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Contents
[hide]
• 1 Japanese language
• 2 Visual arts
○ 2.1 Painting
○ 2.2 Calligraphy
○ 2.3 Sculpture
○ 2.4 Ukiyo-e
○ 2.5 Ikebana
• 3 Performing arts
• 4 Architecture
• 5 Gardens
• 6 Traditional clothing
• 7 Cuisine
• 8 Sports
• 9 Popular culture
• 10 National character
• 11 See also
• 12 References
• 13 Notes
• 14 External links
Computer keyboard with hiragana and the Latin alphabet. Although hiragana is printed, most
Japanese don't use this to type, but use romaji, or Latin alphabet.
Main article: Japanese language
The Japanese language has always played a significant role in Japanese culture. The language is
spoken mainly in Japan but also in some Japanese emigrant communities around the world. It is
an agglutinative language and the sound inventory of Japanese is relatively small but has a
lexically distinct pitch-accent system. Early Japanese is known largely on the basis of its state in
the 8th century, when the three major works of Old Japanese were compiled. The earliest
attestation of the Japanese language is in a Chinese document from 252 A.D.
Japanese is written with a combination of three scripts: hiragana, derived from the Chinese
cursive script, katakana, derived as a shorthand from Chinese characters, and kanji, imported
from China. The Latin alphabet, rōmaji, is also often used in modern Japanese, especially for
company names and logos, advertising, and when inputting Japanese into a computer. The
Hindu-Arabic numerals are generally used for numbers, but traditional Sino-Japanese numerals
are also commonplace.
[edit] Visual arts
Main article: Japanese art
[edit] Painting
Maiko in kimono
Traditional Japanese clothing distinguishes Japan from all other countries around the world. The
Japanese word kimono means "something one wears" and they are the traditional garments of
Japan. Originally, the word kimono was used for all types of clothing, but eventually, it came to
refer specifically to the full-length garment also known as the naga-gi, meaning "long-wear", that
is still worn today on special occasions by women, men, and children. Kimono in this meaning
plus all other items of traditional Japanese clothing is known collectively as wafuku which
means "Japanese clothes" as opposed to yofuku (Western-style clothing). Kimonos come in a
variety of colors, styles, and sizes. Men mainly wear darker or more muted colours, while
women tend to wear brighter colors and pastels, and, especially for younger women, often with
complicated abstract or floral patterns.
The kimono of a woman who is married (Tomesode) differs from the kimono of a woman who is
not married (Furisode). The Tomesode sets itself apart because the patterns do not go above the
waistline. The Furisode can be recognized by its extremely long sleeves spanning anywhere from
39 to 42 inches, it is also the most formal kimono an unwed woman wears. The Furisode
advertises that a woman is not only of age but also single.
The style of kimono also changes with the season, in spring kimonos are vibrantly colored with
springtime flowers embroidered on them. In the fall, kimono colors are not as bright, with fall
patterns. Flannel kimonos are ideal for winter, they are a heavier material to help keep you
warm.
One of the more elegant kimonos is the uchikake, a long silk overgarment worn by the bride in a
wedding ceremony. The uchikake is commonly embellished with birds or flowers using silver
and gold thread.
Kimonos do not come in specific sizes as most western dresses do. The sizes are only
approximate, and a special technique is used to fit the dress appropriately.
The obi is a very important part of the kimono. Obi is a decorative sash that is worn by Japanese
men and women, although it can be worn with many different traditional outfits, it is most
commonly worn with the kimono. Most women wear a very large elaborate obi, while men
typically don a more thin and conservative obi.
Most Japanese men only wear the kimono at home or in a very laid back environment, however
it is acceptable for a man to wear the kimono when he is entertaining guests in his home. For a
more formal event a Japanese man might wear the haori and hakama, a half coat and divided
skirt. The hakama is tied at the waist, over the kimono and ends near the ankle. Hakama were
initially intended for men only, but today it is acceptable for women to wear them as well.
Hakama can be worn with types of kimono, excluding the summer version, yukata. The lighter
and simpler casual-wear version of kimono often worn in summer or at home is called yukata.
Formal kimonos are typically worn in several layers, with number of layers, visibility of layers,
sleeve length, and choice of pattern dictated by social status, season, and the occasion for which
the kimono is worn. Because of the mass availability, most Japanese people wear western style
clothing in their everyday life, and kimonos are mostly worn for festivals, and special events. As
a result, most young women in Japan are not able to put the kimono on themselves. Many older
women offer classes to teach these young women how to don the traditional clothing.
