There are some traditions involving chopsticks which are specific to Japan. For instance, the Japanese use chopstick holders to place their chopsticks on the table rather than sticking the chopsticks into a bowl of rice or other food. This is because chopsticks are placed into a bowl of rice vertically during funerals, and it is considered inappropriate to do that at any other time.
Most matsuri are done at specific times of the year. For example, the Winter Matsuri takes place during winter in the northern islands of Japan and the Gion Matsuri happens only during summer in Kyoto. In the case of onsen, Japan has a lot of active volcanoes that create a lot of hot springs around the country. From these hot springs, people get the hot water with minerals to bathe in. These waters are supposed to heal people's bodies and help them to relax. I love onsen. Traditionally, chopsticks are mostly made out of bamboo or wood. Bamboo is a very common plant throughout Asia.
