15 Cool Facts about Japan That You Need To Know

Japan is an archipelago of islands located along the east coast of Asia. It is a popular tourist destination thanks to its beautiful temples, amazing food and bustling city centres. Whether you want to hike up the famous Mount Fuji, explore Tokyo city whilst it’s lit up at night or walk through the mysterious Bamboo forest; there is something for every traveller. This country is a dream bucket list destination for many and it isn’t hard to see why! Aside from the amazing culture, incredible wildlife and unique experiences; there are so many other things that make Japan special. Here are 14 cool facts about Japan that you need to know before your visit.

Are you someone who loves to fully understand a destination and culture when travelling? Our knowledgeable Japan tour guides will be your best buds to pick up more fun facts during tour trip. You’ll be leaving Japan with a better understanding of Japanese culture, history and some cool facts to share with your friends and family back home.

1. Over 80% of the country is mountainous

Japan is covered with mountains which makes it a pretty cool place to explore. Located in central Honshu, there is an area which is known as “the roof of Japan” due to the amount of mountains reaching over 3,000m high. Many of the mountains in Japan such as the Japan Alps were created by the collision of the continental crust of Asia and the Pacific oceanic crust. This movement caused the land mass to uplift and helped create Japan as we know it today. This mountainous terrain is home to over 100 active volcanoes, with some of the most popular being Mount Fuji, Mount Aso and Sakurajima which make up about 10% of all active volcanoes in the world. If you are looking into picking up a new sport or if you love a good ski session, Japan is the place to be due to its quality snow. In 1998, Japan even hosted the Winter Olympics in Nagano! So rest assured that it is where you want to be looking to travel Japan in winter.

Find out why skiing in Japan should be on your bucket list.

2. KFC Is a Christmas tradition

Christmas is not an official holiday in Japan, as 70% of the population follows the country’s oldest religion, Shinto. However, it is still celebrated by many and one of their Christmas traditions is something you might not expect.

In Japan, the tradition is to head to your local KFC to chow down on a ‘KFC Christmas dinner’. Hours of queuing are to be expected and a surge of people order weeks in advance to ensure that they get to be able to enjoy their delicious KFC feast. Each year, it’s estimated that 3.6 million Japanese people follow this tradition.

This unique tradition originated from Takeshi Okaware who was the manager of the first KFC in Japan. After the store opened in 1970, Takeshi came up with the brilliant idea to host a ‘party barrel’ full of fried chicken at Christmas time.

Learn how different Countries in Asia celebrate Christmas and New Years.

3. Japanese people have one of the highest life expectancies in the world

Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world. The average life expectancy in Japan is 84, which is about 8 years longer than that of the U.S. 1 in 10 Japanese people are aged over 80 years old. Japan also has over 92,000 people in the country who are over 100 years old.

Japan has an island that is nicknamed “the island of longevity”. Okinawa is an archipelago made up of 160 islands, located in the East China Sea that is well known for its exceptional life expectancy. Many people that live on these islands live past 100 years of age, and there is a low level of disease here. The people live healthy and happy lives, and it is associated with the philosophy of ‘Ikigai’ which is translated to ‘reason for being’.

4. There is a rabbit island in Japan

There is a little island in Japan called Okunoshima, which is well known for its crowd of cute rabbits for you to cuddle with. The island is nicknamed Rabbit Island and has become a popular tourist attraction in recent years. It is estimated that as many as 1,000 rabbits are wandering around the island and they thrive due to the lack of natural predators on Okunoshima.

The island is located in the inland sea of Japan and originally had a much darker history. Okunoshima was originally used during World War II to test chemical weapons. During this period workers were given minimum protective gear, which led to many people becoming ill due to the exposure of these gases. Today you can learn all about the island’s history at the Poison Gas Museum.

You can only get to Okunoshima by ferry, so make sure you do your research on the ferry times before your trip. The island is roughly 4km in circumference and will take you about an hour to wander around on foot. If you are a nature lover, be sure you visit this spot!

5. The world’s oldest company is found in Japan

Japan is home to the oldest operating business in the world. Kongo Gumi was established in 578 and specialises in constructing shrines and temples. That means the company was founded only a century after the fall of the Roman Empire!

How wild is that?

The company operated for more than 1,400 years as an independent business, until 2006 when it became a subsidiary of Takamatsu Kensetsu due to financial difficulties. However, even though Kongo Gumi is no longer an independent business, it continues to operate today under a different company. They specialise in the construction, repair and maintenance of Buddhist temples, hence it won’t be short of work in this beautiful country. Japan has 6 of the world’s oldest companies and over 1000 firms that have been around for over 100 years.

6. The number four is considered extremely unlucky in Japan

The number four or ‘shi’ as it’s known in Japanese, is considered extremely unlucky. It is avoided throughout the country, as it sounds very similar to the Japanese word for death.

When we say the number four is avoided, we literally mean in all aspects. Often buildings in Japan won’t have a fourth floor, and items are often sold in sets of three or five; specifically leaving out sets of four.

7. Slurping your noodles is considered polite

Generally in other countries, slurping your noodles may be considered rude or irritating to other people. However, in Japan, there is only one way to eat your noodles and that is by slurping them! Slurping noodles in Japan is seen as a sign of enjoyment and shows the chef that you are enjoying their food. It is also said to add flavour to your noodles and cool them down.

