Archive for 'Culture'
Respect for the Aged Day Posted by Ginny on Sep 18, 2009
Every third Monday of September is Keirou no ni (敬老の日) or Respect for the Aged Day. On this day, news stations like to report the current statistics on the geriatric population. As of now, the oldest Japanese woman is Kama Chinen (知念カマ). She is one hundred and fourteen years old. Not surprisely, she is from…
Maneki Neko Posted by Ginny on Aug 31, 2009
Have you ever seen a Maneki Neko (招き猫)? A Maneki Neko (招き猫) is a white cat with a beckoning paw. The cat is usually made out of porclein. The Maneki Neko (招き猫) will typically have some kind of bib, a collar and a bell. The collar is red and the bell is attached to the…
Bon Festival Posted by Ginny on Aug 26, 2009
The bon (盆) festival (also called obon) can be understood as ‘the day of the dead’. Depending on the region, the obon (お盆) festival can be celebrated this month or the month before. Places like Tokyo (東京) tend to have the festival in August. Normally this time of the year, it’s hot out, so people…
Japanese Tea Ceremony Posted by Ginny on Aug 19, 2009
Chanoyuu (茶の湯) is the art Japanese Tea Ceremony. Chanoyuu (茶の湯) is a formal ceremony involving various forms of tea etiquette. The main focus is centered on a type of green tea called macha (抹茶). The actual presiding of the ceremony is called chadoo (茶道). The tea ceremony is one of Japan’s oldest traditions. Even now…
Japanese Banknotes Posted by Ginny on Jun 19, 2009
¥1000 : is blue in color. One side has Noguchi Hideyo (野口 英世). He’s also Noguchi Seisaku (野口清作). He suffered a burn injury in his childhood, that impacted his decision to become a doctor. Unfortunately, the injury deformed his hand and he was unable to get employment in Japan. He moved to America and did…
Japanese Coins Posted by Ginny on Jun 16, 2009
¥1. Is equal to a penny. Has a tree on one side and the number 1 on the other side. ¥5. Is about the worth of a nickel. Has a rice grain on one side and the year it was minted on the other side. This coin is interesting in that it has a…
Sentoo Posted by Ginny on Jun 7, 2009
A sentoo (銭湯) is a public bathhouse. Even though people have bathtubs at home, a sentoo (銭湯) is a bit different from your ordinary bathtub. A sentoo (銭湯) will have separate sections for each gender. Male children up to ten years of age can go with their mothers. Other than that, the gender division is…