Culture– category –

Every New Year in Japan, thousands of people line up to buy "lucky bags" called "fukubukuro". A lucky bag is a bag filled with everything from clothing to food that the store sells, and the items are secret.

In Japan, there are many differences in the ways in which the spooky holiday is celebrated compared to the traditions of the United States, many aspects taking on a new life and many traditions being left in the dust.

In Japan, they put an emphasis on the holiday at their amusement parks. Tokyo Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Sanrio Puroland are three major amusement parks in Japan that take Halloween to the next level.

There is a movie in Japan called "Battle Royale" that is very similar to the "Hunger Games" that you are all familiar with.　 It is up to you to decide if the similarity between Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" and "Battle Royale" is just a coincidence.

In Japan, people put stickers of various marks on their cars. The purpose of these stickers is to let people know what kind of people are in the car, and by letting them know, it helps people around them to be more careful.

There are two types of companies in Japan, which are determined by the way they work. Good-standing company is called a "white company”.　If a company has a poor working environment, it is called a "black company".

Gambling is prohibited in Japan, and there are no casinos in Japan. However, while gambling is punishable, there are several types of gambling activities that are officially recognized by the government in Japan.

There is an unlucky year called "yaku doshi" in Japan. Yaku doshi is a year to be more modest than usual. The word "yaku" has the meaning of misfortune or calamity, and the idea is to spend the year more carefully than usual in order to avoid it.

Have you ever tried Japanese street food? Are you a fan of savory fried delicacies and sweet snacks? At the Japanese Fes in New York City, there are many opportunities throughout the year to expand your palate!

Here comes the bride! Japanese weddings have many similarities to the average American wedding, but often with Japanese traditions adapted to make the occasion modern. This applies to the bride's wedding dress.

Even in the world, the meanings of numbers change from country to country, and the impressions of numbers in a country often are deeply influenced by the culture of that country. This is also true in Japan.

What would you do if bugs were in your house? To the Japanese, spiders are considered very good things and should never be killed. Here is why spiders should not be killed, and when they should not be killed.

Today, about 14% of Hawaii’s population has Japanese ancestry. This makes this ethnic group the second largest in Hawaii. This is due in part to the 900 Japanese immigrants that arrived in Hawaii on February 8, 1885. These immigrants cam...

When visiting another country, it's best to have a basic understanding of how their government systems function. The Japanese government is a dominant-party bicameral parliamentary constitutional monarchy. This means that it has a democr...

Saint Patrick's day in Japan is celebrated with a lot of excitement! Despite being far away from Ireland, Japan’s economic ties to Ireland have led to an enthusiasm for Irish culture. In many ways this holiday is a combination of the two...

The Japanese government is a dominant-party bicameral parliamentary constitutional monarchy. This government consists of multiple branches of government and the sharing of power between many different people. These people and positions a...

Every New Year in Japan, thousands of people line up to buy "lucky bags" called "fukubukuro". A lucky bag is a bag filled with everything from clothing to food that the store sells, and the items are secret.

Manga is Japan’s style of comics or graphic novels. This style was developed in the late 19th century in Japan, although elements of it predate artistic elements found in the 12th century. Within Japan, manga refers to comics and cartoon...

There tends to be some confusion between what martial arts are from Japan and which come from China. Yet, there is a fundamental difference between these styles of martial arts, influenced by their respective origin countries.

Every year in Japan, those who turn twenty get to experience a day decided by them! Seijin Shiki, sometimes called adult’s day, is a holiday in Japan where the coming of age into adulthood is celebrated.