An oil paper umbrella, also known as wagasa (和傘), is a traditional Japanese umbrella made of bamboo and paper. It is a symbol of love and life, and is used during weddings and other special occasions. The red umbrella, which symbolizes life and wards off evils, is a large umbrella typically carried by a man who follows the bride in a wedding procession.
In Japan, marriage is a legal and social institution at the center of the household, and couples are legally married once they have changed their family status. Wagasa umbrellas can be found in traditional wedding processions, tea ceremonies, and festivals. The red umbrella symbolizes life and wards off evils, and the umbrella itself keeps the bride dry if it rains.
The demand for traditional wagasa umbrellas began to decline with the introduction of European umbrellas during the Meiji period (1868-1912). However, they remain one of the main symbols of traditional Japanese culture. They are often seen in traditional wedding processions, tea ceremonies, and festivals.
In Japanese culture, sharing an umbrella is considered romantic, and small shops offer cheap plastic ones for about JPY300-800. The act of sharing an umbrella is considered a “sashikakeru” in Japanese culture. Overall, the unique umbrella culture in Japan has been developing for over a millennium, with traditional umbrellas being a significant part of Japanese culture.
📹 5 Things NOT to Do in Japan! #Shorts
*The content is based on personal studies and experience There is no intention of denying other theories and cultural aspects 1.
Is sharing an umbrella romantic in Japan?
Yuuri’s drawing is called the ai ai gasa, which means “love love umbrella.” The name probably comes from the phrase 相合傘, which means “sharing an umbrella.” In Japanese culture and many others, sharing an umbrella is romantic.
The drawing is a “magic charm” that brings together the two people whose names are written on either side of the shaft. People who draw this don’t believe the charm/spell works. It’s just a wish. Like when you have a crush and draw hearts with your initials. These are more familiar in the West:
Should you bring an umbrella to a wedding?
Sunglasses. Going to an outdoor ceremony in the morning or afternoon? Bring sunglasses for bright sunlight. If it’s going to rain, bring an umbrella to protect your hair, makeup, and outfit.
Allergy meds. Allergy sufferers know their symptoms act up during certain seasons. If you’re at an outdoor wedding at a farm, park, or other open-air venue, bring your allergy medicine.
Beauty Touch-Up Necessities. Pack the essentials for any beauty touch-ups, like powder, concealer, oil blotting sheets, or bobby pins. Also bring a compact mirror so you don’t have to look for a bathroom to reapply your lipstick.
What does the umbrella mean at a Japanese wedding?
The red umbrella is a symbol in Japanese weddings. Red symbolizes life and protects the bride from evil. A big umbrella is carried by a man who follows the bride to the wedding.
What do you bring to a Japanese wedding?
Goshugi (gifts). Guests bring gift money, called goshugi, on the wedding day. Don’t give it to the couple directly. Leave it with the receptionists when you arrive. There are rules for gift money, including the amount. For friends and colleagues, the average amount is 30,000 yen. If you’re his/her boss or a relative, 50,000 to 100,000 Yen is common. The same applies if you’re attending with your spouse. If you’re giving money to a couple getting married, it depends on local custom whether you give or don’t give. The amount of gift money isn’t fixed, but it’s customary to avoid even numbers like 2, 4, and their multiples. These numbers are seen as being split, so 10 and 20 are okay. Bills should be clean and without marks. The bank teller can help you with this. Or go to the ATM room at the bank branch (small ATM stands may not have this service). Put the bills in a special envelope called a Goshugi-bukuro and write your name on it.
Hikidemono and Hikigashi. When you get to the banquet hall, there will be a bag by your seat. This is called Hikidemono (gift for guests to take home). There is often a box of sweets inside too. Hikidemono and Hikigashi are gifts from the newlyweds to thank guests for celebrating their marriage. The most common items for Hikidemono are tableware. Recently, gift catalogues are becoming more popular. Guests can choose a gift from the catalogue and have it delivered to their house.
What is the superstition about umbrellas in Japan?
Umbrellas are bad luck because they’re used to shield mourners from the sun as they walk through a cemetery. They’re also associated with the Shinto deity Amaterasu, the sun goddess who allowed her brother Susanoo to use her blood to create humans after he stole her eye. The umbrellas carried by mourners during Amaterasu festivals were yellow and had crescent moon tips. #4. If a knife or scissors falls on the floor, it’s bad. If a knife or scissors falls, it’s bad luck. This superstition goes back to around 1200 B.C. People believed that anything falling from above would cut the life of anyone who walked under it. This superstition is still common in many countries, including Japan. If you see a knife or pair of scissors fall from someone’s hand, don’t worry about your luck running out. Just grab them!
What does the umbrella symbolize in Japan?
