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The is the Ethnic Group that Identifies as Japan ese by culture or ancestry, or both. The term is often used less discriminately to refer to the group of people holding Japanese Citizenship . Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries are referred to as . The term "Japanese people" may also be used in some contexts to refer to a locus of ethnic groups including the Yamato People , Ainu People , and Ryukyuans . CULTURE Language See Also: Japanese language The Japanese language is the mother tongue of the majority of the world's Japanese. It is a . however, this may not accurately reflect functional literacy rates due to the complex nature of the Japanese writing system.Galan, C. (2005). Learning to read and write in Japanese (kokugo and nihongo): a barrier to multilingualism? ''International journal of the sociology of language'', Issue 175-176 Religion See Also: Religion in Japan Japanese religion has traditionally been Syncretic in nature, combining elements of Buddhism and Shintoism . Shintoism, a Polytheistic religion with no book of religious canon, is Japan's native folk religion. Shinto was one of the traditional grounds for the right to the throne of the Japanese imperial family, and was codified as the state religion in 1868 (State Shinto was abolished by the American Occupation in 1945). Mahayana Buddhism came to Japan in the sixth century and evolved into many different sects. Today the largest form of Buddhism among Japanese people is the Jodo Shinshu sect founded by Shinran . According to the CIA World Factbook , when asked to identify their religion, most Japanese people (84%) profess to believe in both Shinto and Buddhism . The Japanese people's religious concerns are mostly directed towards Mythology , Tradition s, and neighborhood activities rather than as the single source of moral guidelines for one's life. Confucianism or Taoism is sometimes considered the basis for morality. Literature See Also: Japanese literature , a character from Japanese Literature and Folklore .]]Certain genres of writing originated in and are often associated with Japanese society. These include the Haiku , Tanka , and I Novel , although modern writers generally avoid these writing styles. Historically, many works have sought to capture or codify traditional Japanese cultural values and aesthetics. Some of the most famous of these include Murasaki Shikibu 's '' The Tale Of Genji '' (1021), about Heian court culture; Miyamoto Musashi 's '' The Book Of Five Rings '' (1645), concerning military strategy; Matsuo Bashō 's '' Oku No Hosomichi '' (1691), a Travelogue ; and Jun'ichirō Tanizaki 's essay " In Praise Of Shadows " (1933), which contrasts Eastern and Western cultures. Following the '' by Nitobe Inazo (1900), concerning '' Samurai '' ethics, and '' The Book Of Tea '' by Okakura Kakuzo (1906), which deals with the philosophical implications of the Japanese Tea Ceremony . Western observers have often attempted to evaluate Japanese society as well, to varying degrees of success; one of the most well-known and controversial works resulting from this is Ruth Benedict 's '' The Chrysanthemum And The Sword '' (1946). Twentieth-century Japanese writers recorded changes in Japanese society through their works. Some of the most notable authors included Natsume Sōseki , Jun'ichirō Tanizaki , Osamu Dazai , Yasunari Kawabata , Fumiko Enchi , Yukio Mishima , and Ryotaro Shiba . In contemporary Japan popular authors such as Ryu Murakami , Haruki Murakami , and Banana Yoshimoto are highly regarded. Arts Decorative arts in Japan date back to prehistoric times. Jōmon pottery includes examples with elaborate ornamentation. Pottery and ceramics have been important in Japan in every subsequent period, and exports of Imari Ware and other ceramics reached Europe. In the Yayoi Period , artisans produced fine mirrors, spears, and ceremonial bells known as '' Dōtaku .'' Later burial mounds, or '' Kofun ,'' preserve characteristic clay '' Haniwa ,'' as well as wall paintings. From the late 7th century, painting, Calligraphy , and Sculpture in wood and metal flourished in the Nara Period , under a strong foreien influences, first Korean and later Chinese, and many fine examples of architecture date from this time. Among them are the Hōryū-ji and the Yakushi-ji , two Buddhist temples in Nara Prefecture . Also the courtiers and buddhist monks enjoyed Chinese style music. After the capital moving from Nara to Kyoto ( 794 ) and abolishment of China mission to Tang dynasty (9th C), Japanese art became gradually less Chinese-influenced and "japanized". Around the late 10th Century, an architecture style ''Shinden-zukuri'' was fashioned among the nobles. Single-floored buildings, normally three, connected with corridors were accompanied with a large garden which should have commanded a large pond where people enjoyed boating. The typical Shinden-zukuri building is found today in the Hōō-dō, or Phoenix Hall, of the Byōdō-in in Uji, Kyoto , built in the early 11th Century by Fujiwara No Michinaga as his villa. To decorate their court life, they liked the art as finest and delicate decorations. The contemporary literature says how they enjoyed the life, including appreciation of Emakimono , a pair of scrolls, one for painting and another for text. The noble enjoyed paintings, and their maid-in-waiting (nyobo) read out the text. Most of paintings are polychrome, but some pieces are monochrome. Some monochrome paintings were supposed to leave monochrome, not originally intended, but from other reasons such as financial or just for personal fun and not necessary to finish them. In the late Heian period, the trade between China was reinstated, with Song dynasty but it didn't rapidly influence the Japanese art scene. In Genpei-war, Todai-ji was attacked and many building including its main hall, Daibutsu-den (Hall for Great Buddha) was burned and lost. In the beginning of Kamakura period, For restoration, a special office was settled. Many buildings were built with newly created statues. Todai-ji in that period became a center of Japanese architecture and sculpture. The leading masters were Unkei and Kaikei . In this period Zen-buddhism was introduced to Japan, and they brought new style of art from China, specially paintings and gardening as well as new habits like drinking tea. Painting advanced in the in the late Muromachi period. In the Sengoku and Edo Period s, nobles, daimyo as well as kuge decorated their mansion with polychrome painting screens. School of Kano was the most influenced, thanks to their powerful patrons including the Tokugawa s. In the Edo period, popular artists created '' Ukiyo-e ''. Ukiyoe is brush-painted or woodblock prints, and the latter were for sale to commoners in the flourishing cities. The Muromachi period also gave rise to Noh , a spare dramatic form for the warrior class. Together with Kyogen farce, it descended from earlier religious performances. In stark contrast to the restrained refinement of noh, Kabuki , an "explosion of color," used every possible stage trick for dramatic effect to appeal to an audience of commoners. Plays included sensational events of the day such as suicides, and many works went back and forth between kabuki and the Bunraku puppet theaters. Since the Meiji Restoration , Japan has absorbed elements of Western culture. Its modern decorative, practical and performing arts works span a spectrum ranging from the traditions of Japan to purely Western modes. Products of popular culture, including J-pop , Manga , and Anime have found audiences around the world. ORIGINS See Also: History of Japan A recent study by Michael F. Hammer has shown genetic similarity to the People Of Tibet . |
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