3 Japanese Things Foreigners Completely Misunderstand!

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]Three Japanese things foreigners completely misunderstand. First, samurai did not always walk around carrying swords like in movies. Many movies and anime portray samurai as warriors constantly carrying swords everywhere they go. But in reality, samurai were actually a military social class in Japan [music] and they did not always work as battlefield warriors. Second, cherry blossom season is actually very short. Many people imagine cherry blossoms blooming throughout the entire spring season in Japan. In reality, cherry blossom usually reaches its peak bloom for only about one week, sometimes even less depending on the weather. That is why Japanese people often celebrate hanami to enjoy this short but special moment. Third, most people have never tasted real [music] wasabi. Many people think the green paste served in sushi restaurants is real wasabi. But in reality, the wasabi served in many restaurants is usually just a mixed paste [music] and not 100% real wasabi. Real wasabi is very expensive, which is why not many restaurants serve it.