8/13/2019 Literature instrument beliefs.docx

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Literature instrument beliefs

Dishes wedding tradition

fesrivals shamisen yasuka

8/13/2019 Literature instrument beliefs.docx

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Early works of Japanese literaturewere heavily influenced by cultural contact withChinaandChinese

literature,often written inClassical Chinese.Indian literaturealso had an influence through the diffusion

ofBuddhism in Japan.Eventually, Japanese literature developed into a separate style in its own right as

Japanese writers began writing their own works about Japan, although the influence of Chinese literature

and Classical Chinese remained until the end of theEdo period. Since Japan reopened its ports to

Western trading and diplomacy in the 19th century, Westernand Eastern literature have strongly affectedeach other and continue to do so.

The shamisen (also called the sangen), a three-string lute with a fret-less fingerboard (about 38 inches longin Jiutastyle), is one of the main instruments used in many Japanese musical traditions. Its construction iselegant and refined, consisting of a long narrow wooden neck, a resonating wooden box covered both sideswith animal skin, and a set of woven silk strings stretched over a water buffalo horn, tortoiseshell or woodenbridge.The sound, percussive in nature, is produced by plucking strings with the sharp edge of a large plectrummade of ivory, tortoiseshell or wood, called a bachi. The 'thwacking' sound quality forms the backbone ofensemble compositions, providing a foil for the other instruments to weave their melodies around.The shamisen is believed to have been imported into Japan from the Ryky Islands in the mid-16th.century. It found its way into many genres of music including folk and popular music as well as the artmusic of the Edo period (1603-1868). During this period, music for the jiutashamisen evolved intoensemble music with koto and shakuhachi (Sankyoku). The shamisen is found in almost every genre of

Japanese performance, from Kabukiand sankyokuto storytelling, Bunrakupuppet theater, Nihonbuyodanceand the many folk music genres.Most, if not all, countries have customs and beliefs that make them distinct as a people. These

include superstitions, of which the Japanese have many. A lot of these superstitions may sound

familiar and could be variations of our own, while others may verge on the bizarre.

You might come across some of these of common Japanese superstitions during your stay in Japan

for theKCPprogram:

If you hiccup a hundred times in a row, you will die.

If you dont eat all your rice during meals, you will go blind.

Hide your bellybutton when it is thundering, or else the god of thunder will eat it.

Do not whistle at night unless you want a snake or a ghost to pay you a visit. Abroken geta(Japanese wooden footwear) means bad luck.

Japanese cuisineoffers a great variety of dishes and regional specialties. Some of the most popular Japanese andJapanized dishes are listed below. They are categorized below intorice dishes,seafood dishes,noodle dishes,nabedishes,meat dishes,soya bean dishes,yoshoku dishesandother dishes.Please note that some dishes may fit into

multiple categories, but are liJapanese Wedding Day

The Japanese bride-to-be is painted pure white from head to toe, visibly declaring her maiden status to the gods.The bride wears a white kimono and an elaborate headpiece covered with many ornaments to invite good luck to thehappy couple. A white hood is attached to the kimono, which the bride wears like a veil to hide her 'horns of

jealousy' from the groom's mother, who will now become the head of the family. Japanese grooms wear blackkimonos to their wedding ceremony.

While the bride and groom exchange their wedding vows, their families face each other, instead of the couple gettingmarried. Central to the traditional Japanese marriage ceremony is the ritual of drinking nine cups of sake, after which

newlyweds are considered united. Families and guests also drink sake, to symbolize the bonding of the couple as wellas of the two families. The father of the groom, and of the bride, then introduce their respective familymembers.sted only one

Japanese festivalsare traditional festive occasions.Somefestivalshave their roots inChinese festivalsbut haveundergone dramatic changes as they mixed with local customs.

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