New Year celebration in JapanSource: http://japanholic-girl.blogspot.com/2013/01/new-year-in-japan.html Just like most cultures, Japan has its share of holidays and special occasions. Some of these are familiar to us, such as Christmas (although it is not a national holiday in Japan). Others are not, such as Ocean Day (umi no hi), a holiday that celebrates the ocean (Public … Continue reading Important Days in Japan →

A traditional Shinto archway, or torii.Source: https://imgkid.com/japanese-shinto-shrines.shtml Religion is an essential part of every culture. In Japan, two primary religions are observed: Shintoism and Buddhism. According to survey, about 83.9% of the population identifies as Shinto and 71.4% identify as Buddhist. An additional 7.8% is comprised of other various religions. As you've probably noticed, these … Continue reading Religion in Japan →

Welcome to Nippon Nuances! I'm Matthew Garland and I'm one of five Jefferson College students behind this blog. Our goal here is to study and share Japanese culture. Each blog post will contain one of our findings on an aspect of the Japanese way of life. We hope you find it enlightening and entertaining! "The … Continue reading Kon’nichiwa! →