Cherry blossoms

In this time, I had difficulty finding good topic about Japanese traditional culture because I think recently a large number of Japanese are not interested in their own culture, but interested in western or the others' country. Therefore, when I reflected what event was very popular and hot in spring, I came up with a cherry blossom viewing picnic, but this topic was posted by another Japanese student. However, I chose this topic because I have confidence to research and write much deeper ;)

At present, a cherry blossom viewing picnic means the situation that people drink sake, eat Japanese box lunch, and make a lot of noise, singing a song or screaming with joy without reasons under the cherry blossoms.

However, the reason of doing a picnic under cherry blossoms was different from preselnt type. The origin of it was originally a religious event to purify. By enjoying under the cherry blossoms, people drive out evil spilit and spend the time with God. Formerly, people did festivals under the flowers to wish autum's huge harvests and augured the harvest using flowers. Bloom of cherry was the proof of God's Advent, and something bad happened if cherry blossoms suddenly fell.

Globalization

In this time, I picked up the internationatization of "KFC's Colonel Sanders's statue" that is known to all over the world. In Japan, this statue is very famous to Japanese, and this statue expands to overseas more and more. I will try to explain why this statue was made and was put in front of the KFC.

At first, the reason why this statue was made is that this statue was made for KFC's event in Canada, but after this event, it was put into a warehouse. However, Japanese KFC officer who came to Canada to inspect KFC found this statue, and bought it back to Japan.

Next, the reason why this statue was put in front of KFC's store is that people in Japan identified KFC as a store that dealt with electorical fittings or a barbershop because completely nameless KFC used roofs and signboards painted srtips of red and white as a image color a long time ago. So, the Colnel Sanders's statue was put in front of KFC's store so that people would not mistake the KFC's store for the another store.

In addition, I will try to introduce the interesting information about KFC. The content of the interesting story is that people in Japan call KFC "Kentucky Fried Chicken". However, I said to my overseas friends "Let's go out to eat "Kentucky Fried Chicken" but at first they did not identify Kentucky Fried Chicken as KFC. After that, I asked them why they did not identiy. The reason why was that was that if this store is called Kentucky Fried Chicken, this store sells only chickens, so they call these stores onlhy KFC. However, Japanese tend to put together various things as a group. Therefore, Japanese call KFC Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Japanese characteristic

This time I will explain Japanese characteristic.

To Japanese, relationship betwwen persons is very important.

This picture was taken by me in Izakaya（居酒屋）, so there are three in this table.

Japanese generally get together ang go out somewhere. Some of Japanese go out and spend the time by him/herself, but most of them do with their friends because Japanese do not have a strong ego. Therefore, Japanese have a tendency that they cherish links between persons. By doing this, they can help one another when they have some problems. For example, they can ask their friends what to do next if they do not have any idea.

Although I said "Japanese cherish relations between persons", they are also particuliar about another. It is the number that is very important for Japanesewhen they do something. I asked my friends how many people you want to go out somewhere with. The result of this question was more than three. The reason of this answer is that if two go somewhere or eat out, they always have the other in their mind, but if more than three, they do not care about one another so much rather than two. Only reading this article might cause readers misunderstanding that Japanese can not enjoy by two, but if the two are very close and do not care about each other at all, they can do something with joy!!

Next picture shows Japanese couple in a house.

It represents a man who smokes and a woman who does housework.

Now the idea is obsolete, but this way of thinking was usual years ago; the men do not do anything about housework, but just watch TV, lying down because they have a very hard day in their office and their nerves are scattered by their boss, so they think that they want to relax even when they are in their house. On the other hand, the women do not work outside of house, but only do housework. This idea is completely Japanese stereotype. However, recently couple share housework and have jobs mutually. The Japanese way of thinking about what couple should be is changing gradually.