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Outline
Japan offers a full range
of entertainment, both classic and modern. From the mysterious
Oriental symbolism of the Noh drama to the glittering
cabaret reviews of Tokyo, there is no lack of amusement
to keep you constantly on the whirl while visiting Japan.
The nation's rich artistic heritage has been preserved
in shrine and temple treasure houses and through the private
collections of royalty, Daimyo (feudal lords) and rich
merchants for hundreds of years, and is now available
in numerous public and private museums. |
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Museums
& Art Galleries
Japan's long historical
record, as well as its profound artistic accomplishments,
are copiously detailed and displayed in its many museums.
Indeed, the archeological artifacts, crafts and artistic
masterpieces contained in its museums represent exquisite
microcosms of the Japanese experience that illuminate
the nation and its people as a whole.
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Perhaps
at the pinnacle of Japan's museums stand its national
museums. of which the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park
was first established, in 1871. Its extensive collection
gives a comprehensive overview of the entire history of
traditional Japanese art, plus historic. scientific and
natural history exhibits.
The Kyoto National Museum was originally created around
the paintings, sculpture and other treasures from temples
of the vicinity, and now contains examples of Japanese
art from all periods.
The Nara National Museum is noted especially for its collection
of Buddhist sculpture. |
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There are numerous
private museums in Japan, with their beginnings
in both religious collections and those of private
collectors. The Tokugawa Art Museum of Nagoya specializes
in Noh costumes, swords, armor and other samurai
relics. In the city of Kanazawa, the Seisonkaku
is based around the ancestral treasures of an old
Daimyo family, and is unusual in being housed in
the family's original buildings.
Tokyo is especially rich in private museums dedicated
to the preservation of traditional art. Among them
are the Goto Art Museum, the Nezu Institute of Fine
Arts, the Hatakeyama Collection and the Okura Shukokan
Museum. Equally worthwhile are the many collections
which are contained in office buildings. These include
the ldemitsu Museum of Arts, the Suntory Museum
of Art, and the Yamatane Museum of Art. |
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In the Osaka-Kobe
area, the Fujita Art Museum is an important one.
In addition, most of the big department stores in
major cities contain art galleries on their upper
floors, which regularly feature large exhibitions
of both traditional and modern artists, from both
Japan and around the world. |
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Gardens
Japanese gardens, which
excel at the creation of symbolic miniature replicas
of entire seas or landscapes within the restrictions
of a few hundred meters or less, are renowned around
the world. Evolving from the sponsorship of a highly
refined ruling class and the principles of Buddhism
and Shintoism, Japanese gardens are ravishing combinations
of plants, sand, water and rock that celebrate the beauties
of nature in a structured artistic form. Numerous gardens
are found on the grounds of temples, and may be hundreds
of years old.
Kyoto is particularly rich in
gardens, with those of Katsura Imperial Villa, Ginkakuji
and Kinkakuji Pavilions, Nijo Castle and the famous
rock garden of Ryoanji Temple being especially lovely
examples.
In Tokyo, recommended gardens
include Higashi Gyoen Garden, Hama Rikyu Garden and
Koishikawa Korakuen, while the large public park of
Shinjuku Gyoen was originally a pleasure ground of the
Imperial family.
Elsewhere across the country,
notable gardens include Kenrokuen of Kanazawa in Ishikawa
Prefecture, Kairakuen in lbaraki Prefecture, Korakuen
in Okayama Prefecture and Ritsurin Park in Kagawa Prefecture.
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Classic
Performing Arts |
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Japan's
Noh drama is a highly stylized stage art with 700 years
of history. Richly symbolic, Noh is rooted in ancient
Shinto rites and is performed on a stage which is roofed
like a Shinto shrine. Actors wear masks, and movement
is highly stylized, while the costumes are usually gorgeous. |
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Occasionally
performed in such public halls as Tokyo's National Noh
Theater in the Shinjuku district, you can also sometimes
see plays at Noh schools such as the Kanze Nohgakudo,
in Tokyo's Shibuya, the Kita Nohgakudo, in Tokyo's Shinagawa,
and the Umewaka Nohgakudo of the city's Nakano. Noh is
perhaps best appreciated, however, at open-air, torchlit
performances at temples.