Sharing an umbrella showed romantic love. Aiaigasa was a way to show love and care. People thought it was sweet to share an umbrella. In books, movies, and art, two people walking close together under an umbrella in the rain is a typical romantic scene. Want to experience more of traditional Japan? Try Sakuraco! Sakuraco delivers Japanese snacks, teas, sweets, and local Japanese snacks to your door. How to say “I love you” in Japanese. Aiaigasa is still popular in Japan, especially during the rainy season. It’s polite to share an umbrella in the rain.
Is it OK to kiss in public in Japan?
People kiss in public in Japan. We don’t kiss on trains, buses, or subways or at hot springs. It’s rude to kiss on trains, subways, or buses, no matter who you’re with. It’s a tight space and could make people uncomfortable. You can kiss on the train station. In hot springs, same-sex couples can use the same baths together, while other couples must use the men’s and women’s baths. I’m happy I can go to a hot spring with my fiancé. We don’t show affection at those places because it’s a public bath for families, not a place for two naked women to kiss. This is obvious. We are not nervous or strange in these situations. We respect the culture and the rules of the onsen. When I respect Japanese culture, I also respect my fiancé’s culture. She taught me what was wrong. There’s no sign saying “no kissing on the train,” like there is for “put your phone in airplane mode.” We respect the culture, but that doesn’t mean we should be treated differently because we’re a same-sex couple. We want to be treated the same as any other couple. We kiss and hold hands and go on romantic dates anywhere in Japan. Japan is safe. No one has ever said anything bad to us. Most Japanese don’t notice us. Everyone has been kind and accepting. We never worry about being treated badly here. In all three years we’ve been together, a nurse at the hospital refused to acknowledge our relationship. Another nurse helped us instead. This might happen, but rarely. Natsuko and I walk our dogs in Kichijoji and go on dates in the park. We go shopping and hold hands. We take cute selfies kissing in front of famous places. We do all the things couples do here in Japan. We love being out in Japan. Japan is our home. We want a safe home to be ourselves.
Do married couples share a bed in Japan?
Many Japanese couples sleep in different beds or rooms. This isn’t an intimate issue, but something they believe is good for them. Many Japanese couples sleep in different beds or rooms in smaller houses and apartments. This isn’t an intimate issue or problem with the relationship. They believe it’s good for them. We at Bright Side found out why Japanese couples sleep separately and liked their reasons. The first reason Japanese couples sleep separately is because of different work schedules. Waking up your partner just because you got home late from work or have to leave early won’t help them rest well. This is why sleeping in different rooms makes sense. This lets them both sleep better.
Are umbrellas allowed in Japan?
In Japan, umbrellas are used for more than just keeping dry. Many people use them to keep out of the sun. On sunny days, you’ll often see people with opaque umbrellas. If you have sensitive skin or sunburn easily, you might want to do the same! Be aware that the same rules apply. With these five tips, you’ll be an umbrella pro! For more on the rainy season in Japan, see our Rainy Season 101 and our hub on rainy days!
Why is it not advised to carry an umbrella?
It rains and thunders with lightning. Lightning is a big electric charge moving from clouds to the ground. The charges can pass through the umbrella to the person carrying it. This can kill you. Don’t go out with an umbrella in heavy rain, lightning or thunder.
What are the traditions of Japanese weddings?
At the reception, the married couple sits on a stage and enjoys speeches and performances from guests. The bride and groom thank their parents in speeches and give them gifts. The reception includes the bride’s changing outfits. Some brides change three or four times! This tradition of changing clothes several times dates from the 14th century and symbolizes the bride’s return to everyday life. At a Shinto wedding, the bride wears a white kimono. Then she may come to the reception in a colorful kimono, then change into a white wedding dress, and then into an evening gown or party dress. If she has a Western wedding, she might arrive in a wedding dress, then change into a kimono and then into one or more party dresses.
Do I bring anything to a wedding?
When should you buy and send a wedding gift versus bring it to the wedding? If you don’t send the gift right after you get the invitation, send it as close to the wedding day as possible, Swann says. Make sure the gift arrives before the wedding. Allow for shipping delays. It’s better to send your gift sooner rather than later, but don’t worry if you leave it to the last minute. The couple will be happy to get your gift even if it arrives after the wedding. Some people still bring gifts to the wedding, but that’s not as common as it used to be. “More people are having gifts shipped directly to the couple because of online shopping,” says Swann. If you want to bring a gift to the wedding, check with the wedding party first. You don’t want to stress the couple on their big day. If you’re giving a financial gift, you can bring a card with a check or cash to the wedding. Is it okay to buy a gift that isn’t on the registry? You can buy a gift not on the registry at any time. You don’t have to buy a gift from the registry, but there are times when it’s better to do so than others. If you know the couple well, you can choose something for them. This is especially true if you see something special or if you have something made. Another time to go off the registry is if all the gifts are too expensive or already taken.
