Philippine Culture
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The culture of the Philippines reflects the country's complex history. It is a blend of the Malayo-Polynesian and Hispanic cultures, with influence from Chinese.
The Philippines was first settled by Melanesians; today they preserve a very traditional way of life and culture, although their numbers are few. After them, the Austronesians or more specifically, Malayo-Polynesians, arrived on the islands. Today the Austronesian culture is very evident in the ethnicity, language, food, dance and almost every aspect of the culture. These Austronesians engaged in trading with China, India, Japan, the Ryukyu islands, the Middle East, Borneo, and other places. As a result, those cultures have also left a mark on Filipino culture.
When the Spanish colonized the islands, after more than three centuries of colonization, they had heavily impacted the culture. The Philippines being governed from both Mexicoand Spain, had received a little bit of Hispanic influence. Mexican and Spanish influence can be seen in the dance and religion many other aspects of the culture. After being colonized by Spain, the Philippines became a U.S. territory for about 40 years. Influence from the United States is seen in the wide use of the English language, and the modern pop culture.
Philippine Art
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The leading sculptor of the American era was Guillermo Tolentino, whilst Napoleon Abueva brought modernism in the 1950s. Eduardo Castrillo heads modern names with his monumental metal sculptures (including the Heritage of Cebu Monument in Cebu City). Others include Solomon Saprid and Abdulmari Imao who interprets Islamic traditional designs for the modern era.
Phillipine Education
The system of education in the Philippines was patterned both from the educational systems of Spain and the United States. However, after the liberation of the Philippines in 1946, the system have changed radically.
The Department of Education (or DepEd) administers the whole educational system, which also includes the allocation of funds utilized for school services and equipment (such as books, school chairs, etc.), recruitment of teachers for allpublic schools in the Philippines, and the supervision and organization of the school curricula.
The former education system of the Philippines is composed of 6 years ofelementary education starting at the age of 6 or 7, and 4 years of high school education starting at the age of 12 or 13. In this system, education is not compulsory.
However, since June 4, 2012, DepEd started to implement the new K-12 educational system,[3] which includes the new curricula for all schools (see the section). In this system, education is now compulsory.
All public and private schools in the Philippines must start classes from a date mandated by the Department of Education (usually every first Monday of June for public schools only), and must end after each school completes the mandated 200-day school calendar of DepEd (usually around the third week of March to the second week of April).
Philippine Festivals
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In Honor of A Patron Saint
· Ati-atihan Festival - Kalibo, Aklan (in honor of Santo Niño)
· Dinagyang Festival - Iloilo City (in honor of Santo Niño)
· Kinabayo festival - Dapitan City (in honor of Saint James the Great)
· Higantes Festival - Angono, Rizal (in honor of Saint Clement)
· Longganisa Festival - Vigan City (in honor of St. Paul)
· Kasadyaan sa Iligan - Iligan City (in honor of Saint Michael the Archangel)
· Mammangui Festival - May 30, Ilagan City
· Moriones Festival - Marinduque
· Pintados-Kasadyaan - Leyte
· Sangyaw - Tacloban City
· Sinulog Festival - Cebu (in honor of Santo Niño)
· Zamboanga Hermosa Festival - Zamboanga City (in honor of Our Lady of the Pillar)
Indigenous Influence/Non-Religious Festival
· Kadayawan Festival - Davao City
· Lanzones Festival - Camiguin
· Pav-vurulun Festival - Tuguegarao City
· Masskara Festival - Bacolod City
· Ibalong Festival - Legazpi City
· Sandugo Festival - Bohol
· Bangus Festival - Dagupan City
· Sinukwan Festival - San Fernando City.
· Frog Festival - San Fernando City.
· Binatbatan Festival of the Arts - Vigan City
· Sampaguita Festival-San Pedro,Laguna
· Halamang Dilaw Singkaban Festival - Marilao, Bulacan
Film Festival
· Cinemalaya
· Metro Manila Film Festival
Flower Festival
· Panagbenga Festival - (Feb 26- Feb 27), Baguio City
Religious Festivals
January
· Feast of the Three Kings - 2, Gasan, Marinduque
· Bailes de Luces - 5, La Castellana, Negros Occidental
· Lingayen Gulf Landing Anniversary - 9, Lingayen, Pangasinan
· Feast of The Black Nazarene - 9, Quiapo, Manila
· Biniray Festival - 9, Romblon
· Hinugyaw Festival (Araw ng Koronadal) - 10, Koronadal City
· Binanog Festival - 10-16, Lambunao, Iloilo
· Sinulog (Kabankalan) Festival - 10-16, Kabankalan City
· Coconut "Coco" Festival - 15 (week long), San Pablo City, Laguna
· Makato Santo Niño Festival - 15, Makato, Aklan
· Pasungay Festival - 15, San Joaquin, Iloilo
· Batingaw Festival - 16, Cabuyao City
· Kahimunan Festival - 16, Butuan City
· Pangisdaan Festival - 16, Navotas City
· Kinaradto Festival - 16, Buenavista, Guimaras
· Batan Ati-Ati Malakara Festival - 16, Batan, Aklan
· Fire Works Display and Contest - 16, Iloilo City
· Caracol Festival - 16, Makati City
· Bansudani Festival (Feast of The Divine Savior) - 17, Bansud, Oriental Mindoro
· Sadsad sa Kalye - 19, Janiuay, Iloilo
· Pandot sa Bacolod - 20, Bacolod City
· Binuligay Festival - 20, Jamindan, Capiz
· Feast of the Santo Niño - 3rd Sunday, Nationwide
· Ati-Atihan Festival - 3-16, Kalibo, Aklan
· Dinagyang Festival - 22-23, Iloilo City
· Longganisa Festival - 22, Vigan City
· Sinulog festival - Cebu City
· Sto Niño de Malolos Festival - 30, Malolos City
· Pintauo Festival - 21, Ibarra, Maasin City
· Altavas Santo Niño Festival - 21-22, Altavas, Aklan
· Feast of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage - 24, La Carlota City
· Ibajay Ati-Ati Municipal and Devotional Fiesta - 24-25, Ibajay, Aklan
· Dinagsa Ati-Atihan Festival - 24-30, Cadiz City
· Sana-aw Festival - 28, Jordan, Guimaras
· Hinirugyaw Festival - 30-February 6, Calinog, Iloilo
· Balot sa Puti Festival - 31, Pateros
· The Boracay International Funboard Cub - 31-February 5, Boracay Island
· Boling-Boling Festival - 28 Catanuan Quezon
February
· Salakayan Festival - 1-6, Miag-ao, Iloilo
· Pabirik Festival - 1-2, Paracale, Camarines Norte
· Bicol Arts Festival - 1-28, Legazpi City
· Festival of Hearts - 1-14, Tanjay City
· National Arts Month - 1-28, Nationwide
· Lavandero Festival - 1-6, Mandaluyong City
· Suroy sa Surigao - 1-28, Surigao City
· Feast of Our Lady of Candles - 2, Iloilo City
· Pamulinawen - 2-10, Laoag City
· The International Bamboo Organ Festival - 3-11, Las Piñas City
· Guling-Guling Festival - 5, Paoay, Ilocos Norte
· Kali-Kalihan Harvest Festival - 6, Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental
· Fiesta Tsinoy - 6, Legazpi City
· Tinapay Festival - 7-13, Cuenca, Batangas
· Fistahan - 9-15, Davao City
· Chinese New Year - Nationwide
· Bulang-Bulang Festival - 9, San Enrique, Negros Occidental
· Davao Chinese New Year - 9-17, Davao City
· Pabalhas sa Tablas - 11, Candoni, Negros Occidental
· Spring Festival (Chinese Lunar New Year) - 11, Baguio City
· Tinagba Festival - 11, Iriga City
· Tiburin Horse Race - 12, Pasay City
· Pamaypay ng Caloocan Festival - 12, Caloocan City
· Sambalilo Hat Festival - 13, Parañaque City
· Feast Day of Santa Clara - 13, Pasay City
· Local Media Familiarization Festival - 13-19, Cagayan de Oro City
· Serenata - 14, Pasay City
· Harana: Karantahan nin Pagranga (Music Festival) - 14, San Jose, Camarines Sur
· Suman Festival (Aurora Day) - 14-19, Baler, Aurora
· Apayao Province Foundation - 14, Apayao
· Kalinga Province Foundation - 14, Kalinga
· Philippine Military Academy Alumni Homecoming - 18-19, Baguio City
· Kapayapaan Festival - 18-20, Jose Abad Santos, Davao del Sur
· Bicol Regional Tourism Councils Assembly - 18-19, Naga City
· Pasayaw Festival - 19, Canlaon City
· Babaylan Festival - 19, Bago City
March
· Kaamulan Tribal Festival - 1-6, Malaybalay City
· Rodeo Masbateño - 1-April 2, Masbate City
· Araw ng Island Garden City of Samal - 1-7, Island Garden City of Samal
· Pasig Summer Music Festival - 1-31, Pasig City
· Parade of Festivals - 1, Muntinlupa City
· Payvanuvanuan Festival - 1-31, Mahatao, Batanes
· Zamboanga Peninsula Summer Event - 1-31, Zamboanga City
· Sugbahan - 2-14, Davao City
· Pacto de Sangre de New Washington, Aklan (Blood Compact of New Washington, Aklan) - 3, New Washington, Aklan
· Puerto Princesa Foundation Day - 4, Puerto Princesa City
· Bangkero Festival - 6-10, Pagsanjan, Laguna
· Arya! Abra Festival - 7-11, Bangued, Abra
· Tinguan Festival - 7-11, Bangued, Abra
· Panagtagbo Festival - 7, Tagum City
· Vis-Min Travel and Lifestyle Show - 7-9, SM City Cebu Trade Hall
· National Women's Month Celebration Exhibit - 8-12, Manila
· Birth Anniversary of The Late President Jose P. Laurel - 9, Tanauan City
· Tinagba Festival - 11, Iriga City
· Tiburin Horse Race - 12, Pasay City
