Top 10 Japanese Culture Traits

Here are the Top 10 Japanese Cultural Traits,

Japanese culture is very interesting, especially to Western observers, many of whom immediately think of sushi, sumo wrestling, and samurai when they think of Japan. While these three things are very much part of Japanese culture and history, they only scratch the surface of this country and its people. At first glance, Japan appears to be a land of conflict, embracing its ancient past, while at the same time spearheading almost frighteningly futuristic technology, and the simple sushi dishes that help define the culinary landscape and history are served next to groundbreaking molecular gastronomy delights.

1. While China may be known for its tea consumption, the Japanese are more into coffee. They are responsible for the importing and consuming of about 85% of Jamaica’s coffee production.
2. The literacy rate (people who can read and write) of Japan is one of the highest in the world, at almost 100%. Many think that Japan’s rigorous education system is the reason behind it. Japan’s unemployment rate is less than 4%.
3. Speaking of reading and writing, there are four different writing systems found in Japan: romaji (Romanized spelling used to translate Japanese), katakana (foreign words and names, loanwords, and scientific names), hiragana (used with kanji for native Japanese words and grammar), and kanji (adopted Chinese characters). Want to learn a little bit of the Japanese language before visiting? This course on conversational Japanese will familiarize you with this language so you can speak it with the natives.
4. Japan’s national sport is sumo. Dating back to at least the 8th century, sumo began as a prayer for a fruitful rice harvest, then evolved into a public sport in which two men fight in a circular ring, with one winning when the other was either knocked out of the ring, or any part of his body besides the bottom of his feet touched the ground. Sumo is a living Japanese tradition, containing ancient customs and dress.
5. Sumo may be the national sport, but baseball is also incredibly popular. Introduced to Japan in the 1870’s, the sport has evolved to be much like its American counterpart, with only slight differences existing in the size of the actual ball, the strike zone, and the playing field.
6. Japan is crazy about vending machines, which offers customers a multitude of convenient buys, including beer, Pringles, raw eggs, fried chicken, and even entire Smart Cars.
7. In addition to their unusual vending machines, there are cafes that cater to very specific desires. There are ones in which customers pay to play with puppies and kittens, and there are also “cuddle cafes” in which people pay to take a nap with a stranger.
8. Though only popular in the United States for just a few decades, sushi, which may be Japan’s biggest cultural export, has been around for much longer, at least since the 8th century. What started off as a way for fish to be preserved in fermented rice evolved into the culinary delight we know and love today. The most popular fish for sushi in Japan include salmon, red tuna, and medium-fatty tuna. The most expensive sushi in Japan can be found at a restaurant in the capital, Tokyo, called Sukiyabashi Hiro, where a 15-minute meal will run you about $300-500. If you’d like to learn to make your own sushi at home, this course on how to roll sushi will fill you in on this delicious and ancient art.
9. Also popular in Japan is horse meat. The most popular way to serve it is raw and sliced thinly, which is called basashi, where it’s dipped in soy sauce and eaten with ginger. For the brave eaters out there, there is also a basashi flavored ice cream, which, unsurprisingly, is limited in popularity.
10. Here in the U.S., slurping your food, such as a soup, or noodles, is seen as annoying, and you’ll get weird looks. But in Japan, if you slurp, it’s seen as complimentary to the chef, so slurp away if you find yourself enjoying soup in Japan.

Source & Re Posted From : https://blog.udemy.com/japanese-culture-facts/