Kabuki Theater is Japan's secular classical drama, with
vivid makeup, spectacular costumes and sets, plus dramatic
action that includes sword-fighting, dancing, and even
actors flying from the stage over the audience. |
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The best venue
for Kabuki in Tokyo is the Kabukiza in Ginza, which
stages plays throughout the year. Also in Ginza
is the Shimbashi Embujo, while the National Theater
of Japan near the Imperial Palace occasionally hosts
touring companies.
Bunraku is an elaborate form of puppet theater in
which three-quarter-lifesize wooden and porcelain
figures are manipulated by three puppeteers working
in tandem. With narration provided by formally clad
masters and Shamisen accompaniment, Bunraku is an
exotic and picturesque experience.
Although Osaka is the spiritual center of Bunraku,
performances are sometimes scheduled at the Small
Hall of Tokyo's National Theater. |
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Arts
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Among its indigenous
arts, few are more typically Japanese than Ikebana, or
the art of flower arranging.
Closely related with the Zen Buddhist art of the tea ceremony,
Ikebana emphasizes simplicity and precision of form and
aims at symbolizing aspects of nature.
There are numerous schools teaching lkebana, many of which
offer instruction in English.
The art of tea, or Chanoyu, is an aesthetic cult of spiritual
refinement that was originally very popular among the
ruling samurai.
Today, you can see demonstrations of Chanoyu at some of
the major schools, and occasionally in hotels and department
stores. |
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Sports
Among home-grown sports,
none represents Japan's national feeling as much as
Sumo, a form of wrestling which originally was practiced
during festivals and on holy days at Shinto shrines.
Consisting of a single dirt ring in which two -often
enormous - men meet, a Sumo match is won when one wrestler
forces the other from the ring or to the ground. Sumo
involves intricate rules and an entire vocabulary of
holds, thrusts and strategies that its devotees delight
in debating.
Judo is an art of self defense which was born in Japan
and now enjoys popularity among devotees internationally.
Based on principles of leverage and using an opponent's
strength to one's own advantage, Judo is now an Olympic
medal event. The Kodokan training center in Tokyo is
a good place to see Judo pupils training, as well as
occasional exhibition bouts by experts.
Kendo is a form of fencing in which opponents clad in
heavy cotton padding and lacquered armor assail one
another with bamboo swords. The Nippon Budokan Hall
in Tokyo is a good place to observe Kendo students.
Karate, a form of weaponless combat, was developed by
Okinawan peasants whom their mainland rulers forebade
from carrying arms. Trained in the concentration of
energy into blows of the hand or toot, a Karate expert
can break through a thick stack of bricks or wood with
a single stroke. Go to the Japan Karate Association
in Tokyo to watch trainees practice.
Aikido is another martial art based on concentrating
one's energy, as well as taking advantage of an opponent's
strength. Aikido is especially valued among its followers
as a way of maintaining and increasing physical fitness.
The Aikikai is an Aikido center in Tokyo.
Japanese archery, Kyudo, is considered to be as much
for individual spiritual refinement and the development
of concentration as it is for competition. Long associated
with the principles of Zen Buddhism, archery contests
can sometimes be seen at temples.
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Modern Sports
Baseball is so popular
in Japan that many fans are surprised to hear that
Americans also consider it their "national
sport." Especially popular is the yearly series
of games held among the nation's senior high-school
teams, which fans nationwide follow with near-fanatical
zeal. Professional baseball is well developed, with
twelve teams being sponsored by major corporations.
