Japanese Culture
The Japanese culture greatly evolved from its origions. In the past, when China had a great economy, Japan adapted some of China's culture. However, after problems began in China, Japan developed its own unique culture and distanced itself from the influence of China.
The Japanese Arts
Traditional Japanese housing and many temple buildings use tatami mats and sliding doors and are mostly made of wood. Japanese sculpture and Japanese painting are among the oldest of the Japanese arts, with its earliest dating back to at least 300 BC. Most paintings and sculptures are made of wood, or use wood, such as ukiyo-e prints, which are printed designs on wood blocks. Famous ukiyo-e artists include Hokusai and Hiroshige. The fusion of traditional woodblock printing and Western art led to the creation of manga, a comic book format that is now popular within and outside Japan. Manga-influenced animation for television and film is called anime. Japanese-made video game consoles have been popular since the 1980s.
Ukiyo-e Prints
Ukiyo-e (floating world) is a specific style of Japanese painting produced by woodblock prints and was popular between the seventeenth and twentieth centuries. This style mostly featured landscape, theater, pleasure quarters, and history. There are other styles of Japanese woodblock prints, but Ukiyo-e is the most popular. This art encourages to focus on the pleasure that is provided by the moon, cherry blossoms, snow, maple leaves, wine, and song. A famous Ukiyo-e print is The Great Wave off Kanagawa, one of a seriesof woodblock prints by Hokusai.
Music
Japanese music is diverse with many instruments, such as the koto, which were introduced in the 9th and 10th centuries. The Noh drama dates from the 14th century and the popular folk music, with the guitar-like shamisen, from the 16th century. Western classical music, introduced in the late 19th century, now forms an important part of Japanese culture. The imperial court ensemble Gagaku has influenced the work of some modern Western composers. Popular music in post-war Japan has been heavily influenced by American and European trends, which has led to the evolution of J-pop, or Japanese popular music. Karaoke is the most widely practiced cultural activity in Japan.
Religion
Japan has full religious freedom based on Article 20 of its Constitution. 84–96 percent of the Japanese population subscribe to Buddhism or Shinto. However, the estimates are based on people with a temple, rather than the number of true believers. Only 30 percent of the population identify themselves as belonging to a religion. 70–80% of the Japanese regularly tell pollsters they do not consider themselves believers in any religion. Participation remains high, however, especially during festivals and occasions such as those of the New Year. Taoismand Confucianism from China have influenced Japanese beliefs and customs as well. Japanese streets are decorated on Tanabata, Obon, and Christmas. Fewer than one percent of Japanese are Christian. Other minority religions include Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Judaism.