Internet Resources
The following resources will help to guide further research into the Japanese cultural world
Kids Web Japan-Culture
This internet resource is specifically geared toward children of the elementary age group who are looking for interactive and informative ways to learn about Japan. The website includes a specific culture section with interactive games that test students on their cultural knowledge. This would be a great resource for students to use in the classroom, or to build upon content knowledge.
Experience Japanese Culture
This internet resource for adults is geared towards introducing them to different cultural aspects with visuals and information for each aspect. This resource separates the culture into cultural items that can be explored at your leisure and includes the historical as well as modern information on each.
Facts about Japan-Culture
This internet resource is great if you are looking for any sort of information about Japan. On this particular culture page you will find links divided among various aspects of culture so that you may explore further than just the basic information. This is a great source to use for introductions to the information that it presents.
The following resources will help to guide further research into the Japanese cultural world
Kids Web Japan-Culture
This internet resource is specifically geared toward children of the elementary age group who are looking for interactive and informative ways to learn about Japan. The website includes a specific culture section with interactive games that test students on their cultural knowledge. This would be a great resource for students to use in the classroom, or to build upon content knowledge.
Experience Japanese Culture
This internet resource for adults is geared towards introducing them to different cultural aspects with visuals and information for each aspect. This resource separates the culture into cultural items that can be explored at your leisure and includes the historical as well as modern information on each.
Facts about Japan-Culture
This internet resource is great if you are looking for any sort of information about Japan. On this particular culture page you will find links divided among various aspects of culture so that you may explore further than just the basic information. This is a great source to use for introductions to the information that it presents.
Cultural Maps
Religion
Much of Japanese culture and traditions is guided by their religious backgrounds, the greatest background being in Buddhism. In this map, it can be seen that the Japanese people still have a large Buddhist population, which then helps to guide their culture and keep their traditions intact, as the younger generations make the move to a more westernized society.
Part II: The Japanese and Buddhism. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2015, from http://www.buddhanet.net/nippon/nippon_partII.html
Religion
Much of Japanese culture and traditions is guided by their religious backgrounds, the greatest background being in Buddhism. In this map, it can be seen that the Japanese people still have a large Buddhist population, which then helps to guide their culture and keep their traditions intact, as the younger generations make the move to a more westernized society.
Part II: The Japanese and Buddhism. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2015, from http://www.buddhanet.net/nippon/nippon_partII.html
Statistics: Country Demographic Data
Category Statistic
Ethnic Groups Japanese 98.5%,
Koreans 0.5%,
Chinese 0.4%,
other 0.6%
Religions Shintoism 83.9%,
Buddhism 71.4%,
Christianity 2%,
other 7.8%
Life Expectancy at Birth total population: 84.46 years
country comparison to the world: 3
male: 81.13 years
female: 87.99 years (2014 est.)
Current Median Age total: 46.1 years
male: 44.8 years
female: 47.5 years (2014 est.)
Age Structure 0-14 years: 13.2% (male 8,681,728/female 8,132,809)
15-24 years: 9.7% (male 6,429,429/female 5,890,991)
25-54 years: 38.1% (male 23,953,643/female 24,449,655)
55-64 years: 13.2% (male 8,413,872/female 8,400,953)
65 years and over: 24.8% (male 14,218,655/female 18,531,653) (2014 est.
Labor Force 65.62 million (2013 est.)
The World Factbook - Japan. (2014, June 20). Retrieved March 6, 2015, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-
factbook/geos/ja.html
In the maps we see below we are looking at the impact that education has had on the presence of female salaried workers. As seen in Figure 1 in the year 1982 the average woman was spending only 11 years in school, which translates to about the finishing of high school. During this time there was an average of only 70% of women in the work force. But as seen in Figure 2 in the year 2007 the average number of years has increased to 13 years, meaning more women are seeking high education, and they are now 86% of the work force. This is a positive trend. A trend that can be explained by Japan's continuous move to assimilate more and more to western culture, a culture in which more and more women work in industry as opposed to being home makers. Although as seen the figures 3 and 4 as the number of women in the work force increases the birth rate has slowly dropped. This is a depiction of the gender and societal struggle that Japan is having, with more and more women encouraged to join the work force that birth rate in Japan has slowly dropped to the point of worry. This is a cultural shift in its own in Japan, and just goes to show that every aspect of life is connected.
