Japan Fun Facts

Japan is referred to as "Land of the rising sun". Situated in Asia, Japan is immediate neighbour to China, Russia and Korea. Here, we will see some interesting facts about Japan!

Interesting Facts about Japan

1. Japan is called "Nippon" by the people of Japan, meaning the land of the rising sun. This is symbolized by red dot in the middle of their National flag.
2. Japan is an archipelago of more than 3000 islands, with the four main islands Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku and Hokkiado comprising 97% of its total land area.
3. Japan is the most vulnerable nation to earthquakes amongst all the regions of the world. Each year about 1500 earthquakes are recorded in Japan.
4. The climate in Japan is cool temperate towards the north and tropical in the south.
5. It has the highest life expectancy in the world and its literacy rate is almost 100%.
6. The crime rate in Japan is amongst the lowest in the world.
7. Japan has a high rate of smokers, with almost 60% of the population indulging in smoking. 
8. Japan is world's largest producer of automobiles and many of the Japanese car brands like Nissan, Honda, Toyota are household names in US.
9. Japanese food is considered the most nutritious and healthy food in the world.

Japan Fun Facts - Lifestyle

1. Japanese are very hardworking by nature. They are amongst the most hardworking people in the world.
2. The children are taught to respect their parents and superiors and Japanese lay more emphasis on the achievement of society's good rather than the achievement of the individual.
3. The Japanese language has a word for 'death from overwork'. It's Karoshi.
4. The Japanese language incorporates four different forms of writing, namely Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana and Romaji.
5. The kids in Japan love McDonalds as much as much as American kids and McDonalds in Japanese dialect sounds like Ma-ku-do-na-ru-do. 
6. English happens to be the only foreign language taught in Japanese schools.
7. Many people in Japan are accustomed to eating raw horse meat.
8. Fruits are forbiddingly expensive in Japan. You could end up paying up to $2 for a single apple or peach.
9. A vending machine for a variety of daily requirements is installed at practically every corner in Japanese cities, where you can easily get beer, cigarettes, newspapers, cold drinks and even crabs! 
10. While smoking is allowed practically anywhere in Japan, you are not allowed to smoke in local trains. Long distance trains have got designated smoking zones.
11. The Japanese culture is essentially entertainment loving. It has the largest density of cafes, massage parlors, gaming centers, restaurants and clubs in one square kilometer area, more than anywhere on the Earth.

Cultural Facts 

1. Rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner along with tea for lunches and dinners is a common Japanese diet habit.
2. In Japan, it is considered impolite to eat until the host offers the food.
3. Japanese people 'slurp' their food, which is considered as a sign of tasty food. The louder, the better. It may disappoint your host if you don't do it in Japan.
4. While eating in Japan never put in your chopstick upright into the bowl. In the past, this was the way to offer food to the dead.
5. There is a tradition in Japan, that shoes worn outside are not to be worn inside the house. Slippers are to be used instead. At the same time, the slippers are not to be worn on the tatami (mat).
6. The Japanese will shop daily for their meat, fish and vegetable requirements, as they like all their food fresh and unpreserved. This is one of the prime reasons that small and medium sized refrigerators are sold the most in Japan.
7. Japanese do not submerge themselves into the bath tub and then lather. They soap outside the tub and rinse it off. Only then do they submerge themselves neck deep into the hot water to refresh and relax.
   
8. Japanese men shave their heads as a mark of apology and women cut their hair after breaking up with their boyfriends.
9. The Japanese have many etiquette for almost all walks of life. Japanese aren't too comfortable with physical contact with each other and people greet each other by bowing instead of handshaking.
10. In Japan, it is considered inappropriate behavior to blow your nose in public or tear gift wrappings, but one can urinate along the walls of a building.
11. Japanese firms serve alcohol to the employees in the evening after 6 pm.
12. In Japanese villages, there is no need to send invitations for a wedding or a funeral. They are considered community events and the entire village will help in preparing the food, and taking care of all the required arrangements.
13. Japanese are extremely courteous and friendly people. If you require something, they will go out of their way and try to help you.