-
Video article 4:34
Edo Furin (Wind Chimes) Have Been Used in Japan for Hundreds of Years as a Way To Feel Cool and Refreshed in the Heat of Summer. Find Out Exactly How They're Made in This Article!
Traditional Culture Traditional Crafts- 11 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 4:23
The Combination of Traditional Japanese Culture, Fireworks, and Cutting Edge Technology Create a Fireworks Show Full Of Colors, Shapes, and Amazing Performances!
Traditional Culture Festivals & Events- 16 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 4:45
Experience a Traditional Japanese Wedding Ceremony With the "Wedding Boat" of the Suigo Itako Iris Festival, in Itako, Ibaraki! The Bride Wearing a Pure White Dress Is as Beautiful as an Iris!
Traditional Culture History Festivals & Events- 157 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 6:13
The Beautiful World of 3D Paper Cutting Art! Enjoy Amazing Works Created by the Paper Cutting Artist, Naofumi Hama
Traditional Culture Modern Culture- 142 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 3:30
Radio Calisthenics Have Been Around in Japan for Approximately 90 Years and Has Been Ingrained Into Japanese Culture. Loved by Many, It's a Source of Health for the Japanese People!
Traditional Culture- 46 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 9:46
Somaro in Umeda, Yamagata. A Place Attracting Attention From All Over the World. Be Soothed by the Dancing Maiko in this Japanese-Style Teahouse!
Traditional Culture- 29 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 4:20
The Shinobue - See the Traditional Japanese Instrument Played by Kazuya Sato. Its Graceful Sound Has Been Loved by the People of Japan Since the Heian Period
Traditional Culture- 433 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 3:56
Nunobashi Kanjoe - This Purification Ceremony in Tateyama, Toyama, Is a Sacred Tradition Full Of History. Dressed in White, The Solemn and Splendid Appearance of the Priests Respects the Ancient Traditions of Japan
Traditional Culture- 167 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 6:40
Easy-To-Make Origami Cranes That Both Kids and Adults Can Enjoy! Origami Is a Japanese Art That Turns Squares of Paper Into Beautiful 3D Works of Art!
Traditional Culture Action & Adventure History- 116 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 6:47
Experience Japanese Tradition and Culture With "Toyosaka no Mai," Performed at Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine's "Sakura Matsuri Gagaku Concert" in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka. The Elegant Gagaku Performance Is Quite the Spectacle!
Traditional Culture Festivals & Events- 233 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 1:00
"Katsuura Big Hinamatsuri" Is a Spectacular Event With a Large Number of Hina Dolls Lined Up on the Stone Steps of an Elegant Shrine! Enjoy Japan’s Traditional Celebration "Hina Matsuri" on a Big Scale!
Traditional Culture- 53 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 4:00
Hino Hinamatsuri Kiko - Experience Hino, Shiga, Decorated With Adorable Hina Dolls! Introducing the Hinamatsuri Event Held in a Town That Will Transport You Back to Japan’s Showa Period!
Traditional Culture Festivals & Events- 59 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 1:42
Let's Learn About "道" (Dou), Traditional Japanese Cultures! Get to Know the Japanese Spirit Through Kendo (剣道), Tea Ceremony (茶道), Calligraphy (書道), and Other Traditional Japanese Cultural Activities!
Traditional Culture- 735 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 3:50
Kabazaiku: A Traditional Japanese Woodworking Craft of Utilizing the Most Exquisite Cherry Bark. Each Product Is Hand Crafted by Skilled Artisans, Using All-Natural Ingredients in Akita, Japan
Traditional Culture- 217 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 5:48
Learn About Kyoto's Fascinating, Ancient Maiko Culture! One Beautiful Young Maiko Talks About the Traditional Japanese Culture You Have To See When Visiting Kyoto!
Traditional Culture- 219 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 3:30
Radio Calisthenics Have Been Around in Japan for Approximately 90 Years and Has Been Ingrained Into Japanese Culture. Loved by Many, It's a Source of Health for the Japanese People!
Traditional Culture- 46 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 2:47
Karakuri Puppets With Delicate Movements: Traditional Japanese Technology, Realistic Movements, and All Done Without Electricity!
Traditional Culture- 166 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 3:09
The Traditional Japanese Art “Kamikiri”: Prepare to Be Blown Away by the Amazing Skill of Shoraku Hayashiya and Niraku Hayashiya, Two Kamikiri Masters!
Traditional Culture History- 210 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 29:52
The History of the Kimono as Seen Through Show. Enjoy the Changing Colors and Styles of the Kimono Through the Ages. The Dressing Performance Is Also a Must-See!
Traditional Culture- 205 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 3:43
Kitano Odori - Enjoy the Magnificent Dance of Maiko in Hanamachi, One of Kyoto's Oldest Areas! Performed in Kimono, This Traditional Japanese Performing Art Is a Must-See!
Traditional Culture- 45 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 4:34
Edo Furin (Wind Chimes) Have Been Used in Japan for Hundreds of Years as a Way To Feel Cool and Refreshed in the Heat of Summer. Find Out Exactly How They're Made in This Article!
Traditional Culture Traditional Crafts- 11 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 3:10
The Urasenke School of Tea Has Detailed Rules on Not Only How To Drink Tea, but Also on How To Take Sweets! Experience the Hospitality of Japan's Ancient Tea Ceremony!
