What is Japanese Culture

My Search Across Tokyo

This is a good question; perhaps, THE question. Dictionary.com defines culture as:

“The quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.”

— Dictionary.com

More broadly, one could even go as far as making a claim that culture is all that which has been molded by the minds and hands of human beings.

When it comes to sense of place, I think it’s easy to make the claim that some locations are more culturally endowed than others. For example, the city of Kyoto holds the worldwide distinction of being the vanguard of Japan’s traditional heritage. After all, Kyoto is often regarded as “old Japan’s” keeper and thousands are drawn to her shrines and temples every year. But, what about Tokyo? Well, unlike Japan’s old capital, the world’s largest megalopolis suffered heavily during World War II.

As a result of being nearly burned to the ground, Tokyo has far fewer cultural relics remaining when compared to Kyoto’s in the west. Nevertheless, there are indeed many prime examples of Tokyo’s rich history yet you’ll need to do some digging to uncover…