Japan is known as a "country of manners", and it is the custom of the Japanese to pay attention to etiquette. People always bow to each other and say "hello", "goodbye", "please take care of me" and so on.
Japanese people attach great importance to exchanging business cards when they meet for the first time. If you don't bring a card with you when you first meet a Japanese person, not only will you be rude, but the person you meet will think you're not a good person to talk to. When exchanging business cards, you should bow first and receive the card with both hands. After receiving the other party's business card, you should read it carefully to see the other party's identity, position, and company, and nod your head to show that you are clear about the other party's identity. Japanese people believe that a business card is a representative of a person and treat it as if it were their own. It is considered rude to accept a business card and then put it in your pocket without reading it. If you are going to a business negotiation, it is important that you hand your card to everyone in the room and accept theirs without leaving anyone out, although it takes quite a bit of time, but it is a way of showing mutual friendship and respect.
When you go to a Japanese home as a guest, you should make an appointment with the host in advance and ring the doorbell to announce your name before entering. If the home is not installed doorbell, never knock, but open the door on the sliding door, ask a "Excuse me, inside someone?" , enter the door and take the initiative to undress and remove your hat, unclasp your scarf (but be careful not to wear a bare undershirt or go barefoot even in hot weather, as this is rude behavior), put on spare slippers, and give the host the gifts you have brought with you. When you are seated in a house, it is polite to sit with your back to the door, and only at the host's urging may you move to a place of honor (meaning the seat in front of a niche with various works of art and decorations, reserved for distinguished guests). It is not customary for Japanese to allow guests to visit their homes, so do not make requests to look around. It is especially taboo in Japan for men to intrude into the kitchen. You must also ask your host for permission to use the restroom. When eating, if you are not sure how to eat a certain dish, ask your host for advice, and use your own chopsticks by turning them over to the other side of the table. When saying goodbye, ask the guest to make the first offer and thank the host. When returning to one's residence one should call the other person to tell him/her that he/she has returned safely and to thank him/her again. When you meet your host again after some time, still do not forget to express your gratitude.
The traditional way for the Japanese to toast at a banquet is to place a bowl full of water in the center of the table and a clean white cloth in front of each person. Before pouring the wine, the host will first swish his own glass in the water, press it face down on the cloth so that the water beads up and is sucked dry by the cloth, and then fill it up and hand it over to the guest with both hands. After the guest has finished drinking, the same is done to show the friendship and closeness between the host and the guest.
Japanese people, whether visiting friends or relatives or attending banquets are required to bring gifts, a family spends 7.5% of its monthly income on gifts. When you go to a Japanese house, you must bring a gift with you. The Japanese believe that giving a gift is much more meaningful than saying "thank you" because it expresses gratitude in practical terms. To the Japanese people to give gifts to master the "value of the inch", the gift should not be too heavy, nor too light. If it is too heavy, he will think that you are asking for him, and thus infer that your goods or services are not good; if it is too light, he will think that you are belittling him. When you go to a Japanese family for a general visit, it is more appropriate to bring some packaged food, but do not give flowers, because some flowers are used when people are courting or when they are having a funeral. Japanese people pay attention to the packaging of gifts, gifts to be wrapped on several layers, and then tied with a beautiful ribbon or paper rope. The Japanese believe that the knot in the cord contains the soul of a person and signifies the sincerity of the giver. The person who receives the gift is usually expected to return it. The Japanese do not open gifts in front of guests, mainly to avoid embarrassment due to the discomfort of the gift. The Japanese do not mind if gifts that they cannot use themselves can be passed on to others. In order to avoid bad luck, they don't use "four" in many occasions, and over time, they simply don't send even numbers such as two, four and six. They love to send single numbers, especially the three single numbers of three, five and seven. But avoid "nine," which is pronounced the same way as "bitter" in Japanese.
