Japan has long been a closed state, which led to the creation of a certain cultural climate in it. Not all Europeans, or even Asians, understand the strange Japanese traditions. Some cause surprise and laughter, others disgust, and others simply confuse you - for example, the ban on kissing in public places or the need to bow to everyone for any reason.
It is difficult to compile a specific TOP 7, 10 or 20 of the most unusual oddities of the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun; you can simply get acquainted with them with interest, accepting or not accepting new knowledge with your heart.
My address is not a street
It is not customary here to give proper names to streets. The country is divided into large prefectures, which in turn are divided into districts, which are divided into sections, and then into tiny sections. All of these, with the exception of the first ones, have numbers, including those located inside the sections of the house. But they are not always numbered in order of geographical location.
Building numbers are given according to the order of construction - it’s logical! House No. 1 will be built first, house No. 2 will be built second, etc., and it doesn’t matter how far apart they are. Finding the right address is a nightmare quest not only for visitors, but often for local taxi drivers as well.
When inviting guests, the Japanese don’t just give the address, but send the guest a diagram or a verbal description of it - turn right behind the store, and after two traffic lights turn left into a narrow alley, along which move to a tobacco shop, and behind it you will find the desired house. However, traffic police are always ready to help, showing the desired point on a large, detailed map, which is available at each checkpoint.
Say a word about sex
Japanese culture has always had a place for topics about sex. Religion not only did not prohibit carnal pleasures, but also encouraged them in every possible way, so the concept of original sin is unfamiliar to the Japanese. If you believe ancient mythology, then even some islands appeared as a result of a sexual relationship between the goddess Izanami and the god Izanagi.
It is not surprising that the “profession” of a geisha in no way desecrated the honor and dignity of a woman. And if they were only the so-called masters of ceremonies, entertaining the men with interesting conversation and games, then the courtesans were much “deeper” in the topic. Moreover, they were also divided by rank, starting from simple bathhouse attendants and servants and ending with VIP-level kept women - santya, tsubona, kosi, tayu. There was an unspoken rule that it was impossible to change girls. Having once chosen one, you had to give it all your attention and money.
The latter fact played an important role in the choice of a courtesan. The man had to provide not only for the girl herself, her food, housing, clothes and leisure, but also for the servants. The most expensive mistresses could cost up to $8,500 per year in local currency. You have to pay for everything, and no matter how sad it may sound, for love too.
Since the 17th century, prostitution was regulated by law, and all non-family intimate life took place in separate neighborhoods - similar to modern red-light streets. There the girls lived and worked, not having the right to leave the territory outlined for them. To get out of the “exclusion zone”, they had to marry their clients. Moreover, the cost of such freedom was very expensive.
Often lovers simply did not have the money to reunite, and they considered couple suicide the only way out. The most amazing thing is that the Japanese did not see anything wrong with this, did not condemn or curse the desperate Romeos and Juliets. It was believed that after committing suicide while holding hands, the couple would definitely be together in their next life.
Architectural and entertainment chaos
Despite the fact that the streets here have no names, they are far from faceless. In large populated areas, each of them looks like a colorful kaleidoscope, because everything here is random and chaotic: the architecture of neighboring buildings, their coloring, size, shape, style. The poles and lanterns are lit with lamps in stunning colors from pink to green, the support underneath can be decorated with garish plastic flower bouquets, and below that there are brightly colored advertisements for everything from cigarettes to dating houses.
There are often proudly pompous inscriptions here that the city is a crime-free zone or recognizes the equality of women, and other things that can cause pride in the country and peace of mind for safety.
Strange Japanese customs
Japan is a very developed country, but its people are known for their oddities, interesting customs, traditions, and very way of life, which only the Japanese themselves can understand.
For more than two and a half centuries, Japan was a closed country.
In 1600, after a long period of feudal fragmentation and civil wars, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder and first head of the Edo shogunate, came to power in Japan. By 1603, he finally completed the process of unifying Japan and began to rule with an iron fist. Ieyasu, like his predecessor, supported trade with other countries, but was very suspicious of foreigners. This led to the fact that in 1624 trade with Spain was completely prohibited.
And in 1635, a decree was issued banning the Japanese from leaving the country and banning those who had already left to return. Since 1636, foreigners (Portuguese, later Dutch) could only stay on the artificial island of Dejima in Nagasaki harbor.
The Japanese were short because they didn't eat meat.
From the 6th to the 19th centuries, the average height of Japanese men was only 155 cm. This is due to the fact that it was in the 6th century that the Chinese shared the philosophy of Buddhism with the Japanese as neighbors. It is not clear why, but the new worldview appealed to the ruling circles of Japanese society.
Vegetarianism began to be considered a path to the salvation of the soul and better reincarnation.
Meat was completely excluded from the Japanese diet and the result was not long in coming: from the 6th to the 19th centuries, the average height of the Japanese decreased by 10 cm.
Trade in Night Gold was widespread in ancient Japan.
Night gold is a phraseological phrase that denotes a product of human activity, his feces, used as a valuable and balanced fertilizer. In Japan, this practice was used quite widely.
Moreover, the waste of rich people was sold at a higher price, because their diet was plentiful and varied, so more nutrients remained in the resulting product. Various historical documents dating back to the 9th century detail procedures for toilet waste.
Pornography has always flourished in Japan.
Sexual themes in Japanese art arose many centuries ago and go back to ancient Japanese myths, among which the most famous myth is about the emergence of the Japanese islands as a result of the sexual relationship of the god Izanagi and the goddess Izanami. There is no hint of a disapproving attitude towards sex in the ancient monuments. This frankness in the story about sex and literary materials, writes the Japanese cultural anthropologist Tosinao Yoneyama, has been preserved to this day. In Japanese culture, there was no consciousness of original sin regarding sex, as was the case in Christian cultures.
Fishermen in ancient Japan used domesticated cormorants.
It all happened something like this: at night, fishermen went out to sea in a boat and lit torches to attract fish. Next, about a dozen cormorants were released, which were tied to the boat with a long rope. At the same time, the neck of each bird was slightly intercepted by a flexible collar so that it could not swallow the caught fish. As soon as the cormorants had full crops, the fishermen pulled the birds onto the boat. For their work, each bird received a reward in the form of a small fish.
In ancient Japan there was a special form of marriage called tsumadoi.
A full-fledged small family in the form of cohabitation in Ancient Japan was not a typical form of marriage. The basis of family relations was a special Japanese marriage, tsumadoi, in which the husband freely visited his wife, maintaining, in fact, a separate residence with her.
For the bulk of the population, marriage took place upon reaching adulthood: at 15 for a boy and at 13 for a girl. Marriage presupposed the consent of numerous relatives, including grandparents on the wife’s side. Tsumadoi marriage did not imply monogamy, and a man was not forbidden to have several wives, as well as concubines. However, a free relationship with their wives, leaving them without a reason to marry a new wife, was not allowed by law.
There were and still are quite a lot of Christians in Japan.
Christianity appeared in Japan in the mid-16th century. The first missionary to preach the Gospel to the Japanese was the Basque Jesuit Francis Xavier. But the missionary work did not last long. Soon the shoguns began to see Christianity (as the faith of foreigners) as a threat. In 1587, the unifier Toyotomi Hideyoshi banned the presence of missionaries in the country and began oppressing believers.
To justify his actions, he pointed out that some Japanese converts had desecrated and destroyed Buddhist and Shinto shrines. The repressive policy was continued by Hideyoshi's political successor, Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1612, he banned the practice of Christianity in his domains, and in 1614 he extended this ban to all of Japan.
During the Tokugawa era, about 3,000 Japanese Christians were martyred, while the rest suffered imprisonment or exile. Tokugawa policy required all Japanese families to register with the local Buddhist temple and obtain a certificate that they were not Christians.
Japanese prostitutes were divided into several ranks.
In addition to the well-known geishas, who by and large were simply masters of ceremonies, there were also courtesans in Japan, who in turn were divided into several classes depending on cost: tayu (the most expensive), koshi, tsubone, santya and the cheapest street girls , bathhouse attendants, maids, etc. The following agreement existed unspoken: once you had chosen a girl, you had to stick with her, settle down.
Therefore, men often kept their own courtesans. Girls of Tayu rank cost 58 momme (about 45 dollars) at a time, and this does not count the mandatory 18 momme for servants, another 15 dollars. The lowest-ranking prostitutes cost approximately 1 momme (about 1 dollar). In addition to direct payment for services, there were also associated costs of food, drink, tips for many servants, all this could reach up to 150 momme ($115) per evening. Thus, a man supporting a courtesan could easily shell out about 29 kemme (about $8,430) in a year.
