Country Tour Script (Japan)

Trixie: Ha ji me ma shi te! Wa ta shi wa, To Ri Ku Shii desu. Yo ro shi ku O ne ga I shi masu.
Hi everyone, I am Trixie and I am pleased to meet you. Today, my groupmates and yours truly
are going to be your tour guides for the home of anime, great innovations in technology, and
cherry blossoms, Japan!

Zyanne: Our today’s objectives are:

- To know more about the cultures in Japan;
- The history of the writing systems in the said country;
- The tourist spots and attractions;
- And why it is important to know more about Japan!

Kenjie: So sit back, relax, grab a snack, and enjoy! I mean don’t eat the snack, just save it for
later for our break time.

Trixie: First stop, the culture.

In terms of religions, Japan's two main religions are Shinto and Buddhism. According to the
Government of Japan's Agency for Culture Affairs' annual statistical research on religion in
2018, 66.7 percent of the population practices Buddhism, 69.0 percent practices Shintoism, and
7.7 percent practices other religions.
Shinto is a Japanese ethnic religion that emphasizes rites and ceremonies. Kami - Shinto deities
or spirits – are believed to be present in nature, including rocks, trees, and mountains, according
to Shinto adherents. A kami can also be considered a human being. Keeping the connection
between humanity, nature, and kami is one of Shinto's goals. Prior to the 6th century CE,
followers of the faith erected shrines to worship kami throughout Japan.
Around the 6th and 4th century BCE, Buddhism emerged in India and spread to China and
Korea. It was first introduced to Japan in the 6th century CE, and it was first disliked there. The
majority of Japanese people were unable to comprehend Buddhism's challenging philosophical
messages, but it is said that a love of the religion's art helped it gain appeal later on.
The cycle of reincarnation and karma are central themes in Buddhism. As every person
eventually becomes ill, ages, dies, and is reincarnated into a new life, a cycle known as sasra; the
suffering people experience during life is considered to be one of the most important things in
life, in Buddhism, a person's good or bad deeds are valued over his or her social status.
In terms of literature, many of the subjects and presentation techniques of Japanese popular
culture can be linked back to traditional creative forms, such as Japanese film, cuisine, television
shows, anime, manga, video games, music, and doujinshi, which all retain previous artistic and
literary traditions. Like previous forms of popular culture, contemporary forms of popular culture
are not only sources of amusement, but also features that set Japan apart from the rest of the
world. Moving on to our next tour guide, we have Eula.

Eula: Ohayo! I am Eula and I will introduce to you the history of the writing systems and the
systems itself of Japan.
Prior to the advent of the Chinese writing system, which was first employed by Chinese people
who settled in Japan during the early Christian era, the Japanese had no writing system. Later, it
was utilized to write the Chinese language by educated Japanese. Proper names carved with
Chinese characters on a mirror and a sword are the earliest known evidence of Japanese writing,
dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries A.D. However, Chinese characters began to be utilized
to represent the Japanese language in the 8th and 9th centuries A.D. Because the syntax and
pronunciation of the two languages are so dissimilar, Chinese loanwords and characters began to
be "Japanified" for easier use. I will leave the rest to our next tour guide, Zyanne.

Zyanne: Thanks, Eula! Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji are the three main written scripts of the
Japanese writing system. Hiragana is the main phonetic writing system used to represent every
distinct sound in Japanese. Although Katakana has the same sounds as Hiragana, it is primarily
used to represent words that have been translated from other languages. Writing largely use
kanji, which are Chinese characters that have been adopted for Japanese use. Because there are
no spaces in Japanese, Kanji is required to separate words in a sentence. Given the small number
of unique sounds in Japanese, kanji is also useful for detecting homophones, which occurs
relatively frequently. The most anticipated parts will be introduced by Heart.

Heart: Nice, Zy! Now, let’s tackle some of those places.

With a population of almost 2 million people, it is known as Hokkaido's largest metropolis. It not
only serves as a political and economic hub, but it also has a number of tourism attractions and
prominent tourist destinations that draw visitors from all over the world. The Sapporo Clock
Tower is a 130-year-old monument that has been classified as a National Important Cultural
Property. Goryokaku is a historical site with a star-shaped fort amid a serene park that is famous
for its spring cherry blossom viewing. Susukino is a bustling drinking zone with a variety of
entertainment options as well as a number of izakaya pubs to choose from. The annual Sapporo
Snow Festival, which takes place in February, is a fascinating and symbolic event. Don't miss
out on fresh seafood and local delicacies like Sapporo Miso ramen and high-quality crabs!
Shibuya Crossing, which is located in Tokyo's Shibuya neighborhood, is commonly regarded as
the world's busiest crossing. It is made up of five crosswalks that allow pedestrians to cross in
both directions. More than 3,000 people are expected to cross it at the same time at the busiest
hours of the day without colliding, creating a spectacular view! In addition to the renowned
crossing and the Shibuya district full of skyscrapers, there is Shibuya Sky, a popular observation
deck with 360-degree views over the landmark crossing and the Shibuya district!

Lastly, Mt. Fuji. Mt. Fuji is without a doubt a must-see destination in Japan, as it is a symbol of
the country. It is known as Japan's highest peak and attracts a large number of people due to its
outstanding beauty and prominence. You can admire the emblematic peak from afar, or you can
take on the challenging hiking paths that allow you to get out and about in the natural
surroundings. It also has a number of outdoor activities, such as kayaking and boating on the
picturesque Fuji Five Lakes ("Fujigoko" in Japanese). Other opportunities around there include
barbecuing and camping.

Kenjie: It is important to know more about Japan, for we, Filipinos could have inspirations to do
better even during our daily lives. Some of the examples of the things that we could apply to our
lives are the following:
The Japanese take great pleasure in their cleanliness, and you might be shocked by how
immaculate the streets are when you first arrive.
Hotels and restaurants are usually pristine, have pleasant odors, and are cleaned on a regular
basis and efficiently. One disadvantage is that trash cans are rarely found in public places. You
can, however, follow the Japanese model and carry waste with you until you find a suitable
location to dispose of it.

Jeziah: The Japanese have a reputation for being exceptionally courteous, pleasant, and inviting
around the world. Despite the fact that the language barrier can be a hindrance at times, if you
ask anything of them, they will usually attempt to be as helpful as possible.

Trixie: And those are some interesting information about Japan! Make sure that you have
listened to our discussions for these are some useful guides that are helpful when you go to
Japan. Arigatou gozaimasu! Jane!

Sources:
Wikipedia.org
Guidetojapanese.org
Blog.japanwondertravel.com
Jrailpass.com