The Japanese, like the British are an island people with a multitude of characteristics and beliefs, almost incomprehensible to the world, but it's something as island nations we can perhaps relate to. The British have more than enough oddities, and here are some I learnt in the far-east, with a few fascinating facts thrown-in;

The Japanese will often cover their thumbs in the event of a passing hearse, as it is believed if the do not, their parents may soon die. The reason being that in Japanese the thumb is called, 'oya yubi' which means 'parent finger.'

In Japanese superstition, snakes can be attracted if you whistle at night...the saying "Yoru ni kuchibiru wo fuku to hebi ga kuru" means, "If you whistle at night, a snake will come (into your house)" and it dates from the Edo period, (1603-1867) when whistling was a sign used by burglars as a form of communication or warning, therefore such a memory lingers on, and whistling continued to be associated with thieves, and for someone to whistle was seen as inviting misfortune, burglary, or bad luck into the home, and one of the most srtriking symbols of evil came to be linked with the taboo.

The cutting of one's nails at night is to be avoided, according to Japanese superstition, which says this will bring about an early death; "Yoru ni tsume wo kiru to hayaju ni suru" and also that your parents will die in your absence; "Yoru ni tsume wo kiru to oya no shi ni me ni aenai" which is to say, you will die before they will. Two reasons behind these superstitions are, firstly, during the Edo period, cutting one's nails was unwise due to lack of night light, and secondly, the Japanese word 'Yotsume", (cutting your nails at night), is remarkably similar to "Yo wo tsumeru" meaning 'cut a short life'!

"Lightning bolts will take your navel" ("Kaminari ha heso wo toru" in Japanese), is often said to children by parents as a warning to little ones charging outside innappropriately dressed, urging them to wear a sensible kimono. In traditional Japan, it was said that cold weather can lead to diarrhea, (God this word has cropped up a lot on my recent posts, sorry!), cramps, or undesirable stomach problems, and therefore people wore precautionary Haramaki, (long pieces of cloth wrapped round the tummy) to ensure warm stomachs for their children. As a sudden drop in temperature follows lightning and thunderstorms generally, parents warned their children in vain, and this expression was used to make certain their kids dressed sensibly, in the fear of the lightning stealing away their belly-butttons!

Have you ever wondered why anime characters have unnaturally large eyes? Well, if you go back to the creator, or founder of this art, Osamu Tezuka started drawing his famous Astroboy, while inspired by Betty Boo and her big eyes, after Astro Boy's success, known in Japan as Tetsuwan Atom, manga in other fields copied the style, and it entrenched itself as an essential element.

As for the name we know so well "JAPAN" this probably must credit Portuguese sailors, traders and missionaries, as the first westerners to visit the interior of Japan. (There were also Dutch too.) By this time, 'Zipangu' or 'Jipangu' was being used for present day Japan, as northern Chinese were calling it 'Jihpenkuo'. However, another theory states it is from the Dutch words 'Japan' taken from 'Yatpun' the name the southern Chinese gave to Japan, as the Portuguese and Dutch of the time were dissinterested in using the native Nihon or Nippon.

by lauren6

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Colour: Red, gold and green
Music: Bhakta: In Between Moments
Angels Tears: Midbar Sinai
Karmix: Sabhyata