Japan Series 日本系列 11 | Japanese Culture 日本文化
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Japan’s indigenous culture is a combination of Yayoi and Jomon culture. These are the known earliest settlers in the Islands. During these earlier periods of Japan’s history, there have been no written records found and only some pottery, permanent aboveground dwelling, agricultural practices, and metal tools have been discovered to confirm the existence and merger of these two earliest settlers.
日本的本土文化是弥生和绳文文化的结合。两者是已知岛上最早的定居者。在日本历史上早期时期，没有发现书面记录，只有一些陶器、永久性住所、农业实践和金属工具被发现后用来证实这两个最早的定居者的存在和合并。
Being an island nation, Japan spent much of its history isolated from the outside world. From ancient times to the Middle Ages, Chinese dynasties had an influence on Japan’s culture as seen clearly in the language. For example, the earliest Japanese text, the “Kojiki” was written in the early eighth century using ancient Chinese characters.
作为一个岛国，日本的大部分历史都是与世隔绝的。从古代到中世纪，中国王朝对日本的文化产生了较大的影响，这一点从语言上看是显而易见的。例如，日本最早的文字“Kojiki”是在八世纪初用古代汉字写的。
Being wary of foreign influence, Japan under the Tokugawa Shogunate (Edo Period) experienced a long period of isolation from the outside world. During this time, the unique Japanese traditional culture developed and evolved helping to shape Japan at the time. After the arrival of the “Black Ships” and the Meiji Restoration, Japan opened up to the world. Since then, Japanese tradition was influenced by the outside world and evolved to create a unique culture of modern Japan. One thing to note is that Japan did not just absorb all the new cultures, but selectively combined its traditional concepts with the new ones to create a more modern culture that has went on to become one of the most prominent cultures in the world.
德川幕府（江户时代）时期的日本，由于警惕外来势力的影响，长期处于与世隔绝的状态。在这一时期，独特的日本传统文化发展演变，有助于塑造当时的日本。“黑船”的到来和明治维新后，日本对外开放。从那时起，日本的传统受到外界的影响，并逐渐演变成一种独特的现代日本文化。值得注意的是，日本并没有完全接受所有的西方文化，反而它是选择性地将其传统观念与新观念结合起来，创造出一种更为现代适合自己的文化，这种文化后来成为世界上最杰出的文化之一。
Language 语言
Old Japanese language is known as “Kanbun” and it originated from China, and so is its earliest text, the “Kojiki.” There are no written records of the Japanese language before the eighth century, but a Chinese document from 252 AD recorded the use of the Japanese language. The Japanese language uses most of the Chinese characters known as Kanji in its writings. Apart from Kanji, the Japanese language also uses Hiragana and Katakana, which were also derived from the Chinese Characters of the 5th century, they are a simplified form of Kanji.
古日语被称为“汉文”，它起源于中国，最早的文字“Kojiki”也是。在8世纪以前没有日语的书面记录，但公元252年的一份中文文件记录了日语的使用。日语字使用了大多数汉字。除了汉字，日语还使用平假名和片假名，这两种字体也是从5世纪的汉字中衍生出来的，它们是汉字的简化形式。
Religion 信仰
Religion in Japan is a mix of ideas from Shintoism and Buddhism, few Christian and Islamic communities also exist. In Japan, religion is seen as a moral code, a way of living, but not a doctrine and is rarely preached. It is also a private affair, separate from the state, moreover, it is rarely discussed in everyday life. Most of the people turn to religious rituals during birth, marriage, death, and spiritual festivals.
日本的宗教是神道教和佛教的混合体，还有少量基督教和伊斯兰教社区存在。在日本，宗教被视为一种道德准则，一种生活方式，但不是一种教义，很少被宣扬。信仰也是一件与国家无关的私事，而且在日常生活中很少被讨论。大多数人在出生、结婚、死亡和宗教节日时才会求助于宗教仪式。
Shintoism is a religion developed in Japan and its basis is that everything in nature contains kami, or gods. The goal of Shintoism is to maintain a connection between humans, nature, and kami. There are many shrines built to worship kami, and Shinto principles can be seen throughout Japanese culture, where nature and the turning of the seasons are cherished.
