kendo

a form of martial art; type of fencing with bamboo sticks

judo

martial art that involves self-dense and attacking; means "the gentle way"

aikido

form of self-defense that uses an opponent's strength against him

kyudo

type of archery where one must hit a atarget while riding a horse

baseball

•  most popular sport in Japan today
• Japan has 12 teams divided into 2 leagues
• players and coaches do not argue with umpires as they do in the U.S.
• Japanese baseball uses more strategy and relies less on homerun hitting

sumo

• ancient Japanese wrestling
• associated with Shinto
• once used to decide the outcomes of battles and predict the year's harvest
• many ceremonies take place before the actual wrestling match

Reasons why Olympics don't allow Sumo to participate

1. it is not open to women
2. their eating habits are considered very unhealthy
3. their uniforms are not protective enough and are too revealing

shinkansen

• Japanese bullet train
• popular form of public transportation

consequences of Japan's land shortage

• cities are busy, noisy and crowded
• real estate prices are among the highest in the world
• buildings are tall and narrow
• shops and restaurants are built underground
• capsule hotels: buildings full of very tiny sleeping chambers rather than big rooms with beds

leisure activities

• visit parks, museums, and stores
• take short trips to local amusement parks or baseball stadiums
• huge indoor beaches
• indoor ski resorts with artificial snow

Shichi-go-san

• time to pray for good health and growth of children at certain ages
• for girls who are 3 & 7, and boys who are 3 & 5
• celebrated on or around Nov. 15
• children dress in their nicest outfits
• children get special candies

Momo no Sekku

• Girls' Day
• also called Hina Matsuri, which translates to "Doll Festival"
• time when girls display and share their doll collections, sing songs, and eat special rice cakes

Tango no Sekku

• Boys' Day
• May 5
• also called Children's Day
• families with boys fly kites shaped like carp (fish) outside their homes because the carp is a symbol of strength and bravery

O-shogatsu

• New Year's
• people clean their houses and pay their debts for a fresh start
• decorate their houses with natural materials: pine branches = strength and long life; bamboo = strong character; straw rope = good luck and expel evil spirits

O-bon

• honors the spririts of departed ancestors
• one of the biggest traditional events of the year
• held in July or August
• huge bonfires are lit to guide spririts back home
• houses are cleaned; altars are decorated with fruit
• time for family reunion

Shinto

• means "the way of the gods"
• not a highly organzied religion
• a philosophy that emphamsizes cleanliness, respect, gratitude, and harmony with nature, the world and spirits

Torii

• the main gate to a Shinto shrine
• made from 2 upright pillars with 2 crossbeams at the top
• symbolizes the seperation between the regular world and a sacred place

significance of nature for Shinto

• Shinto emphasizes that oen live in harmony with nature
• Kami live throughout mature
• Shrines are located in beautiful natural settings

Kami

• Shinto gods and spirits
• live in shrines
• people make offerings to kami to thank them and to make request

Shinto shrines

• large elaborate shrines have been built in beautiful natural settings throughout the country
• small shrines also exist in urban areas
• all have a torii
• must wash before entering a shrine

Shinto's place of origin

Japan

Buddhism

• religion common throughout Asia
• teaches "Four Noble Truths" and suggest people follow the "Noble Eightfold Path"

Siddhartha Gautama

• founder of Buddhism
• called the "Buddha," which means the Enlightened One

Buddhism's place of origin

 India

pagoda

a Hindu or Buddhist temple or sacred building, typically a many tiered tower with upward curving roofs over each story

meditation and self-discipline

• important practices in Japanese Zen Buddhism
• will produce enlightenment of the nature of existence and lead to nirvana
• will keep peace and harmony within society

Gold Week

a week of festivals and holidays at the end of April and beginning of May

juku

voluntary after school tutoring programs

haiku

• type of Japanese poetry
• usually about nature
• has 3 lines
• has total of 17 syllables: 5 in the 1st line, 7 in the 2nd, 5 in the 3rd

entrance exams

• required for entrance into high school
• determines what school one can get into, and ultimately, what kind of job one will have
• year before taking exams called Cram Year, students study all year long to prepare for exams

similarities between Japanese school and HJMS

• periods
• learn the same subjects
• must learn foreign langauge

differences between Japanese schools and HJMS

• Japanese students must change shoes before entering class
• They must wear uniforms
• They must clean their own classroom
• They must participate in after school activities

staple foods of Japan

1. rice (most common grain in Asia)
2. fish (Japan is made of islands; the ocean is right there)
3. vegetables (food that is easily grown in that climate and terrain)

reasons for limited meat

due to the way the land of Japan is set up, there is no room for farms to grow food for people and animals.

presentation of food

very important in Japanese culture; considered an art form; they "eat" with their eyes in addition to their mouths

sushi

vs.

sashimi

• sushi = raw fish WITH rice
• sashimi = just raw fish

bento box

used to store and serve meals; each serving has its own little compartment

major exports

• cars
• electronics

tariff

a fee that a country charges on imports or exports

manufacturing

most successful part of Japan's economy; known for making high quality, state of the art products

work ethic

•  belief that work in itself is worthwhile
• Japanese are known for their strong work ethic: they work extremely hard and are loyal to their companies

government

• emperor is head of state but has little power; only just a symbol for Japan and its people
• democratic government
• legislature called the Diet; made up of elected representatives
• prime minister is chief executive, similar to president
• capital city = Tokyo