Customs:
Japan's unique geography and long history have given rise to a distinctive Japanese culture. Cherry blossoms, kimonos, and haiku along with samurai, sake, and Shintoism make up two aspects of traditional Japan - the chrysanthemum and the sword. In Japan there are the famous "Three Ways", the Japanese folkways of tea ceremony, flower ceremony and calligraphy.
The Tea Ceremony, also known as Chatoyu (tea-tasting party), has been immensely popular with the upper class as an aesthetic ritual since ancient times. The tea ceremony is a unique tea-drinking ritual and social etiquette. Nowadays, the tea ceremony is widely accepted by the general public as a way to train concentration or to develop manners. There are many schools in Japan that teach the techniques of the various schools of the tea ceremony, and many hotels have tea rooms where one can easily enjoy a tea ceremony performance. However, the Japanese tea ceremony was eventually brought to Japan by the Chinese Tang Dynasty during the Zhenguan period. In ancient times, Japan had dealings with China. During the Tang Dynasty, Japan sent a large number of envoys to China and was y influenced by China. The Japanese people say "China is the home of the Japanese tea ceremony".
The Flower Ceremony was born as a technique of reproducing flowers in full bloom in a tea room. There are more than 20 different styles of hanami, depending on the rules and methods of presentation, and there are many schools in Japan that teach the techniques of each style of hanami. In addition, the art of beautifully decorated flower arrangements can be enjoyed in various places such as hotels, department stores, and the lobbies of public **** facilities. Lotus flowers are taboo, as they are considered to be funeral flowers. Avoid camellias, chrysanthemums are the symbol of the royal family.
Sumo wrestling originated from the religious rituals of Japanese Shinto. People held tournaments at shrines for the god of the harvest in hopes of bringing in a good harvest. During the Nara and Heian periods, sumo was a court spectator sport, and by the Kamakura Warring States period, sumo became part of samurai training. the 18th century saw the rise of professional sumo, which closely resembled today's sumo matches. Shinto rituals emphasize the sport of sumo, and the purpose of the stomping ritual (shiku) before the match is to drive away evil spirits from the field and also to relax the muscles. Salt is also sprinkled on the grounds for purification purposes, as Shinto doctrine holds that salt drives away demons. Sumo matches are held on a dais. The entire platform is square, with a circle in the middle, and its diameter is 4.55 meters. During the match, two rikishi with their hair tied in buns and a belt tied around their lower bodies are almost naked on the stage. During the match, no part of the Lux except the palms of the feet may touch the surface of the platform, and at the same time may not go beyond the circle. The match is decided within a minute or two or even a few seconds. There are six judges*** in sumo. The main referee is the "Gyoshi", who holds a folding fan, and the other five are in the front, east, west, and the referee's chair. The highest rank of Hercules is "Yokozuna". The next four ranks are "Maku-nei" (幕内), which are called "Daiguan (大关), Guanwao (关胁), Xiaojie (小结), and Qianjie (前颈), and are the upper ranks among the Reishi. Then there are the ten taels, the maku-xia, and the three lower ranks of the san-dan-mei and the order-san-dan. Those who are in the third and second ranks can only do odd jobs such as sweeping the floors, and it is only when they reach the third rank that their masters will teach them some techniques, while those who reach the tenth rank are professional sumo wrestlers, known as rikishi, who not only receive a salary, but also participate in competitions to win prizes. Very few sumo wrestlers reach the rank of Sekigai or Omikado. Once a sumo wrestler reaches the rank of yokozuna, he is considered to be at the pinnacle of the Japanese sumo world, and will have the highest honor for the rest of his life. There are currently only 68 Yokozuna I*** in the history of sumo in Japan; unlike many sports, sumo's rank is variable, and can fall as a result of non-competition or failure.
