Art

Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture, ink painting and calligraphy on silk and paper, ukiyo-e woodblock prints, kirie, kirigami, origami, and more recently manga - modern Japanese cartoons - along with a myriad of other types of works of art. It also has a long history, ranging from the beginnings of human habitation in Japan, sometime in the 10th millennium BC, to the present.

Historically, Japan has been subject to sudden invasions of new and alien ideas followed by long periods of minimal contact with the outside world. Over time the Japanese developed the ability to absorb, imitate, and finally assimilate those elements of foreign culture that complemented their aesthetic preferences. The earliest complex art in Japan was produced in the 7th and 8th centuries in connection with Buddhism. In the 9th century, as the Japanese began to turn away from China and develop indigenous forms of expression, the secular arts became increasingly important; until the late 15th century, both religious and secular arts flourished. After the Ōnin War (1467–1477), Japan entered a period of political, social, and economic disruption that lasted for over a century. In the state that emerged under the leadership of the Tokugawa shogunate, organized religion played a much less important role in people's lives, and the arts that survived were primarily secular.

Painting is the preferred artistic expression in Japan, practiced by amateurs and professionals alike. Until modern times, the Japanese wrote with a brush rather than a pen, and their familiarity with brush techniques has made them particularly sensitive to the values and aesthetics of painting. With the rise of popular culture in the Edo period, a style of woodblock prints called ukiyo-e became a major art form and its techniques were fine tuned to produce colorful prints of everything from daily news to schoolbooks. The Japanese, in this period, found sculpture a much less sympathetic medium for artistic expression; most Japanese sculpture is associated with religion, and the medium's use declined with the lessening importance of traditional Buddhism.

Japanese ceramics are among the finest in the world and include the earliest known artifacts of their culture. In architecture, Japanese preferences for natural materials and an interaction of interior and exterior space are clearly expressed.

Today, Japan rivals most other modern nations in its contributions to modern art, fashion and architecture, with creations of a truly modern, global, and multi-cultural (or acultural) bent.

There's No Place Like Home

Apartments are usually rented through real estate agents rather than landlords. Real estate offices can be recognized by listings of available apartments in their show windows. They also advertise on signs in the neighborhood and in various publications.

Conventional real estate companies

The rental system of many conventional real estate companies is not very foreigner friendly.

Apartments are usually rented for a minimum of two years, which conflicts with the fact that many foreigners stay in Japan for less than two years.

Furthermore, most landlords are naturally reluctant to rent their apartments to foreigners who are not able to communicate in Japanese. Some of them will even categorically refuse their service to non permanent residents out of fear of frictions.

Many agents also require you to provide them with information about your financial background and to have a guarantor co-sign the rental contract as another security measure. Certain conditions apply as who can serve as your guarantor. It must usually be a Japanese national with a stable financial background.

Not at last, entering a rental contract with a conventional real estate company is very expensive. A number of refundable and non refundable fees have to be paid, often totaling three to ten months' rent, depending on the company and apartment:

Reservation fee (tetsukekin) 

The tetsukekin is paid when you apply for an apartment, and before the actual rental contract is signed. It serves as a guarantee for you that the apartment is not given to somebody else, and for the agent that you do not change your mind. It is refunded after the actual contract is signed and is usually equivalent to about one month's rent.

Deposit (shikikin) 

The deposit is used to cover eventual future damage to the apartment. The deposit minus the cost for repairs is refunded when you move out. The deposit is usually equivalent to several months' rent.

Key money (reikin) 

This is a non refundable payment to the landlord in the amount of up to several months' rent.

Service fee (chukai tesuryo) 

This is a non refundable payment to the real estate agent in the amount of at most one month's rent.

In most cases, apartments come unfurnished, utilities are not included in the rent, and pets are not allowed. Please read more about Japanese apartments and furniture.

Real estate companies for foreigners

Real estate companies, which specifically target Japan's foreign community, exist mainly in Tokyo and other large metropolitan areas. They offer private and shared apartments for conditions that are much more suitable to the needs of foreigners, and often have staff trained in foreign languages.

