Facts About Japans Culture

While China may be known for its tea

consumption, the Japanese are more
into coffee. They are responsible for
the importing and consuming of about
85% of Jamaicas coffee production.
The literacy rate (people who can read
and write) of Japan is one of the
highest in the world, at almost 100%.
Many think that Japansrigorous
education system is the reason behind
it. Japansunemployment rate is less
than 4%.

 Speaking of reading and writing, there are

four different writing systems found in
Japan: romaji (Romanized spelling used to
translate Japanese), katakana (foreign words
and names, loanwords, and scientific
names), hiragana (used with kanji for native
Japanese words and grammar), and kanji
(adopted Chinese characters).
Japans national sport is sumo. Dating back
to at least the 8th century, sumo began as a
prayer
for
a
fruitfulrice
harvest,
thenevolved into a public sport in which two
men fight in a circular ring, with one winning
when the other was either knocked out of
the ring, or any part of his body besides the

 Sumo may be the national sport, but

baseball is also incredibly popular.
Introduced to Japan in the 1870s, the
sport has evolved to be much like its
American counterpart, with only slight
differences existing in the size of the
actual ball, the strike zone, and the
playing field.
Japan is crazy about vending machines,
which offers customers a multitude of
convenient
buys,
including
beer,
Pringles, raw eggs, fried chicken, and
even entire Smart Cars.

 In addition to their unusual vending machines, there

are cafes that cater to very specific desires. There
are ones in which customers pay to play with puppies
and kittens, and there are also cuddle cafes in
which people pay to take a nap with a stranger.
Though only popular in the United States for just a
few decades, sushi, which may be Japans biggest
cultural export, has been around for much longer, at
least since the 8th century. What started off as a way
for fish to be preserved in fermented rice evolved
into the culinary delight we know and love today. The
most popular fish for sushi in Japan include salmon,
red tuna, and medium-fatty tuna. The most
expensive sushi in Japan can be found at a restaurant
in the capital, Tokyo, called Sukiyabashi Hiro, where a
15-minute meal will run you about $300-500.

 Also popular in Japan is horse meat. The

most popular way to serve it is raw and
sliced thinly, which is called basashi, where
its dipped in soy sauce and eaten with
ginger. For the brave eaters out there,
there is also a basashi flavored ice cream,
which,
unsurprisingly,
is
limited
in
popularity.
Here in the U.S., slurping your food, such
as a soup, or noodles, is seen as annoying,
and youll get weird looks. But in Japan, if
you slurp, its seen as complimentary to
the chef, so slurp away if you find yourself
enjoying soup in Japan.

 Located in Tokyo is the Tsukiji Fish

Market, which is the largest wholesale
fish and seafood market in the world.
There is an inner and outer
market, with the inner market
auctioning off seafood wholesale, and
the outer market having wholesale
and retail shops, selling kitchen tools,
supplies, seafood, and sushi.

 One of the more dangerous types of

seafood served in Japan is blowfish, or
fugu. A chef must be properly trained for
about 11 years and must eat their own
fugu before being certified. If a
poisonous part of the fish is ingested,
dizziness, nausea, and headache affect
the victim, followed by trouble breathing,
and finally, death by asphyxiation. There
is no antidote, but the victim may be
saved by immediately emptying their
stomach, fed activated charcoal, and put
on life support until the poison wears off.

 Japan has the second lowest homicide

rate in the world, behind only Iceland.
The homicide rate there is .50 per
100,000 people.
Japan has produced 18 Nobel Prize
winners, coming from the worlds of
chemistry, medicine, and physics.
Anime is huge in Japan, and their
animated output, both for films and
television, accounts for about 60% of
the worlds animation. There are also
around130 schools for anime voice
acting in the country.

 While slurping your soup is seen as a

compliment, blowing your nose in public is
frowned upon.
Taking your shoes off in Japan is a widely
practiced custom, but may confuse foreign
visitors. If when you enter a home, and the
floor is raised about six inches, thats an
indication that you should take off your
shoes and put on slippers. If the house has a
floor that is covered with tatami mat, and
raised only one to two inches, that indicates
that you should take off your slippers. There
are also special toilet slippers that must be
used when going to the restroom, then
removed when finished.

 The concept of losing face, or being

embarrassed, is a very important
concept in Japan. Someone may lose
face if they are insulted, criticized, or
otherwise put on the spot, and only
through praise and thanks can honor be
regained.
Containing the highest proportion of
elderly people in the world, about 23%
of Japanese people are over the age of
65. Older people are revered and
honored in Japan, even being the first to
be served food and drinks at a meal.

 Non-verbal communication is a big social

indicator in Japan, and colors most
conversations in both positive and
negative ways. The Japanese believe that
context affects the tone of a conversation,
and they notice any changes in a persons
tone, posture, or facial expression.
Because words can have more than one
meaning, they look to a persons physical
reactions to find the real meaning of their
words, which is why many Japanese speak
with a non-expressive look, so that any
facial tics or movements dont send the
wrong message.

 There are many subtleties involved

in meeting someone for the first time
in Japan. One usually waits to be
introduced, as its seen as impolite to
introduce yourself. For foreigners, its
acceptable to simply shake hands
upon meeting, but the traditional
form of greeting is a bow, with how
far you bow being relative to the
respect shown to the recipient.

 As you would expect, table manners are

many and stringent in Japan. Always wait
to be told where to sit, and remember that
the guest of honor, or the eldest guest, is
usually seated at the center. Chopstick use
is important and comes with its own set of
rules. Never point with them, never pierce
your food with them, and lay them on the
chopstick rest when chewing, making sure
not to cross them. Eat a little bit of
everything, and make sure to not mix rice
with other food, like many Westerners do
try some of the food, then the rice.

 Even though it seems like a strict

country, Japanese people understand
that foreigners may not know about
their cultural nuances, and are very
understanding of any faux pas that
might occur, as long as the offender
is respectful. They will also usually
feel a bit embarrassed withtheir
English skills.