In Part 1, we explored everyday Japan.

But behind it lies centuries of tradition:

Torii gates. Festivals. Temples. Kimono. Samurai. Folklore.

Some traditions are ancient. Others are still evolving.

Let’s step into traditional Japan. 🇯🇵

⛩️ 1. Shinto — Japan's Indigenous Tradition

One of the best places to begin is Shinto (神道).

Shinto is Japan's indigenous religious tradition and is closely connected with kami (神).

Kami can be associated with nature, places, ancestors and other sacred presences.

That's why Shinto can feel deeply connected to the landscape.

Mountains.

Forests.

Waterfalls.

Ancient trees.

Even unusual rocks can have sacred significance.

You'll encounter Shinto throughout Japan—from enormous famous shrines to tiny neighborhood shrines tucked between modern buildings.

And one of the easiest ways to recognize a Shinto space?

Look for a torii.

⛩️ 2. Torii — The Gateway to Sacred Space

Few Japanese structures are as instantly recognizable as the:

鳥居 — torii

A torii marks the entrance to a Shinto sacred space.

Walk through one and you're symbolically moving from the everyday world toward a place associated with the kami.

Some are bright vermilion.

Some are stone.

Some are wooden.

Some stand beside busy streets.

Others rise from forests, mountains or even water.

The thousands of torii at Fushimi Inari in Kyoto may be the most famous example.

But once you start looking...

you'll see torii all over Japan.

🛕 3. Buddhism and Japanese Temples

Shinto isn't the only tradition that shaped Japan.

Buddhism (仏教) arrived in Japan from the Asian continent more than 1,000 years ago and became deeply woven into Japanese history and culture.

Today you'll find Buddhist temples throughout the country.

They may contain:

Buddhist statues,

incense burners,

pagodas,

cemeteries,

bells,

gardens,

and meditation spaces.

Here's a useful beginner distinction:

Shrine = Shinto

Temple = Buddhism

And although they're different traditions, Shinto and Buddhism have influenced one another throughout much of Japanese history.

Many people participate in customs associated with both.

Japan doesn't always fit neatly into an either/or box.

🎆 4. Matsuri — Japanese Festivals

Then...

Japan gets loud.

祭り — matsuri means festival.

And there are thousands of them.

Depending on where and when you visit, you might encounter:

🏮 Lanterns
🥁 Taiko drums
👘 Yukata
🍧 Food stalls
🎆 Fireworks
💃 Dancing
⛩️ Portable shrines

Many matsuri are connected to local shrines, seasons, historical events or community traditions.

And that's what makes them especially interesting.

There isn't really one standard Japanese festival.

Different towns have their own.

Different regions have their own.

Sometimes even neighboring communities celebrate differently.

A matsuri isn't just something people watch.

It's something communities participate in together.

🏮 5. Obon — Remembering Those Who Came Before

One of Japan's important seasonal traditions is:

お盆 — Obon

Obon is a Buddhist-influenced period associated with honoring and remembering ancestors.

Families may return to their hometowns.

Graves may be visited and cleaned.

Lanterns can be used symbolically.

And communities may hold:

盆踊り — Bon Odori

traditional Bon dancing.

The exact customs vary by region.

But at the heart of Obon is something very human:

remembering the people who came before us.

For many families, it's also a time to come home.

👘 6. Kimono and Yukata

Traditional Japanese clothing is another part of Japanese culture that remains highly visible.

The most famous garment is the:

着物 — kimono

Kimono come in many forms, levels of formality, patterns and styles.

What you wear can depend on:

the occasion,

the season,

your age,

and the level of formality.

Then there's the lighter:

浴衣 — yukata

Today, yukata are commonly associated with summer festivals, fireworks and hot-spring towns.

Most Japanese people don't walk around wearing kimono every day.

But traditional clothing hasn't disappeared.

You'll still see it at:

weddings,

graduations,

Coming of Age ceremonies,

festivals,

tea ceremonies,

and other special occasions.

Old clothing.

