Culture & Traditions

Performing Arts

Japan’s traditional arts performances include:

-     - Kabuki (Japanese dance-drama, performed by men only, even female roles as well)

-     - Noh & Kyogen (a masked dance, depicting stories from history or classical literature)

-     - Bunraku (a highly-skilled puppet show where each puppet requires three puppeteers to operate)

However, though these performances still remains popular, more modern culture has evolved due to influences from foreign countries. Such as classical music where a Performing Arts Network Japan is created to cater to these needs and has also invited musicians from all over the world to perform in Japan.

Anime and manga has also produced music related comics such as Nodame Cantabile.

{http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/culture/}

{http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/noh/en/nohgaku.html}

{http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/bunraku/en/contents/whats/index.html}

{http://performingarts.jp/}

Fashion

In the past, Kimono and Yukata used to be in trend and is worn everyday and everywhere even in the streets on an average day, by both men and women. It is a T-shaped piece of cloth wrapped around the body to act as an overall, then tied with an obi (sash) at the back.

Nowadays, people seldom wear that except on special occasions, such as attending a firework festival, matchmaking session, or New Year visitation to friends and relatives.

In the streets, you can only spot professional sumo wrestlers wearing Kimono, as it is required of them.

As for other people, obviously influenced by western culture, you can see people wearing the exact same thing as seen in Singapore. A T-shirt and jeans, Japanese/Korean fashion, blazer, tie and pants for businessmen etc.

Though there are some exceptions in teenagers and certain groups of people who are majorly into anime and manga, dressing themselves up as their favorite characters, known as cosplay.

{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimono}

 

Festivals & Events

For more information on their festivals and events, please go to LEISURE PROGRAMS.

Religion

The two most prominent religions in Japan are Shintoism and Buddhism. There are also other religions that are relatively small in numbers, like Christianity, Confucianism and Islam.

Shinto, meaning “the way of the gods”, has no concrete beginning. Without any founder, sacred scriptures or preaching required, Shintoism is already deeply engraved in the Japanese’s way of life and tradition.

They believe that Kami (Shinto gods) exist in each and every living thing, elements, nature, concepts that are essential to life. Examples are wind, rain, trees, mountains, and fertility. Thus they pray to the gods for everything (good weather, have a child, pass examinations etc.).

Shinto priests are well respected and even made state officials in the Meiji Period (1868-1912).

Buddhism came in the 6^th century, causing minor conflicts but then eventually resolved to co-exist peacefully till now, each complementing one another.

[How did Buddhism come about in Japan?

The general story is that a Korean political delegate visited Japan in AD 538. Some of the gifts brought along consisted of a bronze Buddha image, sutras and other religious objects. A temple was built to house these spiritual gifts, which is eventually accepted and blended into the Japanese culture.

From here we can see that through the action of travelling from one place to another (i.e. tourism), our own culture and practices are brought along and able to influence the destination’s own culture. The changes brought about by tourism in general have shaped the culture of the world to be slightly homogeneous, and only then will they be known as “developed” countries. Though some still tries to maintain and preserve what they used to have in the past, culture is greatly diluted and modified to suit tourists’ needs and wants instead of what it was supposed to be.

Taking the Maori in New Zealand for example. Their dance was supposedly performed by males only, a very strict and solemn ceremony; and now performed by females in restaurants for the guests’ entertainment.]

{http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2056.html}

{http://viewonbuddhism.org/history_japanese_buddhism.html}

Miscellaneous

Japan also has other distinctive culture elements such as:

-     - Geisha (Female artistes or performers. However, there is a misconception of them being high-class social escorts.)

-     - Tea Ceremony or Chado (A highly respected form of leisure activity. Tea ceremonies can take up to hours, as there is a standard procedure for making the tea and enjoying the tea.)

- Flower Arrangement or Ikebana (Also a form of art. Usually it’s the females who learn all these skills to show that she has feminine qualities, sophisticated and elegant.)