With a population of 127.3 million, 47 prefectures, 377,972 km² of land, over 200 volcanoes, and roughly 5.52 million vending machines, Japan has a lot to offer!

On this stop of the 2016 World Fair step into a country with a rich history, interesting culture, and strange inventions - welcome to Japan!

This year, I tried to focus on aspects of Japan that weren't explored in previous years. I hope you'll stop by the threads, participate in some games, and learn a thing or two you may have not known before!

If you have any questions about Japan or want to know what life in Japan is like, please feel free to ask! I lived and worked in Nagoya for a total of six years, and am happy to share any of my experiences with anyone who's interested.

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Japan Thread Index

おみくじ - Omikuji: All about Japanese fortune slips. Get your fortune!
擬音語 - Onomatopoeia: The Japanese language is rich with onomatopoeia. Can you guess what they mean?
温泉 - Onsen: One of the most relaxing things to do in Japan. Play a round of Onsen Dive!
書道 - Calligraphy: Learn about calligraphy, and try it out yourself with a calligraphy writing contest.
ごはんかいじゅうパップ - Pap the Rice Monster: Combining food with a musical anime. Play a guessing game!
働てるロボと - Working Robots: Five common(ish) working robot(ish) machines used in Japan!

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Let's get started with some interesting facts about Japan:

❁ There have been people living in Japan since 30,000 B.C.

❁ Shinto and Buddhism are the two most widely practised religions.

❁ There are about 6800 islands that are considered part of Japan.

❁ 70% of Japan's surface is covered in mountains.


❁ Japanese trains are among the world's most punctual: their average delay is just 18 seconds.

❁ There are more pets than children.

❁ There are nearly 130 different voice-acting schools in Japan due to the popularity of anime.

❁ Due to difficulty pronouncing the English "r", Ronald McDonald is called Donald McDonald.

❁ More paper is used for manga than to create toilet paper.

❁ There are currently 20 places in Japan that are UNESCO World Heritage sites.


❁ Many streets in Japan do not have a name.

❁ The earthquake that took place on March 11th, 2011, was so severe that it increased the earth's rotation speed, and therefore shortened the day by 1.8 microseconds.

❁ Japan has one of the highest literacy levels in the world - over 99% of people fifteen and over are considered literate.



Japan Quiz
Test your knowledge about Japan with this quiz! Just fill out your answers, and send them to me (dreamsinpink). Everyone who scores 80% or higher will receive a special stamp!

Take the Quiz:

Sent away! Thank you for your work in this years world festival! I learned quite a lot!

Sent the quiz answers to you!You must have worked very hard on the research but I learned so much !

loved reading this. And I must say the mountains and the part of the countryside I saw of Japan was amazing. I was also in Nagoya for like 2 min lol trying to catch the shinkansen back to Tokyo. OMG the trains and any transportation really is amazing. Like I could write forever about it.