Lucky charms (Daruma) in Japan

In Japan we have many kinds of lucky charms which are supposed to bring good luck or to take away bad luck.

Election winner

Daruma dolls are modeled after a great Zen priest "Bodhidarma". Their eyes are blank. When you make a wish, you paint one eye black. And when your wish comes true, you paint in the other eye.

Usually we use them at election time.
Candidates who have won the election paint in the second eye on a big daruma, shouting "Banzai!"(= "Hurray") in front of a daruma.

Daruma dolls are seen as a symbol of perseverance and good luck, making them a popular gift of encouragement. The doll has also been commercialized by many Buddhist temples to use alongside goal setting.

Japanese paintings

Ukiyoe

Ukiyoe

Ukiyoe (pictures of the floating world) is a kind of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings which was originated in the Edo period (1600-1868 AD). It features motifs of landscapes, beautiful women, sumo wrestlers, theaters and pleasure quarters. Ukiyoe used to be affordable to ordinary people becayse they were mas-produced to meet the demand of the merchant class, who were not generally rich enough to buy original paintings.
Ukiyoe introduced the Japanese image (such as Mt. Fuji or Geisha girls) to the rest of world. It is well known that French Impressionists like Van Gogh got influence of the painting style of Ukiyoe.

Suibokuga

Suibokuga

Suibokuga (Ink painting) is a style of Indian-ink painting which was introduced to Japan from China in the 14th century. The Zen priest, Sesshu, perfected the Suibokuga in the 16th.
Controlling your brush strokes and shading the ink are the most important techniques of Suibokuga.

Japanese traditional tableware

Imari yaki (Jiki)

The Japanese ceramic ware is very famous for its artistic quality.

Among them, Jiki (porcelain), Toki (pottery) and Shikki (lacquerware) are especially famous:

Jiki (porcelain) is glazed porcelain with a white translucent body. (ex. Arita(Imari),  Kiyomizu, Seto, Kutani etc)

Hagi yaki (Toki)

Toki (pottery) is glazed pottery with an opaque body. (ex. Hagi, Oribe, Mashiko)

Wajima nuri (Shikki)

Shikki is lacquerware, most soup bowls and some chopsticks are lacquered. (ex. Wajima ,Aizu, Tsugaru-nuri)

Shippo yaki

Shippoyaki is a beautiful cloisonné type of ceramic ware. A glass-like glaze is applied to metals and the ceramic foundation with designs of flowers and birds. It's often used for an accessories or a plate.

Shoes in a Japanese house

We Japanese take off our shoes when we enter a home.

Genkan to take off shoes

In a Japanese home, there is a kind of entry hall called "Genkan". We leave our shoes in the Genkan. Then we step up into the home.
(If you go into a Japanese-style restaurant, we do the same manner.)

In a home, we usually wear "slippers" in a home. But when entering a tatami room, we take off the slippers, too.

Slippers

Different from the western countries, we take off shoes in the home because we can keep the floor much cleaner. Traditionally most Japanese people live on the floor, (or tatami). We sit there and even sleep there. It is very important for Japanese people to keel the floor clean.

Slippers are very popular in Japan - price from 500 yen to 3,000 yen.

Cute slippers! 

My friend in the US asked me to send several pairs of slippers - he wanted to see if the American people have interest in them - however no one have interest in them. Maybe they have no idea for wearing slippers in a home.

Average Life Expectancy of Japanese people

Trend of life expectancy in Japan

Until recently, Japan had the highest life-expectancy rate for both men and women in the world. Japanese women still hold the number-one position.

The average life expectancy of the Japanese male, as of 2010, was 79 years and that of the female was 86.
The expectancy rates grew rapidly in Japan from the 30's to the 60's and continue to grow steadily today. (In 1935, they were only 46.92 for males and 46.63 for females)
(cf. the average life expectancy rate of people in the world was 66 for men and 70 in 2010. Iceland and Hong Kong are other countries/areas with high life expectancy rates.)

It is said, however, the expectancy rates may stop growing in the near future because of the changing diets of young Japanese, which contain more fat and salt.

One of the reasons for the longer life expectancy in Japan is that our infant mortality rate has been sharply reduced in recent years:(now it is less than 6 deaths among 1000 live births of under 1 years old)
And another reason is that the rapidly decrease in adult diseases. For example, tuberculosis was one of the major causes of death. But now it is almost overcome. And health care becomes much better.

Average family size in Japan

Large family 

The average size of a Japanese family is about 3 or 4 people. Due to the small size of house and high prices, average couples don't have enough room or enough money to afford a large family.
Most Japanese people want their children to have a high standard of living (or to give higher education), they limit the number of family members to 1 or 2.. (i. e. average number of children of a Japanese family is 1.37 (birthrate as of 2008) )

Nuclear family (two generation)

In the past, especially in rural areas, several generations would live together in a house. Recently because of lack of space, it is getting rare to see grand parents living with their children and grandchildren.

Influenced by Buddhism and Confucianism, Japanese people traditionally respect elderly people. Many people still want to have their parents live with them or nearby.
It is good for children to live close to grandparents.

