Japanese Taboo's

I thought it'd be insightful to let you in on some topics that would be considered Taboo's in Japan, apparently the Japanese feel very responsible for what happens to their country and are very sensitive to what foreignors think about it.

Burakumin

Is a discriminated population in japan who used to handle corpses and dead animals. They are thought to bring bad luck and were driven to their own villages.

Hibakushas and WWII

HibakushasAre victims that have been effected by atomic bombs and now have radiation, and i'm sure you know what WWII is.

Amakudari and economical disasters

Senior bureaucracts who are offered to take high positions in large companies after their retirement. They are not mentioned because they are known to have caused some financial scandals.

Hikikomori

A Hikikomori is a person who refuses to go to school. Popular reasons are failing their entrance exams, teasing in school, or fearing the pressure of society. Since education is very important in Japan Hikikomori's are not spoken of and looked down upon. Hikikomori's are to hide themselves in their room and are a secret. Parent's are not to speak of them to neighboors or anyone. Their parents bring their food to their rooms and Hikikomori's are not allowed to look at them in the eye.
If any of you guys have seen the ring 2 doesn't this remind you of the scene where that girl walks into her neighboor's creepy room and there's a girl crouched in the corner viciously cutting her hair? I'm pretty sure that's a Hikikomori and that's what i'm going to picture in my head from now on.

Japanese plants

This goes back to my Japanese sacred garden post. Japanese sacred gardens have about a dozen or more sacred plants, hopefully you find all of the indigenous plants I listed insightful.
AZALEAS   Some experienced gardeners feel that azaleas, while often overlooked, are actually the single most important plant in Japanese gardens.
PINES   There is no doubt that the 2-needled pine is the "king" of Japanese garden specimen trees.
BAMBOO   Often used as an accent, bamboo is a fascinating element in many Japanese gardens.
JAPANESE MAPLES   In Japan, the regular green species tree, Acer palmatum, is far more popular than colorful cultivars.
FLOWERING TREES & SHRUBS   Contrary to Western belief, the Japanese people actually love flowers.  Instead of planting herbaceous plants they tend to enjoy the seasonal bloom of woody trees and shrubs.
MOSS   Moss grows abundantly in many parts of Japan.  Known as koke in Japanese, it is a ground cover that is commonly seen in Japanese gardens.  Some gardens in Japan have even been created around the moss theme and can be accurately described as "moss gardens."  Read these articles to learn more.
Credit

Japanese mythology

JAPANESE FOLKTALES
Japanese mythology comes from Shinto and Buddhist beliefs, here are some popular translated stories they share, click the link above.

Shinkansen

Japan was the first country to build dedicated railway lines for high speed travel. Since march 2008 the Shinkansen was created meaning bullet train. It's a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan.  The Shinkansen is the world's busiest high-speed rail line. Carrying 151 million passengers and transported over 6 billion passengers than any other high speed line in the world. Though largely a long-distance transport system, the Shinkansen also serves commuters who travel to work in metropolitan areas from outlying cities.

religion's in japan

The Japanese don't have a single religion they classify themselves by but in fact gather elements from other religions in a syncretic fashion. 96% of Japanese adhere to Shinto and Buddhism primarily from birth records. Shintoism is a religion that consists of having a respect for nature. Japan allows religious freedom so sikhism, christianity and islamic religions are practiced there. Also other chinese philosophies are practiced there.

Japanese gardens can be found in neighboorhoods, or sacred Buddhist and Shinto temples. Garden making is a high art in Japan, once again their style of garden derives from the Chinese style. You can find all types of native treesm, flowers and plants. If you'd ever like to visit one they have them in Florida, and I provided the link for you below.
http://www.morikami.org/index.php?submenu=gardens&src=gendocs&link=Gardens

garden picture credit

Trends

Japan is very bold when it comes to style, here are some weird trends that you might find either enjoyable or repugnant or both, to look at.. ... The first one's kinda cool

picture credits



Is a 4 hour festival where people in Japan celebrate bountiful harvest, fertility and prosperity, the celebration starts off with going around and buying all types of foods and souvenirs like the picture on the left and shift to shinto priests who perform all sorts of prayers and then they wait to be showered with all types of delicious mochi which are thrown down from floats which in america we would find to be decorated suggestively.
pic credit