· Pamaypay ng Caloocan Festival - 12, Caloocan City
· Sambalilo Hat Festival - 13, Parañaque City
· Feast Day of Santa Clara - 13, Pasay City
· Local Media Familiarization Festival - 13-19, Cagayan de Oro City
· Serenata - 14, Pasay City
· Harana: Karantahan nin Pagranga (Music Festival) - 14, San Jose, Camarines Sur
· Suman Festival (Aurora Day) - 14-19, Baler, Aurora
· Apayao Province Foundation - 14, Apayao
· Kalinga Province Foundation - 14, Kalinga
· Philippine Military Academy Alumni Homecoming - 18-19, Baguio City
· Kapayapaan Festival - 18-20, Jose Abad Santos, Davao del Sur
· Bicol Regional Tourism Councils Assembly - 18-19, Naga City
· Pasayaw Festival - 19, Canlaon City
· Babaylan Festival - 19, Bago City
Administrative divisions
-The Philippines is divided into three island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. As of March 2010, these were divided into 17 regions, 80 provinces, 138 cities, 1,496 municipalities, and 42,025barangays.[79] In addition, Section 2 of Republic Act No. 5446 asserts that the definition of the territorial sea around the Philippine archipelago does not affect the claim over Sabah
Autonomous regions
Regular administrative regions are not elected and are considered arms of the national governments, not governments in their own right.
Provinces and independent cities
Municipalities and component cities
Barangays
Each division at each level from the provinces down to the barangays is a local government unit (LGU). For administrative purposes, the provinces and cities are grouped into regions. The President has the prerogative to create, abolish and determine the composition of regions, which is done so most often in consultation with the local government units affected; with the exception of autonomous regions, where the residents of the local government units have to ratify in a plebiscite their inclusion in such a setup.
Other political divisions exist for the other branches of government
Provinces
All regions except one (Metro Manila) are subdivided into provinces. Each province is headed by a governor. Its legislative body is the Sangguniang Panlalawigan composed of the different members from Sanggunian districts, which in most cases are contiguous to the congressional districts.
Cities and municipalities
Regions, aside from having provinces may also have independent cities. Independent cities, classified either as highly urbanized or independent component cities, are cities which are not under the jurisdiction of a province. These cities are not administered by their mother provinces, do not share their tax revenues with the province, and in most cases their residents are not eligible to elect or be elected to provincial offices.
Cities that are politically a part of a province are called component cities. The voters in these cities are allowed to vote and run for positions in the provincial government.
Municipalities are always components of a province, except Pateros, Metro Manila, which is independent.
Cities and municipalities are headed by a mayor. The legislative arm of these units are the Sangguniang Panlungsod for cities and Sangguniang Bayan for municipalities, which are composed of councilors elected at-large or in some cases, by Sanggunian district.
Barangays
Cities (both component and independent ones) and municipalities are further divided into barangays. The barangay is the smallest political unit. In some populous cities, barangays are grouped into zones and/or into districts for administrative purposes. In rural areas, sitios or puroks are the preferred ways of subdividing barangays for administrative purposes. Each barangay is headed by a barangay captain.
Gated communities may either be a part of a barangay or a barangay itself. An example of a barangay coextensive with a gated community is Forbes Park, Makati City.
Sitios and Puroks
Below barangays are smaller communities known as sitios and puroks. Not all baranagays are so sub-divided. They leadership is not a recognized Local Government Unit and are not elected in regular general elections. Sitios and puroks are most common in less populated, rural barangays where you might have several pockets of population spread out over a wider area and surrounded by farms or undeveloped mountainsides, or even on different islands.
Geography
The Philippines is an archipelago comprising 7,107 islands with a total land area of 300,000 km2. The 11 largest islands contain 94% of the total land area. The largest of these islands is Luzon at about 105,000 km2. The next largest island isMindanao at about 95,000 km2. The archipelago is around 800 km from the Asianmainland and is located between Taiwan and Borneo.
The islands are divided into three groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Luzon islands include Luzon Island itself, Palawan, Mindoro, Marinduque, Masbateand Batanes Islands. The Visayas is the group of islands in the central Philippines, the largest of which are: Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Samar. The Mindanao islands include Mindanao itself, plus the Sulu Archipelago, composed primarily of Basilan, Sulu Island, and Tawi-Tawi.
The Philippine archipelago lies in Southeast Asia in a position that has led to its becoming a cultural crossroads - a place where Malays, Hindus, Arabs, Chinese, Spaniards, Americans, and others had interacted to forge a unique cultural and racial blend. The archipelago numbers some 7,107 islands; and the nation claims an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles (370 km) from its shores. The Philippines occupies an area that stretches for 1,850 kilometers from about the fifth to the twentieth parallels north latitude. The total land area is slightly more than 300,000 square kilometers. Only approximately 1,000 of its islands are populated, and fewer than one-half of these are larger than 2.5 square kilometers. Eleven islands make up 95 percent of the Philippine landmass, and two of these — Luzon and Mindanao — measure 105,000 and 95,000 square kilometers, respectively. They, together with the cluster of islands in Visayas in between them, represent the three principal regions of the archipelago that are identified by the three stars on the Philippine flag. Topographically, the Philippines is broken up by the sea, which gives it one of the longest coastlines of any nation in the world.
Off the coast of eastern Mindanao is the Philippine Trench, which descends to a depth of 10,430 meters. The Philippines is part of a western Pacific arc system characterized by active volcanoes. Among the most notable peaks are Mount Mayon near Legazpi City, Taal Volcano south of Manila, and Mount Apo in Mindanao. All of the Philippine islands are prone to earthquakes. The northern Luzon highlands, or Cordillera Central, rise to between 2,500 and 2,750 meters, and, together with the Sierra Madre in the northeastern portion of Luzon and the mountains of Mindanao, boast rain forests that provide refuge for numerous upland tribal groups. The rain forests also offer prime habitat for more than 500 species of birds, including the Philippine eagle (or monkey-eating eagle), some 800 species of orchids, and some 8,500 species of flowering plants.
The country's most extensive river systems are the Pulangi River, which flows into the Mindanao River (Rio Grande de Mindanao); the Agusan, in Mindanao which flows north into the Mindanao Sea; the Cagayan in northern Luzon; and the Pampanga, which flows south from east Central Luzon into Manila Bay. Laguna de Bay, east of Manila Bay, is the largest freshwater lake in the Philippines. Several rivers have been harnessed for hydroelectric power.
To protect the country's biological resources, the government has taken a first step of preparing a Biodiversity Action Plan to address conservation of threatened species.
Japanese Culture
Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture in wood and bronze, ink painting and calligraphy on silk and paper, ukiyo-e woodblock prints, and more recently manga - modern Japanese cartoons - along with a myriad of other types of works of art. It also has a long history, ranging from the beginnings of human habitation in Japan, sometime in the 10th millennium BC, to the present.
Historically, Japan has been subject to sudden invasions of new and alien ideas followed by long periods of minimal contact with the outside world. Over time the Japanese developed the ability to absorb, imitate, and finally assimilate those elements of foreign culture that complemented their aesthetic preferences. The earliest complex art in Japan was produced in the 7th and 8th centuries in connection with Buddhism. In the 9th century, as the Japanese began to turn away from China and develop indigenous forms of expression, the secular arts became increasingly important; until the late 15th century, both religious and secular arts flourished. After the Ōnin War (1467–1477), Japan entered a period of political, social, and economic disruption that lasted for over a century. In the state that emerged under the leadership of the Tokugawa shogunate, organized religion played a much less important role in people's lives, and the arts that survived were primarily secular.