The Japanese often committed couple suicides out of unhappy love.
After the reorganization of prostitution in 1617, all non-family intimate life of the Japanese was moved to separate quarters, like a red light district, where girls lived and worked. The girls could not leave the quarter unless wealthy clients bought them as wives.
It was very expensive and more often than not it happened that lovers simply could not afford to be together. Despair drove such couples to shinju couple suicides. The Japanese did not see anything wrong with this, because they had long revered rebirth and were completely confident that in the next life they would definitely be together.
Torture and execution have long been written into law in Japan.
To begin with, it should be said that in the Japanese legal system of the Tokugawa era there was no presumption of innocence. Every person who went to trial was considered guilty in advance. With the rise of the Tokugawa, only four types of torture remained legal in Japan: scourging, squeezing with stone slabs, tying with a rope, and hanging by a rope. Moreover, torture was not a punishment in itself, and its purpose was not to cause maximum suffering to the prisoner, but to obtain a sincere confession of the crime committed.
It should also be noted here that torture was allowed only to those criminals who faced the death penalty for their actions. Therefore, after a sincere confession, the poor fellows were most often executed. Executions were also very different: from the banal beheading to the terrible boiling in boiling water, this was the punishment for ninjas who failed a contract killing and were captured.
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Don't say the word "no"
Traditions regarding rules of behavior in Japan are a separate big topic. Every resident of the country honors them with special pride. For example, good form prescribes not to express a negative attitude to your interlocutor towards his words. Therefore, if two Japanese people agree with each other on everything during a conversation, this does not mean at all that they have come to a common opinion. In conversation here they try to avoid the word “no” and not utter it, just like the word “never”. However, if you listen carefully to the answer, the veiled disagreement will still become obvious. And the inhabitants of the country are able to accurately understand this non-verbal response.
Educational tours to Japan: Japanese language, studying in Japan, Japanese language courses in Japan.
Alexander Dolin is a famous Russian Japanese scholar, haiku translator, poet, professor at Akita International University. Since 1990 he has lived and worked in Japan.
Alexander Arkadyevich, do you love Japan?
I generally don’t like it when foreigners proclaim their love for Japan. The Japanese should love their country, and foreigners should approach this issue differently. Some things to love, but some not so much. As for me, I undoubtedly love Japan in my own way. After all, this is my second home. I lived in Japan for more than twenty years and raised my youngest daughter here.
Tell us about your first trip to Japan.
The first time I came to Japan was quite late, I was already 40 years old. By that time, I had a pretty realistic idea of the country. Firstly, I read a lot about it since my student days. Secondly, every year I participated as a translator in an international film festival. I watched a bunch of Japanese films at a time when such films were not readily available to the average viewer. I didn’t just get Japanese films into my hands, they literally passed through me. With some films I had to work “live”, sit and translate ten to fifteen times during the screening. So all Japanese realities passed through me many times, and, most importantly, I remembered them in detail. For example, I knew exactly what Tokyo or some individual provincial cities looked like. When I came here, a lot of things were recognizable. But, nevertheless, culture shock still took place. Those were completely different times back then. It was the era of the Soviet Union, a closed country. No market economy. Moving from the USSR to Japan was like moving into another dimension. Now, of course, this effect no longer exists; many realities coincide in both Moscow and Tokyo.
What surprised you most then?
I was struck by the colossal scale of technogenic civilization. This, of course, still surprises not only Russians, but practically everyone who comes to Japan for the first time. It's hard to imagine all these monstrous tangles of expressways over Tokyo. It’s a strong impression when you drive through them yourself. And what about the flow of people somewhere in Shibuya at the famous intersection next to the station! From the outside it seems that armies of pedestrians are attacking each other. You won't see anything like this anywhere. A scary sight.
What’s amazing is that with so many people and transport in the capital, everything is very well organized, exceptionally streamlined, and works flawlessly. I was amazed by the amazing cleanliness both on the streets and in the subway. In principle, Japan is much cleaner than any European country, not to mention America. There are many more that could be listed. All these free luxury toilets with scents, often with music. Free additional service in a cafe, which is absent in the Western world. Somewhere in Paris, if you drink coffee at the counter, it costs 2 euros, but the same coffee at a table costs 4 euros. This doesn't happen in Japan. Here in one establishment everything costs the same. In Japan you feel welcome everywhere. It is very nice. Local service is one of the greatest strengths of Japanese charm. Everything related to service does not look the same as in the West, but also not the same as in the East. There is no Indian or Malay servility and desire to please. Everything in Japan is somehow natural. Which is very captivating. I want to come again and again. Especially when you know that waiters do not work for tips. There is no such practice here: paying more than what is indicated on the invoice. Compared to the rest of the world, Japanese service has undeniable advantages.
Does knowledge of history and culture help you understand modern Japan?
They help in absolutely every way. Japan is a country of multi-layered culture. All layers are intertwined. This can be compared to the manufacturing technology of a Japanese sword. Layers of iron and future steel are superimposed on each other, forged once, then a second time, for the thousandth time. In the Middle Ages, the best swords took months, sometimes years, to make. This kind of forging also applies to the spheres of Japanese culture. Everything goes deep, complements each other and, ultimately, gives overall strength. This applies to poetic traditions and traditions of schools of painting, ikebana, kendo, whatever. Modern Japan is a country of ancient traditions. This is where they really live and work. Ancient traditions exist in a variety of manifestations. For example, in some temple holidays. All the youth of the area, who on ordinary days are clerks, shop assistants or workers, unanimously participate in the ritual dances. During the holiday, they put on a traditional jacket, willingly drag the ark-omikoshi on their shoulders, shake it and throw it up with shouts. Which causes complete piggy delight. At this moment they don’t need anything else. The call of the ancestors plays in them.
Looking at these temple festivals, from the outside it seems that Japan is a deeply religious country.
This is absolutely not true. Japan is a country of folk traditions. But the traditions themselves are rooted in religion. But all such traditions are basically just an excuse to have fun: get together, drink and talk. Just like everywhere else in the world. It’s just that in Japan this happens on the basis of this temple holiday. And there are hundreds and thousands of such events throughout the country every year. Every more or less self-respecting Buddhist sect has several tens of thousands of temples, and each has its own holiday. But if you look at how the Japanese relate to religion, the number of temples does not determine anything. The students whom I have been teaching for so many years all unanimously declare that they are, in general, atheists. Or, to be more precise, they say that they are indifferent to religion. And yet they take part in some family rituals, such as funerals according to the Buddhist canon. Homes usually have butsudan, small altars where people place offerings. Young people, although they are skeptical about this, nevertheless accept everything. When they grow up, they will also light candles. The Japanese go to the temple on New Year's Eve to ring the bell. But all these are such harmless, not even entirely religious actions. O-Bon, for example, is a holiday of remembrance of the dead. It can be compared to Russian Easter. They believe or don’t believe, but in general they go to graves, commemorate, and also dance days and nights during O-Bon.
How do the Japanese feel about the history of their country?
The Japanese, I would say, have an ambivalent attitude towards their historical heritage. Let's take the Meiji Era. It was a very strange period when, immediately after the restoration of imperial power in the country and the overthrow of the power of the shogun, a purely Bolshevik struggle began with the legacy of the “damned feudal past.” During that “glorious” period, three-quarters, and perhaps more, of all Japan’s beautiful medieval castles were destroyed. They were simply demolished. Take Sendai for example, it's a nice city. All reference books indicated that there was a historical castle in the center. Its name was Aobajou - castle of green leaves. The fortress was built at one time by the famous medieval military leader Date Masamune. We were in Sendai with a friend. We decided to see the castle first. There were signs to the attraction everywhere. We walked up for a very long time. A big surprise awaited us at the top. Instead of a medieval castle, we saw an equestrian statue of that same commander Date Masamune and a sign that said that there was a castle of Green Leaves here. Big nothing. Not a single pebble. I was amazed.
