Curated Video
Japan Chopsticks Etiquette
New ReviewThe Japanese use chopsticks for all varieties of Japanese food, although some restaurants that are used to tourists can provide knives and forks. Learn why you should never leave your chopsticks standing upright in your rice and other...
Curated Video
Japan Visiting Homes
New ReviewExplore cultural tips and etiquette for visiting people’s homes, especially when it comes to shedding your shoes and wearing guest slippers. Learn more about local practices for house slippers, toilet slippers, and even garden slippers....
Curated Video
Japan Socializing Outside Work
New ReviewIn Japan, corporate entertainment is an ancient tradition, and good business relationships are dependent on good personal relationships. One of the most common ways business associates and clients develop personal relationships is by...
Curated Video
Japan Leisure Activities
New ReviewThe Japanese love the physical pleasures in life, including drinking, dancing, and adult nightlife. Explore the range of entertainment options, from stylish bars and foreign-influenced pubs to movie-going and the arts. The Japanese enjoy...
Curated Video
Japan Values
New ReviewMany of the values and basic assumptions the Japanese make about life have their origins in Buddhism and Shintoism. The primacy of the group or the collective good and the value placed on maintaining harmony are particularly strong and...
Curated Video
Japan Religion
New ReviewExplore the influence of religion on Japan over the centuries. Learn about Shinto, Japan’s indigenous religion, which is still practiced but serves mainly as a source of traditional customs and festivals. It has slightly more followers...
Curated Video
Japan Language
New ReviewThe standard dialect of Japanese is spoken throughout the country, although there are some regional differences in accent. English is taught in many schools and is the most common language other than Japanese that is spoken in the...
Curated Video
Japan Humor
New ReviewThe Japanese aren’t usually avid joke tellers, but put them in a group, and they’ll sometimes do humorous imitations of friends and colleagues. Such imitations aren’t considered rude; indeed, they’re often performed in front of the...
Curated Video
Japan Environment
New ReviewAlong with many people around the world, the Japanese are becoming increasingly concerned about the environment. Among several environmental concerns being debated, garbage disposal has become, quite literally, a burning issue. Having...
Curated Video
Japan Education
New ReviewEducation plays such a key role in Japanese life, it's hard to overestimate its importance. Whether a child gets into the right school early on determines whether he or she will attend the right university—which, in turn, can determine...
Curated Video
Japan Food and Eating Habits
New ReviewDepending on what country you call home, Japanese cooking and food preparation may be very different from what you are used to. Food in Japan ranges from traditional Japanese dishes to a wide range of foreign cuisines from around the...
Curated Video
Japan Demographics
New ReviewJapan has a population of approximately 126 million, more than twice that of the United Kingdom and less than half that of the United States. But with 333 people per square kilometer, Japan is one of the most densely populated countries...
Curated Video
Japan Customs
New ReviewThe Japanese love to give gifts. The two main Japan-wide gift-giving seasons are July (Ochugen), when people wish each other summer greetings and good health, and December (Oseibo), to show appreciation for assistance offered during the...
Curated Video
Japan Dos and Don'ts
New ReviewThe Japanese enjoy socializing as much as other people, but their behavior may seem formal and unfamiliar to someone from another culture. Learn key do's and don'ts to ensure that you behave appropriately in social and business...
Curated Video
Japan Absence of Personal Style
New ReviewOne major difference between Japanese and Western companies is that in Japan, no one person is usually identified as the personality or power behind a company’s policy or business strategy. Instead, ideas and strategies usually are...
Curated Video
Japan Security
New ReviewWhile Japan has long been considered extremely safe, no country, of course, is 100 percent safe. Economic problems have led to greater unemployment, and, according to the Japanese, relatively lower moral standards. A few years ago, any...
Curated Video
Japan Health
New ReviewJapan has high health standards, and the food and water are generally safe. You don’t have to worry about outbreaks of epidemics, either, but given the dense living conditions, don’t be surprised if you come down with a cold or the flu.
Curated Video
Japan Handling Emergencies
New ReviewIn Japan, there are two emergency numbers everyone should know: 110, to contact the police, and 119, to report a fire or request an ambulance. But be mindful that you’ll have to talk in Japanese, which is especially difficult when you’re...
Curated Video
Japan Cultural Activities
New ReviewThe Japanese see themselves as unique in the world and love to talk about what makes them so. From their perspective, Western culture is taking over, so showing an interest in their customs and traditions is sure to make a good...
Curated Video
Japan Currency
New ReviewThe Japanese currency is the yen. Coins are available in 1, 5, 10, and 100 yen, whereas notes are valued at 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 yen. Japan is still mainly a cash society, and many small businesses even pay salaries in cash. Unless...
Curated Video
Japan Male Female Relationships
New ReviewDo men and women in Japan still treat each other as they traditionally did in the past? Is the dramatically increasing number of women in the workplace affecting male-female relationships? Are Western influences undermining traditional...
SWPictures
Treating Kala Azar
New ReviewKala-azar, the common name for visceral leishmaniasis, is characterized by irregular bouts of fever, substantial weight loss, swelling of the spleen and liver, and anemia. If left untreated it is almost certainly fatal. This program was...
The Daily Conversation
The Longest Underwater Tunnel | China's Future MEGAPROJECTS: Part 5
New ReviewChina is building the world’s longest underwater tunnel beneath the Bohai Sea--at 76 miles long it will pass through two deadly earthquake fault zones, will be longer than the current first and second-ranked underwater tunnels combined...
The Daily Conversation
The High Speed Rail Revolution | China's Future MEGAPROJECTS: Part 4
New ReviewChina's high speed rail network is already larger than all other countries' combined--and it's only half complete.