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Facts about Japan

We found 39 facts about Japan

The Land of Cherry Blossom

Japan is one of the most fascinating places in the world. It possesses a rich and complex cultural heritage, but at the same time is among the most technologically advanced countries in the world. A homeland for one of the most sophisticated criminal organizations, one of the most distinguished types of animation, and very uncommon cuisine.

1
Japan is inhabited by over 125 million people.

It makes Japan the 10th most populous country in the world.

2
The population of Japan is almost 99% ethnic.

3
It covers an area of 377,835 square kilometers.

It is divided into eight regions: Hokkaidō, Tōhoku, Kantō, Chūbu, Kansai, Chūgoku, Shikoku, Kyūshū, and Okinawa.

4
The highest peak in Japan is Mount Fuji.

It is an active stratovolcano, located on the island of Hunshū. It is 3,776 meters high.

5
Approximately 80% of Japan is covered with hills and mountains, and 67% with forests.

6
The coastline of Japan spans almost 30 kilometers.

It ranks Japan 6th in the world.

7
Japan has been known for ubiquitous vending machines.

There is an estimate of 1 vending machine per 24 citizens, with a total of over five million across the country.

8
It is the home for the oldest construction company, Kongo Gumi.

It was founded in 578 AD, and until 2006 it has been operating independently since it was incorporated into the Takamatsu Construction Group.

9
The living area of Japanese households requires the removal of shoes.

Typically, a household contains space with lower flooring to indicate the place to remove the footwear before entering the living space.

10
There are two major religions in Japan–Buddhism, and Shinto.

Shinto originated in Japan and is strictly tight to Japanese culture. Buddhism was imported in the 6th century AD. Both religions coexist peacefully, with followers typically taking part in activities and rituals associated with both religions.

11
The life expectancy in Japan is the second highest in the world.

The average age is 84 years. There are over 90,500 centenarians in Japan as of September 1st, 2022.

12
The kimono is Japan’s traditional garment.

It is worn both by men and women.

13
Although widely associated with Japan, sushi did not originate there.

It was created somewhere along the Mekong River in Southeastern Asia.

14
One of the most precious fruits in Japan is melons.

The Japanese are known for their gift-giving nature, and melons are among the most commonly offered. It serves as a memory of samurai gifting melons to their shoguns as a token of recognition.

15
Japan is known for its unusual cuisine.

The Japanese enjoy dishes such as shirako, which is a sperm sack of a codfish, or the highly poisonous pufferfish, which incorrectly prepared can be lethal.

16
A raw horsemeat dish called Basashi is considered a delicacy in some regions of Japan.

It consists of slices of horsemeat, served with onions and ginger.

17
Japan’s national alcohol beverage, sake, is made from fermented rice.

18
The Japanese create their own variations of international dishes.

One of them is Black Terra Dog, a hot dog that comes in a black bun, which is colored with bamboo charcoal powder.

19
Japan imports 80% of Jamaica’s yearly coffee production.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in Japan.

20
Slurping noodles in Japan is considered an acknowledgment of a tasty meal.

Typically, the Japanese slurp the noodles and then drink whatever broth the noodles were served with.

21
The Japanese favor the Confucian philosophy of hara hachi bun me, also called hara hachi bu.

It is a teaching of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, who determined the healthiest approach toward food, and states that people should stop eating at 80% fulness of the stomach. This is one of the main reasons why the Japanese are among the healthiest nations in the world.

22
One of the most popular types of sushi worldwide–salmon sushi–is not the invention of the Japanese.

The idea comes from Norway, which taught the Japanese to eat raw salmon.

23
Japan is most commonly known for geisha.

Geisha, also known as geiko or geigi, is a female artist of traditional Japanese art, such as singing, dancing, and performing on instruments, as well as a host and conversationalist. Since the mid-18th century, the role of geisha can be taken only by a female.

24
Japan is one of the safest countries in the world.

The crime rate in Japan is very low, with not many mugging and pickpocketing happening on the streets.

25
Japanese streets are the cleanest in the world.

It ties to Japanese culture and mindset, where even school children tend to the tidiness of their schools. There are no cleaning services, pupils clean their own classrooms and cafeterias.

26
The Ikeda Route highway offramp in Fukushima goes through a building.

The Gate Tower is a 16-floor office.

27
Japanese trains are one of the most punctual in the world, with an average delay of 18 seconds.

The Japanese are very honorable people, it is thus not uncommon to witness the train staff bowing to passengers in apology for the delay.

28
The honor of the Japanese led them to call the survivor of the Titanic catastrophe a coward.

A civil servant, Masabumi Hosono, was ostracized for saving himself instead of drowning with the ship. Hosono is said to have boarded the lifeboat 10 despite women and children still awaiting rescue.

29
Japan is among the 25 countries with the highest suicide rate in the world.

As of 2022, it ranks 18th. It is most common among men aged 20–44, and the main causes are stated to be unemployment, social pressure, and depression.

30
The most often picked spot for suicide is the Aokigahara forest.

The “suicide forest” is the world’s second most popular place to commit suicide, after the Golden Gate Bridge.

31
Committing suicide by throwing oneself under the train cause authorities to charge the deceased’s family a disruption fee.

32
There are 111 active, and about 330 dormant volcanoes in Japan.

It makes up for approximately 10% of active volcanoes on Earth.

33
It is among the most prone to earthquakes countries in the world.

Japan is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire. An average of 1,500 earthquakes a year strike Japan.

34
Japan was first visited by Portuguese travelers.

Portugal then established trade routes with Japan, exchanging goods and technology since 1543.

35
Japan is the only country to have an emperor.

It is mostly a symbolic figure, with little power.

36
Anime, one of the world’s most famous types of animation, originates in Japan.

Although in Japan the term anime refers to all animated works, worldwide it is known for its distinctive style, popularized in the 1960s by Japanese artist Osamu Tezuka.

37
The largest seafood market in the world is the Toyosu Market in Tokyo.

It gained fame for tuna auctions, that start at 5 am.

38
The most popular fast-food chain in Japan is KFC.

Among those celebrating Christmas, there is even a tradition of consuming a KFC Christmas dinner. The queues can be so long, many people order their dinners weeks in advance.

39
The Japanese consider number four unlucky.

They avoid it as much as they can, i.e. not selling items in sets of fours, leaving out the fourth floor in buildings, etc.

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