📹 Things Okay in Japan but Illegal Around the World
Shocking Laws okay in Japan, but illegal around the world. So I’ve made videos before on things you can’t do in Japan because …
I found shocking when I learned that if one parent in Japan just disappears with the child/children, this is not considered kidnapping and the other parent has no rights regarding police aid in finding the withheld child or claiming joint custody. There was a father protesting against this during the olympic games to raise awareness as he was looking for his kidnapped daughter…
I’m sorry to say this, but regarding the defamation law: That’s how companies like Konami is allowed to get away with some of the worst, trashiest behavior. Because no one is willing to call them out on it. It breeds an extremely toxic corporate environment, where the truth is never allowed to be revealed, in fear of defamation.
I remember someone told me that her boss sexually harassed her but instead of the boss getting fired, she was transferred to another branch. And that boss still kept doing it until one new employee pursued it and instead of firing the boss, he was just transferred to a different department. Really messed up
I’m an American living in Thailand. The defamation laws here are very similar to those you described. You can even be sued if, for example, you write a critical review of a hotel or restaurant that is posted online. The business can claim that the writer of the criticism has damaged their reputation. It’s a very effective way of shutting-down any sort of criticism of pretty much anyone.
Honestly, anyone who commits an “Adult” act on someone who is passed out, clearly unable to and obviously didn’t give consent…. has no honor! It is not just disgusting, but downright obscene that the individual who violated that person was rewarded with a cash award. Thanks for pointing out how utterly worthless Japan’s civil court system happens to be.
Truth as a defence to defamation is fairly new in Australia. I recall an architect in Canberra who sued because the newspaper said his building leaked. He won the case and when I went to work in that building ten years later there were still buckets collected the leaking water coming through the roof.
Defamation laws in South Korea are also interesting and rather annoying. The biggest way it affects average people these days imo, is what your cannot say about a business even when completely true. In other countries I can rely on bad reviews and such to steer my away from shady businesses or just those with deceptively low quality. Meanwhile here, I have to just go to a place with my fingers crossed.
The reason for defamation is that, Even if it is true, the story can be reported to the person concerned or the organization to which he or she belongs, and there is no need to make it public on SNS. It is considered an illegal act because it is judged to be an act whose purpose is to unnecessarily degrade people socially.
Actually marrying your cousin is also legal here in Germany and was very common in the past. But nowadays it happens very rarely and isn’t really well accepted in society. And one thing to note is that practically all prefectures in Japan set age of consent to at least 16 years or higher, meaning that the national age of 13 is completely irrelevant.
The defamation meaning is true to most of South East Asia. I was shocked whilst living in Thailand that a farm in Lanna was reported as using slave labour in the international media and the US reporter was arrested for defamation. The fact that the farm was using slave labour was not relevant to the case, only that the article damaged the business.
In relation to the defamation law, they also would somewhat “protect” the abusive husband if you report his abuses to the police even with evidences. Yes, as the victim, they would protect you by giving you and your child a shelter, some allowance, help you to find work, BUT they will give you restrictions for the places you’re allowed to wander. You cannot go to prefectures near the location of your husband, and yes, the husband is still allowed to go to work, not acquitted, as to not disrupt with how society functions. They deem the husband as essential to the workforce. Others might have had a different experience regarding domestic violence in Japan, so feel free to share yours. But this is based on a real-life experience.
Defamation laws are seriously holding Japan back, and undoubtly one of the contributing factors to an unhealthy living standard in Japanese society. It discourages people to never speak up about things that are wrong and keep offenders from accepting criticism and never change for the better. I hope this law will change in the coming years, giving Japan some more freedom and safety from abuse.
Where I live, the age of consent is 14. Not that different. But it’s still taboo to date someone that is too young and most say that the age of consent is 18. As for defamation, you can process someone, but it has a lot of other rules that influence this. And as far as I know, this doesn’t include companies.
After spend some time in Japan and even visit some courthouses and watch some trials due to work it seems to me that the justice system in Japan was never designed with “justice” in mind. Their goal seems to have the objective of eliminate social disruption, not to satisfy individual sense of justice. Laws like the defamation law, at least for me, seems to make sense when seem through that light.
The smoking thing, though I was somewhat aware of it being more culturally acceptable to do in restaurants and the like in Japan, it’s still a somewhat surprising thing that it’s tolerated so much in the country, given their preference for avoiding strong body scents (a la cologne and perfumes) because they might bother people and just a general stronger than average focus on cleanliness. Cigarette smoke definitely is pungent and not at all clean, clearly.
In Osaka there are lots of bars and a few restaurants where smoking is okay. You can’t find out until you walk in, and if they allow smoking I avoid them if I can. Here in Kobe, places must choose either “smoking” or “non-smoking” and post the proper sticker on the entry door. Some “non-smoking” places MAY still have a separate, ventilated smoking room, which is fine with me. Again, I totally avoid the all-smoking ones.