I have traveled almost all of Japan. As you probably know, all big Japanese cities are very similar to each other. More or less identical train stations, shopping streets, residential areas. At one time, the Japanese destroyed the old quarters in big cities. There are none in Tokyo. The Imperial Palace, which is located on the grounds of the old Edo Castle, is a relatively recent construction. And the colossal castle was demolished just during the Meiji era. Kyoto was the only large city that American aircraft deliberately spared. The Americans decided not to bomb the imperial capital because it is, in essence, a museum city. He was worthy to be preserved. The rest of Japan's big cities were practically burned to the ground by bombing. In Kyoto, everything remained untouched. I knew this, and when I first arrived there, I didn’t quite understand where I ended up, because there were no signs of the old city in the center. I headed to the Gion area. There really are old streets there. Although many of them have been reconstructed, they are generally carefully preserved. I went up to the observation deck of Kiyomizu Temple. It has a very good view of the city. But what I saw, one might say, exceeded my expectations. Before me was a panorama of low concrete buildings, grubby urban architecture from the 60s. That is, what American aviation did not do, the Japanese themselves did. No, of course they didn’t destroy anything. They left all the ancient buildings, temples and gardens, but all this is now surrounded by creepy squat concrete monsters, and the city as a museum, in my opinion, no longer exists. Of course, there are separate parts, separate museum fragments, temples and parks, but there is no city-museum. This is very sad.
Do the Japanese repent of what they did?
They even repent very much, although they avoid talking and writing about it. We can say that the attitude towards antiquity has changed a lot. The current generation of Japanese has begun to wonder whether everything was done well with the historical heritage. And, apparently, it came to disappointing conclusions, since in hindsight they have now decided to restore the truth. In particular, they began to rebuild quite a few of those same destroyed castles. This was especially actively done in the 80s. Moreover, they began to look all over the country for small towns where they had not managed to destroy everything. There were about fifty such places. They were all conventionally called “little Kyoto”. They filmed a big interesting series about historical quarters. The smaller the town, the more likely it was to survive this whole modernization campaign. By the way, not long ago they made wonderful documentary series-guides to castles, temples and classical gardens. Of course, many books are published about the country's cultural heritage, and some of them are translated into foreign languages. By the way, the popularity of Japanese culture abroad clearly contributes to its preservation and maintenance at home.
It has long been known about the Japanese love for Russian culture. What is the reason for this phenomenon?
The Japanese are drawn to foreign cultures that contain elements that are not inherent to them. That is why Russian culture has been very popular in Japan for more than a hundred years. In Russia, the Japanese found vast open spaces, spiritual openness and generosity, scope and passion for revelry, some crazy novels in the spirit of Dostoevsky, increased attention to suffering of various kinds, and often neglect of everyday work. The last point is generally impossible to imagine here. Russia has been greatly loved since the end of the 19th century. And only the efforts of several generations of idiots from among Soviet officials made it possible to destroy the very positive image of our country. There is practically nothing left of him now. I also found the older generation of Japanese intelligentsia, which was entirely brought up on Russian culture, Russian literature, Russian song and Russian mentality. For all of them, Dostoevsky and Chekhov were closer to home than their own Japanese classics.
In turn, Japan also attracts and attracts Westerners.
Yes, many foreigners come here with a conscious desire to immerse themselves in the Japanese world. Of course, it is an interesting element, but in no case can I call it so wonderful. The living conditions here are very comfortable, but this is not the general ease of life. There are quite a lot of difficulties here. The most extreme type of immersion in the Japanese environment is to marry a Japanese woman or marry a Japanese man. In this way, you connect yourself with this country, with this person, if possible, for life. True, everything is not always so simple. Of my friends who committed such a serious act, it did not bring happiness to many. The reason, in my opinion, is that there are too many differences between us in mentality, in everyday culture and customs.
That is, disappointment from Japan can come from within, from one’s own family?
I know people here, including Russians, who have lived in the country longer than I have, are married to Japanese women, naturally have children, and curse the hour when they made the fatal decision. Some do it openly, others only show it with all their appearance. I will say more, I have not seen a single person who would bless such a decision. Although I admit that there are couples who can boast of a harmonious union. I don’t want to judge which of us is better or worse, but the difference between the Japanese and Russians is very large, and it’s really difficult to agree.
Is it difficult to make friends with the Japanese at the everyday level?
The Japanese are very easy to make friends with. They are open and often invite you to have fun together. But you need to understand that the driving incentive for such relationships in most cases is pure Japanese curiosity. Even if you communicate well with a Japanese person, an element of detachment is still present. In my opinion, intimate relationships, the bosom friendship of a foreigner with a Japanese is a rare exception. Here is a typical incident that happened to my wife. She met a Japanese woman at a sports club. Both have small children, which brings them closer together. It seems like families started meeting. Well, we talked for a year, two, three, and then that’s it - the relationship was broken off. No more common topics. My wife was very surprised by this at first. The Japanese will communicate with you as long as there is interest. When curiosity is exhausted, there seems to be nothing left to be friends about. Then cards are formally sent for the New Year, but they no longer invite guests. For Russians, it’s the other way around: if you’ve already become friends, there will always be topics for communication.
I got the impression that the Japanese communicate with each other with restraint.
The Japanese generally don’t try that much to demonstrate their feelings openly. This, in fact, applies to all areas of human activity, except perhaps fun. When the Japanese drink and have fun, it happens very noisily, energetically, so to speak, deliberately explicitly. But everything else, for example, love relationships, is not so emotional. If you observe Japanese youth, you will notice that the style of relationships differs from the Western one. Most generally try not to openly show their feelings and behave with restraint in public.
For several years of living in Japan, I only saw two or three couples kissing in a public place, on the subway.
I've seen more. This happens sometimes, but it looks strange. Since everyone else does not do this, such behavior contains, as it were, an open challenge to public morality. But there are such young people. There are relatively few of them. Ordinary guys and girls mostly either try not to show anything in public, or, if some kind of close relationship has already finally developed, then they walk around holding hands. That's all the external manifestations of feelings. Of course, if you set out to visit the nightclubs in Roppongi, not to mention the Kabukicho entertainment district, you can find more. There, of course, you can see anything you want. But this is different. Now I'm talking about popular culture, and not about erotic subcultures. Japanese mass culture is characterized by secrecy and even a certain false modesty. This is also actually a legacy of some behavioral stereotypes left over from ancient times. It has survived to this day and no one can break it.
What do your students think about love? Have you asked them about this?
I tried to communicate with them on this topic, but could never get a clear answer. Ideas about love are quite well formulated in television melodramas. In my opinion, Japanese melodrama is the most sentimental melodrama in the world. She definitely has her mass audience among millions of housewives. Young people also watch dozens of episodes with great pleasure.
I was personally struck at one time by the abundance of crying men on TV screens.
To explain this phenomenon, we will again have to turn to the past. In Japan, it was historically not considered shameful for men to cry. Although it is worth clarifying here that this was hardly acceptable for a samurai, but all other men from other classes could easily afford this. In the Tokugawa era, representatives of the non-samurai classes, merchants in the first place, and urban youth in general, apparently were also extremely sentimental. What we can judge from Japanese novels and dramas of that period. Tears flowed in streams - equally for both women and men. Many traditions of medieval drama have transferred to television. Some stories were borrowed, only slightly adapted to the needs of modern TV. Some things have been modernized, but the main principles remain. It is necessary for the heroes to cry, for the audience to cry, for everything to be very sincere and preferably with a happy ending, but sometimes you can cry over the grave of the heroes.
Japan is also sometimes called the country of hobbies. Everyone here does something in their free time.
Yes, this nation has such a curious feature. The vast majority of Japanese people have hobbies. This is cool. There are much more passionate people in Japan than in Russia. All conditions have been created for this here. There are thousands of interest clubs, sections and circles that are well subsidized and have premises. An extensive network of such establishments creates favorable conditions for doing what you love in every corner of the country.
However, there is another side. Those who go to ballroom dancing classes don't go anywhere else. They have been going to their circle for many years, choosing it as their sphere of social communication. And the result is completely unimportant to them. The same applies to foreign language classes. They attend courses for a year, two, ten years, and the level of knowledge only steadily decreases. You need to understand that for the Japanese, all these hobbies and interests are basically just an element of socialization, which suits everyone completely. This is probably impossible to imagine in any country in the world.
The sincere desire of the Japanese to take part in collective events is striking. The same club gatherings, travel, matsuri.
Japanese corporate thinking has become the talk of the town. People are accustomed to living and acting in teams. In some companies, going out together to a drinking establishment has become the same ritual as participating in a temple festival. The Japanese are very corporate oriented. This has been the case since ancient times. I think this is due to the fact that Japan has always been an autocratic state with strict subordination. The system that existed, well, at least during the Tokugawa era, was built on collective responsibility. Large groups of people were constantly connected with each other. This meant that they had to work together and had no right to let each other down. Neither in a samurai clan, nor in a village among peasants, otherwise they could all be severely punished for the mistake of one. Individualism was not welcomed in any form. Moreover, geniuses have historically been disliked in Japan. A famous Japanese proverb says: “The nail that sticks out is driven in with a hammer.” Becoming a genius in Japan, standing out in a team was a very difficult task, and even now it is much easier to become just an exemplary worker.
