Interesting Facts about Japan
Japan, an island nation in East Asia, is often called “Land of the Rising Sun.” Japan has a very interesting history and a rich culture. Here are just a few of the things to know about the country and its people:
- Japan has the third largest economy next to the United States and China, based on the world’s GDP ranking.
- Cape Suzu is one of Japan’s three greatest spots for ultra-pure mineral water that stays fresh for as long as a hundred years, possibly longer.
- Japan has four different writing systems: romaji, katakana, hiragana, and kanji.
- Ukai or cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method using trained cormorants (from the family Phalacrocoracidae consisting of about 40 kinds of species of aquatic birds) to fish in rivers.
Cormorant fishing.
- Jamaica exports about 85% of its total coffee production to Japan.
- Japan has a literacy rate of almost 100% among its citizens.
- Japan has over 200 volcanoes.
- The most common form of Buddhism in Japan is Zen Buddhism.
- Ōkunoshima is known as Usagi Jima (うさぎ島) or Rabbit Island because of the unbelievable number of feral rabbits that call it home.
Rabbits at Usagi Jima.
- Japan’s national sport is sumo.
- Slurping your food is a sign that it is delicious and is a compliment to the cook.
- Tipping is considered a no-no in Japan.
- Pochi bukuro are small paper envelopes widely available in stationery stores all around Japan. You place tip money in these envelopes before handing them over.
Pochi bukuro.| teking
- Japanese people live longer than Americans: four years longer, on average.
- Tsukiji Market in Tokyo is the world’s largest fish market.
- The Tale of Genji, written by Murasaki Shikibu in 1007, was the first novel ever written.
- Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning made by fermenting soybeans with the fungus kōjikin (Aspergillus oryzae), salt, and other ingredients like barley and rice.
Miso paste.
- The popular pastime karaoke means “empty orchestra” in Japanese.
- Raised floors in Japanese homes are an indication that you have to take your shoes off before entering.
- Japanese fugu (blowfish) chefs train for about 11 years to master their trade.
- Christmas is celebrated like Valentine’s Day in Japan.
- Japanese geishas (“performing artist”) were initially men.