
RELIGION
Religion in Japan is a wonderful mish-mash of ideas from Shintoism and Buddhism. Unlike in the West, religion in Japan is rarely preached, nor is it a doctrine. Instead it is a moral code, a way of living, almost indistinguishable from Japanese social and cultural values.
THE MEANING OF COLORS IS:
BLACK:
Black is a powerful and foreboding color in Japanese culture. Traditionally, black has represented death, destruction, doom, fear and sorrow. Especially when used alone, black represents mourning and misfortune, and is often worn to funerals. Black has also traditionally been a color of formality, and has increasingly come to represent elegance, with the growing popularity of Western conceptions of black tie events.
WHITE:
White has been an auspicious color in Japan for much of its history. White represents purity and cleanliness in traditional Japanese society, and is seen as a blessed color. Because of the sacred nature of the color, white is the color of weddings and other joyful life events, and appears on the Japanese flag.
RED:
Red is a powerful color in traditional Japanese society, representing strong emotions rather than ideas. As the color of the sun in Japanese culture and on the Japanese flag, red is the color of energy, vitality, heat, and power. Red also represents love and intimacy, including sexual desire and the life force and energy in people.
GREEN:
Green is the color of fertility and growth in traditional Japanese culture. As the color of nature, the Japanese word for green, midori, is also the word for vegetation. In addition, the color green represents youth and vitality, and the energy of growth. Green can also represent eternity, since evergreen trees never lose their leaves or stop growing.



