In this article, we are going to see 100 facts and trivia about Japan. Our site is full of interesting articles about Japan, let's see aspects of its culture, interesting places, food trivia and much more. All about Japan in this article!
Each country has its unique culture. There is no point in saying that one country is more unique than the other. Except when it comes to Japan. Japan has many things in common with Asia. However, in some ways it also resembles Europe or even the US.
It can be said that Japan is a mixture of culture, but it keeps its tradition strong. But still, there are several reasons that differentiates Japan from any country. Some of the curiosities in this article will show you how Japan is a unique country!
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Facts about the History of Japan
Japan brings in its history an example of how it is possible to make a drastic turnaround in the situation of a country. To get an idea, just take into account that the Land of the Rising Sun spent much of its history closed to trade with the rest of the world and with a kind of feudal government, the shogunate (also spelled shogunate).
It was only after the commercial opening of Japanese ports in 1854 and the reestablishment of the centralized power of the Emperor in 1868 that the country began a period of economic and military development, which also led to expansionist practices that put it in conflicts with many countries, especially China and Russia (or the Soviet Union).
After the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the end of World War II in 1945, Japan began the creation of a pacifist constitution, which emphasized liberal democratic practices.
Since then, the Land of the Rising Sun has gone through periods of recovery and reassertion, with extensive growth that has led it to become the world's third largest economy and one of the most technologically advanced countries full of curiosities for the curious.
No Crimes - Japan's theft rate is very low, there is one theft for every 100,000 Inhabitants. While in Brazil there are 600 robberies for every 100,000 inhabitants. Also the firearm fatality rate is only 3 per year.
Everything in Japan is cute - The Term Kawaii dominates Japan in everything, no matter if you are a child or an adult, anywhere you will come across something cute.
Japanese service - Japan has the best services in the world. Japanese services are almost always polite and diligent.
Team work - It may seem that the Japanese are individualists. But in Japan, teamwork is key. Self-sacrifice for the team is highly respected. Trying to get things done alone or showing off is something to be despised. They take the saying: The nail that sticks out is hammered down.
Martial arts - Japan has dozens of martial arts, including Judo, Karate, Kendo, Kyudo, Yabusame and Aikido.
Ninjas - The Samurai had strict rules of conduct for battle, while the Ninja was more flexible. Ninja were the spies of feudal Japan. They specialized in military strategies involving espionage, sabotage and assassination.
Samurais – The Samurai class was abolished in the late 19th century by Emperor Meiji. Today the samurai culture, the art of fighting, its tradition remains strong in Japan.
Ukiyo-e - It is a painting style similar to developed woodcut in Japan throughout the Edo period (1603-1867). It was a technique widely spread through paintings executed with the aid of wooden blocks used for printing between the 18th and 19th centuries (end of the Edo period). They usually have geisha stories and quickly became popular across the country making highlights to this day.
Youth Subcultures - Young Japanese people are free to express themselves, and they end up creating different styles of fashion and costume, Japan's youth culture is quite explorable. See a guide to Japanese subculture.
Japanese Cars - Japan is a big car manufacturer, which distributes all over the world. But have you noticed the difference from the Japanese cars? It's not just the steering wheel side, the designer is totally unique in style for the country.
Robots - Japan is betting on robots. Half of the world's 800,000 industrial robots are in Japan. 90% of robot research in the world takes place in Japan.
Comedy – Japanese television is full of comedy, a different kind of comedy that can be strange to Western eyes.
Japanese toilets - Japan has the world's most advanced toilets full of buttons, heaters and the like. But it also has the most primitive public toilets in the world.
Curiosities about places in Japan
The Japanese territory is made up of more than 6,800 different islands, the main ones being Hokkaido, Honshu (where the national capital is Tokyo), Shikoku and Kyushu.
With a population of over 127 million people spread over an area of about 377,000 square kilometers, Japan ranks as the 30th most densely populated nation in the world, with about 337 people per square kilometer.
The climate in the Land of the Rising Sun has a strong difference between the four seasons due to the influences of the cold air masses coming from Siberia in the winter and the warm ones coming from the Pacific in the summer.
Typhoons are common between August and September. In addition to variations throughout the year, Japanese regions also have temperature variations, with the North being the coldest area, the Center still a little cold and the South with milder weather.
With over 70% of its territory covered by forests and mountainous terrain, the coastal plains are the most populated areas in the country.
The fact that the archipelago is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire means that it has more than 200 volcanoes, 80 of which are still considered active – including the famous Mount Fuji. In addition, the positioning of the Japanese territory makes it prone to earthquakes, registering an average of 1,500 earthquakes per year.
Attractions - Japan is full of places for leisure, entertainment, famous parks around the world such as Disney and Universal, as well as infinite temples, castles, mountains, islands that make it a unique and attractive country.
