Introduction

Culture is the totally of learned, socially transited costume, knowledge, material objects,
and behaviour. Culture includes the ideas, values and artifacts of groups of people. In
sociological terms, culture does not refer solely to the fine arts and refined intellectual
taste. Culture consists of all objects and ideas within society, including ice cream cones,
rock music and slang words. All societies have developed certain common practices and
beliefs, known as cultural universals. Sociologist William F. Ogburn made a useful
distinction between the elements of material and nonmaterial culture. Material culture
refers to the physical or technological aspects of our daily lives, for example, food,
houses, cloths etc. In this presentation, we see that the manner in which culture
universals are expressed varies from culture to culture.

Indian Cuisine
North Indian cuisine boasts of a diet rich in meat and uses spices and ingredients such
as yogurt and ghee in dishes that are elaborate without being overly spicy. Here, bread
and chapati (wheat-flour pancakes) replaces rice, which is the center of most South
Indian meals. Coconut milk, mustard seeds, and chilies are also widely used in the
Southern province.
Spices are the heart and soul of Indian cooking. But the quantity and proportions vary
with the geographical boundaries. Curry powder is almost never used. Spices are freshly
grounded and added in many different combinations. Spices commonly used are
coriander, turmeric, cumin, chilies, fennel, and fenugreek. Other fragrant spices added
are cardamom, clove, cinnamon and star aniseed.

Indian Costume
A sari or saree or shari is the traditional female garment in India,Bangladesh, Nepal,
and Sri Lanka. A sari is a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine metres in
length that is draped over the body in various styles. The most common style is for the
sari to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder baring
the midriff.The sari is usually worn over a petticoat (pavada/pavadai in the south, and
shaya in eastern India), with a blouse known as a choli or forming the upper garment.
The choli has short sleeves and a low neck and is usually cropped, and as such is
particularly well-suited for wear in the sultry South Asian summers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osiY9AxZtog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prQOdTmF8u0&feature=related

Japanese Cuisine
Tempura, sukiyaki, sashimi, sushi – even the words used to describe the most basic of
Japanese dishes and Japanese cuisine are exotic and beautiful. Japanese cuisine is
easily one of the healthiest in the world, with its concentration on fresh fish, seafood, rice
and vegetables. The pungent sauces and delicate flavors of fresh foods complement
each other beautifully, and the methods of presentation turn even simple meals into
beautiful events.
This Japanese New Years cuisine is known as ''Shougatsu Ryouri''or sometimes as ''O-
Sechi Ryouri''. It is usually eaten over the course of 3-days, so it typically consisted
mostly of salted, preserved and pickled foods so as to not go bad. It is traditionally
stored in a multi-story lacquered box set, with each set holding different types of foods.
All the cuisine served holds some sort of symbolic meaning.

Japanese Costume

When a young Japanese woman turns 20 years old, she is recognised as an adult.
Many parents buy the Furisode for their daughters to celebrate this significant point in a
young woman's life. Furisode is a formal kimono for single women, it is brightly colored
and made of very fine quality silk. In the very modest Japanese society wearing a
Furisode is a very obvious statement. It is a very loud and clear advertisement that the
single woman is available for marriage.

For a young women having a traditional Japanese wedding, they wear the most
gorgeous Kimono called Uchikake. If you look carefully you will be able to see how the
Uchikake is very long and would touch the ground if it was not held up. Unlike traditional
Western wedding dresses, that have train or material that flows along the ground at the
back of the dress, the Uchikake is long all the way around. The bride has to be assisted
by one of her attendants to walk in this kimono.

Japanese Music
There is a tremendous diversity in traditional Japanese dance, from court and religious
dance to the ritualistic noh dance-drama and theatrical kabuki dance. In modern times,
Japan ﾕ s avant-garde butoh dance has also attracted international interest.

Historically, kagura (dance of the gods) is the oldest form of dance in Japan. Originally
performed by shamans, its influence is perceived in all Shinto dances performed at
shrines today to appease or attract the favor of the deities.

From the 6th century, Japan received a great deal of cultural influence from other parts
of Asia, especially China and Korea. The earliest imported dance was a form of masked
dance-drama called gigaku, which came to Japan from Korea in 612. The main legacy
from gigaku was a two-man shishimai dance, which is the ancestor of all lion dances in
Japan today. From the 7th to 8th centuries in particular, a wide range of Korean and
Chinese music and dance were introduced, and came to be known under the generic
terms gagaku (court music) and bugaku (court dance). This bugaku was characterized
by richly costumed dancers and the accompaniment of gagaku.

Outside the court, bugaku was also performed at shrines and temples along with kagura
and Buddhist ceremonial dance. It is still performed to a limited extent today.

Japanese Music

The Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573 1603 A.D.), is important in the historical

development of several instruments. The primitive recorder was modified to become the
artistic shakuhachi, while the old court zither became the more sonorous koto. The
shamisen (a three-stringed balalaika-type guitar) also took on its present shape. All
these instruments achieved great popularity in the Edo Period (1603-1868) by various
routes.
Shakuhachi was originally played as a part of a Zen service or practice and was the
favorite instrument among wandering Buddhist priests. Although the shakuhachi became
a purely musical instrument performed by musicians, solo pieces with strong religious
significance are still regarded as the most important form of shakuhachi music. It also
started to be used with the shamisen and koto as pure music without emphasizing its
religious background. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHRONroYFY4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spO-WvyoOgI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXDv6CdG0XQ&NR=1

The shamisen is used for accompaniment of two types of vocal music: melodious
singing and narrative singing. The former type of shamisen music developed in two
different directions, Jiuta and Nagauta; Jiuta has been enjoyed as pure music, following
an independent existence as music itself; Nagauta was formed as accompaniment for
dancing in traditional Kabuki dramas. Later Nagauta has come to be played by itself
without dancing in much the same way as the original was played as an accompaniment
for dancing. Several styles of shamisen music have been derived from these two major
types.