15. Why is “Chugoku region (中国地方)” called China (中国)？ ≪ Izumo no Kuni ≫
“ Chugoku (中国)” literally means “ center（中）” and “ country (国)”. The western part of Honshu is called “…
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14. Why do all the Japanese office workers wear similar suits? ≪ Jealousy ≫
☆１ Japanese people believe “a group” is better than ‟an individual”. ・ For example, many people prefer …
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13. Why don’t the Japanese address each other by their names, but instead use titles like “Teacher” or “President”? ≪ Taboo ≫
In 1980s Japan’ s Prime Minister, Nakasone Yasuhiro, wanted to develop a casual relationship with…
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12. Why is there no castle tower at Edo Castle in Tokyo? ≪ Hoshina Masayuki ≫
A castle tower is a symbol of the whole of the castle site, and people like to see their castle tower a…
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11. During the Edo period, why was the Dutch East Indies Company the only European company allowed to trade with Japan?
☆ 1 Trading merchants and Catholic missionaries In the 14th and 15th centuries for European…
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10. Who was the English seaman who inspired “Gulliver’s Travels”? ≪ William Adams ≫
☆ 1 ” Gulliver’s Travels “ Speaking of “Gulliver’s Travels”, it …
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9. Why do the Japanese people make a “slurping” noise when eating “soba”? ≪ Onabe ≫
What is the original Japanese cooking? Tempura? Sukiyaki? No, no. The ori…
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8. Where did the Japanese people come from? ≪ At the end of the continent ≫
I would like to try to explain, in a simple way, where the Japanese people came from. Originally…
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7. Why are Japanese people not religious? ≪ Oda Nobunaga ≫
In Japan, one month after a baby is born, we visit a shrine to pray for a good luck, some people have w…
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6. Why is the wife of Japanese-style inn owner called “Okamisan”? ≪ Japanese deities, Kami ≫
☆ 1 ” My wife” “(O)kamisan” is an old word meaning “wife̶…
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5. Why do the Japanese sing “The Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” at the end of every year? ≪ Matsue Toyohisa, Bando Camp Commander ≫
Every year, at the end of the year, Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” is performed at many…
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4. What is the difference between “Magnitude” and “Shindo(seismic intensity)”? ≪ Richter Scale ≫
☆ 1 Magnitude “Magnitude ” is measured on the Richter Scale , which is named af…
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3. Why are there two different subway companies in Tokyo? ≪ Hayakawa Noritsugu ≫
There are two subway companies in Tokyo, “Tokyo Metro” and “Toei Subway”. To make it …
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2. Why is Japan called “Nippon” in Japanese? ≪ Rising Sun ≫
☆１ ” The Origin of the Sun “ In Japanese, we pronounce Japan as “Nihon” …
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1. Why is Japan called “Japan” in English? ≪ Marco Polo ≫
☆1 ” The Travels of Marco Polo” It is said that “Japan” was first introduced to Euro…