神道教是在日本发展起来的一种宗教，其基础是自然界的一切事物都包含神灵。神道教的目标是保持人、自然和神之间的关系。日本有许多神社是为供奉神而建造的，神道教的原则贯穿于日本文化的始终，在日本文化中，人们珍视自然和季节更替。
Buddhism was introduced in Japan in about the 6th century, but it was initially unpopular because most of the Japanese people didn’t understand the difficult philosophical messages present in Buddhism. Moreover, during the introduction of Buddhism, there was a plague in Japan which increased the resentment from Japanese people of the time. However, it grew popular later when one of the strong families embraced it and people began appreciating its art.
佛教大约在6世纪传入日本，但最初在日本并不是很受欢迎，因为大多数当时的日本人不理解佛教中的难哲学。此外，佛教传入日本时，日本刚发生了一场瘟疫，增加了当时人对新来宗教的怨恨。然而，后来一个强大的家族接受佛教，人们也开始欣赏佛教的艺术，这样佛教在日本流行起来。
The two religions are connected with the fact that Shintoism is the spirituality of this world and this life, whereas Buddhism is concerned with the soul and the afterlife. Generally, shrines are built for Shinto, and temples are Buddhist. But you will find both shrines and temple buildings in the same complex which may be sometimes difficult to identify which is which. Shrines are built with a huge entrance gate and often painted vermillion red. Just inside the gate, there’s a water fountain or trough where people use a bamboo ladle to wash their hands and mouth to purify their spirit before entering.
这两种宗教的关系在于神道教是现在的世界和现在生命的灵性，而佛教则关注灵魂和来世。在日本一般来说，神社是为神道而建的，寺庙是为佛教建的。但是有时你会发现神社和寺庙建筑都在同一个建筑群中，这会让一个人很难确定哪一个是哪一个。神龛建有一个巨大的入口大门，通常涂成朱红色。进大门后通常会有一个喷泉或水槽，人们在那里用竹勺洗手和漱口为了净化他们的精神，再进入。
Nara is considered to be the original home of Buddhism in Japan and features an extensive museum of Buddhist art and artifacts, as well as the huge statue of Buddha. Kyoto is full of beautiful shrines and temples and is a place where one can travel back in time to when religious belief was a significant part of everyday life in Japan.
奈良被认为是日本佛教的发源地，拥有一个大型的佛教艺术和文物博物馆，以及巨大的佛像。京都到处都是美丽的神殿和寺庙，人们可以在这里旅行，回到宗教信仰是日本日常生活的重要组成部分的时代。
Until WW2, the Emperor was considered a living God and subjects saw themselves as part of a huge family of which all Japanese people were members. After the war, the Emperor broadcasted to the nation renouncing his deity and started the secularization of Japanese society.
直到第二次世界大战，日本天皇一直被认为是一个活生生的神，臣民们把自己看作是一个庞大家庭的一部分，而且所有日本人都是这个家庭的成员。战后，天皇向全国广播，宣布放弃神灵，开始了日本社会的世俗化。
Society 社会
One of the best-known social etiquettes in Japan is bowing. Bowing is used to show respect, remorse, gratitude, and greeting. For example, if you enter a restaurant in Japan, you will be greeted by shouts of “irrashaimase” which means “welcome” and a bow from the staff as a sign of respect to you as a customer. There are several forms of bowing, such as the 45-degree bow used for a sincere apology, or the 30-degree bow used to show respect to superiors, and a 15-degrees bow which is used for greeting when people meet for the first time.
