Commonly Misunderstood (527) — page 5

Annual EventsStandard kenpo kinenbi憲法記念日Constitution Memorial Day, May 3rd

Annual EventsStandard yama no hi山の日Mountain Day, August 11th, Japan's newest public holiday

Annual EventsStandard Showa no hi to midori no hi昭和の日とみどりの日the two late-April holidays that swapped names and dates

Annual EventsStandard matsu no uchi松の内the period New Year decorations stay up

Annual EventsStandard tenno tanjobi天皇誕生日the Emperor's Birthday, a holiday whose date changes with the reign

Annual EventsStandard nihon no harowin日本のハロウィンHalloween as a street costume event

Annual EventsStandard bunka no hi文化の日Culture Day, November 3rd

Annual EventsStandard rokuyo六曜the six-day luck cycle on calendars

FolkloreStandard amabieアマビエa mermaid-like yokai said to protect people from epidemics

FolkloreStandard kushami wa dareka no uwasaくしゃみは誰かの噂the belief that sneezing means someone is talking about you

FolkloreStandard kokkuri-sanこっくりさんa coin-and-paper fortune-telling game often compared to a Japanese Ouija board

FolkloreStandard kappa河童river spirits with a dish on the head

FolkloreStandard ketsuekigata seikaku shindan血液型性格診断judging character by blood type

FolkloreStandard kitsune to Inari狐と稲荷why shrines are guarded by foxes

FolkloreStandard kitsune no yomeiri狐の嫁入りthe fox's wedding, a Japanese name for rain that falls while the sun is shining

FolkloreStandard kuchisake-onna口裂け女the slit-mouthed woman, Japan's most famous modern urban legend

FolkloreStandard morishio盛り塩the small cone of salt placed at an entrance

FolkloreStandard tengu天狗long-nosed mountain spirits

FolkloreStandard nekomata猫又a cat said to grow a forked tail and supernatural powers after living unusually long

FolkloreStandard kitamakura北枕sleeping with your head to the north, a direction linked with death

FolkloreStandard yoru ni tsume o kitte wa ikenai夜に爪を切ってはいけないthe superstition that you should not cut your nails at night

FolkloreStandard yokai妖怪Japanese supernatural creatures

FolkloreStandard kaminarisama to oheso雷様とおへそthe saying that the thunder god will steal your belly button if you leave it uncovered

FolkloreStandard ryu龍the East Asian dragon

FolkloreStandard reikyusha o mitara oyayubi o kakusu霊柩車を見たら親指を隠すthe superstition that you should tuck your thumbs into your fists when a hearse goes by

Food & DrinkStandard konnyakuこんにゃくa jelly-like food made from a starchy tuber

Food & DrinkStandard kaiseki ryori懐石料理the formal multi-course meal, and the two different things called kaiseki

Food & DrinkStandard amazake甘酒the sweet rice drink, with and without alcohol

Food & DrinkStandard sakana o taberu bunka魚を食べる文化how much fish Japan eats, and how that is changing

Food & DrinkStandard ehomaki恵方巻the uncut sushi roll eaten facing a set direction at Setsubun

Food & DrinkStandard dashi出汁the stock at the base of Japanese cooking

Food & DrinkStandard nihon no uisuki日本のウイスキーhow Japan started making whisky, and why the old bottles vanished

Food & DrinkStandard mugicha麦茶cold barley tea

Food & DrinkStandard yoshoku洋食Western-style dishes invented in Japan

Food & DrinkStandard tamago kake gohan卵かけご飯raw egg over hot rice

HistoryStandard baburu keizaiバブル経済the asset price bubble of the late 1980s

HistoryStandard Kanto daishinsai関東大震災the 1923 earthquake and fires that destroyed Tokyo and Yokohama

HistoryStandard kurofune黒船the American warships that forced Japan to open its ports in 1853

HistoryStandard shudan shushoku集団就職the mass migration of young workers to the cities after the war

HistoryStandard tenno天皇the Emperor of Japan

HistoryStandard Nihonkoku kenpo日本国憲法the postwar constitution

HistoryStandard ninja忍者the covert agents of feudal Japan

Home & LivingStandard yunitto basuユニットバスthe Japanese bathroom layout

Home & LivingStandard tatekae to chuko jutaku建て替えと中古住宅why Japanese houses are so often rebuilt rather than resold

Home & LivingStandard kagi to bohan鍵と防犯how Japanese homes are secured

Home & LivingStandard tokonoma床の間the alcove in a tatami room

Home & LivingStandard kamidana神棚the household Shinto altar

Home & LivingStandard nihon no ie no samusa日本の家の寒さwhy homes are cold in winter

Home & LivingStandard hyosatsu表札the family nameplate by the door

Home & LivingStandard mokuzo jutaku木造住宅why Japanese homes are rebuilt, not resold

Home & LivingStandard reikin and shikikin礼金と敷金key money and deposit when renting

Life EventsStandard omiaiお見合いan introduction with marriage in mind

Life EventsStandard osoushikiお葬式a Japanese funeral

Life EventsStandard goshugiご祝儀the money you give at a wedding

Life EventsStandard hikkoshi no aisatsu引っ越しの挨拶the visit you make after moving in

Life EventsStandard koden香典condolence money brought to a funeral

Life EventsStandard kotsuage骨上げpicking up the cremated bones with chopsticks

Life EventsStandard shonanoka初七日the memorial service held on the seventh day after death

Life EventsStandard mochu hagaki喪中はがきthe mourning notice sent before New Year

Life EventsStandard nakodo仲人the go-between who arranged and formally witnessed a marriage