Japanese customs, history, culture, lifestyle, and life

This book is the Japanese edition of the "World Cultural Journey" series and covers Japanese customs, history, culture, lifestyle, and general information about life.
Whether you're visiting Japan for business or simply for pleasure, this guide will help you make your time there more enriching and memorable.
This book contains information on Japanese local customs and traditions, history, religion, politics, Japanese families, work, leisure, food, clothing, shelter, communication, etc.

Japan has six steep, rugged mountain ranges running through its center, creating a unique landscape.
Additionally, due to its geological location within the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', volcanoes can be found here and there.
Of the more than 100 volcanoes, about 77 are designated as active (although very few are actually active).
Among them, Bandai and Asama in central Honshu are particularly famous for their volcanoes.
Unzen and Sakurajima in Kyushu are also currently in an active phase.
Mount Fuji, the highest volcano in Japan at 3,776 meters, last erupted in 1707 but is still classified as an active volcano.
---From "01 Territory and People"

In Japan, there is a "we" (group-oriented) culture because the voice of the group, such as a company, family, school, or social group, is more important than the voice of the individual.
In business situations, Japanese people will always mention their own company first and foremost.
Only after stating the department you belong to and your role within it, do you finally say your name.
---From "02 Values ​​and Way of Thinking"

Among Japan's most important festivals (matsuri) and commemorative events are Hatsumiya Mairi, when newborn babies visit a shrine for the first time, and the Shichi-Go-San Festival, held in November for children.
In this way, in the Shinto world, 'new beginnings' are very important, and people want to receive Kami's blessings.
So, on New Year's Day, when people start something new—the first agricultural activity of the year, a new business, the opening of a new building, a new educational course—people seek out Shinto.
---From “03 Religion, Customs and Traditions”

You can also try a homestay group as a preparation for visiting a Japanese home.
You can get more detailed information by visiting the local tourist information center.
It is also a good idea to visit the Japanese embassy before departing for Japan.
In fact, more and more Japanese families are registering as 'host families'.
This is particularly relevant to the JET University Graduate Training Programme, which has been operating successfully for over 30 years.
---From "04 Japanese Family Life"

Tea has been central to Japanese culture for centuries.
The formal procedure of drinking tea, the 'tea ceremony', has been passed down for hundreds of years.
Although originally perfectly refined within the discipline of Zen Buddhism, the custom of drinking tea itself has long been entrenched as part of the cultural life of the ruling class.
One of the great 'tea masters' was Sen no Rikyu.
During his lifetime (1522-1591), he made the 'tea ceremony' part of his political dynamics.
---From "05 Leisure Life"

As you know, gifts can come and go.
There's a joke that says one of the gifts you give will end up in your hands after passing through the hands of this person and that person.
In fact, because of this gift-giving culture, stores and supermarkets have many formally wrapped gifts, so you can see exactly what's inside without even opening the packaging.
So, if you happen to get a gift you gave in the past again, make sure to keep it for future use.
---From "06 Giving a Gift"

The traditional Japanese diet, which focuses on rice and fish as staple foods, is very different from that of other countries around the world.
In particular, neighboring meat-eating countries in Southeast Asia have traditionally used a lot of strong spices, but Japan does not do so at all.
In Japanese cuisine, flavor enhancements are limited to soy sauces and purees made from large Japanese radishes.
Interestingly, people from countries with a high carbohydrate and meat intake and a wide variety of thick, rich sauces report feeling a digestive cleanse when they follow the Japanese diet while in Japan.
---From "07 Food and Drink"

There are many things in Japan that are contradictory and even illogical from a foreigner's perspective.
This is a fact that anyone who visits Japan must accept.
One of the most representative examples of such a problem is that road names or road numbers are not properly assigned or are absent altogether.
Because there was no proper urban planning law, urban development was carried out indiscriminately, resulting in street names and numbers being jumbled up or not even existing.
So, in Japan's big cities, getting from A to B can be a frustrating and challenging task like no other!
---From "08 Living in Japan"

When being introduced, Japanese businessmen will first exchange business cards (Macy).
Be sure to prepare a business card, ideally with a Japanese translation on the other side.
Before departure, check with your airline to see if they offer this service.
If you are pressed for time, prepare it in advance and print it out as soon as you check in at the hotel.
Remember, in Japan, without a business card, you don't exist!
---From "09 Business Status"

Japanese doesn't fit easily into any language family tree.
On the one hand, it has grammatical connections with Korean and Central Asian languages, but on the other hand, when written, it is quite similar to some Polynesian languages.
In fact, one of the most intriguing theories about the origins of the Japanese language is that it is a Polynesian pronunciation of a Central Asian language.
Unlike Chinese, which is the origin of many Japanese kanji, which has complex tones, Japanese is not an inflectional language and is therefore relatively easy to pronounce even for beginners.

---From "09 Language and Communication"