Being a country that has retained much of its culture from the past, as well as operating as a modern first world nation, examples of the past and present abound in everyday life in Japan. Within this context, Japan is a country of well accepted and adhered to customs, rituals and modes of behaviour in all aspects of daily life. Having an awareness of these is a key part of knowing and understanding Japan. Consequently, explaining them is an important and integral part of this publication - they are the minutiae and building blocks of daily life and form the crux of what is the real … [Read more...]