The first people in Japan were the Ainu people and other Jōmon people. They were closer related to Europeans or Mongols.19 They were later conquered and replaced by the Yayoi people (early Japanese and Ryukyuans). The Yayoi were an ancient ethnic group that migrated to the Japanese archipelago mainly from southeastern China during the Missav – Mature Yayoi period (300 CE–300 AD). Modern Japanese people have primarily Yayoi ancestry at an average of 97%.2021 The indigenous Ryukyuan and Ainu peoples have more Jōmon ancestry on the other hand. Six homes have been damaged in city of Okayama, where a fire started on Mount Kaigara and burned 250 hectares (600 acres) of the forest.
Cooperation With Other Partners Driven By Shared Interests in the Indo-Pacific Region and Beyond
Karaoke (カラオケ) was invented in Japan and can be found in virtually every Japanese city. Pronounced kah-rah-oh-keh, it is abbreviated from the words “empty orchestra” in Japanese; most locals won’t have any idea what you’re talking about if you use the English carry-oh-kee. You and your friends have a room to yourself — no strangers involved — and the standard hourly rate often includes all-you-can-drink alcohol, with refills ordered through a phone on the wall or through the karaoke machine. The major chains all have excellent English-language song selections.
Your guide to Japan
Soba and udon noodle soups virtually always use bonito-based katsuodashi, and typically the only vegetarian-safe item on the menu in a noodle shop is zarusoba, or plain cold noodles — but even for this the dipping sauce typically contains dashi. During the summer months when it’s not raining, many buildings and hotels have restaurants on their rooftops and serve dishes like fried chicken and french fries, as well as light snacks. You can order large mugs of beer or pay a fixed price for an all-you-can-drink (飲み放題 nomihōdai) course lasting for a set period of time (usually up to 2 hours). Cocktails and other drinks are also often available as part of all-you-can-drink sets.
¥50,000 a night per person is not uncommon for some of the posher ones. Sizes of Japanese rooms are often measured in jō (畳 or sometimes 帖), the number of tatami (straw floor) mats that would cover the floor, regardless of the room’s actual flooring material. Sizes vary by region, with 1 jō ranging from 1.445 to 1.824 m2, but a commonly used value is 1.652 m2 (17.8 sq ft). A typical room in a Japanese apartment is 6 jō (about 9.3 m2; 100 sq ft), big enough to sleep two people with their luggage spread out.
- Carry your suitcase when visiting popular sightseeing destinations.
- Workers are also expected to go out with their colleagues for food and drinks multiple times a week, which means only getting home when its really late.
- If you do have more time, consider extending your time in Kyoto or Tokyo, or add on places like Kanazawa or Osaka.
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Japanese people are known for their love of socks, and sock stores selling high quality and colorful socks are found in most cities. So, bring a pair of socks in your bag while you’re sightseeing, if you aren’t wearing them. Footsies and under the ankle socks are handy, especially if you’re going for the “no socks” look. Public toilets can be found in railway and metro stations, larger supermarkets, shopping complexes, department stores, and parks. Convenience stores and fast food outlets may not welcome use of their toilets by non-customers.
Police patrol party areas heavily at night and they will be willing to “rescue” a fellow Japanese from a violent foreigner. If you are thinking of working in Japan, keep in mind that the work culture is extremely hierarchical and formal, much more so than in Western countries. Workers are also expected to go out with their colleagues for food and drinks multiple times a week, which means only getting home when its really late. Hundreds of thousands of foreigners are studying in Japan, either in language schools (to learn Japanese), in universities, or to study Japanese martial arts, or arts and crafts. Education is taken very seriously in Japan, often to the point of obsession, and the country is home to several world-class universities and institutions.
In the largest Japanese cities, it’s easy to spot a geisha if you look in the right part of town. (At 4 minutes per song, 15 songs would keep you singing for an hour.) These days, many machines use a tablet or touchscreen which you can use to search for songs by a variety of criteria; if you can get one of these set to English, great. You can also look up songs in the phonebook-sized catalogs, which is what you’ll have to do if you can’t get an a tablet in English, or at older places that just have a large remote control.
However, IC cards like Suica and PASMO are often accepted for payment, particularly in train stations. Cigarette vending machines require a Taspo card (age verification), which are not available to non-residents, but local smokers are usually happy to lend you theirs. Pretty much every dot on the map, no matter how small the town, has some product it’s known for. The most common ones are food; some are fresh foods such as fish or cooked dishes you would have to eat while there, but many others are packaged foods, beverages, or ingredients that can be brought home. Local products also include arts and crafts; while some are mere trinkets, others would serve well as decorative keepsakes or practical items to use at home. The most common cards are JR East’s Suica and the Tokyo area PASMO, both of which can be purchased for ¥500 at train stations in Tokyo.
Festivals are held for a variety of reasons, the most common being to give thanks (e.g. for a successful rice harvest) and bring good fortune. Although most festivals are small events sponsored by local shrines or temples, there are hundreds that are large city-wide affairs, any of which would be a nice addition to your itinerary if they overlap your schedule. Japan is famous for geisha, although they’re often misunderstood by the West.