Figures 1 and 2: Showing the comparison of the mean number of years women have spent in school to the percentage of female salaried workers, between the years of 1982 and 2007. This shows that even is a relatively short amount of time much can change in a nations culture and development. gapminder.org
Figures 3 and 4: Showing the number of female salaried workers to the number of births in the years 1986 and 2007. These maps show the impact of what the increase in figures 1 and 2 have on the birth rate of Japan, as well as the future population. As more and more women begin working and higher education, they have are less inclined to begin families. gapminder.org.
Religious Connections
Japan’s religion plays a large role in the country’s culture and values. The main religions of Japan consist of Buddhism and Shintoism, with christianity and other religions having a small presence in the country. Shintoism is the older of the two religions and has origins in the country itself. The focus of the religion is on the unseen spiritual forces called kami, the shrines, and the various rituals that the people perform in reverence for the spirits (Religions - Shinto). The shrines have locations all around the country, with people focusing on those that are closest to them. Buddhism made itself known in the country in the 6th century B.C., after having traveled from Korea and China. Japanese buddhism is based off of the forms of buddhism in the other two countries. Both religions are seen as a way of life, rather than as something to preach and worship (Shinto, Buddhism and the Japanese belief system).
Due to its status as a way of life, the Japanese religions have highly influenced the social and cultural development of the country. This can be seen in the multiple Shinto shrines seen around the country, as well as in the Buddha statues that can be seen. The architecture also shows influence of both religions with many of the traditional buildings. However the one cultural item that has seen the most influence from Japanese religion is the festivals and ceremonies that take place today in modern Japan. For example wedding ceremonies are reflections of this, as well as the Bon Festival that takes place every year. Even their tea ceremonies have ties to the religions they practice Religions in Japan, Facts about Japan). The Japanese culture is one that values its history and beliefs greatly, and even in this modern day you will see many of the Japanese people acknowledging their religious way of life, and honoring it.
As stated before, the Japanese religions of Shinto and Buddhism have had significant in the architecture and culture of Japan. Many of the architecture sights have significant sacred value to the Japanese. One example of this is the Shinto shrines to be seen around the country, with each having its own sacred value. Another sacred place is the Great Buddha of Kamakura, which is a large bronze statue which has significant value to the Japanese and Buddhist people (Sacred Sites in Japan). The city of Kyoto also has a number of sacred and religious places for people to view. These places are sacred to the Japanese people especially, however they have enough fame within their sects that they gather attention from other religious peoples from different countries.
With religion having such a large impact on the lives and culture of the people it is interesting to know that Japan has freedom of religious choice. They may choose their own religion and their own beliefs. In the modern day the State can be seen trying to further itself from the ways of life set forth through Shintoism and Buddhism, and toward the modern westernized way of life (A View of Religion in Japan). Before this modern day view, religion and the seat of the Emperor were closely tied together, to the point where the Emperor was seen as a deity (Shinto, Buddhism and the Japanese belief system). After World War 2, however their was a shift in the connection, with many people losing that belief.
Japanese religions are not really viewed as many of the other world religions are. They are seen of as a way of life, and can often influence the choices of people; however they are not contracts with a god or a reliance on a higher being as other religions are. It is because of this that I believe the religions and moral codes have existed and maintained influence for so long in the country, and there has been no significant change to their belief system that other countries have shown. It is clear that the Japanese people are faithful to their way of life, as seen in the ceremonies and festivals still held today.
References
A View of Religion in Japan. (2000, January 1). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from
http://www.japansociety.org/a_view_of_religion_in_japan
Religions - Shinto. (2014, January 1). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/
Religion in Japan. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21, 2015, from
http://facts-about-japan.com/modern-religion.html
Religion in Japan. (2015, January 1). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e629.html
Sacred Sites in Japan. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/japan/sacred-sites
Shinto, Buddhism and the Japanese belief system. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from
https://www.insidejapantours.com/japanese-culture/religion/
Cultural Diversity
Japan is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, just east of the main Asian continent. Up until the late 18th century/ early 19th century Japan kept itself separated from the rest of the world. They were not open to the trade or news of the world and kept to their own business. Due to their self-imposed isolation their cultural was able to stay intact and relatively untainted up until the major wars of the 20th century. Japan is a very cultural country, and even to this day you may see many of the old traditions taking place in the modern world. With culture playing such a large part in the lives of the Japanese people, and their isolation from the rest of the world until late, the Japanese cultural diversity is uniform and in line with their main culture (Countries and Their Cultures).
