Since Japan is a modern nation, daily life is much the same as it is in the United States. The Japanese daily diet consists of three meals, multiple snacks and is a combination of both Japanese and western food. Daily exercise commonly consists of calisthenics routines which are broadcast on the radio (rajio taiso) early in the morning or performed at designated times in schools and companies. Daily routines are much like they are in the United States involving hectic school and work schedules. To learn more about daily life in Japan, click on the following links.

Bathing
Daily Diet
Exercise
Ofuro
Osento

To learn about some objects of daily life in Japan, click on the following links:

Bamboo
Chopsticks / ohashi
Cooking utensils
Furoshiki
Objects for the home
Utensils for Saké
Utensils for Tea

BATHING / Japanese bath / ofuro

The Japanese bath is more than just a place to get clean, it is a cultural tradition. The ofuro consists of room with a drain in the middle of the floor which has a washing or showering area and a tub. The washing area can contain a shower or faucet, a sitting stool and sponges, body brushes and wash cloths. It is here where one washes and rinses thoroughly. The bath tub itself, much like a jacuzzi or spa, is exclusively for soaking. The tub is filled to the brim with water which is made very hot by a heating mechanism which is locally controlled. Traditional baths are made of Japanese cedar but today, most are made of porcelain or molded synthetic material. Today, many Japanese still enjoy the public bath or osento which is a Japanese-style spa.123

DAILY DIET
The staple of the Japanese diet is rice which is typically steamed and served in individual rice bowls. Soy is another food staple and is used to make soy sauce, miso (soy bean paste), tofu (soy bean cake) and natto (fermented soy beans).
Sushi and sashimi are usually not prepared at home but enjoyed at restaurants just like Americans typically go out to eat pizza. Fast food is becoming more and more popular – with pizza and hamburgers on the top of the list. Today, most Japanese eat a combination of traditional Japanese food as well as Western dishes such as buttered toast and coffee for breakfast, ham sandwiches for lunch and spaghetti and salad for dinner. With the exception of breakfast when everyone’s in a rush and making toast takes much less time than making a traditional Japanese breakfast, most meals are Japanese food.

Breakfast / asa-gohan
A traditional Japanese breakfast consists of a bowl of rice; miso soup made from seaweed stock garnished with a combination of tofu seaweed and vegetables; Japanese pickles which are typically made from daikon (giant white radish), cucumber and eggplant and broiled fish

Lunch/ ohiru-gohan
Popular lunches include obento (boxed lunch) and some kind of noodles such as soba or ramen. Obento is a two tiered lunch box which is popular among schoolchildren. The bottom half contains rice and the top contains a combination of meat, fish and vegetables – usually last night’s leftovers. The obento itself is traditionally made of lacquered wood, however today, many are made of plastic. A lot of Japanese workers order ramen (Chinese noodles) or soba (buckwheat noodles) for lunch which is delivered by bicycle to offices throughout the cities.

Dinner / yoru-gohan
Dinner usually consists or rice and soup as well as a variety of cooked vegetables, seaweeds, and fish, meat or chicken which are usually flavored with soy, miso or a rice vinegrette. While some Japanese cook hibachi-style at home, it is more popular to eat hibachi-style food as well as sushi and sashimi at restaurants.

Green Tea / ocha
Green tea is perhaps the singularly most popular Japanese beverage. It is made from green tea leaves and served hot. Since it is caffeinated it is enjoyed by adults, many of whom drink it throughout the day. While coffee is becoming the drink of choice of many Japanese young people, green tea has gained renewed popularity with the introduction of new ways to serve it such as iced and in combination with other flavors. Continue…

Snacks
Japanese children enjoy a variety of snacks and sweets including rice crackers, yogurt, ice cream, sweet rice cakes and candies.

EXCERCISE
Daily exercise is considered as important in Japan as it is in the West. While many Japanese today participate in aerobics classes, the traditional form of early morning exercise is ‘rajio taisou.’ Rajio taisou literally means ‘radio exercise,’ and it is just that. Most Japanese wake up to 5-10 minute calisthenic routines which are broadcast on radio stations throughout the nation. It is also popular for schools and companies to stop everything about mid-afternoon so everyone can participate in a brief series of bending and stretching exercises which are typically broadcast over the local PA system. National Health and Sports Day, a national holiday since 1964, celebrates the importance of exercise.

