Japanese culture and interesting facts few people know

More than 150 years have passed since Japan opened its ports to Western countries after centuries of isolation. But this country still hides many interesting mysteries. And here are some facts you may not have known about Japanese culture.

The first geisha were men

Referring to Geisha, people immediately think of beautiful girls in colorful kimonos. But few people know, the first Geisha in Japan was a man.

Geisha literally means "people of art". From time immemorial, Geisha entertained the court by performing arts in various schools. Female Geishas appeared in the late 18th century and were originally called Onna Geisha (female artists). After that Onna Geisha became more and more popular and quickly overwhelmed male Geisha.

Japanese women like to dye their teeth black like the old Vietnamese

For centuries, dyeing teeth black, or ohaguro, has been a fairly popular beauty treatment for Japanese women, especially married women and geishas. The jet black teeth are said to be extremely attractive and attractive. Besides, it is also said to help protect teeth from cavities and other oral problems.

Japanese women apply many methods to maintain black teeth, such as mixing toothpaste with ink. However, this practice was banned starting in the late 19th century, in an attempt to modernize the country.

Christmas is considered as Valentine's Day

In Japan, only about 2% of the population is Christian. So Christmas here is not just a religious holiday, but it is seen as something very new.

Christmas in Japan is usually very bustling on the evening of the 24th. Everywhere is decorated with colorful Christmas trees, elaborate light shows. Not only that, Christmas Eve is also considered a date night, similar to Valentine's Day. Couples meet for a luxurious dinner and exchange romantic gifts.

Baseball is more popular than Sumo

Referring to Japanese sports, people immediately think of Sumo - a traditional martial art not for skinny people. But few people know, baseball is really the most watched and played sport in this country.

Baseball was introduced to Japan at the beginning of the Meiji era (1868-1912), when the adoption of customs and practices from the West was very prevalent. There are two professional baseball leagues in Japan, as well as numerous high school and college leagues around the country. The most popular star of all classes in Japan is not a singer or an actor, but Japanese baseball legend Suzuki Ichiro, the national idol of the land of cherry blossoms.

Horse meat is very popular

This is something very few people think about, Japanese people love to eat horse meat and horse meat is also very popular in this country. It is even called after the national flower, sakura niku (cherry blossom flesh) because of its light pink color like cherry blossoms.

Horse meat has been consumed in Japan since the late 16th century. Until the 1960s, when the role of horses in agriculture and transportation gradually decreased, this meat became quite common in Japanese kitchens. . Raw horse meat, known as basahi, is commonly served in restaurants. It is usually eaten with grated ginger and sweet shoyu.

Souvenirs are not just for "souvenirs"

The term "Omiyage" in Japanese is often translated as "souvenir" in English. However, in Japan omiyage means much more than that. If in the West, souvenirs are simply a friendly act, in Japan giving omiyage after each trip is expected above all by both the giver and the recipient.

The Japanese buy omiyage for friends, family and colleagues after each trip. Omiyage are usually regional specialties, carefully packaged in beautiful colorful boxes.

Encourage slurping food

Despite being a country that places great importance on etiquette and numerous rules of etiquette, slurping noodles or soup while eating is encouraged in Japan. This surprised many foreign tourists, especially Westerners.

The Japanese consider slurping while eating as a sign that the food is delicious and that is the best compliment for the cook. This also helps you eat faster and enjoy the full flavor while the dish is still hot.

And a bunch of other interesting facts

Meat and fish are very cheap in Japan, and fruit is incredibly expensive. An apple usually costs 45,600 VND, a bunch of bananas 114,000 VND and the most expensive thing is melon with a huge price of 4.56 million VND.

Japan has a separate train system for women and runs mainly during rush hour so that the sisters feel more secure and safe when traveling. The reason is that there have been many cases of women being touched and touched on crowded trains.

Japanese schoolgirls are not allowed to wear leather socks even in cold weather, instead, they wear knee-high socks as this is considered part of the standard uniform. Another special thing is that the length of girls' skirts changes with age: the older the girls, the more they find ways to wear shorter skirts.

If you walk on the streets of Japan and come across a girl wearing such a short skirt that even her underwear and part of her bust are exposed, don't panic because this is completely normal. However, if a woman wears a shirt with a deep neckline, it will be seen as... flirtatious.

In Japan, even 1 minute late is enough to be considered a criminal. However, the reason is that the train is delayed will be accepted, provided that the train you take has someone... sacrificed.

"Adult" cultural products are sold everywhere: Convenience stores have a separate counter; and in small bookstores, these products will occupy about 1/3 of the store's area; In big bookstores, they take up 2-3 floors.

If a Japanese doesn't want to help you, they will never say "no" but instead will say that they need more time to think or they will try to think of some way for you. However, you will never hear another word from them on that matter.

Tokyo is the safest city in the world, to the point that even a 6-year-old child can use public transport alone.

Men are always served first: In restaurants they will be the first to order, in stores, the clerk will receive them first.

All toilets in Japan are equipped with heated seats and at least a dozen other function buttons. Not only that, most public toilets have music or flushing to "fill up" the embarrassing sounds.

The legally recognized age of full consent to participate in adult affairs is 13.

In Japan, people don't use signatures but use seals called hanko and each person has their own seal, which can be purchased at any store.

Property ownership in Japan is extremely important. There are dozens of companies with a history of thousands of years in Japan, such as the Houshi Ryokan hotel that has been open since 718 and has since been passed down through 46 generations, in the same family.

Two-thirds of Japan's territory is forested, but the Japanese government has banned the use of the country's timber for commercial purposes, so Japan is a consumer of about 40% of the wood harvested from the world's tropical forests. gender.

All mobile phones in Japan have a disaster alert mode and they will ring loudly even when turned off to warn the owner of danger and give them action instructions.

Japanese people love to eat and like to talk about food. During a meal, they usually speak up about the dish at least a few times, and that is also their basic courtesy.

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