Do people in Japan still dislike bright personalities?
To some extent, apparently, yes. Although in the creative sphere there is more individualism. Japanese artists, fashion designers, and architects are known for their extravagance and thinking outside the box. However, ordinary people, ordinary Japanese, are not inclined to think outside the box. It is no secret that any emergency situation puts the Japanese employee at a dead end. Unfortunately, we observed a similar situation, in particular, during the March 11 earthquake and the disaster at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. When the seemingly impenetrable reactor protection system collapsed, the necessary solutions were not immediately found. Actually, it was not clear who should make the decisions. Ordinary Japanese, as people working in a team with a strict hierarchy, cannot make independent decisions and wait for instructions from above.
What is happening now in the Japanese education system? There have been a lot of negative comments lately.
I have been working as a teacher for many years and have to admit that Japanese school education is a complete disaster. Young guys come to our university, very capable, with good grades from school, with working English, but as it turns out later, this is tabula rasa. Some people don’t know where Europe is and where Asia is, or how many world wars there have been. And it’s not that there are such isolated unenlightened individuals. Most people don't know many basic things. I don’t understand how a country like Japan, after the Second World War, could ruin its school system so much. I just get tears in my eyes when I talk to my students. I feel sorry for them from the bottom of my heart. It’s just a pity that they killed the best 12 years of their life and it’s completely unclear why. The only real achievement was learning our native language. At the same time, there is virtually no knowledge of either culture, geography, history, or social studies. It’s an amazing vacuum that we have to fill already at the university.
The country is currently undergoing a reform of the higher education system. Our Akita International University, which is headed by the famous reformist scientist Mineo Nakajima, is a kind of experimental laboratory. We do a lot of new things, create interesting projects, try to provide more knowledge and close gaps in school education, but the children, unfortunately, are not used to learning for the sake of a “high goal,” on their own, working with sources, and using large databases. International students, especially those who come from Asia, have a completely different approach. The same Chinese, Korean or Mongolian students study with a fierce desire to embrace everything they can. In Russia now, too, young people are actively and persistently studying, realizing that no one will give anything for nothing. In Japan it's the opposite. Many boys and girls believe that they will give them a job anyway, give them a job, complete their education and put them in a workplace for a reasonable salary. A largely apathetic, passive generation is growing up, which reduces the country's competitiveness. With its neighbors, China and Korea, pushing ahead, I think the Japanese will face serious challenges in the future in the competition for markets for new technologies. At our university, we cultivate ambition in students and try to instill in them globalism of thinking.
What about the famous Japanese hard work? So far it does not seem to have let the country down.
The Japanese attitude to work is worth learning, although it also has its negative sides. Everything here is recycled. Or, more precisely, they overstay their welcome at work. We could probably do without this. My American friends who came here were simply horrified. They said that this was some kind of barbaric custom. Why do you have to sit in the office for a few more hours after finishing work? Americans say: “And we do the same amount of work during working hours!” But still, such dedication must be appreciated. People do not spare themselves and are ready to work as long as necessary for the benefit of the team, company, and country. This was once the case in the Soviet Union...
What else can you learn from the Japanese?
There is one unique feature here. In Japan, you can and should learn the culture of human relations. Here all the people are polite and friendly towards each other, always ready to help selflessly. Here's the best thing here. I lived in Japan for 20 years and saw mostly only good things from the Japanese, for which I am sincerely grateful to the entire Japanese people.
Thank you very much for the interview!
Take my business card!
Everyone should have a business card and always have it with them. When meeting people, Japanese residents usually do not introduce themselves verbally, but simply hand their interlocutor a card with their name and other necessary data. There are no exceptions to this rule even for the pool. For this case, special business cards with a waterproof coating are produced.
Gender education
Until a certain age, girls cannot communicate with the opposite sex; the ban even applies to conversations and, especially, eating together. If a girl dares not only to have a meal in front of a boy, but also to offer him her food during recess, this will be tantamount to a declaration of love and will not go unnoticed by anyone. Schoolboys and schoolgirls blush in each other's company and try to walk in same-sex groups. The more girlfriends or friends gather, the more decent and better, but solo walks are regarded as immoral and impermissible.
Japanese Traditions—10 Strangest Traditions
Greetings to all RFK participants!
This post will tell you about the 10 strangest traditions in Japan :jp:
There are many oddities and inexplicable things in the traditions of every nation. How we have a tradition of getting completely drunk to celebrate the health of, for example, the birthday boy. But still, the number one nation in terms of strange traditions is the Japanese. To list and describe in detail all the strange Japanese traditions, you will need more than one book.
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1.The strangest Japanese traditions - New Year in the morning!
The Japanese do not celebrate New Year as we understand it. On New Year's Eve they go to bed peacefully, but wake up early in the morning and all go together to celebrate the dawn of the New Year. Of course, some of us also celebrate the New Year’s dawn, but in a completely different state.
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2. The most unusual Japanese traditions - Never say never.
Residents of Japan try to never say the word NO, simply replacing it with a polite departure from the topic, or with an agreement that does not oblige anyone at all and, in the end, leads to nothing.
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3. The most interesting Japanese traditions are Humor.
The Japanese have practically no jokes. It's hard to imagine, but it's true. But they have a very funny and interesting sense of humor.
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4. The most interesting Japanese traditions - Business cards.
In Japan it is considered completely indecent if you do not have a business card with you!!! That’s why the Japanese carry special waterproof small bags for business cards even when going to the pool. In addition, it is better to present the business card itself so that it can be read immediately!
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5. The most unusual Japanese traditions are Politeness.
Politeness still goes to extremes in Japan. Instead of shaking hands, the Japanese use bows, and you need to bow as many times as they did before you. Situations reach the point of absurdity. For example, if a Japanese person decides to order sushi home, and if he encounters a very polite courier delivering sushi home, then such courtesy can take a lot of time! Guests will gather, and the courier will arrive very polite: then it may take more than one minute to say goodbye! There’s nothing you can do about it – you’ll have to “follow the protocol.” Politeness is a distinctive feature of the Japanese, of which they are rightfully proud.
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6. The most unusual Japanese traditions - Transport.
In the Japanese subway, there are specially trained pushers who push and compact people onto the train. To be objective, it must be said that such a “profession” of stuffing exists in many eastern metros, for example, in Singapore, etc.
Many Japanese people like to ride scooters to work.
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7. The most unusual Japanese traditions are these strange Japanese schoolchildren.
Japanese girls are absolutely NOT allowed to interact or talk with boys until they reach a certain age.
Recently, Japanese schoolgirls have been wearing sailor suits and pigtails, and many Japanese boys now often wear school uniforms for girls, since they are much brighter and prettier than school uniforms for boys. A Japanese schoolboy, in general, is no less strange than an adult Japanese. For example, if a girl offers her food to a boy during a school break, then this will almost mean love until death. That's why girls and boys can't eat together without blushing.
But an even stranger Japanese school tradition is this: children are not allowed to go to school alone, without girlfriends or friends, this is considered strange and immoral. Therefore, the larger the crowd, the better it is considered.
Kancho or Kancho is a strange Japanese game, mega-popular among Japanese elementary school students. Players fold their palms and extend their index fingers forward. In the well-known international list of the most dangerous extreme gambling games with addictive effects, “Kancho” is number 27.
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Kancho Festival
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8. The most unusual Japanese traditions - Addresses.
Most streets in Japanese cities do not have names. In these cases, houses are indicated descriptively (“the second house from the corner after the store”) or by numbering within the block. In addition, houses are numbered in the order in which they were built, which adds to the confusion.
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9. The most unusual Japanese traditions are the Fear of Twins.
In the old days in Japan it was believed that one of the born twins was conceived by a demon. And just in case, they got rid of both twins, without figuring out who was who, and at the same time from the mother. For example, in the Japanese anime “When Cicadas Cry” “Shuffle” it is shown that one of the twins must be killed!
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10. The most unusual Japanese traditions - Family finances.
All finances of the Japanese family are managed by the wife, and the husband has no right to question, much less challenge, his wife’s purchasing decisions. Moreover, the Japanese cannot be called ascetic and tight-fisted at all, it’s just that Japanese women are not spenders by nature.
