REPORT

Japan has always been a place I wanted to visit, with all its technology, rich culture, beautiful sights, the mixture of the new, modern and the traditions, the religions were also something that fascinated me even though I am not a religious person myself. On the other hand, I always thought about the food, I don't eat rice and fish is not really my cup of tea - especially raw! - and all I thought was sushi and sashimis, I thought I would probably starve, but maybe it could be only my lack of research on it and here is the opportunity for me to learn everything about all of this!

Of course, rice and fish are a big part of the Japanese cuisine, sushi and sashimi are for sure what they are most known for, but there are so much more than that! But even the Japanese had influences from other countries, The Tempura, for example, was introduced by the Portuguese, originally it was just fish in batter and fried, nowadays it is more common to have either seafood or vegetables covered in batter and then deep-fried. Soy sauce only came to Japan around the last century from China, by the way, a lot of Japan's culture and culinary came from China and Korea.

One more introduction from China was the noodles, which became another very consumed dish: the Ramen which is egg noodles in a salty broth, it is considered Japan's favourite late-night meal (Milner, n.d.), I may say it is truly delicious. A dish I did not expect to like, but I loved is Okonomiyaki, it can be considered comfort food, it is a savoury pancake filled with cabbage and pork, but it could be with anything. Today there is also the famous - and expensive - Kobe beef or wagyu, the animals are given massages to better distribute the fat and are fed beer, which was introduced by Germans!

Desserts are something apart there is a big variety of it, but most of it uses mochi, a fundamental ingredient of Japanese sweets, (Spacey, 2015), mochi is rice cakes made by pounding steamed glutinous rice with big hammers. The mochi can be filled with different fillings the most used is the azuki, a paste made out of sweet beans - anko­ -, when they are filled, they are called Daifuku. There is also the Dorayaki, which are pancakes made into a sandwich filled with Anko it can be topped with whipped cream and served with ice cream.

Higashi is more of a fine dessert usually served in formal settings such as tea ceremonies, they are colourful small pretty candies made of grounded sugar or soybean flour. Also influenced by the Portuguese, the sponge cakes are Japan's favourite dessert, called Castella. But what really amazed me was to know that Kit Kats are really popular, so much that in 2015 there were over 200 different flavours of the famous chocolate (Do, 2015), and this number keeps changing every year.

Matcha or Green Tea is something they also consume a lot, being on its original form: the tea or ice cream, with chocolate, mochis, cakes, everything can be made with matcha, it is amazing how creative they are. Flavour is also something that the Japanese seem to enjoy from drinks, chocolates, chips, tea, literally everything, it all made me a lot more excited to visit the country now.

Japan is a small country it has so many things to do and to see, they have no lack of entertainment, probably some of the most famous is to climb the Mount Fuji, it is an icon for the country and as such it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, of course, going to some of the viewpoints is worth it as well. Karaoke is all around the world nowadays, but nothing like to sing where it was invented, right?

If you are going to Japan, you have to experience the Otaku Culture in Akihabara, Tokyo, Otaku can be defined as a lifestyle, people who really enjoy and immerse themselves in the anime, mangas, cosplays and collectibles culture, they breathe it, they live it! Also, Akihabara is where the best quality Japanese electronics are, it is a very popular place for tourists.

I am not sure it can be considered entertainment, but it is definitely part of their culture and it is probably really fun: take a Purikura, it is something like a photo booth where you can turn your pictures into stickers, or just modify the pictures to have bigger eyes, better skin or make-up for example.

If you are looking for a more traditional type of entertainment, you should definitely go to a Kabuki presentation, it has also been registered as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Art Form, it is a type of drama that uses song, mime and dance performed by males only, they use exaggerated gestures to express emotions and to tell stories it has been around since the Edo era and it is definitely a must-see.

Castles are also another must-see in Japan, they are simply amazing, with its traditional architecture, some of them have structures from over 400 years ago.

Something that I never thought about but you can do in Japan is to experience being a Ninja! In Mie prefecture there are places where they lend the clothes, give training and you can feel like an actual Ninja (50 things you must do while in Japan, 2019)!

Sumo is the national sport of Japan and visiting the country you cannot miss the opportunity to see it first-hand. You can also visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, it is not a happy place, but somewhere to think pay respects for so many lives that were lost, it is said that people come from all over the world to pray for peace (50 things you must do while in Japan, 2019).

Now, if you are into games, you must go to a game center, these places have hundreds of crane and token games, but here people actually win prizes, GOOD prizes. And what I would like the most: to go shopping at a 100 yen store, something similar to a Dollar store, I just LOVE these places, buy a bunch of cheap things that I probably don't need and will most likely break on the first use, but you may find some eccentric objects, some useful, some not so much.

As I believe I left clear before, I love buying stuff, so souvenirs are definitely something I would look for! Better yet if the souvenir is food! The Kit Kats I mentioned could be a great souvenir, there are hundreds of flavours and usually, each region has its own flavour. Not only that, but each region also has its own treat which can be a snack or a sweet.

Matcha or Green Tea is everywhere, why not bringing some of it home? It is healthy and delicious!

Sensui or folding fans are one of the most traditional souvenirs from Japan, it can be used as it is meant to be, as a fan or it can be used as a decoration piece, either way, they are simply beautiful, and they are usually handmade using local fabric and wood which may help the local community.

