Animated Pictograms

Fun and easy-to-understand presentation of historical culture and traditional customs that are uniquely Japanese.

  • VISIT TO TEMPLE / SHIRINE
  • BOWING
  • POUNDING RICE CAKE
  • HAILING A CAB / TAXI
  • TAKING A BATH
  • WATER ABLUTION
  • TEA CEREMONY
  • RHYTHMIC CLAPPING AT CELEBRATIONS
  • RIDING THE TRAIN
  • WINNING MOVES IN SUMŌ
  • AWA DANCE FESTIVAL
  • Coming Soon

About The Project

EXPERIENCE JAPAN PICTOGRAMS were developed to provide visual support for tourists in Japan.
For more information about the objectives and design concept of the project, please click here.

Request

If you would like us to create new PICTOGRAMS for you or have other requests, please contact us here.

FRESHWATER EEL

うなぎ[UNAGI]

A black snake-like creature that spawns in the deep sea and grows in freshwater. Due to declining catches, unagi has become an increasingly expensive delicacy in Japan. It is typically served as kabayaki (grilled with thickened soy sauce), unadon or unaju (kabayaki on top of a bowl or lacquer-ware box of rice). Unagi contains a lot of stamina-boosting nutrients and thus is often eaten in summer to recover from fatigue. The unaju I ordered 20 minutes ago has yet to show up on my table. Being a typical Japanese, I patiently wait for the chef to carefully grill my unagi. I know that preparation takes time, but it’s well worth the wait.