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In fact, the Japanese have not surprised me for a long time, many already know their strange traditions and customs, but if we take from these 10 traditions, then for me the strangest one is how people treated twins in the old days.
Which of the 10 is the strangest tradition for you? And why?
With that, I want to say thank you to everyone and see you soon ^^
Cover author
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Information
Sex education
Against the background of the above, anyone will find it strange that there is open access to pornographic products, which in Japan can be bought at any age and anywhere. Even an ordinary grocery store will certainly have a display case with adult magazines, and children can also look at and buy them. In a bookstore this will be at least a floor. Not only paper porn products are legalized in the country. Television broadcasts programs with very explicit content, and traditional anime rarely does without sex scenes.
Japanese mentality and society
Mentality is a national character that has been formed over many centuries - the first mention of this state is found in Chinese historical chronicles in 250.
AD The mentality of the Japanese was greatly influenced by the religions they professed - Buddhism, Zen, Shinto, Confucianism and, of course, natural isolation from the rest of the world, which resulted in hypertrophied loyalty to traditions. And today this amazing nation, being a full member of the community of the most developed world powers, manages to maintain its identity even in such “unified” areas as business and public relations. The Japanese are characterized by hard work and diligence, which have always been revered in this country as the main virtues. What remains from the code of honor of the Japanese samurai of the entire nation is a sense of duty, responsibility, the desire to sacrifice one’s interests for the sake of common high goals, as well as the ability to behave with dignity and not lose “one’s face.” This nation is distinguished by discipline and punctuality; the Japanese themselves do not allow them to be neglected and do not really forgive others for them.
Living in a country where there are not enough useful or just land resources also left its mark on the mentality of the Japanese. They are thrifty and prudent, not prone to excessive luxury and extravagance. Natural observation and attention to the smallest details allow them not only to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of the world around them, but also to find any opportunities for economical use of resources and search for progressive technological solutions for their maximum conservation. No wonder Japan is considered the most technologically advanced country in the world.
Kancho - strange entertainment
This ancient Japanese game also stands in stark contrast to the chaste rules of school. The essence of it is to put your palms together and extend your index fingers forward, suddenly stick them into the anus of an unsuspecting victim who is not expecting such a trick. Despite the fact that “fun” is far from harmless, it is mega-popular, especially in elementary grades.
There were incidents when even teachers were convicted of such actions, and the incident was not always strictly condemned by school management. However, the game can be legally recognized as sexual harassment and is ranked 27th on the international community's list of the most dangerous games.
Their morals. Japan. Japanese mentality
Dictionary of key concepts of Japanese mentality:
The code word for Japanese behavior is mokusatsu or “killing by silence.”
An example from the past, or what mokusatsu can lead to. In July 1945, the Japanese government received the so-called Potsdam Proclamation from the Presidents of the United States, China and the Prime Minister of Great Britain. It said: “The time has come for Japan to decide whether it will continue to be controlled by the military advisers who brought the Empire of Japan to the brink of extinction, or whether it will listen to the voice of reason. These are our terms. We will not deviate from them. There will be no alternatives. We will not tolerate any delay..."
Next came the terms of Japan's surrender and a call on the Japanese government to announce immediate acceptance of the terms of the proclamation. Otherwise, it was said further, Japan will face complete destruction. On the morning of July 27th, the Supreme Council for the Conduct of the War met to discuss the Potsdam Proclamation. After much fruitless debate, the Council came to the conclusion that the best way to respond to the terms of surrender was to simply ignore the terms as if they had never existed.
In the dictionary, in addition to “killing with silence,” mokusatsu is also defined as “to remain in wise and skillful inaction.” It was this definition that Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki adopted as his justification when, at a press conference held the next day, he announced: “This declaration has no meaning. We just mokusatsu her.”
This statement was picked up by newspapers around the world, which proclaimed: "Japan did not even bother to reject the proclamation." Japan was in a lethargic sleep. No one took upon themselves the courage or responsibility to discuss the proclamation further or respond to it in any way.
縦社会
Vertical society
Greek-American journalist Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904), one of the first foreigners to settle in Japan, arrived here in 1890 to write a series of articles for Harper & Row. Struck by the unique character of the Japanese and the beauty of their culture, Herne declared that life in Japan was like paradise, and decided to stay in this country forever.
Like most foreigners in Japan, Herne was hypnotized by the ideal order that reigned in this society, shocked by the exceptional politeness of the Japanese and the hospitality they usually show towards foreign guests.
Eventually, Lafcadio Hearne married a noble Japanese woman and renounced his status as a foreigner; he took Japanese citizenship. After this, he began to be treated as a Japanese, and Herne realized how great the difference was between life in Japan as a person of honor and the life of a Japanese who was part of this orderly society.
A hundred years later, sociologist Chie Nakane coined the term "vertical society" (tate shakai) to explain the structure of Japanese society and the behavior and relationships among its members. By "vertical" is meant a society in which all people are "ordered in descending order" - from the emperor to the common man who does not occupy any social position.
In this society, people are divided according to the principle of social class, position, gender and age. Place in society strictly determines the use of language, etiquette, and clothing. Rituals, developed over centuries, are the basis of that strict order that so surprised Lafcadio Herne.
Foreign businessmen and diplomats should have a good understanding of the tate shakai structure before engaging in any business with Japanese partners. For example, it is not customary here to start negotiations immediately with presidents and other high-ranking executives of large companies. The beginning of any negotiations is the responsibility of middle and lower level managers.
犠牲者
Victim Syndrome
The principle of amae, which permeates Japanese society from top to bottom, also has its downside. Relying on universal honesty and decency, the Japanese approach each other and foreigners with such high expectations that they are constantly disappointed.
The Japanese are very dependent on each other in society, and when such dependence on one party puts them at risk, it causes them to truly suffer. This condition is called giseisha - victim syndrome.
In modern life, victim syndrome manifests itself in cases where a company or even a country on which people or other companies and organizations depended commits an act that goes against their expectations.
This could be, for example, a bankrupt bank or missed delivery deadlines. The Japanese are especially worried about work that is not completed on time - an overdue deadline.
The only way to avoid the “victim syndrome” when dealing with the Japanese is to be as detailed as possible on all aspects of the deal or agreement, constantly keep the expectations of all parties involved in check, clearly define deadlines and in no case make excessive commitments.
One of the possible and proven methods that foreigners can use in business negotiations is to deliberately find out thousands of small details of the process, go into all the details (even when it seems unnecessary) and ask a lot of questions. This is exactly the kind of behavior foreigners should expect from the Japanese side.
甘え
Indulgent love
One of the basic principles on which the behavior of the Japanese is based and which permeates their entire history and the formation of society is amae (from the verb amaeru), which can be roughly translated as “to assume in another love and forbearance towards you.”
The principle of amae instructs members of society to suppress selfish instincts and behave towards others with honesty, courtesy and decency, regardless of circumstances.
In the idealized amae world, which has always been the ethical goal of traditional Japan, people can depend on each other and rely completely on each other without fear of being deceived or disadvantaged in any way. Amae includes absolute dependence and absolute trust in everything related to interpersonal relationships.
Of course, amae was never perfected in Japan, but the principle was so important throughout history that it set the standard for Japanese behavior and is still the key to understanding Japanese society.
Developing relationships based on the principle of amae is one of the main challenges facing a Western businessman starting a business in Japan. First of all, this means establishing strong and good personal relationships with Japanese partners even before any business dialogue begins. Such relationships include going out to restaurants together, exchanging gifts, spending time together (such as golf, which is especially popular among Japanese businessmen), and the like. The purpose of establishing such relations is to make the Japanese side understand that in further business negotiations, friendly disposition and decency will prevail over cold business calculations.
Amae sometimes allows both partners to ask for business favors that are impossible from the point of view of Western logic. In particular, if in this case you meet the Japanese side halfway, even despite the obvious risk, you can instantly earn so many points that in the normal course of events you would need a lot of time and well-deserved trust for this.
Mentality of the nation and business cooperation - Japanese model of communication
The Japanese mentality, despite its similarity in spirit and common cultural roots, is very different from the Chinese. Due to cultural and geographical characteristics, Japan is developing somewhat separately from the rest of the world.
The characteristic features of the Japanese worldview were formed under the influence of samurai ethics, the key concepts of which are duty, honor, nobility, and readiness for self-sacrifice. When starting business cooperation with Japanese business partners, it is worth checking your every step, every word in advance, it is advisable to calculate the long-term perspective. The Japanese tend to consider a proposal long and carefully, but they are always interested in long-term plans.
