Japan

The Japanese believe in returning favors and giving gifts when they have personally received them from others. Age and tradition are honored. Various social strains are leading many people to re-evaluate what is most important in life.

Bowing is the normal greeting between Japanese people. A person wishing to show respect will bow lower than the other person. Japanese people will often shake hands with people that are not from Japan. A handshake is preferred with foreign visitors. Japanese prefer that one's title be given to each other when introduced. A person's first name is usually for family and friends. Greetings used depends on the relationship. A worker might greet with "Ohayogozaimasu" (Good morning) to one of higher social standing, but he or she would greet others with "Irasshaimase" (welcome).

It is impolite to yawn in public. A person sits up straight with both feet on the floor. Legs may be crossed at the knee or ankles, but it is improper to place an ankle over a knee. Beckoning is done by waving all fingers with the palm down. It is polite to point with the entire hand. Shaking one hand from side to side with the palm forward means “no”. A person refers to himself by pointing the index finger at his nose. Laughter does not necessarily signify joy or amusement; it can also be a sign of embarrassment. The mouth should be covered when using a toothpick. Chewing gum in public is considered impolite. Young girls often walk hand in hand. Blowing your nose in public is considered rude.

The act of presenting business cards is very important in Japan. Remember to hold the business card with both hands, grasping it between the thumbs and forefingers. Present it with the printing pointing towards the person to which you are giving the card, and bow slightly. The receiver will accept the card with both hands, bow slightly, and then read the card carefully. When you receive a business card place it on the table in front of you for further reference.

The Japanese find it difficult to answer a definite "no" to either a question or statement. They signal that they "don't know" or "don't understand" something by waving their own hand in front of their face, with the palm outward. This also may signal that "I'm undeserving" if you pay them a compliment.

The "OK" signal is often interpreted as the symbol for money, whereby the circular shape of the index finger and thumb together suggest the shape of a coin. This symbol may be used in a store if you want the cashier to give you your change in coins.

Visiting is normally arranged in advance; surprise visits between neighbors are uncommon, especially in urban areas. Shoes are removed before stepping into a Japanese home. There is usually a small hallway (genkan) between the door and the living area where one removes their shoes. After being removed, they are placed together pointing toward the outdoors, or in a closet, or on a shelf in the genkan. Coats are removed before stepping into the genken. Slippers may be worn inside, but are removed before entering rooms with straw mat floors (tatami).

Japanese emphasize modesty and are generally reserved in their actions and language. When offered a meal, guests frequently will hesitate before accepting the offer. Modesty dictates that one should deny a compliment. Gift giving is extremely important in Japan because a gift says a great deal about the giver’s relationship to, and respect for, the recipient. Food and drink are the most common gifts.

When Japanese people visit a friend or relative in the hospital, they do not bring potted plants, which are considered bad luck, since the roots may suggest that the patient will become “rooted” and stay in the hospital for a long time. Chrysanthemums or white flowers are also bad luck because they are associated with death and funerals.

Most Japanese adults dress to be like the rest of the crowd. Business people usually wear suits with ties. Youth prefer to wear clothing that does not conform to the rest of the crowd. They prefer to wear the latest styles from America and Europe. They wear jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers.

A Kimono or Wafuku is a long robe with long sleeves, it has no buttons or zippers and is held together by a sash, or obi, at the waist. The designs in the fabric can be simple or elaborate. The kimono is worn for social events or special occasions.

The Japanese diet consists largely of rice, fresh vegetables, seafood, fruit, and small portions of meat. Rice and tea are part of almost every meal. Teriyaki sauce is famous, along with sushi (small portions of savory rice wrapped in seaweed.) The ritual of the tea ceremony, cha no yu, is 600 years old. Both guests and host follow special rules of etiquette. The aim of the ceremony is to achieve a feeling of peacefulness.

