Disneyization

The Disneyization of society depicts the world as increasingly displaying characteristics of the Disney theme parks. ( being not authentic, man-made)

There are 4 aspects of Disneyization, namely-, theming, hybrid consumption, merchandising and performative labour.

• Theming

clothing institutions or objects in a narrative that is largely unrelated to the institution or object to which it is applied, such as a casino or restaurant with a Wild West narrative;

Different areas of Japan have shows different areas of interests and groups of people. For example, the shinjuku area- it is more of a youth hang-out place

• Hybrid Consumption
  

a general trend whereby the forms of consumption associated with different institutional spheres become interlocked with each other and increasingly difficult to distinguish;

With increasing number of visitors, Japan might altering their culture to suit the demands of the visitors. This will lead to the loss of authenticity of the Japanese culture, it will be mixed with other countries' cultures. This maybe because the Japanese may think that foreigners are of higher standard, and they want to act they way others do.

• Merchandising

the promotion and sale of goods in the form of or bearing copyright images and/or logos, including such products made under licence;

In my opinion, Japan's main product would be sushi. Everyone would link Sushi and Japan together! It's part of Japan's culture.

• Performative Labour

the growing tendency for frontline service work to be viewed as a performance, especially one in which the deliberate display of a certain mood is seen as part of the labour involved in service work.

Japan's service is of high standard and has consistency. The japanese are very persistent in service and politeness. This can be seen in daily manners whereby they bow in respect to each other. The japanese are very well mannered and hardworking. In a restaurant, upon arrival, be sure to be greeted warmly and service staff will bow to you. One can defintely feel the difference in level of service in Japan. You will feel very welcome and respected.

Their indigenous groups

Indigenous [in-dij-uh-nuh s] is defined as originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native.




The Ainu , also referred as Ezo in historical texts , is the indigenous groups in Japan. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and lived in Hokkaido, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin. Most of The Ainu still lives in the same region, though the exact number of living Ainu is unknown. This is due to some ethnic issues in Japan resulting in those with Ainu backgrounds hiding their identities and confusion over mixed heritages.

Language of Japan

The official language of Japan is Japanese (Nihongo). After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the government attempted to create a strong centralized state. Having an official language was a step towards having their own identity. The dialect, hyōjungo ("the standard language"), was based on the linguistic patterns of Tokyo's samurai ("warrior") classes and has become the norm in the educational system, the mass media, government, and business.

Japanese is linguistically related to Korean, and both languages are thought to be members of the Ural-Altaic family. Despite similarity in syntax, vocabulary, and grammar, the contemporary languages are mutually unintelligible.

Chinese made enormous impact on the Japanese language and civilization. The Chinese system of writing was introduced along with Buddhism in the sixth century, and Chinese orthography was used to transform Japanese into a written language.

Culture and tradition of Japan

Culture [kuhl-cher] is being defined as the characteristics of a particular social,ethnic, or age group. Can be both tangibles and intangibles.
Religion in Japan



Up to date, , many religions are being practiced in Japan. However, there are two major religions in Japan, namely Shinto and Buddhism. With the evolution of the society, religion no longer play a big role in the everyday life of most Japanese people today. The average person typically follows the religious rituals at ceremonies like birth, weddings and funerals. They may also visit a shrine or a temple on events like New Year.

Japanese food



Rice is staple in the Japanese diet. Rice cakes (mochi) are commonly consumed. The Japanese refer each meal as "gohan (steamed rice)", such as "asa (morning) - gohan" for breakfast. A Japanese meal usually ends with drinking green tea.

People in Japan generally eat three times a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Traditional Japanese breakfast consists of steamed rice, miso (soy bean paste) soup, and side dishes.

Common lunch dishes consists of rice bowls and noodles. For example, beef bowls, soba noodles, ramen noodles. Most people bring bento (lunch boxes) to school or work.

In Japan, dinner is the main meal in a day.Modern Japanese dishes are influenced by other Asian and western countries, thus, the Japanese not only eat their own cuisine. They also like western, Chinese, Korean cuisines.

Japanese pop culture

is a phrase that refers to the elements of "modern Japan" rather than the elements of "traditional Japan". Some of the elements of Japanese pop culture well known around the world include:

• Anime (This is the animated version of Japanese mangas)
  
• Cosplay (This is the dressing up as famour characters in anime, mangas)
  
• Jpop (Japanese songs sang by Japanese pop stars)
  
• Manga ( This is japanese comics)

Mangas

cosplay is a common sighting in Japan

Tradition [truh-dish-uh n] is being defined as a continuing pattern of culture beliefs or practices.

Geisha



Geishas are professional entertainers who attend to guests during meals, banquets and other occasions. They are trained in various traditional Japanese arts, such as dance and music, as well as in the art of communication. Their role is entertain guests conversations, drinking games and dance performances.

Kimono



Kimono is made of silk, thus usually very expensive. Nowadays they are worn at formal or traditional occasions such as funerals, weddings or tea ceremonies.

Kimono differ in style and color depending on the occasion on which it is worn and the age and marital status of the person wearing it. One will need some skills to put on a kimono. Especially tying the belt (obi) alone is difficult, thus help is needed.

Background information on Japan

こんにちは(Kon'nichiwa)
This means hello in Japanese.

Today I'm going to find out more on Japan, "The Land of The Rising Sun".



Japan is in the continent of Asia. Its is made up of many islands. Since the sun rises in the east, Japan is referred as "The Land of The Rising Sun." The also Japanese refer to their country as "Nippon" or Nihon" which means "source of the sun". The Japanese flag represents a red sun on a white background.

The capital of Japan is Tokyo. It is one of the largest cities in the world. Tokyo, or rather Japan has evolved over the years, and it's very modernized country with one of the highest living standard in the world today.

From January 2010, to, October 2010, the number of visitors to Japan is 7,328,300 ( credits: Japan Tourism Marketing Co's website)

You will slowly discover how interesting Japan is and how it brings about the high tourist arrivals in the later post!