The Western-style holidays arrived in Japan as a result of the influence of Americans who have been present in Japan since the end of World War II . A treaty between the U.S. and Japan which allows the American military to defend and reside in several bases in Japan has undoubtedly introduced and encouraged the incorporation of some American ideas into Japanese society, culture, and language.
On the other hand, most of the native Japanese traditions come from Buddhism and Shintoism, even though those traditions have become largely detached from any “religious” meaning. Shintoism, for example, views the world through the lens of “clean or dirty” rather than “good or evil”. As a result, many Shinto practices revolve around harae (symbolic purification rituals) which over time became the basis of basic Japanese hygiene practices. For example, before entering a sacred shrine or temple, you should to wash your hands and rinse your mouth at the chouzubachi (purification water fountain) found at the main entrance.