Essentials in a Japanese teenager's lifestyle

A regular teenager's lifestyle consists of Sports, Hobbies, the Japanese believe having a hobby is a way for a person to gain a sense of individuality. Popular Japanese hobbies are having tea ceremony's also known as Sado, ikebana which is cutting flowers in vases and other containers, and calligraphy.
Education is very important to Japanese people. Japan has one of the highest literacy rates and 98% of students complete high school. The school year starts April 1 and ends March 31. Summer holidays are in August and they also have a holiday at New Years. Japanese children spend many hours in school and many attend Juku, extra classes in the evenings and during holidays. 
credit

Manga

"Manga" as a term used outside Japan refers specifically to comics originally published in Japan. In Japan, people of all ages read manga. This genre has all different kinds of subjects: action-adventure, romance, sports and games, historical drama, comedy, science fiction and fantasy, mystery, horror, sexuality, and business/commerce, among others. Manga have become a major part of the Japanese publishing industry. It has also become very popular world wide. Especially in US and Canda, Manga are usually printed in black in white though rarely printed in color. Manga-influenced comics exsist in other parts of the world like Tawain and South Korea.

Manga picture credit

Kimonos

A Kimono is is a Japanese traditional garment worn by women, men and children. The Kimono used to be a daily wear in Japan during the Heian period. They were influenced by Chinese han clothing which are today known as hanfu. Traditionally, kimonos are sewn by hand, but even machine-made kimonos require substantial hand-stitching. A woman's kimono may easily exceed up to $10,000 in US dollars. A complete kimono outfit, with kimono, undergarments, obi, ties, socks, sandals and accessories, can exceed up to $20,000. By the 1900's Japanese people started to wear more westernized attire. Kimonos are still worn today during tea partys, by modern Geishas, at funerals and during the summer they usually wear a modern form of Kimono now known as Yukata.
Kimonos are so fancy and cool I wish I owned a few.

Japanese government

Akihito picture credit
The Japanese government is a constitutional monarchy, the emperor is very limited; he's only the head of state on diplomatic occasions. The current Emperor's name is Akihito. Power is run by the minister of Japan who is chosen by the Emperor and other members of the Diet who are elected, the Diet consists of house of representatives and Councillors. Japanese government was originally influenced by Chinese law but in the late nineteenth century the judicial system has been based on the civil law of Europe.

physical differences between Japanese and Chinese people

I have no offensive intentions with this post, most American people tend to think and say that all Asians look the same but according to a fellow Chinese citizen they are notable differences between  the two.

Obviously this does not apply to everyone but  most Japanese people tend to have their eyes bending slightly upwards and Chinese people usually have their eyes bending slightly downwards. There is also a difference in their skin tone; generally Japanese people have lighter skin than Chinese people do. In China it is fashionable to have brown highlights, though the Chinese seem to have a darker color than the Japanese do. I thought this was kind of interesting, Ill post a picture soon

刺青

    Tattoo's in Japan, to the Japanese known as Irezumi (入れ墨, 入墨, 紋身, 刺花, 剳青, 黥) have been around since the paleothic period. In Japan this form of permanent drawings on the body are for decorative and spiritual purposes. The pictures you see below are traditional Japanese forms of tattooing which take 3x as much  as regular tattoos in America, tattooing in Japan is a very different dilligent process as you can see the woman tattooing with the hot needle, most people who want great tattoos done travel all the way to Japan because they do such nice work. These Japanese artists take their jobs seriously, they're trained for many years by their master, and often live in the master's house, they practice their tattooing on their own flesh, they even get a new name by their master once they're done with their training, Japanese people with tattoos rarely ever show them which is very interesting. Most people in the United States with sleeves resort to wearing cut off shirts for the rest of their lives. These Japanese tattoos are really awesome looking, I also love how vivid the colors are in the first picture. I look at tattoos much differently now. here's alot of symbolism you might find on Japenese tattoos.

