https://www.insidejapantours.

com/japanese-culture/

https://bucketlistjourney.net/japanese-culture-tradition-facts/

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/12-things-you-didn-t-know-about-japanese-culture/

Japan has a fascinating and multifaceted culture and it is steeped in the deepest of traditions dating
back thousands of years.

Cha cha cha – THEY DO LOVE TEA

Japan is tea heaven. The Japanese word for tea is cha and there are countless varieties ranging from
classic green teas through to the more unusual mugicha (barley tea), sobacha (buckwheat tea),
genmaicha (brown rice tea), umecha (powdered plum tea) and many more.

Sado (Japanese green tea ceremony) is an ancient tradition with roots traced back to Zen Buddhism.
Literally translated as "the way of the tea", the ceremony involves the preparation and drinking of tea.

As with all Japanese arts, sado requires years of study and perfection to master. Sado is widely taught in
schools across Japan and still remains a popular hobby today. The strict etiquette, graceful movement
and elegance in which the way the tea is prepared, poured and consumed is quite a sight.

Taking off footwear

Traditionally, the Japanese took off their shoes when entering homes. they are eating on the floor called
tatami so to keep the inside of the building clean they are doing it, but also as a sigh of respect.

Nearly all Japanese homes today have one or more Western-style rooms with wooden flooring or
carpets. To prevent their socks from getting dirty and their feet from getting cold, most Japanese change
into slippers after taking off their shoes. Slippers are not worn in rooms with tatami mats, however.

Bowing

One of the most obvious social conventions is the bow. Everyone bows when they say hello, goodbye,
thank you or sorry. Bowing is a term of respect, remorse, gratitude and greeting.

There are several forms of bowing, such as the 45-degree saikeirei bow used for moments for sincere
apology or to show the highest of respect, or the 30-degree keirei bow, which is also used to show
respect to superiors. The eshaku 15-degree bow is semi-formal and used for greetings when meeting
people for the first time.

Three weird Japanese culture

1. Christmas Is A Romantic Holiday

Christians only make up about 2% of Japan’s population, so Christmas is more of a novelty in Japan than
a religious holiday. Christmas Eve is considered to be more of a date night, similar to Valentine’s Day,
with couples going out for fancy dinners and exchanging romantic gifts.

2. It’s Rude To Eat Or Drink While Walking

It’s pretty common to see someone eating a bag of chips or sipping coffee while walking down the street
in Western countries, but this is not the case in Japan. eating or drinking while walking is looked upon as
low-class behavior. When most Japanese people buy food or drink from a vending machine on the
street, for example, they’ll consume the whole thing while standing beside the machine to avoid walking
with it.

3. Slurping Is a Compliment

For a country with so many strict etiquette rules, it comes as a shock to many Westerners that slurping
noodles or soups while eating is perfectly acceptable in Japan. In fact, slurping isn’t just acceptable —
it’s actually encouraged. It’s considered to be a sign that the food is delicious, and it’s a compliment to
the cook.