Although many youths eat while walking in public, it is generally considered bad manners for adults to do so. Snack foods sold at street stands are thus eaten at the stand. In a traditional meal, the Japanese typically eat from their bowl while holding it at chest level instead of bending down to the table. Chopsticks (hashi) are used to eat most meals, but people generally use Western utensils when eating Western food. The main meal is eaten in the evening. Because many people work late hours, they may eat dinner in office building restaurants or on the way home.

The Japanese diet is frequently comprised of rice, vegetables, seafood, fruit, and small amounts of meat. Rice and tea are part of almost every meal. Teriyaki sauce is famous, along with sushi (small portions of savory rice wrapped in seaweed.) The ritual of the tea ceremony, cha no yu, is 600 years old. Both guests and host follow special rules of etiquette. The aim of the ceremony is to achieve a feeling of peacefulness.

The family is considered the foundation of society. Reputation and responsibility are important attributes in Japanese society. The mother has the responsibility of taking care of the household affairs, but the father is considered the head of the home. Historically, it was considered improper for a woman to be employed, but many women currently work outside the home. Although the current trend is away from the traditional multi-generation families, many aged parents still live with their married children.

Most Japanese people live in crowded cities. Their homes have small rooms. Many Japanese people live in tall apartment buildings. Japanese people take off their shoes by the door. This is because their floors are covered with tatami (tah-tah-mee) mats. These mats are made of grass and can tear easily. At home, some Japanese sit on cushions at low tables. At night, many sleep on futons (pronounced foo-tahns). Futons are mats that roll out.

Youth, in Japan, generally start to consider dating at the of age fifteen. They enjoy movies, dancing, shopping, and eating out. Western music is popular and fashion trends may derive from Western culture. For the more affluential, weddings can be elaborate. Marriage ceremonies frequently take place in hotels. Couples may wear traditional "kimonos" for the wedding ceremony and may wear different clothing for an evening party. Those invited to the wedding bring gifts or cash, and may also be given gifts from the couple.

Japanese children enjoy kite flying and origami, the ancient art of paper folding. Card games such as Karuta or board games such as Shogi and Go, which involve strategy, are also popular. Many Japanese children enjoy video games such as Nintendo games, a Japanese video game company. The Japanese are constantly inventing new toys. Many have become popular worldwide, including Tamagotchi pets and Pokémon cards.

The most ancient and traditional Japanese sport is sumo wrestling. Prospective wrestlers begin professional training at 15. They live and train at a sumo school where they are encouraged to gain weight by eating large amounts of a fattening stew. Over time, they become very heavy. Sumo matches take place in a ring called a dohyo, the floor of which is made of a special clay covered with a thin layer of sand. The object of a sumo match is to force the opponent out of the inner circle of the dohyo. Each match begins with a ritual in which salt is used to purify the ring. Before fighting, wrestlers intimidate each other with menacing stares. It is forbidden for a wrestler to physically injure his opponent. It was introduced to Japan in 1873 by an American named Horace Wilson, who taught at Tokyo University.

Martial arts are popular. Judo, karate, and aikido are performed without weapons. Participants use kicks and throws to defeat an opponent. The Kiai or “combat shout” is very important and signifies mental concentration. Kendo is a form of fencing using bamboo swords. Kyudo is a form of archery: participants use a bow constructed of bamboo wood to shoot arrows at targets.

Professional baseball teams have been in existence since the 1930s. High schools participate in baseball championships and compete against other schools. There are also little league teams for children. While most of the rules are based on the American game, the Japanese have modified the philosophy behind the game to emphasize team effort above the achievements of individual players.

Golf was introduced to Japan in 1903 by the English. Golf is considered a sport for the wealthy and is a symbol of prestige. Many business people go to golf clubs to entertain clients and negotiate business deals.

Japan has many mountain ranges which provide excellent terrain for skiing. The best skiing can be found on the northern island of Hokkaido. Many Japanese enjoy karaoke, which means “empty orchestra.” Amateur singers go to nightclubs and sing pop music to a prerecorded accompaniment. Pachinko or “pinball” is also popular and pachinko parlors can be found in most towns.

