Japanese culture By Rabdanova Anna Tugutova Tuyana

Japanese culture By Rabdanova Anna & Tugutova Tuyana

Japanese seals • Flag • Imperial seal • Government Seal of Japan

Brief information • Capital – Tokyo • National language – Japanese • Ethnic groups: 98. 5% Japanese, 0. 5% Korean, 0. 4% Chinese, 0. 6% other • Government: Unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy • Emperor – Akihito • Prime Minister – Yoshihiko Noda • Population: 2011 – 127, 960, 000

Periodization • 30, 000 – 10, 000 BC – Japanese Paleolithic • 10, 000 BC – 538 AD – Ancient Japan • 538 – 1185 – Classical Japan • 1185 – 1603 – Feudal Japan • 1603 – 1868 – Early Modern Japan • 1868 – 1945 – Modern Japan • 1945 – present – Contemporary Japan

History of culture • The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over the millennia, from the country’s prehistoric Jomon period to its contemporary hybrid culture, whivh combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America. The inhabitans of Japan experienced a long period of relative isolation from the outside world during the Tokugawa shogunate until the arrival of the “The Black Ships” and the Meiji period.

Painting has been an art in Japan for a very long time: the brush is a traditional writing tool, and the extension of that to its use as an artist's tool was probably natural. Chinese papermaking was introduced to Japan around the 7 th century by Damjing and several monks of Goguryeo, later washi was developed from it. Native Japanese painting techniques are still in use today, as well as techniques adopted from continental Asia and from the West.

Calligraphy • The flowing, brush-drawn Japanese language lends itself to complicated calligraphy. Calligraphic art is often too esoteric for Western audiences and therefore general exposure is very limited. However in East Asian countries, the rendering of text itself is seen as a traditional art form as well as a means of conveying written information. The written work can consist of phrases, poems, stories, or even single characters. The style and format of the writing can mimic the subject matter, even to the point of texture and stroke speed. In some cases it can take over one hundred attempts to produce the desired effect of a single character but the process of creating the work is considered as much an art as the end product itself.

Sculpture • Traditional Japanese sculptures mainly consisted of Buddhist images, such as Tathagata, Bodhisattva and Myo-o. The oldest sculpture in Japan is a wooden statue of Amitabha at the Zenkoji temple. In the Nara period, Buddhist statues were made by the national government to boost its prestige. These examples are seen in presentday Nara and Kyoto, most notably a colossal bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana in the Todaiji temple.

Ukiyo-e • Ukiyo-e, literally "pictures of the floating world", is a genre of woodblock prints that exemplifies the characteristics of pre. Meiji Japanese art. Because these prints could be mass-produced, they were available to a wide crosssection of the Japanese populace — those not wealthy enough to afford original paintings — during their heyday, from the 17 th to 20 th century.

Ikebana • Ikebana (“living flowers”) is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It has gained widespread international fame for its focus on harmony, color use, rhythm, and elegantly simple design. It is an art centered greatly on expressing the seasons, and is meant to act as a symbol to something greater than the flower itself.

Performing arts • The four traditional theatres from Japan are noh, kyogen, kabuki and bunraku. Among the characteristic aspects of noh are the masks, costumes and the stylized gestures, sometimes accompanied by a fan that can represent other objects. In kyogen masks are rarely used and even if the plays can be associated with the ones of noh, currently many are not. Due to prostitution of actresses of kabuki the participation of women in the plays was forbidden by the government in 1629 and the feminine characters had passed to be represented only by men (onnagata). Recent attempts to reintroduce actresses in kabuki had not been well accepted. Another characteristic of kabuki is the use of makeup for the actors in historical plays (kumadori). Japanese puppet theater bunraku developed in the same period that kabuki in a competition and contribution relation involving actors and authors. In 1914 appeared the Takazuka Revue a company solely composed by women who introduced the revue in Japan.

Gardens • Garden architecture is as important as building architecture and very much influenced by the same historical and religious background. Although today, ink monochrome painting still is the art form most closely associated with Zen Buddhism. A primary design principle of a garden is the creation of a landscape based on, or at least greatly influenced by, the three-dimensional monochrome ink (sumi) landscape painting, sumi-e or suibokuga. • In Japan, the garden has the status of artwork.

