Culture/ Bunka Japanese cultural distinctiveness and the manner in which it developed are useful in understanding how Japan came to be the first non-Western country to attain great-power status. The Japanese have responded with great interest to powerful outside influences, first from China and more recently from the Western world. The dual influences of East and West have helped construct a modern Japanese culture that offers familiar elements to the Westerner but that also contains a powerful and distinctive traditional cultural aesthetic. Thus, outside influences were integrated, but the basic sense of Japaneseness was unaffected

Ethnic Groups Japanese regard themselves as belonging to a single ethnic group. The few exceptions include those classified as resident aliens (particularly Koreans) and Japanese citizens of Ainu and, to a lesser degree, Okinawan origin -Both Ainu and Okinawans are often relegated to a second-class status Japan also has a small population of Chinese descent Japanese are ethnically closely akin to the other peoples of eastern Asia (Koreans and Chinese)

Languages The Japanese language has always played a significant role in Japanese culture The language is spoken mainly in Japan but also in some Japanese emigrant communities around the world. Japanese is broadly divided linguistically into the two major dialects of Hondo and Nantō Japanese is written with a combination of three scripts: hiragana, derived from the Chinese cursive script, katakana, derived as a shorthand from Chinese characters, and kanji, imported from China

Japanization of Culture Since 1868, Japan began to modernize and to industrialize on the European and American pattern. Western cultural traits were introduced on a large scale through the schools and the mass communication media. American and European influences on Japanese culture are in evidence in literature, the visual arts, music, education, science, recreation, and ideology.

Cultural Changes Modernization was accompanied by cultural changes Western or Westernized music generally is more common than traditional Japanese music in many social settings. Jazz, rock, and the blues are enjoyed by the generations of Japanese who were born after World War II, along with half-Westernized or half-Japanized folk and popular songs. Although Japanese Christians form a tiny percentage of the population, Christmas is widely observed, almost as a folk event The use of Western dress among the Japanese, in place of the traditional kimono, long ago became commonplace, although women may wear formal kimonos at certain celebrations, and both men and women may use casual styles for home wear. House construction also was changed considerably by the introduction of Western architectural forms and functions. Many contemporary Japanese houses are significantly different from the traditional ones

Traditional Arts The highly refined traditional arts of Japan include such forms as the tea ceremony, calligraphy, and ikebana (flower arranging) and gardening, as well as architecture, painting, and sculpture. Ikebana, the tea ceremony, and calligraphy are popular pursuits, particularly as aesthetic accomplishments for women.

Performing Arts The performing arts are distinguished by their blending of music, dance, and drama, rooted in different eras of the past. The major traditional theatrical are bugaku (court dance and music), Noh (Nō; the classic form of dance-drama), kyogen (a type of comic opera), Bunraku (the puppet theatre), and Kabuki (drama with singing and dancing).

Western Forms Western art forms have been fully embraced by the Japanese. Major cities often have several symphony orchestras, and Western-style painting, sculpture, and architecture are widely practiced. The cinema has been highly successful at taking a Western form and putting it through a Japanese aesthetic filter to produce a distinctive style

Family Life The two orbits around which family life typically revolves are the workplace and school. Role specialization between men and women, once widespread, gradually has been changing. Men traditionally are the family breadwinners, while women are responsible for home finances, child rearing, and care of the extended family; an increasing number of women, the majority of them married, work outside the home, although often in part-time jobs. Entertaining typically is not done at home, in part because of the small size of most Japanese homes and also because much of it is business-related

Cuisine Japanese cuisine, which often is served raw or only lightly cooked, is noted for its subtle and delicate flavors The best-known dish worldwide is sushi— cooked, vinegared rice served with a variety of vegetable, sashimi (raw seafood), and egg garnishes and formed into various shapes. Also popular inside and outside Japan is tempur (consisting of portions of seafood and vegetables dipped in a rice-flour batter, deep-fried, and served over steamed rice), Tofu (soybean curd), Sukiyaki and various noodle preparations such as soba and udon

Social Customs The traditional arranged marriage (miai-kekkon) is being replaced by the love match. The wedding ceremony consists of a blend of East and West: a traditional Shintō ceremony, in which the bride and groom wear elaborate kimonos, typically is followed by a Christian-style observance, with the participants in formal Western attire. Japan has 15 national holidays. New Year’s Day is regarded as the most important of these holidays (millions of people go on a pilgrimage to shrines and temples starting at midnight of December 31)

Sports and Recreation The Japanese are keen sports fans and competitors. Most popular team sports are Baseball, basketball, volleyball, and football (soccer) and common individual activities are golf, tennis, and badminton. Japan has developed several competitive sports based on bushidō, the martial tradition of the samurai. Prominent among these are kendo, judo, and karate (the latter two also widely practiced worldwide). Other, generally noncompetitive, martial arts, such as jujitsu and aikido, also have large numbers of practitioners in Japan and throughout the world. The great traditional sport of Japan is sumo wrestling,