Traditional Culture- 599 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 3:36
Beautiful "Utase Ships" Sailing Across the Vast Seas of Kumamoto. Japan's Traditional "Utase Fishing" Has a Long History of Coexisting With Nature, and Has Been Passed Down for Generations!
Traditional Culture Life & Business- 120 plays
- YouTube
-
Video article 14:54
Nihon Buyo - Traditional Japanese Dance Based on Kabuki. Experience Japanese Culture and Learn the History of the Beautiful Performing Art!
Traditional Culture Entertainment & Music Japanese Celebrities- 235 plays
- YouTube
Article Photo Gallery
Traditional Culture Overview
What Is Traditional Japanese Culture?
In Japan, culture that has been passed down from generation to generation is very important.
There is no definitive definition of traditional Japanese culture, but it includes the lifestyles, customs, and practices rooted in each region of Japan, the local festivals and traditional events that have been passed down as part of a regions culture or faith, the beliefs, ideologies, systems, and spirituality of a region that has been passed down through the generations, the historical architecture of temples, shrines, and Buddhist monasteries, as well as the academic and artistic traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation since ancient times.
It is something that lies in the traditional art, crafts, and folk arts that have been handed down through Japan's long history.
Major examples of traditional Japanese culture include Noh theater, Kyogen, Kabuki, Rakugo, Kodan, Sarumawashi, Japanese dance, paper-cutting, loach scooping, koto playing, shakuhachi, shamisen, and Japanese drums.
"Traditional Japanese Culture" is at the top of the list of favorite things to experience in Japan, according to foreign visitors to Japan.
Kabuki and Noh Theatre - Two of Japan's Most Famous Traditional Cultures
Kabuki, Noh, and Kyogen are traditional Japanese cultures, traditional performing arts, and entertainment cultures that have been passed down through generations in Japan.
Kabuki is one of Japan's unique forms of theatre and traditional performing arts, and is popular overseas as well. It has also been designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property.
From the end of the Warring States period (1467-1568) to the beginning of the Edo period (1603-1868), Kabuki was popular in what is now Kyoto, and the term "Kabuki" originally referred to people who liked flamboyant costumes and unusual garments, and acted in a way that was out of the ordinary.
Kabuki dance, which incorporates the novel movements and flamboyant costumes of Kabuki performers, took Kyoto by storm during the Keicho period (1596-1615) and has been handed down to the present day.
The stage names of Kabuki actors, such as Danjuro Ichikawa, are called myoseki (roughly "stage names"), and are passed down from one generation to the next. As actors gain experience, they gradually take over larger and larger names and come to embody what the name represents.
In most cases, the name is passed down to one's own son, but it is also sometimes passed down to an adopted son, brother, or talented apprentice.
Besides Kabuki, Nohgaku is another type of traditional Japanese theatre that includes both Noh and Kyogen.
Nohgaku has also been designated as a an Important Intangible Cultural Property, and is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Property.
The differences between Noh and Kyogen, two main forms of theatre in Japan, are that Noh utilizes masks called "omote," whereas Kyogen is performed without the use of masks.
Experience Traditional Japanese Culture!
Like Kabuki, Noh, and Kyogen, Rakugo is one of the most popular traditional performing arts of Japan and also performed on stage.
Rakugo is a traditional performing art familiar among Japanese people today, and is still broadcast on television regularly.
Rakugo is a traditional storytelling art that began in the Edo period and has been handed down to the present day. It is characterized by its "punchlines" at the end of a story.
Unlike other traditional performing arts such as Kabuki, Noh, and Kyogen, Rakugo uses only facial and hand gestures, with almost no costumes or stage equipment, and a single performer plays several roles while making the audience laugh or cry.
Apart from these popular traditional Japanese performing arts, there are other traditional cultural art forms, such as Budo, which aims to perfect one's character through the practice of martial arts, calligraphy, ikebana (flower arranging), and tea ceremony, as well as the techniques and works of artisans, including bonsai, Japanese cuisine, sword smithing, and horseback archery.
These arts have been passed down in various forms and we must continue to pass on traditional culture and performing arts as a part of Japan's precious historical culture.
There are a variety of classes that allow you to experience various types of traditional culture to feel the Japanese spirit of "Wa," and you can learn more about the beauty of Japan by experiencing traditional culture firsthand.
We highly recommend trying the tours offered by travel agencies, including pottery, yukata, kimono, calligraphy, bonsai experiences, and more.
Traditional Culture That Can Be Easily Experienced in Japan
Below is Samurai've's 2016 "Top 10 Japanese History and Traditional Culture Experiences."
No. 1 Onsen
No. 2 Kabuki
No. 3 Kimono Experience
No. 4 Tea Ceremony
No. 5 Sword fighting choreography experience
No. 6 Origami Experience
No. 7 Calligraphy
No. 8 Ikebana (Flower Arrangement)
No. 9 Woodblock Printing
No. 10 Food sample making experience
In recent years, many foreigners have come to Japan to experience these aspects of traditional Japanese culture.
By actually experiencing the Japanese spirit, hospitality and etiquette, you can further enjoy the beauty of Japan.
Please note that many of the traditional culture experiences listed above require reservations in advance.
COOL JAPAN VIDEOS is a site that introduces the charms of Japan through videos related to traditional Japanese culture!