Japan is an exotic blend of ancient traditions and modern innovation. Here are 15 fun facts about this fascinating nation.
Japan is well known for its superstitions. Four is considered unlucky and hotels typically avoid offering it.
Japan’s trains are among the world’s most punctual and feature beautiful artwork on each train car!
1. Japan is a densely populated country.
Japan is an overcrowded country with limited land resources; as such, most of its people reside in cities and metropolitan areas.
Japan is an exquisite cultural gem despite its limited space, boasting hundreds of traditional Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, gardens, and imperial palaces – as well as strong appreciation of nature, seen through bonsai tree cultivation techniques.
Japan has an age-old tradition of taking off one’s shoes when entering any home, ryukan (inn), temple or shrine – some places even feature raised floors to indicate this rule – when entering any building or institution, be it residential, ryukan, temple or otherwise. Japanese also like to loudly slurp their noodles when enjoying meals – believing this signifies how delicious the food is. Japan boasts one of the world’s most unusual festivals: Nakizumo or “Crying Baby”, in which sumo wrestlers compete to see who can make baby cry harder by beating each other at mat.
2. Japan is a mountain wilderness.
Japan’s culture places great value in recognizing and appreciating nature, so it comes as no surprise that its mountain wilderness is truly stunning. Rugged cliffs, geological formations and deep gorges adorned by forests, waterfalls and hiking trails can all be found throughout Japan’s landscapes.
Mountains play an essential part in Japanese society, with villages often located atop mountain ranges. Many of these villages have existed for thousands of years and the inhabitants feel an intimate connection with both nature and land.
Japan is an idyllic paradise of terraced rice fields built into hillsides and picturesque mountain village homes with their stepped gardens and beautiful stepped gardens – its natural beauty can be found everywhere you look! Japan even holds festivals dedicated to celebrating their mountains! When walking around Tokyo make sure to look down as their manhole covers can be real works of art!
3. Japan is one of the world’s oldest countries.
Japan may be an advanced tech hub, yet its traditional practices still dominate much of daily life. Cash remains popular in shops and restaurants while many services require paperwork to be submitted via mail or fax machine for services rendered. Japanese citizens use an estimated 24 billion chopsticks every year!
Japan boasts an extensive cultural and spiritual history. In 578 AD, Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) was written here – at this point 47 ronin committed suicide after their Lord died, giving birth to Zen Buddhism.
Japan boasts one of the highest life expectancies globally due to their healthy diets and access to advanced healthcare. They tend to consume low fat diets with seafood as their protein source.
4. Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.
Japan boasts one of the highest life expectancies worldwide due to their healthy diet and physical exercise habits. Furthermore, Japanese people live long lives due to their respect for superiors and elders, as well as their belief that nothing should go waste (mottainai).
Japanese are famously long-lived; yet many work hard, often from early morning until late at night six days a week. This can lead to negative health behaviors, including smoking and excessive drinking.
Japan is known for its high life expectancy due to its robust safety measures, including earthquake-proof buildings and a strong disaster management system with real-time alerts and drills. Public transportation runs on time almost always; trains and buses feature popular characters like Pokemon or Hello Kitty which will only add charm and make your visit all the more memorable! These adorable facts about Japan will ensure a truly memorable visit experience!
5. Japan has one of the world’s oldest hotels.
Before entering a home, ryokan (inn), or temple in Japan it is customary to remove your shoes as a mark of respect for its inhabitants and their spaces. This practice shows them you respect them.
Slurping soba noodles when eating them is considered customary and believed to be a sign that they are tasty.
Japan boasts one of the oldest hotels in the world: Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan is owned by one family for 52 generations – making it an example of authentic Japanese innkeeping at its best!
Japan provides solutions to lonely individuals in various forms; renting families or visiting cuddle cafes are available options as is hiring someone in pajamas to snuggle close for an hour! Loneliness is considered a serious health risk in Japan and there are more “shutterbug” cafes here than anywhere else; guests can sip coffee and tea among cute animals while sipping beverages such as coffee and tea!