Japan has maintained a unique and uniform culture throughout the years. They have a strong sense of values and maintain traditions to this day that can be traced back hundreds of years. Their values and traditions are, for the most part, a part of a unique and singular culture that they have developed due to their isolation. Any culture that has come to Japan was quick to be integrated with the main culture, making their culture the melting pot that it currently is.
To this day they have maintained a very diverse culture, different from any other culture in this world. The diversity within the country itself is lacking compared to other countries that have a melting pot of several cultures all living together side by side. Instead the cultures of the country are just variations of the same culture, developed due to the differences in their regions (Qi 2008). The culture is also visible in many different sections of life in Japan, including; architecture, art, festivals, clothing, behavior, and beliefs (Denoon 1998).
However, with such traditional values, Japan is very close to losing its diversity and uniqueness. After the Second World War Japan began to feel the influence of the outside world cultures. As time has passed the Japanese culture has slowly changed to incorporate more cultures. Essentially they are adopting more and more behaviors of western society and culture. In doing this they are losing their own unique culture, and joining the mainstream. This is not gaining cultural diversity; instead it is like swapping cultures, and endangering their own culture. They are risking the loss of their own culture.
Japan is aware of the loss to their culture, as well as how much they are being influenced by globalization and western civilization. In business practices the Japanese are taking a step back from their trust in the youth to focusing on those that are already in office (Daimon 2013). They are also seeing the influence in their job market and in their decline in birth rates. Japan is quickly losing their culture with more and more people dressing, speaking, and acting as western culture would have them. In order for the country to preserve their unique culture is to preserve the art and architecture of their past. They must also acknowledge the traditions and festivities that the history calls for.
It is a hard line to walk. Many in their society wish to remain focused on the old ways, and integrating other cultures to be sub-cultures of their dominant Japanese culture; however, in order for the country to remain relevant and moving with the needs of globalization they must accept western culture. We will continue to watch as Japan works to find their footing and learn to accept cultures alongside their own, while still remaining true to their own beliefs.
References
Countries and Their Cultures. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Japan.html
Daimon, S. (2013, January 23). Lack of diversity hurts Japan: Saito. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
Denoon, D., Hudson, M., McCormack, G., & Morris-Suzuki, T. (1998, March 1). The Diversity of Japanese Culture. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
Qi, J., & Zhang, S. (2008). THE ISSUE OF DIVERSITY AND MULTICULTURALISM IN JAPAN. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED507893.pdf
Japan has maintained a unique and uniform culture throughout the years. They have a strong sense of values and maintain traditions to this day that can be traced back hundreds of years. Their values and traditions are, for the most part, a part of a unique and singular culture that they have developed due to their isolation. Any culture that has come to Japan was quick to be integrated with the main culture, making their culture the melting pot that it currently is.
To this day they have maintained a very diverse culture, different from any other culture in this world. The diversity within the country itself is lacking compared to other countries that have a melting pot of several cultures all living together side by side. Instead the cultures of the country are just variations of the same culture, developed due to the differences in their regions (Qi 2008). The culture is also visible in many different sections of life in Japan, including; architecture, art, festivals, clothing, behavior, and beliefs (Denoon 1998).
However, with such traditional values, Japan is very close to losing its diversity and uniqueness. After the Second World War Japan began to feel the influence of the outside world cultures. As time has passed the Japanese culture has slowly changed to incorporate more cultures. Essentially they are adopting more and more behaviors of western society and culture. In doing this they are losing their own unique culture, and joining the mainstream. This is not gaining cultural diversity; instead it is like swapping cultures, and endangering their own culture. They are risking the loss of their own culture.