The kimono is the name of the traditional Japanese national costume. It is also known as "kimono" in Japan. Kimono is modeled after the Chinese Sui and Tang costumes and the Wu costume, so it is called "Wu costume" and "Tang clothes" in Japan. Kimono is the Western name for the Wu costume, which is now accepted by the Japanese, but many stores selling kimono still write "Wu costume". In the eighth and ninth centuries A.D., the "Tang style" of clothing was once prevalent in Japan. Although the style has changed since then to form a unique Japanese style, it still contains some features of ancient Chinese clothing. The difference in style and color of women's kimono is a sign of age and marriage. For example, unmarried girls wear tight-sleeved kimono, while married women wear wide-sleeved kimono; those who wear "Shimada" hairstyle (one of the Japanese hairstyles, which is mantle-shaped) and red-collared shirts are girls, while those who wear rounded buns and plain-colored shirts are housewives. The kimono does not use buttons, only a knotted obi. There are many types of obi, and there are different ways of tying them. One of the more widely used knots is called the "taiko knot," in which a core made of paper or cloth is placed inside the obi at the back waist, making it look like a square box. This is what we often see on the back of a kimono. Since tying the knot was laborious, after the war, "modified belts" and "cultural belts" with ready-made knots appeared. Although today the everyday clothes of Japanese people have long since been replaced by Western-style clothes, the kimono is still recognized as the must-have dress for weddings, festivals, traditional flower ceremonies, tea ceremonies, and other grand social occasions.
Judo has a wide reputation throughout the world. The basic principle of judo is not to attack, but to use the opponent's strength to protect oneself, and the level of a judoka is indicated by the color of the belt (beginner: white/advanced: black). Judo is a development of Chinese boxing, originating from the Shaolin school. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, a Chinese martial artist, Chen Yuanzan, introduced the traditional Chinese martial art to Fusan (present-day Japan), which became the forerunner of the modern world-famous Judo.
Kendo refers to the Japanese sport of fencing, derived from the important martial art of swordsmanship for the samurai. Competitors wear specialized protective gear and stab each other in the head, torso and fingertips with a bamboo sword according to strict rules.
Karate is a fighting sport that was introduced to Japan from China through the Kingdom of the Ryukyus (now Okinawa). Karate does not use any weapons, but only fists and feet, making it a more realistic form of combat than other fighting sports.
Aikido was originally a sport for practicing "forms," and its basic concept was to fight without force against force. Compared with sports such as judo and karate, Aikido, which is not as brutal, is popular among the elderly and women as a mental exercise and fitness sport.
Shudo, when it comes to calligraphy, I believe that many people will think that it is an art unique to China. In fact, calligraphy is not only prevalent in Japan, but is also one of the ways for people to cultivate and nourish themselves. Ancient Japanese people called calligraphy "into the wood Road" or "Pen Road", until the Edo period (17th century), the term "Shudo" appeared. The prevalence of calligraphy in Japan by writing Chinese characters with brushes must have come after the introduction of Buddhism. Monks and Buddhists copied scriptures with brushes, imitating China.
Noh theater is a traditional Japanese drama and one of the oldest surviving plays in the world. Noh theater has its roots in ancient forms of dance theater and in the various festival plays that were held at shrines and temples in Japan in the 12th or 13th centuries. The word "Noh" has the meaning of talent or skill. The actors imply the essence of the story through facial expressions and physical movements, rather than acting it out. This type of theater is still alive and well in Japan today.
Kabuki, like Noh theater, is one of the most representative traditional plays in Japan. Like Chinese Peking Opera, it is a comprehensive stage art centered on music and dance and consisting of lines, songs, and martial arts scenes. Kabuki originated in the early 17th century with a woman named "Izumo no Aguni" who was very good at performing the social customs of the time and became very popular. However, as times changed, all roles in Kabuki were performed by men, even the female roles, and this tradition has continued to the present day.
Sushi is a food made from sashimi, raw shrimp, and raw fishmeat, and served on a mound of rice with white rice, vinegar, seafood, horseradish, and other ingredients. There are hundreds of different types of sushi, and each region's sushi has different characteristics. Most sushi is made with rice and vinegar, then rolled with fish, meat, eggs, nori or soybean skins. When eating raw fish sushi,