Whether you've visited Japan before or are simply fascinated by the country, here are 10 surprising facts about Japan that may surprise you.
1. Japan consists of over 6000 islands
Japan has 6,852 islands. Approximately 430 are inhabited. Japan is the largest island country in East Asia and the fourth largest island country in the world.
2. Japan suffers 1500 earthquakes every year
About ~1,500 earthquakes strike the island nation every year. Minor tremors occur on a nearly daily basis. Deadly quakes are a tragic part of the nation's past.
3. Most streets in Japan have no name
There are some streets with names. But yes, the vast majority of streets have no names. Addresses are done by prefecture, city, ward, neighborhood, block, building number, and apartment number, in that order. Street names are not a part of an official address.
4. 'Tokyo' means eastern capital
In 1868, when the shogunate came to an end, the city was renamed "Tokyo" which means "Eastern Capital".
5. Godzilla is an official citizen of Japan
In April 2015, the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo named Godzilla a special resident and official tourism ambassador to encourage tourism.
6. Japan has the highest life expectancy in the whole world
A study published in the spring of 2016 concluded that diet was a major factor behind the country’s high life expectancy figures.
7. In Japan, the leading cause of death for men aged 20 to 44 is suicide
Under Judeo-Christian law, suicide is seen as a sin, as a crime, and insurance companies do not cover suicidal deaths. In Japan, there was no such stigma and, for some time, suicide was seen as an acceptable - if extreme - method of resolving unresolvable life situations.
8. In Japan, tipping a server is considered rude
It's not considered rude - it simply isn't done. There is no tipping culture in Japan. Waiters and such receive normal pay. They're much more likely to simply be confused or think you forgot some money on the table.
9. In Japan, there are more pets than people
In 2017 there were 6.3 million dogs and zero cats registered in Japan. In the same year, government estimates put the number of children aged 0-15 at over 15.5 million. Only if pet food industry estimates are used does the dogs + cats number (18.4 million in the 2017 report) exceed the number of children.
10. About 24 billion chopsticks are used in Japan each year
Every year, Japan gets through roughly 24 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks. That's 185 pairs for every person in Japan.
11. In Japan, KFC is a typical feast on Christmas Eve
KFC Japan expanded the promotion nationwide in 1974 with its long-running "Kentucky for Christmas" or "Kentucky Christmas" advertising campaign. Eating KFC food as a Christmas time meal has since become a widely practiced custom in Japan.
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