98 Fun Facts About Japan

What is the highest mountain in Japan?

Mount Fuji, at 3,776 m, is Japan's highest peak; it is the seventh-highest island peak on Earth and the second-highest volcano on an Asian island, after Sumatra's Kerinci.

What is the traditional Japanese garment often worn for special occasions?

The kimono is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan, often worn for formal events and special occasions. Yukata is a more casual version, typically worn in summer.

Which city served as Japan's imperial capital for over a thousand years before the Meiji-era move to Edo?

Founded as Heian-kyō, it came to be called simply Kyōto, 'capital city', late in the Heian period.

Which dish, brought to Meiji Japan via the British Royal Navy, is now called a Japanese national dish?

Curry reached Meiji Japan through the British; the Imperial Japanese Navy adopted it partly to fight beriberi, and recipes appeared in Japanese cookbooks by 1872.

What is the name of Japan's high-speed rail network?

Shinkansen, Japan's high-speed rail network, opened between Tokyo and Osaka in 1964; its 'bullet train' nickname translates dangan ressha, the name of a 1939 proposal.

What style of Japanese art, known for woodblock prints, flourished in the Edo period?

Ukiyo-e, meaning 'pictures of the floating world,' is a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th to 19th centuries, predominantly featuring woodblock prints and paintings of landscapes, actors, and scenes from daily life.

What are the two main religions traditionally practiced in Japan?

Shintoism and Buddhism coexist in Japan; many people practise both, visiting Shinto shrines at New Year and Buddhist temples at Obon.

How many scripts does a typical modern Japanese sentence combine?

Three scripts — kanji (borrowed Chinese characters) plus the two native syllabaries, hiragana and katakana — routinely sit together in a single modern Japanese sentence.

What is Japan's national bird?

The green pheasant, a species endemic to Japan and companion of the folk hero Momotarō, was chosen as the national bird by the Ornithological Society of Japan in 1947.

What is the official title of Japan's head of state?

Emperor is the hereditary, ceremonial title of Japan's monarch; the 1947 constitution defines the Emperor as the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people.

What is the official currency of Japan?

The yen, adopted under the New Currency Act of 1871, is Japan's official currency; its symbol is ¥ and it is subdivided into 100 sen in name only.

During which season do cherry blossoms typically bloom across much of Japan?

Cherry blossoms bloom in spring: the front sweeps north from late March to early May, though Okinawa's trees open as early as mid-January.

Which traditional Japanese dance-drama is known for kumadori makeup, glamorous costumes and heavily stylised performances?

Kabuki's kumadori face paint and lavish costumes set it apart from masked Noh; the form began with Izumo no Okuni's dances in Kyoto around 1603.

What is the largest of Japan's four main islands?

Honshu, whose name means 'mainland', is the seventh-largest island on Earth and, after Java, the second most populous.

Which martial art, originating in Japan, emphasizes throws and grappling techniques?

Judo, 'the gentle way', focuses on throws, joint locks and chokeholds rather than strikes.

Which temple-building firm, purportedly founded in AD 578, is the world's oldest documented company?

Kongō Gumi, an Osaka temple builder traditionally dated to 578, is the oldest documented company; weighed down by bubble-era debt, it became a Takamatsu Construction Group subsidiary in 2006.

What is the longest river in Japan?

The Shinano River is the longest river in Japan, flowing for 367 kilometers (228 miles) through Nagano and Niigata Prefectures.

Which type of traditional Japanese garden uses arranged rocks and sand to create a dry landscape?

Karesansui, often referred to as a Zen garden or dry landscape garden, is a distinct style of Japanese garden that uses rocks, sand, gravel, and sometimes moss to represent landscapes without water.

What is considered the national sport of Japan?

Sumo, with roots in Shinto ritual, is widely regarded as Japan's national sport; professional sumo has held six 15-day grand tournaments a year since 1958.

Which city hosted the Summer Olympics in Japan in 2020 (held in 2021 due to the pandemic)?

Tokyo hosted the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were postponed to 2021 due to the global pandemic. It was the second time Tokyo hosted the Summer Games.

