Japan Travel Guide

When visiting Japan, it is advisable to understand some of the cultural traits of the country. This enables you to learn and understand aspects of Japan such as its cuisine and popular present day activities alongside the daily life of the country. Alongside this there are also many traditional activities which still take place within areas for tourists to explore making this country unique to Asia.

Religion

The country has two major religions which co-exist with harmony. Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan where the practices are carried out to in order to keep a connection between the past and present worlds in Japan. Shinto also applies to the public shrines around Japan where public events and religious festivals can be held. The other major religion is Buddhism where the tradition of Zen (meditiation) is carried out. This religion is also the cause of the many Buddhas placed around Japan.

Whilst religion may not play a great part in daily life, Japanese usually visit temples and shrines on New Year or at a religious festival. Despite this change in time, Japan still has the striking and iconographical buildings which draw in many tourists there year after year.

Traditional Sport

Something which typifies Japanese culture is Sumo which is the country’s national sport. This sport has continued from ancient Japan where it was used to entertain Shinto Gods.  The rules of the game are that if a Sumo steps outside the ring he loses; the games are quick and usually end after seconds.  The life of a Sumo can be short and regimental. Wrestlers are usually between 20 and 35 and live throughout the year in complexes with other sportsmen. The size of the men can be astounding, as there are no weight categories this means that weight gain is a large part of Sumo life so that the men can outsize their competition.

Traditional Practices

The tea culture in Japan is extremely avid where there is a correct and precise ritual in preparing, serving and drinking tea. In the tearooms, the geishas can sometimes be brought in as a mean’s of entertainment and waitresses for rich business men. Geisha’s in themselves are an iconographical part of Japanese culture. The entertainers dress in exquisite traditional dresses, have painted white faces and decorative hairstyles. Although the amount of Geisha’s have decreased over the years, they are still are prized aspect of Japanese culture. They live within shared buildings, similar to the Sumo wrestlers, in order to build up their skills.

Gardens are also an important part of Japanese life.  There are different types and varieties such as the Karesansui Gardens. These gardens are greatly influenced by Zen Buddhism and are often used for meditation. The most significant feature is the raked stones or gravel with a few patches of moss to represent the natural landscape. Another type of garden is the Tsukiyama Gardens which are small gardens which are reproductions of famous landscapes around China and Japan. The Chaniwa Gardens within Japan usually contain tea houses and are built with tea ceremonies in mind. These usually include stepping stones to the tearoom and stone basins for people to cleanse themselves before entering.