Mythological beasts and monsters: Dragons, Kirin, Baku, Foo Dogs, Hō-ō (鳳凰, Phoenixes)

Animals: Birds, Koi (Carp), Tigers, Snakes

Flowers: Peonies, Cherry Blossoms, Lotuses, Chrysanthemums
Other plants: Bamboo, Maple leaves

Characters from traditional folklore and literature, such as the Suikoden

Images of the "Floating World" inspired by ukiyo-e prints: geisha, samurai

Buddhas and Buddhist deities such as Fudō Myō-ō and Kannon

Shinto kami (deities) such as tengu
Backgrounds: clouds, waves, wind bars.

   wiki symbolism credit
    More credit
   other picture credit
   



nom nom nom

The most delicious confection ever. Mochi or sweet rice cakes are very popular in Japan, I find Mochi very yummy but it's even better in icecream form. It's fluffy sweet, soft dough filled with fruity icecream/ dusted with powder in an circular form. It's really fun to eat and very satisfying as well, you should really try this, I ate eight of them last night, and they never get old. I figured since i'm looking up recipes to make them at home myself, i might as well post them on here. Enjoy.


Things you will need:

• 10 scoops ice cream (flavor of your choice)
• 1 cup glutinous-rice flour (mochiko)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• Corn flour, for dusting
• Glass bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Plastic wrap
• Cutting board
• Airtight container

(1)Soften the ice cream, scoop into 10 round balls, and refreeze until hard.
(2)Combine glutinous rice flour and water in a glass bowl. Mix well to paste, then add sugar and vanilla, mix until dissolved.
(3)Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. It will be half cooked. Remove and stir well while it's hot.
(4)Cover and return to microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well.
(5)Place plastic wrap over a cutting board. Dust generously with corn flour (this is a must).
(6)Wait for dough to cool. Place onto board and divide into 10 pieces.
(7)Flatten dough with your palm. Wrap each piece of dough around an ice cream ball and refreeze in an airtight container.
mochiiiiiii credit
Mochi recipe credit

Face bank

Face bank video- Watch this
This machine's called the Face bank, is the only coin box that appreciates your money. Wake him up by waving a coin in front of his face and he’ll delightedly gobble up your money. I blogged this gadget because I feel like it was deliberately created to help you save money,why wouldn't you want to keep inserting coins into this unique piggy bank's mouth? Every little kid's going to have his allowance saved up now.
Picture credit

Super cool stuff (Mono no aware)

An utter Japanese theme that I find very fascinating. Basically mono no aware literally means "sensitivity to things" this theme basically describes Japanese culture, alot. The theme states the subjectiveness of beauty, and how it's rather something internal than external, it's found everywhere, in japanese poetry, music, novels, especially films and anime shows which i'll go into further detail later on in my blog postings. (Anime deserves it's own individual post.)
The way that this theme is shown is by giving melancholy settings that actually have affirmative meanings. For eaxmple the Japanese find a fading sound more beautiful than a clear one, a moon partially clouded more alluring than full.
The epitome of this conception of beauty comes from the cherry blossom tree which blossom for a very short time then drop all of their flowers at once, whenever you hear or see a of cherry blossom tree in a piece of writting or film you can infer that it's trying to convey a beauty filled sadness to it.
All of this derives from Zen Buddhist philosophy.
This theme may be interpreted in many different ways, this is merely my perception of it.
Cherry blossom credit

Cubic watermelons?

Watermelon credit
Yes they're real and edible. Farmers in southern Japanese town of Zentsuji  grew square watermelons because of their lack of space, according to the Japanese a round watermelon takes too much space in a fridge as opposed to a compact square one which fits "perfectly."
This is done by inserting a watermelon into a glass case while it's still growing in the vine, this watermelon however is 3x as costly as a regular watermelon would cost in Japan, converted into American money it's an equivalent of $82. pretty costly if you ask me, though pragmatic.

Suntory

 

If you wanna look at all the different types of strange flavors all over the world click on this link, please do it, It's kinda fun
Suntory is the number one Japanese beverage maker, Japan is known to have come up with weird flavors of beverages but these are just so unique they're cool. Suntory started off with having a chocolate soft drink and now they're starting to sell all types of weird pepsi's. In 2007 they released a cucumber flavored soft pepsi drink, which sounds delicious by the way, and it seems as if this exotic drink started foundations of all new irregular pepsi flavors.

