Japan: History and Tradition

Japanese history and traditional culture for daily life. Updated daily.

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The Coffee Yaro are travelling to the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku this time. The Robot Restaurant is a major tourist attraction in Tokyo right now, popping up in conversation even between Japanese nationals and locals. It is simply a show-pub which features caricatures of Japanese pop culture - strange Kabuki-style dancing, loud drums, and a Power Rangers style performance. Is it a must-see? Well... those of you who are into real, authentic Japanese culture (tea ceremonies, real Kabuki, history) will find it offensive. But those of you who are here for the anime-samurai-sushi-geisha side of Japan will find it entertaining, especially if you have kids or dull parents who can’t stomach raw fish.

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Coffee Yaro #3 in Ochiai コーヒーヤロー 落合

In our third episode, the Coffee Yaro visit the area of Ochiai, with the Coco House cafe, Edo-sarasa print dyeing, and a chat about where to get big sized cl...

A charming series about Japanese culture and coffee! Well explained.

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How to tie a Yukata

A yukata (浴衣) is a summer kimono, originally used as sleepwear. Most onsen (温泉 = hot springs) will lend a yukata to their patrons, in the same way one might use a robe. Unlike a robe, however, a yukata is acceptable attire even outside the home.

It is quite simple to tie, though will take a few times of practice to get the hashiori (端折り) fold right. First of all, you need to match the bottom hem to a length just below the ankles. Wrap always left over right, and tie around the hip bones. Then, you smooth the top half of the kimono over the string with which you tied the waist. Men do not use a hashiori - their yukata drops straight down. 

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The coincidence in history -  WTF fun facts

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Miyajima / Itsukushima

Miyajima (宮島) is the popular name of the island Itsuku-shima (厳島), located northwest of Hiroshima. Its big red torii (鳥居) gate is often used on postcards and other visuals about Japan, and is one of the “great three views of Japan,” as described by Hayashi Gaho (林 鵞峰) in 1643. The island is the home to Setonaikai National Park, although it is populated by about 2,000 inhabitants.

Besides the obvious Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社) and its famous torii, Miyajima is also famous for its momiji maples (紅葉) and deer, which are symbols not oly of the island, but of the city of Hiroshima as well. Momiji manju are popular treats from this area.

Also famous from this island is a shakushi (杓子) a wooden rice scoop originally designed by a monk named Seishin (誓真) in the 18th century simply as a souvenir. Made of sakura wood, the shakushi proved to work in bringing in luck, happiness, and success as long as they are used. Even during the modern day, families who visit Miyajima bring the shakushi home, where it replaces the standard plastic one - it’s a small point of pride to use Miyajima shakushi at home, and is displayed so that anyone can see the emblem.

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Yamazaki Masayoshi

Yamazaki Masayoshi (山崎 まさよし) is a Japanese songwriter whose music often becomes the theme songs for romantic dorama on television and commercials. Born on the 23rd of December in 1971, his pure guitar music and clear voice are enchanting enough to have a strong following in the young adult category.

You can view his most popular song, "One More Time," here on YouTube.

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August in Japan

The traditional Japanese name for August is Hazuki (葉月), literally the “month of leaves.” Other names for August are Aki-kaze-tsuki (秋風月) “month that brings the autumn breeze”, Hae-zuki (南風月) “month of typhoons,” and Tsuki-mi-zuki (月見月), the “month of moon watching.”

Since matsuri (祭り), or, festivals, are so common this month, Hazuki is often portrayed with hanabi (花火), or fireworks patterns. Instead of wearing kimono, yukata are acceptable, and carrying an uchiwa (内輪) fan is common in lieu of a traditional folding sensu (扇子) fan.

The colors for Hazuki are yellow, green and blue. These colors are used on clothing and hair clips, accessories and greeting cards, and will be seen on kimono. Another traditional pattern used often this month is the traditional water pattern, as shown in the picture above.

The foods of Hazuki are goya (ゴーヤ) , eggplant (茄子), and cucumber; fruits: watermelon, pear, and muscat grapes; seafood: suzuki (鱸), awabi (アワビ), kuruma-ebi (車エビ) and konbu seaweed (昆布).