As this can be a messy way to eat, bibs are sometimes provided for foreigners when eating noodles. Using chopsticks is also something that travellers may not be used to, so the bib is a good idea if you are dressed in your favourite outfits to dine out!

8. Dining solo is extremely common

Japan is known as the solo dining capital of the world. Due to an increase in single person households along with a shrinking population, it has become pretty popular in Japan to request a table for one in restaurants.

If you fancy trying a new restaurant but are worried about turning up on your own, don’t be!  There is nothing worse than wanting to try a new restaurant or cuisine, and no-one wants to go with you. We feel like this should be a common thing all over the world, so book that table!

9. People are hired as ‘transit pushers’

Using public transportation in Japan is incredibly popular because it is super reliable and nearly always on time. To put this into context about 61% of students and 57% of company workers are dependent on public transport to get around. Ultimately, this may cause a big overcrowding issue on trains considering how big Tokyo’s population is and how high the percentage of people using public transportation.

​​Surprisingly, many of the railways operate at around 199% over capacity! As a result, this causes people to be squished against windows to fit more people inside. To fix this issue, “transit pushers” are hired during rush hour to shove people onto the trains, and ensure more people fit.

10. Tokyo is the capital city of Japan and is considered the world’s largest city

The city of Tokyo is made up of many different areas, and together they boast an estimated population of over 38 million people, more than the entire population of Canada. This makes it the most populated megacity in the entire world.

As well as the centre of Tokyo; the fringe areas of Chiba, Saitama, Kawasaki, Sagamihara and Yokohama help to make up this huge population. Over time, these areas have expanded until they are now classed as one megacity. 28% of Japan’s entire population lives in Tokyo, which pools a large percentage, so as you can imagine the city is bustling!

11. Japan has the highest amount of vending machines in the world

Japan has a vending machine for literally everything you could think of. Whether it be batteries, flowers or ramen, you can be certain that you will find it in a Japanese vending machine somewhere.

As a country, Japan has 3.97 million vending machines. That is the highest density of vending machines in the world. It also means that there is roughly 1 vending machine for every 24 people in Japan.

12. Japan consists of over 6,800 islands

Japan is made up of over 6,800 islands, with around 430 of them being inhabited. It is the largest island country in East Asia and the fourth largest in the world. Japan has four main islands which is where most of the big cities are found, and these are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. Honshu is the largest island in Japan and is the most populated, with the capital city of Tokyo being located.

Originally these islands were attached to the east coast of Asia, but 15 million years ago, tectonic activity caused the islands to split off from the mainland. This tectonic movement created the Sea of Japan as we know it today.

To make the most of your visit, also check out The Best Season to Visit Japan

13. The popular video game series Pokemon originated in Japan

Pokemon is one of the most popular franchises in the world and continues to grow. Originally it was named Pocket Monsters in Japan before it hit the rest of the world. The first video games were released in 1997, and Pokemon video games are still being released today. The game aims to battle your way to the top with Pokemon and catch all 151 Pokemon (or Pocket Monsters) to complete a Pokedex. The trading card expansion of Pokemon and the anime TV show are also massive hits.

On the 16th of December in 1997, an episode of Pokemon caused around 700 children to have medical issues. Some of the children had to be sent to hospital, with some even experiencing seizures. This was due to the strobe lighting effect in the episode. As Pokemon was one of the most popular shows in Japan at the time, many children had their eyes glued to it. Luckily this was only a one-time occurrence!

14. The country is home to pretty bizarre festivals

Japan is well known for its festivals, but there are some pretty bizarre ones that take place.

One of the strangest festivals is Hadaka Matsuri. During this festival, thousands of men strip naked in public, because they believe it will secure them a fortune-filled year. The biggest Matsuri usually occurs in Okayama, where an estimated 9,000 Japanese men gather to strip down.

Another of Japan’s strange festivals is the Kanamara Matsuri Festival – also known as the “Penis Festival” or the ‘Festival of the Steel Phallus”. It occurs on the first Sunday in April every year and will likely be one of the strangest sights you will ever see. The male reproductive organ is celebrated throughout the festival and is reflected in candy, decorations and even a parade.

We hope these cool facts about Japan have convinced you to visit this incredible country! Want to learn more? How about an Ultimate Bucket List of things to do in Japan?

If you are super excited to visit, why not enjoy this beautiful country with us? We have great Japan group tour options for you to choose from. We pride ourselves in tailoring you the best Japan experience with our range of tours. Whether you’re looking for a longer trip of 14 days, or a shorter one of 9 days with plenty of free time to roam around; the choice is yours.

If you’re travelling in the colder months, our Japan Winter tour with a 3-day ski-extension add-on is one not to miss out on. Watch the snow monkeys soak in the hot springs and make the most out of your ski pass at one of Japan’s well-known ski resorts, the HAPPO ONE ski resort.

If you’re still exploring and would like more inspiration, this Japan Travel Guide might also help with your process.

For more on top locations in Japan, take a look at Best Places to Visit in Japan: Top Cities and Must-See Regions