Customs and traditions in Japan
Japan is characterized by a set of customs and traditions that reflect the nature of its society, and the quality of its culture acquired from agricultural life that represents the integration between public and private spheres, and whatever the nature of the manifestations and consequences of Japanese culture is negative or positive, but they all reflect the nature of civilization among the Japanese in many of appearances; Such as their social attitudes, avoiding expressing their feelings, and ambiguity in clarifying their thoughts. The following is a set of the most important customs and traditions that characterize the Japanese :
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| Japanese customs and traditions |
greeting habits
Bowing is one of the most famous and important ways of greeting in Japan. On the phone, the Japanese bow in order to salute the person they are talking to on the other end. It is noteworthy that the use of handshakes in greeting is not a common custom in Japan, but it is acceptable when dealing with foreigners and between women and men, and the Japanese avoid kissing or hugging while greeting. Punctuality The Japanese care about time and time; All tasks and activities of the Japanese are carried out according to an arranged schedule and predetermined dates, so reaching an appointment after the agreed time is considered inappropriate. And set a new time for the meeting or access to the meeting.
food culture
Food and food culture are among the main concerns of the Japanese people; Where they depend on their food by eating grains such as rice, meat such as chicken and beef, and marine organisms such as fish, and the Japanese also eat seasonal vegetables, milk, and its derivatives. The Japanese often use bamboo chopsticks to eat their food, while they eat fast food, sushi, and bread with their hands, and they use ordinary kitchen utensils such as spoons and knives when eating meals of Western origin. Among the Japanese eating habits that indicate good behavior is carrying salad, soup, and rice dishes with the left hand; As the Japanese eat soup directly without using spoons.
religious beliefs
The people of Japan do not care about religious matters and beliefs; Most of them do not follow a specific religion, but the two religions Shinto and Buddhism are still spread among the Japanese, and these two religions form the culture of the society in Japan, and Shintoism is a traditional Japanese religion, based on ancient spiritual practices, and during the seventh and sixth centuries AD, the Japanese religion spread As a result of being influenced by Chinese society, the Japanese accepted the Buddhist religion without abandoning the Shinto religion, and the two religions have coexisted together to this day.
Marriage Traditions
Japan has its own marriage traditions; Whereas, the Japanese marriage system separates the property of a wife and her husband; That is, the husband's property remains separate from his wife's property after their marriage, and the marriage is often performed by means of mediation in the marriage; That is, the style of the matchmaker in Arab society, and the marriage mediator must take into account major matters; Such as the age of the spouses, the financial and social status of both families. Japanese marriage traditions are applied in a Shinto temple, and the bride and groom start drinking sake, which is a drink made of rice and is considered the national Japanese drink. As for the rest of the marriage ceremonies, it takes place in one of the halls specialized in wedding parties.
family traditions
The Japanese family represents a single system that does not accept any division, and the Japanese do not pay any attention to the need for a blood bond between the people who make up the family, but rather the important thing is to maintain its continuity, and one of the inheritance traditions in the Japanese family in the event of the death of a person who does not have heirs to his property, that he must adopting a person from the family, giving him his name so that he can obtain all the rights of inheritance; In order to preserve the integration with the traditions that concern the continuity of the family presence in Japan.
death traditions
After the family of the deceased person obtains a certificate proving his death, they must contact the person responsible for the procedures for preparing the funeral and cremation of the deceased, and it is a tradition in cases of death in Japan that the mourners wear dark-colored clothes, it is preferable for women to wear the traditional Japanese dress kimono in black And Japanese customs stipulate that mourners must present gifts to the family of the deceased, and another custom related to death rites is to replace incense with money that is placed inside a card, and then the mourner places it on the table designated for that at the entrance to the mourning site.
General Japanese customs and traditions
There is a set of general customs and traditions that are applied in Japanese society for the visitor or tourist to be aware of and be keen to deal with them, and the following is information about some of them:
- Japanese people avoid showing their emotions in public; Whether to express sadness or joy, and they can express their feelings inside their homes.
- Waving a hand or talking loudly is a sign of improper taste in Japanese society.
- The daughter or lady should put her hand over her mouth while laughing; Because it is inappropriate for the Japanese to show teeth while laughing.
- When the Japanese have the flu or just suspect its symptoms, they are keen to buy a cover for the mouth and nose; This is a common custom in Japanese society, especially in the winter.
- Avoid calling Japanese colleagues at work or school by their first names; Because this causes them embarrassment, and they must wait until the person who calls the caller allows him to call him by his first name.