Painting is the preferred artistic expression in Japan, practiced by amateurs and professionals alike. Until modern times, the Japanese wrote with a brush rather than a pen, and their familiarity with brush techniques has made them particularly sensitive to the values and aesthetics of painting. With the rise of popular culture in the Edo period, a style of woodblock prints called ukiyo-e became a major art form and its techniques were fine tuned to produce colorful prints of everything from daily news to schoolbooks. The Japanese, in this period, found sculpture a much less sympathetic medium for artistic expression; most Japanese sculpture is associated with religion, and the medium's use declined with the lessening importance of traditional Buddhism.
Japanese ceramics are among the finest in the world and include the earliest known artifacts of their culture. In architecture, Japanese preferences for natural materials and an interaction of interior and exterior space are clearly expressed.
Today, Japan rivals most other modern nations in its contributions to modern art, fashion and architecture, with creations of a truly modern, global, and multi-cultural (or acultural) bent.
Jōmon art
The first settlers of Japan, the Jōmon people (c 11000?–c 300 BC), named for the cord markings that decorated the surfaces of their clay vessels, were nomadic hunter-gatherers who later practiced organized farming and built cities with population of hundreds if not thousands. They built simple houses of wood and thatch set into shallow earthen pits to provide warmth from the soil. They crafted lavishly decorated pottery storage vessels, clay figurines called dogū, and crystal jewels.
Yayoi art
The next wave of immigrants was the Yayoi people, named for the district in Tokyo where remnants of their settlements first were found. These people, arriving in Japan about 350 BC, brought their knowledge of wetland rice cultivation, the manufacture of copper weapons and bronze bells (dōtaku), and wheel-thrown, kiln-fired ceramics.
Kofun art
The third stage in Japanese prehistory, the Kofun, or Tumulus, period (c AD 250–552), represents a modification of Yayoi culture, attributable either to internal development or external force. The period is named for the large amounts kofun created during this period. In this period, diverse groups of people formed political alliances and coalesced into a nation. Typical artifacts are bronze mirrors, symbols of political alliances, and clay sculptures called haniwa which were erected outside tombs.
Traditional and folk music
There are two forms of music recognized to be the oldest forms of traditional Japanese music. They are shōmyō (声明 or 聲明?), or Buddhist chanting, and gagaku (雅楽?) or orchestral court music, both of which date to the Nara and Heian periods.[citation needed] Gagaku is a type of classical music that has been performed at the Imperial court since the Heian period[citation needed]. Kagura-uta (神楽歌), Azuma-asobi(東遊) and Yamato-uta (大和歌) are indigenous repertories. Tōgaku (唐楽) and komagaku originated from the Chinese Tang dynasty via the Korean peninsula[citation needed]. In addition, gagaku is divided into kangen (管弦) (instrumental music) and bugaku (舞楽) (dance accompanied by gagaku).
Originating as early as the 13th century are honkyoku (本曲 "original pieces"). These are single (solo) shakuhachi (尺八) pieces played by mendicant Fuke sect priests of Zen buddhism[citation needed]. These priests, called komusō ("emptiness monk"), played honkyoku for alms and enlightenment. The Fuke sect ceased to exist in the 19th century, but a verbal and written lineage of many honkyoku continues today, though this music is now often practiced in a concert or performance setting.[citation needed] The samurai often listened to and performed in these music activities, in their practices of enriching their lives and understanding[citation needed].
[edit]Folk music
[edit]Biwa hōshi, Heike biwa, mōsō, and goze
The biwa (琵琶 - Chinese: pipa), a form of short-necked lute, was played by a group of itinerant performers (biwa hōshi) (琵琶法師) who used it to accompany stories.[citation needed] The most famous of these stories is The Tale of the Heike, a 12th century history of the triumph of the Minamoto clan over the Taira[citation needed]. Biwa hōshi began organizing themselves into a guild-like association (tōdō) for visually impaired men as early as the thirteenth century. This guild eventually controlled a large portion of the musical culture of Japan.[citation needed]
In addition, numerous smaller groups of itinerant blind musicians were formed especially in the Kyushu area[citation needed]. These musicians, known as mōsō (盲僧 blind monk) toured their local areas and performed a variety of religious and semi-religious texts to purify households and bring about good health and good luck. They also maintained a repertory of secular genres. The biwa that they played was considerably smaller than the Heike biwa (平家琵琶) played by the biwa hōshi.[citation needed]
Lafcadio Hearn related in his book Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things "Mimi-nashi Hoichi" (Hoichi the Earless), a Japanese ghost story about a blind biwa hōshi who performs "The Tale of the Heike"
Blind women, known as goze (瞽女), also toured the land since the medieval era, singing songs and playing accompanying music on a lap drum.[citation needed] From the seventeenth century they often played the koto or the shamisen. Goze organizations sprung up throughout the land, and existed until recently in what is today Niigata prefecture.[citation needed]
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is limited, relegated primarily to ceremonial duties. His role is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people".
Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected members of the Diet, while sovereignty is vested in the Japanese people.[1] The Emperor effectively acts as the head of state on diplomatic occasions. Akihito is the current Emperor of Japan. Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan, stands as next in line to the throne.
Japan's legislative organ is the National Diet, a bicameral parliament. The Diet consists of a House of Representatives, containing 480 seats, elected by popular vote every four years or when dissolved and a House of Councillors of 242 seats, whose popularly elected members serve six-year terms. There is universal suffrage for adults over 20 years of age,[2] with a secret ballot for all elective offices.[1] In 2009, the social liberal Democratic Party of Japan took power after 54 years of the liberal conservative Liberal Democratic Party's rule.
The Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government. The position is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet (the literal translation of his Japanese title is "Prime Minister of the Cabinet") and appoints and dismisses the Ministers of State, a majority of whom must be Diet members. Shinzo Abe currently serves as the Prime Minister of Japan.
Politics under the Postwar Constitution
Historically influenced by Chinese law, the Japanese legal system developed independently during the Edo period through texts such as Kujikata Osadamegaki. However, since the late 19th century, the judicial system has been largely based on the civil law of Europe, notably France and Germany. For example, in 1896, the Japanese government established a civil code based on the German model. With post–World War II modifications, the code remains in effect in present-day Japan.Statutory law originates in Japan's legislature, the National Diet of Japan, with the rubber stamp approval of the Emperor. The current constitution requires that the Emperor promulgates legislation passed by the Diet, without specifically giving him the power to oppose the passing of the legislation.Japan's court system is divided into four basic tiers: the Supreme Court and three levels of lower courts. The main body of Japanese statutory law is a collection called the Six Codes.
Legislative branch
Main article: Diet of Japan
The National Diet of Japan is Japan's legislature. It consists of two houses: the House of Representatives of Japan and the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system.
The Diet has the legislative function of tabling and passing of Bills. It has several powers not given to but if voted down by the House of Councillors, the House of Representatives can override the decision of the other chamber. In the case of treaties, the budget, and the selection of the prime minister, however, the House of Councillors can only delay passage, but not block the legislation.
House of Councillors
Of the 242 members in the House of Councillors, 146 are elected from 47 prefectural constituencies by means of the Single Non-Transferable Vote. The remaining 96 are elected by party list PR from a single national list.
Executive branch
The executive branch reports to the Diet. The chief of the executive branch, the Prime Minister, is appointed by the Emperor as directed by the Diet. He must be a member of either house of the Diet and a civilian. The Cabinet, which he organizes, must also be civilian. The Constitution states that the majority of the Cabinet must be elected members of either house of the Diet, the precise wording leaving an opportunity to appoint non-elected officials.
Prime Minister
Main article: Prime Minister of Japan
The Prime Ministers of Japan from the year 2000.
Cabinet
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Area:
Japan's area is comparable to that of Germany or California. Japan's northernmost islands are located on a similar geographical latitude as Milan or Portland, while her southernmost islands are on a similar latitude as the Bahamas. More than 50% of the country is mountainous and covered by forests. Japan is politically structured into 8 regions and 47 prefectures.
Population:
The population of Japan is about 125,000,000, including approximately two million foreign residents. More than half of the non Japanese population is of Korean descent.
Earthquakes and Volcanos:
Because Japan is located in a region, where several continental plates meet, the country experiences frequent earthquakes. Please visit the special page about earthquakes. For the same reason, there are many volcanos in Japan. Japan's most famous volcano and highest mountain is Mt.Fuji.