Hazuki also boasts extremely hot and humid weather - this is moreso in recent years, as during the Edo period this was considered the beginning of autumn already. As a result, “natsubate” or, heat sickness, is a common ailment. Therefore, salty drinks will become more prevalent, too.

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Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga (織田信長) is considered responsible for unifying Japan after the feudal Sengoku Period. He was born on this date in Nagoya castle, and ended up the ruler of all Japan.

While he was growing up, Nobunaga was considered nuts because of his odd behavior. He would run around like a terror throughout his teen years, studied only what he pleased, would show off and throw food, sing all the time, and play with any kid he came across, regardless of their rank in society. When his father died, he threw incense at the funeral altar. He was so ill behaved, that after this incident, his mentor took responsibility for being unable to raise him right, and committed seppuku (切腹).

This incident drastically changed his life, for it is said that he realized at that moment how much his actions affect the people around him, directly and indirectly. 

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National Treasures

The National Treasures of Japan are items which are considered of high historical and artistic value and registered as such by the Ministry of Education and Sciences. As if 2008, there have been 1076 such items registered. 214 of these are buildings or places, and the rest are arts or crafts.

The prefecture which boasts the most is Kyoto (京都府), where 256 national treasures are available for viewing and visiting. However there are four prefectures which to this day boast no national treasures at all. These are Gunma (群馬), Tokushima (徳島), Saga (佐賀), and Miyazaki (宮崎).

However the lists change all the time as new items are discovered and researched. For example, until 2007, Hokkaido (北海道) too had no such national treasures until the discovery of the Jomon Period (縄文時代) earthenware Chukudogu (中空土偶) figurine (pictured above). Kumamoto Prefecture (熊本県), too, only registered the Aoi Aso Jinja (青井阿蘇神社) in 2008. 

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Nihon Sankei

Japan has a tradition of creating “top three” lists about everything and anything. One of those famous top three lists is called the Nihon Sankei (日本三景) or literally, “[Top] Three Views of Japan.” They are: Miyagi Prefecture’s “Matsushima” (松島) pine islands, Kyoto’s "Amano-hashidate" (天橋立) sandbar, and Hiroshima’s famous "Miyajima" (宮島), which you may have already seen in movies and postcards.

The Nihon Sankei were first described by the scholar Hayashi Gaho (林鵞峰) during the Edo Period (江戸時代), 20th year of Kanei (寛永20年), or in Western numbering, 1643. He described them and their significance in his book Nihon Kokuji Kiko (日本国事跡考), or “Thoughts About Japan.” Since he was a famous and reputable scholar at the time, the popularity of his ideas grew and turned into yet another good excuse for vacationers.

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Japan's National Flowers

While most countries settle on one national flower, Japan has two: the chrysanthemum (菊), and the sakura (桜). The sakura is seen all over the country and has sparked the imagination of artists and writers for thousands of years. The chrysanthemum, however, was adopted as the national flower under the Kamakura Period (1185–1333) under the rule of Emperor Go-Toba (後鳥羽天皇), who adopted it as the royal crest, called a kamon (家紋) in Japanese. In hana-kotoba (花言葉), or the meaning given to flowers when given to someone as a gift, chrysanthemum means "high class." Sakura's hana-kotoba are "delicate beauty," "simplicity," and "purity of heart."

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Kyusu

A kyusu (急須) is the Japanese equivalent of a teapot.

Coming in many sizes, traditional kyusu have a handle that protrudes from the side like a stick (yokode 横手急須), as opposed to a rounded British-style handle (ushirode 後手急須), or top-handle kyusu (uwade 上手急須). After the introduction of English tea in the Meiji period, Western-style handles became available.

Since most tea in Japan is sold loose-leaf and not in tea bags, many kyusu come with wire nets in the top to prevent the leaves from pouring out. The wire nets are removable and can be purchased separately to replace when they get old. The wire nets are a relatively new addition to the kyusu - before the nets, people did not mind getting a few loose leaves of tea in their teacup.

[atlasobscura]

Tanuki the Tipsy Trickster: Why a Well-Endowed Raccoon Dog Is Big in Japan

The signs and symbols of Japan can be disorientating, as Western signage such as the striped barber’s pole and the green/red man of traffic lights is blended with more traditional symbols, such as the hanging drapes that indicate onsen (traditional baths), the red-caped kitsune (fox-gods), and jizo (statues of dead children, dressed to stay warm against the cold of the grave.)