For example, they offer rental contracts for much shorter time periods and lower and fewer initial fees than conventional companies. In addition, their apartments are often already furnished, and the cost for utilities may be included in the monthly rent.

Many real estate companies for foreigners operate so called gaijin houses ("foreigner houses"), a very inexpensive type of accommodation, while others target individuals and businesses on larger budgets and with higher requirements.

Oragami

Origami, the art of folding paper to create objects or animals, is a Japanese tradition that is important in many celebrations. The true origin of origami is the subject of much speculation. Although the practice was the most extensive in Japan, there is evidence supporting a tradition of paper folding as an art form in China, Spain, Germany, and many other countries. Direct evidence is difficult to find as paper is very quick to decompose, so references in the published materials of the times have to be trusted.

The earliest pieces of evidence that can be found to suggest paper folding existed and was practiced in Europe are the picture of the tiny paper boat that exists in the Tractatus de Sphaera Mundi (1490).  Western paper folding is thought to have been started by the race known as the Moors. Whether this knowledge was obtained on the silk route or independently-acquired is unknown.

The earliest reference that clearly supports paper folding in Japan is the short poem written in 1680 by Ihara Saikaku. This poem describes a dream that involves paper butterflies. These paper butterflies were made with the technique of origami to symbolize the brides and grooms in Shinto wedding organizations. This type of paper folding had become part of these important ceremonies by Japan's Heian Period, which lasted from the end of the eight century to the end of the twelfth century. Samurai warriors also exchanged origami in the form of folded paper strips, called Noshi, which were tokens of good luck.

Akita Yoshizawa devised a large number of origami innovations in the early 1900s. These innovations included the Yoshizawa-Randlett diagramming system and the wet-folding technique. He spoke openly about the profound way in which he viewed the art of origami, saying he wished "to fold the laws of nature, the dignity of life, and the expression of affection into my work." His work inspired a great resurgence of the art. This resurgence in popularity lasted until the 1980s, when origami experienced another boost in popularity. During the 1980s, it was trendy to study the folded forms' mathematical properties in an academic way. This led the way to origami models that exhibited greatly-increased complexity. This trend continued into the 1990s. After this time, many origami artists embraced a return to simpler forms of folded paper artwork.  With the advent of the Internet, it has become possible for people around the world to find instructions and step-by-step visual examples of how to fold different shapes out of paper.  This has made it easier for anyone to become somewhat proficient in the art of origami, provided they put in the proper amount of time and practice. It has also led to yet another resurgence in origami's  popularity.

The art of origami is still alive and inspiring people to create beautiful forms from paper.

Nostalgia

I long for a trip to Japan again. I miss the surprisingly agrarian countryside and the breathtaking landscape. 

I miss our unique hotels and the culture that they brought. We stayed in huts in a hotel in Fukushima 

Prefecture. There we were accommodated with cultural ceremonies and a truly amazing atmosphere. An early morning walk in the woods is an isolation from Japan. It transports you for a little bit back home. Nothing in the woods except the living is Japanese. There aren't any signs or Japanese characters. It's a relaxing walk that provokes many thoughts. Taking in everything around you is a hard task and I miss those mornings of solitude in the forest.

I miss the food. It was a whole new world of food that I had never explored before. Eel sushi octopus dumplings, and shellfish were among my bravest attempts at living the Japanese culture. Sweet treats, breads, and donuts found their way into my stomach as well. Sometimes the most common thing to the Japanese is so different to us. Melon bread was my favorite treat in Japan. 

I miss the city. Inspiring cityscapes and skyscrapers were plentiful outside of our hotels and in Tokyo. The city was a wonderful place to experience so much Japanese culture in one place. It is truly a one stop shop. Navigating the city was a whole new experience. We walked most places and on one occasion were responsible to get back to our hotel by eleven o'clock one evening in a small group. Remembering buildings and landmarks was key in my groups exploration.