Public telephones turned into aquariums – Because public telephones have become practically useless due to the use of cell phones, telephone booths have been turned into aquariums in the Osaka city.
roller coaster under water – The roller coaster at Cosmoworld amusement park in Yokohoma, Japan, promises strong emotions even underwater.
Takachiho Park – Boating alongside the natural falls of Takachiho Park is one of the main attractions of this beautiful place. The region is known for having a real corridor of small waterfalls and is constantly visited by the Japanese in all seasons.
Love Hotels - Motels in Japan are quite popular, and diverse, just do a search and you will see the huge difference from the west.
Hostess It is quite common for lonely men to go to Hostess club. Where they can drink, and have fun in the company of a woman, in an innocent way, just talking. Some sometimes fall in love, and often give gifts to such girls, but there is rarely any marriage or courtship.
Karaoke - It originated in Japan and spread all over the world. japanese karaoke still has its strong influence throughout the country and its famous karaoke box.
Trains - Japan is a paradise for train lovers. The vast majority of Japanese people travel to work and school on trains. cars? It's a hobby for the weekends.
The smallest spacious house in the world
This 55.24 m² house, created by Japanese architect Kota Mizuishi, is designed on a triangular plot of 29.07 m². The residence, located in western Tokyo, overlooks the river.
Built entirely in wood, the upper floor received steel cladding, and the tip of the triangle has a recess on the upper floor to provide a small covered parking space.
On the upper floor are the children's room, the kitchen/dining room and the living room, where there are two large windows that integrate a narrow table and a balcony.
The double bedroom and bathroom are on the lower floor. The attic has a space with two skylights and a window facing the river, in addition to providing a wide view of the kitchen.
Built in 13 months, the house cost the equivalent of 360 thousand reais. This house is proof that there is not little space, when you can use it with genius. Here is what is probably the smallest spacious house in the world
Food facts in Japan
Food in Japan has changed a lot over the last few centuries due to various political changes. Traditional Japanese cuisine has strong influences from Korean and Chinese cultures, but it has also received some Indian and Western aspects.
A typical breakfast in the Land of the Rising Sun includes steamed rice, miso soup, green tea and a variety of additional dishes, which can include a rice porridge called nanakusa-gayu, rolled omelets known as tamagoyaki and the famous tofu. In addition, it is also possible to start your Japanese day by eating eggs, ham, grilled eel, pickles, salad, dried seaweed and natto, as fermented soybeans are called.
Lunches usually consist of bowls of various types of noodles or rice, known as donburi, accompanied by fish, meat or vegetables. We have an article about facts about japanese food.
At dinner, the variety of food available is simply enormous, with pork dumplings called nikuman and fried and grilled meat, poultry and fish of all kinds, with exotic names such as teppanyaki, tonkatsu and yakitori. Of course, famous items like sushi, tempura and fried rice are not left out.
Cooking in restaurants - If you want to go to a restaurant to avoid making food, know that in Japan there are restaurants where you cook your food or have your barbecue.
Bars and restaurants - Japan is full of small bars and restaurants, scattered all over the place.
Vending Machines - In Japan there is one vending machine for every 23 people. There are over a million vending machines all over Japan and they can be found anywhere, in front of a market or even in the middle of the bush.
Teppanyaki
Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron grill to cook food. The word teppanyaki is derived from teppan (鉄板), which means iron plate, and yaki (焼き), which means grilled, boiled or pan-fried.
In Japan, teppanyaki refers to dishes cooked using an iron grill, including steak, shrimp, okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and monjayaki. This is an interesting art and a show apart from the cook, as you can see in the photo:
The article is still halfway through, but we recommend also reading:
Facts about Japanese Customs
Despite all the climatic and territorial difficulties, Japan has established itself as a prosperous country, with one of the highest life expectancies and a large population of elderly people – reaching an impressive total of more than 50,000 people over 100 years of age.
Still, the Japanese are among the peoples with the highest suicide rates in the world, being the main cause of death for Japanese men between 20 and 44 years old.
Famous for their strict rules of etiquette, the Japanese have a habit of introducing themselves first by their surname and then by their given name, being common to refer to someone by their surname until intimacy is acquired.
In addition, it is customary to add respectful suffixes such as “san”, “kun” and “sama” when referring to another person. Using a person's first name, especially if the suffix is omitted, is something reserved for close friends and family.
When entering the house of a Japanese, it is common to come across an elevation of about 15 cm in the floor, which serves as an indication for the need to change their shoes for shoes more appropriate for use indoors.
When there is a tatami floor, an additional elevation of up to 5 cm indicates the point where you need to go barefoot. Something curious for such a demure culture is the fact that making noise when eating pasta is considered a compliment to cooks.
The Japanese Police - Since crime rarely happens in Japan, police officers spend their time patrolling and looking for offenders on bicycles. There are small police stations scattered throughout the country, and few police officers use weapons.
