The country of Japan has no shortage of strange legends and taboos, as long as you are brave enough to explore because many are also scary!
The following beliefs are closely related to the lives of the Japanese people. Most of them stem from historical events, myths, puns, and for no particular reason.
But anyway, “customary entry” , if you intend to come to Japan or simply love the culture of cherry blossoms, then just know the following things for sure.
“Whistle at night, snakes will visit you” is a warning of the Japanese for those who have the habit of whistling regardless of time.
There are two reasons for this prohibition. First, people fear that the snake will appear according to the whistle (by some supernatural force).
Second, snake is a word that refers to people who are not transparent, often active at night in ancient Japan such as human traffickers, thieves and other rogue elements. They often use whistles as “codes” to communicate with each other.
In general, whether it’s snakes or “snake” youths, you don’t want to meet them, right? Then be careful with your lips!
The thumb in Japanese is called oya yubi, where oya means “parent”. Therefore, the Japanese believe that when the hearse (symbol of death) passes, cover your thumb to avoid bringing bad luck to your parents.
Another rumor says that the spirit of the dead can enter you through the fingernail of the thumb, so it must be covered.
The Japanese way of saying “cut your nails at night” sounds a lot like “life shortened”, both related to the transliteration yo-tsume. Therefore, some Japanese advise you not to cut your nails after the sun has set, to avoid harm to your body.
Another explanation is that the old Japanese used to cut their nails with a knife. So if you do this at dusk, chances are the slash will take more than one nail!
“If you lie down right after your meal, you’ll be turned into a cow!” This is a joke that scares lazy kids who don’t help their parents clean up after eating.
The Japanese say that hearing the crow’s cry means bad luck is coming, someone will die or even a big earthquake.
Of course this is not real but only related to a Japanese legend. It is said that a large crow named Yatagarasu is the “message of calamity”, it flies to when the gods want to intervene in human affairs.
This belief is also quite common. It originates from the Buddhist funeral tradition: the deceased is placed in the north. So if we sleep in the north direction, we will not be lucky.
The country of the Rising Sun often suffers from heavy rains and storms, so the gods representing nature like the Thunder God Raijin are very feared by the people. But according to legend, god Raijin is also very naughty, loves the belly button of children.
Therefore, Japanese mothers often tell their children to cover their stomachs when they hear thunder, lest they will be “kidnapped” by the god Raijin and eat their navel!
If the West believes that breaking a mirror will bring bad luck, for the Japanese, it is breaking a comb.
This belief is associated with the deity Izanagi-no-Mikoto and his wife, who are said to have given birth to many islands in Japan. When my wife had to go down to the dead, Izanag-no-Mikoto was so loved that he pulled out a comb from his hair, lighting it up to see his wife one last time.
Another explanation is that the old combs were very delicately crafted and expensive, so of course people must cherish them to the fullest.