Japan is a wonderful country, the dream of many of us Westerners. Interestingly enough, the Western world has been fascinated with the East ever since the Middle Ages. Back in the day East would be referred to as the Orient. In the 19th century a new direction of arts had emerged under these conditions, Orientalism. In this movement, Western authors would get inspiration from their journies to the East. Of course, Orient was not limited to Far East and touched upon Middle-Eastern cultures as well. But let us stick to the main topic.
Japan has always been mysterious, as a matter of fact it still is. This was mostly caused by the country being closed down to the outer world for more than 200 years, during the Tokugawa regime (1600-1868). However, why is it that many of us are still drawn to this country in the 21st century when you can freely travel there? Without further ado let us check out some cool facts!
Japanese history
Japan has a captivating history, from its very beginnings up to today. Needless to say, the samurai are one of its major parts. However, despite the popular opinion, the samurai were not swordsmen throughout Japanese history. In the earlier stages of history they were famous for their archery skills. As a matter of fact, Japanese archery is very different from that practiced in the West. Japanese bows were longer and their draw was much larger (I have been lucky enough to practice kyuudo, Japanese archery, for about a year). With time they started using swords, which also differ from western claymores and knightly arming swords. The Japanese katana is still considered to have the sharpest edge ever created by many specialists. Nevertheless, Japanese history shouldn’t be defined simply by the samurai factor. There are many more interesting bits to it which might even overwhelm you.
Japanese culture
Right next to Japanese history we should put Japanese culture. Many make the mistake of comparing and considering it identical to that of Chinese. Of course, it is an undeniable fact that Japanese have been influenced by Chinese in many aspects of their life, from culture to religion, from writing system to literature. But what makes Japan unique is the amazing skill of the people to not be underwhelmed by other cultures. They can take in pretty much anything, and change it, adapt to it and make it their own. This may also be the reason why the Japanese suddenly became one of the best producers of whisky, cars and technology in the whole world, even though none of these things originated here.
Japanese religion
Japan is known to be Buddhist and Shintoist. While Shintoism originated in Japan and could be considered the indigenous belief of the people, the image of Shinto we have now was mostly coined in the Meiji era (1868-1912). Of course, it finds routes in earlier eras, but has been shifted and modelled to fit the contemporary people over the ages.
As for Buddhism, even though it originated in India, it varies from country to country. Japanese were introduced to it by Chinese, but then again, they managed to adapt it to their culture and people.
Interestingly enough, Shintoism and Buddhism, while having core differences managed to survive next to each other. Many scholars agree, that the main reason for this is the following: while Shintoism is a religion that centres around life, it never managed to give any explanations to what happens to a human soul after death. As a contrast Buddhism provides all of the answers and it managed to fit in next to Shintoism just perfectly. Nowadays too, Shinto is mostly practiced in such occasions as birth of a child, marriage, etc., while Buddhism is the way to go when a family member passes away.
The Japanese people
Having travelled to many different countries and being given the chance to meet people of various nationalities thanks to my parents work since my early childhood, I must admit that the Japanese are at the top of the list when it comes to kindness. The Japanese are sincere, sweet and will do pretty much anything to help you out if you’re going through a hardship or have any problem. They will go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and welcome.
A lot of foreigners, myself included, get the opportunity to experience home-stay. During this amazing experience I was treated just like a family member by people whom I barely knew. This really talks for itself.
Of course, keep in mind that the situation might be slightly different in Tokyo, where people are always in a rush, or need to get things done in very short period of time. However, if I got to judge from my trips to Tokyo I’ve been treated really gently by all the strangers who helped me find my way in the city or anything of the likes.
Japanese food
For many of us Westerners, the first thought that comes up when we hear Japanese food is sushi. But there is just so much more to it! Japanese food doesn’t simply consist of fish. Some memorable dishes would be tempura, ramen, karaage, okonomiyaki, oyakodon, sukiyaki and so, so much more. When visiting Japan make sure to try out tiny diners, since these are like hidden jewels. Make sure not to miss out on this amazing opportunity!
