Japan is one of the most fascinating and intriguing countries in the world. We’ve gathered 35 facts you almost certainly don’t know! Here they are...
Interesting Facts About Japan: 35 Things That Will Surprise You
1. Smoking on the street is prohibited
You can’t smoke on the street because, according to the law, you could accidentally burn someone. Smoking is only allowed in designated areas, where ashtrays are available.
2. Illiteracy is almost nonexistent
Japan’s literacy rate, meaning people aged 15 and over who can read and write, is 99.8%.
3. Knowing your blood type is considered good practice
For Japanese people, blood type is believed to indicate a personality type: asking someone you’ve just met what their blood type is is more or less like asking about their zodiac sign.
4. Japan has the most punctual trains in the world
In Japan, trains are famous for their punctuality: it is very rare for them not to run exactly on schedule, even by just a few seconds. Japan’s railway services are among the most reliable in the world. Delays and early departures are not acceptable, which is why punctuality has become one of the country’s strengths over time: many passengers even synchronize their watches with station clocks so they don’t miss a planned train or connection. If a train arrives more than one minute after the scheduled time, it is considered late.
5. Until 2015, dancing in public after midnight was illegal
And even in places where dancing was allowed, this “curfew” still had to be respected.
6. Not all bows are the same
There is the eshaku, a 15-degree bow used for informal greetings and congratulations; the keirei, a 30-degree bow reserved for someone higher in the social hierarchy (such as your boss); and the saikeirei, a 45-degree bow used in front of figures such as the emperor, or by someone who has made a very serious mistake.
7. There is one vending machine for every 23 people
Japan is dotted with 5.52 million vending machines dispensing water, drinks, food, and other items that are not always essential.
8. Japan experiences 1,500 earthquakes a year
Japan, like California, is at high seismic risk. The 6,852 islands that make up Japan sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where around 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur.
9. Samurai used to test their swords on random passersby
The practice—fortunately not very widespread—known as tsujigiri involved testing a newly acquired katana on defenseless passersby encountered at night. Since it was considered dishonorable not to be able to finish an enemy with a single sword stroke, this brutal practice was seen as a form of training.
10. There are more pets than children in Japan
Yes, sadly it’s true! But we explain it better in the next point.
11. The birth rate is low
In Japan it is so low that adult diapers sell more than baby diapers. Japan holds many records, but this is one of the saddest: the country’s birth rate is among the lowest in the world. Yes, sadly, that is the reality. To slow population decline and increase the number of official unions between couples, the Japanese government introduced incentive plans aimed at making marriage easier and boosting the birth rate, which has been among the world’s lowest for years, especially in contrast with the country’s high life expectancy.
12. Japanese police officers may personally escort a tourist to their hotel
It is not unusual in Japan for police officers to accompany a tourist to their hotel or to the subway, or even to worry about paying for a taxi for someone who has had too much to drink to drive.
13. Finding a trash bin is almost impossible
People often take their rubbish home, where waste disposal and recycling are managed according to the “gomi guide,” a guide packed with detailed instructions.
14. No tipping!
Leaving a tip in Japan is unusual and may be seen as “strange.” A waiter might even run after you in the street to return it.
15. No talking on the phone
On trains and, more generally, on public transportation, talking on your mobile phone is prohibited.
16. Car bumpers are purely “decorative”
No one parks close enough to accidentally bump the car next to them. If there isn’t at least half a meter between one car and another… they simply don’t park there.
17. Japanese teenage girls follow the Kawaii fashion trend
According to this style, walking with your feet turned inward is a sign of sweetness and fragility.
18. Money, credit cards, and business cards are always given with both hands
If you receive a business card during a work meeting, you should take it, look at it carefully for a few seconds, and memorize the name and job title of the person who handed it to you.
19. Don’t address people too informally
In Japan, you should never address someone in an overly familiar way if they are older than you or have more professional experience.
20. The loudspeakers on the subway
On the subway, when loudspeakers are used to announce a one-minute delay, an apology is then made for having used them, and therefore disturbing the passengers.
21. Credit cards are not used that much
Despite being the world’s third-largest economy and a highly technological country, credit card use is not as widespread. In many shops, restaurants, and venues, you may only be able to pay in cash.
22. Never offer a handshake when being introduced to someone
Unlike what we do in Italy, when you are introduced to someone in Japan, you should never offer your hand—especially if the person is a woman. Personal contact is not particularly well regarded.
23. There are very specific patterns for ordering in restaurants
One at a time, and be decisive: don’t suddenly change your order. There is no “Oh no… I’d rather have ketchup instead of mayonnaise”… no. You order, and that’s it.
24. People from Osaka are not always looked upon favorably
They are very open and friendly, sociable and cheerful… a rarity that recalls regions of the Mediterranean, from Southern Italy to Andalusia.
25. 24 billion pairs of chopsticks
Every year in Japan, 24 billion pairs of chopsticks are used.
26. Avoid the number 4 at all costs
Yes, because in Japanese this number is pronounced similarly to the word “death,” so it has a negative connotation and sounds like bad luck.
27. Very few immigrants
In Japan, immigration is minimal and extremely controlled. 98% of the current population is ethnically Japanese.
28. Active volcanoes
In total, Japan has around 200 volcanoes, about fifty or more of which are still active, such as the famous Mount Fuji or Sakurajima, which has long been constantly active.
29. The highest volcano
Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain, is also an active volcano.
30. Karaoke
In Japanese, the term karaoke means “empty orchestra”. Karaoke is deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Unlike in Italy, where people sing in public places in front of the venue staff and all the other customers, in Japan karaoke takes place in private rooms that may host just one or two people, or small groups of friends.
31. Cooking pufferfish
To learn how to cook fugu (pufferfish), eleven years of intensive training are required. These chefs must eat a dish of fugu they prepared themselves in order to pass the training and obtain the official certification as fugu chefs.
32. The geisha
The geisha is one of the most enigmatic and fascinating figures of traditional Japan. In Japanese, geisha means “performing artist”. The first geisha were actually men—artists who studied and shared Japanese traditions. Around 1750, women took over and eventually replaced men entirely in this role.
33. Taking a nap
Japanese people don’t just sleep or take naps: they practice inemuri. This widespread custom consists of falling asleep in public: in the middle of a conference, for example, or at school or on public transportation. Nobody seems to pay much attention to it: Japan is one of the countries where people sleep the least in the world because of intense work schedules, and sleeping in public is almost a badge of honor, proof that you are exhausted from working hard and deserve a “reward.” In the West, napping is not accepted in the same way as in Japan: “Inemuri is not considered sleeping at all. It is seen differently from sleeping and even from taking a nap.”
34. Japanese people make noise while eating
Making noise while eating—for example, loudly slurping ramen or the broth from a hot soup—may be considered very rude in Italy. In Japan, however, it is seen as something very positive! Making noise while eating shows that the food is delicious and is considered a compliment to the chef.
35. Employees do exercises in the office
Many Japanese companies care about the health of their employees and therefore organize morning exercise sessions for everyone.
There’s only one way to “collect” all these curiosities: go to Japan! And you’d better go there with Sto Gran Tour. Take a look at our amazing JAPAN TOUR.
