Japan is a fascinating and favourite country to visit. Not only Japan has many famoust tourist places start from modern city like Tokyo until historical imperial city Kyoto, but also Japan is the center of fashion and wearing style in Asia.

As one of the biggest economic growth country in the world, Japan become the target for businessmen to visit. Before we plan to visit Japan, it is better if we know its public holiday date.

The holiday date is important for those who want to travel and doing some business in Japan. While holiday, the tourist sites of course will be more crowded as well as the fares will be counted as high season fare.

Japan have 15 official holidays in a year. But most of the holidays are based from traditional occassions. The most important holiday may be New Year’s day which start from 1st January, and usually last until the 3rd, and many business re-open on the 4th or 5th.

It is a suprise that Christmas is not the public holiday in Japan. 25th December is a working day, and many business are open, although many Japanese are celebrating Christmas as a festival not as a religious occassion.

Chinese New Year in Japan

Japan once was under Chinese imperial, and due to their close location, some Japanese festivals have their roots in Chinese festivals but have undergone dramatic changes as they mixed with local customs.

The best place to watch Chinese new year celebration in Japan is in Yokohama Chinatown.

It is this destination that celebrates the Chinese New Year with full enthusiasm. From Dragon Dances to Lion Dance Blessings, Yokohoma treats you with all the traditional events that form a part of the Chinese New Year. The dance performers from the Lion Dance troop entertain and thrill the viewers with “tsai qing” style of dance. During and after the performance, the dancers collect “hong pao” from the various shops of Chinatown. These “hong pao” are money kept in red colored envelops or packages.

Chinese New Year traditions in Japan:

As a part of the Chinese New Year celebration in Japan, the year 2011 will also see mass participation in various traditions. Some of the traditions followed during this time are:

Otoshidama:

Otoshidama, Japanese Angpao

Otoshidama is an important tradition, where children are given money in envelops. This tradition is same like the custom followed by the Chinese during Chinese New Year. The money is placed in beautiful envelops, which are also known as ‘pochibukuro’. Envelops are same like Goshugi, which are used during the Chinese New Year. In olden days though, a mochi bag w as accompanied by Mandarin oranges, which were meant to spread joy.

Mochi:

Having ‘mochi’ on the New Year is yet another tradition, which is widely followed in the country as a part of the New Year celebrations. Rice cake s are prepared out of the sticky stalk of boiled rice and eaten to begin the New Year. Kagami Mochi is further prepared from Mochi as a part of the New Year decoration. Mochi’s sticky nature makes it hazardous for health. Several deaths are reported as a result of Mochi consumption.

Chinese New Year at Yokohama Chinatown

The Chinese are everywhere in the world. They often build Chinatown and make their living on their own. In 1858, Japan opend its door to other countries. Port of Yokohama was opened in the following year. Various countries created their settlements there. The Chinese too moved to Yokohama as the translator and broker between the Japanese and the Westerners. As their number grew, they built their own town here. Chinatown collapsed after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, and the WWII discouraged their economic activity thoroughly. Since the war ended, Chinatown recovered gradually. It became the touristic site for the Japanese when diplomatic relations were established between China and Japan. Nowadays, it is more like a commercial site for tourists rather than for the Chinese immigrants.

Shunsets (Chunjie in Mandarin) is the celebration of Chinese New Year. Because they use the lunisolar calendar, the Chinese celbrate a different date than the Westerners and the Japanese. It was Febryary 18 in 2007, and will be February 7 in 2008 and January 26 in 2009. On the eve, they have countdown party. At midnight, they explode bakuchiku (firecracker) which gets rid of devils as the Chinese believe.

Chinatown also shows a performance of Chinese dance as well as lion dance during the shunsets season. Shishimai (lion dance) was changed a lot and adopted by the Japanese culture. However, here you can see the original dance by the young Chinese who communicate with each other during their performance in the perfect shape in Japanese.

Annual Nagasaki Lantern Festival in Nagasaki, Japan

Lion dance at Yokohama Chinatown

Chinese temple at Yokohama Chinatown

Watch Lion dance during Chinese New Year in Yokohama Chinatown Video here

Japan is the country of fashion. Japan is also the only Asian Country who hold a fashion week routine. Fashion Week is famous in the western country, especially in a well popular fashion country. We have known Milan Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, London Fashion Week.

Japan Fashion Week History

As early as 1985, Japan has held its own fashion week where designers from across the country came and showcased their latest creations. However, Japan Fashion Week was restructured by the Council of Fashion Designers (CFD) in 2005 as a way to garner more national attention, as they used to have difficulty attracting some of the best names in fashion design.

The result was a tremendous success, as Japan Fashion Week (JFS) is now one of the most well known and influential fashion showcases.

What is Japan Fashion Week

Japanese Fashion Week (東京コレクション) is a weeklong fashion industry event where fashion designers showcase their latest styles and outfits that they hope will set the trend for the rest of the year.

Residents often refer to it as the “Tokyo Collection Week” since the event is largely held in Tokyo. It is a biannual event, occurring every March and September.

The latest Japanese Fashion Week is the 11th editon. It show the trend and fashion for year 2011. Many brands are taking part in the Japan Fashion Week shows. More designers than usual are holding non-sanctioned runway shows, exhibitions, parties and other events.

The main point of this Fashion Week is the same : share for Spring / Summer Fashion in 2011. Many themes are displayed such as Somarta 2011, Theatre Products 2011, Yuki Torii International 2011, Yukiko Hanai 2011, Molfic 2011.

Japan Fashion Week Spring / Summer 2011 Photos Collections :

Watch Japan Fashion Week Spring / Summer 2010 Video here

Japan is a country with 4 seasons : Summer, Spring, Autumn and Winter. At the end of the year, Japan is getting a winter season, and the fashion will change following the winter fashion and trend. Don’t ever think Japanese will wear a thick and long short during the winter. The funny thing about Japan is that the short short skirts and shorts don’t come out in summer like you would expect. No, they come out in the winter.

Japan Winter Fashion, girl only wearing short skirt

Short Skirts is usually combined with Down Boots. Down Boots is popular today for Japanese girls. The boots are made of the same material of the very known down jacket. Second the users the lightnessof the material and the variety of colors is what make then chose those type of boots, in Japan every teenager wants to be Kawaii and yes they look really cute in their fashion.

 Japan Winter Down Boots

Confuse about choosing the right outfits to wear during winter withoug ignoring the sense of fashion ? Women can enjoy the fresh winter fashion trends for 2010 by checking out her closet and looking for old key pieces that is still very “in” today. One of the fashion tips women should learn is that, they can still use staple winter fashion clothing they used the previous year. This allows them to just mix and match with the new clothes they will buy.

Japan Winter Coat

The most important thing to wear during winter are stylish cardigan, a coat and a jacket. Choose a long coat or jacket since this will cover your whole upper body and will keep you warmer. For those long walks, remember to wear a hat, scarf and gloves. Scarves are such the perfect accent to your look if you choose a contrasting color. For example, you can wear a black coat, dark trousers and pair it up with a yellow scarf. Winter fashion need not be dull. Spice it up with a little color and you’re ready to go!

Japan Winter Cardigan

Because some places are snowy and very cold, you need winter boots to protect your foot. You can go for heeled boots as long as you are not walking through a road full of snow. Do not waste your signature boots. Keep a snow boots handy just in case you will need them. You should also protect yourself from the numbing coldness of the winter by wearing thermal clothing underneath specially when you’re out and about.

Japan Winter Boots

Watch Japanese Winter Fashion – Winter Boots video here