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Knowing the Rich Japanese Culture

The Japanese culture has developed over the years. From the ancient and classical Japan, to the birth of the samurais, and now a modern Japanese culture came to exist. Of course, many neighboring countries influenced it and it has played a great role in shaping the modern Japanese culture. It has been a combination of various cultures and although it has experienced isolation from the world during the Tokugawa reign, it has still that distinct Japanese culture. It does not only depict the creativity and the independence of the Japanese people, it also reflects the strength of the Japanese by heart. Japanese culture is indeed rich in the field of arts, music, literature, and many more. From its classical roots, Japan is known for their traditional art forms and their artistic nature. It has brought the world the wide range of manga and comics. Japanese culture consists of the many anime artists that made Japanese animation known throughout the world. Video games, music, and entertainment shows from Japan has lead great contribution to the cyber industry.

During the ancient period, Japanese culture consisted of traditional music, geisha, samurai and many more. The geishas were trained from childhood and there were geisha houses that shelter them. This was part of the tradition that formed the Japanese culture. Another unique thing is the language they use. The Japanese language plays a vital role in the Japanese culture. It is widely spoken in Japan and many Westerners learn it. Japanese is written in three ways. The hiragana, the katakana and the kanji are the three scripts. The kanji was imported from China while the katakana contains Chinese characters.

Calligraphy is also part of the Japanese culture, which is the way of writing characters in a very artistic way. Sumi-e or ink painting is the art of painting an object or scene. Another form of Japanese art that is a part of the Japanese culture is the Ikebana. It is the art of flower arrangement and is still widely used in Japan as well as in other countries. When it comes to theater arts, the Japanese culture is very remarkable. They have traditional theaters, which are unique in the Japanese culture. There are basically four types of theaters in Japan, particularly the noh, kyogen, kabuki and the bunraku. Performers used masks to depict the characters. Most of the time, they express emotions through their actions and dialogue. Part of the Japanese culture is the bunraku which dates back during the Heian period. It is actually a puppet theater, which highlight historical plays.

When it comes to clothing, the kimono is the traditional garment for the Japanese people. They come in a variety of colors and designs. The yukata have lighter colors and usually worn during the summer time. Most men prefer to wear the kimonos that have dark colors. You can look for kimonos in shops at Nagoya, Mei, and Tokyo. But nowadays, the kimonos are used by Japanese on special occasions. Indeed the Japanese culture is rich in variety and has its distinct characteristics that make it one of the best cultures in the world.

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Camping Hints For People With Kids

Today more than ever camping grounds have seen a big influx in the number of people that are looking towards more affordable holidays, especially young families that are watching their pennies now a days. When we were younger we could just carry our tents in a back pack and we would then go hiking until we want to pull up and camp for the night this was so easy all you did was clear the ground and put a ground sheet down and you then popped your tent up.

Today though the modern camper takes everything from home that is not nailed down, camping stores have even an ensuite complete with shower and a chemical toilet how spoilt is that! I have watched campers over the years and saw them try to cope with small children that weren’t walking and trying to keep them quiet when they woke up at early in the am. When I had children I made a pact with my husband that we wouldn’t take the kids camping until they were walking. Some people might disagree but this is what worked best for me.

When you are getting outfitted for your camping holiday always buy a tent size up to what you think that you will need. If you do this it will allow more space to keep your luggage, toys and other essentials that you will need.

If you go to a caravan park or trailer park some of the facilities they have will certainly impress you. From the activities that they have on site, to babysitting, games rooms, kid’s playground equipment, plaster painting. Even some of the bigger parks put on a show at night for the guests.

Hints and tips when camping

• When you are at your camping spot plan to arrive about lunch time as this will give you time to have the kids run around and burn off some of that energy that they have.

• Take a thermos and fill up with something that you will be able to feed everyone in a hurry. Yes I know your camping but it all takes time setting tent up getting the dinner prepared. I like to have soup, hot dogs or casserole. Any meal will do as long as it can be served up in a hurry, little children will be tired and hungry at the end of the first night.

• As a Mom I like to also do a few meals that I can freeze this just sometimes makes it a little easier on myself as it gives me the night off cooking

• A flash light is the best thing for spotting the night life so make sure you pack one and keep it handy I found also to make sure everyone has a job to do to help put up the tent, the girls had to hold the tent pegs and hand them to Daddy, I needed to lay the poles out so they were all matched up and Hubby had to do the other bits and pieces. This way everyone made a contribution to the holiday and the same happened for the packing up.

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Activities to Help Children Prepare for Their First Camping Trip

Taking your child on his very first camping trip can be very exciting for you and your child. It can also be very scary, especially for your child. In order to ease your child’s fears, I have put together some suggestions that might help you and your child to prepare for the first time in the Great Outdoors. These activities are a way of helping your child get some experience and comfort with the outdoors without being far away from home for days at a time.

The best way to help your child get acquainted with camping is to have a campout that isn’t too far away. In other words, have the campout in your own backyard. This allows the family to have the experience of camping out without leaving the security of the house. Being in your own backyard has the advantage of canceling the campout if the weather turns bad.

You may also decide to ease into camping by having a series of campouts in the backyard. For each additional camping adventure, you can add on a responsibility. For instance, the first trip might include setting up the tent and sleeping out. For smaller children, they will be able to focus on setting up the tent properly. The next trip might include building a fire to cook a snack. Your child will be able to focus on building and maintaining a camp fire safely.

Another trip could focus mainly on planning and preparing food. I know that most children think that camp food consists of hot dogs and s’mores, but they can quickly learn that there are a variety of healthy, tasty meals that are easy to prepare over a fire.

Other camping trips can help children learn how to use different types of camping equipment. Even though each of these outings has a main focus, your child will also be practicing some of the things that are fundamental to camping. For instance, every time, your child will experience a night outdoors in a sleeping bag. This will help him to gain experience and confidence for camping away from your home.

Other activities that you can enjoy with your child on these regular camping trips in your backyard are searching the sky for constellations, listening to the different night sounds, and enjoying special nighttime snacks.

If you are worried that your child isn’t ready for camping in the backyard or you would like more activities to prepare your child for a camping trip, here are some additional suggestions to get him familiar with the outdoors to eliminate his fears.

You can take your child (even a group of children) on a small hike in the woods at a local park. While there, you can teach your child about safety and how to respect nature. You may also be able to teach him some outdoor skills and outdoor ethics.

You may decide to take your child to a nature center. This would allow him to experience nature a bit more than just the local park. You could also go fishing at a local pond or stream. Most children love to learn how to fish. Even having a picnic is an excellent way to experience the outdoors.

On days that you don’t have the time to plan a full day of activity, you could easily go on an evening walk or a flashlight walk. Your child will be able to experience more of nature in the evenings and at night because the hustle of the day dies down and you will be able to hear nature better.

Don’t forget that simply reading a book about camping will also help your child to become familiar with camping which will help to lessen his fear.

Happy Camping!