Climate:
Due to the large North South extension of the country, the climate varies strongly in different regions. The climate in most of the major cities, including Tokyo, is temperate to subtropic and consists of four seasons. The winter is mild and the summer is hot and humid. There is a rainy season in early summer, and typhoons hit parts of the country every year during late summer. The climate of the northern island of Hokkaido and the Sea of Japan coast is colder, and snow falls in large amounts. In Okinawa, on the other hand, the mean temperature of January is a warm 17 degrees Celsius.
Japan's National Anthem
Submitted by:
Densther See
John Michael Lasap
Mart John Jaylo
Wilson Empleo
Rodel Lesano
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The Philippines was first settled by Melanesians; today they preserve a very traditional way of life and culture, although their numbers are few. After them, the Austronesians or more specifically, Malayo-Polynesians, arrived on the islands. Today the Austronesian culture is very evident in the ethnicity, language, food, dance and almost every aspect of the culture. These Austronesians engaged in trading with China, India, Japan, the Ryukyu islands, the Middle East, Borneo, and other places. As a result, those cultures have also left a mark on Filipino culture.
When the Spanish colonized the islands, after more than three centuries of colonization, they had heavily impacted the culture. The Philippines being governed from both Mexicoand Spain, had received a little bit of Hispanic influence. Mexican and Spanish influence can be seen in the dance and religion many other aspects of the culture. After being colonized by Spain, the Philippines became a U.S. territory for about 40 years. Influence from the United States is seen in the wide use of the English language, and the modern pop culture.
Philippine Art
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-Throughout the early Spanish era, Philippines art took its inspiration from religion with ornate altarpieces or scenes from the Bible or the lives of the saints. It was only in the 18th century that secular themes began to become popular.
-In 1884, Filipino art broke into the international mainstream when Juan Luna won the gold medal at the National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid, Spain. Compatriot FelixResurreccion Hidalgo won the silver medal. In the early 20th century Fernando Amorsolo, Fabian de la Rosa and Jorge Pineda concentrated on romantic landscapes, and in the 1920s Victorio Edades introduced modernism to the Philippines. This has produced a healthy crop of modern artists, from Lee Aguinaldo and Fernando Zobel in the 1960s and 70s to Bernardo Cabrera (BenCab) and Manny Garibay today.The leading sculptor of the American era was Guillermo Tolentino, whilst Napoleon Abueva brought modernism in the 1950s. Eduardo Castrillo heads modern names with his monumental metal sculptures (including the Heritage of Cebu Monument in Cebu City). Others include Solomon Saprid and Abdulmari Imao who interprets Islamic traditional designs for the modern era.
Phillipine Education
The system of education in the Philippines was patterned both from the educational systems of Spain and the United States. However, after the liberation of the Philippines in 1946, the system have changed radically.
The Department of Education (or DepEd) administers the whole educational system, which also includes the allocation of funds utilized for school services and equipment (such as books, school chairs, etc.), recruitment of teachers for allpublic schools in the Philippines, and the supervision and organization of the school curricula.
The former education system of the Philippines is composed of 6 years ofelementary education starting at the age of 6 or 7, and 4 years of high school education starting at the age of 12 or 13. In this system, education is not compulsory.
However, since June 4, 2012, DepEd started to implement the new K-12 educational system,[3] which includes the new curricula for all schools (see the section). In this system, education is now compulsory.
All public and private schools in the Philippines must start classes from a date mandated by the Department of Education (usually every first Monday of June for public schools only), and must end after each school completes the mandated 200-day school calendar of DepEd (usually around the third week of March to the second week of April).
Philippine Festivals
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In Honor of A Patron Saint
· Ati-atihan Festival - Kalibo, Aklan (in honor of Santo Niño)
· Dinagyang Festival - Iloilo City (in honor of Santo Niño)
· Kinabayo festival - Dapitan City (in honor of Saint James the Great)
· Higantes Festival - Angono, Rizal (in honor of Saint Clement)
· Longganisa Festival - Vigan City (in honor of St. Paul)
· Kasadyaan sa Iligan - Iligan City (in honor of Saint Michael the Archangel)
· Mammangui Festival - May 30, Ilagan City
· Moriones Festival - Marinduque
· Pintados-Kasadyaan - Leyte
· Sangyaw - Tacloban City
· Sinulog Festival - Cebu (in honor of Santo Niño)
· Zamboanga Hermosa Festival - Zamboanga City (in honor of Our Lady of the Pillar)
Indigenous Influence/Non-Religious Festival
· Kadayawan Festival - Davao City
· Lanzones Festival - Camiguin
· Pav-vurulun Festival - Tuguegarao City
· Masskara Festival - Bacolod City
· Ibalong Festival - Legazpi City
· Sandugo Festival - Bohol
· Bangus Festival - Dagupan City
· Sinukwan Festival - San Fernando City.
· Frog Festival - San Fernando City.
· Binatbatan Festival of the Arts - Vigan City
· Sampaguita Festival-San Pedro,Laguna
· Halamang Dilaw Singkaban Festival - Marilao, Bulacan
Film Festival
· Cinemalaya
· Metro Manila Film Festival
Flower Festival
· Panagbenga Festival - (Feb 26- Feb 27), Baguio City
Religious Festivals
January
· Feast of the Three Kings - 2, Gasan, Marinduque
· Bailes de Luces - 5, La Castellana, Negros Occidental
· Lingayen Gulf Landing Anniversary - 9, Lingayen, Pangasinan
· Feast of The Black Nazarene - 9, Quiapo, Manila
· Biniray Festival - 9, Romblon
· Hinugyaw Festival (Araw ng Koronadal) - 10, Koronadal City
· Binanog Festival - 10-16, Lambunao, Iloilo
· Sinulog (Kabankalan) Festival - 10-16, Kabankalan City
· Coconut "Coco" Festival - 15 (week long), San Pablo City, Laguna
· Makato Santo Niño Festival - 15, Makato, Aklan
· Pasungay Festival - 15, San Joaquin, Iloilo
· Batingaw Festival - 16, Cabuyao City
· Kahimunan Festival - 16, Butuan City
· Pangisdaan Festival - 16, Navotas City
· Kinaradto Festival - 16, Buenavista, Guimaras
· Batan Ati-Ati Malakara Festival - 16, Batan, Aklan
· Fire Works Display and Contest - 16, Iloilo City
· Caracol Festival - 16, Makati City
· Bansudani Festival (Feast of The Divine Savior) - 17, Bansud, Oriental Mindoro
· Sadsad sa Kalye - 19, Janiuay, Iloilo
· Pandot sa Bacolod - 20, Bacolod City
· Binuligay Festival - 20, Jamindan, Capiz
· Feast of the Santo Niño - 3rd Sunday, Nationwide
· Ati-Atihan Festival - 3-16, Kalibo, Aklan
· Dinagyang Festival - 22-23, Iloilo City
· Longganisa Festival - 22, Vigan City
· Sinulog festival - Cebu City
· Sto Niño de Malolos Festival - 30, Malolos City
· Pintauo Festival - 21, Ibarra, Maasin City
· Altavas Santo Niño Festival - 21-22, Altavas, Aklan
· Feast of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage - 24, La Carlota City
· Ibajay Ati-Ati Municipal and Devotional Fiesta - 24-25, Ibajay, Aklan
· Dinagsa Ati-Atihan Festival - 24-30, Cadiz City
· Sana-aw Festival - 28, Jordan, Guimaras
· Hinirugyaw Festival - 30-February 6, Calinog, Iloilo
· Balot sa Puti Festival - 31, Pateros
· The Boracay International Funboard Cub - 31-February 5, Boracay Island
· Boling-Boling Festival - 28 Catanuan Quezon
February
· Salakayan Festival - 1-6, Miag-ao, Iloilo
· Pabirik Festival - 1-2, Paracale, Camarines Norte
· Bicol Arts Festival - 1-28, Legazpi City
· Festival of Hearts - 1-14, Tanjay City
· National Arts Month - 1-28, Nationwide
· Lavandero Festival - 1-6, Mandaluyong City
· Suroy sa Surigao - 1-28, Surigao City
· Feast of Our Lady of Candles - 2, Iloilo City
· Pamulinawen - 2-10, Laoag City
· The International Bamboo Organ Festival - 3-11, Las Piñas City
· Guling-Guling Festival - 5, Paoay, Ilocos Norte
· Kali-Kalihan Harvest Festival - 6, Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental
· Fiesta Tsinoy - 6, Legazpi City
· Tinapay Festival - 7-13, Cuenca, Batangas
· Fistahan - 9-15, Davao City
· Chinese New Year - Nationwide
· Bulang-Bulang Festival - 9, San Enrique, Negros Occidental
· Davao Chinese New Year - 9-17, Davao City
· Pabalhas sa Tablas - 11, Candoni, Negros Occidental
· Spring Festival (Chinese Lunar New Year) - 11, Baguio City
· Tinagba Festival - 11, Iriga City
· Tiburin Horse Race - 12, Pasay City
· Pamaypay ng Caloocan Festival - 12, Caloocan City
· Sambalilo Hat Festival - 13, Parañaque City
· Feast Day of Santa Clara - 13, Pasay City
· Local Media Familiarization Festival - 13-19, Cagayan de Oro City
· Serenata - 14, Pasay City
· Harana: Karantahan nin Pagranga (Music Festival) - 14, San Jose, Camarines Sur
