1. KIMONO AND YUKATA
Kimono and Yukata are Japan traditional cloth. It had been worn by all Japanese for
generation.
Kimonos are made of silk and are usually very expensive. Nowadays they are worn at
formal or traditional occasions such as funerals, weddings or tea ceremonies. Only
rarely kimono can still be seen in everyday life.
Kimono differ in style and color depending on the occasion on which it is worn and the
age and marital status of the person wearing it. To put on a kimono needs some
practice. Especially tying the belt (obi) alone is difficult so that many people require
assistance. Wearing a kimono properly includes proper hair style, traditional shoes,
socks, underwear, and a small handbag for women.
The yukata, on the other hand, is more of informal leisure clothing. It can even be worn
without underwear and is very comfortable on hot summer days or after a hot bath.
Yukata are relatively inexpensive and made of cotton. While staying at a ryokan, you
will be provided with a yukata.
(Picture in appendix page 13)
RYOKAN
Ryokan are Japanese traditional style inns. They come in all sizes and are found across
Japan. A stay at a ryokan is highly recommended to all visitors to Japan, as it offers the
opportunity to experience a traditional Japanese atmosphere. Typical rates for ryokan
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2. range between 8,000 and 30,000 yen per night, per person. There are some no-frills
establishments that offer rooms for less.
Guests stay in Japanese style rooms with tatami floor and a low table. Shoes are
usually removed at the ryokan's main entrance, where slippers will be kept ready. You
are supposed to remove even your slippers before stepping onto tatami mats.
Dinner and breakfast are included in the overnight stay, except at some no-frills
establishments. Some ryokan serve meals in the guest room, while others serve them in
separate dining areas. Both meals are in Japanese style and often feature regional and
seasonal specialties.
A yukata (Japanese robe) is provided to be worn during your stay at the ryokan. The
yukata can be used for walking around the ryokan and as pajamas. In many onsen
resorts, it is also okay to take a walk outside of the ryokan in your yukata. The yukata
provided at Western style hotels, unlike those provided at ryokan, are not supposed to
be worn outside of your room.
During your stay, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a Japanese style bath. Most
ryokan come with a gender separated, communal bath, but in many cases it is also
possible to use the bath on a private basis by reserving a time slot. In hot spring resorts,
the ryokan's bath water is directly supplied from the hot spring. Elsewhere on the site is
a guide on how to take a bath.
Ryokan guests sleep in the traditional Japanese style by using a futon, which is spread
out on the tatami floor. The ryokan staff will prepare the futon for you before bed time.
At inexpensive ryokan, you may have to do it by yourself. During the day, the futon is
kept in a closet.
(Picture in appendix page 13)
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3. TEA CEREMONY
The tea ceremony (Sado) is a ritual way of preparing and drinking tea. The custom has
been strongly influenced by Zen Buddhism.
Nowadays, the tea ceremony is a relatively popular kind of hobby. Many Japanese, who
are interested in their own culture, take tea ceremony lessons with a teacher. Tea
ceremonies are held in traditional Japanese rooms in cultural community centres or
private houses.
The ceremony itself consists of many rituals that have to be learned by heart. Almost
each hand movement is prescribed. Basically, the tea is first prepared by the host, and
then drunken by the guests. The tea is bitter matcha green tea made of powdered tea
leaves.
GEISHA
Geisha are professional female entertainers who perform traditional Japanese arts at
banquets.
Girls who wish to become a geisha, have to go through a rigid apprenticeship during
which they learn various traditional arts such as playing instruments, singing, dancing,
but also conversation and other social skills. In Kyoto, geisha apprentices are called
"maiko".
Geisha are dressed in a kimono, and their faces are made up very pale. As a common
tourist, you may be able to spot a maiko in some districts of Kyoto, such as Gion and
Pontocho or in Kanazawa's Higashi Geisha District.
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4. (Picture in appendix page 14)
GARDENS
Garden design has been an important Japanese art for many centuries. Traditional
Japanese landscape gardens can be broadly categorized into three types, Tsukiyama
Gardens (hill gardens), Karesansui Gardens (dry gardens) and Chaniwa Gardens (tea
gardens).
Tsukiyama Gardens
Ponds, streams, hills, stones, trees, flowers, bridges and paths are used to create a
miniature reproduction of a natural scenery which is often a famous landscape in China
or Japan. The name Tsukiyama refers to the creation of artificial hills.
