Country: Japan

Topic: 5 Peculiar and Unique Practices and Traditions

General Purpose: To entertain the audience
Specific Purpose: To inform audience about trivial facts about Japan

I.Introduction
A. Paragraph Hook
Have you ever tried balut? How about Dinuguan? Or maybe some other weird Filipino
street food that you would find being sold out there. As you might have noticed, Filipinos have a
lot of quirky foods and unique traditions.
B. Thesis Statement
The Japanese people have a rich culture and therefore, some unique and peculiar
practices and traditions that will leave you scratching your head, are found here--such as
Noodle Slurping, the Big Naked Festival, and Preparing Fugu.

II. Body
A. Arguments / Points for Discussion
 Falling asleep during work hours in Japan.
 Learning to prepare fugu is a serious business.
 There are no janitors in Japan’s schools.
 Slurping is a good thing in Japan.
 Japan has this Big Naked Festival
B. Personal Story (In comparison to Filipino culture) (Unlike the… or Similarly…)
Similarly to Filipino culture, Japanese culture is rich and has a few unique and distinct
traditions and practices. Unlike Filipino culture, Japanese people are more concerned about
organization and morals while we, Filipinos are happy-go-lucky people that give emphasis to
religion.
III. Conclusion
To conclude, Japan is truly a beautiful and unique country with a rich culture and
heritage seen in their distinct practices and traditions. In our own country, let us appreciate what
we have.
The Naturally Strange and Unique Country of Japan

Have you ever tried balut? How about Dinuguan? Or maybe some other weird Filipino
street food that you would find being sold out there. As you might have noticed, Filipinos have a
lot of quirky foods and unique traditions. Some of these traditions are practiced because of
some ancient belief or superstition. Some are done to teach some important value. And some
practices are done just out of habit. These traditions are usually passed down from generation
to generation, reflecting the raw and authentic culture that was lived out before modernity
walked into the portals of the world. Like the Philippines, we can also find traditions that are only
practiced in the country of Japan. These practices can be as unexpected as allowing
employees to sleep in work, and as weird as having a Naked Festival. With that being said, the
Japanese people have a rich culture and therefore, some unique and peculiar practices and
traditions that will leave you scratching your head such as Noodle Slurping, the Big Naked
Festival, and Preparing Fugu, are found here. So without further ado, here are 5 of the most
weirdly normal practices in Japan.

First is that sleeping during work hours is not prohibited in Japan. This practice is called
Inemuri. According to a poll, Japanese workers sleep for just six hours and 22 minutes on work
nights – less than those in any other country. When one doesn’t get enough sleep, their brain
will not function fast and efficiently. Because they are not well rested, they are also not as
productive or active, and they cannot give their best. Therefore, in Japan, when workers do not
get enough sleep, companies encourage their employees to sleep on duty for they believe that
this will help them become more productive. When employees don’t nap in the office or in
public, Japanese consider it as a sign that the employee may not be working hard enough, or
they did not give their best efforts.

Next, learning to prepare fugu is a serious business. Fugu is one of Japan’s native
delicacies. It is a pufferfish that is served in many different ways from raw, to baked, to fried. It
is a local favorite both in the streets of Japan and in posh restaurants. However, Fugu is most
famous around the world not because of its taste, but because it is very poisonous. It is 10000
times more poisonous than cyanide. Yes, in fact, all buyers, sellers, and chefs of Fugu are
required to have at least three years of intense training and to have passed a licensure exam to
be eligible to handle the poisonous pufferfish. Because of this, it is totally not unsafe to eat the
delicious delicacy.

Third, there are no janitors in Japan’s schools. This practice is actually done with most
Japanese schools and it is believed to develop a strong sense of responsibility, respect and
humility in the students. In addition, since Japanese students don’t have people to clean up
after themselves, they learn to not litter in the first place. Truly this educational technique is
very effective for it instills in the minds of young Japanese the importance of cleanliness and
respect for janitors.