One of the more curious symbols is the tanuki, a raccoon dog that represents a traditional Japanese prankster god. The tanuki is known in the West best from Super Mario Brothers 3, which features a tanuki suit that allows Mario to change form into a statue and to fly, as well as from the Studio Ghibli film Pom Poko, which is about a gang of tanuki (although in the English language version of the film they were misrepresented as badgers.)

The tanuki has a mixed reputation in Japan. Statues of the full-bellied (and large-testicled) tanuki can be found throughout Japan, even if pollution and urban sprawl have taken their toll on the actual animal after which the trickstertakes its name and form. The tanuki is a shape-shifter, and his testicles play an important role in his shifting. Tanukis have legendarily been known to use their testicles as makeshift raincoats, as weapons, and as drums. They knead and massage them into the shape they desire, and often impersonate humans to buy alcohol and delicacies, which is where the tanuki fits into modern Japanese culture. 

Keep reading about the tanuki on Atlas Obscura!

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Furisode

Furisode (振り袖) is a special kind of kimono worn by young, unmarried women. It is used primarily on special occasions such as weddings and the seijin-shiki (成人式) coming-of-age ceremonies, but can also be used on hatsumode (初詣) visits to the temple and other formal events such as tea ceremonies.

The colors of the furisode are bright and occasionally garish, designed to draw attention to the lady wearing it. As the wearer ages, the colors grow gradually more subdued and elegant. The older a woman gets, the less likely they are to use a furisode even if they are unmarried, because they do not want to look like old maids.

A man who wears a furisode in old samurai stories indicates that he is the accompanying male’s lover. Furisode is also worn during nichibu dance (日舞) by both men and women when portraying geisha (芸者) or maiko (舞子) roles.

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Old Japanese Money

Koban (小判) is an archaic type of Japanese money, used between the mid 1500s Kamakura Period (鎌倉時代) through the end of the Edo period (江戸時代).

One koban was worth one ryo (両), which was made out of gold, silver or brass, and thus the value fluctuated with the value of the metal at the time. The Currency Museum of the Bank of Japan states that one ryo had a nominal value equivalent 300,000-400,000 Yen, but was worth only 120,000-130,000 Yen in practice.

If the ryo was the dollar value, then the mon (文) was the smaller “cents.” 5000 mon = 1 ryo.

On June 27, 1871, the koban was abolished and replaced 1:1 for the Yen.

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Kichijoji

Kichijoji (吉祥寺) is a suburb of Tokyo located on the west side of the city. For the last five years, it has been voted the most desirable place to live by town and home magazines across the country.

Kichijoji sits on Inokashira Park (井の頭公園), which used to be a hunting ground for Tokukgawa Ieyasu (徳川家康) in connection with a temple that used to be in the area until 1756.  The temple an adjoining buildings burned down then, but the foundations of the teahouse can be seen. On the foundations of the temple, the Benzaiten Shrine (弁才天神社) were built at a later date.

Kichijoji is most famous for its youth culture, since there are six universities in the area. Due to these universities overwhelming the area, the cost of living stays very low. This attracted a large number of aspiring designers and artists to the area, and as a result the area has the highest ratio of mangaka (漫画家) in the country.

One Piece's Oda Eiichiro (尾田栄一郎), Akira's Ootomo Katsuhiro (大友克洋), horror manga artist Umezu Kazuko (楳図かずお), City Hunter's Hojo Tsukasa (北条司), and of course the world-famous Ghibli Studios are all in Kichijoji.

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Warabi mochi

Warabi-mochi (わらび餅) is a sweet, jello-like treat made from the starch of a warabi (蕨) plant. A warabi plant grows at the side of rivers, and is harvested in the late winter.

The warabi is dried and ground, then spun into a wobbly desert which is often covered with kinako (きな粉), matcha (抹茶), kuro-mitsu (黒蜜), or flavored with azuki (小豆). It often accompanies parfaits as well, since it is a refreshing and only slightly sweet desert.

Warabi-mochi has been recorded in Japan since from before the Heian Period (平安時代), and was one of the favorite foods of the Emperor Daigo (醍醐天皇). It is thought to have come from Kyoto (京都). 

It is eaten from March until the early summer, when the plant is best in season.