鞠躬是日本最著名的社交礼仪之一。鞠躬表示尊敬、悔恨、感激和问候。例如，如果你在日本进入一家餐厅，员工会高喊“irrashaimase”，意思是“欢迎”，并鞠躬以示对作为顾客的你的尊重。鞠躬有几种形式，如45度鞠躬表示真诚的道歉，30度鞠躬表示对上级的尊重，15度鞠躬表示初次见面时的问候。
It is customary in Japan to take off your shoes when entering a traditional guesthouse(ryokan), a home, a temple or a restaurant. Traditionally, this was done to prevent dirt from footwear worn outside spread into the tatami mat floors. Today people still take off their footwear to keep the inside clean and also as a sign of respect.
在日本，当你进入传统的宾馆（ryokan）、房子、寺庙或餐馆时，脱鞋是一种习惯。传统上，这样做是为了防止外面穿的鞋上的污垢扩散到榻榻米垫上。如今，人们仍然脱下鞋子来保持室内清洁，同时也是为了表示对主人的尊重。
Before eating, Japanese would put their hands together and say “Itadakimasu” meaning “I humbly receive.” After the meal, it is polite to say “Gochiso sama deshita” meaning “Thank you for the meal.” While eating, do not stick your chopsticks into your bowl of rice, and do not pass food using chopsticks, as these actions are used during the Japanese funeral ceremony. It is also considered not polite to eat while walking, if necessary, find a place to sit or stand and finish the food. There is no tipping in Japanese restaurants or other places that many people will expect to tip.
饭前，日本人会双手合十说“Itadakimasu”，意思是“我谦恭地接受”。饭后，礼貌地说“Gochiso sama deshita”，意思是“谢谢你的饭”。吃饭时，不要把筷子插进你的饭碗里，也不要用筷子传接食物，因为这些动作都是用在日本的葬礼上。走路时吃饭也被认为是不礼貌的，如果有必要，找个地方坐下或站着把食物吃完。在日本餐馆或其他地方，很多人都不会给小费的。
In 1970s at the height of Japan’s economic growth, Kawaii culture developed. During this time, Japanese advertising agencies had to design cute and lovable characters to get closer to their customer’s hearts, minds and… you guessed it right, wallet.
卡哇伊文化是在20世纪70年代开始发展起来，这是日本经济发展的鼎盛时期。在这段时间里，日本的广告公司不得不设计可爱的人物，以更接近客户的心，思想和…你猜对了，钱包。
Geisha 艺妓
White face, red lips, and some distinctive hairstyle is an image that is famous all over the world, but to most of us, we don’t even know what does it mean, and why. Geisha world remains a mystery to most foreigners and Japanese alike. To be honest, very few people understand both Geisha theories and practicalities.
白脸，红唇，和一些独特的发型是一个世界闻名的形象，但对我们大多数人来说，我们甚至不知道这到底 要表达什么，或者是为了干什么。对大多数外国人和日本人来说，艺妓世界仍然是个谜。老实说，很少有人懂得艺妓的理论和实践。
It all started during the Edo era when Japan cut off all contact with the outside world. Geisha developed as an art to entertain rich merchants of the cities and in the beginning, Geishas were men, first appearing around the early eighteenth century. Geishas go through a strict training for years, and if you want to meet one, it is all about who you know and who knows you, and most importantly, they don’t come cheap. They usually work at licensed Ochaya (teahouses) in the geisha districts.
这一切都始于江户时代，当时日本切断了与外界的一切联系。艺妓作为一种娱乐城市富商的艺术而发展起来，最初，艺妓均是男人，最早出现在18世纪初。艺妓要经多年严格的训练而成的。如果你想接触一个艺妓，这个很难做到的，关键要靠你认识谁，谁认识你，最重要的是，也要花很多钱。他们通常在艺妓区有执照的茶馆工作。
Japanese Gardens 日本园林
The three great gardens of Japan are Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, Kairakuen in Mito, and Korakuen in Okayama. Ono no Imoko, an emissary from Japan, visited China in 612 and learned of the Buddhist way of life to recreate it once he returns home. The gardens in Japan follows strict code to establish a comfortable environment. Every element of a Buddhist garden has a religious significance; pathways lead to enlightenment, soil represents fertility and nurturing nature of Buddha’s mind. But it was not just Buddhism that influenced the garden culture of Japan, since Shinto and Buddhism are not seen as mutually exclusive, they are considered to be able to coexist and the fusion can be seen within the foundational design of Japanese gardens.