Happi is another type of traditional clothing, but it is not famous worldwide like the kimono. A
happi (or happy coat) is a straight sleeved coat that is typically imprinted with the family crest,
and was a common coat for firefighters to wear.
Japan also has very distinct footwear. Tabi, an ankle high sock, is often worn with the kimono.
Tabi are designed to be worn with geta a type of thonged footwear. Geta are sandals mounted on
wooden blocks held to the foot by a piece of fabric that slides between the toes. Geta are worn
both by men and women with the kimono or yukata.
[edit] Cuisine
Judo demonstrated by a Japanese policeman and an American Marine
Main article: Japanese cuisine
Through a long culinary past, the Japanese have developed sophisticated and refined cuisine. In
recent years, Japanese food has become fashionable and popular in the U.S., Europe and many
other areas. Dishes such as sushi, tempura, and teriyaki are some of the foods that are commonly
known. The healthy Japanese diet is often believed to be related to the longevity of Japanese
people.
[edit] Sports
Main article: Sport in Japan
In the long feudal period governed by the samurai class, some methods that were used to train
warriors were developed into well-ordered martial arts, in modern times referred to collectively
as koryū. Examples include kenjutsu, kyūdō, sōjutsu, jujutsu and sumo, all of which were
established in the Edo period. After the rapid social change in the Meiji Restoration, some
martial arts changed to modern sports, gendai budō. Judo was developed by Kano Jigoro, who
studied some sects of jujutsu. These sports are still widely practiced in present day Japan and
other countries.
Baseball, football (soccer) and other popular western sports were imported to Japan in the Meiji
period. These sports are commonly practiced in schools along with traditional martial arts.
The most popular professional sports in today's Japan are sumo, baseball and football (soccer). In
addition, many semi-professional organizations, such as volleyball, basketball and rugby union,
are sponsored by private companies. The motorsport of drifting was also invented in Japan.
[edit] Popular culture
Main article: Japanese popular culture
Musashi Miyamoto in Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue, adapted from an Eiji Yoshikawa's novel,
Musashi.
Japanese popular culture not only reflects the attitudes and concerns of the present but also
provides a link to the past. Popular films, television programs, manga, and music all developed
from older artistic and literary traditions, and many of their themes and styles of presentation can
be traced to traditional art forms. Contemporary forms of popular culture, much like the
traditional forms, provide not only entertainment but also an escape for the contemporary
Japanese from the problems of an industrial world. When asked how they spent their leisure
time, 80 percent of a sample of men and women surveyed by the government in 1986 said they
averaged about two and a half hours per weekday watching television, listening to the radio, and
reading newspapers or magazines. Some 16 percent spent an average of two and a quarter hours
a day engaged in hobbies or amusements. Others spent leisure time participating in sports,
socializing, and personal study. Teenagers and retired people reported more time spent on all of
these activities than did other groups.
Many anime and manga are becoming very popular around the world, as well as Japanese video
games, music, fashion, and game shows[7]; this has made Japan an "entertainment superpower"
along with the United States and United Kingdom.
In the late 1980s, the family was the focus of leisure activities, such as excursions to parks or
shopping districts. Although Japan is often thought of as a hard-working society with little time
for leisure, the Japanese seek entertainment wherever they can. It is common to see Japanese
commuters riding the train to work, enjoying their favorite manga, or listening through
earphones to the latest in popular music on portable music players.
A wide variety of types of popular entertainment are available. There is a large selection of
music, films, and the products of a huge comic book industry, among other forms of
entertainment, from which to choose. Game centers, bowling alleys, and karaoke are popular
hangout places for teens while older people may play shogi or go in specialized parlors.
Together, the publishing, film/video, music/audio, and game industries in Japan make up the
growing Japanese content industry, which, in 2006, was estimated to be worth close to 26 trillion
Yen (USD$ 400 billion.)[8][9].
Cultural map of the world according to the World Values Survey, describing Japan as highest in
the world in "Rational-Secular Values".
The Japanese "national character" has been written about under the term Nihonjinron, literally
meaning "theories/discussions about the Japanese people" and referring to texts on matters that
are normally the concerns of sociology, psychology, history, linguistics, philosophy, and even
science, but emphasizing the authors' assumptions or perceptions of Japanese exceptionalism;
these are predominantly written in Japan by Japanese people,[10] though noted examples have also
been written by foreign residents, journalists and even scholars.