Fourth is, unlike most parts of the world, slurping and burping is not a bad thing in
Japan. In fact, it is rude to not slurp and burp in front of the chef for it signifies
dissatisfaction. Eating loudly and burping shows that you enjoyed the food and find it delicious.

Lastly, Japan has a Big Naked Festival, also known as Hadaka Matsuri. This festival
features nearly 10,000 men and boys in loincloth grappling over the pair of sacred sticks. This is
held at the end of the year when the weather's getting colder. It also involves musical
performances, snack vendors, and knick knacks for sale. They do this because of their belief
that nakedness could ward off misfortune. Villages would select one ‘lucky’ man to collect all
their troubles, which he did by walking through the crowd naked. He was then banished,
hopefully along with the villager’s bad luck, illness, and calamity. Another is that, they believe
that a naked man has a greater ability to absorb evil spirits.

The Filipino and Japanese culture are similarly different. They both have rich culture and
some unique and distinct traditions and practices. However, unlike Filipino culture, Japanese
people are more concerned about organization, self - preparedness, and morals whereas we,
Filipinos are happy-go-lucky people that give emphasis to religion.

In conclusion, Japan is truly a beautiful and unique country with a rich culture and
heritage. This is evident in their distinct and authentic practices and traditions namely Noodle
Slurping, Big Naked Festival, Preparing Fugu, Napping of Duty and Students Cleaning Instead
of Janitors. We can see from their traditions that Japanese people focus on their heritage, as
well as organization and good moral values. With that, in our own country, let us learn to give
appreciation to our culture by giving value to our traditions and practices for this defines us, and
makes us who we are.

Sources:

Sleeping thingy: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/18/japanese-firms-encourage-

workers-sleep-on-job
Overall thing:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/japan/galleries/weird-and-wonderful-things-
about-japan/japan7/
Naked Festival:
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/things-you-need-to-know-about-japans-naked-
festival/
Noodle Slurping:
https://stbooking.co/en/5663
No janitors:
http://www.simplethingcalledlife.com/interesting/japanese-school-janitors/
Fugu:
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/magazine-18102811/preparing-fugu-japan-s-poisonous-fish-dish

Date Accessed: Oct 15

Speech:

Both: Good day to you all!

Nina: I am Nina Berioso

Christa: and I am Christa Chinjen. Today we would like to talk about The Naturally Strange and
Unique Country of Japan

Nina: Have you ever tried balut? How about the famous Durian that is said to smell like hell but
taste like heaven? Or maybe some other weird Filipino street food that you would find being
sold out there?

Christa: As you might have noticed, Filipinos have a lot of quirky foods and unique traditions.

Nina: Some of these traditions are practiced because of some ancient belief or superstition.
I remember when I was a kid and ate abnormally slow.. Like for about an hour and a half at
most. So, of course I was still eating when everyone else was eating. I would remember that
when the kasambahay started to clean the table while I was still eating, my lola would demand
*lola voice* “Hoy enough don’t clean the table yet, my apo might never marry, she might be
single for life”

Christa: On the other hand, some practices are done just out of habit. These traditions are
usually passed down from our ancestors, to our great grandmothers, to our grandmothers, to
our mothers, and then to us These reflecting the raw and authentic culture that was lived out
before modernity walked into the portals of the world. One example is when someone has to
leave before everyone else has finished eating, my lola would always say that we have to
rotate our plates so that the person leaving would be travelling safely. Whether we believe in
this or not, we still do it out of habit, which my siblings and I have gotten used to, and we do it all
the time now.

Nina: Like the Philippines, we can also find traditions that are only practiced in the country of
Japan.

Christa: These practices can be as unexpected as allowing employees to sleep in work, and as
weird as having a Naked Festival.

Nina: With that being said, the Japanese people have a rich culture and therefore, some unique
and peculiar practices and traditions that will leave you scratching your head such as Noodle
Slurping, the Big Naked Festival, and Preparing Fugu, are found here.

Christa: So without further ado, here are 5 of the most weirdly normal practices in Japan.