· Suman Festival (Aurora Day) - 14-19, Baler, Aurora
· Apayao Province Foundation - 14, Apayao
· Kalinga Province Foundation - 14, Kalinga
· Philippine Military Academy Alumni Homecoming - 18-19, Baguio City
· Kapayapaan Festival - 18-20, Jose Abad Santos, Davao del Sur
· Bicol Regional Tourism Councils Assembly - 18-19, Naga City
· Pasayaw Festival - 19, Canlaon City
· Babaylan Festival - 19, Bago City
March
· Kaamulan Tribal Festival - 1-6, Malaybalay City
· Rodeo Masbateño - 1-April 2, Masbate City
· Araw ng Island Garden City of Samal - 1-7, Island Garden City of Samal
· Pasig Summer Music Festival - 1-31, Pasig City
· Parade of Festivals - 1, Muntinlupa City
· Payvanuvanuan Festival - 1-31, Mahatao, Batanes
· Zamboanga Peninsula Summer Event - 1-31, Zamboanga City
· Sugbahan - 2-14, Davao City
· Pacto de Sangre de New Washington, Aklan (Blood Compact of New Washington, Aklan) - 3, New Washington, Aklan
· Puerto Princesa Foundation Day - 4, Puerto Princesa City
· Bangkero Festival - 6-10, Pagsanjan, Laguna
· Arya! Abra Festival - 7-11, Bangued, Abra
· Tinguan Festival - 7-11, Bangued, Abra
· Panagtagbo Festival - 7, Tagum City
· Vis-Min Travel and Lifestyle Show - 7-9, SM City Cebu Trade Hall
· National Women's Month Celebration Exhibit - 8-12, Manila
· Birth Anniversary of The Late President Jose P. Laurel - 9, Tanauan City
· Tinagba Festival - 11, Iriga City
· Tiburin Horse Race - 12, Pasay City
· Pamaypay ng Caloocan Festival - 12, Caloocan City
· Sambalilo Hat Festival - 13, Parañaque City
· Feast Day of Santa Clara - 13, Pasay City
· Local Media Familiarization Festival - 13-19, Cagayan de Oro City
· Serenata - 14, Pasay City
· Harana: Karantahan nin Pagranga (Music Festival) - 14, San Jose, Camarines Sur
· Suman Festival (Aurora Day) - 14-19, Baler, Aurora
· Apayao Province Foundation - 14, Apayao
· Kalinga Province Foundation - 14, Kalinga
· Philippine Military Academy Alumni Homecoming - 18-19, Baguio City
· Kapayapaan Festival - 18-20, Jose Abad Santos, Davao del Sur
· Bicol Regional Tourism Councils Assembly - 18-19, Naga City
· Pasayaw Festival - 19, Canlaon City
· Babaylan Festival - 19, Bago City
Administrative divisions
-The Philippines is divided into three island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. As of March 2010, these were divided into 17 regions, 80 provinces, 138 cities, 1,496 municipalities, and 42,025barangays.[79] In addition, Section 2 of Republic Act No. 5446 asserts that the definition of the territorial sea around the Philippine archipelago does not affect the claim over Sabah
The Philippines is divided into, from the highest division to the lowest:
Autonomous regions
Regular administrative regions are not elected and are considered arms of the national governments, not governments in their own right.
Provinces and independent cities
Municipalities and component cities
Barangays
Each division at each level from the provinces down to the barangays is a local government unit (LGU). For administrative purposes, the provinces and cities are grouped into regions. The President has the prerogative to create, abolish and determine the composition of regions, which is done so most often in consultation with the local government units affected; with the exception of autonomous regions, where the residents of the local government units have to ratify in a plebiscite their inclusion in such a setup.
Other political divisions exist for the other branches of government
Provinces
All regions except one (Metro Manila) are subdivided into provinces. Each province is headed by a governor. Its legislative body is the Sangguniang Panlalawigan composed of the different members from Sanggunian districts, which in most cases are contiguous to the congressional districts.
Cities and municipalities
Regions, aside from having provinces may also have independent cities. Independent cities, classified either as highly urbanized or independent component cities, are cities which are not under the jurisdiction of a province. These cities are not administered by their mother provinces, do not share their tax revenues with the province, and in most cases their residents are not eligible to elect or be elected to provincial offices.
Cities that are politically a part of a province are called component cities. The voters in these cities are allowed to vote and run for positions in the provincial government.
Municipalities are always components of a province, except Pateros, Metro Manila, which is independent.
Cities and municipalities are headed by a mayor. The legislative arm of these units are the Sangguniang Panlungsod for cities and Sangguniang Bayan for municipalities, which are composed of councilors elected at-large or in some cases, by Sanggunian district.
Barangays
Cities (both component and independent ones) and municipalities are further divided into barangays. The barangay is the smallest political unit. In some populous cities, barangays are grouped into zones and/or into districts for administrative purposes. In rural areas, sitios or puroks are the preferred ways of subdividing barangays for administrative purposes. Each barangay is headed by a barangay captain.
Gated communities may either be a part of a barangay or a barangay itself. An example of a barangay coextensive with a gated community is Forbes Park, Makati City.
Sitios and Puroks
Below barangays are smaller communities known as sitios and puroks. Not all baranagays are so sub-divided. They leadership is not a recognized Local Government Unit and are not elected in regular general elections. Sitios and puroks are most common in less populated, rural barangays where you might have several pockets of population spread out over a wider area and surrounded by farms or undeveloped mountainsides, or even on different islands.
Geography
The Philippines is an archipelago comprising 7,107 islands with a total land area of 300,000 km2. The 11 largest islands contain 94% of the total land area. The largest of these islands is Luzon at about 105,000 km2. The next largest island isMindanao at about 95,000 km2. The archipelago is around 800 km from the Asianmainland and is located between Taiwan and Borneo.
The islands are divided into three groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Luzon islands include Luzon Island itself, Palawan, Mindoro, Marinduque, Masbateand Batanes Islands. The Visayas is the group of islands in the central Philippines, the largest of which are: Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Samar. The Mindanao islands include Mindanao itself, plus the Sulu Archipelago, composed primarily of Basilan, Sulu Island, and Tawi-Tawi.
The Philippine archipelago lies in Southeast Asia in a position that has led to its becoming a cultural crossroads - a place where Malays, Hindus, Arabs, Chinese, Spaniards, Americans, and others had interacted to forge a unique cultural and racial blend. The archipelago numbers some 7,107 islands; and the nation claims an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles (370 km) from its shores. The Philippines occupies an area that stretches for 1,850 kilometers from about the fifth to the twentieth parallels north latitude. The total land area is slightly more than 300,000 square kilometers. Only approximately 1,000 of its islands are populated, and fewer than one-half of these are larger than 2.5 square kilometers. Eleven islands make up 95 percent of the Philippine landmass, and two of these — Luzon and Mindanao — measure 105,000 and 95,000 square kilometers, respectively. They, together with the cluster of islands in Visayas in between them, represent the three principal regions of the archipelago that are identified by the three stars on the Philippine flag. Topographically, the Philippines is broken up by the sea, which gives it one of the longest coastlines of any nation in the world.
Off the coast of eastern Mindanao is the Philippine Trench, which descends to a depth of 10,430 meters. The Philippines is part of a western Pacific arc system characterized by active volcanoes. Among the most notable peaks are Mount Mayon near Legazpi City, Taal Volcano south of Manila, and Mount Apo in Mindanao. All of the Philippine islands are prone to earthquakes. The northern Luzon highlands, or Cordillera Central, rise to between 2,500 and 2,750 meters, and, together with the Sierra Madre in the northeastern portion of Luzon and the mountains of Mindanao, boast rain forests that provide refuge for numerous upland tribal groups. The rain forests also offer prime habitat for more than 500 species of birds, including the Philippine eagle (or monkey-eating eagle), some 800 species of orchids, and some 8,500 species of flowering plants.
The country's most extensive river systems are the Pulangi River, which flows into the Mindanao River (Rio Grande de Mindanao); the Agusan, in Mindanao which flows north into the Mindanao Sea; the Cagayan in northern Luzon; and the Pampanga, which flows south from east Central Luzon into Manila Bay. Laguna de Bay, east of Manila Bay, is the largest freshwater lake in the Philippines. Several rivers have been harnessed for hydroelectric power.