I saw a article several years back, it was taken on a Tokyo bus. A guy gets on the bus and sits near the rear next to a young Japanese woman he doesn’t know and literally starts feeling her up, and though she’s very uncomfortable and almost in tears with insult, she doesn’t call out for help. I was shocked and appalled. I was told by someone that she didn’t say anything because it was very difficult in Japan then for a woman to get a man arrested for that sort of thing and it could publicly humiliate her. I certainly hope this thing has changed.
Paolo – great article. I lived in Okinawa while I was in the US Navy. Sadly I learned next to none of the language. However, one thing that, at least in the US, that really bothers me for some reason is we don’t pronounce Tokyo correctly. I noticed in this article that you pronounce it correctly – 2 syllables not 3 like in the US. Help me get the US population to pronounce it correctly. P.S. I plan to visit Okinawa and other parts of Japan in the next couple years. What would you recommend for me to learn some survival phrases in Japanese?
Defamation Law is also pretty common in Thailand. Although the criterias are different, I’ll not get into the detail since it’s too long to explain but I’d say it’s not exactly fairly judge in many cases, and yes, it takes away the freedom of speech and many people are facing injustice because of such laws.
Very interesting and informative article! I had no idea about some of these laws. I get the impression that Japan gets the most negative press for whaling, despite it being legal in Norway, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. Out of all the countries that practice whaling, Norway kills the most. Not that I condone it, but I can understand why the Japanese want people to stay out of their food culture.
The defamation thing is kinda the “too far the other direction” from America’s defamation laws. In theory you can sue for defamation in America if someone is lying about you. In practice it’s really hard to actually win that lawsuit. And if it’s a politician lying about you then you might as well forget about it.
Here is a question about the whole defamation situation. If one were to tell the public about a company knowingly selling a product that is actively dangerous… say like an electric car where the battery has a high chance of melting down. If it is true, does that company actually have the “honor” that they could sue for defamation over? It certainly feels like they shouldn’t.
I went to Japan a few years ago, and I was surprised by how smoking-friendly it was. There were smoking booths at the airport, smoking sections in restaurants–which my home state did away with decades ago–and smoking was just much more socially acceptable in general. And yeah, the cousin thing is pretty well known by now, I think. It’s so normal it comes up in anime/manga without anyone batting an eye.
I’m born and raised in Italy, still living here: 1) In Italy “unlimited” age of consent is 14. It’s raised to 16 if the partner is a person of “influence” for the minor, like: a tutor, a teacher, a parent (even adoptive), a grandparent, a sister or brother etc. If they have sexual activity abusing of their position “of influence” then it’s a felony (this, obviously, doesn’t erase but it’s added to the felony of incest. Simply the age above or under 16yo makes differences in the severity of the guilt). Otherwise the age of consent is 13 ONLY provided that the older partner is a minor too and not older than 4 years (long story short, since in Italy the age of majority is 18yo, a 13yo can have consensual sexual activity with a partner not older than 17 yo) 2) it’s legal to marry your first cousin because there is a loophole: the law doesn’t allow it but it doesn’t forbid it either, so “if it doesn’t say no, it’s a yes”. I had a class mate at the elementary school that was the daugther of first cousins and she had also an older brother (and they were both so BEAUTIFUL T_T). 3) Defamation: similar to Japan, you can be suited for defamation even if what you say it’s true. This is because the concept of “defamation” involve the will of the slanderer to harm the victim saying “bad things” to “2 or more people” through “speech, written or other type of media”, so it doesn’t matter if what you say it’s true or not, because you’re doing it specifically to harm the person/group/business, etc.
I remember in Japan I accidently ended up sitting in the smoking cabin, which I didn’t know existed. About 2 mins into my ride I started smelling smoke and looked over the seats in front to see smoke. Then adjacent to my seat I saw another lighting up. Good thing was that I was a smoker at the time, and decide to light up one too.. Honestly it was an awkward feeling doing that, just as awkward as drinking can Chu-Hi while walking on the street and in the subway….
The concept of an “age of consent” technically doesn’t exist in 🇩🇪 German law. What does exist are so called “Schutzalter” (lit. translated “age of protection”): Schutzalter 14: Any sexual activity with someone younger than 14 is classified as “sexual abuse of children”. Anyone 14 or older can be charged with it and the attempt can be punishable. Schutzalter 16: On top of the protections from Schutzalter 18 (see below), anyone who is 21 years or older can be prosecuted, if they took advantage of a “lack of ability for sexual self-determination” of a person younger than 16 but older than 14. Attempts are punishable. Neither their age nor being sexually inexperienced automatically proves that lack of ability — it must be deliberated for each individual case. While this is usually only prosecuted when requested by the minor or their parents, the DA has discretion to prosecute without request in cases of public interest. Schutzalter 18: Sexual activity with someone younger than 18 years is punishable if the adult is a person of authority for the minor for reasons of upbringing, education, care, or due to an employment contract. It is also illegal, if a situation of predicament or plight was exploited, even if the offender is younger than the victim (but 14 or older). Prostitution, i.e. trading sexual activities for a payment, is also illegal if the other party is an adult (18+). The age of consent in Israel 🇮🇱 is 16 years old. I thought it was 12-13 but it is actually 16 in Israel.