Japan is aware of the loss to their culture, as well as how much they are being influenced by globalization and western civilization. In business practices the Japanese are taking a step back from their trust in the youth to focusing on those that are already in office (Daimon 2013). They are also seeing the influence in their job market and in their decline in birth rates. Japan is quickly losing their culture with more and more people dressing, speaking, and acting as western culture would have them. In order for the country to preserve their unique culture is to preserve the art and architecture of their past. They must also acknowledge the traditions and festivities that the history calls for.
It is a hard line to walk. Many in their society wish to remain focused on the old ways, and integrating other cultures to be sub-cultures of their dominant Japanese culture; however, in order for the country to remain relevant and moving with the needs of globalization they must accept western culture. We will continue to watch as Japan works to find their footing and learn to accept cultures alongside their own, while still remaining true to their own beliefs.
References
Countries and Their Cultures. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Japan.html
Daimon, S. (2013, January 23). Lack of diversity hurts Japan: Saito. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
Denoon, D., Hudson, M., McCormack, G., & Morris-Suzuki, T. (1998, March 1). The Diversity of Japanese Culture. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
Qi, J., & Zhang, S. (2008). THE ISSUE OF DIVERSITY AND MULTICULTURALISM IN JAPAN. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED507893.pdf
Food in Japan
What does Japan eat?
Being an isolated island nation for so long the Japanese developed their own foods and forms of creating said foods. They tend to eat fresh foods and vegetables, especially eating those foods that are in season. The Japanese diet was and often still is highly influenced by their cultural values, with their religions of Buddhism and Shintoism advocating for a vegetarian lifestyle. Although throughout much of its history they nation maintained a vegetarian diet, and in the 19th and 20th centuries Japan saw the introduction of meat to their diets once more.
In this modern day the the Japanese population is so large that they are no longer able to produce enough food for everyone to maintain a regular diet. in order to maintain enough to feed their population the Japanese import many items such as soy beans and meat. Items that they do not have to import include rice, eggs, whale meat, and mandarins (NAGATA). The Japanese culture being influenced by western culture has had a change to their diet needs as well, as more and more they find themselves using corn and potatoes in their meals (Food in Japan).
Japan is know for several agricultural products:
rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish
Everyday meals: Japan often eats items that comprise of items that they can grow in on their own land, but it also uses those items that they need from importation.
Items and foods often include: vegetables, rice, tofu, miso, noodles, tempura, fish, eggs, beef, pork, and more.
Some well known dishes are:
Tempura
Sukiyaki
Sashimi
Kaiseki Ryori
Yakitori
Soba and Udon
Tonkatsu
When Eating in Japan: Some rules to follow
1) Never use your hand to catch falling food
2) Avoid using your teeth to bite food in half
3) Never mix wasabi into your soy sauce
4) Don’t invert the lid of your bowl
5) Don’t place clam shells in the bowl’s lid or on a separate plate
6) Don’t hold your chopsticks before picking up your bowl
7) Don’t hover or touch food without taking it, and always pause to eat your rice
8) Never rest your chopsticks across the top of your bowl
9) Don’t use the opposite end of your chopsticks to take food from a communal plate
10) Never raise your food above your mouth
(Dinh, 2013)
Religion and food:
The majority of Japanese people practice Buddhism and Shintoism. The Buddhist religion, or way of life is one that is both vegetarian and vegan. In the traditional religion practiced by Buddhist monks they are not allowed to grow or tend to their own food, but instead rely on alms-food. There is also a very fine line on which those of the original views can eat meat. However, Japan is an island nation surrounded by the oceans and the great bounty that it offers, and it is common knowledge that many Japanese eat fish, especially in the form of sushi. Food also plays a large role in the Buddhist religion in Japan, as often they take foot to shrines as offerings. For the most part, however, the Japanese culture has enjoyed a vegetarian lifestyle due to the Buddhist edict that they not ingest any flesh animal or fowl (Brahmavamso) . The Shinto religion also had strict regulations on the presence of meat in the the Japanese diet, causing many Japanese people to be vegetarians, especially before World War 2 (Shintoism). In the food offerings to the Shinto shrines their is a variety of items that are acceptable, meat being one, but all food must be entirely raw or cooked, or vegetarian all together (Shinsen).
http://web-japan.org/factsheet/en/pdf/36JapFoodCulture.pdf
A traditional Japanese Recipe: Sushi
Background: Sushi first became a popular dish in in 700 AD as a result of the Buddhist ban on meat. Sushi is a dish made of raw fish and and rice. As time has continued they have included more ingredients, all of which can be found in Japan. Although there is no longer a ban on meat, sushi remains a prominent food for the Japanese people, as well as the rest of the World, with each culture making their own version of the dish.