Traditional clothing • Traditional Japanese clothing distinguishes Japan from all other countries around the world. The Japanese word kimono means "something one wears" and they are the traditional garments of Japan. Originally, the word kimono was used for all types of clothing, but eventually, it came to refer specifically to the fulllength garment also known as the naga-gi, meaning "long-wear", that is still worn today on special occasions by women, and children. Kimono in this meaning plus all other items of traditional Japanese clothing is known collectively as wafuku which means "Japanese clothes" as opposed to yofuku (Western-style clothing). Kimonos come in a variety of colours, styles, and sizes. Men mainly wear darker or more muted colours, while women tend to wear brighter colors and pastels, and, especially for younger women, often with complicated abstract or floral patterns.

• The kimono of a woman who is married (Tomesode) differs from the kimono of a woman who is not married (Furisode). The Tomesode sets itself apart because the patterns do not go above the waistline. The Furisode can be recognized by its extremely long sleeves spanning anywhere from 39 to 42 inches, it is also the most formal kimono an unwed woman wears. The Furisode advertises that a woman is not only of age but also single. • The style of kimono also changes with the season, in spring kimonos are vibrantly colored with springtime flowers embroidered on them. In the fall, kimono colors are not as bright, with fall patterns. Flannel kimonos are ideal for winter, they are a heavier material to help keep you warm. Tomesode Furisode

Uchikake Obi • One of the more elegant kimonos is the uchikake, a long silk overgarment worn by the bride in a wedding ceremony. The uchikake is commonly embellished with birds or flowers using silver and gold thread. • Kimonos do not come in specific sizes as most western dresses do. The sizes are only approximate, and a special technique is used to fit the dress appropriately. • The obi is a very important part of the kimono. Obi is a decorative sash that is worn by Japanese men and women, although it can be worn with many different traditional outfits, it is most commonly worn with the kimono. Most women wear a very large elaborate obi, while men typically don a more thin and conservative obi.

• Most Japanese men only wear the kimono at home or in a very laid back environment, however it is acceptable for a man to wear the kimono when he is entertaining guests in his home. For a more formal event a Japanese man might wear the haori and hakama, a half coat and divided skirt. The hakama is tied at the waist, over the kimono and ends near the ankle. Hakama were initially intended for men only, but today it is acceptable for women to wear them as well. Hakama can be worn with types of kimono, excluding the summer version, yukata. The lighter and simpler casual-wear version of kimono often worn in summer or at home is called yukata. Haori Hakama Yukata

• • • • Parts of a kimono Various terms refer to parts of a kimono, as listed below. Dōura : upper lining on a woman's kimono. Eri : collar. Fuki: hem guard. Furi: sleeve below the armhole. Maemigoro : front main panel, excluding sleeves. The covering portion of the other side of the back, maemigoro is divided into "right maemigoro" and "left maemigoro". Miyatsukuchi: opening under the sleeve. Okumi : front inside panel situated on the front edge of the left and right, excluding the sleeve of a kimono. Until the collar, down to the bottom of the dress goes, up and down part of the strip of cloth. Have sewn the front body. Sode : sleeve. Sodeguchi : sleeve opening. Sodetsuke : kimono armhole. Susomawashi : lower lining. Tamoto : sleeve pouch. Tomoeri : over-collar (collar protector). Uraeri : inner collar. Ushiromigoro : back main panel, excluding sleeves, covering the back portion. They are basically sewn back-centered and consist of "right ushiromigoro" and "left ushiromigoro", but for wool fabric, the ushiromigoro consists of one piece.

Japanese cuisine • Through a long culinary past, the Japanese have developed sophisticated and refined cuisine. In recent years, Japanese food has become fashionable and popular in the U. S. , Europe and many other areas. Dishes such as sushi, tempura, and teriyaki are some of the foods that are commonly known. According to Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research "Whaling and whale cuisine are part of Japanese culture", and Japan is the world's largest consumer of whale meat. The Japanese diet consists principally of rice; fresh, lean seafood; and pickled or boiled vegetables. The healthy Japanese diet is often believed to be related to the longevity of Japanese people.

