Culture

Tokyo is still one city that acts a host to an astounding number of festivals, rituals, observances and celebrations.

From the traditional New Year trip to visiting shrines and praying for good future and happiness during the coming year, Tokyo has a number of holidays and major events.

There are a few events that mark certain anniversaries or date in the Buddhist calendar and are limited to exact neighborhoods, shrines or temples.

The customary art also flourishes here, with long-established drama, martial arts, the tea ritual and flower arranging, which is extensively taught and presented.

Tokyo also happens to be one of the stops on the touring schedules of numerous internationally well-known music and dance companies, pop groups and art exhibitions, which further contribute to the liveliness of the local arts and entertainment scene.

A. Music

There are basically two kinds in traditional Japanese music that includes art music and folk music. Art music has quite a few different styles, each of which was recognized separately in different periods of Japanese history. The Japanese have retained those time-honored styles, transforming them with the changing times. In reality vocal music plays a more significant role than the instrumental music in the history of Japanese music. Besides, traditional Japanese music was also developed as a component of the drama such as Noh, Kabukl, and Bunraku.

B. Language

Japanese is a Teltic language that is spoken in Tokyo. English is generally read and spoken by younger Japanese people. The Japanese language has three different written formats that include kanji, hiragana, and katakana.

C. Religious Practices

The major religions in Japan are the Shintoism and Buddhism. There are a lot of Japanese that consider themselves believers in both. Most Japanese, for instance, will get married in a Shinto ritual, but when they die, they have a Buddhist funeral.

D. Major Events

Ganjitsu

On Ganjitsu, or New Year's Day is one of Japan's most significant holidays where it is traditional and expected out of people to visit Buddhist and Shinto shrines to pray for good luck and future.

Ippan Sanga

Ippan Sanga, on 2nd January, is one of those two days when the Imperial Palace grounds are kept open to the local people as the Emperor waves to his well-wishers.

Dezome-shiki

You can visit this event and watch the Firemen who are dressed in Edo-period costumes march on parade, and later, perform acrobatic stunts on top of bamboo ladders at Harumi Pier - Chuo dori.

Sumo Tournaments

Sumo Tournaments, which is actually called Hon-basho, attracts mass audience during the 15-day long event. Beginning from the second to the fourth Sunday in January, May and September at Kokugikan.

Setsubun Festival

This is according to the lunar calendar and marks the arrival of spring. Celebrations at temples and shrines comprise of spreading of the dried beans to drive out evil spirits. At Senso-ji Temple, a typical classical dance of the seven gods of fortune is presented before the worshippers.

Golden Dragon Dance

This event celebrates the discovery of the golden image of Kannon, now resting in Tokyo. You can watch a number of dances, which are performed throughout the day at the Senso-ji Temple.

Doll Festival

The Doll Festival, known as Hini Matsuri, honors the girls to wish them luck and lots of happiness in their future life.

Baseball Season

From April through October, the Tokyo Dome holds two professional teams, the Yomiuri Giants and the Nippon Ham Fighters. The Yakult Swallows play at Jingu Stadium.

Children's Day

Kodomo-no-hi is a nationwide holiday for children, especially the boys, where streamers are flown from poles throughout Japan to represent the power and determination.

Black Ship Festival

The Black Ship Festival rejoices with the first landing of American Commodore Perry with parades and firecrackers on the Izu-hanto Peninsula.

Grand Festival

Celebrations at the Tosho-gu Shrine comprises of horseback archery and a costumed reform of the delivery of Tokugawa Leyasu's remains to Nikko.

Sanja Matsuri

On the third weekend in May, up to 100 mikoshi (portable shrines) are carried by participants in absolute traditional attire.

Kanda Matsuri

This event is usually held only on odd numbered years, Kanda Matsuri celebrates a Tokugawa battle victory.

Sanno-Sai

This is held in the third week of June. The Edo festival is held near the Akaska-mitsuke subway station that features music, dancing and portable shrines known as mikoshi.

Ashino-ko Kasui Matsuri

The Ashino-ko Kasui Matsuri festival, held in Moto-Hakone, features fireworks display over Ashino-ko Lake at the Hakone-jinja Shrine.

E. Etiquette / Do's and Don'ts

Do's

- Do buy drinks and liquor only if you are above the age of 20 as people below that are punished.

- Take your shoes off when entering hotel rooms, houses, temples, Japanese-style restaurants and even dressing rooms.

- Put your chopsticks on a chopstick rest when you are not eating. You can also pot them aside on the edge of your tray.

- Carry with you gifts and presents when you're invited to Japanese homes, as the Japanese they are extremely fond of gifts.

- Bow a lot as it is a version of handshake in Japan. Of you do not respond in the same manner it is considered to be very impolite.

Don'ts

- Do not count the change given back to you after making any purchase from any shop as it is considered to be extremely rude.

- Do not pass food or any edible item from your chopsticks to someone else's chopsticks.

- Do not forget that in a ryokan, you are expected to leave a small tip for the women who arrange the room and bring your food. Around 1,000 yen per person is adequate.

- When in a Japanese restaurant you are provided with an oshibori, which you are not supposed to use to wipe your face with. It is only given to wipe your hands. If necessary just pat it on your forehead to pat the sweat dry. When you are done with your oshibori, do not toss it back onto the table, instead neatly fold it or you can also roll it up.