Japan is a rich country with strong culture and beliefs. Their people are conservative, polite and hardworking. The girls wear pretty kimonos. They are famous for their food, comic books and make-up products. They serve tea slowly and look really professional while doing it. It is one of the top five of my “countries to visit!
Kimono, made out of silk, is Japan’s traditional garment wear. It is a much less common sight now but still worn at formal events like wedding or tea ceremony. Kimono also differs in style and colours and each type is suited for different occasions.
Shiromuku is a type of Kimono for brides.
Shiro refers to white, muku refers to pure
The bride will usually be dressed in a white kimono whereas the groom will be in a black kimono.
Yukata, on the other hand is more casual and usually made of cotton or linen. It is ideal for daily wear at home or for evening strolls.
Kimono and Yukata has also influenced and inspired many designers to create a similar style of clothes similar to it.
Leisure Arts & Entertainment: Geisha, geiko
Snow white skin, crimson red lips, eyebrows lined in crimson and black… What does this remind you of?
Many people perceive Geisha as prostitutes but they are not.
Geisha are professional entertainers who are trained in various traditional Japanese arts, such as music and dance, and the art of communication. They live in special houses, okiya and learn hospitality skills there typically at age 15.
The total number of geiko and maiko (geiko apprentice) performing depends on the party size and customer’s budget.
Working as a geisha offers a Japanese woman the rare opportunity of a well-paid career that can be pursued to an advanced age. Some continue on as geisha into their seventies. (Kiritani, 1995)
How much does it cost to engage them?
Geiko dinners have always been expensive and exclusive. However, due to economic downturns in recent decades, it is now available to anyone with sufficient budget. The typical cost for a full fletched dinner is about 50,000 yen per geiko/maiko.
What other ways to experience the geiko culture?
Each of the Geisha districts of Kyoto holds annual dance festivals for tourists to watch the performances. (Gion, Miyagawa, Kamishichiken, Pontocho) The best period to go is during the month of April, May and November. It will cost 2000 – 4000 yen per person.
Art: Tea Ceremony
The tea ceremony, chanoyu or sado is an aesthetic pastime unique to Japan and is a form of art centering on serving and drinking tea. The kind of formalities observed in the ceremony has influenced the development of manners of the Japanese. (The International Society for Educational Information, 1989) The rituals must be learnt by heart and every hand movement is prescribed.
The main components of the tea ceremony involve incorporation of the principles of harmony, respect, tranquility and purity.
Every step is gracious and requires skill and patience while at it. It is interesting to watch how the whole process is being handled.
Guests who are invited to a formal tea ceremony had to learn habits and etiquette.
They are expected to carefully examine and praise the artistic quality of the tea bowl and utensils used. (Kamachi, 1999)
Social Customs & Lifestyle: Bowing
It is the universal form of greeting in Japan. Japanese express respect, apology and affection by bowing. The depth and duration of bowing vary depending on the situation and relationship of the people involved. (Kamachi, Social Customs And Lifestyle, 1999)
Leisure Arts & Entertainment: Sumo
Sumo is Japan’s national sport and focuses on wrestling. Its first purpose was to entertain the Shinto Gods back in ancient times. Fights take place on dohyo, an elevated ring made of clay and covered in a layer of sand. Weight gain is an essential part of sumo training as there is no weight restrictions, hence, you could be fighting against someone double the size.
There are six principal minority groups in Japan: Ainu, Burakumin, Chinese, Koreans, Nikkeijin and Okinawans. (Weiner, 1997)
The name of Mt. Fuji originates from the Ainu language.
Ainu is the oldest indigenous group of people with original culture and language of northern Japan, Hokkaido.
As you walk around Hokkaido, you get to see a mixture of Western and Japanese culture.
Ainu refers to “human” while Japanese are called shisam or shimo.
They were once hunters and fishermen but now they are a minority group in Hokkaido fighting for their cultural survival. They also do not have control over natural resources and majority of them face unemployment and poverty issues.
Their customs, language and way of life were heavily impacted as a result of colonization and development through the era.
