Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Knowing the Rich Japanese Culture

The Japanese culture has developed over the years. From the ancient and classical Japan, to the birth of the samurais, and now a modern Japanese culture came to exist. Of course, many neighboring countries influenced it and it has played a great role in shaping the modern Japanese culture. It has been a combination of various cultures and although it has experienced isolation from the world during the Tokugawa reign, it has still that distinct Japanese culture. It does not only depict the creativity and the independence of the Japanese people, it also reflects the strength of the Japanese by heart. Japanese culture is indeed rich in the field of arts, music, literature, and many more. From its classical roots, Japan is known for their traditional art forms and their artistic nature. It has brought the world the wide range of manga and comics. Japanese culture consists of the many anime artists that made Japanese animation known throughout the world. Video games, music, and entertainment shows from Japan has lead great contribution to the cyber industry.

During the ancient period, Japanese culture consisted of traditional music, geisha, samurai and many more. The geishas were trained from childhood and there were geisha houses that shelter them. This was part of the tradition that formed the Japanese culture. Another unique thing is the language they use. The Japanese language plays a vital role in the Japanese culture. It is widely spoken in Japan and many Westerners learn it. Japanese is written in three ways. The hiragana, the katakana and the kanji are the three scripts. The kanji was imported from China while the katakana contains Chinese characters.

Calligraphy is also part of the Japanese culture, which is the way of writing characters in a very artistic way. Sumi-e or ink painting is the art of painting an object or scene. Another form of Japanese art that is a part of the Japanese culture is the Ikebana. It is the art of flower arrangement and is still widely used in Japan as well as in other countries. When it comes to theater arts, the Japanese culture is very remarkable. They have traditional theaters, which are unique in the Japanese culture. There are basically four types of theaters in Japan, particularly the noh, kyogen, kabuki and the bunraku. Performers used masks to depict the characters. Most of the time, they express emotions through their actions and dialogue. Part of the Japanese culture is the bunraku which dates back during the Heian period. It is actually a puppet theater, which highlight historical plays.

When it comes to clothing, the kimono is the traditional garment for the Japanese people. They come in a variety of colors and designs. The yukata have lighter colors and usually worn during the summer time. Most men prefer to wear the kimonos that have dark colors. You can look for kimonos in shops at Nagoya, Mei, and Tokyo. But nowadays, the kimonos are used by Japanese on special occasions. Indeed the Japanese culture is rich in variety and has its distinct characteristics that make it one of the best cultures in the world.




http://www.centraljapan.jp is a Website of Nagoya Avenues magazine, Central Japan information portal for Nagoya, Aichi, Gifu, Mie areas.

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