To protect the country's biological resources, the government has taken a first step of preparing a Biodiversity Action Plan to address conservation of threatened species.
National Anthem of The Philippines
Tagalog Lyrics
Lupang Hinirang
Bayang magiliw,
Perlas ng Silanganan
Alab ng puso
Sa dibdib mo'y buhay.
Lupang hinirang,
Duyan ka ng magiting,
Sa manlulupig
Di ka pasisiil.
Sa dagat at bundok
Sa simoy, at sa langit mong bughaw,
May dilag ang tula,
At awit sa paglayang minamahal.
Ang kislap ng wata wat mo'y
Tagumpay na nagniningning,
Ang bituin at araw niya
Kailan pa ma'y di magdidilim.
Lupa ng araw, ng luwalhatit pagsinta,
Buhay at langit sa piling mo.
Aming li gaya na pag may mangaapi
Ang mamatay nang da hil sa iyo.
The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe, and North America. The inhabitants of Japan experienced a long period of relative isolation from the outside world during the Tokugawa shogunate, until the arrival of "The Black Ships" and the Meiji period.
Japanese is the official and primary language of Japan, and is also used by most Japanese immigrant communities around the globe. It is an agglutinative language and the sound inventory of Japanese is relatively small but has a lexically distinct pitch-accent system. Early Japanese is known largely on the basis of its state in the 8th century, when the three major works of Old Japanese were compiled. The earliest attestation of the Japanese language is in a Chinese document from 252 AD.
Japanese is written with a combination of three scripts: hiragana, derived from the Chinese cursive script, katakana, derived as a shorthand from Chinese characters, and kanji, imported from China. The Latin alphabet, rōmaji, is also often used in modern Japanese, especially for company names and logos, advertising, and when inputting Japanese into a computer. The Hindu-Arabic numerals are generally used for numbers, but traditional Sino-Japanese numerals are also common.
Japanese Art
Historically, Japan has been subject to sudden invasions of new and alien ideas followed by long periods of minimal contact with the outside world. Over time the Japanese developed the ability to absorb, imitate, and finally assimilate those elements of foreign culture that complemented their aesthetic preferences. The earliest complex art in Japan was produced in the 7th and 8th centuries in connection with Buddhism. In the 9th century, as the Japanese began to turn away from China and develop indigenous forms of expression, the secular arts became increasingly important; until the late 15th century, both religious and secular arts flourished. After the Ōnin War (1467–1477), Japan entered a period of political, social, and economic disruption that lasted for over a century. In the state that emerged under the leadership of the Tokugawa shogunate, organized religion played a much less important role in people's lives, and the arts that survived were primarily secular.
Painting is the preferred artistic expression in Japan, practiced by amateurs and professionals alike. Until modern times, the Japanese wrote with a brush rather than a pen, and their familiarity with brush techniques has made them particularly sensitive to the values and aesthetics of painting. With the rise of popular culture in the Edo period, a style of woodblock prints called ukiyo-e became a major art form and its techniques were fine tuned to produce colorful prints of everything from daily news to schoolbooks. The Japanese, in this period, found sculpture a much less sympathetic medium for artistic expression; most Japanese sculpture is associated with religion, and the medium's use declined with the lessening importance of traditional Buddhism.
Japanese ceramics are among the finest in the world and include the earliest known artifacts of their culture. In architecture, Japanese preferences for natural materials and an interaction of interior and exterior space are clearly expressed.
Today, Japan rivals most other modern nations in its contributions to modern art, fashion and architecture, with creations of a truly modern, global, and multi-cultural (or acultural) bent.
Jōmon art
The first settlers of Japan, the Jōmon people (c 11000?–c 300 BC), named for the cord markings that decorated the surfaces of their clay vessels, were nomadic hunter-gatherers who later practiced organized farming and built cities with population of hundreds if not thousands. They built simple houses of wood and thatch set into shallow earthen pits to provide warmth from the soil. They crafted lavishly decorated pottery storage vessels, clay figurines called dogū, and crystal jewels.
Yayoi art
The next wave of immigrants was the Yayoi people, named for the district in Tokyo where remnants of their settlements first were found. These people, arriving in Japan about 350 BC, brought their knowledge of wetland rice cultivation, the manufacture of copper weapons and bronze bells (dōtaku), and wheel-thrown, kiln-fired ceramics.
Kofun art
A Sankakubuchi shinjūkyō(ja), or triangular-edged mirror with divine beast design
The third stage in Japanese prehistory, the Kofun, or Tumulus, period (c AD 250–552), represents a modification of Yayoi culture, attributable either to internal development or external force. The period is named for the large amounts kofun created during this period. In this period, diverse groups of people formed political alliances and coalesced into a nation. Typical artifacts are bronze mirrors, symbols of political alliances, and clay sculptures called haniwa which were erected outside tombs.
Japanese Music
The music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern. The word for music in Japanese is 音楽 (ongaku), combining the kanji 音 ("on" sound) with the kanji 楽 ("gaku" enjoyment).[1] Japan is the second largest music market in the world, behind the United States, and the largest in Asia,and most of the market is dominated by Japanese artists.[citation needed]
Local music often appears at karaoke venues, which is on lease from the record labels. Traditional Japanese music is quite different from Western Music and is based on the intervals of human breathing rather than mathematical timing. In 1873, a British traveler claimed that Japanese music, "exasperates beyond all endurance the European breast.
There are two forms of music recognized to be the oldest forms of traditional Japanese music. They are shōmyō (声明 or 聲明?), or Buddhist chanting, and gagaku (雅楽?) or orchestral court music, both of which date to the Nara and Heian periods.[citation needed] Gagaku is a type of classical music that has been performed at the Imperial court since the Heian period[citation needed]. Kagura-uta (神楽歌), Azuma-asobi(東遊) and Yamato-uta (大和歌) are indigenous repertories. Tōgaku (唐楽) and komagaku originated from the Chinese Tang dynasty via the Korean peninsula[citation needed]. In addition, gagaku is divided into kangen (管弦) (instrumental music) and bugaku (舞楽) (dance accompanied by gagaku).
Originating as early as the 13th century are honkyoku (本曲 "original pieces"). These are single (solo) shakuhachi (尺八) pieces played by mendicant Fuke sect priests of Zen buddhism[citation needed]. These priests, called komusō ("emptiness monk"), played honkyoku for alms and enlightenment. The Fuke sect ceased to exist in the 19th century, but a verbal and written lineage of many honkyoku continues today, though this music is now often practiced in a concert or performance setting.[citation needed] The samurai often listened to and performed in these music activities, in their practices of enriching their lives and understanding[citation needed].
[edit]Folk music
[edit]Biwa hōshi, Heike biwa, mōsō, and goze
The biwa (琵琶 - Chinese: pipa), a form of short-necked lute, was played by a group of itinerant performers (biwa hōshi) (琵琶法師) who used it to accompany stories.[citation needed] The most famous of these stories is The Tale of the Heike, a 12th century history of the triumph of the Minamoto clan over the Taira[citation needed]. Biwa hōshi began organizing themselves into a guild-like association (tōdō) for visually impaired men as early as the thirteenth century. This guild eventually controlled a large portion of the musical culture of Japan.[citation needed]
In addition, numerous smaller groups of itinerant blind musicians were formed especially in the Kyushu area[citation needed]. These musicians, known as mōsō (盲僧 blind monk) toured their local areas and performed a variety of religious and semi-religious texts to purify households and bring about good health and good luck. They also maintained a repertory of secular genres. The biwa that they played was considerably smaller than the Heike biwa (平家琵琶) played by the biwa hōshi.[citation needed]
Lafcadio Hearn related in his book Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things "Mimi-nashi Hoichi" (Hoichi the Earless), a Japanese ghost story about a blind biwa hōshi who performs "The Tale of the Heike"
Blind women, known as goze (瞽女), also toured the land since the medieval era, singing songs and playing accompanying music on a lap drum.[citation needed] From the seventeenth century they often played the koto or the shamisen. Goze organizations sprung up throughout the land, and existed until recently in what is today Niigata prefecture.[citation needed]
Japenese Education
In Japan, education is compulsory at the elementary and lower secondary levels.[1] Most students attend public schools through the lower secondary level, but private education is popular at the upper secondary and university levels. Japan's education system played a central part in Japan's recovery and rapid economic growth in the decades following the end of World War II.
After World War II, the Fundamental Law of Education and the School Education Law were enacted in 1947 under the direction of the occupation forces. The latter law defined the school system that is still in effect today: six years of elementary school, three years of junior high school, three years of high school, two or four years of university.
