JAPAN Student: Pablo Riveros Diploma of Tourism Sunshine Coast TAFE
IMPORTANT FACTS •
Location: Easter Asia, Island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, East of Korean Peninsula.
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Area comparative: Slightly smaller than California.
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Climate: Varies from tropical in South to cool temperature in the North.
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Natural Resources: negligible mineral resources, fish. with virtually no energy natural resources, Japan is the world's largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as the second largest importer of oil.
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Religion: Shintoism 83.9%, Buddhism 71.4%, Christianity 2%, other 7.8%
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Population: 127,368,088 (July 2012 est.)
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Major cities: TOKYO (capital) 36.507 million; Osaka-Kobe 11.325 million; Nagoya 3.257 million; FukuokaKitakyushu 2.809 million; Sapporo 2.673 million (2009)
CULTURE •
In 1603, after decades of civil warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports after signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and an ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians hold actual decision-making power. Following three decades of unprecedented growth, Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, but the country remains a major economic power. In March 2011, Japan's strongest-ever earthquake, and an accompanying tsunami, devastated the northeast part of Honshu island, killing thousands and damaging several nuclear power plants. The catastrophe hobbled the country's economy and its energy infrastructure, and tested its ability to deal with humanitarian disasters.
CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS •
Samurai: is the term for the military nobility of pre industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a persons in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau. In both countries the terms were nominalized to mean "those who serve in close attendance to the nobility," the pronunciation in Japanese changing to saburai.
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Kimono: Are made of silk and are usually very expensive. Nowadays they are worn at formal or traditional occasions such as funerals, weddings or tea ceremonies. Only rarely kimono can still be seen in everyday.
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Yukata: is more of an informal leisure clothing. It is a comfortable dress on summer days or after a hot bath.
CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS •
Gift giving is a big deal in Japan. Gifts are offered a sign of respect, a token or appreciation and sign of friendship or continuing association. The Japanese give gifts for all kinds of occasions and often follow rigid rules when giving and receiving them.
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Partying, Singing and Dancing Customs in Japan:Japanese like to party in one big group rather than breaking up in small groups and circulating like Westerners do at a cocktail party. Taking turns singing is a popular activity, with one person playing the role of "emcee" and calling on the others to participate one by one. If you attend a party like this it is a good idea to have a song ready.
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Invitation and promptness: Japanese tend to treat invitations more seriously than Westerners. Extending an invitation is not something that is done lightly. And accepting an invitation is treated as an obligation and something one can not back out of easily
GESTURES, GREETINGS •
There is only one official language spoken in Japan, which is of course Japanese. However, many Japanese are able to understand English to a certain extent since English is the foreign language that everyone must learn as part of compulsory education. Even if you don't understand Japanese, you can still certainly enjoy Japan. But if you know a few everyday Japanese phrases then it will make your trip even more memorable. A few words make a big difference . ( Hello: Konnichiwa, Good Morning: Ohayou, Good Afternoon: Konnichiwa, Good Evening: Konbanwa, Good Night: Oyasumi, Good Bye: Sayounara, See you later: Dewa mata.)
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Learn Japanese - Japanese Body Language and Gestures Lesson 1 – YouTube
• Japan Business Etiquett, Vital Cultural Manners: Meishi Kokan (Business Cards) - YouTube
GESTURES, GREETINGS •
Eye Contact: Making eye contact is considered rude, leads to uncomfortableness, and can be construed as a sign of aggression. When speaking to or approaching a Japanese individual, make very brief eye contact to signal the individual, but then maintain appropriate eye level, such as the individual’s neck.
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Gestures: Angry: Index finders pointing out from head, like horns. Asking for forgiveness; Favor, Thanking for a meal Single clapping of the hands in front of the face. Awkward; Embarassed
Open-hand behind the head.
MAIN RELIGION •
Shinto ("the way of the gods") is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people and as old as Japan itself. It remains Japan's major religion alongside Buddhism.
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Shinto does not have a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures like the sutras or the bible. Propaganda and preaching are not common either, because Shinto is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and traditions.
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"Shinto gods" are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami. The kami of extraordinary people are even enshrined at some shrines. The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered Shinto's most important kami. In contrast to many monotheist religions, there are no absolutes in Shinto. There is no absolute right and wrong, and nobody is perfect. Shinto is an optimistic faith, as humans are thought to be fundamentally good, and evil is believed to be caused by evil spirits. Consequently, the purpose of most Shinto rituals is to keep away evil spirits by purification, prayers and offerings to the kami.
Omikuji
Ema
Tori
Purification trough
FOOD & BEVERAGES •
Rice Bowl A bowl of plain cooked rice is served with most Japanese meals. For breakfast, it is sometimes mixed with a raw egg and soya sauce (tamago kake gohan) or enjoyed with natto or other toppings.
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Soba: Soba noodles are native Japanese noodles made of buckwheat flour or a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour. Soba are about as thick as spaghetti. They can be served cold or hot and with various toppings.
FOOD & BEVERAGES •
Sukiyaki is prepared right at the table by cooking thinly sliced beef together with vegetables, tofu and vermicelli.
