Tenchi can sometimes be witnessed performing the Shintō method of prayer, where he claps twice and bows his head. This is a simplified version of the method used when worshipping at a shrine, where the worshipper will first wash their hands and mouth, give an offering to the shrine, then bow twice, clap twice, bow and pray. Clapping one's hands in worship is known as kashiwade.

The Shintō faith does not commonly deal with issues relating to death, and Buddhist rituals are normally used for funerals and mourning. There are several occurences in the series and movies where the Masaki family attend the grave of Tenchi's mother. Placing burning incense sticks in front of the grave, for example, is a Buddhist ritual.
 

The Japanese Star Festival, also known as the Festival of the Weaver, the Seventh Evening Festival or Tanabata, is an annual Shinto celebration in Japan, and takes place every 7th of July. Traditionally, people place bamboo trees in their garden and hang paper wishes from them in the hope that they will come true. Summer vegetables are often eaten at this time, celebrating the early harvest. Street decorations and fireworks are also common when celebrating Tanabata, and the Sendai region of Japan is famous for its lavish Tanabata festivities. The Star Festival is referred to in the second Tenchi movie (Manatsu no Eve / Daughter of Darkness) for its similarity to the Juraian Startica festival.
 

Although it might seem odd that the Masaki family recognise the traditions and rituals of two different religions (three if you include their celebration of Christmas seen in the second movie), this is actually very common in Japan. Shinto and Buddhism coexist in Japanese society alongside other religions less prominent in the country such as Confucianism, Islam and Christianity.

The currency used in Japan, and referred to on numerous occasions in the various Tenchi series, is the yen (¥) - pronounced en in Japanese (which literally means "round"). The yen is actually quite a small unit of currency today, and although a smaller unit exists (the sen, one hundredth of a yen), these are no longer issued as coins or notes and are relevant only in financial circles. ¥1,000 is roughly equivalent to $9.50 (US), $11.50 (Canadian), £5 (sterling) or €7.25. Coins of ¥1, ¥5, ¥10, ¥50, ¥100 and ¥500 and banknotes of ¥1,000, ¥2,000, ¥5,000 and ¥10,000 denominations are currently issued. The ¥5 coin is sometimes given as a lucky charm, as its pronunciation, go-en, also means "good luck". Rumiya uses a ¥5 coin on a string to hypnotize Misao in episode 7 of Magical Project S.

Cherry blossoms (sakura) are a common sight in Japanese art, and anime and manga are no exception. Aside from indicating the season, they are frequently used to signify short life or the impermanence of something. For example, in episode 9 of the Tenchi Muyo! OVA series (Sasami & Tsunami), the family hold a hanami (cherry blossom viewing party) in the woods near the hot spring resort; the appearance of cherry blossoms signifies Sasami's fleeting childhood (it is implied in episodes 8 and 9 that she is entering puberty and has experienced her menarche). Cherry blossoms also appear near the end of the first movie (Tenchi Muyo in Love!), portending Achika's short life, in the first and last episodes of Tenchi Universe to signify the short time Tenchi and the girls were actually together, in episode 25 of Tenchi in Tokyo reflecting the brevity of Tenchi and Sakuya's relationship, and in numerous other places in the series and movies.

Kappa are demons from Japanese mythology. Usually depicted as simian creatures with scaly green skin, webbed feet, sharp beaks and bald, domed heads, kappa are supposedly a sort of aquatic vampire. Folklore tells that an indentation on the kappa's head holds water so that it can survive outside its usual underwater dwelling.

In the fourth episode of Tenchi Universe, Washu transforms Ayeka and Ryoko into cute kappa as punishment for insulting her!

Tanuki statues are something of a mainstay of comedy anime. Episode 10 of the Tenchi Muyo! OVA series includes a scene where Washu drops one on Ryoko in punishment for getting the answer to her question wrong. Tanuki are animals similar to raccoons (although more closely related to foxes) that are native to Asia. Tanuki statues are often found outside shops in Japan, and are depicted holding bottles of sake and, in a display of crude Japanese humour, with very large testicles. The testicles (colloquially known as kintama - literally "golden balls") are believed to be a symbol of good luck.

In episode 12 of Tenchi in Tokyo, Nobuyuki visits Tenchi's apartment with Sakuya and attempts to prove that he understands modern youth by talking about baseball and telling (bad) jokes. He also suggests that "it's fashionable to meet at the Hachiko statue". This is a reference to the bronze statue of a dog outside the Shibuya railway station in Tokyo. The true story of Hachiko is that he would accompany his master Eisaburo Uyeno, a university professor, to the train station every morning, then wait there until he returned from work in the evening. After his master died in 1925, Hachiko continued his vigil at the station until his own death some ten years later. People were so touched by the dog's loyalty that they erected a statue in his honour, which still stands today (although the current statue is a replica produced by the original sculptor's son — the first statue was melted down during the second World War). The statue is such a well-known landmark that it is frequently used as a meeting place. The statue itself is depicted briefly in the first Tenchi movie (Tenchi Muyo in Love!), and at the start of episode 17 of Tenchi in Tokyo.

