The Philippines: Culture and Tradition out of the country to work, children are mostly left to the

grandparents to watch over them.

The Philippines is a country that has varied cultural
influences. Most of these influences are results of
previous colonization, deriving mainly from the culture
of Spain and the United States. Despite all of these
influences, the old Asian culture of Filipinos has been
retained and are clearly seen in their way of life, beliefs
and customs.

Language
There are 175 estimated languages spoken in the
Philippines. Almost all are classified as Malayo-
Polynesian languages. Among those languages, there are
13 indigenous languages with nearly 1 million speakers.

Music, Arts and Literature

Filipinos are very fond of music. They use various
materials to create sound. They love performing dances
(Tiniking and Carinosa) and group singing during festive
celebrations. Settlers from Spain introduced to them a
variety of musical instruments like the ukulele, trumpet,
drums and violin. Most of their music is contemporary
and they have also learned to write their own songs
based on real life events. People are also fond of folklore,
which was influenced by the early church and Spanish
literature.

Religion
The majority of Filipino people practice the Christian
religion. Spain highly influenced the people to the extent
that the Philippines became one of the two
predominantly Christian nations in the Asia Pacific, the
other being East Timor. According to Wikipedia,
Christianity is the religion of about 80% of the Philippine
population (mostly Catholics) while Islam is the religion
of 11%, and other religions and beliefs comprise the 9%
of the rest of the population.

Celebrations
Christmas is one of the most loved celebration by
Filipinos. Families and relatives gather on the 24th of
December, to celebrate food prepared for “Noche
Buena,” a Spanish term which means “midnight meal” to
greet Christmas Day. New Year is another celebration
that gathers the Filipino families.

Family Structure
The basic social unit of the country is the family, which
also includes the intermediate family members (aunts,
uncles, grandparents, cousins) and other outside
relations (godparents and close friends). As such, many
children have several godparents and when parents are
Japan: Culture and Tradition

Many Japanese traditions stem from their deep roots in

religions. Two main religions dominate the Japanese
culture. Buddhism and Shintoism.

Language
The national language is Japanese, which is the primary
spoken language across the country. Old Japanese, or
“Kanbun”, originated from China and the earliest
Japanese text, the “Kojiki,” was written in the early 8th
century and was written primarily in ancient Chinese
characters. Modern Japanese developed during the Edo
period, between 1603 and 1868.

Religion
There are two main religions in Japan: Shinto and
Buddhism. Shinto is a Japanese religion, while Buddhism
was imported in the 6th century from China. A recent poll
found that 39% of Japanese people identify as Buddhist,
3.9% as Shinto and 2.3% as Christian.

Celebrations
In Japan, the largest holiday is the New Year’s
celebration. During spring and summer, celebrations for
the gods of the land and sea, or Matsuri, take place. Each
town holds its own Matsuri, and these celebrations are
widely attended by all.

Sports
Sports play a significant role in Japanese culture. Sumo,
judo and karate are traditional Japanese sports and
baseball, soccer and rugby have been adopted from
other cultures.

Family Structure
The traditional family unit in Japan is called “Kazoku,”
comprising of a mother, father and their children.
Traditionally, the Kazoku often live with their elderly
parents. However, more recently, three generation
household numbers have fallen in favor of more modern
arrangements.

Cuisine
Across the nation, the Japanese are primarily fish eaters.
Japan is the number one fish importer in the world,
consuming around 12% of the world’s caught fish.

The most well-known Japanese dish is probably sushi, a

dish that includes fresh fish, seaweed and lightly-
seasoned rice. Japanese also eat beef, poultry and pork
as part of their daily diets.