Still living.

🍵 7. Japanese Tea Ceremony

Tea can be incredibly simple.

Hot water.

Tea.

Drink.

Japanese tea ceremony takes that simple act...

and asks you to pay attention.

茶道 — sadō / chadō

is often translated as:

the way of tea.

The preparation and serving of matcha follow carefully developed practices.

But tea ceremony isn't simply about learning the correct movements.

Attention matters.

The utensils matter.

The season matters.

The space matters.

The guest matters.

Even the moment matters.

One famous concept associated with tea culture is:

一期一会 — ichigo ichie

Often understood as appreciating an encounter because this exact moment will never occur in precisely the same way again.

A bowl of tea becomes something much bigger than:

a bowl of tea.

🎨 8. Traditional Japanese Arts

Japan has developed an extraordinary range of artistic traditions.

There's:

書道 — shodō
Japanese calligraphy.

生け花 — ikebana
Flower arrangement.

浮世絵 — ukiyo-e
Woodblock prints particularly associated with the Edo period.

And traditions involving:

pottery,

lacquerware,

textiles,

woodworking,

gardens,

theater,

music,

and much more.

Some Japanese arts can appear remarkably simple at first.

A few flowers.

One brushstroke.

An undecorated ceramic bowl.

But simplicity doesn't necessarily mean a lack of thought.

Sometimes...

the empty space matters just as much as what's there.

🎭 9. Traditional Japanese Theater

Before anime...

Japan already knew how to be dramatic. 😂

Several major theatrical traditions developed in Japan.

能 — Noh

is highly stylized and known for masks, controlled movement, music and symbolic storytelling.

歌舞伎 — Kabuki

is more visually flamboyant, with dramatic costumes, makeup and performances.

And then there's:

文楽 — Bunraku

traditional puppet theater.

These forms may feel very different from modern entertainment.

But they remind us of something important:

Japan had rich visual storytelling traditions centuries before television, manga or video games existed.

🥋 10. Japanese Martial Arts

Japanese martial traditions are famous around the world.

Among them:

🥋 Karate (空手)
🥋 Judo (柔道)
⚔️ Kendo (剣道)
🏹 Kyūdō (弓道)
🥋 Aikido (合気道)
🤼 Sumo (相撲)

These traditions aren't all historically related in the same way, and each has its own philosophy and practices.

But many emphasize more than simply defeating an opponent.

Discipline.

Repetition.

Etiquette.

Self-control.

Respect.

Continuous improvement.

You may notice several names ending with:

道 — dō

Meaning:

way / path.

Judo.

Kendo.

Aikido.

The idea isn't simply:

learn how to fight.

It's also about continuing to learn.

🏯 11. Samurai

侍 — samurai were Japan’s warrior class, serving powerful lords known as daimyō.

But they weren’t always sword-wielding warriors. Over centuries, samurai also served as officials, administrators and scholars.

The real samurai were far more complex than the legends. ⚔️

👹 12. Oni — Japan's Famous Demons

鬼 — oni are supernatural beings from Japanese folklore, often depicted with horns, fangs and giant clubs.

During Setsubun, people traditionally throw beans while shouting:

“Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!”

“Demons out! Good fortune in!”

Defeating demons with beans. Very Japan. 😂

👺 13. Yōkai — Japan's Supernatural World

妖怪 — yōkai are supernatural beings from Japanese folklore.

There are:

• 👺 Tengu — mountain beings
• 🐢 Kappa — water creatures
• 🦊 Kitsune — supernatural foxes
• 🐱 Bakeneko — supernatural cats
• 👻 Yūrei — ghosts

And yes... even haunted umbrellas. ☂️👻

Yōkai still influence anime, manga, games and characters today.

The old stories never disappeared. They just found new places to live.

🌸 14. Seasonal Traditions

Japanese culture is deeply connected to the seasons.

• 🌸 Spring — cherry blossoms and hanami
• 🎆 Summer — festivals and fireworks
• 🌕 Autumn — moon viewing and changing leaves
• 🎍 Winter — New Year traditions

The idea is simple:

Enjoy the season while it lasts.

