Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony (Geek In...guides)

Ukiyo-e Museum, located next to Harajuku Station in Tokyo (see the Harajuku map in chapter 11).

Japanese companies are famous for doing things well but slowly.

This is what you find in any work by mangaka Jiro Taniguchi, any book by Haruki Murakami, and in movies by Akira Kurosawa. Sand and rock gardens are an example of wabi-sabi.

against all those who use violence to defend their ideals, territory, or ideology,

Confucianism too came from China, in the twelfth century. According to Confucianism, relationships between human beings are the basis of society: we must respect our ancestors, our relatives, and our superiors. The values of loyalty, justice, and honor are also central. Today, the Japanese still bear Confucianism in their minds, for they highly res

Nowadays, you hardly ever see monks practicing takuhatsu. In Kyoto, they are found on the bridges; in Tokyo, they are usually in Ueno and in some more traditional neighborhoods; and in Nara, you can see them near the temples, but not inside.

KARESANSUI DRY GARDENS Dry gardens (Japanese rock gardens)— karesansui in Japanese—are characteristic of Zen Buddhism. Their simplicity and harmony make them ideal for meditation.

Shinto is a collection of methods and rituals to improve human relations and ensure that there are no problems in the coexistence of human beings and nature. Respect for the members of one’s family is another of its key points. According to Shinto, nature is sacred. When we are in contact with nature, we draw closer to the gods.

Other bushido values are sincerity, compassion, courtesy, and honesty.