Cosplay – Japan is infested with people in costumes, especially in Akhabara.
Language formality - Japanese is one of the most formal languages in the world, there are different ways to converse, one more polite and formal, as well as several ways to say each word. This can make the language quite complex.
Japanese fashion - Japan has its unique fashion tradition and thriving industry.
Omiyage - It means memories. No matter where you go, you will always find stores selling small souvenirs for you to buy, in a totally different way from everyone else, you will be amazed by the unique diversity of products.
Rules and Etiquette - There's a long list of unique rules and tags, which is much longer than this article.
Gokon - They are group meetings, they usually go to restaurants and bars to meet people, many couples get to know each other that way.
Otaku - They are similar to American Nerds, but they take their lifestyle more seriously, and are often addicted to anime, games and manga.
Anime and Manga - Something fundamental of Japanese culture, which is everywhere, if it differs from any animation in the world, is that it addresses any type of topic, from golf matches to attacks by giant robots.
Uniforms - It is very common to find people in Uniform, in all places, even outside school some students wear their uniforms. It is an essential part of the culture, and as it is seen, it differs from any country.
length-/-bend – Japan is a country full of humility built on customs. Bowing down is the most common length, and it's one of the ways to apologize. Read our article about greetings in japanese.
Slang and Abbreviations, regional differences - Japan seems like a small country, it only has 47 states. Your language has only 109 syllables, and many words are identical. This does not prevent Japan from having thousands of slang and the custom of abbreviating some word. Each region may have different ways of saying some phrase or word.
Facts about Festivals and Religion
Japanese culture goes far beyond manners and food, of course. Throughout the year, the country is dotted with a series of different festivals and celebrations, some of which are even reproduced by the Japanese communities here in Brazil.
An example of one of the biggest parties in Japan that are reproduced by these bands is the Tanabata Matsuri (the “Festival of the Stars”), which always takes place around the 7th of July.
Tanabata originates from a Japanese legend in which a princess named Orihime, daughter of a powerful god, fell in love with a commoner. The father allowed the union of the two, but when he noticed that they did not fulfill their obligations, he condemned them to stay one on each side of the Milky Way.
Lovers will only be able to meet on the seventh day of the seventh month, but only if they fulfill the wishes made by humans. Therefore, it is customary at the time of the feast to write a request on a colored card and attach it to a tall bamboo.
There are, however, celebrations in Japan that are not reproduced in our country and, therefore, end up sounding quite weird to us. This is the case of Hadaka Matsuri, which brings together thousands of men dressed only in a fabric – called fundoshi – that covers their private parts. The idea is to collect sacred items in temples and shrines to attract good luck.
Festivals - People think that in Japan there are no parties? That's not true... There are. thousands of festivals exclusives every year, all over the country. If you play, there are more festivals than Brazil.
Religious Mixture - Japan is full of traditions, superstitions of various religions, most Japanese people do not have a fixed religion, they mix Buddhism with Shintoism and even Christianity and they do not attend churches, they just visit temples and live according to their traditions.
masks - Japan is full of masks, it is very common for the Japanese to use masks, to avoid allergies or flu to others.
Japanese Folklore - Japanese folklore is also unique and is full of ghosts, monsters and demons.
Other Curiosities and Oddities of Japan
In Japan, there are only 3 firearm-related homicides per year;
The longest-operating company in the world, the temple builder Kongo Gumi, operated in the Land of the Rising Sun from the year 578 until 2006;
Japanese trains are among the most punctual in the world, with an average delay of just 18 seconds.
Square watermelons are grown by farmers in Japan because they are easier to stack and store;
The country has more pets than children;
4) The birth rate there is so low that geriatric diapers sell more than baby diapers;
98% of all adoptions in Japan are of adult males, who enter a family so that the business can continue to pass from father to son;
The Japanese man who survived the Titanic sinking was called a coward in his own country for not having died with the other passengers.
In the Land of the Rising Sun, 90% of cell phones are waterproof because young people use them even in the shower;
In both Korea and Japan there are cafes where you can pay to play with kittens while having your drink;
There are more than 5.5 million vending machines on Japanese soil, providing everything from beverages like cold tea, hot coffee, and beer to items like underwear.
8) Sleeping during working hours is acceptable, as it is seen by bosses as a sign that the employee is working hard;
There are employees in the Japanese subway, called oshiya, who are responsible for making people fit inside the trains - even if it's by pushing them.
10) During World War II, Japan bombed China with fleas infected by the bubonic plague;
11) In Japanese schools, teachers and students come together to clean the classrooms and cafeteria;
12) The number of Chinese killed by Japanese soldiers during World War II was greater than the number of Jews executed by the Germans in the Holocaust;
13) Raw horse meat is a popular dish in Japan, thinly sliced and called basashi.
