Japanese Culture

In Japanese, wearing Japanese clothing is referred to as waso, and the accessories needed to put them on are called waso komono.

Rakugo is an art of humorous storytelling that has been around for 400 years, since the Edo period. It is performed in an entertainment hall known as a "yose".

Buddha statues are objects worshipped in Buddhism.

The tea ceremony is a traditional way of serving tea and entertaining guests.

The gourmet floor tends to be underground, and is known as a "depachika". It is almost always the m

Founded in 1904, Itoya is a long-established stationery shop and a landmark in Ginza.

Purikura are photo booths in places like arcades where users can create stickers from photographs th

Kimonos are Japan's traditional national dress.

At first, castles were defensive bases, but later shoguns and samurai started living in them.

Shintoism is a religion unique to Japan and has existed since before Buddhism came to the country.

When sumo wrestling first became popular in Japan 1500 years ago, it was a ritual used to predict the outcome of crop harvests.

Kabuki is a traditional Japanese performing art that features music, dance, and drama.

Zazen is a practice found in Zen, one kind of Buddhism.

There are two main religions in Japan: Shintoism and Buddhism.

The Ninjas that often appear in Japanese period dramas were undercover fighters who were active from the Sengoku period to the Edo period.

Ameyoko is the name of a popular shopping street. It's about 400 meters long from JR Ueno Station to Okachimachi Station.

For shops, kanban (signboards) are an important landmark. Other objects that serve the same purpose that Japanese people are familiar with are noren (shop curtains with emblems), nobori (flags), and chochin (lanterns).

Japanese summer is not only hot but humid. For this reason, Japan has long had various tools and methods for cooling off in order to find comfort in the severe heat.

At one time in Japan, people ate nuts, fruit, and berries as snacks. It is said that this gave rise to what we now call confectionery.

Traditional Japanese houses are made of wood and their roofs are covered with tiles.