Interesting and useful facts about Japan, a unique country and an incredible place to travel to. The land that brought you sushi, bonsai, and the bright lights of Tokyo is ripe with fascinating tidbits. Get to know Japan.
Japan is an East Asian, island nation located in the Pacific Ocean. With Tokyo as the capital city, Japan has 6,852 islands. The three largest islands in Japan are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. Japan’s islands are located in the volcanic zone where there are 108 active volcanoes. The total area of Japan is 377,944 km2 of which 0.8% is water.
Interesting Facts about Japan
- The English name of Japan is an exonym, officially Japan is known as Nippon which is also stated in their currency, Yen.
- The Japanese people are known to be very industrious and peaceful. They even have word in Japanese language “Karoshi” which means death from over work.
- Japan also has the lowest crime rates in the world.
- Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is the largest metropolitan in the world and the country has the highest life expectancy and 100% literacy rate.
- During holiday seasons, many Japanese people wear traditional Japanese clothes to honor their families and traditions.
- Japanese students go to school six days a week. They go for full days on Monday through Friday, and have half days on Saturday.
- Most people in Japan live in apartments in the city. Very few people actually live in single family houses.
- Japan has more than 50,000 people who are over 100 years old.
- Japan suffers 1,500 earthquakes every year.
- 18 Nobel Prize winners have come from Japan.
The third strongest economy
In terms of economic power, Japan has the third strongest economy and in terms of purchasing power, it holds the 3rd position. The manufacture of popular car such as Toyota, Honda, Suzuki are from Japan, however, the people of Japan cannot drive very well. The food of Japan is considered to be very nutritious, but very expensive. A watermelon may cost more than $200 while a can of cola from a vending machine costs more than a dollar. Japanese are also known for some bizarre foods.
Bizarre Japanese food
Many Japanese eats raw horse meats and whale meat is quite common dish for them. The smoking rate is pretty high in Japan and you are allowed to smoke almost in every public space, but if you blow your nose or tear gift wrap in public that may not be taken very well. Japan is also known as country of vending machines. You will find vending machines in almost every corner across the nation.
Atomic Weapon
Although Japan is the only country to be hit by atomic weapon, it does not have any atomic weapon of its own. Japan’s culture is very rich and gracious. It has the largest sex industry, largest cafes, games parlor and other entertainment centers than any other places in the world.
Gadgets and Anime
Japanese people are simply crazy about gadgets. In facts, the Japanese were the first people in the world to use 3G cell phones when everybody was busy migrating to 2G networks. They are also very inventive and toy robots are very popular in Japan. Another local favorite, truly unique thing that defines Japan is its Anime. The most popular would be Pokemon and it also popular outside of Japan.
Fun Facts about Japan
- Japan’s birth rate is so low adult diapers are sold more than baby diapers.
- Late-night dancing was illegal in Japan until 2015.
- 98% of all adoptions in Japan are of male adults so that family businesses can remain within the family.
- The Japanese who survived the Titanic crash was called a coward in his country for not dying with the other passengers.
- In Japan, 90% of mobile phones are waterproof because youngsters use them even in the shower.
- In Korea and Japan, there is a Cat Cafe where you can go to drink coffee and hang out with cats for hours.
- In Japan, 685 kids were rushed to hospitals in 1997 after an intense Pokemon episode that caused dizziness, vomiting and seizures.
- Around 24 billion pairs of chopsticks are used in Japan each year.
- Most streets in Japan have no name.
- While black cats are frequently thought to bring bad luck in other areas of world, black cats are signs of good luck in Japan.
The Land of Red Sun
Japan is a country where cultural variation made the living more interesting and fun. The people of Japan are very proud of their nation and adheres their culture from their heart.
5 Traditional Foods that Japanese Eat
What Do The Japanese Eat?
The Japanese people love to eat Japanese food. Not only do you see Japanese products being sold around the world but also their cuisines as well. Japanese cuisine is now embraced all around the world and this is especially true for the seafood. Here are some of the famous Japanese dishes that are not only popular at home, but all over the globe.
5 – Sashimi and sushi
Most of us don’t realize that these two dishes are actually almost identical. Sashimi is the Japanese dish in which fish is sliced into thin pieces, and that is served with wasabi, a famous Japanese horseradish. Sushi is also thinly sliced raw fish, but the difference is that it is served with vinegared rice. Sashimi and sushi are famous in almost every part of the world and people love to eat them. Another popular Japanese dish is known as norimaki or sushi roll, in which the filling is rolled in with rice. This dish is also liked by the Japanese. In Japan, sushi is pre-packaged dishes and people go to sushi bars to eat out or for takeaways.
