TOURIST REPORT
Introduction
Japan is easily becoming one of the must-see places for travelers as it has grown in popularity and continues to grow annually. This country has both the upbeat busy metropolitan feel, cities that include a sense of peaceful serenity as well as a vast range of historical sites and naturally beautiful attractions. It has been added to my bucket list recently and going into depth in to the different aspects of all that is Japan makes me want to pack my bags and head on a flight there as soon as possible.
Unique Cuisine
Japanese cuisine is so much more than it appears. Types of restaurants in Japan vary from the vending machines, street food vendors, distinctive drinking places, theme restaurants, convenience stores and so much more. Some popular dishes that you may already know that originate from Japan are sushi, ramen, sashimi and mochi. Instead of talking about what you may already know I am going to touch on the unique foods that are considered delicacies that you (and I) may be hesitant or even scared to try out. I am also going to be talking about manners and customs when it comes to eating and what is expected even if you are a visitor. Seafood and sea creatures are very commonly eaten in Japan as they are known to consume the most fish than any other country in the world weighing in at about 17 million tons every year. Japanese people are known to be very sustainable when it come to a lot of things including their food. Having said that, when visiting Tsukiji fish market you will most likely see a lot of sea creatures or parts of their bodies that most people would dispose of that a lot of Japanese people enjoy eating for example, giant snails, tuna eyeballs etc. Something interesting I came across while doing research about Japanese cuisine is that in 2013 'washoku' or traditional Japanese cuisine was recognized by UNESCO into its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. This ensures that the way of eating Japanese food is going to be persevered in order to help keep their traditions alive. Most if not all dishes are very minimally seasoned and are often seared, boiled or eaten raw, as Japanese food focuses their flavour profile on Unami. Unami is most enhanced by using a few ingredients that are commonly found in the cuisine such as miso, seaweed, bonito broth. To help increase contrast in flavours, food is often served with an array of condiments. These consist of soy sauce, wasabi, a citrus of some sort, miso, pickles as well as some other light dipping sauces. There are some interesting manners and etiquette that can come into play and may help you out when it comes to eating. When it comes to slurping noodles, it is definitely seen as okay to do and is seen as something done in Japan that they would compare to a westerner using a steak knife when eating a steak. One other interesting thing I learned is most restaurants usually ask that you pay at the register and often have a tray beside the register, which is used for placing your money or credit card on. The reason for this is because Japanese people do not necessarily like being touched and prefer it be done this way, some may take it from your hand and others may go out of their way to point at the tray depending on what they are comfortable with. I myself tried sushi a little over a year ago and I honestly really enjoyed how well everything pairs with each other. I have not got around to trying some of their other popular dishes like ramen, but I definitely do want to and urge you to do the same if you are reluctant to do so also.
Popular Souvenir Finds
Since Japan has may faces to the country the souvenirs you can find do as well. Some popular souvenirs you will find in Japan can take you to a much simpler time where kids and even adults alike were amused by the little things. The kendama is a perfect example of this. "A kendama is a ball and string toy that was introduced to Japan in the 1700s by way of China." (SHASH, 2017) The kendama is a Japanese skill toy which is a lot of fun to play with. It can help improve hand eye coordination and has been decreasing more and more in and throughout Japan but gaining popularity across the world over the past few years. The toy varies in size but kendama professionals tend to stick to the regular size. The 'ken' is the handle which also means sword, 'oozara' meaning big dish, 'kozara' meaning small dish, 'chuzara' meaning medium dish and the 'tama' meaning ball in Japanese are connected by the 'ito' meaning string. A great tip to keep in mind to help with the kendama is to remember to bend your knees to help with control of the ball. As you may or may not have known Japan is known for their 'matcha' or green tea. They are one of the largest consumers of green tea in the world. In this case it would make the perfect souvenir find for someone back home who may be an avid tea drinker. You can definitely find matcha everywhere whether that be in the vending machines around the city, a convenience store or even a tea store but even though there are many varieties of it because the matcha business is so vast quality is always guaranteed. A great option that is always a good idea for someone like me especially is to bring back sweets. Japan has plenty of different snacks and sweets and this is very popular to bring back as souvenirs. Each region in the country actually has a specific type of sweet or snack they are known for and it is very popular to buy each speciality from each region you visit, or you can also buy a box of the different common sweets from all of the regions. The most well-known brand of chocolate that has taken pride in creating flavours exclusively for Japan is Nestle's KitKat. KitKat has twenty-three different flavours that are both savoury and sweet which include flavours like matcha, ginger ale, wasabi, red bean, sake and so many more.