PATIENCE to be the main virtue, including in business.
. Combined with a high level of self-control, this allows you to refrain from sudden, rash steps and achieve maximum mutual understanding. The upbringing of the Japanese and their spiritual values make the main quality the readiness to compromise for the sake of common agreement, the desire for the harmony glorified in their culture.
The Japanese are characterized by DISCIPLINE and PUNCTUALITY
. Obligations are fulfilled very strictly and on time, and the same is expected from the partner. Having scheduled a meeting, you can be sure that the Japanese will appear minute by minute.
This nation is characterized by CURIOSITY
and attention to detail. At the stage of preparing negotiations, the Japanese carefully and for a long time collect information about a potential partner. It is almost impossible to establish business contacts with them by correspondence; information sent in writing will not be enough for them to make a decision. The most effective method is a personal meeting where they can ask all their questions. If you are not ready to comment on any topic yourself, it is better to include a couple of experts in the negotiating team who have comprehensive information, since the issues may be quite specific.
Unlike countries where residents are characterized by personal ambitions in their careers, for the Japanese the concept of a group is key. They are very committed to coordinated actions in a team. Individualism is not in honor here, and attention to the individual is shown depending on the value that it represents for a given group. GROUP MEMBERSHIP
is the most important criterion for assessing one's own success for Japanese employees. Personal achievements take a back seat to the success of the corporation as a whole.
Samurai ethics is a deeply national phenomenon. It is based on devotion to authority and impeccable observance of subordination. There are no techniques of manipulation or threats in business. Such methods of doing business are considered undignified and dishonest. The Japanese attach great importance to observing the rules of good manners. At the beginning of negotiations, it is customary to engage in small talk. This ritual allows time to feel out your partner. Japanese etiquette prescribes restraint in gestures, intonation and other non-verbal signs. Direct eye contact will be seen as tactlessness and an attempt to show dominance. Raising your voice is generally unacceptable. It is not customary to shake hands or touch your interlocutor. If you want to make a good impression, bow with your palms together at chest level. Bowing 40 or more times during a work conversation is considered a sign of respect.
You should give and take a business card with both hands and always bow. To emphasize your attention to your partner, you must immediately read its contents.
The Japanese penchant for DETAIL
requires that your business proposals be as substantiated as possible. Enthusiasm and emotional intensity will not produce much effect. And don’t be fooled by the frequent head nodding during the conversation. This is not a sign of agreement at all. The Japanese nod should be regarded as “I am listening to you carefully, I understand you.”
The characteristic Japanese frugality
does not at all turn into stinginess. The custom of giving gifts is typical. The Japanese partner will be very happy with a small gift. Just don't overdo it. An expensive gift will put the Japanese in a difficult position, since according to the rules he must respond adequately. Any gift, even the smallest one, should be beautifully packaged, but unwrapping it in the presence of the giver is considered bad manners.
Despite natural restraint, the Japanese are characterized by some SENTIMENTALITY
and spiritual openness. Even if your business relationship has ended, remember to demonstrate that you value and respect your partner. With great joy, the Japanese will accept postcards or letters of gratitude for the transaction and for the attention shown during your visit. If you plan to return to cooperation after some time, do not let the Japanese forget about you. Regularly send information about new achievements of your company. You can be sure that it will be of interest to your foreign colleagues, and will play a positive role when negotiations resume.
Labor is a pride, not a burden
The Japanese consider work a matter of honor. Arriving right before the start of the workday is considered unethical and even shameful, as is leaving early, even for a good reason. At least half an hour before the bell, everyone is usually already at work. The Japanese working day always lasts longer than agreed upon when hiring, and this despite the fact that its duration is usually longer than that of Europeans.
The average Japanese person usually spends 15-16 hours at work.
At the same time, the conformity of relationships in the team is so high that an employee who has finished his work may be embarrassed to go home if everyone else is still busy.
Unusual and strange things for us that are considered absolutely normal in Japan (19 photos)
What is considered normal in Japan may come as a surprise to people in other countries. We invite you to delve a little deeper into Japanese culture and traditions to find out what things that are considered ordinary for the Japanese may come as a surprise to those who were not born and raised in Japan. 1. They say the same phrase that means both “yes” and “no.”
photo: pixabay.com
In Japanese, “yes” is “hai” and “no” is “iie”. But the Japanese also often use the phrase "ii desu" or "kekkou desu", which can mean "yes" or "no". How do you know what the answer is? You need to pay attention to the context, as well as how it was said. Intonation and/or gesture will help you understand what the speaker means.
2. Blood type in Japan is used instead of a horoscope
photo: hollyzsketches/Instagram
While in other countries blood type is asked only for medical purposes, in Japan it is used to determine a person's personal qualities more often than a horoscope.
Thus, blood type A (II), which most Japanese have, means that a person is well organized and shy. Blood type O (I) is an optimistic and ambitious person, while the rare blood type AB (IV) is eccentric. Blood type B (III), according to the Japanese, characterizes a person as selfish, and may not be very favorable in the eyes of the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun.
3. Christmas in Japan is like Valentine's Day, and it is customary to celebrate it at KFC
photo: annegvall/Instagram
In most countries, Christmas is celebrated with family, but for the Japanese it is another holiday like Valentine's Day. There was a time when hotels were fully booked on the eve of Christmas because couples wanted to spend the night together.
Another Christmas tradition among the Japanese is to eat "Kentucky fried chicken" because since December 1974, KFC Japan has been advertising its fried chicken as a Christmas dish.
4. A small face is considered beautiful in Japan.
photo: nanao_official / Instagram
It can be confusing for a Westerner to be told that they have a small face. On a Japanese TV show where Madonna took part, the host told her that she had a small face. She answered in confusion: “But I have a big heart!” She probably took his words as something disapproving, although in fact he was giving her a compliment.
5. Long-sleeved kimonos are only for single girls
photo: miyakoya.obihiro / Instagram
Furisode, or long-sleeved kimono, is worn only by unmarried girls. They are usually rented or purchased by parents for their daughters to wear on Coming of Age Day, the celebration of their 20th birthday.
Some people wrap colorful fabric over the wide belt to attract attention. This is not permissible for married women, as it is perceived as a desire to be attractive to men.
6. Girls and boys are almost always brown-haired and wear bangs
photo: 2525nicole2 / Instagram
The faces of young Japanese people are almost always decorated with bangs (or mae-gami). This may be due to the fact that they consider small faces to be beautiful.
Although most Japanese are born with black hair, young people commonly dye their hair brown, calling the trend "tapatsu", which literally means "tea hair".
7. Japanese lawyers wear special gold badges
photo: cos.jd/Instagram
In other countries, lawyers may only have business cards to prove their qualifications, but in countries such as Japan and Korea, lawyers have special badges that they wear on the lapel of their blazer.
8. Little finger and red thread
photo: weddingisland_ang / Instagram
As in Chinese and Korean culture, the Japanese believe that God ties the fingers of those destined for each other with an invisible red thread. The thread may stretch or get tangled, but it will never break.
Regarding the little finger, if a Japanese person asks “Is she yours...” and gestures with his little finger, then this means that he means “girlfriend”, “lover” or “wife”. Unless you're talking to a member of the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, where that means a lover, girlfriend or wife has been beheaded.
9. Sunglasses in Japan are usually only worn by celebrities.
photo: yuuukiiiinaaa / Instagram
Even if the sun is shining directly into your eyes, the Japanese prefer to wear an umbrella rather than sunglasses. In Japan, it is believed that this fashion accessory can only be worn by very stylish people, celebrities or foreigners.
10. The drainage canals in Japan are so clean that some of them even contain koi fish.
photo: Imgur
It is common knowledge that Japan is a country of cleanliness. But the koi fish that live in the drainage channels take Japanese cleanliness to a new level. And the amazing thing is not only that koi fish can live in clean water, but also that they themselves are worth a lot of money, and no one even thinks about catching them for sale.
11. Hot towels in restaurants must be used before meals.
photo: tub0m1 / Instagram
In high-end Japanese restaurants, diners are given a towel (or oshibori) soaked in hot water. Unlike napkins, which are usually meant to be used to wipe your mouth after eating, they are used before eating to wash your hands. Wiping your face or neck with such a towel is considered bad manners.
