Media reports blaming foreign tourists for bad behavior in Japan abound. But some say they're just imitating what the Japanese locals do. Who's really to blame for Foreigners Behaving Badly?
Two Shintō shrines on Awaji Island are associated with the creation myth of Japan (国生み神話) in the earliest chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. At Onokoro Island Shrine (自凝島神社), visitors are encouraged to perform rituals to sacred stones for good fortune. The sekirei stone (鶺鴒石) is for couples, with a white and red cord, and I was surprised that my wife grasped my hand and prayed as we held the cords.
We also went to Izanagi Shrine (伊弉諾神宮), dedicated to the two founding gods or pillars (二神、又は二柱) of the archipelago. Worshippers believe that the founding gods dwell in the 900-year-old husband-and-wife camphor tree (夫婦楠). We have seen a similar tree at Ōmiwa Jinja in Nara (大神神社) where two trees merged into one at the base. We also noticed a connection to the Onokoro Island Shrine at the Izanagi Shrine, a small sekirei monument to married couples (夫婦鶺鴒像), and both sites included a bird motif.
Some Japanese service staff say they're struggling to cope with visitors who don't make any effort to find linguistic common ground. More below on tourists who insist on speaking their mother tongue (and how not to be That Guy).
A Japanese company is developing a space elevator to transport humans and cargo, aiming for a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to current space travel.
@DavidBHimself it's funny, because i was thinking of your post while the page loaded, and before the video started, or even i (consciously at least) read the title i though about the "pita-gora suwi-tchy" jingle, because that's literally the first example of cute japanese tv that popped in my head, more than 10 years about discovering (and last thinking about it).
"A bill submitted by the administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida would compel the dominant platforms to allow third parties to launch their own app markets and to offer more payment options, while banning the technology giants from giving preferential treatment to their own products."
As Japan continues to face rapid population decline and aging, its government considers a new tactic to grow families: make childbirth free. Learn more about the proposal - and why it's likely not enough - in our latest.
Did you know that Japanese once only had four colors? Taking a closer look at the history of colors in Japanese provides a surprisingly deep insight into Japanese culture and history.
Japan verschärft Regeln für Besucher des Berges Fuji
Japan verschärft die Regeln für Bergsteiger, die den Fuji besteigen wollen. Der Vulkan zählt zu den beliebtesten Sehenswürdigkeiten des Landes. Zuletzt gab es wegen der Masse an Touristen Sicherheits- und Naturschutzbedenken.