日本的三大花园分别是金泽的兼六园、水户的偕乐园和冈山的后乐园。来自日本的使者小野洋子（Ono no Imoko）于612年访问了中国，并学习了佛教的生活方式，在他回国后将其重现。日本的园林遵循严格的规范，营造舒适的环境。佛教园林的每一个元素都具有宗教意义；通向启蒙的道路，土壤代表着佛陀心灵的丰饶和滋养。但是，影响日本园林文化的不仅仅是佛教，因为神道和佛教不是互斥的，而被认为是能够共存的，在日本园林的基础设计中可以看到两者和谐的融合。
Tea ceremony is one of the most significant part of Japanese garden design, lanterns, stepping stones and arched bridges were formed as the tea culture developed in Japan.
茶道是日本园林设计中最重要的组成部分之一，随着日本茶文化的发展，花灯、踏脚石和拱形桥梁也随之形成。
Samurai 武士
Samurai no longer exists, but its influence and heritage are still seen deep in the Japanese culture. The basis of Samurai conduct is “Bushido,” meaning “the way of the warrior.” This philosophy valued honor, bravery, and selflessness, as well as a duty to the warrior’s master with the purpose of giving up one’s life and embracing death. This conduct of self-discipline and respectful, ethical behavior became the symbol of behavior for Japanese people throughout history.
武士不存在了，但它的影响和遗产在日本文化中仍然很深。武士行为的基础是“武士道”，意思是“战士的方式”。这种哲学重视荣誉、勇敢和无私，以及对战士主人的责任，目的是放弃生命和拥抱死亡。这种自律、尊重他人、有道德的行为，成为日本历史上人们行为的象征。
Cherry Blossom 樱花
When the cherry blossom is in bloom from March to May, the Japanese go to parks and gardens to picnic beneath the flowers. It suffices to say, with long, bitter winter months, spring is the most popular and favorite time for Japanese. This has developed a culture called “Hanami” which means “flower viewing.” Almost all public places take on a party-like atmosphere in Japan during this time.
三月到五月樱花盛开的时候，日本人会去公园和花园野餐。可以说，在漫长而痛苦的冬季后，春天对日本人来说是最受欢迎和喜爱的季节。这个季节里在日本，几乎所有的公共场所都呈现出派对般的气氛。
Sports 运动
Sports plays an important part of Japanese culture and since the young age, Japanese are instilled the sense of pride, hard work, and dedication through sports. Sumo is the de facto national sport (it is not an official status), it has a history of over 1500 years. It is believed that the survival of Japanese people balanced on the outcome of a sumo match between the gods.
体育运动是日本文化的重要组成的一部分，日本人从小就通过体育运动灌输自豪感、勤奋和奉献精神。相扑是一项非官方的国家运动，它有超过1500年的历史。人们认为，日本人民的生存平衡于神明相扑比赛的结果。
Kendo is a form of Japanese fencing, it originated during the Kamakura period with the samurai, who needed to practice their swordsmanship. The influence of Zen Buddhism also helped to improve it as a spiritual as well as physical practice.
剑道是日本击剑的一种形式，它起源于镰仓时期的武士，他们为了练习剑术而发明剑道。禅宗的影响也有助于提高它作为一种精神和身体实践。
Karate was brought in Japan from China as a form of martial arts and was not properly understood until the early twentieth century.
空手道是从中国传入日本的一种武术，它是直到二十世纪初才被当地人们正确地了解到的。
Judo is one of the most successful Japanese martial arts, it is practiced both recreationally and professionally. Judo means “gentle way” and was created by Kano Jigoro in eighteen eighty-two.
柔道是日本最成功的武术之一，它既有娱乐性又有专业性。柔道的意思是“温柔的方式”，由卡诺·吉戈罗在1882年创造的。
When thinking about Japan, it is more common to think about the sports mentioned above, but there is plenty of modern influence alongside the more traditional sports. Baseball is one of the most favorite sports in Japan and it has a distinct name, “Yakyu,” others take an approximate name of their English name, such as “Tenisu,” “Sakaa,” and “Basukettoboru.”