In terms of comparative cultural characteristics at the world level, the cultural map of the world
according to the World Values Survey describes Japan as highest in the world in "Rational-
Secular Values", and average-high in "Self-Expression Values".[11]
Culture of Japan
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iArchitecture · Art · Bonsai · Cinema · Cuisine · Festivals · Gardens · Geisha · Japanese festivals ·
tJapanese pottery · Japanese garden · Japanese tea ceremony · Ikebana · Literature · Martial arts ·
iMusic ·
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mAnime / Manga · Games · Cinema of Japan · Toilets in Japan · Japanese mobile phone culture ·
pOtaku · Japanese wedding · Television
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Tourism in Japan · Japanese museums · Japanese etiquette · Onsen / Sentō · Japanese values ·
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Books on Japanese culture:
• Japan Unbound: A Volatile Nation's Quest for Pride and Purpose
[edit] References
• Cwiertka, Katarzyna J. (2007). Modern Japanese Cuisine: Food, Power and National
Identity. Reaktion Books. ISBN 1-86189-298-5. Review
• Japan This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of
the Library of Congress Country Studies.
• Diamond, Jared (June 1998). "Japanese Roots". Discover Magazine 19 (6).
• Goldstein-Gidoni, Ofra (Fall 1999). Kimono And The Construction of Gendered and
Cultural Identities. 38. The University of Pittsburgh. 351–370.
• Martin, Richard (1995). Our Kimono Mind: Reflections on 'Japanese Design: A Survey
since 1950'. 8. The Design History Society. 215–223.
• Nakagawa, Keiichirō; Rosovsky, Henry (Spring-Summer, 1963). "The Case of the Dying
Kimono: The Influence of Changing Fashions on the Development of the Japanese
Woolen Industry". The Business History Review (The President and Fellows of Harvard
College) 37 (1/2): 59–80. doi:10.2307/3112093. http://jstor.org/stable/3112093.
Retrieved 3 August 2009.
• Nippon The Land And Its People. 2006.
[edit] Notes
1. ^ Nihon Shoki, Chapter 22, 720.
2. ^ a b Web, Japan. "Japan Fact Sheet" (PDF). Noh and Kyogen: The world’s oldest living
theater. http://web-japan.org/factsheet/pdf/NOANDKYO.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
3. ^ a b Web, Japan. "Japan Fact Sheet" (PDF). Kabuki: A vibrant and exciting traditional
theater. http://web-japan.org/factsheet/pdf/KABUKI.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
4. ^ Web, Japan. "Japan Fact Sheet" (PDF). Bunraku: Puppet theater brings old Japan to
life. http://web-japan.org/factsheet/pdf/BUNRAKU.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
5. ^ "Takarazuka History". Takarazuka Revue.
http://kageki.hankyu.co.jp/english/history.html. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
6. ^ Kuitert, Wybe (1988). Scenes and Taste in the History of Japanese Garden Art..
J.C.Gieben, Publisher, Amsterdam. ISBN 0-5063-021-9.
7. ^ "Cool Japan: Why Japanese remakes are so popular on American TV, and where we’re
getting it wrong". AsianWeek. Retrieved on 2008-09-16.
8. ^ Digital Content Association Of Japan
9. ^ Japanese Content
10. ^ Peter N. Dale, The Myth of Japanese Uniqueness (London: Routledge, 1990; ISBN
0415055342), passim.
11. ^ Inglehart Values Map
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Cambodia · People's Republic of China · Cyprus1 · East Timor3 · Egypt4 · Georgia4 · India ·
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Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Nepal · Oman ·
n Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia4 · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria ·
Tajikistan · Republic of China5 · Thailand · Turkey4 · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates ·
s Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen
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e Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Guangxi · Hong Kong · Inner Mongolia · Iraqi
p Kurdistan · Khakassia · Macau · Nakhchivan · Ningxia · Papua · Sakha Republic · Tibet · Tuva ·
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1
Sometimes included in Europe, depending on the border definitions. 2 Officially known as
Myanmar. 3 Sometimes included in Oceania, and also known as Timor-Leste. 4 Transcontinental
country. 5 Commonly known as Taiwan.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Japan"
Categories: Japanese culture
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