Japanese popular culture has a unique aesthetic, and is completely modern as befits a wealthy industrial society. Comics, known as manga, and cartoons, known as anime are two of the more immediately recognizable elements of Japanese popular culture. Both are long-established entertainment forms in Japan and cover all genres of fiction, not just the children's genre. Indeed, some anime and manga are exceptionally graphic and brutally violent.

Whereas manga and anime are decidedly Japanese in character, fashion and music in Japanese popular culture borrow more heavily from Western elements, but meld them with a uniquely Japanese character. Traditional Japanese music is reminiscent of western classical music and features distinctive Japanese instruments such as lutes, taiko drums and percussion and was played before imperial courts. Today's Japanese music takes on European forms, albeit almost always in the Japanese language. The most popular form is pop, known as J-Pop. There are also many Japanese musicians performing other forms of Western music. Occasionally some of these, such as DJ Krush, Shonen Knife or the Boredoms achieve success in the West, but this is uncommon.

The most iconic image of Japanese fashion sense, the kimono, is relevant mainly for its historical status. As the dress of the geisha, kimonos are traditional full-length garments known for being both simple and simultaneously ornate. Today, kimonos are worn only for special occasions, sometimes even by men. Modern Japanese fashion is known for its trendiness, with several trends and the subcultures that subscribe to them being easily identifiable over the years. High fashion is common, with Japanese wearing the most avant-garde of European and American designs.

A key element of Japanese culture is the cuisine. Japanese food itself...

Noodles, fish and rice are the staples of Japanese cuisine. That Japan is an island nation results in seafood being the primary source of protein, and some of the world's most famous fish markets are in Japan. Fish is often consumed raw, either on its own (sashimi) or in rolls (sushi). Japanese cuisine often features noodle soups, flavored with seasonings such as miso or dashi that are derived from local ingredients. In all but the most cosmopolitan cities such as Tokyo, Japanese cuisine is the only form of food to be found easily.
It is part of Japanese culture to rely on local ingredients, and create dishes using seasonal ingredients. This is due to the Shinto doctrine of cleanliness, which derives from simple preparations of fresh ingredients. Buddhist doctrine is also exemplified in Japanese culinary tradition, in that the eating of many mammals commonly used as food in other cultures was banned in Japan. While some of those, such as cattle, have once again become food items in Japan, they are not as common as in many other cultures.

Eating in Japan comes with a lengthy set of rules, traditions and customs. There is a complex set of Some of the most popular beverages in Japan include beer, sake and tea. Of these, beer is the most recent, having been introduced in the late 19th century.

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