OFURO / Japanese bath
The Japanese bath is more than just a place to get clean, it is a cultural tradition. The ofuro consists of room with a drain in the middle of the floor which has a washing or showering area and a tub. The washing area can contain a shower or faucet, a sitting stool and sponges, body brushes and wash cloths. It is here where one washes and rinses thoroughly. The bath tub itself, much like a Jacuzzi or spa, is exclusively for soaking. The tub is filled to the brim with water which is made very hot by a heating mechanism which is locally controlled. Traditional baths are made of Japanese cedar but today, most are made of porcelain or molded synthetic material. The Japanese bathroom is typically larger than those in the United States even though the average size of a Japanese home is considerably smaller.

OSENTO / Public Bathing
Osento is the traditional Japanese public bathhouse which was where most Japanese bathed for hundreds of years. They were typically built where natural hot springs could be tapped with the water temperature averaging about 105 degrees Fahrenheit. As late as the 1980’s, it was estimated that about 3 million people regularly used public baths, however today, with most homes and apartments having their own private baths, that number has dwindled considerably. The new trend in Japan is osentos which are a combination of a theme park and a traditional osento.

Objects of Everyday Life

Bamboo / take

It is believed that bamboo was introduced to China and Japan from India. All together there are more than 600 varieties of bamboo however, only about 12 of these are used in daily life. Bamboo is an essential part of the Japanese aesthetic and it is widely used in the creation decorative objects. One type is also a popular ingredient in Japanese food. Some common uses for bamboo include: flower vases, garden fences, wind chimes, furniture, chopsticks, baskets, ladles, spoons, dinnerware, fencing swords, flutes, umbrellas and handbags.

Chopsticks / ohashi
Chopsticks are the primary eating and cooking utensil Japan and consist of 2 wooden, bamboo, lacquered, metal or plastic tapered sticks. They were introduced to Japan from China nearly 2000 years ago. While restaurants generally provide their customers with disposable chopsticks (wari-bashi), at home, most Japanese each have their own set. There is an elaborate system of etiquette associated with chopsticks. Continue…

Cooking Utensils
While Japanese use a knife and fork when eating Western food, chopsticks are always used for eating Japanese food. Larger versions of chopsticks are used for cooking and serving.

Furoshiki
Furoshiki is a square cloth made of silk, cotton or synthetic fiber which is used for wrapping and carrying things. It can be as small as 10” square to carry a lunchbox or 4 feet square to serve as a kind of suitcase.

Objects for the Home
Futon, zabuton kohtatsu are among the many uniquely Japanese objects used in the home. To read about these and many more, visit the Japanese Home page.

Utensils for Saké
Saké is traditionally served in a small ceramic cup called ochoko which holds a little less than 1/4 cup of liquid. Ochoko do not have handles and look more like little Japanese teacups. Guinomi is like ochoko but slightly larger. Another type of saké cup, called masu is a squat, square cup made of sugi or Japanese cedar. Masu were popular for drinking saké when the saké itself was brewed in wooden (sugi) kegs rather than the metal and glass containers that are used today. This type of saké is called taruzake and its woody flavor is complimented by the wooden masu. The Japanese tradition of drinking taruzake in masu is still enjoyed during many year-opening celebrations.
There are two types of saké flasks - tokkuri and choushi. Tokkuri is a ceramic flask with a narrow neck designed to retain heat. They come in a variety of shapes and ceramic styles and usually hold about a cup and a half of saké. There is a special type of tokkuri called a dachibin which resembles a small Japanese ceramic teapot outfitted with a bamboo or straw handle. The choushi is a cast-iron saké kettle that resembles a teapot, which in the past was popularly used for ceremonial occasions such as weddings and New Year's rituals. It is not in common use today because it imparts a rather strong, metallic taste to whatever saké has been heated in it.
For formal occasions and ceremonies such as New Year's and weddings (link to anchor “Marriage” on new “CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS” page), saké is traditionally served with a set of three lacquered saké cups, a serving vessel and tray. Continue…

Utensils for Tea
Green tea (ocha) has been the most popular beverage in Japan for centuries. While there are many utensils used in the preparation and serving of tea in the Tea Ceremony, on a day-to-day basis most Japanese drink green tea as coffee or soda are drunk in the West. Every Japanese home has a kyusu (a ceramic or metal tea pot), tea cups, tea coasters and an insulated ‘hot pot’ for keeping the water hot.