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Hawaii Culture Research Paper

Decent Essays

The “Japa-waiian” Lifestyle Hawaii Customs that Originated in Japan

As an Asian-Hawaiian child growing up in Hawaii, I was brought up with a lifestyle that mixed traditions from Hawaii and the Orient. Looking back into my childhood, I noticed that a lot of customs from my Japanese culture were more prominent in the mixture of conventions I was taught to practice in life. Celebrating holidays like “Hina Matsuri”(Girl’s Day), wearing traditional Japanese clothing like “Kimono”, and not being able to wear my slippers or shoes in the house, or else I would risk getting two left hooks to my ribs from grandma, are just some of the aspects of tradition that were incorporated into my life. Today, these customs are deeply rooted and have contributed …show more content…

For the locals who are “on the go”, they will almost always go for the “musubi “ that is conveniently sold at every gas station in Hawaii. Its quite affordable as well as portable, which likely makes it more attainable for quick eating. People who have been raised in Hawaii are practically programed to kick their shoes off before entering a house. It is known as important household etiquette as well as a strict rule to be followed always.
How might have these Japanese customs help to develop the Hawaii lifestyle that we know today? Lets start from the beginning, when immigration from the land of the rising sun to the aloha state took place. In the 1800’s Hawaii became introduced to a society based on plantations. Many U.S business people went there to become owners of large fruit and sugar fields. But who would help manage those fields? It was then that plantation proprietors started to recruit Japanese immigrants for the job, making Hawaii a, “…major destination for immigrants from Japan…” (“Imigration” Para. …show more content…

4) in our daily lives. In more prominent ways, Japanese culture can be noticed through cuisine and religion. “Buddhism” and “Shintoism” are the two significant religions of Japan, though in Hawaii more buddhist temples are seen rather than shinto shrines. Besides the majority of the Japanese population in Hawaii, buddhism is also practiced by a great amount of Hawaii locals. The only set back being, “The only temple activities that cater to non- Japanese…are taiko drumming and meditation.” (Borup

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