They have yogurt flavored pepsi, "Shisho" meaning  Perilla in Japanese for those of you who don't know what this is, it's a minty plant. They even have french chestnut flavored soda.
They also have "Azuki" which is red bean flavored soda...... Bizarre, I kind of feel like nobody would actually ever enjoy red bean flavored soda and the Japanese are just trying to be cool now, Who am I kidding Japan is awesome in every sense.
pepsi cred
more soda cred

Tokyo

  
Tokyo is the seat of the Japanese government, home of the Emperor of Japan and is the capital of the country. Before, Tokyo was a small fishing village named ‘Edo’, meaning estuary, later, when it became the imperial capital of Japan
in 1868, its name was changed to Tokyo, which literally translates to ‘Eastern Capital’. Tokyo has the largest metropolitan gross domestic product (GDP) in the whole world, for a city. It's home to many of the world's most developed investment banks and insurance companies.The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Tokyo as the most costly city in the whole world, for a period of 14 yrs, until 2006.
Tokyo photo link

Seaman ship

Japanese recruiting video
My apush teacher should me this, this video is a Japanese navy recruiting video, in this video everything they have they're nice chorus and suits along with synchronized choreography?..... ..If you've ever seen american army recruiting videos, there's the intense/sad music, soldiers running here and there, a couple of moving punch lines here and there. After watching this video remember to note that these are the same people who destroyed Pearl Harbor, oh and this video's 100% legitimate.

It's a kitty pandemic

 

Kitty picture's cred 

I love hello kitty, mostly because it's Japanese, I think all of Sanrio's merchandise looks so nicely made that I just want to buy it all, though i'm not a big fan of the color pink. Hello Kitty's character which is invented and promoted by a Japanese company called Sanrio in 1974. She's the most successful out of all Sanrio characters. She has produced different products all around the world, in which they include wallets, watches, clothing, fabrics, Polaroid camera, portable CD players/stereos, hankerchiefs, different stationaries, cutlerys, lunchboxes, puppets, the list goes on and on. In Japan, the car company Mira also built a Hello Kitty car, even Hello Kitty cell phones are available. I personally think the world has gone too crazy over this cat.
Oh and today I just found out they came out with Hello Kitty engagement rings -_-

Mameshiba

CLICK ON THIS VIDEO

Mameshiba's a show about little character bean dogs who appear in people's food and excrete disturbing/random trivia. I really enjoy Japanese cartoons because I find them strange, I think this ideas pretty original too, there's all sorts of scenes and characters, the creator of these skits have gone really in depth with it's idea, even the characters of the show have certain names and traits like Natto the soy bean you saw or are about to see in the video "Sticks to it's convictions and suffers from hyperhidrosis" this comes to shows the complexity in this piece implicating that Japanese culture creates a more strict and faster learning environment for children in these short clips. Mameshiba is so famous now that it's starting to be translated and played in other countries. Millions of people enjoy this creepy yet adorable bean dog.

Seaweed facials

obama sushi cred 

Who knew that seaweed is actually very nutritious and can benefit your skin. Seaweed is rich in beneficial minerals, vitamins, amino acids, B-complex vitamins, potassium and calcium which help de-toxify your skin and helps improve elasticity. It softens, hydrates and repairs skin cells. To start your facial just take off some excess seaweed paper from your sushi and place it in warm water for atleast five minutes, next rub into your hands to break down the seaweed and just rub it all over your face. You should let it dry for about ten minutes and remove with cold water. Once you're done, your face should feel vitalizied and refreshed. Cool.

This is perfect

        

         PLEASE CLICK THIS PLEASE 

You haven't lived until you click the link above.............

The Okinawa Churaumi aquarium is the second largest aquarium in the whole world located in southern Japan following the one in Georgia, on March 30th this year it recieved it's twenty millionth visiter from it's opening in 2002. It's part of a commemorative national government park, the aquarium contains all types of deep sea creatures, sharks, whales and corals. What you just saw here is the main tank that's called the "Kuroshio Sea" the glass has a thickness of 60 centimeters and holds up to 7,500 cubic meters. This is one of the only few aquariums that keeps whale sharks which they're also trying to breed.

I think this is one of the most perfect scenes i've ever laid my eyes on, whenever I want to relax I just watch this video. *_*

          Oh yeah and I really really wish I was one of those divers in the video, just saying!