在想关于日本的时候，平常会想到上述体育项目，但是除了更传统的体育项目之外，还有很多西方运动的影响。棒球是日本最受欢迎的运动之一，它有一个独特的名字，“Yakyu”，但其他最有影响力的运动在日本用的是近似的英文名字，如“Tenisu”，“Sakaa”和“BasukettoBoru”。
Football also has a huge following, the national team, the “Samurai Blue,” has seen success in international competition such as FIFA World Cup, and most notably as Japan hosted the World Cup along with South Korea in 2002.
足球也有很多粉丝，国家队“蓝武士”在国际比赛中，比如国际足联世界杯取得了一些成绩，最引人注目的是2002年日本和韩国一起主办的世界杯。
Manga and Anime 漫画和动画
Manga (comics) and Anime (animation) are an integral part of Japanese culture, so much that they are always associated with Japan exclusively. Manga books make up a majority part of Japan’s publishing industry and they can be found everywhere. Although marketed as children's books in other countries, they are read by almost every age in Japan. Most famous of these are AstroBoy, Doraemon, Dragon Ball, and Death Note.
漫画和动漫是日本文化不可分割的一部分，它们与日本有着千丝万缕的联系。漫画书是日本出版业的主要组成部分，随处可见。虽然在其他国家它们作为儿童读物销售，但在日本几乎每个年龄段都有人阅读。其中最著名的是阿童木、哆啦A梦、龙珠和死亡笔记。
Anime takes an inspiration from Manga, but as technology progresses, other factors influence the Anime industry. The most recent example is Pokemon which was a worldwide hit as a video game for Nintendo before it was made into Manga and Anime series.
动漫从漫画中汲取灵感，但随着技术的进步，其他因素影响动漫产业。最近的一个例子是Pokemon，在它被制作成漫画和动画系列之前，它作为任天堂的一款电子游戏在世界范围内大受欢迎。
Food and Drinks 食物和饮料
Almost every town and city in Japan is known for its local specialty, from sweet, fish, noodle, seaweed to tofu, etc. Careful preparation and presentation are crucial elements of Japanese cuisine. Food is an art form and even the simplest dishes are prepared by chefs who have trained for many years.
日本几乎每一个城镇都以当地特色菜闻名，包括甜的、鱼类、面条、海藻到豆腐等等。精心的准备和介绍是日本料理的关键要素。食物是一种艺术，即使是最简单的菜肴也由经过多年培训的厨师烹制。
Rice was once traded as a currency in Japan, now it is a staple food and has been so for over 2000 year. Harvesting rice is a labor extensive process and the Japanese are reminded of this from a very young age, that is why rice is rarely wasted. When talking about rice in Japan, Sushi comes to mind, but donburi, onigiri, kayu, mochi, chazuke are just some of the foods made from rice in Japan.
大米曾经是日本的一种货币，现在它是一种主食，已经有2000多年的历史了。收割稻谷是一个很艰难的过程，日本人从小就意识到这一点，这就是一个理由米饭在日本很少被浪费。谈到日本的米饭，人们想到是寿司，但牛丼、饭团、kayu、mochi、chazuke只是日本特色的米饭做法。
Being an island, Japanese people have tried and created every way of preparing fish, from almost live “odorigui” which means “still dancing,” raw “nama or sashimi,” grilled “yaki,” to deep-fried “tempura.” The world's largest wholesale fish and seafood market is in Japan, Tsukiji Fish Market, where you can have an early morning breakfast of the freshest sushi in the world.
