Tradition & Customs

Japan's National Treasure "Prince Shotoku Illustrated Biography" (1069 CE) is now free to view online with ultra-high-definition 3.6 billion pixel images. Available in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. This groundbreaking digital archive project launched in January 2026 lets you explore details invisible to the naked eye from anywhere in the world.

Discover where and when to avoid wearing perfume in Japan, including Japanese restaurants, sushi bars, hospitals, and funerals. Learn about Japan's unique "unscented culture" and understand why fragrance etiquette matters so much in this country known for its consideration of others.

White furisode, once dismissed as too plain for a celebration, are back in a way the kimono trade calls the biggest revival in about half a century. Social media, the way white bounces light onto the face, and a shift in Gen Z taste all play a part. White topped the color rankings again for the 2026 ceremonies.

Every January 10, Nishinomiya Shrine holds the Fukuotoko race. The overnight lottery for 108 front-row places, the bend where the pileups happen, the 230-meter course, and the runners who took the top spot in 2025 and 2026.

Omikuji are the paper fortunes drawn at Japanese shrines and temples. Here is why drawing again after a bad one is frowned upon, what Shinto scholars say about it, what "kyo" (bad fortune) actually means, the etiquette around drawing and tying them, and which shrines are said to leave bad fortunes out altogether.

Japan's High School Baseball Federation is weighing a shift from nine innings to seven, proposed for all official games from 2028. Here are the heat and pitcher-injury arguments behind it, the results of the 2025 trial at the National Sports Festival, the reaction from players and coaches, and why the summer Koshien tournament is staying at nine innings for now.

A guide to the Japanese tradition of Hatsumode (first shrine visit of the New Year) and Osaisen (monetary offerings). Learn why 5-yen coins symbolize "good fortune," which amounts bring luck, and master the proper prayer etiquette including the "two bows, two claps, one bow" ritual.