Nina: Now, we all know that this would be the typical situation in most parts of the world when
either in office or in school…

Nina: *sleeping*

Christa: So the Chinese Dynasties are Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han…*slaps*
Nina: *gasps* Ay Shanghai Choo!

Christa: According to a poll, Japanese workers sleep for just six hours and 22 minutes on work
nights – less than those in any other country. When one doesn’t get enough sleep, their brain
will not function fast and efficiently. Because they are not well rested, they are also not as
productive or active, and they cannot give their best, like when we students don’t get enough
sleep, our heads are in the clouds and we can’t really concentrate

Nina: Therefore, in Japan, when workers do not get enough sleep, companies encourage their
employees to sleep on duty for they believe that this will help them become more productive.
When employees don’t nap in the office or in public, Japanese consider it as a sign that the
employee may not be working hard enough, or they did not give their best efforts.

Christa: Basically, the common situation in Japan goes like this…

Nina: *sleeping*

Christa: *clap*

Christa: On to our next trivial fact, learning to prepare fugu is a serious business. Fugu is one of
Japan’s native delicacies. It is a pufferfish that is served in many different ways from raw, to
baked, to fried. It is a local favorite both in the streets of Japan and in posh restaurants.

Nina: However, Fugu is most famous around the world not because of its taste, but because it
is very poisonous. It is 10000 times more poisonous than cyanide.Approximately 100 people die
from it in Japan yearly, though mostly in outlying areas where fugu is prepared by those who are
not trained to prepare it. This is probably less than the number of people who choke and die
on rice each year.

Christa: Yes, in fact, all buyers, sellers and chefs of Fugu are required to have at least three
years of intense training and to have passed a licensure exam to be eligible to handle the
poisonous pufferfish. It is an ugly fish that is capable of inflating itself and exposing protective
spikes like the one in Spongebob or Finding Nemo. Those spikes actually contain poison. It only
takes a small amount to kill a person and each blowfish contains enough to kill 30 people..
Nina: Third, there are no janitors in Japan’s schools. This practice is actually done with all
Japanese schools and it is believed to develop a strong sense of responsibility, respect and
humility in the students. In addition, since Japanese students don’t have people to clean up
after themselves, they learn to not litter in the first place.

Christa: Truly this educational technique is very effective for it instills in the minds of young
Japanese the importance of cleanliness and respect for janitors.

Christa: Fourth is, unlike in most parts of the world, slurping and burping is not a bad thing in
Japan.

Christa: *slurp*

Nina: *slap* Don’t slurp your soup

Christa: In fact, it is rude to not slurp and burp in front of the chef for it signifies
dissatisfaction. Eating loudly and burping shows that you enjoyed the food and find it delicious.

Christa: *drinks quietly*

Nina: Slurp your soup!

Christa: I though u told me before not to slurp mah soup

Nina: We’re in Japan!

Christa: So when you go to Japan, make sure to slurp your soup so that the chef would know
you enjoyed the food!

Nina: Lastly, Japan has a Big Naked Festival, also known as Hadaka Matsuri. This festival
features nearly 10,000 men and boys in loincloth grappling over the pair of sacred sticks.
Ironically, this is held at the end of the year when the weather's getting colder.

Christa: It also involves musical performances, snack vendors, and knick knacks for sale. They
do this because of their belief that nakedness could ward off misfortune.

Nina: Villages would select one ‘lucky’ man to collect all their troubles, which he did by walking
through the crowd naked. He was then banished, hopefully along with the villager’s bad luck,
illness, and calamity. Another is that, they believe that a naked man has a greater ability to
absorb evil spirits.

Christa: In conclusion, Japan is truly a beautiful and unique country with a rich culture and
heritage.

Nina: This is evident in their distinct and authentic practices and traditions namely Noodle
Slurping, Big Naked Festival, Preparing Fugu, Napping of Duty and Students Cleaning Instead
of Janitors. We can see from their traditions that Japanese people focus on their heritage, as
well as organization and good moral values.

Christa: With that, in our own country, let us learn to give appreciation to our culture by giving
value to our traditions and practices for this defines us, and makes us who we are.