Which prefecture is Japan's largest by area?

Hokkaido, covering the entire northernmost main island at about 83,000 km², is Japan's largest prefecture and the only one that forms a region by itself.

What is the formal name for the Japanese tea ceremony?

Chanoyu, or Chado/Sado, is the formal name for the Japanese tea ceremony, a highly ritualized preparation and presentation of powdered green tea (matcha).

Who authored 'The Tale of Genji', often considered the world's first novel?

Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting at the Heian court around the year 1000, wrote The Tale of Genji; she also left a diary and a collection of poems.

What is the famous pacifist clause in Japan's post-WWII constitution?

Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, enacted after World War II, is a famous pacifist clause stating that Japan forever renounces war as a sovereign right and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes.

Which animal, protected in Nara for over a thousand years, is held in Japanese folklore to be a messenger of the gods?

Deer are messengers of Takemikazuchi, the deity of Kasuga Grand Shrine, and roam Nara Park freely.

Which 13-string Japanese instrument is played with picks called tsume?

The koto's bridges are re-set for different pieces, and modern makers have built versions with 20 or more strings.

What term describes the rapid economic growth Japan experienced after World War II?

Japan's remarkable period of rapid economic growth and industrialization after World War II is widely known as the 'Japanese Economic Miracle'.

In Japan, during which month does the academic school year typically begin?

The academic school year in Japan traditionally begins in April, following a spring break.

Which Japanese castle, a UNESCO site, is renowned for its elegant white exterior?

Himeji Castle, often called the 'White Heron Castle' due to its brilliant white exterior, is a pristine example of Japanese castle architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What is the general term for traditional Japanese hot springs, often enjoyed for relaxation and health?

Onsen are Japan's natural hot springs; under the 1948 Hot Spring Law the water must emerge at 25 °C or warmer or carry set minerals, and the country has roughly 3,000 onsen areas.

What traditional Japanese puppet theater uses large puppets operated by multiple visible puppeteers?

Bunraku is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater that combines puppetry, musical accompaniment, and chanted narration, with puppets often operated by three puppeteers.

What Japanese gate straddles the entrance to a Shinto shrine?

A torii marks the entrance to a Shinto shrine; passing beneath it is the step from the everyday world into sacred ground, and Fushimi Inari in Kyoto lines its paths with thousands.

Who are the indigenous people of Japan's northernmost main island and the Okhotsk region?

The Ainu are the indigenous people of Hokkaido; their range also took in Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands and southern Kamchatka, and a 2019 law recognised them as Japan's indigenous people.

What are the homes of Japan's non-samurai castes, farmers, artisans and merchants, called?

Minka, 'houses of the people', were the dwellings of farmers, artisans and merchants; farmhouses (nōka) and townhouses (machiya) are the two broad types.

What is the shortest traditional Japanese poetry form, three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables?

Haiku is a very short form of Japanese poetry, typically characterized by three phrases with a 5, 7, and 5 syllable count respectively, often focusing on nature or a moment in time.

By what name is Japan's national flag, a red disc on a white field, most commonly known?

Hinomaru, 'circle of the sun', is the everyday name; the 1999 Act on National Flag and Anthem calls it the Nisshōki, and its display was restricted in the early Allied occupation.

What type of government does Japan primarily operate under?

Japan is a constitutional monarchy: under the 1947 constitution the Emperor is a ceremonial symbol, while power rests with an elected bicameral legislature and a prime minister.

Which studio, co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki, made 'Spirited Away' and 'My Neighbor Totoro'?

Studio Ghibli, founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki, made My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and Spirited Away (2001), an Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature.

Who founded the Kamakura Shogunate in 1185?

Minamoto no Yoritomo established the Kamakura shogunate in 1185 and held the title of shogun from 1192 until his death in 1199, the first warrior to rule all Japan.

What is the general term for traditional Japanese confectionery, often served with green tea?

Wagashi is a comprehensive term for traditional Japanese sweets, meticulously crafted and often served as part of the tea ceremony. Mochi, Daifuku, and Dorayaki are specific types of wagashi.