作为一个岛屿，日本人民尝试并创造了各种各样鱼的做法，从几乎是活的“odorigui”，意思是“还在跳”，生的“nama或生鱼片”，烤的“yaki”，到油炸的“tempura”。世界上最大的鱼和海鲜批发市场也在日本，筑地鱼市，在那里你可以有一个清晨世界上最新鲜的寿司早餐。
Japan’s cuisine doesn’t just end with rice and fish. There is a huge variety of fruits, vegetables, meat, and noodles which come in various dishes (including a dish that is served with ice!). Japan also has some of the best patisseries in the world. Don’t forget the world-famous Kobe beef.
日本的美食不仅仅以米饭和鱼为主。有各种各样的水果、蔬菜、肉和面条，当然也有各种各样的菜（包括一道加冰块的菜！）日本也有世界上最好的糕点。别忘了世界有名的神户牛肉。
If you are a vegetarian, don’t worry, at one point in history, eating meat was prohibited in Japan and a lot of vegetarian cuisines was developed at the time. Some of them are: Zaru soba, udon(thick noodles) in a vegetable soup, tofu steak (Okonomiyaki), natto, are just some of the examples.
如果你是素食主义者，别担心，在历史上的某个时期，日本禁止吃肉，很多素食菜系都是在那时发展起来的。其中有些是：日式荞麦凉面《Zaru soba》、乌冬面、豆腐牛排、纳豆等等。
Kanpai! Japanese love their drinks, but you need to observe some rituals before taking in the drink. Never pour a drink for yourself, in fact, you should pour a drink for your friend and your friend pour one for you. If you feel like you don’t want to drink anymore, just keep your glass filled and you will be alright. “Kanpai” means “Cheers.”
Kanpai！日本人喜欢喝，但在喝之前你需要遵守一些仪式。不要给自己倒酒，事实上，你应该为你的朋友倒一杯，而你的朋友则为你倒一杯。如果你觉得你不想再喝了，只需要保持杯子装满就可以了。“Kanpai”的意思是“干杯”
Drinking in Japan is always accompanied by a meal or otsumami (a light snack). A plate of Otsumami usually comes with edamame (soybeans), surume(dried shredded squid) or arare( small rice crackers).
在日本喝酒总是要配饭菜或otsumami（一种小吃）。一盘otsumami通常有毛豆（大豆）、鱼糜（鱿鱼干丝）或arare（小米糕）。
Rice wine “Sake” is the national drink of Japan, and lager beer is the most popular drink. You must have seen brands such as Kirin, Sapporo, Suntory, and Asahi.
清酒是日本的国酒，而Lager啤酒是最受欢迎的啤酒。你一定见过或听过麒麟、札幌、三得利和朝日等啤酒品牌。
In Japan, there is one vending machine for every 23 people, the highest number per capita in the world. Japan is also a tea heaven, and the Japanese word for it is Cha. They range from classic green tea to the unusual mugicha (barley tea), sobacha (buckwheat tea), genmaicha (brown rice tea), to umecha (powdered plum tea) and many more.
在日本，每23人就有一台自动售货机，是世界上人均数量最高的国家。日本也是茶的天堂。茶在日本包括经典绿茶，不寻常的mugicha（大麦茶），sobacha（荞麦茶），genmaicha（糙米茶），umecha（梅粉茶）等等。
Sado is a Japanese green tea ceremony, it is an ancient tradition ceremony traced back to Zen Buddhism. The name translates to “the way of the tea,” it requires years of study and perfection and is widely taught in schools across Japan and is a popular hobby in the country.
茶道是日本的一种绿茶仪式，也是一种古老的传统仪式，可以追溯到禅宗佛教。这个名字被翻译成“茶的方式”，它需要多年的学习和完善，在日本各地的学校里广泛教授也是一种流行的爱好。
Kimono 和服
The Japanese Kimono has been worn in Japan for 1200 years, they are worn on special occasions such as weddings and certain professions such as Geisha and staff at Japanese inns. Yukata are casual summer versions of the Kimono, they are simpler and cheaper than Kimono.
日本和服在日本已经使用了1200年，人们通常在特殊场合比如婚礼，艺妓和专业场合以及日本旅馆的工作人员穿的。浴衣是夏季的和服休闲装，比和服更便宜。
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