Some of the information in this book you would know if you've already been to Japan. However, it does provide some good information about living abroad.
Table of contents
- 10 of the best books for learning Japanese
- Life in Japan
- Discover All The Amazing Services of Japanese Convenience Stores!
- Japan's Sleep at Work Culture - Japan Talk
In Japan, purchasing omiyage when you, for example, take a weekend trip is very easy as you can purchase a nicely packaged box of treats specific to the region from any train station or kiosk. Omiyage does not have to be expensive, it is more about the thoughtfulness and aspect of sharing some part of your experience with others. However, when you first come to Japan it may be a bit more difficult to know what to bring for gifts for your research host lab as in the U.
Here are some tips:. Shinto and Buddhism are Japan's two major religions. Shinto is as old as the Japanese culture, while Buddhism was imported from the mainland in the 6th century.
- Japan's Sleep at Work Culture.
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Since then, the two religions have been co-existing relatively harmoniously and have even complemented each other to a certain degree. Most Japanese consider themselves Buddhist, Shintoist or both. There are two easy ways to tell Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples apart. Firstly, shrines have a simple gate, called a torii, that separates the human world and sacred ground, while the gates of a temple, called a sanmon, look more like a large house rather than a gate.
Secondly, temples almost always have Buddhist images and statues, while shrines do not. Thus, to sum up the differences in a single sentence, gods reside in shrines, while Buddhas reside in temples. Students also often ask, what the role of religion in Japan is today? In general, religion does not play a big role in the everyday life of most Japanese people today. The average person typically follows the religious rituals at ceremonies like birth, weddings and funerals, may visit a shrine or temple on New Year and often participates at local festivals matsuri , most of which have a religious background.
However, most Japanese are not religious and don't regularly practice any one religion.
10 of the best books for learning Japanese
They may say they are born Shinto, marry as a Christian, and die as a Buddhist. Past students have attended churches, mosques, synagogues during their time in Japan as a way to connect and build ties with members of their religious community in Japan. This may be easiest to do during the research internship period. Consult Google-sensei for locations near your host city. See also Food in Japan for more information on halal and kosher dietary needs in Japan.
See also section on Fashion in Japan above. I ask because I had a person on Saturday offer to help us find our way, then followed us and eventually asked us for money for food. It was a strange experience it seemed as if he was trying to be helpful. It also felt like he targeted us because we were Americans. That night I also saw several people sleeping under a bridge.
But during the day, nowhere in Tokyo have I seen people begging or visibly homeless, so I wonder whether there are just a lot fewer homeless people in Japan or if Japan does a better job at hiding homelessness. Along those lines, what are the most prevalent social issues in Japan and how does Japan go about addressing those issues? When hiking it is best to use the buddy system and go with a friend. That is also helpful as a friend who speaks Japanese perhaps someone in your lab could also warn you about the weather forecast and any upcoming weather related or other events that might have an impact on your plans.
The main emergency numbers in Japan should always work, provided you have cell service, just like in the U. Of course, when calling emergency numbers in Japan the operator will speak in Japanese — not in English. See the back of the book for the language translation section. Beyond Nikko, what are the must visit National Parks in Japan?
Life in Japan
However, it is also important to turn a critical lens on yourself and ask how common it is for U. However, it is true that there is a distinct tension between the traditional and modern in Japan. This can be seen in some of the traditional art forms and traditions of rural communities fading away often complicated due to population decline in Japan. Yet, if you look below the surface and tip of the ice berg, you may also find ways that traditional Japanese culture, arts, and traditions have been co-opted into modern life.
Japan has historically been very adept at borrowing from other cultures and integrating new ideas, words, and traditions into Japanese society but with a unique Japanese-ness or spin to them. Here are some articles that relate to this topic:. Just as in the U. The World Bank also gave Japan a large loan to develop the world's first high-speed rail network, the Shinkansen, in the early s. So, at the time, the U. Geography plays a big part in this decision too. Even our cities are not very densely populated when compared to most cities in Asia. In comparison, Japan is mainly mountainous, much smaller areas of flat land that people must all live, work, and farm on.
