin" has existed for 6,000 years Current archaeological research has unearthed a cloth called Angin from the strata of the Jomon period (14,000 ...

Japan has a profound fermentation culture. Japan's high level of humidity has made it easy for fermenting microorganisms to thrive. In addition, in the heavy snowfall areas that cover half of Japan, people had to focus on how to preserve food in order to survive the long, harsh winters. These environmental factors led to the refinement of Japan's fermentation culture. Fermented foods such as soy sauce and miso, which have been used for centuries, are now the cornerstones of Japanese cuisine. Here are some of the most famous Japanese fermented foods. Soy Sauce (醤油 - Shoyu) Miso (味噌) Natto (納豆) ...

In Japan, we can enjoy seasonal foods along the four seasons. Here we will look at the benefits of eating seasonal foods and also introduce when they are in season. What are seasonal foods? Seasonal food refers to the time of year when certain foods are relatively fresher and tastier than at other times of the year. Sometimes it simply refers to seasonal foods at the time it can be harvested, but sometimes it refers to the time when seasonal foods are at their best. So there are some foods that are in season after they have been stored for ...

Onsen culture is an essential part of Japanese culture. What is an onsen? Why are onsen so famous in Japan? Let's take a look. What is an onsen? Onsen is often translated as "hot spring" in English. It is a bathing experience in which people soak in a tub of warm water. Especially in Japan, onsen refers to natural hot springs. The rain and snow that falls in Japan seeps into the ground and becomes groundwater, which is then heated by the heat of magma chamber to form hot springs. This warmed water is used as hot spring water that ...

Two-thirds of Japan's land area is mountainous, and people have lived with mountains since ancient times. Japanese culture is closely tied to the mountains, terrain, and environment of Japan, and hiking has become a very familiar activity for Japanese people. So it'll be great if you enjoy hiking japanese mountains and nature and know more about Japanese culture too. English friendly Websites There are some blog or websites about Japanese mountains in English. These website will be helpful to find hiking information in Japan. Hikes in Japan japan-guide.com halfwayanywhere.com ridgelineimages.com APPs for hiking in Japan If you enjoy hiking in ...

There are a number of areas in Japan where ski resorts are clustered, and different areas offer different skiing experiences. It is also an opportunity to discover a new Japan through encounters with the food, culture, and people of the ski area. Let's take a look at some of the ski areas that have already become famous overseas, as well as those that are known to the Japanese but not yet major overseas. Hokkaido Hokkaido is the northernmost island of Japan. It has a lot of beautiful wilderness and shakes a lot of world-class powder snow, which attracts a lot ...

Tattoos have developed in a unique way in Japanese history. Although it is an important part of culture and one of Japan's traditional art forms that is proud of, it is definitely a controversial area as a social view. Horimono (彫り物) vs Irezumi (刺青) Both of them means tattoo in English. But actually there's historically different between Horimono and Irezumi. History of Horimono (彫り物) History of Horimono was started from Edo era (1603 - 1868). In Edo-era, Hikyaku (an mail carrier), Hikeshi (Fire fighter), or some of professionals often worked while exposing their skins. It was preferable for these people ...

Finding jobs in Japan is a bit difficult for foreigners because it's hard to find information in English or you must speak Japanese in certain level. If you are looking for job in Japan, this guide will be helpful for you. there are a lot of websites for foreigners to find job in Japan. 5 ways to find jobs It would be easy to introduce how to find jobs by dividing 5 ways. Teaching English : Government programs or contacting English school Office jobs : job listing website Working Holiday Program Freelance job : job listing website SNS Community Meetup ...

Suicide is an inescapable part when it comes to thinking Japanese culture and society. Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in developed countries with a particularly high tendency for young people to commit suicide. But is the suicide rate really that high in Japan? If so, what kind of cultural and social structures in Japan are responsible for the high suicide rate? Sorting out the data on the suicide rate may shed some light on the matter. Japanese suicide rates compared to the world Let's start with a comparison of suicide rates around the world. This is the ...