Tsukiyama gardens vary in size and in the way they are viewed. Smaller gardens are
usually enjoyed from a single viewpoint, such as the veranda of a temple, while many
larger gardens are best experienced by following a circular scrolling path.
(Picture in appendix page 14)
Karesansui Gardens
Karesansui gardens reproduce natural landscapes in a more abstract way by using
stones, gravel, sand and sometimes a few patches of moss for representing mountains,
islands, boats, seas and rivers. Karesansui gardens are strongly influenced by Zen
Buddhism and used for meditation.
(Picture in appendix page 14)
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5. Chaniwa Gardens
Chaniwa gardens are built for the tea ceremony. They contain a tea house where the
actual ceremony is held and are designed in aesthetic simplicity according to the
concepts of sado (tea ceremony).
Chaniwa gardens typically feature stepping stones that lead towards the tea house,
stone lanterns and a stone basin (tsukubai), where guests purify themselves before
participating in the ceremony.
(Picture in appendix page 14)
CHERRY BLOSSOMS (SAKURA)
The cherry blossom (sakura) is Japan's unofficial national flower. It has been celebrated
for many centuries and holds a very prominent position in Japanese culture.
There are many dozens of different cherry tree varieties in Japan, most of which bloom
for just a couple of days in spring. The Japanese celebrate that time of the year with
hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties under the blooming trees.
JAPANESE PLUM
The Japanese plum or ume (sometimes referred to as a Japanese apricot) has played
an important role in Japanese culture for many centuries. It was originally introduced
from China.
The plum is associated with the start of spring, because plum blossoms are some of the
first blossoms to open during the year. In the Tokyo area, they typically flower in
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6. February and March. The event is celebrated with plum festivals (ume matsuri) in public
parks, shrines and temples across the country.
Like cherry trees, plum trees come in many varieties, many of which were cultivated by
humans over the centuries. Most plum blossoms have five petals and range in color
from white to dark pink. Some varieties with more than five petals (yae-ume) and
weeping branches (shidare-ume) have also been cultivated. Unlike cherry blossoms,
plum blossoms have a strong fragrance.
(Picture in appendix page 15)
TRADITIONAL MUSIC
• Gagaku:
Ancient court music from China and Korea. It is the oldest type of Japanese,
traditional music.
• Biwagaku:
Music played with the instrument Biwa, a kind of guitar with four strings.
• Nogaku:
Music played during No performances. It basically consists of a chorus, the
Hayashi flute, the Tsuzumi drum, and other instruments.
• Sokyoku:
Music played with the instrument Koto. Later also accompanied by Shamisen
and Shakuhachi. The Koto is a zither with 13 strings.
• Shakuhachi:
Music played with the instrument Shakuhachi, a about 55 cm long flute. The
name of the flute is its lenght expressed in the old Japanese length units.
• Shamisenongaku:
Music played with the instrument Shamisen, a kind of guitar with only three
strings. Kabuki and Bunraku performances are accompanied by the shamisen.
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7. • Minyo:
Japanese folk songs.
SUMO
Sumo is a Japanese style of wrestling and Japan's national sport. It originated in ancient
times as a performance to entertain the Shinto gods. Many rituals with religious
background are still followed today.
The basic rules of sumo are simple: The wrestler who either first touches the floor with
something else than his sole or leaves the ring before his opponent, loses. The fights
themselves usually last only a few seconds and in rare cases up to one minute or
longer.
Six tournaments are held every year, each one lasting 15 days. Three of the
tournaments are held in Tokyo (January, May, September), and one each in Osaka
(March), Nagoya (July) and Fukuoka (November).
At the top of the sumo wrestlers' hierarchy (banzuke) stands the yokozuna (grand
champion). At the moment, there are two yokozuna, Asashoryu and Hakuho, both from
Mongolia. Once a wrestler reaches the rank of yokozuna, he cannot lose it anymore.
However, he is expected to retire as soon as his results are starting to worsen.
Most elite wrestlers are highly trained athletes and between 20 to 35 years old. Besides
working out, the wrestlers are eating large amounts of food and go to bed right after
eating in order to gain mass. The wrestlers are living in special sumo stables where the
rules are very strict, especially for lower ranked wrestlers.
(Picture in appendix page 15)
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8. SWORDS
The Japanese sword (nihonto) has been internationally known for its sharpness and beauty since
feudal times. The sword used to be the distinguishing mark of the samurai.
(Picture in appendix page 15)
FESTIVAL (MATSURI)
There are countless local festivals (matsuri) in Japan because almost every shrine
celebrates one of its own. Most festivals are held annually and celebrate the shrine's
deity or a seasonal or historical event. Some festivals are held over several days.
