In Japan, birthdays are a special occasion that is celebrated with family and friends. The customs and traditions surrounding birthday celebrations in Japan are unique and steeped in history, making them a fascinating aspect of the country's culture.
Yes and no. Regular birthdays in Japan look similar to those celebrated elsewhere. However, there are many birthdays in Japan that are considered cultural milestones, and they come with unique traditions. In Japan, it's not one's date of birth so much as the age that one has reached that holds significance.
“tanjobi” (たんじょうび) means "birthday" “omedeto” means "congratulations" “gozaimasu”, if you want to add that as well, it means “many”
Gift-Giving Culture in Japan
Fortunately for those attending a Japanese birthday party, gifts are rarely expected unless you're a close friend or a family member. A card or a small package of sweets is often sufficient.
In Japan,your 99th birthday is considered your "white" birthday. This is a play on kanji. If you subtract the Kanji for one (一) from the kanji for one hundred (百) you get the kanji for white (白). Therefore, 99 is considered a special "white" birthday.
Turning 77 also deserves a special celebration in Japanese culture. Why? Because this year is seen as the "joyous year" or "happy age." Someone living to this age is indeed fortunate. It is considered a rite of passage or ga no iwai.
This important day represents the day that they officially become adults within Japanese society. Once they turn 20 they are able to smoke, drink, and gamble legally!
In Japan, the legal adult age is 20. Japanese law prohibits individuals under the age of 20 to drink alcohol or smoke. Regardless of age, you must not force anyone to drink or smoke as it may cause serious health and social consequences.
Gifts that come in sets of either 4 or 9 are considered to be very unlucky in Japan. This is because “shi” (the Japanese word for “four”) also means “death”, while “ku” (the Japanese word for “nine”) also means “suffering”. Conversely, gift items offered in pairs are considered to be very lucky.
Recommended gift items include food, drinks or other products from your home country. In general, they should be neither too cheap nor too expensive - typically between 1000 and 5000 yen. Note that there are restrictions on bringing certain types of food and plant products into Japan.
Although it is not as overvalued as the Nengajo, many Japanese people also practice sending greeting cards on occasions like birthdays and summer. Using the social media sites available today, you can easily wish a family member or a friend a happy birthday.
If Daniel Fath's information is accurate and reliable, then the average Japanese has 84 birthdays. That's the day they're born plus 83 more for their statistically average 83.7 years of life expectancy. This, of course, includes the tacit assumption that everyone has exactly one birthday each year.
In Japanese culture, the 88th birthday, or “Beiju” (米寿), is known as the long life celebration. Beiju is a play on the kanji characters for rice and 88. “Bei” (rice米) is important in Japanese society because it sustains life and represents purity and wholesomeness.
They represent another year of growth and lessons learned and the opportunity to pause, reflect, and appreciate all that we are and have been. From childhood to adulthood, birthdays bring about a unique combination of memories, emotions, and experiences that help us celebrate life.
In conclusion, birthdays are an important day for every person because they provide an opportunity to celebrate existence, reflect on the past year, set goals for the future, appreciate the people in our lives and create memories.
In Japan, touching another person's body is considered rude, even with friends or family. Hugging and kissing are mostly for couples. Our editor Kanako said that she's never hugged any of her family members as a grown woman. She hugs her foreign friends but not the Japanese ones.
It's a customary act of modesty and politeness in Japan to refuse to take the gift at first – once, twice, possibly even three times – before eventually accepting. Of course, the refusal itself should be polite too!
The legal drinking age in Japan is 20. While this age differs from country by country, as long as you're over 20 years of age, you're free to drink in Japan. (Just be sure to bring your passport with you for ID.) As in many other countries, people under the legal age of 20 also cannot purchase alcohol.
Laws that apply anywhere in Australia
Legal drinking age – you must be 18 or older to buy alcohol or to drink alcohol in a licensed venue. Selling alcohol – it's illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 18 or to someone who is already drunk.
Under the Japanese Civil Code the minimum legal age of marriage is 18 years for boys and 16 years for girls. A person who is under 20 years of age cannot get married in Japan without parental approval. From April 1, 2022, the amendment of the Civil Code will be in effect.
The Heian Period (794-1185) is known as the Golden Age of Japan as a result of all of the cultural developments that occurred at this time. Research Report. Court life during the Heian Period consisted of a never-ending series of obligatory festivals, rituals, and practices.
This exceptional longevity is explained by a low rate of obesity and a unique diet, characterized by a low consumption of red meat and a high consumption of fish and plant foods such as soybeans and tea.
Japan is by some measures the oldest nation in the world, with 29.1% of people over 65. Deaths far outpace births, and, by 2050 the population is expected to shrink by a fifth. The workforce is contracting. The social security burden is growing.