Culture:

Japanese culture is rich and diverse, dating back to 10,000BC. It is widely known for its
traditional arts as well as its contemporary pop culture.
A sophisticated cuisine, unique social customs, and refined performing and visual arts also
contribute to a culture which has become attractive, and sometimes fashionable, to many
foreigners.
Japanese Traditional Clothing
In recent years, the Japanese have become more accustomed to wearing western clothing. This is likely due to the
convenience of western clothes and the global acceptance of western styles and fashions. However, the Japanese
have a rich history of their own unique cultural fashion. Traditional Japanese clothing includes many different
types; fundoshi, furisode, hakama, hanten, happi, jinbeit, gnihitoe, kimono, obi (sashes), samue, sokutai,
tomesode, uwagi, and yukata. These garments are made to suit the seasons in which they are worn. Clothing that
has rustic hues and patterns, such as those that feature russet leaves, are preferred for autumn wear. However,
floral designs, such as those that feature cherry blossoms, and more vibrant colors are more common during the
spring time. For winter, people who are dressed in kimonos like to wear darker fabric and more layers.
Sometimes, people may wear ten layers of clothing.
One of the most popular garments of traditional Japanese clothing is the kimono, which is worn by both men and
women. Unlike the kimono that is worn by women, men's kimonos are much simpler and usually include only five
pieces, not counting footwear. A few inches of the sleeves are left unattached at the bottom of the sleeves. The
sleeves are also not nearly as deep as the sleeves of the women's kimonos. This is to make room for the obi that
goes around the man's waist directly underneath the sleeves. On the woman's kimono, sleeves are able to hang
on top of the obi and not interfere.
More recently, the main difference between men and women's kimonos is the material used. Typically, men's
kimonos are dark, subdued colors, like dark blue, black, brown, or green. Usually, these are also matte fabrics
with some having slight patterns. Casual-styled ones are commonly textured and a little more brightly-colored,
like light blue, green, or purple. Occasionally, sumo wrestlers like to wear brighter colors, even fuchsia. The
formal kimono is colored plain black and it is made of silk and features shoulders, a chest, and a back with five
Kamon. Although, a kimono with three kamon is a little more formal. These kimonos are worn with white
accessories and undergarments.
Another popular traditional Japanese garment is called a happi (happy coat). A happi is a coat with straight
sleeves that is normally made of brown or indigo cotton and features the imprint of a special mon (crest). These
were first family crests, owing to the fact that happis were the clothing of the house servants. Eventually, happi
started to use the crests for organizations and shops. Happi were also popular attire for firemen. These happi
had symbols on the back that told people the groups to which the firemen belonged. During Japan's Edo period,
firemen were paid for being prompt and present. This is why the happi were so important for them.
Origami
Origami, the art of folding paper to create objects or animals, is a Japanese tradition that is important in many
celebrations. The true origin of origami is the subject of much speculation. Although the practice was the most
extensive in Japan, there is evidence supporting a tradition of paper folding as an art form in China, Spain,
Germany, and many other countries. Direct evidence is difficult to find as paper is very quick to decompose, so
references in the published materials of the times have to be trusted.
The earliest pieces of evidence that can be found to suggest paper folding existed and was practiced in Europe
are the picture of the tiny paper boat that exists in the Tractatus de Sphaera Mundi (1490). Western paper
folding is thought to have been started by the race known as the Moors. Whether this knowledge was obtained
on the silk route or independently-acquired is unknown.
The earliest reference that clearly supports paper folding in Japan is the short poem written in 1680 by Ihara
Saikaku. This poem describes a dream that involves paper butterflies. These paper butterflies were made with the
technique of origami to symbolize the brides and grooms in Shinto wedding organizations. This type of paper
folding had become part of these important ceremonies by Japan's Heian Period, which lasted from the end of
the eight century to the end of the twelfth century. Samurai warriors also exchanged origami in the form of
folded paper strips, called Noshi, which were tokens of good luck.
Akita Yoshizawa devised a large number of origami innovations in the early 1900s. These innovations included the
Yoshizawa-Randlett diagramming system and the wet-folding technique. He spoke openly about the profound
way in which he viewed the art of origami, saying he wished "to fold the laws of nature, the dignity of life, and
the expression of affection into my work." His work inspired a great resurgence of the art. This resurgence in
popularity lasted until the 1980s, when origami experienced another boost in popularity. During the 1980s, it was
trendy to study the folded forms' mathematical properties in an academic way. This led the way to origami
models that exhibited greatly-increased complexity. This trend continued into the 1990s. After this time, many
origami artists embraced a return to simpler forms of folded paper artwork. With the advent of the Internet, it
has become possible for people around the world to find instructions and step-by-step visual examples of how to
fold different shapes out of paper. This has made it easier for anyone to become somewhat proficient in the art
of origami, provided they put in the proper amount of time and practice. It has also led to yet another resurgence
in origami's popularity.
The art of origami is still alive and inspiring people to create beautiful forms from paper.
Japanese Traditional Music

