This document provides an introduction to various aspects of Japanese culture. It discusses Japanese cuisine such as rice, sushi, and noodles. It describes how Japanese culture has been influenced by Asia, Europe, and North America. It also briefly outlines the Japanese language and popular sports and activities such as sumo wrestling. Finally, it highlights some major tourist destinations in Japan including Tokyo Disneyland, the Imperial Palace, Mount Fuji, and the Golden Pavilion temple.
2. INTRODUCTION TO JAPAN
• Japan is an island
nation in East Asia.
Located in the Pacific
Ocean, it lies to the
east of the Sea of
Japan, China, North
Korea, South Korea and
Russia, stretching from
the Sea of Okhotsk in
the north to the East
China Sea and Taiwan
in the south.
3. List of Japanese dishes
• Rice dishes (ご飯
物)
• Rice bowls (どんぶ
り)
• Sushi (寿司)
• Other staples
• Noodles (men-rui,
麺類)
• Bread (pan, パン)
4. CULTURE
The culture of Japan has evolved
greatly over the millennia, to its
contemporary hybrid culture,
which combines influences
from Asia, Europe, and North
America. The inhabitants of
Japan experienced a long period
of relative isolation from the
outside world during
the Tokugawa shogunate, until
the arrival of "The Black Ships"
and the Meiji period.
5. Languages
• More than 99 percent of the population speaks Japanese as their
first language.
• Japanese is an East Asian language spoken by about 125 million
speakers, primarily in Japan, where it is the national language. It
is a member of the Japonic (or Japanese-Ryukyuan) language
family, whose relation to other language groups, particularly
to Korean and the suggested Altaic language family, is debated.
• English
6.
7. Sumo
• Sumo (相撲 sumō?) is a competitive
full-contact wrestling sport where
a rikishi (wrestler) attempts to force
another wrestler out of a circular ring
(dohyō) or to touch the ground with
anything other than the soles of the
feet. The sport originated in Japan,
the only country where it is practiced
professionally. It is generally
considered to be a gendai budō (a
modern Japanese martial art),
though this definition ismisleading as
the sport has a history spanning
many centuries.
9. Golden Pavilion
•
Kinkaku-ji or the Temple of
the Golden Pavilion is the
most popular tourist
attraction in Japan and Kyoto.
The pavilion was originally
built as a retirement villa for
Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
in the late 14th century.
Unfortunately, the pavilion
was burnt down in 1950 by a
young monk who had become
obsessed with it. Five years
later, the temple was rebuilt
as an exact copy of the
original.
10. Great Buddha of Kamakura
• The Great Buddha of
Kamakura is a colossal
outdoor representation of
Amida Buddha, one of Japan’s
most celebrated Buddhist
figures. Cast in bronze, the
Great Buddha stands at over
13 meters (40 feet) high and
weighs nearly 93 tons. The
statue reportedly dates from
1252. Although it originally
was housed in a small
wooden temple, the Great
Buddha now stands in the
open air as the original
temple was washed away in a
tsunami in the 15th century.
11. Tokyo Tower
• The Tokyo Tower is a
testament to the
advancement of
technology and modern
life. Inspired by the Eiffel
tower design, it is the
second tallest man-made
structure in Japan and
functions as a
communications and
observation tower. Visitors
can climb the tower for
unparalleled views of Tokyo
and the surrounding areas
as well as visit shops and
restaurants.
12. Tokyo Imperial Palace
• The Emperor of Japan makes his
home at the Tokyo Imperial
Palace. It also functions as an
administration center and
museum to showcase Japanese
art and history. The palace is set
on the ruins of older castles that
were destroyed by fire or war,
and architects have honored the
past by incorporating design
elements of the different eras
into the modern palace. The new
palace is surrounded by
traditional Japanese gardens and
has many reception and function
rooms to receive guests and
welcome the public.
13. Mount Fuji
• Mount Fuji is the highest
mountain in Japan at 3,776
meters (12,388 ft). The
volcano’s exceptionally
symmetrical cone is a wellknown symbol of Japan and
it is frequently depicted in
art and photographs, as well
as a popular tourist
attraction for sightseers and
climbers. An estimated
200,000 people climb Mount
Fuji every year, 30% of
whom are foreigners. The
ascent can take anywhere
between three and eight
hours while the descent can
take from two to five hours
14. Tokyo Disneyland
• Tokyo Disneyland is a 115-acre (465,000
m2) theme park at the Tokyo Disney
Resort in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near
Tokyo.[1] Its main gate is directly
adjacent to both Maihama Station and
Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first
Disney park to be built outside the
United States, and it opened on April
15, 1983. The park was constructed by
Walt Disney Imagineering in the same
style as Disneyland in California and
Magic Kingdom in Florida.[2] It is owned
by The Oriental Land Company, which
licenses the theme from The Walt
Disney Company. Tokyo Disneyland and
its companion park, Tokyo DisneySea,
are the only Disney parks not wholly or
partially owned by the Walt Disney
Company.
