Long ago, people thought that earthquakes were caused by the shaking of a giant catfish living underground. When the catfish would stir, either from restlessness, or its displeasure at human folly, it would send the surface of the earth into convulsions. Since the late Edo period (1600-1868), catfish have been thought capable of predicting earthquakes by showing increased movement just prior to an occurrence.
Why is it that girls CELEBRATE their third and seventh years, but boys only celebrate their fifth year?
At three, kids were allowed to let their hair grow out, and at five boys were allowed to wear hakama for the first time. Eventually, this custom developed into celebrating the boys' fifth year by dressing them in kimono with hakama. At seven girls began to tie real obi to wear with their kimono.
What kinds of meats are called "CHERRY blossom" and "peony" in Japanese?
Botan, or "peony," is a euphemism for the meat of wild boar, especially when cooked with vegetables and tofu in a pot with miso flavoring. Sakura, or "cherry blossom," is horse meat.
Why are carp banners flown on CHILDREN'S DAY?
Carp have a good image in Japan—witness the name of Hiroshima's professional baseball team. Since carp can swim upstream against strong currents, they have become symbols of stamina and courage. That is why you can see huge carp banners, or koi-nobori, vigorously "swimming" in the spring breeze during the weeks around May 5. The top banner is multicolored, followed by a black carp symbolizing the father, a red carp symbolizing the mother, and other carp—usually blue—for each of the boys (and sometimes girls, too) in the family.
What's wrong with sticking CHOPSTICKS upright into a bowl of rice?
It is Buddhist custom to make occasional offerings of rice to the deceased. One offers rice by putting a bowl of it on the family altar and sticking a pair of chopsticks into it, pointing straight up. Thus, sticking chopsticks into one's rice at mealtime makes the food look like a death-offering and is considered inauspicious. It should be noted, though, that many young Japanese are blissfully ignorant of this belief and do not always observe the custom.
Why do Japanese break their disposable CHOPSTICKS after use?
Japanese do not always do this, but it happens often enough to make one wonder why. The source of this custom seems to be that it was once believed that if one did not break one's chopsticks after eating a meal in a field or mountain, some evil spirit would attach itself to the used chopsticks and cause the eater to fall ill. Disposable chopsticks, or waribashi, have therefore come to be regarded as single-use utensils that are to be used by no one else; breaking them prevents reuse from occurring even by chance. Even in the home, there is still a tendency for each member of the family to have his or her own pair and not to share chopsticks.
On a related note, this tradition of not reusing chopsticks also helps explain why wooden chopsticks are stuck together, rather than split apart, before use. Machine-cut, wooden waribashi are left attached at one end to indicate that they have not been used by another. They are split apart on use and then disposed of. The recycling movement may one day affect this custom.
What percentage of Japanese who celebrate Christmas are CHRISTIAN?
Despite the popularity of Christmas "decoration cakes," and the fact that many young couples go to romantic restaurants for dinner on Christmas Eve, few japanese are actually Christian. The Christian-style wedding so popular among japanese, for example, often takes place in a "chapel" within a hotel or wedding hall where the brief ceremony is part of a package which includes photographs, reception, and gifts. The "minister," who may never meet the couple until the ceremony, has no legal status during the proceedings, as the formal registration of the marriage is done by the couple themselves at the local ward or city office. The membership of Christian churches was estimated at 0.7% of Japan's population by the Agency of Cultural Affairs in 1993.
Why is COFFEE sometimes served with special brown sugar?
This "coffee sugar" is made of caramel added to granulated sugar which is recrystallized and then cracked. It gives the savory fragrance of sweet caramel and strongly brings out the aroma of the coffee.
Why is a cup of COFFEE so expensive in Japan?
It is not that the coffee is imported or that an excessive duty has been levied on the beans that warrants coffee prices of ¥400 and up at coffee shops. Rather, the charge is better seen as rent: for a very reasonable price, one can sit and recuperate, undisturbed, from the crowds when out shopping, or just sit and read for hours on end, while the waiter or waitress pleasantly refills your glass with water.
Why do ¥5 and ¥50 COINS have holes?
When the Japanese economy was based on the sen (¥0.01) rather than the yen, there were several coins with circular holes in the middle. During the first half of this century the holes disappeared and coins were distinguished by size and material. There was also a time when there were not so many denominations of coins, so one of two distinctions sufficed. Today, however, we have coins of ¥1, ¥5, ¥10, ¥50, ¥100, and ¥500 value. Size alone, even with the addition of tooled edges, is insufficient to help the user recognize the denomination. The hole was, therefore, reintroduced to help even people with limited sight distinguish between ¥5 and ¥10 coins and ¥50 and ¥100 coins by feel alone.
Why do so many high school graduates go on to COLLEGE?
According to a 1993 survey carried out by the Ministry of Education, 40.9% of high school grads went on to some form of continued education.
A look at the difference between the average first month's pay for new employees helps to explain the desire to spend four more years in school, in 1992, the average monthly pay for male college grads was ¥ 186,000, while female college grads earned ¥ 180,000. By comparison, male high school graduates earned ¥146,000 as an average starting salary, and their female counterparts made ¥139,000.
Despite the steady advance of salaries in proportion to the length of time people spend in their jobs, the college graduate's wage catches up with that of the person whose education ended with high school, despite the latter's head start on joining the work force.
How long is the average worker's COMMUTE?
A 1990 national survey carried out by the Management and Coordination Agency reports that the average commute (one way) takes between one and one and a half hours for 40% of commuters to workplaces in urban Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. At the same time, for each of the past several years, numbers of commuter passes issued for the shinkansen lines have risen 30% to 50% over the previous year. Thus, while commuting time may not be rising, distances are still growing.
What can you do with a "COMPANION"?
At virtually any large stand-up buffet sponsored by large enterprises or business associations, there is a squad of attractive ladies, not always young, who assist the attendees with finding food and drink. They also serve as conversation partners. Often engaged for the duration of the party, they are only intended to add a feminine touch to the proceedings and are in no way available for further entertainment purposes.
Why are bamboo and streamers attached to ridgepoles of houses during CONSTRUCTION?
When carpenters have completed the framework of a house, they attach bamboo poles with multicolored streamers called gohei (similar to the ones at shrines) to the ridgepole. This practice is intended to invoke divine protection in protecting the builders from misfortune during the remaining construction. There may also be a ceremonial bow and arrow secured to the top of the framework positioned to "shoot down" any potential misfortune that is likely to come from the northeast, considered an inauspicious direction. When constructing a house, the builders usually carry out a ceremony in which the carpenters throw rice cakes from the roof to the crowd below and a small party on the property, where the owner feasts the builders.