Japan Today
Some people still believe that all Japanese people
still wear their traditional Kimono. Yes, some Japanese wear a Kimono everyday
because of their work and some wear a Kimono on traditional days or for special
events. However, not every one wears a Kimono. Many people wear casual clothes
in every day life like people from western cultures. Moreover, Japanese people
do not always eat Japanese food!
There are many western food restaurants and fast food
restaurants in Japan. Chinese food is also popular there. The Japanese also
have taller buildings and many amusement parks! Technology is progressing in
Japan.
However, the traditional and contemporary customs coexist among people in Japan even though the way people act and think has changed through time. For example, Japanese have Christmas, Mother's Day, and Father's Day along with other traditional days even though the majority of Japanese people are Buddhist or Shinto. Japanese know of Santa Clause, and children know what he brings to them! Therefore, kids are looking forward to seeing Christmas Day!
At left is a picture of the gate of the Senso
temple called "Kaminari mon." "Kaminari" means thunder and "mon" means gate.
The gate is located in the middle of the city, and you can see a modern
building in back of the gate. Tourists come to this place to take pictures in
front of the gate. God of thunder
and God of wind
are standing on each side of gate.
Old architectural and historical places such as Japanese castles, temples, traditional style houses, and sites painted by famous artists are popular tourist attractions. Those places and buildings are protected by the government or organizations in order to preserve them for future generations. Also, Japanese people still practice traditional customs. For instance, a thirty-days-old baby is brought to a Shinto shrine. Parents strongly hope that their baby will grow up with good health and happiness. This custom is called "Omiya mairi" or "Ubusuna mairi".
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Japan has been strongly influenced by other cultures throughout its history. Some historians say that Japanese culture is a "borrowed culture." However, it is difficult to harmonize or blend different cultures. If every person in every country could harmonize different cultures, there would be no cultural conflict at all. The Japanese are a traditional culture thousands of years old which is a result of multiple cultures merged into one culture, and this is Japanese culture.