Education prior to elementary school is provided at kindergartens and day-care centers. Public and private day-care centers take children from under age one on up to five years old. The programmes for those children aged 3–5 resemble those at kindergartens. The educational approach at kindergartens varies greatly from unstructured environments that emphasize play to highly structured environments that are focused on having the child pass the entrance exam at a private elementary school
Japanese Celebrations
Sapporo Snow Festival (Hokkaido)
Sapporo Yuki Matsuri is one of the largest festivals of the year in Sapporo, held in February for one week. It began in 1950 when high school students built snow statues in Odori Park, central Sapporo. The event is now very large and commercialized. About a dozen large sculptures are built for the festival along with around 100 smaller snow and ice sculptures. Several concerts and other events are also held.
Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival
Lake Shikotsu is the northernmost ice-free lake which is 363 meters deep. This festival features a moss-covered cave, which has evergreen draped on the inside and is covered in ice (Gianola, 2008). This festival is held from late January to mid February. This festival features ice sculptures, small and large. At night the sculptures are illuminated by different colored lights. There is a fireworks show during the festival as well. Admission is free. Amasake (hot sake) is available for purchase to enjoy (2008 Ministry of Land).
Lake Towada Snow Festival
This lake festival is held in the beginning of February. Held in the town of Yasumiya, this festival is on the south side of lake Towada (near the wooden statues). This festival is open all day, but at 5pm one can enjoy activities such as going through a snow maze, exploring a Japanese igloo, and eat foods from Aomori and Akita prefectures. There is a fireworks show and events held on an ice stage.
Aomori Nebuta Festival
This festival is held annually and features colorful lantern floats called nebuta which are pulled through the streets of Central Aomori. This festival is held from about August 2–7 every year. This event attracts millions of visitors. During this festival, 20 large nebuta floats are paraded through the streets near Aomori JR rail station. These floats are constructed of wooden bases and metal frames. Japanese papers, called washi, are painted onto the frames. These amazing floats are finished off with the historical figures or kabuki being painted on the paper. These floats can take up to a year to complete. There is a dance portion of this festival. There are haneto dancers and they wear special costumes for this dance. Everyone is welcome to purchase their own haneto costume that they may too join in on the fun (Mishima, Aomori Nebuta Festival).
Nango Summer Jazz Festival
This event is held every year. Thousands of artists from all over Tohoku and even further regions come to Nango to perform. This is the largest open-air jazz concert held in Tohoku region. This festival began in 1989, in a small venue indoors. There was such a large response from the fans that is was expanded into a large annual festival. One must purchase tickets for this event (Bernard, 2007). This summer jazz festival doesn't cost anything but you still need to receive a ticket to enter.
Cherry blossom festivals
Japan celebrates the entire season of the cherry blossoms. All over Japan festivals are held which include food and at night beautiful lanterns. An interesting fact concerning cherry blossoms:
According to a study, plants in urban areas have plants that bloom are blooming faster. From evidence at a cherry arboretum at Mt. Takao, early flowering of the cherry blossoms is happening due to the larger response to temperature variation (Primack, Higuchi, & Miller-Rushing, 2009).
Some locations of cherry blossom festivals include:
Yaedake Cherry Blossom Festival in Okinawa. This festival takes place from late January – mid February
Matsuyama Shiroyama Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Matsuyama-city, Ehime. This festival takes place early April.
Matsue Jozan Koen Festival in Matsue-city, Shimane. This festival has a feature of illuminating the cherry blossom trees at night. This festival takes place late March-early April.
Tsuyama Kakuzan Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Tsuyama-city, Okayama. Japanese tea ceremonies and music performers are held at these festivals. This festival is held early-mid April.
Takato Joshi Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Takato-machi Ina-city, Nagano prefecture. The trees in this region have pink blossoms. This festival is held early April.
Takada Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Joetsu-city, Niigata prefecture. This festival is held early-mid April.
Kitakami Tenshochi Cherry Blossom Festival in Kitakami-city, Iwate. This festival is held mid April-early May.
Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival held in Hirosaki Koen Hirosaki-city, Aomori prefecture. This festival is held late April-early May (Mishima, Cherry Blossom Festivals 2010).
Hadaka Matsuri
The origins of Hadaka Matsuri date back 500 years when worshippers competed to receive paper talismans called Go-o thrown by the priest. These paper talismans were tokens of the completion of New Year ascetic training by the priests. As those people receiving these paper talismans had good things happen to them, the number of people requesting them increased year by year. However, as paper was easily torn, the talismans were changed to the wooden ofuda that we know today.
Naoi-shinji, also known as "Hadaka Matsuri (naked festival)", started in the year 767 AD, the Nara Period. This right was founded on the fact that the governor of Owari Province (presently Aichi Prefecture) visited the Owari Shosha Shrine (Konomiya shrine) to drive away evil spirits and calamities, because Emperor Shotoku ordered all the kokubun-ji* to offer invocations to dispel plagues.
It is said that the form of the festival, a struggle to touch the Naoinin or Shin-otoko (man of god), is reminiscent of the struggle in old times between the assemblage of lower-ranking Shinto priests called shanin and contributors tried to catch and set up a man for naoinin (shin-otoko), an unlucky poor man, who was unwilling to take the role.[citation needed]
Nationwide festivals
Fixed days
Seijin Shiki: Coming of Age Day (second Monday of January)
Hinamatsuri: Doll Festival (March 3)
Hanami: Flower Viewing (late March to early April)
Tanabata: star festival (July 7)
Shichi-Go-San: festival day for children aged three, five and seven (November 15)
Ōmisoka: New Year's Eve (December 31)
Multiple days
Setsubun: division of season (beginning of each of the four seasons) (February 3)
Ennichi: temple fair (holy days related to Kami and/or Buddha)
[edit]Bunkasai
Japanese Cultural Festival
New Year (正月 Shōgatsu)?)
Date: January 1-3 (related celebrations take place throughout January)
Other Names: Oshōgatsu (O is an honorific prefix)
Information: New Year observances are the most elaborate of Japan's annual events. Before the New Year, homes are cleaned, debts are paid off, and osechi (food in lacquered trays for the New Year) is prepared or bought. Osechi foods are traditional foods which are chosen for their lucky colors, shapes, or lucky-sounding names in hopes of obtaining good luck in various areas of life during the new year. Homes are decorated and the holidays are celebrated by family gatherings, visits to temples or shrines, and formal calls on relatives and friends. The first day of the year (ganjitsu) is usually spent with members of the family.
People try to stay awake and eat toshikoshisoba, noodles to be eaten at midnight. People also visit Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Traditionally[citation needed] three are visited. This is called sansha-mairi. In the Imperial Palace at dawn on the 1st, the Emperor performs the rite of shihōhai (worship of the four quarters), in which he offers prayers for the well-being of the nation. On January 2 the public is allowed to enter the inner palace grounds; the only other day this is possible is the Emperor's birthday (December 23). On the 2nd and 3rd days acquaintances visit one another to extend greetings (nenshi) and sip otoso (a spiced rice wine). Some games played at New Year's are karuta (a card game), hanetsuki (similar to badminton), tako age (kiteflying), and komamawashi (spinning tops). These games are played to bring more luck for the year. Exchanging New Year's greeting cards (similar to Christmas Cards ) is another important Japanese custom. Also special allowances are given to children, which are called otoshidama. They also decorate their entrances with kagami mochi (two mochi rice balls placed one on top of the other, with a tangerine on top), and kadomatsu (pine tree decorations).
A later New Year's celebration, Koshōgatsu, literally means "Small New Year" and starts with the first full moon of the year (around January 15). The main events of Koshōgatsu are rites and practices praying for a bountiful harvest.
Doll Festival (雛祭り Hina-matsuri?)
Date: March 3
Other Names: Sangatsu Sekku (3rd month Festival), Momo Sekku (Peach Festival), Joshi no Sekku (Girls' Festival)
Information: This is the day when families pray for the happiness and prosperity of their girls and to help ensure that they grow up healthy and beautiful. The celebration takes place both inside the home and at the seashore. Both parts are meant to ward off evil spirits from girls. Young girls put on their best kimonos and visit their friends' homes. Tiered platforms for hina ningyō (hina dolls; a set of dolls representing the emperor, empress, attendants, and musicians in ancient court dress) are set up in the home, and the family celebrates with a special meal of hishimochi (diamond-shaped rice cakes) and shirozake (rice malt with sake).
Hanami (花見?)
