Japan is an archipelago of some 6,852 islands in East Asia together with China, Korea, Mongolia and Taiwan. It is located in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north toward the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. Japan has four main islands, Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, which make up 97 percent of the country's total land area. Honshu is home to Tokyo and many of Japan's other largest cities, including Yokahama, Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe, Kyoto, Kawasaki, Saitama, Hiroshima and Sendai. Hokkaido, the second-largest Japanese island and northernmost prefecture, accounts for nearly a quarter of Japan's arable land. Hokkaido leads Japan's other 46 prefectures in the production of seafood and a host of agricultural products, including wheat, corn, beef, raw milk, and soybeans which are known as the key ingredient for tofu and all things miso. Sapporo, Hokkaido's capital and largest city, hosts the annual Sapporo Snow Festival, which regularly draws more than 2 million visitors to the spectacular exhibition of some 400 snow and ice sculptures. Kyushu, the third-largest and most southern of Japan's four main islands, is the site of Japan's most active volcano, Mt. Aso, and several cities with important historical, political and commercial significance, including Nagasaki, Kagoshima and Fukuoka.
The culture of Japan is ancient and is filled with rites and traditions to honor the family. As it is known that Japan is an island country, it was able to moderate the influence of other cultures for centuries. This allowed a distinct culture and heritage to develop for Japan. The country is known for their cultural rites, to celebrate the occasion. The first cultural rite passage is Hatsu Miyamairi or Omiyamairi, which means shrine or visit, it is a precious family tradition for the close loved ones of a newborn baby. Parents or grandparents bring the baby to a Shinto shrine for this special rite of passage. Traditionally done 31 days after the birth of a boy and 33 days after the birth of a girl, this Japanese Shinto tradition shows gratitude for the birth of the child. Babies are dressed in a white kimono or special white dress and are most often carried by their grandmother. The shrine priest says a prayer for the health and happiness of the newborn. Next is Seijin no Hi, or the Coming of Age is another rite of passage in Japanese culture. It welcomes into adulthood those who have turned age 20 and is held each year on the second Monday in January. Seijin no Hi has been practiced in Japan since AD 714, when a young prince dressed in new robes and changed his hairstyle to reflect his passage into adulthood. On this celebration day, new adults gather and enjoy deep speeches from government officials. Last is the Kanreki rite of passage it is the celebration of getting old at the age of 60 years old. To celebrate Kanreki, the celebrant man or woman dresses in a vibrant red dress or hat, seated on a red cushion, and is given a white fan. Food, gifts, and decorations all have the red color theme to reinforce the hope that the birthday person will have a long and healthy life in a "second childhood."
Japan is also known as one of the most top visited countries by foreigners, not only because of their location but also their culture and the experiences other countries want to have. Here are some lists of the places and events that you need to experience in Japan:
Rabbit Island
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| photo from takepart.com |
The little island of Okunoshima in the Inland Sea is best known for its curious, big-eared population. The island was used to test chemical weapons during World War II, and it's said the test subjects roamed free after the war. Either way, the numbers flourished in a predator-free environment where dogs and cats are banned from entering, and today Okunoshima is a popular spot for cuddle-bunny tourists.
Hadaka Matsuri
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| photo from japandaily.jp |
Japan is well-known for its non-stop festivals, but Hadaka Matsuri must be one of the most bizarre. Thousands of Japanese men strip naked in public to secure a fortune-filled year, with the biggest matsuri taking place in Okayama, where an estimated 9,000 men get down to their fundoshi. After a few days of isolation to keep vigil and pray, young participants move toward the shrine wearing only the fundoshi. They run while being hit by an ice-cold jet of water. Upon reaching the shrine, they have to catch one of the wooden sticks, the shingi. Priests throw these sticks to the crowd from the upper part of the Shrine. At 22:00, these charms are thrown at them with almost all lights off to make it even more challenging. After catching the sticks, the first one that can put it in a vertical position into a case filled with rice is proclaimed shin-otoko. The winner is blessed with one year of happiness and good fortune, and they will also receive a monetary prize.
Harry Potter World at Universal Studios
Universal Studios Japan in Osaka is a must for Harry Potter fans. The very highlight of the park is the amazing replication of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter where you can wander the snowy cobbled streets, stroll through Hogwarts, shop for sweets in Honeydukes, drink butterbeer and cast your spells if you buy a magic wand.
Soak in an Onsen
The classic Japanese experience is soaking in the steaming hot waters of an onsen or hot spring bath, it is a must for your Japan bucket list. Onsens come in many forms indoor and outdoor, simple and luxurious, small and large. Most of them are shared, but some ryokans have private baths you can reserve. Onsens can be a challenge for foreigners at first, as you must be completely naked, most are divided by gender. It's worth getting over your fears as they are such a relaxing experience.
Wander Around in a Kimono
The best way to experience your stay in Japan is to stay in a ryokan - a traditional Japanese inn which has have onsens and usually includes a pass to visit the other onsens in town. Wandering around wearing the provided yukata (cotton kimono) and geta (wooden sandals) heading out to hop from one onsen to another and relax in the steaming waters with your kimono on is the best experience in Japan.
Cherry Blossom Season
The best time to visit Japan is during the Cherry Blossom Season. It is towards the end of winter and mid-spring for the majority of the country, which is mainly in March to early May. The blossoms in Japan come alive in the south of Japan first as the climate is milder, before gradually going toward the major cities of Japan such as Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo.
Akihabara
For Anime fanatics, Akihabara in Tokyo is a very popular district for fans of Japanese anime, manga and games. Visitors will find countless anime- and manga-related goods nearly everywhere, making for great shopping for souvenirs and goods. Anime is known as the number one entertainment industry in Japan.
Food
Lastly, it is important to explore and enjoy the wonderful cuisine of Japan. Due to their isolationist past, much, but not all of their culture has evolved without foreign influence. They have their own unique taste and styles when it comes to food. Although there are numerous Japanese restaurants found elsewhere in the world, it is important to taste it from where it is originally from - giving the traveler an authentic experience. Experience eating ramen in an individual booth (mainly done to focus on the ramen itself), hot Japanese curry while it's freezing outside, takoyaki by the street, sushi, melon pan and many more.
All foreigners receive a status of residence when entering Japan. There are more than twenty statuses of residence, including "temporary visitor" for tourists, and a range of statuses for students, workers and relatives of Japanese nationals and residents. Living in Japan is very hard at first, as you need to know their culture because their culture is very important to them. Japan is the world's third-largest economy, having ceded the second spot to China in 2010. This means that it is expensive to live there with high-end cars, luxury homes and expensive clothes found regulary. Looking for a luxury home for sale in Japan is very wise if you have tons of money because buying a property in the third-largest economy is a great investment.
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