Whether you love Japan for its production of your favourite anime and manga stories, or you raise a brow at the seemingly-strange game shows and technology, it's definitely one interesting country!

Located in the Pacific Ocean, Japan is one of the oldest countries in the world. According to Japanese legends, Jimmu Tenno who was a descendant from the sun goddess, Amaterasu, was the first emperor to rule the country in 660 BCE.

Japan has come a long way throughout the years, developing into a country which many associate with technology and development. I know that I could never do Japan's rich history justice, but I can definitely share my knowledge and experiences from my time there in hopes that you can learn a bit about the wonderful country that I was fortunate to temporarily call home!

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日本へようこそ！ - Welcome to Japan!
日本の県 - Japan's Prefectures
日本の祝日 - Japanese Holidays and Celebrations
日本の食べ物  - Japanese Food
日本語 - Japanese Language
忍者 - Ninjas
日本の写真 - Photos of Japan
ゆるキャラゲーム - Yuru-chara Game
日本のクイズ - Japan Quiz

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Let's begin our journey to Japan with a few interesting facts!


❁ The Japanese flag is commonly called 日の丸 (Hi no Maru), which means "circle of the sun".

❁ Japan's national anthem, 君が代 (Kimigayo), is one of the oldest in the world, and was originally written as a waka poem in the Heian period (794 - 1185). In the 1800's the melody was added, and the song was widely accepted as the national anthem. However, it wasn't until 1999 when the government made Kimigayo the official anthem of Japan.

Pop Singer, Gackt, Performing Kimigayo:

❁ While the Emperor still serves as a figurehead, Japan operates under a parliamentary system similar to Canada and the UK. The current Emperor is Akihito, and the Prime Minister is Shinzo Abe.

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

❁ Both the Green Pheasant and Koi (carp) are Japan's national animals.

❁ Chrysanthemums and cherry blossoms are the national flowers of Japan.

❁ Sumo wrestling is Japan's national sport, but is unfortunately on the decline. Baseball is the most popular sport in Japan.

❁ Japan is hit by more than 1500 earthquakes every year. Buildings are built to withstand earthquakes, and sway instead of shake when one hits.

❁ Japanese people are among the longest living in the world! There are more than 50,000 people there who are over the age of 100.

❁ Vending machines are every where in the country. There are more than 5.52 million of them!


❁ More than 24 BILLION pairs of chopsticks are used in Japan every single year.

❁ If a black cat crosses your path in Japan, consider yourself lucky! The numbers four and nine, on the other hand, are considered unlucky. Four, 四 (shi) in Japanese, sounds like the word for death, 死 (shi), and nine because 九 (ku) sounds like pain, 苦 (ku).

❁ Every year there is World Cosplay Summit that takes place in Nagoya City. Cosplayers from around the world come to show off their costumes, participate in parades, and win prizes!

❁ Apartments in Japan really are tiny - some only have one room! Toilets are often separated from the shower / bath, and most kitchens aren't equipped with ovens.

Click for Photos:

❁ It's normal to carry around a small towel to dry hands or wipe away sweat.

❁ People always take off their shoes when entering a home, but this sometimes applies to businesses, schools, and change rooms! People usually have slippers for guests and customers to use, and there's a separate pair of slippers to wear to the toilet.

❁ Public baths are still very much used in Japan, and in the home, family members often share the same bath water (after washing off in a shower, though!).

❁ In advertisements and anime you usually see people in hot springs wearing towels. In reality, you don't wear anything in the hot springs, and all you usually get is a tiny towel.

❁ 招き猫 (Manekineko) are good luck charms in Japan, as they invite happiness. The raised right paw represents the invitation of money, while the left invites people in. You see them outside or at the front of many businesses.


❁ たぬき (Tanuki) are Japanese Raccoon dogs, which appear in folklore and as statues all over the country. They are a mischevious but happy creatures who bring good fortune.


If there's anything you've always wanted to know about Japan or life in Japan ask away, and I'll do my best to answer!

So as a foreigner who would like to visit a hot springs spa, is there anything you would tell a first timer? I've always had it on my list as an option for honeymooning.

I love those vending machines! Those were so cool! I visited Japan with the Sister Cities about 6 years ago. I haven't gone back though.

Small Lady wrote:

So as a foreigner who would like to visit a hot springs spa, is there anything you would tell a first timer?  I've always had it on my list as an option for honeymooning.

Once you've decided which one to go to, you go to the locker room to strip down and store your things. Most hot springs nowadays are divided to a woman's side and a men's side, but there are still some that are unisex. Since you don't bathe with swim suits or towels, the hot springs are also divided.

Before you go out into the spring itself, you need to wash off at a shower station. They usually supply soap and shampoo, and there's usually a little stool to sit on.


After you wash off, you're good to go in! Most people use the tiny towel they give you to wipe the sweat from their forehead when they're in the bath. It's up to you whether or not you want to shower once again on your way out. People don't keep towels with them (except the tiny face cloth sized ones), but there are some to use when you get out of the hot spring area (usually in the locker room).

There are some fancy hotels that have private hot springs attached to rooms, or places where you can rent a hot spring room for an hour and go with whoever you want. Either of those would definitely work better if you're going for a honeymoon!

I went to one place in Gero that allowed you to take your dog in with you if you rented the room - which I did of course. Can't say she was too fond of the water (we washed her down with cool water so she didn't overheat), but it was a fun experience!

I remember finding out about Tanuki when I watched the Hayao Miyazaki movie Pom Poko.  So statues of those small mythical animals are all over the country?  Where are these statues typically located?

Ooh thanks, I like the idea of renting a private one. I think I'd be a bit too embarrassed to walk around nude with strangers. lol!

Hopefully I can experience Japan myself someday. all our talks and what i just read makes me excited to go.

I always wondered why my aunt carried a towel on her shoulder all of the time xD She used to live in Taiwan, so it makes sense now.

Thanks for sharing all of these facts! I learned a lot of interesting things and would really love to use one of those vending machines xD

I want to travel to Japan someday, it's a nation of great contrasts: east meets west to produce an interesting cultural transaction. Nicknames of Japan include "Animeland" (one of Japan's most known exports in global culture), "the Land of the Rising Sun" with its' ancient symbol: the red sun with rays in the sky, and "Asia's window to the west". And Japan is one of the world's oldest known countries: its foundation dates back to 660 BC (over 2,600 years ago), much older than the USA founded in 1776 AD.

Did Japan not have a national anthem before 1999 then? Just curious since they usually play that in sport events and the like.

It's been the de facto anthem since the 1800's, but it legally became the official anthem in 1999. So they would have still used it before then.

I have here a Japanese song that was popular 50 years ago in the US, titled "Sukiyaki"...actually for the English-language radio stations, because the music industry felt more Americans would be familiar with the Japanese delicacy than the whole Japanese language.

Reviving the world's fair (threads), because the history of Japan video. My grandpa was an US marine in WW2 (Pacific theater) who fought the Japanese. He was stationed in post-war Japan for awhile and Japan was used during the Korean war in Japan's former colonies divided into two warring halves.

A destructive M6.2 earthquake struck Kumamoto, a moderate-sized city in Kyushu, Japan. Earthquakes are regular occurrences in Japan, a country divided by 4 tectonic plates shifting and clashing to build up the four Japanese "home" islands along with its volcanoes (like Mount Fuji).

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and...OH, JAPAN! WHY U SO WEIRD?   Being a different country from our own, you'll notice the details sets Japan apart from the rest of the world. Thanx for the tip about not tipping, which I try to remember when I ever visit Japan.