While Ainu leaders have achieved real material and political gains, and Ainu culture is more vibrant than at any time since the early decades of the century, the health of the Ainu nation remains fragile. (Siddle, 1996)
Traditional ways of life of the Ainu people survived until the resources of land, fish and game upon which this lifestyle depended were destroyed by the development of Hokkaido. By the early twentieth century, most Ainu were barely managing to survive. (Siddle, 1996)
Some interesting cultures of the Ainu people…
They have strong faith in God and believe that He exists in every creation: trees, hills, lakes and animals.
In Ainu cuisines, you rarely get to see raw meats like sashimi as they prefer to boil or roast their meat.
Their men also had full beards and moustaches as they do not shave after a certain age.
Ainu women tattoo their mouths or forearms before reaching the age of marriage. However, in 1871 this was banned by the government.
With reference to a blog entry of a tourist who visited the Yukara village, he mentioned experiencing several traditions, ritual ceremonies and speaking to one of the natives of Ainu about the history of this tribe. He also mentions seeing a wide variety of items crave out of wood.
Here are a few videos showing the various music and dance of the Ainu:
Many of the Ainu people also got married with Japanese hoping to forsake their original culture once and for all. They do not want their next generation to be a pure Ainu as the child could face the same form of discriminations they did.
In a Taiwan news article, it is reported that an estimated 60 percent of Ainu people said they had lost touch with their cultural roots and reported no knowledge of traditional Ainu story-telling, songs or dances.
Cultural identity of the Ainu is shown in museums, rituals, and annual events in hope of sustaining ethnic survival. The Shiraoi Ainu Museum is one of the better ones showing an outdoor reproduction of a small Ainu village.
Nothing beats a first- hand experience and below shows a compilation of photos taken from his blog:
According to a blog entry by a Hokkaido traveller, he commented and reviewed on his journey to the Yukara village in September 2007. The villagers perform their traditional dance and music and use the oldest form of cooking.
The authenticity is not high as most Ainu people are not concerned with carrying on their culture and traditions. There are also a huge amount of Ainu people looking for Japanese partners to settle down in hope of leaving their own identity once and for all. They refuse to continue the line of blood and genes that belongs to this heritage. Though all of them are residing in Japan, the Ainu are being discriminated against and that led to them feeling ashamed of themselves.
The girls used to have facial tattoos and guys stop shaving their beard at a certain age. However, it is not the case now. Government banned such acts causing the loss of culture.
With globalization, many countries are going into modernity and Japan is one of them. This leads to them being more open to pornography which contrasts with the conservative Japanese in the past. That could also cause ethical issues.
Environmental
To attract tourist into the country, Japan has since tear down villages to build infrastructures and buildings that has a theme to it. It has also cause destructions of the ecosystems and wildlife of Japan. Thus, natural resources are depleted.
Socio-cultural
For the Ainu people, it is visible that there is loss of authenticity among them. They are ashamed of their own culture and tribe and refuse to acknowledge that they belong to this indigenous group.
The Ainu museum is built to adapt to tourist demands, this is to show how an Ainu village and its culture and traditions are like.
One of the obvious commodification of Japan tradition is the development of Kimono in different styles. Some has used the idea of kimono to create into short and sexy dresses and that is the complete opposite of what the conservative Japanese had.
The host community could also be irritated due to tourist behavior. Blowing nose in public is socially unaccepted for the Japanese. They also do not show love affection openly. Hence, the more passionate tourist may need to take note of this factor.
However, it causes positive impacts as well. Firstly, tourism could act as a force for peace as it brings people into contact with each other. This could also open up business and love opportunities for travellers. As they exchange conversations, they could share about each other’s cultures and customs which will lead to understanding and reduce prejudice.
Secondly, facilities that are built for tourism can also be beneficial for the locals. They will be able to experience higher level of service rendered.
Thirdly, though natural and cultural sites may be destroyed for tourism purpose, it also raises awareness of the financial value of it thus stimulating pride in their heritage.
“The New YearandObonare the biggest events in the annual calendar.” –Japan-zone.com
There are many different festivals in Japan, however, in this entry I will focus on three of the major ones.