I just watched Karate Kid (I think the second where he goes to Japan) and it didn’t make sense to me that when the main protagonist exposes someone doing dirty business, and cheating people, the guy then says that he was dishonored, and became the final antagonist. Now it makes sense to me, and helps me find new respect and love for the movie.
the age of consent thing… the key you mentioned – prefectures have age as 16-18. the reason that matters is … unlike most of the western world… in Japan… prefecture law is king and supercedes federal law. Federal law only applies if a prefecture “forgot” to cover a law. and no prefecture forgot to cover this one. it’s essentially 16-18 everywhere you go.
I lived in the Kansai region for 14 years. What got me about the vending machines was you need a tasco card for cigarettes, but you can freely buy beer, sake, and chu-hai (like a wine cooler made with sho-chu, a Japanese spirit) as easily as a can of coffee from vending machines on the street. Also, in the US, alcohol can’t be sold after 2am in most states, but it’s available 24/7 in Japan.
The whale meat issue has to do with the fact that some whale species they hunt are endangered and considered protected animals. It’s like how people are against shark fin soup for the fact that the sharks have their fins cut off and are left to die and suffocate in the water while also being endangered as well.
You forgot the important one. That children can leave middle school and enter the workforce permanently full time. They can do that in middle school or high school. There are work laws in most large or. Well, known countries, countries that children are not allowed to have a full-time job until they are of age. Parents can force children to leave schools. Because oh, yeah, you have to pay for high school, right? High school in most parts of the world are not required to be paid out of pocket by parents because it’s already being paid out of pocket by property tax. Not only is there property tax in Japan? You also charge an extra fee for going to high school. And depending on which high school, the higher the fee, right?
I think the honor thing actually makes sense to a degree. There is a line to which it is good to be able to talk about stuff. In some circumstances to the friends and in some to the public. Especially if it involves a company or whatever. But at a certain point its just over the top. If an ex starts ranting about your relationship issues in public or posts about your likings in the bedroom or whatever its just uneccessary and too much. There are definitely things that some people know about you that you dont want everyone to know.
Defamation laws are the reason why some japanese prefer to call the police over something so simple like “i don’t like my neighbor playing music too loud” or “someone park his/her car in front of my door and it blocked my vehicle” because asking your neighbor turn down the volume or use public loudspeaker to announce someone to “move their car” might ended “dishonoring their family values” and defamation law comes in.
I live in Thailand and Defamation is a big one here too! And Thailand has one of the world’s strictest lèse-majesté laws; it forbids defaming, insulting or threatening the king and other members of the Royal family. Known as Article 112, the charge carries a minimum sentence of three years and a maximum sentence of 15 years. This is taken extremely seriously so you really have to be very careful and respectful of things that you say.
A friend lived in Japan for two years, his partner was a social worker. She warned him to be very careful, the courts were very much biased in favour of the prosecution, especially with foreigners. He loved the place but found it difficult to live there, the final straw was a visit to the local hospital A&E. He was a chef & sliced his hand open to the bone, goes to the hospital & was told to wait. At 6 pm, an orderly comes out, slides down the shutter & closes up A&E. Tells them to go to nearest city hospital, a three hour drive.
Yep national age of consent is 13, which sounds shocking – but prefectural law(the equivalent of state law in the USA) supersedes national law, and ALL Prefectures have it at 16 or more, not most – meaning no matter where you go in Japan, for all intents and purposes, the age of consent is a more sensible 16 or more.
My mum makes this soup called shark fin soup, its rlly good but she uses vermicelli instead of shark fin probably because shark fin is expensive, but apparently it tastes basically like nothing from this one site i read off the internet and also its got something in it thats not good for you i think.
The Defamation law is the same in the Philippines. Even if it’s true, like an individual is known to be the town thief or something ’cause he keeps getting caught, no one is allowed to accuse him publicly to be a thief. And by publicly, it could be out in the open or a private group chat, as long as there are there or more people, I think.
The defamation law is frightening. My first thought was how news looks in Japan. If the US had a law like this, I would have been sued many times over when I worked as a journalist. Simply for exposing a wrong that was happening. That’s terrifying to think of this information being silenced. A story I co-wrote actually led to an elementary school in our area being closed due to mishandling of radioactive materials nearby. In Japan, we would have been sued for writing this important expose. Wow.
