35 Fascinating Facts About Japan

Japan is a country rich in culture, tradition, and history. It also has an abundance of interesting, cool, and fascinating things that not a lot of people might know about.

1. Japan is an archipelago comprised of 6,852 islands, where 600 of which are inhabited. The island of Honshu, which is the country’s main island, ranks 7^th in the world in terms of biggest land area.
2. The Greater Tokyo area is the world’s largest city, population-wise. It is home to around 27 million people, roughly a fifth of the entire Japanese population.

3. Japan’s life expectancy is the highest in the world, at 83.7 years (as of 2017), beating other developed nations, such as Singapore, Australia, and Switzerland, which have averages of between 82.8 and 83.4.
4. Japan holds the record for the most number of people who are over 100 years old. As of 2017, there are almost 68,000 Japanese centenarians.
5. There are more pets than 12-year-old children in Japan.
6. The Japanese Imperial Family is the world’s longest running monarchy. Its first emperor was Ojin, who reigned from 270 to 310.
7. Kimi Ga Yo, which is Japan’s national anthem, is based on a poem written in the 9^th century, and is the oldest anthem in the world.
8. Out of the 800,000 robots used in the industrial setting across the globe, half of those are found in Japan.
9. Approximately 10% of the 840 active volcanoes on the planets is found in Japan.
10. There is one vending machine for every 25 people in Japan. Across the country, there are more than five million of these automated machines. They are found everywhere, and offer a wide selection of items, such as snacks, bottled drinks, ice cream, newspapers, cigarettes, condoms, and even batteries.
11. The Shinkansen is the first commercial high-speed bullet train in the world. It was launched in 1964, and runs at speeds of 320 kilometres per hour.
12. The VHS tape, the Betamax, the Compact Disk, the Mini Disk, and the CD Rom are all Japanese technological innovations.
13. The longest railway tunnel in the world is the Seikan Tunnel, which is 53.85 kilometres long, and links the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido.
14. The Japanese use around 24 billion pairs of chopsticks every year, or 200 pairs of chopsticks per person each year.
15. Home to more than 200,000 restaurants, Tokyo is a world record holder when it comes to dining options. Moreover, it also has a lot more Michelin-rated restaurants than any other city, twice that of Paris.
16. Japan is home to the top two oldest family-run business establishments in the world. They are the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, which was founded in 711 and located in Hayakawa, Yamanashi Prefecture; and Hoshi, a ryokan founded in 781 and located in Komatsu, Ishikawa.
17. Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo is the largest fish market in the world, handling more than 2,000 tons of fish and other seafood on a daily basis.
18. Japanese flower arrangement, known as ikebana, was considered a form of martial art by the samurai, as it allowed them to harness their concentration and focus.
19. Back in the day, women could be samurai too. They were called onna-bugeisha, and were assigned to protect their hometowns when the men left to fight.
20. In the 1600s and the 1800s, there were a number of Westerners that became samurai when they came to Japan. Some of the most notable were William Adams, who was an English adventurer and sailor featured in the book “Samurai William: The Englishman Who Opened Japan” by Giles Milton; Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn, who was from the Netherlands and came to Japan with Adams; and Eugene Collache, a Navy officer from France who took part in the Boshin War.
21. The first instant ramen noodle flavour was chicken. It was invented by Ando Momofuku in 1958 in Osaka.
22. The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, which connects Awaji Island and Kobe, is the world’s longest suspension bridge. It is 3,911 metres long and 36 metres wide, and was opened in 1998.
23. Do-Donpa is the fastest rollercoaster in the world. It runs at a speed of 180 kilometres per hour, and accelerates from rest to 180 kilometres per hour in just 1.6 seconds. The ride takes only 55 seconds. It is found at the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi.
24. The Love Hotel industry in Japan rakes in about four trillion yen each year.
25. There are around a thousand earthquakes that occur in Japan every year.
26. Japan is home to several thousands of waterfalls, around 2,500 of which are more than five metres high. Among all the prefectures, Yamagata Prefecture has the most number of waterfalls, with 230 that measure at least five metres high.
27. Anime accounts for 60% of all animation-based media and entertainment in the world.
28. Anime is such a large and thriving industry in Japan, that there are more than 100 voice acting schools across the country.
29. Japan’s two major religions are Shinto and Buddhism.
30. The Japanese railway network is the most punctual in the world, and delays average at only 18 seconds.
31. There are many animal cafes in Japan where customers can enjoy food and drinks while hanging out with the animals. Some of the most popular ones are cat cafes, bunny cafes, and owl cafes.
32. Sumo is recognized as Japan’s national sport, and baseball as its most popular sport.
33. Tipping is not a thing in Japan. It is actually considered rude to tip Japanese staff and workers at restaurants, hotels, and other businesses.
34. Kyoto is home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites — 13 Buddhist temples, three Shinto shrines, and a castle.
35. Aokigahara, a dense forest on the base of Mount Fuji, became world-renowned as the Suicide Forest, because of the large number of suicides committed in it. In fact, there are signs with suicide prevention messages and hotline numbers along its hiking trails.