6. Japan has one of the world’s largest stock exchanges.
Japan boasts one of the world’s largest stock exchanges and is an innovator in technology. The Tokyo Stock Exchange serves as an important global venue for foreign investors while offering efficient trading systems to Japanese companies.
Japanese people enjoy one of the highest life expectancies worldwide due to a healthy diet and active lifestyle, along with access to onsen, or natural hot springs that dot their country.
Slurping noodles is an everyday practice in Japan and not considered rude at all; in fact, it enhances their flavor and shows respect for the chef’s efforts.
Four is considered an unlucky number in Japan due to its sounding similar to “death.” Buildings often avoid placing fourth floors or having rooms number four on their menu; some restaurants also avoid seating customers there out of superstition that claims sleeping there will bring death into their family’s lives.
7. Japan has one of the world’s most prestigious peace memorials.
The Cornerstone of Peace memorial strives to create an inclusive space where all lives lost due to war are remembered equally, without discriminating between invading Allied soldiers, Korean or Taiwanese conscripted into Imperial Japanese Army forces, or Okinawan civilian casualties.
The memorial is controversial for several reasons, not least its failure to differentiate between civilians killed by an atomic bomb and others who perished due to war-related incidents during that same time period.
Tattoos in Japan are seen as a mark of gang affiliation. Additionally, more Japanese use comic paper than toilet paper and they consume lots of rice! In addition, bowing is such an integral part of life that even wild deer will bow back when fed by humans!
8. Japan has one of the world’s oldest theatrical traditions.
Japan might appear as an advanced technological hub, but it also maintains some old traditions. For instance, many Japanese people still rely on paper money and fax machines instead of computers in the office; and prefer cash when dining out or purchasing groceries.
Japan boasts one of the oldest theatre traditions in the world. Their performances tend to focus on characters’ physical attributes instead of text-centric storytelling, making the Japanese theatre industry one of the oldest worldwide.
Slurping noodles in Japan may seem rude at first glance, but it’s actually meant as an expression of appreciation for all their hard work by chefs and chefs’ families. Slurping helps cool them down before being served for consumption; some believe slurping helps people digest food more easily as well.
9. Japan has a soft spot for cars resembling shoe boxes.
Japan may appear as an advanced tech hub with high-speed bullet trains and futuristic gadgets, yet they continue to use much older technologies – such as decades-old mobile phones and fax machines in some offices, and traditional personal stamps called hanko for signing documents.
Japan is well known for its affinity toward car models reminiscent of shoeboxes – known as Kei cars – which can be driven on city streets within certain size and engine capacity parameters. They’re particularly fuel-efficient and easy to park in dense urban settings.
Kawaii culture is an integral part of Japanese society, from iconic characters such as Pikachu and Hello Kitty to Lolita fashion. Additionally, their love of cute things such as ice cream cones with cute faces on them and manhole covers with cute shapes such as an owl are manifestations of this sentimentality.
10. Japan has one of the world’s strictest moral codes.
Japan is beloved around the globe due to its distinctive culture. From intriguing practices to fascinating traditions, Japanese life offers something exciting for every visitor to enjoy.
Mount Fuji, an active stratovolcano and national monument, stands as a famous icon in Japan and inspires artists as well as pilgrims alike. Climbing its summit is considered sacred by Shinto tradition and climbing it can even lead to sacred encounters!
Japan requires visitors to remove their shoes before entering a home, ryukan (inn), or temple for consideration and politeness reasons. Failure to do so could be perceived as rude and disrespectful.
Japan is famously punctual when it comes to train travel, with an average train delay of only 18 seconds! Additionally, farmers in Japan cultivate square watermelons for easier stacking and storage purposes; 24 billion pairs of chopsticks are used annually in Japan – an anime production leader too!