Essay On Japan Culture

In Japan’s inner cities, every corner there is something new about the country’s culture. From their holidays and festivals to its overall impact on the world, Japan’s culture is uniquely its own. Children in Japan observe customs and traditions passed down from their grandparents such as visiting temples, wearing kimonos, and even reenacting traditions from long ago. In Japan, there are many captivating aspects of their culture today including holidays and festivals, religions, cuisine, and diet, among others, and how its culture continues to influence the world today.

Japan is a group of islands near China that are located in the Western Pacific Ocean. Author Lynn Peppas wrote that Japan has a current population of 127 million people (4).

For instance, in Japan the most important dish is rice. Rice is eaten at every meal. Writer Barbara Sheen said that the average Japanese person eats 0.5 pounds of rice a day (4). Rice is served at parties like; weddings and even served at funerals. They also eat rice in many different ways. One unusual way they eat it is, by pouring hot tea over rice and eating it like cereal (Sheen 9). Besides rice, they also eat many other foods. Another food they eat a great deal of is seafood. They make cool snacks out of seafood like sushi, rice balls, and dumplings. They eat seafood frequently. In Tokyo, 4,000 tons of seafood is sold daily (Sheen 13). Just like Americans the Japanese have three meals a day. For breakfast, they have rice, fish, and soup (Sheen 23). Next, they have lunch. For lunch, they have a rice ball or casserole with vegetables, fish and sometimes noodles (Sheen 23). Lastly, they have dinner and it’s usually their largest meal. They serve rice, soup, sushi, stew, vegetables, fish, seafood or chicken (Sheen 23). After diner they have dessert. For dessert, they have a small portion of fruit like grapes or melon (Sheen 23). The food they eat in Japan is very unique but so is their

One form of Japanese art is pottery. Their pottery is well-liked for its elaborate form, simplicity, and color. They make their pottery from two different types of ceramic. They use stoneware and porcelain (Sosnoski 22). Another type of Japanese art that is very well known is calligraphy. People in Japan do calligraphy for many different reasons. Japanese study calligraphy to develop a sense of esthetics (Sosnoski 24). Calligraphy is so popular you can find some in galleries. One of the most interesting art forms they have is geishas. Geisha means “art people”. A geisha is a girl who represents the old traditional beauty of Japanese women (Sosnoski 40). They powder their face white and paint their lips red. But they do more than just wear makeup. They are professional entertainers of traditional Japanese songs, dances, and music (Sosnoski 40). Becoming a geisha can sometimes be difficult. They learn how to play various types of instruments. But they have a bigger goal they want to accomplish. A goal for them is to own a restaurant so they can show off the talents they have spent a lifetime training for (Sosnoski 40). Art is important to many people, it can be calming and relaxing but games can also be relaxing and