🎍 15. Japanese New Year

For many families, one of the most important times of the year is:

お正月 — Oshōgatsu

Japanese New Year.

Traditions can include:

cleaning the home before the new year,

special decorations,

eating traditional foods,

sending greetings,

and making the year's first visit to a shrine or temple.

That first visit is called:

初詣 — hatsumōde

Shrines and temples can become incredibly busy as people pray for health, happiness and good fortune in the year ahead.

New Year shows something you'll see repeatedly throughout Japanese culture:

old customs continuing inside modern life.

🇯🇵 Traditional Japan Isn't Frozen in the Past

It's easy to imagine traditional Japanese culture as something preserved behind museum glass.

But that's not really how culture works.

People still visit shrines.

People still celebrate matsuri.

People still wear yukata to fireworks festivals.

People still practice karate and kendo.

People still visit family during Obon.

Children still throw beans at Setsubun.

Traditional culture changes.

Some customs become less common.

Others evolve.

New meanings appear.

But tradition isn't necessarily the opposite of modern life.

In Japan...

the two often live side by side.

⛩️ Traditional Japanese Culture FAQ

What are some famous Japanese traditions?

Well-known Japanese traditions include shrine and temple visits, matsuri, Obon, tea ceremony, kimono, martial arts, hanami, New Year's customs and numerous regional festivals.

What is the traditional religion of Japan?

Shinto is indigenous to Japan, while Buddhism arrived from the Asian continent and has influenced Japanese culture for more than a millennium. Both traditions remain culturally important.

What is the difference between a Japanese shrine and temple?

A shrine is associated with Shinto, while a temple is Buddhist. Torii gates are one of the easiest visual clues that you've entered a Shinto shrine.

Do Japanese people still wear kimono?

Yes, although kimono are not everyday clothing for most people. They're still worn for certain ceremonies, celebrations, festivals and special occasions. Yukata are especially common at some summer festivals and hot-spring destinations.

Are samurai still part of Japanese culture?

The historical samurai class no longer exists, but samurai history continues to influence Japanese museums, historic sites, literature, film, manga, games and popular culture.

What are yōkai?

Yōkai are supernatural beings and phenomena from Japanese folklore. The category includes an enormous variety of creatures, from frightening monsters to strange and humorous beings.

🇯🇵 Keep Discovering Japanese Culture

We've now explored two sides of Japan.

In Part 1, we looked at everyday Japanese culture—the little habits, manners and experiences you'll encounter in daily life.

In Part 2, we've stepped into the world of shrines, festivals, samurai, kimono, martial arts and folklore.

But Japanese culture didn't stop evolving.

Anime.

Manga.

Video games.

Kawaii.

Gachapon.

Mascots.

Character culture.

And some wonderfully strange modern ideas are waiting for us next.

👉 Part 3: Modern Japanese Culture — Anime, Manga, Kawaii & Character Culture

👋 Meet a JapPop Resident

Omusubi Samurai

おむすび侍

Some samurai protected powerful lords.

Omusubi Samurai protects hungry people. 🍙⚔️

A wandering rice warrior from the JapPop Universe, he travels wherever he's needed with a simple belief:

Strength means being useful to someone who needs you.

Calm, dependable and honorable, he's inspired by one of Japan's most recognizable historical figures...

and one of its simplest everyday foods.

Because at JapPop, Japanese culture has a habit of becoming a little strange.

👉 Meet Omusubi Samurai and discover more residents of the JapPop Universe.

🇯🇵 About JapPop

At JapPop, we celebrate Japanese culture through playful illustrations, original characters and stories inspired by Japan.

From torii and matsuri to samurai, yōkai, food, language and everyday customs, every story is another doorway into something worth discovering.

You don't need to learn everything at once.

Pick one thing that makes you curious.

Then follow it.

Discover Japan, one story at a time. 🇯🇵✨