🏮 Strange but Fascinating: Bizarre Japanese Customs From History

Japan is known for its blend of ancient tradition and futuristic innovation. But beneath the cherry blossoms and neon lights lies a cultural history full of surprising, sometimes bizarre customs. These aren’t just old-fashioned quirks—they reveal deep beliefs about beauty, honor, shame, and even the supernatural.

Here are some of the most fascinating customs from Japan’s past that might make you smile, gasp, or think twice about what “normal” really means.

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🍙 1. Living Funerals – Hikikomori no Shiki

In feudal Japan, if someone brought shame upon their family or wanted to cut ties with society, they might undergo a funeral—even though they were still alive.

Called Hikikomori no Shiki (“ritual withdrawal”), this symbolic act allowed people to:

• Erase their identity from social records

• Leave behind a disgraceful past

• Be “reborn” under a new name or role

Sometimes the family would hold a full funeral ceremony, mourning the “death” of someone who had simply been cast out. In a culture that deeply values honor and face, this custom allowed for both punishment and redemption.

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👃 2. Blackened Teeth – Ohaguro

During the Heian and Edo periods, white teeth weren’t the beauty ideal—black teeth were.

Using a dye made from iron filings and vinegar, women (and sometimes men) would stain their teeth a shiny jet black. This practice, called ohaguro, symbolized:

• Maturity and marriage

• Loyalty and refinement

• Protection against tooth decay (ironically, it worked!)

A woman with black teeth was seen as elegant, committed, and socially polished. Though now it looks eerie to modern eyes, it once represented peak fashion and virtue.

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🧻 3. Toilet Sticks and Washi – Eco Hygiene Before It Was Cool

Long before toilet paper became standard, the Japanese had their own clever and sustainable solutions.

In the Edo period, people used chūgi—thin, flat wooden spatulas—to clean themselves after using the toilet. Wealthier homes and temples sometimes offered recycled washi paper, printed with poems or stories.

This wasn’t just practical—it was environmentally friendly and culturally rich, centuries before “zero waste” became a trend.

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🗡️ 4. The Namamugi Incident – Death by Disrespect

In 1862, a British man named Charles Richardson rode past a samurai lord’s procession in Yokohama and failed to bow.

Within moments, he was cut down by the samurai’s guards.

This sparked the Namamugi Incident, a major diplomatic crisis that eventually led to British naval attacks on the Satsuma domain. The message was clear: in samurai-era Japan, etiquette was a matter of life and death.

Today, this incident is a reminder of the strict social codes that once governed every gesture and gaze.

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⛩️ 5. Salt and Rice for Ghosts – Shinto Cleansing Rituals

Shintoism, Japan’s native spirituality, teaches that spirits (both good and bad) exist in all things—including your house, your body, and even your lunch.

To keep bad spirits away, people still use:

• Salt: placed at doorways, thrown during sumo, sprinkled after funerals

• Rice: offered to spirits at shrines or tossed during rituals

These customs continue today in homes, businesses, and ceremonies across Japan. It’s not superstition—it’s spiritual hygiene.

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👘 6. “Ghost Marriage” – Binding Souls Beyond Death

In some rural areas, there was a tradition of marrying someone to a deceased person—known as yuino-kon (spirit marriage).

Why? To:

• Calm a restless soul who died unmarried

• Unite families spiritually

• Preserve lineage and ancestral ties

A living person might symbolically “wed” a dead partner through a ritual, often with family consent. While rare today, these ghost marriages reflect Japan’s blurred boundaries between life and the afterlife.

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🎌 Why These Customs Still Matter

These customs may seem strange, but they reflect deeply held Japanese values:

• The importance of ritual and symbolism

• A strong connection between the physical and spiritual worlds

• Respect for the past and social order

• An aesthetic of beauty that values harmony over shock

Even today, echoes of these traditions remain in architecture, etiquette, pop culture, and spiritual practices.

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💡 Final Thought

Japan’s historical customs are not just museum relics—they’re windows into how people once lived, thought, and related to each other. Some are humorous, some haunting, and some surprisingly relevant today.

By looking into Japan’s past, we don’t just find curiosity—we find wisdom, creativity, and a unique way of seeing the world.