One value that

is gaining im-

portance in Jap-

anese society is

that of raising

an academically

superior child.

Parents are very

concerned with

having their children succeed in school and receive good

grades. Such academic success, of course, is valued in

many societies, but in Japan people go to great lengths to

achieve it. The general schooling is not even enough any-

more in most cases, and students must go to additional

tutoring and lessons outside of school

When teenagers spend

time together in these

friendship groups, a com-

mon activity is to go

shopping. Japanese teen-

agers today tend to have

money at their disposal,

and if they don't it can be

hard to be part of one of these groups, because spending

money is such a central focus. Japanese society recognizes

this value among teens of spending money and does a

great deal of marketing to the teenage audience. Especial-

ly since teens in Japan strive to be exactly like their friends

due to the importance of the group in Japan, trends catch

like wildfire. The market acknowledges this and mass pro-

duces the products that they think will be popular among

teenagers. This leads to an extreme materialism among

Japanese youth and commercialization of Japanese socie-

ty.

Japanese Gardens: The

original Japanese gar-

dens were inspired by

Buddhist and Chinese

philosophy and later

evolved to have their

own distinct Japanese identity. The gardens found in Japa-

nese temples and shrines are inspired by the Shinto reli-

gion and the belief in an

ideal state of harmony.

Japanese Architec-

ture: Traditional Japa-

nese Architecture has a

distinct style deeply in-

fluenced by the religions

Buddhism and Shintoism.

Houses and temples made of wood, placed on stilts to

raise them above the ground, and with sloping roofs made

of thatch or tiles create a distinctive silhouette in tradition-

al Japanese architecture.

Japanese Kimono: The tradi-

tional Japanese costume, the

Kimono, is a graceful full-

length robe that falls from

the wearer's shoulders to

their ankles. The robe is tied

around the middle with a

sash called the Obi.

Akashi Kaikyō Bridge

Akashi Kaikyō

Bridge, also called “Pearl Bridge”, is located in Japan and considered as Japan’s fines t engineering feat.

Akashi Kaikyō

Bridge is the

world’s longest suspension bridge in the world with a length of 3911 meters (12,831 ft). The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge serves as

a link between the city of Kobe and Iwaya by crossing the Akashi strait. The construction was finished in a span of 12

years which actually begin in the year 1986 and completed in the year 1998. The bridge plays an important role in provid-

ing three routes across the inland sea.

Daibutsu of

Kamakura

Daibutsu in Jap-anese means Great Buddha and most west-erns refer to Daibutsu as the

Great Buddha of Kamakura. Great

Buddha of Kamakura is located in Kamakura, Kanagawa pre-

fecture, Japan.

Daitokuji Temple

Daitokuji Temple is

said to be the head

temple of Japanese

Zen Buddhism and

it is located in the

temple city of Kita-

ku, Kyoto. The Dai-

tokuji Temple is

also called “Ryuho-

zan” which actually means “Dragon Treasure Mountain”. Daitoku-ji

Temple is not just a popular tourist spot but also one of the best

places to experience Zen in Japan.

Kasuga Grand Shrine

The Kasuga Grand Shrine, also known as the Kasuga Taisha is a

popular Shinto

shrine that can be

found in the pre-

fecture of Nara.

The shrine has

become increas-

ingly popular to

tourists and even

the locals of Ja-

pan because of its breathtaking bronze and stone lanterns acces-

sorizing almost all areas of the temple. The place is located at the

far end, northeast of Nara Park and is just a 20-25 minute short

walk from Toda-ji. The shrine is considered as one of the most

valuable shrines in Nara prefecture and is a member of the Three

Great Shrines in the entire Japan.

Sapporo Snow Festival

The Sapporo

Snow Festival (Sapporo Yuki

Matsuri) is held during one week every February in

H o k k a i d o ' s capital Sappo-

ro. It is one of Japan's most popular winter events. The Sapporo Snow Festival was started in 1950, when high

school students built a few snow statues in Odori Park. It has since developed into a large, commercialized event, featuring

spectacular snow and ice sculptures and attracting more than two million visitors from Japan and across the world.

Omizutori

Omizutori is the commonly used

name for Shunie, a series of events

held annually from

March 1 to 14 at Todaiji Temple. This collection of Buddhist repentance rituals has been held every year for over 1250 years, making it one of the oldest reoccurring Buddhist events in Japan.