15x Experience Japanese culture in Japan

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The reason why I am so fascinated by Japan is because the culture is so different – ​​an experience! Special and unique. You are undoubtedly also looking forward to getting to know, experience and soak up Japanese culture. In this article I share tips on things I would recommend you do to experience Japanese culture at its best.

Are you planning to visit Japan? Tip: via Japan Experience you can arrange several things before departure, such as Sim card or Pocket-Wifi, Suica public transportation card and/or JR Pass.

Culture experience Japan: float in an onsen

An onsen is a hot spring. Not to be confused with sento, which are public baths with heated tap water. An onsen uses volcanic spring water full of natural minerals. This provides health benefits such as clearer skin, detoxification and better blood circulation. Good for body and mind, because the warm water also relaxes.

There are onsen in Japan throughout the country. Some villages locate a whole group of onsens, such as in Beppu Onsen, Kurokawa Onsen, Ginzan Onsen and Kinosaki Onsen. The latter is also tattoo friendly, which is certainly not standard in Japanese onsens! Also nice: in Kawayu Onsen you can bathe in geothermal water from the Oto River.

In a private onsen you can bathe together with a partner, child or travel buddy of the opposite sex for example. At public onsen, men and women are separated, as is made clear by blue and red flags at the entrance.

Many ryokans (traditional Japanese inn) have an onsen. If there is a private onsen, this is a lockable space that you as a guest can enter if it is available, without other guests present. With the more luxurious version of a private onsen, it is located directly next to the room. Then you don’t have to wait until one is available, but that extra comfort is of course also reflected in the room price.

Experience Japanese culture: take a nap in a ryokan

My favorite way to immerse myself in Japanese culture is to stay in an authentic Japanese inn a.k.a. ryokan. The way the Japanese owners treat you as a guest, the decor, the food, the beds… great!

The feeling of staying in a ryokan is difficult to describe. There is nothing like it. And I love it! Enjoy and experience Japanese culture to the fullest! Take off your shoes and go with the flow.

Larger ryokans often also have rooms with Western style beds available, others only with futons (mattress in ground). You can read more about ryokans and onsen in the article Onsen experience in Japan: relax at a traditional ryokan with hot spring.

Culture experience Japan: blossom picnic

In March and April, depending on the exact location and the weather, the blossoms bloom in Japan. A popular time for tourists to visit the country. And I understand why. It is beautiful and a blooming cherry tree really adds something extra to your photos of Japan.

The Japanese celebrate the blossoming of the blossoming trees (sakura) exuberantly. Typical Japanese culture to extensively celebrate all the beauty that nature has to offer. For example, by having a picnic with friends or family in the park, under the blossom trees. A wonderful scene to experience. Read more about it in the article Cherry blossom hunting in Japan: Matsumoto Castle and Joyama Park.

By the way, in Japan (among others) you can have a similar seasonal experience in the autumn with the fall foliage – the time when the leaves of the trees get their beautiful autumn colors. The peak of this is usually in the 2nd half of November, but varies by region and year. For example, for 2024 expected in Sapporo on November 7, in Tokyo on November 24 and in Fukuoka on December 8.

Experience Japanese culture: drink sake

The Scots and Irish are known for their whisky, the French and Italians for their wine and the Japanese have sake. Sake is Japanese rice wine, which can be drunk after six months of maturing. Unlike red wine, sake does not get better or tastier if it is aged longer. What often determines the price is the extent to which the rice grains have been polished before the brewing process has started, sometimes as much as 70% of the grain! And the more polished the rice, the more floral and fruity the sake tastes.

And I must say that sake tastes quite delicious! I can definitely recommend that you try a glass of sake. Almost every restaurant in Japan has it on the menu. Tip: in Takayama there are a number of sake breweries close to each other in the old center, where you can taste different types of sake. Recommended are the following breweries: Harada, Funasaka, Niki and Kawashiri.

Plum wine is also quite popular in Japan. Not really my thing, but that’s personal of course. It’s very sweet, a bit like Cherry Coke. But many others enjoy it, so better try before you die! If necessary, mix with soda, but that is of course culturally not really acceptable haha

Culture experience Japan: meeting robots

One thing Japan is also known for, is the development and application of robots. They are good at that. And not just for industrial applications such as car manufacturing. For example, table tennis skills are practiced against robots. And robots check you in at the reception of a Henn-na hotel. You can read all about it in the article Robot hotel in Japan, the coolest and craziest hotel experience ever!

