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 →

Japan is made up of over 6,800 Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The majority of the 126,000,000 people live in densely populated coastal cities due to the unhabitual mountainous terrain in the center of the islands. Hotels of JapanSource: http://scenery-wallpapers.com The lifestyles of the Japanese people are geared towards tradition and keep their culture. With … Continue reading Japanese Lifestyle 日本のライフスタイル →

A Japanese Woman Wearing a Mask.Source: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/why-do-japanese-people-wear-surgical-masks/ As I have seen it in many documentaries about modern day Japan, I have to question, why do they wear masks? My first assumption is that they are sick, but the more I have researched the more I have found that is not the only reason to wear … Continue reading Japanese Lifestyle of Masks. →

Let’s talk about language in the Japanese culture! First you may be surprised to learn that nearly 123 million people across the world speak or use the Japanese language. The vocabulary consists of many borrowed words especially from the Chinese language. The writing system for this language consists of three different categories: Kanji, Hiragana, and … Continue reading Japanese Language →

Japanese Women Dressed in Traditional KimonoSource: https://historyplex.com/japanese-traditional-clothing The traditional dresses of Japan have been an interest for a long time as they have a long history of wearing their own very unique cultural fashion. If we were to travel to Japan today, we might be disheartened to find that most Japanese streets would be filled with western-style clothing or yofuku … Continue reading Traditional Clothing in Japan →

Steamed Ricehttps://www.japan-zone.com/culture/food.shtml When you think of Japanese cuisine the first thing that comes to your mind is probably sushi. Well you're not wrong there, as Japan is well known for its delicious sushi. Japanese cuisine is much more than just sushi, though. Their food is something they take great pride in. Not only is their … Continue reading Japanese Cuisine →

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! →