Entertainment Options
When you hear someone speak about Japan and you do not know anything and/ or much about the culture, traditions and what it is they do for entertainment it can definitely spark some interest, which I can hopefully aid you in. One of if not the most iconic things to experience entertainment wise while visiting Japan would certainly be a sumo wrestling match. Sumo is the national sport of Japan and is an ancient sport that dates back to between the third and seventh centuries. It started as a form of entertainment for the Imperial families to watch and has definitely evolved since then. These days there are official sumo tournaments that are held six times a year. Three of those six are held in Tokyo in January, May and September and it is certainly recommended by almost everyone to experience at least one sumo wrestling match when visiting Japan. Another entertainment option that would be incredible to experience or see would absolutely be the geisha. Everyone knows about or has seen geishas in movies, books, or generally when associating Japan with something. "Geisha are performers; classically trained in a range of skills including the art of conversation, playing instruments like the shamisen, drinking games, poetry recital and dance. These skills are practiced and honed for years in training and are employed for entertainment at high-end events and dinners." (Crossley-Baxter, 2018). Many people tend to assume that geishas are sex workers and that is false. They are regularly confused with 'oiran' which, actually are high class sex workers nonetheless geishas are entertainers. Although in the past some geishas did do sex work. The geisha way of life is actually one of the oldest professions in Japan which started about 400 years ago and the first geishas were actually male. Becoming a geisha takes years of practice and training and is by choice although, in the old days geishas were actually either born into it or they were adopted from poor families. Given all the history they have added to the Japanese culture I feel these two entertainment options would be great to experience for anyone visiting this country.
Religious Practices
Shinto is the largest religion in Japan and is practiced by about 80% of the population. It is seen as more as a way of life rather than a religion. And interestingly most Japanese people identify as both Shinto and Buddhist. How is this possible? Well, because Shinto does not have many characteristics associated with religion as well as no founder or any sacred text. The main goal of Shinto is to be in touch with 'kami' or spiritual energy. With that being said they do not have any certain way to live life by saying what is right or wrong, which also means they do not have any preachers, or missionaries. Rituals Shinto do are often seen as a performance to others instead of an act of offering to God. Although Shinto is thousands of years old many of the Japanese people are very often living their lives through this. So much so that new building is blessed by a Shinto priest, some Japanese cars are blessed during the assembling process and even the sumo sport was initiated from some Shinto rituals. Overall this religion has had and still does have such a large impact on Japanese people in their everyday lives and even as they manoeuvre throughout the world whether they realize it or not. The reason I say this is because it is instilled into their culture, traditions and practices so much that they would not even realize that what they do is a part of Shinto.
Conclusion
Looking into Japan in depth to see the unique cuisine it has to offer, the entertainment options you can experience as a visitor or a local. As well as the popular souvenirs you could take home with you to remember your travels by. And looking deeper into what exactly the religion Shinto is and what the Japanese people do and live through that. I cannot wait to experience all that Japan has to offer one day when I myself get to go and experience it. I also hope this helped you get a little bit of takeaway from and you walk away learning at least one thing about Japan or their people.
Word count: 2011
References
50 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT GEISHA EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOW! (2016, November 13). Retrieved from hauteculturefashion: https://hauteculturefashion.com/facts-about-geisha/
Crossley-Baxter, L. (2018, March 20). 5 Places to See Geisha in Tokyo. Retrieved from TokyoCheapo: https://tokyocheapo.com/entertainment/where-to-see-geisha-in-tokyo/
DUONG, L. (2017, February 17). KitKat in Japan - Top 23 Unique Flavors. Retrieved from compathy: https://en.compathy.net/magazine/2016/07/02/kitkat-in-japan/
KIFER, C. (2014, March 19). 21 Things You Should Know About Japanese Food. Retrieved from everintransit: https://everintransit.com/japanese-food/
Noel, M. (2015, April 27). Kendama Basics Tutorial - Beginner Tricks and Tips. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1rRb3973aQ
SHASH. (2017, February 17). 44 Japanese Souvenirs to Take Home. Retrieved from compathy: https://en.compathy.net/magazine/2016/06/15/japanese-souvenirs/