There are also restaurants in Japan where robots serve you at the table. For example, we went to Tokyo for brunch at Dawn Cafe. The robots are controlled by people with a physical disability. They also talk to you. I thought it was a lot of fun to experience. I felt it’s something so typical for Japanese culture!

Experience Japanese culture: sumo wrestling

Whether you’re watching a match on television or attending a live tournament: sumo is a piece of genuine Japanese culture that you don’t want to miss out on. Nice to see, for example, how the normally quiet, often subdued Japanese cheer loudly on the participating sumo wrestlers. The game is pretty quick and short, so not boring.

In any case, we really enjoyed being able to attend a match the last time we were in Japan. It’s quite an experience. My boyfriend even said it was his favorite activity of the entire trip!

Would you also like to go to a sumo competition and experience Japanese culture? You can read all about it in the article Sumo wrestling in Japan: complete guide to an impressive cultural experience.

Culture experience Japan: visit an izakaya

An izakaya is an informal type of bar in Japan, serving alcoholic drinks and snacks. Similar to a pub or tapas bar, but (usually) without loud music. A place where you can have a drink with colleagues, family or friends at the end of the afternoon, for example after work.

Often started as sake shops, which allowed customers to sit down, have a drink and later started serving snacks too. You can order beer, sake, plum wine, yakitori and grilled vegetables. With a bit of luck there will even be an English menu, or use Google Translate’s camera function.

Experience Japanese culture: geishas and maikos

Meeting a geisha or maiko is a special Japanese experience. Don’t chase them on the street when you see one walking; That is absolutely not appreciated and you can even get a fine for it!

You’d be better off going to a dance performance or tea ceremony. Then they can show you their refined skills. I thought it was impressive to experience. You can read all about it in the article Special experience: meeting a geisha or maiko in Japan.

Culture experience Japan: collect temple stamps

The Shinto religion is the most popular faith in Japan. Shinto temples and shrines can be visited throughout the country. One even more beautiful than the other. Often with a lot of orange, the color of joy and spirituality.

Something I only started last year, but am determined to continue, is collecting stamps (Japanese: goshuin) at temples. You buy a nice notebook with blank pages, in which you then gather your own unique stamp collection.

It sometimes takes some searching, but at larger temples there is always a man sitting behind a desk and/or window for this. For a small fee (often around JPY 300), they hand draw in calligraphy in heavy ink, plus add a temple stamp. Super fun, right?

Experience Japanese culture: take shinkansen

Even if only for an hour: riding on a high-speed train (shinkansen) is an experience in itself. The way the conductor behaves obligingly and bows at the end of the corridor, but also observing the Japanese fellow passengers. The culture already starts at the station and platform. People line up neatly, for example. The train runs on time. Wow!

Sit quietly in your seat, stare out of the window, with the surroundings rushing by. Only speak in a whisper and take your own rubbish with you, in short, behave properly! Try to avoid coughing, blowing your nose, sneezing and the like, because the Japanese don’t like that.

Are you considering traveling through Japan by public transport? Then read the article JR Pass Japan: 10 things you need to know in advance. But also if you want to explore Japan with a rental car, it is a short train ride worth experiencing that bit of Japanese culture instead of traffic jam stress. Ride the shinkansen from, for example, Shinagawa (Tokyo) to Odawara and pick up your rental car there.

Culture experience Japan: Kaiseki dinner

We all know sushi. And you might also be familiar with ramen or tempura? Or yakitori, the Japanese version of chicken skewers. But if you really want to experience Japanese food culture during your trip, I can highly recommend a kaiseki dinner.

At traditional Japanese restaurants you sit on the floor at a low table. Very clumsy with long legs, but that’s all part of the Japanese culture experience. And eat with chopsticks of course!

Kaiseki is a Japanese multi-course dinner where you get served a number of different dishes. The dishes require different cooking techniques, sometimes also raw ingredients are included. And sometimes you get a kind of mini BBQ on the table, on which you can fry pieces of meat yourself. These types of dinners are offered at some of the ryokans; please inquire when booking your room.

What is also typically Japanese in terms of food is a bento box. You buy them at a convenience store such as 7Eleven, Lawson or a specific bento shop, which you see in larger train stations in Japan. Delicious for lunch or light dinner. In any case, I wish you a tasty meal! 召し上がれ

Experience Japanese culture: study in Japan

Are you still young and studying in the Netherlands? Then see if you can go on a study exchange to Japan. Then you can be sure that you will experience a lot of Japanese culture! It will certainly not always be easy, but a unique experience! And I think it’s also quite affordable through ISEP.