Which waterfall in Wakayama Prefecture has Japan's tallest single uninterrupted drop, at 133 metres?

Multi-drop falls go higher: the seasonal Hannoki Falls reaches 497 metres.

Which legendary emperor founded Japan's imperial line, per the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki?

Jimmu, by legend a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu, is counted as the first emperor; his accession is traditionally dated to 660 BCE and marked by National Foundation Day on 11 February.

What is the Japanese art of paper folding called?

Origami is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, transforming a flat sheet of paper into a finished sculpture through various folding techniques.

Which flower forms Japan's imperial crest and gives the monarchy its nickname?

The chrysanthemum, a 16-petal bloom, is the imperial crest and gives the 'Chrysanthemum Throne' its name; Japan's highest decoration is the Order of the Chrysanthemum.

Which historic district of Japan's old imperial capital is famously associated with geisha and maiko?

Gion, on Kyoto's east side near Yasaka Shrine, is the city's best-known geisha district; its geisha call themselves geiko, 'women of art', and their apprentices maiko.

What is the moral code of the samurai, emphasizing virtues like loyalty, honor, and courage?

Bushido, meaning 'the way of the warrior,' is the moral code that governed the conduct of the samurai, emphasizing virtues such as rectitude, courage, benevolence, respect, honesty, honor, and loyalty.

What is the largest freshwater lake in Japan?

Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, about 670 km², is Japan's largest freshwater lake and, at roughly four million years old, one of the world's oldest lakes.

What fermented rice beverage is often considered Japan's national alcoholic drink?

Sake is brewed from polished rice fermented with kōji mould and yeast; it is traditionally poured from a tokkuri flask into small cups such as the sakazuki.

What is the general Japanese term for traditional festivals with parades, music, dancing and floats?

Matsuri are held throughout the year, often tied to shrines and their rituals.

How many prefectures is Japan divided into?

There were more than 300 in the early Meiji years; consolidation cut the number to 72 in 1871 and settled at 47 in 1888.

Japan's national legislature is known by what name?

The Diet comprises the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors; its first modern forerunner was the Imperial Diet of 1889.

Which Japanese imperial era began on 1 May 2019?

Reiwa began on 1 May 2019 with a new emperor's accession; its name, 'beautiful harmony', was the first drawn from a Japanese classic, the Man'yōshū, rather than from Chinese literature.

Who became Japan's 126th emperor in 2019?

Naruhito became the 126th emperor on 1 May 2019 after his father Akihito abdicated the day before, the first such abdication since Kōkaku's in 1817.

Which is the smallest of Japan's four main islands?

Shikoku, about 18,800 km², is the smallest of the four main islands; its name means 'four provinces', after the old provinces of Awa, Tosa, Sanuki and Iyo.

The Sapporo Snow Festival began in 1950 when six students built snow statues in which park?

Odori Park, Sapporo's long central green, is where six local high-school students built the first six snow statues in 1950; the park is the festival's main venue.

Which city became Japan's first permanent capital in 710 CE?

Nara, then called Heijō-kyō, held the court from 710 to 784 apart from a five-year interruption, after which the capital moved to Nagaoka-kyō.

Which temple's main hall is widely recognized as the world's oldest wooden building?

Hōryū-ji, near Nara, has a kondō and pagoda rebuilt after a fire in 670, the world's oldest surviving wooden buildings; the complex was among Japan's first UNESCO listings in 1993.

On what date in 1945 was the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki?

Nagasaki was bombed on 9 August 1945, three days after Hiroshima; the Soviet Union declared war on Japan in the hours between the two attacks.

The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, Japan's strongest on record, ranked where worldwide since 1900?

The 2011 Tōhoku quake, magnitude 9.0–9.1, ranks fourth worldwide since 1900 behind Chile 1960, Alaska 1964 and Sumatra 2004; it shifted Honshu about 2.4 m east and caused the Fukushima disaster.

In which year did Commodore Perry's 'Black Ships' first reach Edo Bay?