Important elements of Japanese festivals are processions, in which the local shrine's
kami (Shinto deity) is carried through the town in mikoshi (palanquins). It is the only time
of the year when the kami leaves the shrine to be carried around town.
Many festivals also feature decorated floats (dashi), which are pulled through the town,
accompanied by drum and flute music by the people sitting on the floats. Every festival
has its own characteristics. While some festivals are calm and meditative, many are
energetic and noisy.
Below follows an incomplete list of some of Japan's most famous festivals. Exact dates
are available on the event calendar.
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9. One week in early February
Sapporo Snow Festival
Sapporo, Hokkaido
Large snow and ice sculptures are built in the city's centrally located Odori Park during
the Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo Yuki Matsuri).
April 14-15 and October 9-10
Takayama Matsuri
Takayama, Gifu
Large and elaborately decorated floats are pulled through the old town of Takayama.
Held in spring and autumn
Weekend in midday
Sanja Matsuri
Asakusa, Tokyo
The festival of Asakusa Shrine, the Sanja Matsuri is one of Tokyo's three big festivals.
Mikoshi are carried through the streets of Asakusa.
July
Kyoto Gion Matsuri
Kyoto
The festival of Yasaka Shrine, Gion Matsuri is ranked as one of Japan's three best
festivals, featuring over 20 meter tall festival floats. The highlight of the festival takes
place on July 17.
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10. August 2-7
Nebuta Matsuri
Aomori City
The Nebuta Matsuri features festival floats with huge lanterns, some measuring more
than 10 meters. The festival attracts several million visitors every year.
August 12-15
Awa Odori
Tokushima City
This is the most famous of many traditional dancing festivals held across Japan during
the obon season in mid August.
October 7-9
Nagasaki Kunchi
Nagasaki City
The festival of Nagasaki's Suwa Shrine, the Nagasaki Kunchi features Chinese style
dragons and floats shaped like ships.
December 2-3
Chichibu Yomatsuri
Chichibu City
The Chichibu Night Festival is considered one of Japan's three best festivals featuring
large festival floats (yatai). The festival's highlight takes place in the evening of
December 3.
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11. (Picture in appendix page 16)
CALENDAR
With the year 1873, the Gregorian calendar was introduced to Japan. While the
Christian way of numbering years is commonly used in Japan today, a parallel
numbering system for years based on the reigns of emperors is also frequently applied
The year 2000, for example, which happened to be the 12th year of the reign of the
current emperor, whose posthumous name will be Heisei, is called "Heisei 12".
Before 1873, lunar calendars, which were originally imported from China, were used in
Japan for many centuries. The lunar calendars were based on the cycle of the moon,
resulting in years of twelve months of 29 or 30 days (the moon takes about 29 1/2 days
to circle the earth), and an occasional 13th month to even out the discrepancy to the
solar cycle of 365 1/4 days, i.e. the discrepancy to the seasons.
Various features of the lunar calendar remain intact in today's Japan. For example,
years are still commonly associated with the twelve animals: mouse, cow, tiger, rabbit,
dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
Another aspect of the lunar calendar that survives into modern Japan is the subdivision
of the calendar into six days (rokuyo), similar to the subdivision of the modern calendar
into seven weekdays. The six days are called taian, butsumetsu, senpu, tomobiki,
shakko and sensho, and they are associated with good and bad fortune.
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12. Taian, for example, is considered the most auspicious of the six days and ideal for
holding business or personal events such as wedding ceremonies, while butsumetsu is
considered the least auspicious day, and holding funerals is avoided on tomobiki.
HANETSUKI
Hanetsuki is a traditional Japanese New Year's game, played with a wooden paddle
called hagoita and a shuttle called hane. The game resembles badminton, played
without a net. While the game's popularity has declined in recent times, beautifully
ornamented hagoita are still a popular collection item.
In the middle of December, the Hagoita Market (Hagoita-ichi) is held at Sensoji Temple
in Asakusa, Tokyo, where ornamented wooden paddles (hagoita) are sold at numerous
stands. The paddles come in different sizes, and most of them feature portraits of
kabuki actors and beautiful Edo ladies. But also portraits of celebrities from
entertainment, sport and politics such as Prime Minister Koizumi, Harry Potter, soccer
players Nakata and Beckham and fantasy characters such as Kitty-chan and Spiderman
can be found on some hagoita.
(Picture in appendix page 17)
REFERENCE
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