Many Japanese enjoy manga (a type of comic book). These books are not just for children but are enjoyed by many adults and tell realistic stories about life and work, or contain stories of fictional and often fantastical adventures. Many are published in weekly or monthly series.

Children must arise fairly early, usually by 6:30 a.m. After showering and dressing, they eat breakfast. Children are more likely to eat a traditional Japanese breakfast than working adults, who tend to eat faster and eat a more Western (or American) style of breakfast. The main foods for a traditional Japanese breakfast are bread, miso soup (a soup made with soybeans), and natto (fermented soybeans that are placed on top or mixed in with rice). Western-style breakfast foods, which are slowly becoming more popular, include toast, jam, fried or boiled eggs, and yogurt. Interestingly, most families will also watch television while they eat breakfast.

Students often walk, ride bikes, or ride public transportation, depending on the distance from the school and individual circumstances. For some students in high school who must travel to a school that they feel will best help them to get into a good university, this means up to two or more hours each day on public transportation. School begins at 8:30 in the morning, and ends at 3:00 in the afternoon, although many students will stay at the school until 5:00 or 6:00 to participate in sports or other activities. This means that most students do not get home from school each day until shortly after sunset, and then they must still eat dinner and spend time doing homework.

The school system in Japan is free to students from ages 6 through 14. After that, many attend private high schools to prepare for college entrance exams. These schools can be quite expensive but are the best way to ensure that a student can get accepted to the school he or she wants. Menus for lunch will vary according to the region of the country the school is in, but some foods are typical throughout most of the country. Examples of these might be rice (which can be served at most meals), soup, tofu stew, assorted vegetables, frozen yogurt, and milk. The student’s family pays about one-third of the price of lunch, at the government pays for the rest, although financial help is available to low-income families. Some students bring lunch from home. Common foods in home lunches are cold rice balls, grilled fish, and pickled vegetables. Regardless of whether a student eats a prepared lunch from home or at the school cafeteria, it is an important part of the daily experience at school, and educators and parents alike understand that a healthy lunch will help the students do better in school. All teachers teach the same material throughout the country from the same books, which have been approved by the Japanese government. Some teachers feel that while this gives all students the same education, it does not allow the teachers much creativity in how they teach. The classes can be quite large, in fact, it is not unusual to have as many as 40 students in each class. It is also interesting to learn that students help to clean up the school and gardens, organize lunch, and clean up after lunch. This helps them to develop responsibility. In general, Japanese schools place more emphasis on teaching moral values and good character traits than schools in other countries.

Most students in Japan wear a uniform when attending school, usually a black or navy jacket with matching shorts or skirt for girls and slacks for boys.  Japanese children go to school five days a week. Twice a month they attend school on Saturday. Some schools even make boys shave their heads. Working together is very important to Japanese people. Students learn teamwork, and every day they clean their school. They keep the rooms, halls, toilets, and yards neat. Students must pass a difficult test to get into high school.  In the afternoon, many students have only an hour or two of free time before they go to juku, or private cram school. At juku students get individual help with their schoolwork. Juku is usually attended by students in junior or senior high school who are preparing for university entrance exams.  The national Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology controls what courses students will study. Common subjects for students to study in both primary and junior high school are art, math, moral education, homemaking, music, science, social studies, and physical education. They also spend a lot of time studying Japanese. Japan has a very high literacy rate, which means that most people in Japan can read and write relatively well, even though the language is quite difficult to learn, especially the hundreds of characters in their “alphabet.” School attendance is very high: 100% in elementary school, 100% in junior high, 98% in high school, and 47% at the university level. Because the Japanese school system is so challenging, some experts have said that graduation from a Japanese high school is roughly the same as having two years of college in America.

Schools encourage students to participate in sports. Many Japanese students become excellent swimmers and runners. Other common sports include baseball, bowling, golf, gymnastics, and tennis. As with many Asian countries, Japan is fond of the martial arts. Some of the more common ones are aikido, judo, karate, and kendo, which is a Japanese form of fencing.