12. The Japanese go to temples and churches for a variety of reasons.
photo: paul.pc/Instagram
The average Japanese person spends their entire life visiting religious places for various reasons. To celebrate children's birthdays on the child's 3rd, 5th and 7th birthdays, they visit the temple. Weddings are usually held in a church, and sometimes in a place simulating a church, which is intended only for wedding ceremonies. Funerals are often held in churches.
13. In Japanese makeup, blush should be more pronounced than eye shadow and lipstick.
photo: sao__526 / Instagram
Japanese girls and women prefer softer lip colors rather than bright or dark ones. However, they like to deepen their blush because it makes them look energetic, like they just got out of a workout, while still looking fresh and not sweaty.
14. Raw eggs are quite common in Japanese dishes.
photo: ulf_timmermann.1975 / Instagram
People are always wondering, “Do the Japanese really eat raw eggs?” Yes it is. Raw and half-raw eggs are usually eaten with rice, meat or noodle soup.
The simplest dish is when a raw egg is mixed with rice, soy sauce, seaweed or furikake (dried Japanese seasoning). This dish is considered a bachelor's dish as it is easy to prepare and eat alone.
15. There are almost no trash cans in Japan, but it is incredibly clean.
photo: m_saclla / Instagram
It can be confusing for tourists that there are so few trash cans in such a clean country. They are usually seen near vending machines. Sometimes they are located near supermarkets and can only be used by them.
The Japanese have a habit of cleaning up after themselves and bringing all their trash home, where they dispose of it properly.
16. “Will you wash my underwear?” - this is a marriage proposal
photo: © shutterstock.com © depositphotos.com
To some of us this may seem offensive, but to the Japanese it means that a man trusts a woman enough to entrust her with one of his most personal possessions. A rather strange way is to invite someone to look at the not so pleasant side of a person’s life and ask him to help fix it. But for the Japanese this is normal.
17. “Will you make me miso soup every day?” - this is also a marriage proposal
photo: cinderellastorywedding / Instagram
Someone might think, “Is he looking for a cook for his home?”, but this is an indirect way of making an offer. The Japanese eat miso soup (misoshira) every day, but each home has its own preferences regarding the recipe. This offer means that a person is entrusted with one of the most important parts of his daily diet.
18. When eating ramen or soba, you should eat the noodles with a slurp.
photo: ramenyalb / Instagram
Even though the Japanese are considered a quiet culture, they believe that noodles should be eaten with a slurp. This is justified by the fact that in this way the hot noodles cool down when they enter the mouth and come into direct contact with the tongue. This way it can be enjoyed while the rest of the bowl is still hot. And some also believe that slurping is the best way to enjoy the flavor of soba.
19. Some people need more clothes in the summer
photo: Martin Goodwin/Flickr
Summer in Japan can be very hot, especially in Osaka and Kyoto, but that doesn't stop some Japanese women from wearing more clothing to protect their skin from the sun's rays. In most countries, the onset of summer means it's time for open summer dresses, but Japanese women prefer not to sunbathe and eliminate the possibility of getting skin cancer.
Umbrella for rent
On almost any street in relatively large, and often small, cities, you can see a special vase-stand in which there are umbrellas. If the rain takes you by surprise, you can always use them. Umbrella rental is completely free, and the city practically does not incur the cost of purchasing new umbrellas to replace missing ones, because they always return to their place. The local population considers not returning them a shameful theft; they don’t do that here.
New Year
The beginning of a new year has a magical meaning. It’s not just “old out, new in.” Mysteriously, with the thought that the old year is ending and a new one is beginning, a person is freed from all previous failures and sins. The process is aided by the ringing of huge bells, signaling midnight in all the temples of the country. Since, according to the teachings of the Buddha, a person has 108 carnal desires, the bells ring slowly, at intervals, 108 times in order to cleanse themselves of each of them.
The last days before the New Year are traditionally filled with hectic bustle. The main headache is New Year's cards: “Congratulations on the New Year. Thank you for everything you have done for me this past year. I count on further favors in the coming years...” – and so on. In 1997, 4.77 billion New Year's cards were sent, nearly 40 cards for every man, woman and child.
Congratulations on the occasion of the New Year should be sent in advance to a huge number of friends, acquaintances and business partners. If someone in the family has recently died, you must notify them because you are in mourning and cannot bring your New Year's greetings. Then your recipients will know that they should also refrain from sending a New Year's card, since it is not customary to send holiday greetings to a house full of sadness. In order not to force others to make an indecent mistake, notifications of death are sent in advance, but not too early, otherwise people will have time to forget about it by the time they sit down to write cards. Then the awkwardness will worsen. So try not to die at all during the last three months of the year to avoid embarrassing your family and friends.
On the eve of the New Year, an exemplary Japanese wife stores up mountains of provisions so that there is enough food for all the holidays, because many stores will close and nothing can be ordered, and guests may unexpectedly come to pay their respects.
New Year is a special holiday for the Japanese in many ways. Homes and institutions are decorated in a special way to drive out evil and bring goodness in the New Year. But before you meet the good, you need to remove old dirt and dust - along with your own mistakes. The nation's passion for cleanliness, already unhealthy, turns into mania at the end of December. In every home, in every office, the floors are washed and the windows are wiped. Fifteen workers scrub a four-meter-wide jet plane with brushes because hand cleaning is “more neat and efficient than machine cleaning.”
Even men help with the cleaning, turning everything upside down on New Year's Eve. When everything is ready, the lady of the house runs to the hairdresser (salons are open all New Year's Eve). There she will meet other similar housewives, whose faces express exactly the same mixture of relief and concern - have they forgotten something?
The ritual of inviting respectable relatives or senior colleagues to visit during a three-day holiday is gradually going out of fashion. However, people flock to Shinto and Buddhist shrines to ask for good luck in the coming year. They pray in droves and make offerings to the gods any time after sunset on December 31st until late in the evening on January 3rd. In essence, it does not matter when and which temple you go to, or to which deities you offer prayer. The gods can be appeased by throwing a coin into the huge box in front of the altar. The process of moving forward to the altar is quite simple, since the crowd itself carries you, pushing you from behind, and the police watch to ensure that there are no disturbances. Rather, it will be impossible to do anything else - to stay in place. Before you know it, you’ve already been dragged away from the altar: new crowds are rushing there from behind. Three million people come to other churches in three days.
As a rule, after this, most Japanese return home to celebrate the New Year. All vehicles in Japan are overcrowded. People stand for hours to buy a ticket for the train, which is 130% full, and cars line up in long, 70-kilometer queues on the roads. Exactly the same situation occurs in mid-August on the O-Bon holiday, when, according to Buddhist tradition, the souls of the departed are called upon. relatives and perform the ceremony. So the traditionalists are coming back into the house. For others, these hours are a respite. Whatever they do, they will remain surrounded by other Japanese people returning home, traveling from home, or being in their proper place.
Another important New Year's custom is giving cash to your children or relatives' children. If you have a large family, the New Year will put a big drain on your wallet. Nephews and nephews will approach you with a sweet, expectant smile. The amount has increased greatly over the years. It now ranges from 3,000 yen ($25) to 15,000 yen ($130) depending on seniority. As a result of such gifts, charming and well-mannered girls and boys can safely open their own bank account.
Unusual customs of Japanese dining
Japanese eating etiquette prohibits more than it allows. You cannot move dishes from place to place, put a bitten piece on a plate, use a spoon and fork, poke food with a stick or lick it, and much more. A European will also be surprised by the list of things that can be done decently. For example, talking loudly, smacking and slurping while eating food, slurping noodles and other loud sounds and gestures to let others know how tasty and desirable the meal is.
When dining with the Japanese, you should completely erase from your memory the proverb known from childhood about “deaf and dumb”, otherwise your dining companions will decide that you categorically do not like the food.
It is rude to pour alcohol for yourself. Therefore, the Japanese always make sure that the glasses of the neighbor on the right and left are not empty.
Bath traditions
Modern Japanese apartments are mainly equipped with showers. But, if there is a bathroom in the house, it is filled once for all family members. At the same time, they can wash in it either in turn or together, and it is not considered at all reprehensible if a mother goes into the bath with her son, and a father with his daughter.
From an economic point of view, the tradition is justified by the high cost of water, and from a hygiene point of view, by the fact that everyone first washes in the shower, and taking a bath is more for the purpose of relaxation and relaxation than cleansing.
Adult adoption
Why adopt an adult if he no longer needs care? The Japanese have a unique view on this issue. First of all, it concerns problems of inheritance. For example, a family that has no boys can adopt the daughter's spouse in order to legally give him his own surname and continue the family line. A reverse example: a son-in-law adopts his wife's parents in order to minimize overall taxes and distribute the inheritance more profitably. In any case, in the end everything goes for the benefit of the family.