1.Shogatsu, New Year. January 1
This is the most important holiday in Japan. Most businesses are shut down from January 1-3 and families gather to celebrate this occasion. Sending cards out to co-workers, relatives and friends is a popular custom here. It is also a tradition to visit shrines and temples on this day. The most popular one, being Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine can attract up to several million people throughout these three days. Hanetsuki (Japanese badminton) is one of the games played during The New Year.
2.Hina Matsuri, Doll Festival. March 3
This is a festival exclusive for the girls. On this day, dolls are displayed together with peach blossom. Dolls are placed on a five or seven-tiered display representing the Emperor, Empress, and their court.It is believed in the Chinese custom that bad fortune will be transferred to the dolls and then remove after abandoning the dolls at the river. The best place to experience this is at Kada shrine.
3.Obon, Bon Festival. July/August 13-15
This is an event to honor their ancestors and those who have passed on. On this day, lanterns are hung in front of houses and families do grave visits together. Floating paper lanterns are also lighted up and put in rivers, lakes or seas. Many traditions vary from region to region.
The game of hanetsuki, battledore refers to Japanese badminton. This game is traditionally reserved for females and played only during the New Year’s holidays. (Kiritani, 1995)
The front of the rectangular board, Hagoita is designed with images of Kabuki actors, popular celebrities or anime characters etc.
With globalization and disneyization occurring, many of the architectures in Japan are increasingly becoming “Disneyized”.
Theming: Universal Studios Japan
The Best Movie Theme Park Hollywood has ever produced.
Indulge in a world of famous movie stars. The theme park comes alive with all these great characters around! It becomes more than just a place for the locals or tourist to take roller-coaster rides. All the rides, restaurants and shops are themed to some very famous movie characters and architectures. For example, one of the few souvenir shops, Studio style in pink is themed to the movie Pink Panther. Another example is the ride called Shrek’s 4-D Adventure which is themed to the movie Shrek.
Hybrid consumption: Tokyo Disneyland Hotel
The main principle is to get people to stay longer and hopefully create unanticipated want along the way.
The Victorian design of this hotel is not just restricted to the main structure but also stretches to the lobby, design of rooms, restaurants, banquet rooms and garden.
One example of the garden design is Alice’s Garden which is themed to the classic Disney film, Alice in Wonderland.
When visitors enter the hotel, there is an immediate rush to take photos of every single structure. It is a place that enables you to relax your mind and be immersed with the beauty it delivers. No doubt it will attract people of all ages because it is never too late to delight yourselves.
Perfomative Labour: Maid Café
The employee is important to create the right experience. They have huge responsibility over guest’s satisfaction.
The staff working and serving in the café have to always be in their best appearance and address guests by “master”.
Merchandising: Anime & Manga Characters
Anime is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of “animation” whereas Manga is the Japanese word for “comics”. There are many of its supporters in Japan and is a worldwide hit. Even in Singapore, you get to see people of all ages Cosplay (costume play) in their favourite characters.
There are also many types of merchandise on sale that has such characters printed on it. You might spot enthusiastic with a whole collection or series of their favourites. Anime and Manga characters are not the only ones that are popular, cartoon characters originating from Japan are prominent in many products as well. Most of the goods sold are appropriate as gifts, souvenirs and daily use.
This video reveal how an Ainu girl changed her negative perception towards her own culture and began to love it and hoping to pass it down to later generations.
Japan has many interesting places of interest to offer to tourists. Their food, fashion and traditional cultures has inspired and influenced people in many ways. There are also many wonderful creations that came from Japan that has aid people in one way or another. Although some of the cultures can’t really be seen in daily lives right now, certain gestures are still being practiced by the Japanese.
Hokkaido, being one of the popular cities in Japan is spectacular. Little do people know the existence of an indigenous group of people.
It is sad to see that instead of being proud of their heritage, some of the Ainu people could not free themselves from being stereotyped, they feel shameful and rather choose to forsake it for life. Though culture can be passed down generation by generation, it takes more than just a few to sustain the blood line.
Instead of feeling out of place, they should cultivate and feel belong because every culture is unique on its own and it is something tourist like to explore into while visiting a place.
Being the minority does not mean they have to conform, instead, they could take this opportunity to stand out and shine.