Just for information, children live together with their parents until they have their own new family, even they become 30 or 40 years old, if circumstance is permitted. (without problem of commuting to working place)

Japanese style wedding

Shinto wedding

Christian style of weddings are popular - Japanese people like the long white dresses,veils - its ideal wedding for most women. 

Congratulatory Gift of money

After the wedding ceremony, we have the wedding reception　as is the same in the West. This is usually a dinner or banquet with food and drinks. There is a wedding cake, too.

If you are invited to a Japanese wedding reception, you need to bring a congratulatory gifts of money. The average price of the money is about 30,000 yen. (instead, no gift is needed)

Recently many foreigners who visited Japan have interest in this bag of congratulatory gift of money - as one of art. They buy this bag (photo) as their souvenir. I wonder how they will use it...

The cost of wedding is quite high for brides and bloom.

The average cost to hold a wedding ceremony AND wedding reception is about 3,000,000 yen (to invite 60 people in a hotel or wedding hall)

Recently the less expensive wedding style is popular among younger people -just get a wedding ceremony at shrine which cost about 100,000-150,000 yen and easy party at a restaurant among close friend. 

Arranged marriage in Japan

Photo for marriage meeting

In Japan, we have still arranged marriages. It is said about 75-80% of all Japanese marriages are love marriage, but the rest is still arranged marriage.

Different from the image of old western arranged marriage, there is not pressure to marry an introduced person if you don't want to marry.

A meeting  with a view to marriage is arranged by a go-between (in Japanese, "Nakodo"). Nakodos are just normal citizen who enjoy introducing potential marriage partners. The parents of the man or woman make the first contact with the Nakodo and send profile with the photo which was taken at the photo studio. The parents sometimes attend the first meeting of potential couple. The final decision will be made by the man or woman.

Go-between - Nakodo

Besides this type of grass-roots arrangement, there are many marriage agencies. (this is rather similar to "blind date" in the western countries).  The fee depends on the agency, but the average is : Admin fee 20,000 yen,  monthly fee 10,000 yen, arranging fee: 10,000 yen/person.

The average age to get married for the first time was 31.7 for men and 29.4 for women. (in 2008)
Up until the early 70's, the average age for women was under 25, but it has been rising ever since, as more women are pursuing higher education and professional careers.
Today, both men and women are getting married at a wider range of ages. With this tendency to marry late, the increasing rate of unmarried people, especially women, can be considered a social problem. About 60% of Japanese women between the ages of 25 and 29 aren't married.

Karaoke

Small private rooms divided

Karaoke is one of popular leisure in Japan. Karaoke was invented by a Japanese man, but he did not obtain its patent; he could not be a millionaire.

The meaning of Karaoke in Japanese : kara = empty + oke = orchestra (shorten from orchestra)

There are many Karaoke boxes throughout Japan. In a floor, there are many small private rooms (Karaoke box) with karaoke machine. Normally a group with 2-8 people go into a box. So we don't have to sing in front of strangers.

Karaoke is singing with a pre-existing song, where you replace the original lead singer. Karaoke songs are reproduced to sound like the original song, but without lead vocals. The lyrics of the song are presented to the singer via a video screen, highlighting the words to be sung, so that the singer can follow along without memorizing the song lyrics. 

Inside of Karaoke box

Karaoke is making anyone the singing star they have always wanted to become. And you can get rid of stress.

In a Karaoke box, an hourly room charge is imposed.(average; one person/hr is about 1,000-2,000 yen, drink/food is option) Average hours to spend in a Karaoke box is about 2 or 3 hours.

* Rules of Karaoke Etiquette you should keep in mind when you're out having fun singing:

Respect the Singer

Applaud Everyone

Respect the rotation

Respect the Equipment and Your Audience

Let's fun with your frineds in a Karaoke box.


PS. Karaoke boom was over in Japan (the highest boom was in 1996)
The number of karaoke box facilities in Japan: 128,400 rooms / 9,126 shops (March, 2010)

Average sales of a room/month: about 250,000 yen.

Pachinko

Inside of Pachinko Parlor 

In Japan, Pachinko is one of the popular quick entertainment, mostly by men.
Pachinko is a Japanese pinball machine (upright style)

How to play Pachinko
1) Buy a certain number of balls.
2) Put the balls into the machine
3) Turn the automatic handle and balls start to come out.

Pachinko parlor

Many balls will pour out when you get the balls into the right holes.

Because gambling for cash is illegal in Japan, balls won cannot be exchanged directly for cash in the parlor. Instead, the balls are exchanged for token prizes, which can then be taken outside and traded in for cash at a business that is nominally separate from the parlor, and may be run by organized crime.

Pachinko Machine

Pachinko parlors share the reputation of slot machine dens and casinos the world over — garish decoration; over-the-top architecture; a low-hanging haze of cigarette smoke; the constant din of the machines, music, and announcements; and flashing lights.

Japanese people like Pachinko so much because playing pachinko gives people a chance to relieve their stress. But sometimes people get addicted to it and it ruins their lives. There have been kidnappings and traffic accidents involving young children whose mothers forgot about them while playing pachinko.

Total annual turnover of Pachinko industry : 20 trillion yen
Average of money spent for pachinko/day; 13,596yen
Average of playing by pachinko player: 2-3 times/week