Asides from the need to find a substitute for meat, it is also believed that Sushi was created from the need to keep raw items like fish fresh, and this was done best by using rice, in doing this they essentially cured to fish for later use. Only a few centuries after that vinegar was introduced to help make the process shorter. Eventually they began eating it raw altogether with rice.
Ingredients
Procedure
Read more: http://www.foodbycountry.com/Germany-to-Japan/Japan.html#ixzz3YCPGCkff
References
Brahmavamso, A. (1990). Buddhism and Eating Meat. Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma3/meat.html
Dinh, M. (2013, December 21). 10 little-known rules for eating Japanese food. Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://www.japantoday.com/category/food/view/10-little-known-rules-for-eating-japanese-food
Food in Japan. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://www.foodbycountry.com/Germany-to-Japan/Japan.html
NAGATA, K. (2008, February 25). Japan needs imports to keep itself fed. Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2008/02 /26/reference/japan-needs-imports-to-keep-itself-fed/#.VTnej2RVikq
Shinsen | Shinto offerings. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/540843/shinsen
Shintoism. (2013, May 26). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from https://japanesecuisineblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/26/shintoism/
Background: Sushi first became a popular dish in in 700 AD as a result of the Buddhist ban on meat. Sushi is a dish made of raw fish and and rice. As time has continued they have included more ingredients, all of which can be found in Japan. Although there is no longer a ban on meat, sushi remains a prominent food for the Japanese people, as well as the rest of the World, with each culture making their own version of the dish.
Asides from the need to find a substitute for meat, it is also believed that Sushi was created from the need to keep raw items like fish fresh, and this was done best by using rice, in doing this they essentially cured to fish for later use. Only a few centuries after that vinegar was introduced to help make the process shorter. Eventually they began eating it raw altogether with rice.
Ingredients
- Small bamboo mat (makisu) for preparing sushi
- Dry seaweed sheets (nori)
- Bowl of water to which 1 Tablespoon vinegar has been added
- Wasabi (dried horseradish powder)
- Strips of avocado, cucumber, carrot, or other vegetable
- Cooked shrimp or crab meat (or frozen imitation crabmeat, thawed)
Procedure
- Place a sheet of nori (dry seaweed), shiny side down, on the makisu (bamboo mat).
- Wet your right hand (or left hand, if you are left-handed) in the bowl of vinegar water, and use it to scoop up a ball of rice.
- Spread the rice out in an even layer on one side of the nori .
- Sprinkle a line of wasabi (horseradish powder) down the center of the rice.
- Arrange the strips of vegetables and seafood over the line of wasabi .
- Using the mat to support the nori , lift one end of the mat to gently roll the nori over the rice and other ingredients.
- Use gentle pressure to compact the rice and other ingredients so that they hold together.
- Continue rolling until a long cylinder is formed, completely encased in nori .
- Carefully slice through the nori and other ingredients to make the bites of sushi .
- Serve immediately so the nori will still be crispy.
Read more: http://www.foodbycountry.com/Germany-to-Japan/Japan.html#ixzz3YCPGCkff
References
Brahmavamso, A. (1990). Buddhism and Eating Meat. Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma3/meat.html
Dinh, M. (2013, December 21). 10 little-known rules for eating Japanese food. Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://www.japantoday.com/category/food/view/10-little-known-rules-for-eating-japanese-food
Food in Japan. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://www.foodbycountry.com/Germany-to-Japan/Japan.html
NAGATA, K. (2008, February 25). Japan needs imports to keep itself fed. Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2008/02 /26/reference/japan-needs-imports-to-keep-itself-fed/#.VTnej2RVikq
Shinsen | Shinto offerings. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/540843/shinsen
Shintoism. (2013, May 26). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from https://japanesecuisineblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/26/shintoism/