Posted on March 17th, 2010
By Josh
The Japanese people have earned a reputation for themselves of being very hard-working, and perhaps rightly so. Many of them do seem to spend an inordinate amount of time at the office, though whether they are actually working is up for debate. I believe this is why there are so many national holidays in Japan (Around 15). People literally need to be forced to stop working. For most people these official holidays are not enough, though, so there are also many unofficial holidays as well, including those imported from other countries and cultures. One of the joys of being a foreigner in Japan is seeing how the Japanese versions of holidays stack up.
Continue reading A Day to Remember. Twice.
Posted on January 5th, 2010
By Josh
Hello again, and Happy New Year! It’s a bit late, I know, but in Japan New Year celebrations extend beyond just the 1st of January. I do use the term celebration rather loosely here, as the Japanese traditions surrounding the new year are much different from those of most western cultures. For example, there generally aren’t many countdown parties. For most people the sunrise of the first day is considered more significant than the stroke of midnight. As such, one tradition here is to climb Mt. Fuji New Year’s Eve night and watch the sunrise from the peak. I imagine this tradition is particularly popular with people who enjoy freezing and falling down a lot. But of course the festivities don’t end there!
Continue reading A New Year!