Perry anchored off Uraga on 8 July 1853; his return in 1854 produced the Convention of Kanagawa, which cracked open two centuries of seclusion.

Which Tokugawa policy, set by edicts of 1633 to 1639, sealed Japan off from most foreign contact for over two centuries?

Sakoku also forbade ordinary Japanese from leaving the country, and it held for more than two centuries.

In which year did the Meiji Restoration return political power to the emperor?

The restoration of imperial rule was proclaimed on 3 January 1868; the decades of rapid westernisation that followed turned Japan into an industrial power.

Which unifier of Japan is remembered for the 'sword hunt' that restricted weapons to samurai?

Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered the 1588 sword hunt, disarming peasants and fixing the samurai monopoly on weapons; he had risen from peasant birth to rule the country.

Whose forces won the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, clearing his path to the shogunate?

Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern Army won at Sekigahara on 21 October 1600 after Kobayakawa Hideaki and others defected from the Western coalition; Ieyasu was named shogun in 1603.

In which year did Mount Fuji's Hōei eruption begin?

The Hōei eruption began on 16 December 1707, 49 days after the great Hōei earthquake, and lasted about two weeks, dusting Edo with ash.

The Seikan Tunnel, linking Honshu and Hokkaido by rail, runs beneath which strait?

The Seikan Tunnel runs 53.85 km beneath the Tsugaru Strait; the Tōya Maru disaster, when a typhoon sank five ferries in the strait with about 1,430 deaths, helped push the project forward.

On completion in 1998, how long was the record central span of the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge?

The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge's 1,991 m central span held the suspension-bridge record from 1998 until Turkey's 1915 Çanakkale Bridge (2,023 m) opened in 2022.

Momofuku Ando's 1958 invention, the first packaged instant noodles, was sold under which name?

Chikin Ramen, launched by Nissin in 1958, was the first packaged instant noodle; Ando followed it with Cup Noodles in 1971.

What did Nintendo make when Fusajiro Yamauchi founded it in 1889?

Nintendo began in Kyoto in 1889 as Nintendo Koppai, making hand-made hanafuda playing cards; it kept producing cards long after moving into video games.

Hachikō, the loyal dog commemorated by a statue at Shibuya Station, was which breed?

Hachikō was an Akita, born in Ōdate in 1923; he kept returning to Shibuya Station for almost ten years after his owner, Professor Hidesaburō Ueno, died in 1925.

Which tower, Japan's tallest structure at 634 metres, opened in 2012?

Tokyo Skytree's 6-3-4 can be read 'mu-sa-shi', the old province name for the area.

Which prefecture is Japan's westernmost?

Okinawa, whose Yonaguni Island is Japan's westernmost point, was the independent Ryukyu Kingdom until the Meiji government annexed it as a prefecture in 1879.

What is the Japanese art of flower arrangement called?

Ikebana, 'living flowers', is the Japanese art of flower arrangement; arrangements traditionally decorated the tokonoma alcove of a home.

Which Japanese martial art is the 'way of the bow', or archery?

Kyūdō, 'the way of the bow', is Japanese archery; practitioners draw the tall asymmetric yumi, gripping it well below centre.

Which studio produced the original 1954 Godzilla film?

Toho released Ishirō Honda's Godzilla on 3 November 1954; the studio went on to make more than 30 Japanese Godzilla films.

Hokusai's 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' is the first print in which series?

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, published around 1830–32, opens with The Great Wave; the series proved so popular that Hokusai added ten more prints, and its Prussian blue reshaped Japanese printmaking.

Expo '70, the first world's fair held in Asia, took place in which Japanese prefecture?

Osaka Prefecture hosted Expo '70 at Suita, where Tarō Okamoto's Tower of the Sun was the symbol; Osaka also hosted Expo 2025 on Yumeshima island.

What does 'kamikaze', the name for the storms that wrecked Mongol fleets, literally mean?

Kamikaze means 'divine wind': typhoons wrecked Kublai Khan's invasion fleets in 1274 and again in 1281, and the name was revived for WWII suicide pilots.

