What are Japanese Holidays?

The rush of japanese citizens going to work



Many people might think that there are too many holidays in Japan. However, with the greater hustle and bustle of the Japanese lifestyle, each holiday seems to come just at the right time. Additionally, some would come to the conclusion that the Japanese have more days off because of their many holidays but to the contrary, they have less since many work 6 and 7 days a week. My holidays in Japan have usually been even more busy but for the Japanese, it is usually a time of rest and relaxation. I wouldn’t in the least describe my time spent during the holidays as the typical Japanese holiday, however, there were a few that I spent trying to imitate and understand the stereotypical Japanese holiday.
There are three activities that immediately come to mind especially during this time of year that I think the Japanese love to do. First, the Japanese love to visit their temples. Even if they are not of the Buddhist religion, they still find some kind of draw towards them. My host mother even told me of her friend that spent a couple months travelling around trying to reach the top 100 temples within Honshu Island. I had the opportunity to visit Kyomizudera in Kyoto and noticed multiple junior high and high schools in attendance. Obviously the schools did not see this as a religious activity or have less restrictions and worry about law suits compared to America.


Kin-no-yu Onsen in Arima




The second common activity for Japanese to do during holidays is visit onsen. Just like if you asked an American if they like pizza, if you asked a Japanese person if they like onsen, 100 percent of your answers would be,”Yes.” My first experience with an onsen was most interesting. Things that I thought would be big deal were not and alternatively, things that I didn’t even think about left a big impression on me. For instance, getting naked in a public bath was not a big deal since everyone was doing it. Also, my previous experience with hot springs in the U.S. were in Colorado under pristine wilderness. My onsen experiences both in Kamikouchi and Arima were 180 degrees opposite. While one was even outside, the bath was still incased in concrete rock with a fence enclosing the whole pool. This activity I think suits the Japanese culture in an attempt to balance their normally busy and at times seemingly mindless day to day working lives.
The last activity is the viewing of nature as experienced in the Japanese way. The reason I say this is because it seems like it does not bother the Japanese to view the changing colors of leaves and nature from a paved road and sometimes enclosed in a park with thousands of other people. In one respect, this can be seen as a good thing as it allows more access and with less damage to what nature there is left. However, because of the wet climate, slow changing of seasons from summer to winter and the many maple trees in Japan, the colors can be inspiring.


Viewing of the colors on paved roads

Religion through the eyes of Otoosan

Observing the "Buddha Shrine"




I was fortunate enough to be able to interview my host father about his religion. The reason I say it this way is because I went into the interview with the expectation of him telling me about the Shinto religion however, I came out with a much different picture. In the beginning I asked straightforward questions about the different aspects of the Shinto religion. Slowly Terry began to slip in little pieces of Buddhism. Finally I asked him if it was fair to say that he is part Shinto and part Buddhist and he said, “Yes, I accept both”. He went on to talk about how this is a vague point with the Japanese people.

“At the beginning of the year you go to the shrine and pray for peace, health and prosperity. And then you go to the temple to give thanks to Buddha and your ancestors about your health and wellness. And at the end of the year we celebrate Christmas.”

Perhaps this mentality shines through from their respectful culture. I followed asking him why he celebrates Christmas.

“Mary is the mother and Jesus Christ is a god and we need to respect them. We read in the old testament that God performed a lot of miracles. For Japanese people, if a guy can do these miracles we need to respect him. The Shinto gods, Muhammed, Jesus Christ; we cannot reach them and they have more power and a mighty hand so we have to show respect.”

Within my host fathers house, there are many shrines. My host mother told me a couple weeks back that each shrine is for a different god. This is Terry’s response to the shrines.

“The Shinto religion doesn’t have one god. There is a god of mountains, god of rivers, god of fields. So, since we are on the top of the hill we think there is a god of the hill that protects us. The shrine in the back of the house is the shrine for the God of Japan. A long time ago the god of heaven dropped some things onto the earth which became Japan.”

Among others that we didn’t have time to talk about is a giant one in the living room. This “open box” is very ornate complete with gold leaf and other ornaments. I was told that because everything is getting crowded in Japan, most people don’t have one as big as theirs. This shrine is specifically for Buddha and their ancestors. Everyday, fresh fruit, rice and sweets are placed at the altar.

“We are giving thanks to Buddha and the ancestors. Because of them we are still enjoying our life. So we give them a part of our dishes.”

With reference to the afterlife, this is what he has to say.

“Shintos believe in heaven. Everyone goes to heaven. However, Buddhists believe everyone that passes away goes to the west. This is because in the west, Buddha exists. Buddhists believe there is some paradise in the west. Buddhists believe if you do a really bad thing then you go to hell. If you do something really good then you go to heaven.”

In the end, I not only gained more knowledge from a man that lives the Shinto and Buddhist life, but also gained an appreciation and greater understanding for how integral the Japanese Shinto and Buddhist religions are a part of the Japanese culture.


Buddha Figure

Family Roles

My host mother



Before I came to Japan, I never realized how big of a difference the male and female roles are compared to my own. Even though my grandparents are 2nd generation Japanese, it seemed completely normal to observe their interactions and roles within the family. However, having stepped out of my home country and having been deeply immersed into the culture with my host family, I have been able to see a different perspective. Now that I am here, I can look back on my grandparents daily practices and say, “Oh yeah, they must have picked this up from their parents as Japanese culture.” At the time, I just thought it was something they as a family did.
The first picture is of my host mother. When taking the pictures, I tried to get them in their stereotypical roles. Although the word stereotypical is usually associated with something being false, I think that this picture is truly how most Japanese mothers are. Their role can be characterized as the person who keeps function within the house. This deals with everything from laundry and cleaning to cooking virtually every meal from scratch. In contrast, in my home back home, we try to disperse the house duties evenly. I think one of the reasons why my host mother has her duties as the cook and cleaner is because of the mentality of their culture. The Japanese culture is surrounded by a sense of wanting to do everything to the best of their ability every time. This can even be seen in the men who stand at the Kansai Gaidai gates all day who in the eyes of an American do nothing.
The second picture I would have liked to be set in a train during rush hour. One thing I’ve noticed is that the Japanese business men tend to carry the stereotypical persona of a businessman being serious with no messing around. However, if you actually take the chance to talk to one, they are usually always very nice. One of the reasons why I like this picture is because my host father is not showing his business face but actually who he is.


My host father




My host father is the perfect complement to my host mother. While she takes care of the house, my host father brings in the money. I have noticed that there is also a strong sense of roles in Japan. Having said this, it would be almost unheard of for the wife to be the breadwinner and the husband to be the stay at home “mom”. Because their society has been programmed for hundreds of years like this, it is very difficult to stray outside of the norms.
I would like to finish by saying that I think many of us as a first reaction tend to look down upon other cultures if they are different than our own. However, there is always more than one solution to a problem and the Japanese just get it done in a different way.