Dishes for special occasions In Japanese tradition some dishes are strongly tied to a festival or event. These dishes include: • Botamochi, a sticky rice dumpling with sweet azuki paste served in spring, while the term Hagi/Ohagi is used in autumn. • Chimaki (steamed sweet rice cake): Tango no Sekku and Gion Festival. • Hamo (a type of fish, often eel) and somen: Gion Festival. • Osechi: New Year. • Sekihan, literally "red rice", is served for any celebratory occasion. It is usually sticky rice cooked with azuki, or red bean, which gives the rice its distinctive red color. • Soba: New Year's Eve. This is called toshi koshi soba (literally "year crossing soba"). • Chirashizushi, Ushiojiru (clear soup of clams) and amazake: Hinamatsuri. • In some regions every 1 st and 15 th day of the month people eat a mixture of rice and azuki (azuki meshi (小豆飯), see Sekihan).

Osechi Hamo Sekihan Sushi

Bento • Bento is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. Bento can be very elaborately arranged in a style called kyaraben or "character bento". Kyaraben is typically decorated to look like popular Japanese cartoon (anime) characters, characters from comic books (manga), or video game characters. Another popular bento style is "oekakiben" or "picture bento", which is decorated to look like people, animals, buildings and monuments, or items such as flowers and plants. Contests are often held where bento arrangers compete for the most aesthetically pleasing arrangements.

Japanese festivals are traditional festive occasions. Some festivals have their roots in Chinese festivals but have undergone dramatic changes as they mixed with local customs. Some are so different that they do not even remotely resemble the original festival despite sharing the same name and date. There also various local festivals (e. g. Tobata Gion) that are mostly unknown outside a given prefecture. It is commonly said that you will always find a festival somewhere in Japan. Unlike most people in East Asia, Japanese people generally do not celebrate Chinese New Year (it having been supplanted by the Western New Year's Day in the late 19 th century); although Chinese residents in Japan still do.

There are some festivals: • Cherry blossom festivals Japan celebrates the entire season of the cherry blossoms. All over Japan festivals are held and include food and at night beautiful lanterns. • Aomori Nebuta Festival This festival is held annually and features colorful lantern floats called nebuta which are pulled through the streets of Central Aomori. This festival is held from about August 27 every year. During this festival, 20 large nebuta floats are paraded through the streets near Aomori JR rail station. There is a dance portion of this festival. • Nango Summer Jazz Festival This is the largest open-air jazz concert held in Tohoku region. Thousands of artists from all over Tohoku and even further regions come to Nango to perform.

Traditions It is considered an honor to be invited to someone's home in Japan. Many Japanese regard their homes as being too humble to entertain guests. Shoes are not worn inside – since the floor level is often higher than ground or entrance level or even the same height, Japanese don't want the floor to be stained by soil, sand or dust that may be attached to the soles.

Gifts and gift-giving There are two gift seasons in Japan, called seibo and chūgen. One is for winter and the other is for summer. Gifts are given to those with whom one has a relationship, especially the people who have helped the gift giver. It is considered impolite to go to someone's house without a gift. Some items prominently displaying the numbers 4 should not be given, since the reading of 4 (shi) suggest death (shi). The number 9 should also be avoided as one of the readings of 9 (ku) associates suffering (ku). Another custom in Japan is for women to give men chocolate on Valentine's Day. The chocolate can be given to the object of the woman's affection, or to any man the woman is connected to. Men who receive chocolate on Valentine's Day give something back to those they received from, one month later on White Day.

Kotatsu • A kotatsu is a low, wooden table frame covered by a futon, or heavy blanket, upon which a table top sits. Underneath is a heat source, often built into the table itself. During the winter months in Japan, the kotatsu is often the center of domestic life. In the evening family members gather around the kotatsu to enjoy food, television, games and conversation while keeping their bottom half warm under the kotatsu.