By what posthumous era name is Emperor Hirohito, who reigned 1926–1989, known?

Shōwa is the name; Heisei followed it, and Taishō and Meiji came before.

Which Japanese script is mainly used to write foreign loanwords and onomatopoeia?

Katakana, the angular syllabary, is used for foreign loanwords, onomatopoeia and emphasis, much as italics are in English; hiragana handles native words and grammar.

Which company launched the Walkman portable cassette player in 1979?

Sony launched the first Walkman, the TPS-L2, in July 1979, adapting it from the 'Pressman', a small cassette recorder built for journalists.

Toyota City in Aichi Prefecture was known by what name before it was renamed after the carmaker?

Koromo, a former silk town, renamed itself Toyota in 1959 after its biggest employer, an unusual case of a municipality taking a company's name.

In which year were the Japan Self-Defense Forces created?

The Self-Defense Forces were established on 1 July 1954 under the Self-Defense Forces Act, succeeding the National Police Reserve of 1950 and the National Safety Forces of 1952.

The Great Hanshin earthquake of January 1995 hit which port city hardest?

Kobe took the brunt of the 17 January 1995 quake: about 6,400 people died in all, some 4,600 of them in the city of 1.5 million.

Which physicist won the 1949 Nobel Prize for predicting the existence of mesons?

Hideki Yukawa, Japan's first Nobel laureate, predicted the meson in 1935; the pi meson was found in 1947, and he received the physics prize in 1949.

Who in 1968 became the first Japanese author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature?

Yasunari Kawabata, author of Snow Country and The Sound of the Mountain, won in 1968; the next Japanese laureate, Kenzaburō Ōe, came 26 years later.

Mount Aso, whose caldera is among the world's largest, stands on which island?

Mount Aso stands in Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu; its caldera, roughly 25 km by 18 km, is so vast that Aso city and two other municipalities sit inside it.

The word 'tsunami' comes from Japanese and literally means what?

Tsunami combines tsu, 'harbour', and nami, 'wave'; fishermen are said to have returned to find their harbours wrecked by waves they had not felt at sea.

The Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku-ji, was burned down in 1950 by whom?

The arsonist, 22-year-old Hayashi Shoken, inspired Yukio Mishima's novel The Temple of the Golden Pavilion.

Japan co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with which country?

South Korea and Japan shared the 2002 tournament, the first World Cup in Asia and the first co-hosted by two nations; the final was played in Yokohama.

Which company owns Hello Kitty, introduced in 1974?

Sanrio, founded by Shintaro Tsuji in 1960 as the Yamanashi Silk Center, introduced Hello Kitty in 1974, first on a vinyl coin purse.

Which peak is Japan's second-highest mountain?

Kita-dake, 'the leader of the Southern Alps', tops out at 3,193 m, second only to Fuji; Hotaka-dake at 3,190 m is third.

How often are the main buildings of the Ise Grand Shrine dismantled and rebuilt anew?

Ise's main sanctuaries are rebuilt every 20 years on an adjacent site, a rite called Shikinen Sengū held since the 7th century; the 62nd rebuilding took place in 2013.

Who coined the name 'Japanese Alps' for the mountains of central Honshu?

Gowland, an English archaeologist, meant only the Hida range; the missionary Walter Weston popularised the name.

European firearms were introduced to Japan in 1543 via which island?

Portuguese traders landed on Tanegashima in 1543; Japanese gunsmiths copied their arquebuses so quickly that matchlocks were soon known simply as tanegashima.

Which US president mediated the 1905 treaty that ended the Russo-Japanese War?

The Treaty of Portsmouth earned him the Nobel Peace Prize, the first ever awarded to an American.

The 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki ceded which island from China to Japan?

Taiwan, with the Pescadores, was ceded under the Treaty of Shimonoseki in April 1895; resistance by the short-lived Republic of Formosa meant Japan did not take control until October.

Who is the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history?

Shinzo Abe served nearly nine years in total (2006–07 and 2012–20), the longest of any Japanese prime minister; he was assassinated during a campaign speech in Nara in 2022.