Japanese Tradition

Chopsticks are indispensable cutlery items when it comes to Japanese cuisine. They are used not only for eating, but also for cooking.

Shojin ryori (vegetarian Buddhist cuisine) is one of Japan’s traditional cuisines that was born from the Buddhist concept that meals were also a part of religious practice.

Fireworks that color the night sky are synonymous with summer in Japan, and fireworks festivals are held throughout the country every year, mainly during July and August.

Nohgaku is a Japanese traditional art that has been practiced since the Muromachi period — more than 600 years.

A yukata is a type of Japanese clothing that is worn in summer. It is a thin cotton kimono that is relatively easy to wear compared to a regular kimono.

Kado（flower arrangement） is a traditional Japanese art in which flower vases are adorned with seasonal flowers and plants for people to appreciate. This art is also known as ikebana.

Japanese summer is not only hot but humid. For this reason, Japan has long had various tools and methods for cooling off in order to find comfort in the severe heat.

Rakugo is an art of humorous storytelling that has been around for 400 years, since the Edo period. It is performed in an entertainment hall known as a "yose".

In Japanese, wearing Japanese clothing is referred to as waso, and the accessories needed to put them on are called waso komono.

Buddha statues are objects worshipped in Buddhism.

The ukiyo-e that were developed in the Edo period were the advertising posters, postcards, and book illustrations of their time.

Nihonshu (Japanese sake) is a type of alcohol made by fermenting rice. It has been produced in Japan for more than 1,000 years.

Japan is a volcanic country, and so it has a lot of hot springs.

Zazen is a practice found in Zen, one kind of Buddhism.

The Ninjas that often appear in Japanese period dramas were undercover fighters who were active from the Sengoku period to the Edo period.

At first, castles were defensive bases, but later shoguns and samurai started living in them.

When sumo wrestling first became popular in Japan 1500 years ago, it was a ritual used to predict the outcome of crop harvests.

Kimonos are Japan's traditional national dress.

At one time in Japan, people ate nuts, fruit, and berries as snacks. It is said that this gave rise to what we now call confectionery.

Traditional Japanese houses are made of wood and their roofs are covered with tiles.