Traditional Japanese music usually refers to Japan's historical folk music. One of the defining characteristics of
traditional Japanese music is its sparse rhythm. Regular chords are also absent. It is impossible for a person to
beat time to the music. All of the rhythms are ma-based, and silence is an important part of the songs. The focus
is on creating music that flows in an attempt to mirror the behavior of nature. It is regular for songs to start off at
an extremely slow pace and to pick up speed as they progress. Then, they get slow again before transitioning into
long and drawn out finishes.
Traditional Japanese music has three main types, instrumental, court music, and theatrical. One type of theatrical
music is Kabuki. Kabuki music can be sub-divided into three categories. The first is Gidayubushi, which is similar
to joruri music. Joruri is a type of narrative music that uses shamisen and has four styles. The second type of
kabuki music is Shimoza ongaku and is played for kuromisu (lower seats) below the theater stage. Another form
of theatrical music is called noh. The hayashi-kata play Noh music. They use taiko, kotsuzumi, fue, and otsuzumi
instruments to make the sounds. The oldest Japanese traditional music is gagaku. Gagaku is a form of court
music. Gagaku includes dances, songs, and a blend of other genres of Asian music. There are two styles of
Gagaku. These are kigaku, which is a form of instrumental music, and Seigaku, which is A form of vocal music.
Some traditional Japanese music originated in other countries. An example of this is shomyo. Shomyo is a type
of Buddhist song that is known for being a melody that is added to a sutra. Shomyo originated in India and came
to Japan during the country's Nara period. An interesting fact about shomyo is that it doesn't use any musical
instruments. Instead, the song is sung by Buddhist monks.

Historical Japanese folk music is strongly-influenced by music from China. This is because many of the musical
instruments which are popular in Japanese music first came from China. These instruments include koto,
shakuhachi, and wadaiko drums. A koto is a stringed instrument that shares a similarity to China's guzheng. It is
Japan's national instrument and is made with kiri wood. It uses thirteen strings over thirteen bridges that are
movable over the instrument's width. Picks on three fingers are used to play it. Wadaiko is the name for the
traditional style of Japanese drumming and the particular drums themselves. The world's most famous wadaiko
drumming group is Kodo (heartbeat). A shakuhachi is a flute that is used in traditional Japanese
music. Shakuhachi are usually made from bamboo, but can also be made from other materials. These
instruments were originally used by Buddhist monks to practice suizen (blowing meditation).

Japanese music has a long tradition and great diversity.
etiquette
Japanese culture has a set of rules, or etiquette, for a multitude of situations. This includes everything from
entering a house to taking a bath. Knowing and and observing the rules of etiquette while in Japan will help you
avoid being viewed as a "rude foreigner". In can also help you avoid some potentially awkward situations.

When entering a house, the guest must replace his shoes with slippers. The slippers are given to the guest by his
host at the genkan (doorway). These slippers are taken off in rooms that are floored with tatami. It is rude for
anyone to walk on tatami floors wearing anything other than socks or bare feet. There are even slippers that are
exclusively worn in the washroom. The person leaves his house slippers outside the washroom door and wears
the special footwear that is exclusively for bathroom use.

When greeting someone, it is customary to bow. These bows vary in effort, but if one is standing on a tatami
floor, it is expected for him to get down on his knees while performing the bow. The longer and deeper the bow
is, the more respect it conveys to the other person. People who hold higher social statuses expect others to greet
them with long bows. Not doing so can result in social snafus. By the same logic, a smaller nod of the head is
used for more casual or informal meetings. Fortunately, many Japanese people cut foreign visitors slack and are
okay with only receiving a head nod greeting from them. Bows are also commonly used as gestures to show
gratitude or apology or to request favors. Shaking hands is an extremely uncommon gesture in Japan. However,
people will make exceptions for foreign visitors.
Knowing a little etiquette before your trip to Japan can go a long way
Karaoke
Karaoke (empty orchestra) is a popular social activity for Japanese adults. It is especially popular among
"salarymen" or businessmen. It is common for salarymen to spend hours drinking in karaoke pubs or snack bars
for hours after they get off of work. There are also Karaoke "clubs", which resemble hotels in that they have
private rooms for groups of people. They are immensely popular with the people of every level of social
standing. Many people fear being embarrassed by a bad karaoke performance and it is common to hire
professional coaches just to improve expertise in these areas. It is also common for karaoke machines to rate the
performances of the singers. Some even tell the singer how many calories were burnt from their performance.

Most clubs that specialize in offering karaoke are open for business around the clock. On average, it costs twelve
dollars per hour for each member of a group. However, this sometimes includes all you can drink or eat
deals. The rooms are stocked with everything a person needs to enjoy a night of karaoke. The equipment
includes televisions, video karaoke machines, microphones, and even maracas and tambourines. Phones are used
to order drinks and food.

Karaoke rooms range widely in style and size. The privacy of the karaoke rooms makes the experience much
different and more fun than the karaoke experiences that are offered in other countries, most of which involve
getting up in front of whole bars full of strangers and singing to songs played by disc jockeys. However, the
private karaoke rooms of Japan are not completely soundproof and locked down. Japan's karaoke bars have
great song selection in a wide variety of genres. Although most of the songs are Japanese, Beatles tunes are also
quite popular, as are newer songs from the United Kingdom and the United States. If a foreign visitor is present
in a bar, it is usual for people to sing western music.

Karaoke was created twenty years ago in a small Japanese town called Kobe. One night, a guitarist was unable to
make it to a gig in a local snack bar, and the owner played a recording to fill in for him. To make up for the
missing guitarist, the owner encouraged the bar's guests to sing the songs with the recordings. Eventually, this
evolved into the creation of karaoke kits for home use, but the poorly-insulated and tightly-spaced residences
that are common in the country made home karaoke an unpopular activity. Therefore, the karaoke box came into
existence in 1984 in Okayama. In karaoke boxes, people can sing as loud as they want without bothering
neighbors. The karaoke phenomenon grew and grew and is now popular around the globe.
Karaoke is a great way to relax and make new friends in Japan, but better to practice a little before your live
performance!