10 Curiosities About Japan

Japan is a wonderful country, full of magic and splendor. Here you will see some very interesting Japanese curiosities.

1. It is the largest car producer in the world, with Toyota company being one of the best-selling brands.

2. It is one of the safest countries, with one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

3. It is one of the countries with the most earthquakes in the world, experiencing almost 1,500 each year. Most of these are just small tremors, although others can reach a magnitude above 8 on the Richter scale.

4. The Kinkakuji Temple is a three-story pavilion entirely covered with gold paper. The contrast with the surrounding nature is or seems unreal.

5. Silence is like a religion. It seems that for Japanese people, silence is almost a law. It is forbidden to talk on the phone on trains, and also to have a phone with the sound on. If you receive a call, you can answer it very quietly to warn that you are on the train, and hang up immediately.

6. Smoking is incredibly difficult. You can’t smoke in a lot of places. However, this is not a concern for smokers, they will never be too far from a “smoking area”.

7. It is the country with fewer sleep hours in the world. Some companies demand more than 100 hours of overtime from their staff every month. Many workers end up dying suddenly or committing suicide.

8. It is estimated that in northern Japan, 30-meter high tsunamis could be generated if there were a major earthquake.

9. The Japanese flag is officially called “nisshoki,” which means “flag marked by the sun” in Japanese. It is also popularly called “hinomaru,” translated as “solar disk”.

10. The word geisha literally means “person who practices the arts. They are in charge of practicing and maintaining Japanese culture. The profession of geishas was officially recognized in the second half of the 18th century. Geishas are women who dedicate their lives to traditional Japanese arts and use their talents to entertain clients during banquets and shows.