In both feudal Japan and Europe, constant warfare made warriors the most important class. Called knights in Europe and samurai in Japan, the warriors served local lords. In both cases, the warriors were bound by a code of ethics.

The following represent some of Japan’s most popular traditions.

1. Bonenkai Parties. Bonenkai are Japanese office parties held in December.
2. Fukusasa Lucky Bamboo Branches.
3. Zabuton Throwing.
4. Yamayaki Mountain Burning.
5. Mamemaki Bean Throwing.
6. Mochi Making.
7. Ehomaki Sushi Rolls.
8. KFC On Christmas Eve.

There are two main religions in Japan: Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto is a Japanese religion, while Buddhism was imported in the 6th century from China. A recent poll found that 39% of Japanese people identify as Buddhist, 3.9% as Shinto and 2.3% as Christian.

Japan’s tap water is drinkable and safe. The national water infrastructure is reliable, and purification facilities are well-maintained, so the tap water is good quality and easy on the stomach. Japan is one of only fifteen or so countries in the world with clean water.

Tipping in Europe is nothing like tipping in the US. Most countries in Europe pay the staff minimum wage at the least. Don’t feel guilted into tipping on bad service, and don’t tip if the place is self-service. However, different countries have different customs when it comes to restaurants, bars, taxis, and hotels.

6. Japanese Toilet Paper Toilet paper is used in Japan, even by those who own toilets with bidets and washlet functions (see below). However, please be sure to put just the toilet paper provided in the toilet. Everything else should be placed into the small trashcan located within the cubicle.

The Japanese consider this behavior rude. If the food is too difficult to pick up (this happens often with slippery foods), go ahead and use a fork instead. It is considered rude to pass food from one set of chopsticks to another. Family-style dishes and sharing is common with Asian food.

No one knows the reason why, but seem to guess that it’s to save money in the public restrooms (both the cost of soap and of water). And a lot of Japanese homes have (or used to have) the toilets with the faucet on top and (for some reason) you wouldn’t want the hand soap to run back into the tank.

While showers are a necessary part of everyday life, the Japanese don’t just take showers, they love soaking in bathtubs. so it is typically custom to take baths every night. Everyone can experience this part of Japanese culture by dipping into onsen (hot springs) and public baths.

In the 19th century there was no hot water, heating, or indoor plumbing in Japanese homes. So most people had to boil hot water first in order to take a hot bath. This is a very time consuming process! So the general habit of bathing in the evening persisted.

5.12% of Japanese Bathe Less Than Twice a Week The 2004 study, however, says that 2.7% of Japanese bathe twice a week, 1.6% bathe once a week, and only 2.0% hardly ever use their bathtub for a soak.

Many people, including Japanese officials and governmental types, say that this is because they care greatly for their community. They feel a strong sense of pride in their surroundings, and they want to ensure each individual is doing the best for the people around them, including keeping things meticulously clean.

On average, they shower 14 times a week – to put that into context, the average for the rest of the world sits at five. And for those wondering, most of us Brits take six a week….

Most Brits (62%) bathe or shower at least once a day, and in the shower Brits spend on average between 7-8 minutes – but there’s more than just washing going on while we’re in there. We reveal all in our latest UK shower habits survey.

MORE than half of Brits say showers ARE better than baths because it ‘gets them going’, a new survey has revealed. Fifty-seven per cent of the population revealed they prefer showering – compared to 32 per cent who prefer baths.

90 per cent of women and 80 per cent of men bathe or shower at least once daily according to a 2008 report by the SCA, a leading global hygiene company. Previous research by Energy Australia revealed 29 per cent of us hit the shower twice daily, while 9 per cent boasted three showers a day.

twice a week

Dermatologists say that an evening shower is good for your skin because it cleans it before sleep. But a shower at night affects your circadian rhythm, too, in a good way. Sleep experts note that a nighttime shower changes your body temperature in a way that may help you get to sleep faster and more easily.

Your skin will be noticeably drier, and your hair greasier. One of the first signs of “progress” will be that your hair will stay in place when combed back, no product needed! After going 5 days without showering, you should probably start warning people before you enter a room. Then again, they’ll smell you coming.

If you don’t wash your body, the germs and bacteria will enter your system through your hands, nose or mouth, giving you the common cold or even hepatitis A. When you were taught as a child that washing your hands is important, the same also applies to the entire body. Not showering can be really dangerous.

If you like to linger in the shower for longer than 15 minutes, you might want to rethink your hygiene routine. According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Edidiong Kaminska, MD, the recommended maximum shower time is about 5 to 10 minutes. This is enough time to cleanse and hydrate the skin without overdoing it.