Fun Facts About Japan

Fun Facts About Japan: all 32, explained

1. The word "emoji" has nothing to do with "emotion".

   Emoji comes from Japanese: "e" means picture and "moji" means character. The resemblance to "emotion" is a coincidence.

   Source: Emoji (Wikipedia) · Fact card

2. Japan is made up of more than 14,000 islands.

   A 2023 survey by Japan’s mapping authority counted 14,125 islands, more than double the previous official figure. Most people live on the four main islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku.

   Source: Japan (Wikipedia) · Fact card

3. Japan’s first bullet train started running in 1964.

   The Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka opened just before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. It was the world’s first high-speed rail line.

   Source: Shinkansen (Wikipedia) · Fact card

4. Japan has more than 100 active volcanoes.

   Japan sits where several tectonic plates meet, on the Pacific "Ring of Fire". It has about a tenth of the world’s active volcanoes, including Mount Fuji.

   Source: List of volcanoes in Japan (Wikipedia) · Fact card

5. One of the world’s oldest companies was a Japanese temple builder founded in 578.

   Kongō Gumi was founded in the year 578 to build Buddhist temples and was run by the same family for more than 1,400 years. It became part of a larger construction company in 2006 and still operates under that group.

   Source: Kongō Gumi (Wikipedia) · Fact card

6. Japan has more than four million vending machines.

   Millions of vending machines sell drinks, snacks and much more across Japan, many of them offering both hot and cold drinks.

   Source: Vending machines in Japan (Wikipedia) · Fact card

7. Mount Fuji is an active volcano. It last erupted in 1707.

   At 3,776 meters, Fuji is Japan’s highest mountain. Its last eruption, the Hoei eruption, dropped ash on what is now Tokyo.

   Source: Mount Fuji (Wikipedia) · Fact card

8. One of the world’s oldest hotels is in Japan and opened in the year 705.

   Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, a hot spring inn in Yamanashi, has been run by the same family for more than 50 generations.

   Source: Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan (Wikipedia) · Fact card

9. Japan publishes official forecasts for when cherry blossoms will open.

   Each spring, forecasters track the "cherry blossom front" as it moves north from Okinawa to Hokkaido, and people plan hanami picnics around it.

   Source: Hanami (Wikipedia) · Fact card

10. Japanese trains are so punctual that average delays are measured in seconds.

    The average delay on the Tokaido Shinkansen is under a minute, including delays caused by weather and natural disasters.

    Source: Shinkansen (Wikipedia) · Fact card

11. Wild monkeys in Japan bathe in hot springs.

    Japanese macaques at Jigokudani in Nagano soak in hot springs in winter. They live farther north than any other non-human primate.

    Source: Japanese macaque (Wikipedia) · Fact card

12. Greater Tokyo is the most populous metropolitan area in the world.

    The Greater Tokyo Area is home to about 37 million people, more than the population of Canada.

    Source: Greater Tokyo Area (Wikipedia) · Fact card

13. Japan has about 1,500 earthquakes a year, most of them minor.

    Japan sits where several tectonic plates meet. Buildings are designed to sway, and an early warning system sends alerts seconds before strong shaking arrives.

    Source: Earthquakes in Japan (Wikipedia) · Fact card

14. Japan has had hundreds of Kit Kat flavors, including green tea and wasabi.

    Kit Kat is a popular good-luck gift for students because its name sounds like the Japanese phrase "kitto katsu", "you will surely win".

    Source: Kit Kats in Japan (Wikipedia) · Fact card

15. A dog in Japan waited for his owner at a train station for nearly 10 years.

    Hachikō waited at Shibuya Station every day after his owner died in 1925. A statue of him stands outside the station today.

    Source: Hachikō (Wikipedia) · Fact card

16. Japan’s name means "origin of the sun".

    In Japanese the country is Nippon or Nihon, often translated as "land of the rising sun".

    Source: Names of Japan (Wikipedia) · Fact card

17. Most people in Japan live on four main islands.

    Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku make up most of the land, along with Okinawa and thousands of smaller islands.

    Source: Geography of Japan (Wikipedia) · Fact card

18. Japan has the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world.

    Tradition traces the imperial line back over 2,600 years, and Japanese eras are named after each emperor’s reign.

    Source: Imperial House of Japan (Wikipedia) · Fact card

19. Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.

    Average life expectancy is around 84 years, and Japan has tens of thousands of people over 100.

    Source: Ageing of Japan (Wikipedia) · Fact card

20. The Japanese yen is one of the world’s most traded currencies.

    It is often the third most traded currency on foreign exchange markets, after the US dollar and the euro.

    Source: Japanese yen (Wikipedia) · Fact card

21. Sushi began as a way to preserve fish in fermented rice.

    Early sushi was eaten after months of fermentation. Fresh nigiri sushi became popular in Edo (Tokyo) in the 1800s.

    Source: Sushi (Wikipedia) · Fact card

22. Japan has thousands of hot spring resorts.

    Volcanic activity heats water across the country, and soaking in an onsen is a traditional way to relax.

    Source: Onsen (Wikipedia) · Fact card

23. The capsule hotel was invented in Japan.

    The first opened in Osaka in 1979, offering small sleeping pods instead of rooms.

    Source: Capsule hotel (Wikipedia) · Fact card

24. The Tokyo Skytree is the tallest tower in the world.

    At 634 meters, it is the tallest tower (as opposed to building) on Earth, and is used for broadcasting and observation decks.

    Source: Tokyo Skytree (Wikipedia) · Fact card

25. Sumo is Japan’s national sport.

    Professional sumo has six major tournaments a year, and wrestlers live and train in communal stables.

    Source: Sumo (Wikipedia) · Fact card

26. Bowing in Japan has different depths for different situations.

    A slight nod is casual, a deeper bow shows respect, and the deepest bows are for apologies or great thanks.

    Source: Bowing in Japan (Wikipedia) · Fact card

27. Japan’s manga industry sells hundreds of millions of copies a year.

    Manga is read by all ages, and many anime series begin as manga.

    Source: Manga (Wikipedia) · Fact card

28. Some Tokyo stations have staff who help push passengers onto crowded trains.

    They are called oshiya and work mainly at rush hour on the busiest lines.

    Source: Oshiya (Wikipedia) · Fact card

29. Tipping is not customary in Japan.

    Good service is expected as standard, and leaving money on the table can cause confusion.

    Source: Gratuity (Wikipedia) · Fact card

30. The Shiba Inu is Japan’s oldest and smallest native dog breed.

    Shibas were bred to hunt in the mountains and are now among the most recognizable dogs online.

    Source: Shiba Inu (Wikipedia) · Fact card

31. About two thirds of Japan is covered in forest.

    Mountains cover most of the country, so cities are packed into coastal plains.

    Source: Geography of Japan (Wikipedia) · Fact card

32. Washington, D.C.’s famous cherry trees were a gift from Tokyo.

    Tokyo gave about 3,000 cherry trees to the US capital in 1912, and they still bloom around the Tidal Basin each spring.

    Source: National Cherry Blossom Festival (Wikipedia) · Fact card