While it’s technically accurate to say “the age of consent in Japan is 13”, that’s a bit like saying “murder is legal in America” due to the existence of specific laws that allow one to use lethal force in self-defense. It sorta ignores the fact that under 99% of of cases, you can’t just murder whoever you like/go around bonking 13 year olds. As you already said, the effective age is 16-18 due to other laws, but the “grey area” you mentioned is similar to the “Romeo and Juliet” laws that many countries have. It only applies under VERY specific circumstances, usually with the permission of the couple’s parents. In short, if you do the mattress mambo with a 13 year old in Japan, there’s near 100% certainty that you have broken the law and will be going to jail.
TL:DW 1: the age of consent is 13 2: marrying first cousins is legal 3: if someone damages the reputation of someone or a company, they can be charged with defamation 4: hunting and eating whale, dolphin, shark, seal and sealion is still legal, but it’s not commonly eaten as it’s very expensive. 5: cigarettes can still be bought from vending machines, granted you have a Taspo photo ID card and you are of age. Smoking is also still legal in hotel rooms, cigar bars, and even some small restaurants and bars open before 2020.
This was super interesting! I’m from Finland and for us: -Sexual consent age 16 (in some cases 18) -Marrying first cousin is legal -Defamation is illegal (criminal offense) only for false statements and applicable to individuals only -Smoking permitted outside only and sale of cigarettes in very strictly regulated
Half of the girls growing up where I’m from were pregnant at 13. It might not be legal but it happened so many people my age have over 30 year old kids already. It’s crazy girls at that age in the west go to clubs and sleep with men much other than them for drinks and goods. It is sick. But it is not just japan.
I remember that smoking was allowed even in grocery stores when I lived in Texas in the early 80’s. Also open container was allowed for the passengers as long as the driver didn’t have any alcohol ? It’s also the first place that I ever saw drive through liquor barns. You could get booze and snacks while never leaving your vehicle ? I was never a drinker so I spent a lot of time as the designated driver. Drunk people can go from comical to dangerous in a nanosecond. I couldn’t grasp wanting to be so messed up that I couldn’t remember what I did the night before ? Just venting ?
I’ve heard of cases in the US that similar to the defamation law in Japan. If you have a bad employee at your company, you shouldn’t say anything bad about them during reference requests or you could be sued. Even asking about their negative points can cause problems. When I was ~23 my supervisor was fired and the company owner asked me to contact the references for the new applicants. I don’t remember what questions I asked, but one prior employer said the applicant had a big meltdown before his time with them ended. That applicant later sued my company for not hiring him. He had found out about my conversation with his prior employer. That’s when I found out that you can get in trouble just for asking questions that are outside the scope of basic work performance. I later read that you should pretty much just stick to “Was X employed with you from x date to y date and are they considered re-hirable at your company?”. Almost anything more than that can get you in trouble.
I see a lot of discussion around the defamation law, so allow me to add my 2 cents. I think this law is built around the principle of the state being the full authority on every aspect of life. This is pretty common in asian countries, to the point where there’s not a clear distinction between law, society and governance. This law allows the government to be in charge of truth to a really big extent, meaning that you cannot f up a piece of crap unless you go through the government. Is the company being a POS? Need to go to the government to sue and many other similar cases can come to mind. This of course, protects politicians and corrupt officials from public shaming and leaves everything to the law enforcement bodies of the government, leaving a huge room for corruption. Because of anime people think that Japan is some sort of utopia with perfect law, perfect government, perfect society and perfect everything, but in truth it is like any other country. The difference is that, like other asian countries, APPEARANCE is everything; be it true or fake doesn’t matter. There’s always a huge pool of shit hidden beneath the cover.
that 3rd (defamation) is the same in Portugal. It does not matter if true or false, it is still a crime although if true it is an Extenuating circumstance. Also, and this might chock americans, it does not matter if a person states something as a fact or opinion. It is the same thing and free speech law does not apply.
That defamation law seems pretty problematic. I am guessing that has been something that helps keep black companies alive. I bet rumor circulation is pretty delicate business in Japan. It must also make rumors carry a lot of extra weight. If someone is willing to take the risk to spread them, even false rumors would be valued.
-riding a bicycle on the pavement (sidewalk) is not just OK. It is encouraged. -pedestrian crossings on an intersection. Think about it: You are turning right from a main road to a minor road; a kid on a bicycle on the pavement rides across in front of your vehicle. Emergency braking leaves you stuck in the middle of the main road.
Note that if the statements were true and for the interest of public, that is NOT defamation in Japan. So people will never be accused for pointing out fact things about companies because it is considered in line with the public interest. Consumers, shareholders etc generally need to know the facts. On the other hand, for example, even if you found the private person who changed their gender, you cannot disclose that to other irrelevant people. Such statements may refer to the fact, but it wouldn’t be justified because the remarks are not for the interest of public.
