Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Culture and
etiquette
Japan is famous for its complex web
of social conventions and rules of
behaviour. Fortunately, allowances are
made for befuddled foreigners, but it
will be greatly appreciated - and even
draw gasps of astonishment - if you
show a grasp of the basic principles. The
two main danger areas are to do with
footwear and bathing which, if you get
them wrong, can cause great offence.
There are also etiquette points to bear
in mind around eating (see p.145) and
drinking (see p.167).
Japan is a strictly hierarchical society where men
generally take precedence, so women shouldn't
expect doors to be held open or seats vacated.
Sexual discrimination
remains widespread, and
foreign women working in Japan can find the
predominantly male business culture hard going.
Pushing and shoving on crowded trains or buses
is not uncommon. Never respond by getting angry
or showing
aggression
, as this is considered a
complete loss of face. By the same token, don't
make your
opinions
known too forcefully or
contradict people outright; it's more polite to say
“maybe” than a direct “no”.
The meaning of “yes” and “no” can in themselves
be a problem, particularly when
asking questions
.
For example, if you say “Don't you like it?”, a positive
answer means “Yes, I agree with you, I don't like it”,
and “No” means “No, I don't agree with you, I
do
like it”. To avoid confusion, try not to ask negative
questions - stick to “Do you like it?” And if someone
seems to be giving vague answers, don't push too
hard unless it's important. There's a good chance
they don't want to offend you by disagreeing or
revealing a problem.
Note that it's particularly unwise to criticise any
aspect of Japanese society, however small, to a
local; in a land where people tend to describe
themselves as a “we”, it's often taken as a personal
insult.
Blowing your nose
in public is also considered
rude - just keep sni
ng until you find somewhere
private (following the changes of season, you'll hear
locals doing this for hours on end). Finally, you'll be
excused for not
sitting
on your knees, Japanese-
style, on tatami mats. It's agony for people who
aren't used to it, and many young Japanese now
find it uncomfortable. If you're wearing trousers,
O-bon
Mid-August. Families gather around their ancestral graves and
much of Tokyo closes down, while many neighbourhoods stage dances in
honour of the deceased.
Summer Sonic
Mid-August
W
summersonic.com. Two-day rock
festival (see p.177).
Asakusa Samba Carnival
Last Saturday in August
W
asakusa-samba.jp. Rio comes to the streets of Asakusa with this
spectacular parade of sequinned and feathered dancers. Teams compete
and the crowds come out in force to support them.
SEPTEMBER
Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū Matsuri
September 14-16. Annual
shrine festival of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū in Kamakura. The highlight is
a demonstration of horseback archery on the final day.
Ningyō Kuyō
September 25. A funeral service for unwanted dolls is
held at Kiyomizu Kannon-dō in Ueno-kōen, after which they are cremated.
OCTOBER
Festival/Tokyo
W
festival-tokyo.jp. From October to December major
theatre and performing arts events are held at various venues across the city.
Kawagoe Grand Matsuri
October 14-15. One of the liveliest
festivals in the Tokyo area, involving some 25 ornate floats and hundreds
of costumed revellers.
Tōshō-gū Aki Matsuri
October 17. Repeat of Nikkō's fabulous procession
held for the spring festival, minus the horseback archery displays.
Tokyo Design Week
Late October and early November
W
tdwa
.com. Catch the best of contemporary Japanese design at this event, held
at a variety of venues, generally around Aoyama and Odaiba.
NOVEMBER
Daimyō Gyōretsu
November 3. Re-enactment of a feudal lord's
procession along the Tōkaidō (the great road linking Tokyo and Kyoto),
accompanied by his doctor, accountant, tea master and road sweepers.
At Sōun-ji, near Hakone-Yumoto.
Tokyo International Film Festival
Early November
W
tiff-jp.net.
Japan's largest film festival (see p.178).
Tori-no-ichi
Mid-November. Fairs selling
kumade
, bamboo rakes
decorated with lucky charms, are held at shrines on “rooster days” in the
zodiacal calendar. The main fair is at Ōtori-jinja (Iriya Station).
Shichi-go-san-no-hi
November 15. Children aged 7, 5 and 3 don
traditional garb to visit the shrines, particularly Meiji-jingū, Hie-jinja and
Yasukuni-jinja.
DECEMBER
Gishi-sai
December 14. Costume parade in Nihombashi re-enacting
the famous vendetta of the 47
rōnin
(see box, p.104), followed by a
memorial service for them at Sengaku-ji.
Hagoita-ichi
December 17-19.
The build-up to New Year begins with
a battledore fair outside Asakusa's Sensō-ji.
Ōmisoka
December 31. Leading up to midnight, temple bells ring out
108 times (the number of human frailties according to Buddhist
thinking), while thousands gather at Meiji-jingū, Hie-jinja and other
major shrines to honour the gods with the first visit of the New Year. If you
don't like crowds, head for a small local shrine.