In Tokyo, the place to see a game is at the Korakuen
"Tokyo-dome" stadium. |
Soccer
is a sport which is now a focus of explosive popularity
among children and young people in Japan. Backed
by such feverish popularity, the J League was established
in 1993 to offer the highest level of soccer competition
in Japan. The J League consists of 27 teams (as
of Jan. 2000). Major J League games are always packed
with enthusiastic spectators, while televised games
also provide hot topics for conversation at home.
Soccer draws an increasing number of people who
enjoy playing the game.
In the year 2002 Japan will host the "2002
FIFA World Cup" with Korea.
Goff is another widely popular Japanese sport. There
are many first-class golf courses in the countryside
near all the major cities, and within the cities
themselves, numerous driving ranges for the country's
millions of enthusiastic golfers.
Angling has many fans in Japan, and in fact the
fresh water rivers and lakes are often stocked by
nationally developed fish farms. Due to the varied
nature of its coast, however, offshore and deepsea
fishing requires greater expertise and more specialized
gear than does fresh water angling.
Swimming is a readily available leisure activity
in Japan, with all cities having many public as
well as private pools. And of course the nation's
coastline is a popular summertime destination for
water lovers.
Mountaineering is well-developed in the nation's
many mountain ranges, with the Japan Alps being
a favorite destination of hikers and climbers.
Skiing is big business in Japan, with millions of
skiers flocking in wintertime to the major resorts
in the mountains of Honshu and Hokkaido. Skiing
is so popular, in fact, that an indoor ski slope
enables skiers to practice even in summer.
Skating is available in indoor rinks in the major
cities, as well as at excellent outdoor facilities
in wintertime in the north and Hokkaido.
Tennis enjoys great popularity, especially among
young people, and the country's many private tennis
clubs are well attended. There are also plentiful
public courts, while many first-rate hotels will
often have their own courts. |
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Nightlife |
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Night
Tours
The range of entertainment available in Japan's cities
is so vast that visitors may best sample them by joining
a night tour. In Tokyo, Sunrise Tour Series by Japan Travel
Bureau offers a number of reasonably priced tours of nightlife.
In Tokyo, Kabuki Night Tour offers you sukiyaki dinner,
a scenic night drive over the Rainbow Bridge and a chance
to see a Kabuki performance. In Kyoto, by joining Special
Night, you can be a guest at a tea ceremony, followed
by Tempura dinner and finished by enjoying of various
kinds of traditional Japanese arts at Gion Corner. |
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Where
to Drink
No drinking visitor need go thirsty in Japan. In addition
to western-style bars in the cities, traditional drinking
spots include:
Yakitori-ya are small restaurants featuring grilled meats
on skewers that are washed down with beer and sake. Reasonably
to low priced.
Karaoke Bars are those with recorded music in which patrons
practice the national craze of pretending to be Frank
Sinatra for a few brief moments. In Karaoke bars, everyone
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Akachochin literally
means "red lanterns," which hang outside
and identify these often tiny watering holes. In
addition to beer and sake, Akachochin serve whiskey
and other drinks, while also serving a la carte
dishes.
In Tokyo, the best locations for a lively evening
of good food, drink and entertainment are the foreigncentered
district of Roppongi, the upscale and elegant Ginza,
the sophisticated Akasaka, the youthful, crowded
Shibuya, and the raunchy Kabukicho. |
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Dancing
Discotheques are common and well-frequented in all
major cities, particularly by young people. In Tokyo,
Roppongi offers many high-class venues for adults,
while Shibuya is a dancing Mecca of the young. |
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Clubs
Tokyo contains numerous small clubs which feature live
entertainment, ranging from the energetically amateurish
to the professionally polished. Certain clubs in the Akasaka
district feature dinner theater with singers and dancers,
while other clubs have attractive and attentive hostesses
to chat with you between the acts of their shows. And
for the traditionally minded, there are even venues where
diners can enjoy performances of Japanese folk dancing
beneath the thatched roof of an old country-style house. |
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