One of my sons, whose late Mother was Japanese, now living in Japan, rebuked one of a group of people for urinating in public and near his flat. An altercation resulted and one one the group unwisely tried to tackle him. My son, powerfully built, easily dealt with him without using blows and called the police. The police took all parties to the station then told my son that urinating in a public street is not an offence and ordered him to write an apology to the perpetrators.
Did this guy even got something right ? 1. The age is changed by prefectural govs to 16-18 in whole japan 2. You can actually have marriage with your cousin in most countries 3. Defamation law is a thing at least in EU cant really remember someone use it in my country but it is possible maybe in other countries peoples use it 4. Idk my country dont have sea so dont really bother about that and idk how other countries have it set but dont Canada clubb seals a lot ? 5. Doubt they are they only ones Like from 5 thing at least 3 are completely wrong wtf ?
I had no idea about some of these laws. It blew my mind and now it makes sense why Anime culture so often features/alludes to rape/incest. A lot of times these scenes may include minors (or what is considered a minor in Western culture/law). It’s shocking that the age of consent is 13, that you can marry your 1st cousin, and that there is such a thing as “quasi-rape”. I can’t believe I’m just learning about these laws. I’m kinda sad to learn all this and it definitely affects the way I think of Japan.
I found the smoking thing to be odd when I was in Japan. There would be designated smoking areas outside, so you didn’t have to walk through a cloud of smoke, but then you’d go inside an arcade or something and smoke everywhere! I’m glad they have finally made some changes. I’m looking forward to visiting again someday!
2:55 on defamation, it is rare to be able to sue someone for saying something true, but Canada joins Japan in that. In Canada you can sue someone for defamation if the true fact is actually irrelevant to the matter at hand. So announcing someone running for elected office of smoking marijuana 20 years ago, when that was illegal and they were a teenager, could get you sued for defamation. Same with announcing they had a drunk driving conviction 20 years ago. Canada has the broadest defamation laws amongst former British colonies. But awards for defamation are not large like in the USA.
Heres a thing that should have been in the article which is SUPER interesting. Anabolic steroids (for personal use) are completely legal in Japan. I use them myself (am not participating in any competition) and they are perfectly legal. One time ordering them I got a letter in the mailbox from the customs office in Japan saying “we have your package, please call this number and explain what is inside the package”. Now anywhere else in the world, it is common knowledge that you must absolutely ignore these letters and pretend you didnt order anything, you dont know anything. However, me knowing its fully legal in Japan I made the call. Anyone ever see the simpsons episodes where homer goes “I was at the pornography store”. Thats how I said it lol, basically said that theres a bunch of steroids in the package. They then asked me what exact compounds and how much of it there is (also to give receipts of purchase etc) and heres the cool part. Whenever you buy steroids, because it normally isnt legal theres always the possibility that it is faked or underdosed etc so you gotta have reliable sources. Well, when I told the customs what was in the package they actually did a lab test to verify that the content was what I said. Basically, they tested my stuff for purity so now I knew for sure my supplier was legit, all paid for by the Japanese tax payer. They sent me my stuff and were kind to include the documents, or proof that its all legit stuff. My only regret is that I wasnt sensible enough to save that document, would have made a great storytelling item.
Very useful to better understand my Japanese friends, thank you. But also strange that most of the definitions of rape, are considered “quasi rape”, which belittles the act and the victim, not to mention the consequences on their entire lives and the people they have in their lives thereater. I would have thought that in a culture where respect for one’s life and honour were key, that such a definition would be scorned for the dishonesty it clearly is…
I was excited to see what cool stuff Japan still has legal, but got not excited after #1. I suppose the hint of not being a great list is being “that are illegal everywhere else in the world,” and Poalo’s warning about not doing these things. I wonder what stuff my country has that the other world doesn’t.
in 2009 we visited Tokyo on our honeymoon, we were amazed by the smoking everywhere. Also we saw road work at one point happen and later that day when we returned we couldn’t not find where on the road the workers did anything the work was so seamless it was like actual magic. Fwiw, in 2018 we made the same trip this time with Smartphones and wow did that improve the experience.
What quite shocked me is that in Japan health data is shared with your employer and if you don’t get certain scores on your (mandatory) health exam (which ca also happen if you are a healthy foreigner, but don’t fit the japanese standard health values), you can end up being removed from your position in the company and moved to a “bullshit” job. I have never really heard this mentioned as a popular example, despite this being quite severe. Am I ill informed about this or is this just a not as prominent thing?
Japan is not unusual in allowing marriages between first cousins, most countries around the world and 19 us states allow it with no restrictions! In North and south America only the US has any laws against it. It is also completely legal in most of Europe and throughout the former Soviet Union, as well as Australia. You should have done more research on this one!