This means, historically, Japan has been and remains one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Therefore, it makes sense that rather than develop wide open highways, Japan invested in narrower rail lines and underground subways to make the most cost effective use of their limited resource, land. This helped contribute to standardization, as well as providing access even to rural areas it was considered more of an infrastructure than a business venture.
See our Travel in Japan page for more information on this topic. The concept of Uchi Soto is one of the most unique aspects of Japanese culture. This concept is the key to understanding Japanese society and it explains why Japanese people behave the way they do and how they view foreigners in Japan. So what is Uchi Soto? The core concept revolves around the idea of dividing people into two groups, a in-group and an out-group. Your family and close friends are considered uchi in-group , as well as your co-workers and superiors in your research host lab. You will be new to the lab, and only there for a short time, so just like any close group you may remain a little bit towards the outside edge of the in-group but many alumni have shared that they really felt a true part of their research host lab group by the end of the summer.
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Discover All The Amazing Services of Japanese Convenience Stores!
Japan Today A Japanese Perspective: The Kitchn 43 Years On: MEXT is working comprehensively on such measures as enhancing education to deepen international understanding and teach foreign languages, promoting international exchange, enhancing education of Japanese children overseas, and enhancing education for returning Japanese children from overseas and foreign children in Japan.
General Structure and Resources. Elementary, Middle, and High School in Japan. School in Japan vs. School in the U. How do they do it in Japan? University Life in Japan. Studying at Japanese Universities Univ.
Japan's Sleep at Work Culture - Japan Talk
English Language Instruction in Japan. Pull up a chair. Internationalization and Study Abroad. See also 'Why International Research? Japan used to have a standard, 6-day school week but that was phased out in and Since not all schools observe the same schedule for which Saturdays these are, you will likely always see students in school uniforms on the weekends or holiday breaks in Japan. What to Wear in Japan - Alumni Tips.
While shorts may be okay to wear sight-seeing, when outdoors, or at the beach they are not appropriate work place attire; even at a university. The lighter weight your clothes the better as it is hot and very, very humid in Japan in the summer. You will be required to take off your outdoor shoes inside most offices and labs in the U. Crocs are very convenient and easy to slip on and off. Ask your alumni mentor, or another alumnus who did research before in the same city, what is commonly worn for men or women at your lab or in your host city.
They'll have the best advice. The program will match you with your alumni mentor prior to departure once your host lab has been confirmed. What to Wear in Japan. Do's and Don'ts Savvy Tokyo. Traditional Attire in Japan. Umbrellas, Tenugui, and Socks in Japan. Uniforms and Matching Outfits in Japan. They Love Wearing the Same Outfits! Japan Land of Uniforms Nippon. Wearing an Apron Blog. Japanese Festivals and Holidays. Traditional Music in Japan. Visit our privacy policy , cookie policy and consent tool to learn more.
To properly understand Japanese culture you need to look at Japanese ideas about sleep. In Japan, people get respect for giving their best for pushing themselves to exhaustion. Therefore, showing how tired you are is a statement — it says you're a hard worker. When people say goodbye to their coworkers in the evening they don't say "have a nice night" or "have a nice weekend".
They say " otsukaresama deshita ". This can be literally translated as "you are tired sir". It's the nicest thing you can say to someone — that they are tired. In this context it's easy to understand why people get away with sleeping at work. Coworkers assume the sleeping person must be working too hard. The Rules There are rules of sleeping at work inemuri: You must sit up and look engaged despite the fact that you're asleep. It must appear that you could wake up at any moment and do something great. It's easier to get away with if you're the boss.
Sleeping at work is a sign of confidence — it shows you're indispensable to the company and can get away with it.
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Junior staff can also get away with it because no one notices them. Personal Experiences I worked several years at a Japanese company and can confirm that inemuri is a everyday occurrence.