Hanami party along Sakai River in Beppu, Oita
Date: April
Other Names: Hanami (flower viewing), Cherry Blossom Festival
Information: Various flower festivals are held at Shinto shrines during the month of April. Excursions and picnics for enjoying flowers, particularly cherry blossoms are also common, as well as many drinking parties often to be seen in and around auspicious parks and buildings. In some areas the peach blossom, the traditional flower of Japan (the Cherry being a symbol from the Edo period symbolising the Samurai culture), is viewed as well though this flowers earlier than the Cherry. In some places flower viewing parties are held on traditionally fixed dates. This is one of the most popular events during spring. The subject of flower viewing has long held an important place in literature, dance and the fine arts. Ikebana (flower arrangement) is also a popular part of Japanese culture and is still practiced by many people today. Some main things people do during this event are: games, folk songs, folk dance, flower displays, rides, parades, concerts, kimono shows, booths with food and other things, beauty pageant, and religious ceremonies. Families go out during weekends to see the cherry blossoms, and participate in the many festivals and activities.
Tanabata (七夕?)
Date: July 7
Other Names: The Star Festival
Information: It originated from a Chinese folk legend concerning two stars-the Weaver Star (Vega) and the Cowherd Star (Altair)-who were said to be lovers who could meet only once a year on the 7th night of the 7th month provided it didn't rain and flood the Milky Way. It was named Tanabata after a weaving maiden from a Japanese legend, named Orihime who was believed to make clothes for the gods. People often write wishes and romantic aspirations on long, narrow strips of coloured paper and hang them on bamboo branches along with other small ornaments.
Bon Festival (盆 bon?)
Date: August 13–15
Information: A Buddhist observance honoring the spirits of ancestors. Usually a "spirit altar" (shōryōdana) is set up in front of the Butsudan (buddhist family altar) to welcome the ancestors' souls. A priest is usually asked to come and read a sutra (tanagyō). Among the traditional preparations for the ancestors' return are the cleaning of grave sites and preparing a path from them to the house and the provision of straw horses or oxen for the ancestors' transportation. The welcoming fire (mukaebi) built on the 13th and the send-off fire (okuribi) built on the 15th or 16th are intended to light the path.
[edit]Japanese Lantern Floating Festival (灯籠流し Tōrō nagashi?)
Date: July 19, 2012
Information: The Usual practice to mark the end of the Bon Festival. Small paper lanterns containing a burning flame are either set afloat to a river, lake or sea or they are let go and float away into the night. Their light is intended to guide the way for deceased family members' spirits. Usually the person who lets the lantern go will write a message on the side.
"7-5-3" Festival (七五三 Shichi-go-san?)
Date: November 15
Information: Five-year-old boys and seven- or three-year-old girls are taken to the local shrine to pray for their safe and healthy future. This festival started because of the belief that children of certain ages were especially prone to bad luck and hence in need of divine protection. Children are usually dressed in traditional clothing for the occasion and after visiting the shrine many people buy chitose-ame ("thousand-year candy") sold at the shrine.
Preparation for the New Year and Year-end fair
Date: late December
Other Names: Year-end (年の瀬 toshi no se?),Year-end Fair (年の市 Toshi no Ichi?)
Information: Preparations for seeing in the new year were originally undertaken to greet the toshigami, or deity of the incoming year. These begin on the 13th of December, when the house was given a thorough cleaning; the date is usually nearer the end of the month now. The house is then decorated in the traditional fashion: A sacred rope of straw (shimenawa) with dangling white paper strips (shide) is hung over the front door to prevent evil spirits from entering and to show the presence of the toshigami. It is also customary to place kadomatsu, an arrangement of tree sprigs, beside the entrance way. A special altar, known as toshidana ("year shelf"), is piled high with kagamimochi (flat, round rice cakes), sake (rice wine), persimmons, and other foods in honor of the toshigami. A fair is traditionally held in late December at shrines, temples or in local neighborhoods. This is in preparation for the new year holidays. Decorations and sundry goods are sold at the fair. Originally these year-end fairs provided opportunities for farmers, fisherfolk and mountain dwellers to exchange goods and buy clothes and other necessities for the coming year.
Ōmisoka (大晦日 Ōmisoka?)
Date: December 31
Information: People do the general house cleaning (Ōsōji) to welcome coming year and not to keep having impure influences. Many people visit Buddhist temples to hear the temple bells rung 108 times at midnight (joya no kane). This is to announce the passing of the old year and the coming of the new. The reason they are rung 108 times is because of the Buddhist belief that human beings are plagued by 108 earthly desires or passions (bonnō). With each ring one desire is dispelled. It is also a custom to eat toshikoshi-soba in the hope that one's family fortunes will extend like the long noodle
Japan Administrative Division
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is limited, relegated primarily to ceremonial duties. His role is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people".
Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected members of the Diet, while sovereignty is vested in the Japanese people.[1] The Emperor effectively acts as the head of state on diplomatic occasions. Akihito is the current Emperor of Japan. Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan, stands as next in line to the throne.
Japan's legislative organ is the National Diet, a bicameral parliament. The Diet consists of a House of Representatives, containing 480 seats, elected by popular vote every four years or when dissolved and a House of Councillors of 242 seats, whose popularly elected members serve six-year terms. There is universal suffrage for adults over 20 years of age,[2] with a secret ballot for all elective offices.[1] In 2009, the social liberal Democratic Party of Japan took power after 54 years of the liberal conservative Liberal Democratic Party's rule.
The Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government. The position is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet (the literal translation of his Japanese title is "Prime Minister of the Cabinet") and appoints and dismisses the Ministers of State, a majority of whom must be Diet members. Shinzo Abe currently serves as the Prime Minister of Japan.
Politics under the Postwar Constitution
Historically influenced by Chinese law, the Japanese legal system developed independently during the Edo period through texts such as Kujikata Osadamegaki. However, since the late 19th century, the judicial system has been largely based on the civil law of Europe, notably France and Germany. For example, in 1896, the Japanese government established a civil code based on the German model. With post–World War II modifications, the code remains in effect in present-day Japan.Statutory law originates in Japan's legislature, the National Diet of Japan, with the rubber stamp approval of the Emperor. The current constitution requires that the Emperor promulgates legislation passed by the Diet, without specifically giving him the power to oppose the passing of the legislation.Japan's court system is divided into four basic tiers: the Supreme Court and three levels of lower courts. The main body of Japanese statutory law is a collection called the Six Codes.
Legislative branch
Main article: Diet of Japan
The National Diet of Japan is Japan's legislature. It consists of two houses: the House of Representatives of Japan and the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system.
House of Councillors
Of the 242 members in the House of Councillors, 146 are elected from 47 prefectural constituencies by means of the Single Non-Transferable Vote. The remaining 96 are elected by party list PR from a single national list.
Executive branch
The executive branch reports to the Diet. The chief of the executive branch, the Prime Minister, is appointed by the Emperor as directed by the Diet. He must be a member of either house of the Diet and a civilian. The Cabinet, which he organizes, must also be civilian. The Constitution states that the majority of the Cabinet must be elected members of either house of the Diet, the precise wording leaving an opportunity to appoint non-elected officials.
Prime Minister
Main article: Prime Minister of Japan
The Prime Ministers of Japan from the year 2000.
Cabinet
Japan Geography
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Location:
Japan consists of several thousands of islands, of which Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are the four largest. Japan's closest neighbors are Korea, Russia and China. The Sea of Japan separates the Asian continent from the Japanese archipelago.
Area:
Japan's area is comparable to that of Germany or California. Japan's northernmost islands are located on a similar geographical latitude as Milan or Portland, while her southernmost islands are on a similar latitude as the Bahamas. More than 50% of the country is mountainous and covered by forests. Japan is politically structured into 8 regions and 47 prefectures.
Population:
The population of Japan is about 125,000,000, including approximately two million foreign residents. More than half of the non Japanese population is of Korean descent.
Earthquakes and Volcanos:
Because Japan is located in a region, where several continental plates meet, the country experiences frequent earthquakes. Please visit the special page about earthquakes. For the same reason, there are many volcanos in Japan. Japan's most famous volcano and highest mountain is Mt.Fuji.
Climate:
Due to the large North South extension of the country, the climate varies strongly in different regions. The climate in most of the major cities, including Tokyo, is temperate to subtropic and consists of four seasons. The winter is mild and the summer is hot and humid. There is a rainy season in early summer, and typhoons hit parts of the country every year during late summer. The climate of the northern island of Hokkaido and the Sea of Japan coast is colder, and snow falls in large amounts. In Okinawa, on the other hand, the mean temperature of January is a warm 17 degrees Celsius.
Japan's National Anthem
Kimi ga yo wa
Chiyo ni,
Yachiyo ni
Sazare ishi no,
Iwao to narite,
Koke no musu made.
Submitted by:
Densther See
John Michael Lasap
Mart John Jaylo
Wilson Empleo
Rodel Lesano
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