I personally studied abroad through ISEP (USA). Unfortunately at the time they did not have Japan as an option yet. But I do know someone who went to school in Japan and his stories inspired me to go to Japan too! So check whether your university or college is affiliated with ISEP or another study exchange program where Japan is an option, and who knows?!

Culture experience Japan: go on a pilgrimage

A pilgrimage is a worldwide, age-old phenomenon of pilgrims walking from religious site to religious site. The pilgrimages in Japan are unique and certainly a cultural experience, with their own customs and beautiful temples to visit. Some (parts) are too spicy for me (I’m not a ‘mountain goat’), but that’s a matter of figuring out and choosing what suits you.

There are several historical pilgrimages you can undertake in Japan, such as Shikoku Henro, Dewa Sanzan, Nakasendo and Kumano Kodo. I have walked part of both of the last two pilgrimages mentioned and I want more! If you have months and you are fit enough, you might be able to complete an entire pilgrimage. Soon I will write about our experiences during the Kumano Kodo (Wakayama Prefecture).

Experience Japan culture: anime, manga & cosplay

For real anime lovers, Japan is of course the place to be. The word anime is derived from the Japanese word animēshon, which means ‘animation’. Japan is the birthplace of many popular anime and manga. Recommended: visit an anime film in a Japanese cinema, a cultural experience in itself!

Harajuki is the perfect district in Tokyo where you can spot cosplayers ‘in the wild’. Often girls in certain types of clothing, but also shops for that. Akihabara is also a good district for those who want to get acquainted with anime in Tokyo.

Fancy a snack, desert and/or drink in between? Visit a Maid Cafe in Tokyo. The waitresses are a form of cosplay. Most come here more for the “kawaii” waitresses rather than the food, but it is certainly a Japanese cultural experience!

The anime festival AnimeJapan is organized annually in Tokyo in March, in Osaka there is the Nipponbashi Street Festival and in Nagoya there is the World Cosplay Summit. At cosplay events you are expected to appear in such an outfit! You can try to get tickets for the very popular Ghibli Museum or take your children to Awajishima Anime Park.

For those who didn’t know, manga is the printed version of anime. For English-language manga comic books in Tokyo, go to Kinokuniya Shinjuku South, Yaesu Book Center or Maruzen & Junkado in Tokyu Department Store in Shibuya.

Culture experience Japan: sing karaoke

You might have seen this one coming. Japanese people love karaoke. Even those who want to do business with the Japanese cannot avoid it. On Friday evenings, many employees sing karaoke with their boss in a rented room. Do you already see yourself standing there, singing with your boss?

Because unlike what you see in the western world, karaoke in Japan is usually sung in a privately rented room. Not in a public bar with strangers around you. Of course there are karaoke bars in Japan, especially in big cities like Tokyo. But in principle they are mainly for tourists (fun nonetheless).

Japanese prefer to rent a karaoke room, where they can let loose behind closed doors. In a group, as a couple, but also on their own (as in alone).

Which way(s) of experiencing Japanese culture appeals to you most? Do you have additional tips or a pressing question about the culture in Japan? Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this article! Maybe you are afraid of making cultural mistakes? Not a crazy thought when you travel to a country that is so different from the Netherlands and Belgium… To read more about this, I would recommend reading a book about that specifically.

Read more about Japan

There are many more articles about Japan on this website. A number of these are already mentioned above, plus:

1. Walk the fantastic Nakasendo Trail from Magome to Tsumago
2. Kyoto: don’t miss these fun temples near Arashiyama bamboo forest
3. Japan: fantastic places beyond the Golden Triangle Tokyo – Kyoto – Osaka
4. Japan: Miyajima Island & Hiroshima, a recommended and wonderful combo
5. Riding my bicycle around Mount Fuji, Chureito Pagoda and Lake Kawaguchiko
6. Tokyo: 25 fun things to do in a mind-blowing metropolitan
7. Tokyo’s Fun Food Fairytales at themed restaurants and cafes
8. Visiting the unique Jigokudani Yaen-koen Snow Monkey Park in Japan

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Last Updated on 08/27/2024 by Elisa Flitter Fever