Although they are traditional clothing kimonos can make great souvenirs, they are pretty and they can be found in a variety of fabrics, patterns and more importantly, prices! What I would like to bring from Japan would be their knives, the quality of a Japanese knife is unquestionable and beautiful. Ceramic artifacts are also some of the best and most beautiful, though it sure is a challenge to bring it home.

If you are looking for a more traditional souvenir, there is the omamori, they can be found at religious sites such as temples and shrines, they are charms and each has a different meaning, it can be to bring good fortune in love or business, it could be for good health or even success in hard tasks. For decorations a kabuki face mask would be great, they are the most cultural products (Shash, 2017), another traditional item would be the Daruma Dolls, they are those rounded red faces with blank eyes, one eye is supposed to be filled when the owner sets a goal and the other eye is to be filled when the goal is completed. I would like to bring one of each I would not mind if they were related to religion either!

Talking about religion, Shinto and Buddhism are Japan's major religions, practiced by 83.9% and 71.4% of the population, respectively but there are other philosophies and religions that are also followed such as Christianity and Confucianism.

Shinto means "the way of the Gods", it is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and traditions, it comes from the indigenous faith and it is considered as old as Japan itself. Kami is how the Shinto gods are called, they are typically sacred spirits that take the form of things and concepts important to life such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility (Japan Guide, 2019), Shinto is considered an optimistic faith, it believes that people are good and evil is caused by evil spirits so most of their rituals are purifications, rituals to keep evil away and offerings to the kami. The place of worship for the Shinto religion are called Shrines, it is also believed to be the home of the kami. Shinto rituals are performed by priests, which can be both women or men, they are also allowed to marry and have children they usually live in the shrine grounds. The priests are helped by younger women during their rituals, they are called Miko, they typically wear white kimonos, they must be unmarried and is often the priests' daughters.

Buddhism actually originated in India in the 6th century BC, it was imported to Japan via China and Korea, it was welcomed by the ruling nobles as Japan's religion, but it did not spread much among the common people because it was too complex. When it was first introduced there were some conflicts between Buddhism and Shinto but soon, they were able to co-exist and even complement each other, many people consider themselves as being both Buddhists and Shinto.

Christianity came to Japan from Portugal around 1542, the Japanese only accepted the Jesuit missionaries that came with the Portuguese because they were bringing weapons and gunpowder, so it was a kind of "package", the missionaries were able to convert a considerable number of people in Western Japan, because of that it could be openly practiced until around 1630s when there was a rebellion on the Shimabara Peninsula which involved many Christians, thousands of rebels were executed and a full ban on Christianity became strictly enforced (Japan Guide, 2019), nowadays only 1.5% of the population practices Christianity but events like Valentine's day and Christmas are celebrated mostly because of their retail marketing than the belief on these dates. Another custom that is popular in modern Japan is the Christian wedding even among the non-Christian population, it consists of brides wearing white dresses and couples exchange vows at wedding chapels.

Even though these religions play a big part in the Japanese culture over 60% of the Japanese population say they are atheists (CIA Factbook, n.d.).

I learnt so much about the Japanese culture and traditions just researching the Japanese cuisine which is very rich and much more than just raw fish and rice. The entertainment which has such a great variety and mix between the old, and the new, the traditions and the modern, the technology. Souvenirs are also interesting so many items to bring home and remember such a wonderful trip. Also, the religions which were so important for the culture and the history of the Japanese people. I enjoyed discovering more about this beautiful country and I really hope I can visit Japan someday and just experience and immerse myself there.

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References

50 things you must do while in Japan. (2019, February 22). Retrieved March 10, 2019, from Tsunagu Japan: https://www.tsunagujapan.com/50-things-you-must-do-while-in-japan/

Albala, K. (n.d.). The Story of Japanese Cuisine. Retrieved March 11, 2019, from The Great Course Daily: https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/the-story-of-sushi-and-japanese-cuisine/

Bennett, C. (2011, September 12). Otaku: Is it a dirty word? Retrieved March 10, 2019, from Geek Our: https://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/12/otaku-is-it-a-dirty-word/

CIA Factbook. (n.d.). Japan. Retrieved March 15, 2019, from Religion Facts: https://www.religionfacts.com/japan

Do, T. (2015, July 20). There Are More Than 200 Different Flavors Of Kit Kat In Japan. Here's Why.200 Different Flavors Of Kit Kats In Japan. Retrieved March 10, 2019, from Food Republic: https://www.foodrepublic.com/2015/07/20/there-are-more-than-200-different-flavors-of-kit-kats-in-japan-heres-why/

Japan Guide. (2019). Christianity. Retrieved March 12, 2019, from Japan Guide: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2298.html

Japan Guide. (2019). Shinto. Retrieved March 10, 2019, from Japan Guide: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2056.html

Milner, R. (n.d.). Top 10 foods to try in Japan. Retrieved March 15, 2019, from BBC Good Food: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/top-10-foods-try-japan

Shash. (2017, February 17). 44 Japanese Souvenirs to Take Home. Retrieved March 10, 2019, from Compathy: https://en.compathy.net/magazine/2016/06/15/japanese-souvenirs/

Spacey, J. (2015, July 13). 38 Japanese Desserts. Retrieved March 15, 2019, from Japan Talk: https://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/japanese-desserts