Subway at rush hour
Tokyo metro by number of people per 1 sq.m. during rush hour it will give Moscow a 100-point head start. At the stations there are special workers whose job task is to cram as many people into the carriage as possible so that the door closes.
To ensure that passengers of different sexes do not experience certain inconveniences, separate carriages are allocated for men and women.
Given relatively short distances, many Japanese prefer to commute by scooter.
Friend or foe
The inhabitants of the country have a highly developed division between friends and foes. The Japanese can ignore people of other nationalities so much that they literally close the door in their face or fail to hear a direct address. The problem with migrants, which is an eternal headache for European countries, was also very cleverly solved here. For this, one piece of legislation was sufficient, according to which the company must pay any foreigner a salary higher than a Japanese person in an identical position. Therefore, valuable specialists from “gaijin” (outsiders) will always find work here, but immigrants without qualifications will never find work.
Japanese mentality in everyday life
All Japanese are distinguished by innate politeness and deep respect for other people. They will never allow themselves to violate the boundaries of decency or personal ones. You will never hear questions from a Japanese about your private life; they are not inclined to discuss their own or other people’s fate with anyone, or give unsolicited advice.
Residents of the Land of the Rising Sun have retained some naivety and sentimentality, they are distinguished by a special sense of beauty, they are aesthetes in everything and are able to create beautiful interiors in their homes, using a minimum of very laconic design details.
When it comes to expressing personal feelings, even with close people, the Japanese are very restrained. It is still not customary for the older generation to express their feelings in public - to kiss or hug someone. Young people, especially in cities, are already behaving more freely in this regard.
Other unusual traditions of Japan
- There is no central heating in the country, with the exception of the snowy Hokkaido Prefecture, but the street may be paved with heated asphalt. However, concern for human health in this case is hidden not in temperature comfort, but in minimizing accidents due to possible icing.
- According to tradition, the wife is in complete control of the money in a Japanese family, and the husband does not ask and, especially, does not challenge her financial decisions and purchases. However, this does not lead to financial problems, since it creates financial discipline among local women. They cannot be called by nature either spenders or tight-fisted misers.
- The New Year in the land of the rising sun begins at sunrise. Dawn is its starting point, so in the evening the Japanese do not sit down at the table, like all over the world, but try to go to bed early so as not to oversleep the beginning of the holiday.
- Bowing is the main manifestation of politeness at every convenient and inconvenient occasion. They are used when meeting, saying goodbye, etc. In this case, you should bow exactly as much as the interlocutor, otherwise it will be regarded as a manifestation of bad manners.
- The birth of twins in a family has long been considered a curse, and the twins themselves - the spawn of Satan. In ancient times, they were disposed of along with their mother. Now, of course, they don’t do this, but the stereotypes of thinking remain the same.
- There is no tradition of tipping here.
- Glass is not installed in the entrance windows of houses.
- For a Japanese, falling asleep at work is not an offense that will bring condemnation from superiors, but an indicator of workaholism. If a person falls asleep, it means he worked hard and was very tired. Sleeping during working hours even has its own name - innemuri. And, if it weren’t for the amazing honesty of the Japanese and their extreme responsibility in relation to their job responsibilities, one would suspect that many of them are “overworking” not out of fatigue, but in order to show how hard they work.
- Ice cream toppings in this country can be surprising, to say the least. Among them you can see cacti, horse meat, seafood and even black coal.
- Before entering the toilet room, the Japanese put on special slippers, regardless of whether they walked around the house barefoot or had shoes on. It is believed that thanks to this, toilet germs are not spread throughout the apartment.
- Schoolgirls are prohibited from wearing tights - only high socks, which the girls glue to their legs every day with special glue so that they do not slip down. They always carry a spare tube of glue with them. The length of a school skirt decreases as you get older. There are special school standards for this case.
- Despite the shortage of land, there is a ghost town in Japan, or rather an entire island. It was once densely populated and had everything for complete autonomy for its residents, since coal mining was carried out here. Over time, coal became irrelevant and the island became deserted. Visiting it is currently prohibited.
- In Japan they eat dolphins - a fact that causes not only surprise, but also condemnation among the majority of the inhabitants of our planet.
Mentality and characteristics of the population
- 99.9% of the local population is Japanese, so the attitude towards foreigners here is completely special. European appearance is considered very unusual; on the street, teenagers can run up to a person with blond hair and blue eyes to take a photo with him.
- However, foreigners are very reluctantly allowed into the internal life of the country - they are loved as tourists, but have difficulty being accepted as Japanese citizens.
- The famous samurai honor, Bushido, is still alive in Japan - there are known cases when politicians resigned from their positions due to the fact that they did not fulfill their election promises.
- The Japanese are generally considered a very hardworking nation - it is not customary to take vacations here, and they often stay late at work.
- There is no concept of “senior” in Japan. By law, every employment contract is concluded with a person for life, and the employee can hold a position as long as his health allows him to perform his duties.
- Etiquette is sacred for the Japanese; failure to comply with the rules of good manners by a foreigner can cause a storm of indignation among local residents.
- In homes and a number of public institutions in Japan, it is customary to take off your shoes. Having taken off your shoes, you must turn them with your toes towards the exit - this is the requirement of the ancient custom.
- The Japanese believe that it is almost impossible for a foreigner to learn their language, so the minimum knowledge of the language delights them.
- There are very few curse words in Japanese. Sometimes the word “fool”, said with a special intonation, can cause a storm of indignation if it was uttered in polite society.
"Cat" cafe
- If a Japanese person laughs, this is the first sign that he is nervous. It is customary here to respond to sad news with a smile, and long and continuous silence is the first sign of respect for a person and even some degree of admiration.
- The thinness of the Japanese is a common reason for very serious complexes about appearance. In Japan, it is customary to look at sumo wrestlers almost with admiration.
- Another reason to feel complex is the lack of body hair among Japanese men. Often young guys use false chest hair, thereby emphasizing their “masculinity.”
- The attitude towards marriage in Japan is very serious. People rarely get married here before the age of 30, and the average age of childbearing for Japanese women is 34 years.
- Japanese youth are distinguished by great extravagance - there are a huge number of subcultures and movements that stand out with bright clothes, crazy hairstyles and various accessories.
- Most Japanese do not play games on the computer, preferring Sony Play Stations and others. This is explained by the high level of piracy on the Internet and strict copyright laws. For distributing illegal copies of video games, you can get a very real prison sentence.
- For many Japanese, anime is a source of national pride. Famous characters, including Pokemon Pikachu, can be seen on board national airlines.
- Formally, prostitution is prohibited in Japan, but brothels have not gone away. Officially, Japanese call girls charge clients for massages, pleasant company, and even kisses - for everything except sex.
- By the way, not all brothels employ Japanese women - local pimps prefer to send emigrants from the Philippines and China to this work. Tourists may not be allowed into brothels with Japanese girls - they are only for their own people.
- The Japanese's favorite television programs are cooking shows. According to statistics, 70% of all TV channels in the country must have at least one such program in their broadcast schedule.
- Japan has its own superstitions about body reactions. For example, if a person sneezes, they say that someone just remembered him, and if someone has a nosebleed, this is a reason for a joke with sexual overtones.
- The number 4, when talking about superstitions, is actually considered unlucky. The hieroglyphic outline corresponds to the spelling of the word “death”, therefore in schools, hospitals and any institutions there is never an office with a number where this figure would be present.
Important: The most dangerous place in Japanese cities is the subway. It is during the rush hour rush that sexually anxious individuals regularly appear in such places. Every year, hundreds of thousands of women and even men turn to the police after such harassment.
- In the subways, there is one of the most specific Japanese professions - pushers. These are specially trained people who literally push people into crowded carriages so that the doors of the train close and it moves off.
- The Japanese are a social nation. Here it is customary to live like everyone else and not stand out, although modern youth rejects these rules too.
- The Japanese really don’t like to say a categorical “no,” so the answer “maybe” can be regarded as “no.”
- Japanese people are very shy, sometimes they cannot admit their feelings directly.
- Despite the formal restrictions, public baths, saunas and hot spring pools are very popular among the Japanese. Some of these establishments do not have women's and men's rooms - everyone washes together.
- The American occupation after World War II left a big mark on Japanese culture. The Japanese even invented katakana - a special hieroglyphic system that is used to record English borrowings in the language.