I miss the fear of new adventures. Being in a Japanese home for the first time in my life was a little daunting. I felt very much alone those nights that I spent with my host family. They all spoke this completely different language than I did and had hardly any English knowledge. Sometimes I could catch snippets of what they were saying, but rarely did I understand a full sentence. I had only had one year of language education when they had been speaking it since birth. I did pick up several new vocabulary terms in the home stay. I also learned that absence of family really hurts, but family can be found in many different, unexpected places. Although I towered over my host mom, I felt that she understood my fright at such a new adventure and was very good at comforting me and asking if I needed anything. 

I miss Japan. I'm very glad that such an opportunity was available for me, but I am filled with regrets that I won't be back in the country for some time. Often I wonder when I will return. I wish that I took more pictures because of the 500 that I did take, it wasn't even close to the experience that I had. 

Game Shows

Japan is known for its funny and bizarre game shows. An American portrayal of Japanese game show called 

I Survived a Japanese Game Show (originally titled Big in Japan) is an American reality show that saw its first season premiere on ABC June 24, 2008. The show followed a group of Americans, who leave the United States for Japan where they competed in a Japanese style game show. The winner takes home US $250,000. The series won both the Best Reality prize and the overall prize at the 2009 Rose d'Or ceremony.

In Season One, contestants are informed that they are to take part in a reality-style competition, but not informed of the nature of the show. They are flown to Tokyo, Japan, and taken to the Toho a Studios, where it is revealed that they are to compete on a Japanese game show called Majide. For Season Two, Majide host Rome Kanda surprised each of the contestants in their hometowns informing them they were going to Japan. They are broken up into teams and, in the first six episodes of Season One and first seven episodes and the first half of the final episode of Season Two, competed in games against each other. The winning team was given a reward activity while the losing team was given a punishment activity. In the second season, the first game played saw the winning team have an advantage into the second game, where rewards and punishments were handed out afterward. In the final episode, the first two games reverted to the rules of Season One. Two members of the losing team are chosen to compete in an additional game head-to-head where the loser of that game is eliminated. (In general, the losing team chooses its two players as a team, although in the event that they fail to come to a decision, their opponents make the selection for them.) If the losing team has only two players remaining, then both have to compete in the elimination game. In the final part, the teams are broken up and the four remaining players face three elimination challenges in Season One, and final three facing two elimination games in Season Two; in all cases, the losing contestant was eliminated from the show and carried offstage and sent back to the United States by the "sayonara mob" dressed in black suits.

The series followed not only the Majide competition, but also the contestants' activities backstage and outside the game show in reality style. The contestants lived in a house together in the suburb of Kasai, with a Mama-San (Kozue Saito), who generally expects the contestants to live in line with Japanese culture and customs. In season 2, they live in the Majide Guest House with Mama-san.

The host of season one was Japanese-American Tony Sano, whose additional television credits include MTV Spring Break Japan and a recurring role on the The CW4Kids series Kamen Rider. About the show, Sano commented, "It's going to be like nothing American audiences have seen on network television." (Matt Hurwitz, Associated Press) Episodes are narrated by Robert Cait.

Coming of Age Day

Coming of Age Day is a Japanese holiday held annually on the second Monday of January. This year it is today, January 13, 2014. It is held in order to confestulate and encourage all those who have reached the age of majority which is twenty years old over the past year, and to help them realize that they have become adults. Festivities are held including coming of age ceremonies held at local prefectural offices, as well as after parties between family and friends. Coming of age ceremonies mark one's coming of age (age of majority), which reflects both the expanded rights but also increased responsibilities expected of new adults. The ceremonies are generally held in the morning at local city offices throughout Japan. All hound adults who turned or will turn twenty between April 2 oft he previous year and April 1 of the current one and who maintain residency in the area are invited to attend. Government officials give speeches, and small presents are handed out to the newly recognized adults. 

Until recently, all young adults attending the coming of age ceremony were exactly twenty, having held their twentieth birthday after the previous year's Coming of Age Day but before the present Coming of Age Day. In current practice, some of those attending the coming of age ceremony are actually only nineteen years old. Attendees are those whose twentieth birthday falls between April 2 of the previous year and April 1 of the current year. 