Japan seems like such a strange yet wonderful place. My grandparents and father went to Japan for business purposes in the early 1980s, everywhere they went, the Japanese people thought my Grandparents were Ronald and Nancy Reagan lol. In all fairness, my grandfather did kind of look like Ronald Reagan, and my grandmother did kind of look like Nancy Reagan. I have a portrait of my grandfather on the wall in my home where my American guests thought he was Ronald Reagan till they took a closer look. I was told the Japanese were very gracious hosts. I was a little kid at the time, and their business partners in Japan used to send home the coolest gifts to me. Thanks to them, I had stuff most American kids wouldn’t have even heard of for a year or two, if ever. When they visited the States, they were every bit as gracious as guests. It was hard to not have a good impression of the Japanese people from an early age for me.
The age of consent thing only really differs between prefectures in whether you have committed a misdemeanor or felony by going outside of the age ranges of 13-14 and 18-20 after concent is given. 13-14 can only give concent within that age group or it is generally a misdemeanor, but most prefectures consider it a felony and statuatory rape for someone 18 or above to have sex with someone at or below 14 regardless of consent. It’s a lot messier than it needs to be, and the differences between prefectures lead to a lot of gray areas within the 14-18 range and should be changed, but it’s not 13 in any prefecture since like the 1950’s.
The defamation one is both good and bad to me. Not everything is for public consumption. In the US reputations are ruined from common mistakes a large percentage of people are guilty of. They condemn and gossip about things they’d do or have done too. But then, it also wouldn’t allow truly dangerous people’s info to get out.
The age of consent for sexual intercourse is 13 years old, but in reality, if a man or woman under the age of 18 and an adult (20 years old or older) actually have sexual intercourse, they will be arrested.\r \r This age of 13 was set 110 years ago.\r In fact, the age of consent for sexual intercourse was never changed from 13 years old because it would actually get you arrested.
In Japan, the age of consent is set at 13 for certain purposes such as the age at which individuals can make their own decisions about engaging in specific non-sexual activities. This may include giving consent for medical treatment, joining social groups, or participating in certain activities without parental permission. However, when it comes to sexual activities, the legal age of consent is 18. This means that individuals under the age of 18 are not legally able to engage in sexual activities, and doing so can result in criminal charges for the adult involved.
When you think about defamation, it kind of makes sense in Japan because of how important what others think of you is in the culture. I remember being a maid in a hotel here in Melbourne Australia when I was younger and Japanese people nearly always smoked. You’d always find an ashtray full of cigarettes that had hardly been smoked! They would pretty much always leave a tip (Americans never did for the maids!) They were always lovely and polite.
As an American who lived in Japan for 4 years I can say it is a very safe and wonderful country. The old saying of when in Rome do as the Romans do actually applies everywhere. If you go to someone else’s country you follow their culture and laws. I have been welcomed in every country that I live in because I followed their culture not my own.
Now that defamation law hit a nerve, in a good way! I’m being harassed verbally by my downstairs neighbor since I moved in Saitama. She’s even threatened me verbally and physically on the same day once (tried pushing me onto the heavy traffic street then drove away on her bike screaming insults and rude gestures) . She’s spreading lies about me to the neighbors almost daily… I guess with all the recordings I have made on my phone, she could not fight it. Most people tell me to move but, why should I be the one moving? I love this appartement! She has welcomed me by sending the cops to my place to check on my ID on my first day there, threw acid on my clothes drying outside, bangs on the walls at any time of the day (and night). Even banged a few times at my entrance door in the middle of the night… list is long! I thought I had nothing to get out from this situation but that defamation law could do the trick
I guess for the food issue I think the main concern is that people think the animals are cute and shouldn’t be eaten or if they’re an endangered species the said animal shouldn’t be actively hunted. Imo as long as they’re not hunted to extinction and are given time to repopulate I don’t have an issue. I think people tend to forget that Japan is an island so a lot of their food will come from the ocean. Importing is an option, but importing is extremely expensive so then the cost of living will spike (ex: Hawaii relies heavily on importing and is extremely expensive live there).
Unrelated, but one of the weirdest experiences with Japanese I’ve had was when I was vacationing in Korea. I’m from California, but wanted to take a month-long vacation abroad, so I spent most of my time in Seoul and Busan. While snacking outside of a small shop in Busan, I happened to notice a few Japanese surfers at the table next to me. However, they weren’t speaking Japanese, but… *Spanish*. I thought, “I came all the way out here from California, where I hear Spanish regularly, only to hear more Spanish, spoken by Japanese.”
The most illegal thing is that in Japan you can live in a apartment without toilet and shower. This is considered inhuman in any other developed country. Even in mine which is eastern Europe, its mandatory to provide those facilities for a place to be considered compatible for living. And yet my country is not even considered developed… The irony…