In the series Tenchi Muyo! GXP, one of the largest space pirate guilds in the galaxy is the Da Ruma Guild, named after its leader General Da Ruma. The character is based on the Daruma, a traditional Japanese doll that represents the Indian priest Bodhidharma, who is the founder of Chinese Zen Buddhism and is said to have spent nine years in continual meditation. Daruma dolls represent determination and single-mindedness, and are often bought as good luck charms to make a wish, when beginning a project, or as New Year gifts. The dolls, typically made from papier-māché, come without their eyes painted on. Tradition dictates that one paints in the left eye on the doll when beginning a project or making a wish, and the right eye when the wish is fulfilled or the project completed. The doll should then be taken to the local shrine or temple at the next New Year, where they are usually burned in a bonfire. The tradition of painting in the eyes is partly because of the belief that an image of Buddha will only come to life when its eyes are painted on, and partly a linguistic pun — the kanji for "eye" (眼) and "wish" (願) can both be read as "gan". In Tenchi Muyo! GXP, many elements of the Da Ruma Guild are based on the design of the Daruma doll, including the pirate base itself. Notice that the base has only one eye painted in — no doubt, General Da Ruma plans to fill in the other when he succeeds in taking over the galaxy!

The shrill of the semi (cicada), a winged insect common in Japan, is a sound often heard in anime. Their sound is most often heard in summer time, so its appearance in anime is typically used as an indication of the season. The sound of the cicada can be heard in many of the Tenchi shows, including at the very start of the first Tenchi Muyo! OVA episode, the first episode of Tenchi Muyo! GXP and, naturally, the movie Daughter of Darkness (aka. Midsummer's Eve).

In episode 7 of the Tenchi Muyo! OVA series, Ayeka goes to ask Washu to build her a unit to plant Ryu-Oh's seed in. Washu teases her by telling her she wouldn't normally agree, and Ayeka steps up behind her wielding an iron bar and wearing a crown of candles. The crown of candles originates from a practice that started during Japan's Edo or Tokogawa period (1603-1867). Ushi no koku mari (visiting the shrine at the hour of the cow) is an old Japanese curse, where the person performing it visits a shrine every night at around 2am for one week and nails a straw or paper doll of the person they wish to curse to a tree or the shrine's torī (entrance) . Traditionally, while doing this, one would dress in white robes and wear a crown with two lit candles in it. The crown of candles alone is sometimes used as a comedic visual device in anime to represent anger and vengeful feelings, but you will sometimes see a character performing similar rituals to the ushi no koku mari (Hikaru Gosunkugi often does this in the manga and anime series Ranma� to express his hatred towards Ranma).

In the Pretty Sammy OVA series, and Pretty Sammy's appearance in the Time and Space Adventures episodes of Tenchi Universe, we hear Sasami/Sammy using a magical incantation that begins "Jugemu-jugemu gokō-no-surikire...".

The opening words of Sammy's incantation (which is concluded in different ways depending on the spell she is casting) is in fact the opening words of a famous Japanese linguistic stunt, a kind of extended tongue-twister or trick in a similar vein to people reciting long and difficult words such as "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch", arguably the longest place name in the world, or "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis", arguably the longest word in the English language.

The phrase originates from a rakugo, a kind of comedic monologue in which a performer kneels on stage and recites stories using clever linguistic tricks (known as ochi) and body language, often using a folding fan and/or a towel as props. One of the best-known rakugo is "Jugemu", the tale of a man who takes his new-born son to his local temple to ask the priest what to name him. The priest reels off a long list of names, but the father cannot decide which one to choose, so he chooses all of them, naming his son...

Jugemu-jugemu gokōnosurikire kaijarisuigyo-no suigyōmatsu ungyōmatsu fūraimatsu kūnerutokoroni-sumutokoro yaburakōjino-burakōji paipopaipo-paiponoshūringan-shūringanno-gūrindaino ponpokopīno-ponpokonāno-chōkyūmeino-chōsuke

Needless to say, it's quite a feat to memorise and recite this name without pausing or making a mistake, so aside from professional rakugoka (rakugo performers), children in Japan may try to do it to impress their friends.

It is a common Japanese superstition that a person's blood type affects their personality (in much the same way that some people believe a person's zodiac sign determines their personality). It is pretty normal, therefore, to find an anime or video game character's blood type listed along with their more usual statistics (height, age, etc.)

A - Type A, the most common type in Japan, supposedly denotes a calm, trustworthy, level-headed and somewhat serious personality. They can also be slightly withdrawn and nervous. Type A characters in Tenchi Muyo include Kiyone and Ayeka.

B - Type B's are thought to be bright, energetic, attentive and very enthusiastic. However, they can also be perfectionists, somewhat fickle and are often loners. Washu has type B blood.

AB - AB types are said to be difficult to discern; remarkably considerate and sensitive at times, but strict and short-tempered at others, and sometimes quite sentimental. Ryoko is a type AB.

O - Those with O-type blood are believed to be easygoing, generous and loving. They can also be quite strong-willed, and are often thought to be clumsy and accident-prone. Type O's include Sasami and Mihoshi.