Many women celebrate this day by wearing furisode, a style of kimono with long sleeves that hang down, and zōri sandals. Since most are unable to put on a kimono by themselves due to the intricacies involved, many choose to visit a beauty salon to dress and to set their hair. A full set of formal clothing is expensive, so it is usually either borrowed from a relative or rented rather than bought especially for the occasion. Men sometimes also wear traditional dress (e.g. dark kimono with hakama), but nowadays many men wear formal Western clothes such as a suit and tie more often than the traditional hakama.After the ceremony, the young adults often celebrate in groups by going to parties or going out drinking.

Happy New Year

New Year (shogatsu or oshogatsu) is considered the most important holiday in Japan. Most businesses shut down from January 1 to January 3, and families typically gather to spend the days together.

Years are traditionally viewed as completely separate, with each new year providing a fresh start. Consequently, all duties are supposed to be completed by the end of the year, while bonenkai parties ("year forgetting parties") are held with the purpose of leaving the old year's worries and troubles behind.

Homes and entrance gates are decorated with ornaments made of pine, bamboo and plum trees, and clothes and houses are cleaned.

On New Year's eve, toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles), symbolizing longevity, are served. A more recent custom is watching the music show "kohaku uta gassen", a highly popular television program featuring many of Japan's most famous J-pop and enka singers in spectacular performances.

January 1 is a very auspicious day, best started by viewing the new year's first sunrise (hatsu-hinode), and traditionally believed to be representative for the whole year that has just commenced. Therefore, the day is supposed be full of joy and free of stress and anger, while everything should be clean and no work should be done.

It is a tradition to visit a shrine or temple during shogatsu (hatsumode). The most popular temples and shrines, such as Tokyo's Meiji Shrine, attract several million people during the three days. Most impressive are such visits at the actual turn of the year, when large temple bells are rung at midnight.

Various kinds of special dishes are served during shogatsu. They include osechi ryori, otoso (sweetened rice wine) and ozoni (a soup with mochi).

There are also a few games traditionally played on New Year, however, their popularity has decreased in recent times. Hanetsuki (Japanese badminton), takoage (kite flying), and karuta (a card game) are some of them.

A very popular custom is the sending of New Year's cards, which are specially marked to be delivered on January 1. It is not uncommon for one person to send out several dozens of cards to friends, relatives and co-workers.

Several stores will also give out New Years gift bags filled with lots of fun toys for kids to have. The businesses but in up to $200 of merchandise in these bags. 

A New Year means a transition in the animals of the Japanese zodiac calendar. Like the Western Zodiac, the Japanese Zodiac is rooted in astronomy, cosmology, and divination. It’s based on the belief that people born within the same time period tend to share certain personality traits and is deeply embedded in Japanese culture. The key difference between the Western Zodiac and the Japanese Zodiac is the Japanese Zodiac has a twelve-year cycle and each year of the cycle is represented by an animal sign. The Western Zodiac follows a twelve month cycle with each period being assigned an astrological sign.

The Japanese Zodiac was originally introduced from China during the sixth century and spread among the general public during the Edo period (1600–1868 AD). Even today, every single Japanese person knows the animal sign of the year in which he or she was born. Proof that the Japanese Zodiac is still maintaining its influence in modern day Japan can be seen by Japanese people sending New Year’s greeting cards featuring the animal of the coming year.

Each animal in the Japanese Zodiac is not only associated with a year and month, but also represents a two-hour period of the day (24 hours divided by 12 animals). For instance, 2 a.m to 2.30 a.m is called “ushi-mitsu-doki (the third quarter of ox hours)”, people in ancient Japan believed that it was the time for devils. The animals of the hour you were born in are called secret animals, and they are considered your true self. 

Animals included are:

Rat

Ox

Tiger

Rabbit

Dragon

Snake

Horse

Sheep

Monkey

Rooster

Dog

Boar