The Best of Japanese Culture...well at least for me =D

        

Two words that best describe Japanese culture is “highly traditional”. This is demonstrated in their practice and etiquettes in tea ceremonies, folk arts such as porcelain Japanese dolls, kimonos, hand-crafted ceramic dishes and beautifully-designed lacquer bowls. Although traces of Chinese and Korean influences may still be seen in some aspects of Japanese culture, the latter was still able to retain its uniqueness and it continues to share with the world their signature contributions.  One of the things that Japan is known for is their food. Japan’s tradition diet of fish, whether raw or cooked, is one of the healthiest in the world.  Furthermore, sushi, tempura, robatayaki and teppanyaki are considered the main representatives of Japanese cuisine. Another part of Japan’s culture would be its traditional music known as Hogaku which is of various styles where the oldest of which is the Gagauku which was performed in courts. The Japanese garden also stands out among the others because it has a Zen-like experience in itself. Other than this, another part of Japan’s culture would be art, architecture and literature. During the 7^th and 8^th century, art was greatly influenced by Buddhism. In writing, however, women writers dominated early Japanese literature. Men were educated in Chinese so their works in literature were predominantly influenced by Chinese language and styles.

            Honestly speaking, I truly admire the beauty of the culture of Japan. In fact, I wanted to travel there last summer but we weren’t able to. Well if It were pushed through, the first thing I’d do is to go shopping. I just love their clothes and I admire their good sense of style. Because I am an avid fan of Hello Kitty, I would really want to visit Sanrio Puroland. Yes, I know, I still have that kid in me and I just can’t ignore it. It would be nice to buy a lot of Hello Kitty things while I am in Japan. Also, I wouldn’t want to miss out Japanese food because despite the fact that it is sumptuous, it is also dished out in small servings so finishing it wouldn’t be a problem for me. Examples would be those mentioned in the first paragraph.   However, what I truly want to have is shabu-shabu since it’s simple yet delectable and you get to cook it by yourself.  So yeah, technically, what I love most about Japan is their food. Hehe!

           Although I haven’t gone last summer, I still believe that there is still a next time. All I can do as of now is to pray and wait for the go signal. 

Source:  Introduction to Japanese Culture by Debbie Salcedo

  ~ Elesia Mae R. Jo ~