The importance of schooling in Japan influences even how children use their free time. For example, almost 70% of 5th and 6th graders on holiday spent time studying, especially during mid-morning and evenings. Although many children say they would like to spend more time playing, they feel an obligation to spend their time productively, not just wasting time. However, younger students do still spend some free time at home watching television or playing indoor games. They tend to stay at home: rarely do they spend Sundays or holidays with friends. As students get older (in junior high and older), extracurricular school clubs become the most important place for social activity—for about two hours each day after school, students participate in a club of their choice. Those clubs fall into two categories—sports and cultural clubs. Sports clubs include baseball, soccer, martial arts, tennis, basketball, gymnastics, and volleyball. Cultural clubs include choir, art, band, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and go (a board game requiring planning and strategy). Once a student chooses a club that interests him or her, that decision is rarely changed, and the student will participate in that club until graduating from school. Children as young as 9-10 years old understand the importance of getting into good junior high schools as the way to begin the path to a good university. In order to gain entrance to the junior high they want to go to, they often give up television, comic books, playtime, and sleep, instead committing themselves to a study schedule that they often set for themselves.

Beginning in 5th and 6th grade, students often do not get home until after sunset. This is because they spend up to two hours each day in a club of their choosing after school is finished at 3:15 in the afternoon. Then they change out of their sports clothes or put other materials away before they walk, bike, or take the public transportation system home. When they get home, it is soon time to eat their evening meal, and then spend a few minutes watching television before finishing the day’s homework and going to bed. The older the student, the less sleep they get, especially if they are cramming or taking additional study classes to prepare for examinations that will determine the future high school or university they will attend. Many Japanese families who live in cities or towns enjoy eating at restaurants on weeknights. Traditional meals always include rice, supplemented with fish, tofu, pickled vegetables, soups, and occasionally eggs or meat. Younger people tend to eat less traditional food (except for breakfast—see “Mornings”). Although they like fish, they also are fond of beef, chicken, and pork. They also like to eat more fruit than the older generations. Favorite fruits include kiwi, grapefruit, apples, pears, and strawberries. Even rice is sometimes replaced by bread, toast, or sometimes baked pastries such as doughnuts. If the mother of the family works outside the home, it is more likely that any meals she fixes at home will be more Western (or American)—for example, prepackaged or frozen foods that are quickly cooked and eaten—rather than the traditional foods that have fed Japanese people for centuries.

Japanese culture places a very high value on education, especially for boys. Success in higher education is usually measured by the reputation of the university that the student attends. As you can imagine, children begin very young to prepare to enter the best universities, and parents often work very hard to help their students get into good schools by ensuring that they work hard in the younger grades of school and get good grades. School is required for children until the age of 15, but most stay in school until they are 18. In Japan, education is the best way to eventually get a good paying job. Children attend school five days a week and half a day on two Saturdays each month. The school year runs from April through the end of March of the next year, with a relatively short vacation from late July through August. There is also a two-week break in the spring and another two-week break in the fall. Students spend 240 days a year in school, 60 more than students in the United States. The grade levels of Japanese schools might seem familiar to people who know schools in the United States. This is because the Japanese government modeled their schools somewhat after those in the United States following World War II. Primary school is for students from 6 to 11 years of age. Most students aged 12 through 14 attend the next level of school, which is equivalent to American junior high school. Education is free for students attending public schools from the ages of 6 through 14. During the last two years of junior high, many students focus on getting into a high school with a reputation for sending its students on to top universities. Many of the top high schools in the country are expensive private schools that require their students to pass a challenging and difficult exam to even get into their school. Students in these two grades spend hours every day after school studying and taking practice tests to prepare them for the entrance exams for high school. In Japan, teachers have a higher social ranking than in many other countries. They are also paid quite well. Because of this, it is harder to get a job as a teacher in Japan than in most other countries of the world.