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Articles by "Japanese Culture Basics"

Articles introducing the fundamentals and broad overview of Japanese culture — etiquette, seasonal awareness, and the everyday details that shape life in Japan. Sources include official tourism associations and the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

a person cooking in a kitchen
Japanese Traditional Crafts: What Ceramics and Lacquerware Can Teach You About Slowness
Most people encounter Japanese traditional crafts as souvenirs. A lacquered chopstick box at an air…
  • Ceramics & Pottery
  • Japanese Culture Basics
  • Traditional Crafts
Industrial stainless steel tanks in a long hallway.
From Sake Brewery to Tea Room: Understanding Japan’s Two Worlds of Refinement
The morning I first visited a sake brewery in Niigata, the wooden gates were still slick with dew. …
  • Japanese Culture Basics
  • Sake & Breweries
  • Tea Ceremony
Traditional japanese temple gate under a clear blue sky.
Learning the Proper Way to Visit a Shrine — From the Two Bows, Two Claps, One Bow to Passing Through the Torii Gate
神社を訪れるとき、多くの人が「なんとなく」参拝しているのではないでしょうか。鳥居をくぐり、手水舎で…
  • How-To
  • Japanese Culture Basics
  • Shrines & Temples
person doing clay containers
Discovering Japanese Traditional Crafts: Learning Materials and Techniques in Ceramics, Lacquerware, and Textiles
日本の伝統工芸を前にすると、多くの人が感じるのは「美しい」という単純な感動と同時に、「これはどうや…
  • Art
  • How-To
  • Japanese Culture Basics
Red lanterns line the stone steps.
Walking the Historic Roads of Kyoto, Nara, and Kamakura — What Post Towns Reveal About Japanese Travel Culture
日本の古都を訪れるとき、多くの人は駅から直接観光地へ向かう。しかし江戸時代以前、旅人たちは街道を歩…
  • Japanese Culture Basics
  • Japanese History
  • Travel & Getting Around Japan
Wooden torii gate in a dark forest setting.
The Etiquette of Shrine Worship: Meaning and Practice of Two Bows, Two Claps, One Bow
神社を訪れた際に「どう参拝すればいいのか分からない」という悩みは多いものです。参拝客の多くは周囲の…
  • How-To
  • Japanese Culture Basics
  • Shrines & Temples
Elegant room with a long wooden table and chairs.
Why Sengoku Tea Master Sen no Rikyū Became Beloved by Those in Power Through Chanoyu
茶の湯は、単なる茶を点てる作法ではありません。戦国時代から江戸時代にかけて、織田信長・豊臣秀吉・徳…
  • Japanese Culture Basics
  • Japanese History
  • Shrines & Temples
Elegant room with a long wooden table and chairs.
The Foundations of Tea Ceremony: Beginning with the Etiquette of a Single Bowl
日本茶を習い始めたけれど、所作が多くて覚えられない。茶室に入るまでの流れが分からない。そもそも、な…
  • How-To
  • Japanese Culture Basics
black and silver key beside white paper
The Japanese Aesthetic: Learning from Three “Ways”—Martial Arts, Calligraphy, and Flower Arrangement
日本文化を語るとき、「武道」「書道」「華道」という三つの言葉をよく耳にします。しかし、これらがどう…
  • Art
  • How-To
  • Japanese Culture Basics
Japanese room with traditional decorations is shown.
The Way of Tea: Essential Etiquette and Mindset for Beginners
茶道に興味はあるけれど、細かい作法が多すぎて敷居が高いと感じている方は少なくありません。「正座が苦…
  • How-To
  • Japanese Culture Basics