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Social Profile
Food & Drink: Japanese cuisine, now popular in the West, involves very sensitive flavours, fresh crisp vegetables and an absence of richness. Specialities include teriyaki (marinated beef/chicken/fish seared on a hot plate), sukiyaki (thin slices of beef, bean curd and vegetables cooked in soy sauce and then dipped in egg), tempura (deep fried seafood and vegetables), sushi (slices of raw seafood placed on lightly vinegared rice balls – very tasty and refreshing) and sashimi (slices of raw seafood dipped in soy sauce). The best place to try sushi is a Kaiten Sushi Bar, where many varieties pass the customer on a conveyor belt allowing complete choice over which delicacies to try, at more reasonable prices than a traditional Sushi Bar. Fine Oriental food (Korean – very hot – and Chinese) is served in restaurants. An amazing number and variety of international restaurants is also available, catering for every possible taste and budget, from French and Italian to Chinese, Indian and Thai. Western dishes in expensive places are good, but cheaper restaurants may be disappointing. Restaurants have table service and in some places it is customary to remove footwear.
Green tea is by far the most popular bevarage amongst the Japanese. The quality of the tea varies greatly from houjicha (a common brown-coloured tea) to matcha (a bitter green tea used in tea ceremonies). Sake, hot rice wine, is strong and distinctively fresh tasting. Shochu, a strong aquavit, is an acquired taste. Japanese wines are worth trying once, and beer – similar to lager – is recommended. Popular brands are Kirin, Sapporo, Suntory and Asahi. Waiter service is common in bars. The Japanese are very fond of original Scotch whisky, but this is both very expensive and highly sought after, therefore Japanese versions of this drink are often served. There are no licensing hours. Drinking is subject to long-standing rituals of politeness. The hostess will pour a drink for the visitor, and will insist on the visitor’s glass being full. It is also appreciated if the visitor pours drinks for the host, but it is bad manners for a visitor to pour one for himself.
Nightlife: Tokyo has an abundance of cinemas, theatres, bars, coffee shops, discotheques and nightclubs. A wide range of bars is available, from the upmarket and stylish to cheap street stalls. In the summer, rooftop beer gardens are popular. Some clubs have hostesses who expect to be bought drinks and snacks. In bigger nightclubs and bars, a basic hostess charge is levied. However, there are thousands of other bars and clubs. In Tokyo there are concerts of all styles of music almost every night. Foreign opera companies, ballet companies, orchestras and rock/pop stars visit Japan all year round. Some live jazz houses are also available. For those who would like to try the traditional Japanese performing arts, there is Kabuki and Noh theatre in Tokyo. Play Guide ticket offices are situated in major department stores. It is advisable to purchase the tickets in advance because shows are quickly sold out. Karaoke bars are a very popular form of entertainment in Japan.
Shopping: A blend of Oriental goods and Western sales techniques confronts the shopper, particularly at the big department stores, which are more like exhibitions than shops. Playgrounds for children are available. Special purchases include kimonos, mingei (local crafts including kites and folk toys); Kyoto silks, fans, screens, dolls; religious articles such as Shinto and Buddhist artefacts; paper lanterns; lacquerware; hi-fi equipment, cameras, televisions and other electronic equipment. Bargaining is not ususal. Tax exemptions: These are available in authorised tax-free stores. Certain items over ¥10,000 are exempt from tax. Shopping hours: 1000-1900/2000 every day of the week and on public holidays.
Special Events: A large number of festivals are held in Japan throughout the year in different parts of the country. Some are hugely spectacular, some are religious in orientation. For full details of events and festivals in 2003, contact the Japan National Tourist Organisation (see Contact Addresses). The following is a selection of annual events and festivals held in Japan (dates are subject to variation):
Jan Toka Ebisu, Festival of Imamiya Ebisu Shrine, Osaka; Grass Fire Ceremony, Mt Wakakusayama, Nara. Feb Snow Festival, Sapporo; Lantern Festival of Kasuga Shrine, Nara. Mar Hinamatsuri or Doll Festival, all Japan. Apr Kamakura Matsuri of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Kamakura. May Grand Festival of Toshogu Shrine, Tochigi. Jul Tanabata (Star Festival), throughout Japan. Jul 17 Gion Matsuri of Yasaka Shrine, Kyoto. Aug Nebuta Matsuri, Aomori; Neputa Matsuri, Hirosaki; Peace Ceremony, Hiroshima; Awa Odori, Tokushima. Oct Okunchi Festival of Suwa Shrine, Nagasaki; Takayama Matsuri of Hachiman Shrine, Takayama; Jidai Matsuri (Festival of Eras), Heian Shrine, Kyoto. Nov Shichi-go-san (Children’s Shrine Visiting Day), throughout Japan. Dec Chichibu Yo-matsuri (All-night Festival), Chichubu City, Saitama; Hagoita Ichi (Battledore Fair), Asakusa, Tokyo.
Social Conventions: Japanese manners and customs are vastly different from those of Western people. A strict code of behaviour and politeness is recognised and followed by almost all Japanese. However, they are aware of the difference between themselves and the West and therefore do not expect visitors to be familiar with all their customs but expect them to behave formally and politely. A straightforward refusal does not form part of Japanese etiquette. A vague ‘yes’ does not really mean ‘yes’ but the visitor may be comforted to know that confusion caused by non-committal replies occurs between the Japanese themselves. Entertaining guests at home is not as customary as in the West, as it is an enterprise not taken lightly and the full red-carpet treatment is given. Japanese men are also sensitive lest their wives be embarrassed and feel that their hospitality is inadequate by Western standards; for instance, by the inconvenience to a foreign guest of the custom of sitting on the floor. Bowing is the customary greeting but handshaking is becoming more common for business meetings with Westerners. The suffix san should be used when addressing all men and women; for instance Mr Yamada would be addressed as Yamada-san. When entering a Japanese home or restaurant it is customary to remove shoes. Table manners are very important, although the Japanese host will be very tolerant towards a visitor. However, it is best if visitors familiarise themselves with basic table etiquette and use chopsticks. It is customary for a guest to bring a small gift when visiting someone’s home. Exchange of gifts is also a common business practice and may take the form of souvenir items such as company pens, ties or high-quality spirits. Smoking is only restricted where notified. Tipping: Tips are never expected since a ten to 20 per cent service charge is added to the bill at hotels, ryokan and restaurants; where a visitor wishes to show particular appreciation of a service, money should not be given in the form of loose change but rather as a small financial gift. Special printed envelopes can be bought for financial gifts of this type.
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