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Sushi is a small piece of raw seafood placed on a ball of vinegared rice. The most common ingredients are tuna, squid and prawns. Cucumber, pickled radish and sweet egg omelet are also served.
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Tempura is food deep-fried in vegetable oil after being coated with a mixture of egg, water and wheat flour. Among the ingredients used are prawns, fish in season and vegetables
FOOD & BEVERAGES • Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in Japan. The leading breweries are Asahi, Kirin, Suntory and Sapporo. The art of brewing beer was imported in the early Meiji Period from Germany as a development project for the northern island of Hokkaido. • Happoshu (lit. "sparkling alcohol", also known as low-malt beer) is a relatively recent invention by Japanese brewing companies. It has a similar flavor and alcohol content as beer, but it is made with less malt, which gives it a different, lighter taste. Also due to the lower malt content, happoshu is taxed differently than beer and is consequently sold at a lower price. • Rice Wine (nihonshu or sake): Commonly called sake outside of Japan, nihonshu or sake (note that "sake" is also the general Japanese term for alcohol) is brewed using rice, water and white koji mold as the main ingredients. Besides major brands, there are countless local rice wines (jizake). The alcohol content of nihonshu is typically about 10-20%. It is drunk either hot or cold, and it is usually filtered although unfiltered nihonshu (nigorizake) is also popular.
SPECIAL EVENTS & FESTIVALS Matsuri
There are countless local festivals (matsuri) in Japan because almost every shrine celebrates one of its own. Most festivals are held annually and celebrate the shrine's deity or a seasonal or historical event. Some festival are held over several days. An important element of Japanese festivals are processions, in which the local shrine's kami (Shinto deity) is carried through the town in mikoshi (palanquins). It is the only time of the year when the kami leaves the shrine to be carried around town.
Sapporo Snow Festival Sapporo, Hokkaido
Jidai Matsuri Kyoto A spectacular historical parade which covers the over 1000 years during which Kyoto served as Japan's capital. The procession leads from Kyoto Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine Omizutori is a Buddhist religious service rather than a festival, held every year at the Nigatsudo Hall of Todaiji Temple. The most spectacular among its many ceremonies, is the nightly burning of torches on the balcony of the wooden temple hall Takayama Matsuri /Takayama, Gifu Large and elaborately decorated floats are pulled through the old town of Takayama. Held in spring and autumn Hakata Gion Yamakasa (more details) Fukuoka The Hakata Gion Yamakasa in Fukuoka's Hakata district takes place from July 1 to 15 and climaxes with a spectacular time trial race of festival floats in the early morning hours of July 15
CULTURAL, FACTS AND PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR TRAVELLERS •
Language: Japanese is believed to be linked to the Altaic language family, which includes Turkish, Mongolian and other languages, but also shows similarities to Austronesian languages like Polynesian.
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Religion does not play a big role in the lives of most Japanese and many do not understand the difference between Shintoism and Buddhism.
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Japan's literacy rate is almost 100%.
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Sumo is Japan's national sport, although baseball is also very popular.
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When you use the restroom in some one's home, you may need to put on special bathroom slippers so as not to contaminate the rest of the home.
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Noodles, especially soba (buckwheat), are slurped loudly when eaten. It is often said slurping symbolizes the food is delicious, but the slurping also serves to cool down the hot noodles for eating.
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Vending machines in Japan sell beer, hot and cold canned coffee, cigarettes, and other items.
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There are around 1,500 earthquakes every year in Japan.
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In Japan it is not uncommon to eat rice at every meal, including breakfast.
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Average life expectancy in Japan is one of the highest in the world. Japanese people live an average of 4 years longer than Wester People.
CULTURAL, FACTS AND PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR TRAVELLERS •
Japan is the largest automobile producer in the world.
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Tsukiji market in Tokyo is the world's largest fish market.
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Geisha means "person of the arts" and the first geisha were actually men.
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Some traditional Japanese companies conduct a morning exercise session for the workers to prepare them for the day's work.
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Japan's voltage standard is 100 volts. This differs from America, where the standard is 110 volts, and Europe, where the standard is 220 volts. Most of the world's other countries also use different voltage standards from Japan. Use adaptador
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Renting a Mobile The easiest and most cost-effective way for a traveller to get a mobile phone in Japan is by renting it. A credit card and picture identification are required to do this.
CULTURAL, FACTS AND PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR TRAVELLERS •
Pachinko is both a form of recreation as well as a gambling device so it’s pretty comparable to slot machines here in the West.
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For years, Tokyo Tower has been an iconic figure in Tokyo’s skyline, but that may soon be coming to an end. After nearly four years in the making, the Tokyo Skytree has finished construction. Tallest tower in the World.
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Let’s start out by looking at some bigger Japanese websites. These are just a few examples that will give you an idea about the “Japanese aesthetic” when it comes to web design.
IS JAPAN COOL?
RESEARCH INFORMATION •
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng
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http://www.tofugu.com/category/japanese-culture
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http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4142.htm
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http://www.facts-about-japan.com/interesting.html
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http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e641.html
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http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/sumo/index.html
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http://www.mapsofworld.com/japan/culture
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http://factsanddetails.com/japan
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http://www.visitjapan.jp/eng/generalinfo/index.html