10 interesting facts about Japan

What do we know about Japan? First of all, that this is an eastern archipelago. A densely populated group of islands where high-quality industry and legendary cars are closely intertwined with wacky inventions (chindogu) and cola-flavored chips (the gastronomic delights of the Japanese deserve a separate story). In general, the state is quite distinctive. By the way, not even a state, but an empire. We invite you to expand your understanding of the Land of the Rising Sun and get acquainted with the ten most interesting facts about Japan and the Japanese.

10 About 1400 earthquakes per year

And indeed it is. On average, in Japan, the earth shakes about 4 times a day, and this is quite a common thing there. 1930 is considered a record year, when over 4000 tremors were recorded. Such natural disasters occur in the Land of the Rising Sun due to the fact that the islands on which Japan lies are part of the Pacific volcanic ring. Japan accounts for about 10 percent of the world’s seismic activity. Due to frequent earthquakes, it was in this country that the most advanced technologies for predicting the activity of the earth’s plates appeared. They also had to improve construction technologies, because there are a lot of skyscrapers in Japan.

9. Has no right to be the first to declare war on anyone

This is not someone’s invention, but an official excerpt from the Japanese constitution. Thus, the Japanese armed forces can start actions (and of an exclusively defensive nature) only when someone declares war and the enemy invades the country. The story goes back to 1945, when, after the end of World War II, the Japanese emperor signed an international agreement that this country was forbidden to have an army as such. However, this does not negate the fact that the United States of America is actually engaged in the defense of Japan (this was already stipulated in a separate agreement and is strictly observed until today).

8. Snowmen are made from two snowballs, not three

Concerning this statement there are various legends. For example, that there is simply not enough snow for the third ball. They say that Japanese children are just too lazy to roll another snowman ball. Do not forget to mention the fact that the Japanese are short people, as a result of which it is problematic for them to throw a third snowball from above. In fact, the Japanese simply sculpt a sitting snowman, they even have a special name for such a snow doll – “Yuki-Daruma”. If you believe the giving, then Yuki-Daruma is a doll of desires and brings happiness to the one who blinded her. Agree that, despite the missing element, Japanese snowmen look very cute and neat.

7. Tokyo named the safest city in the world

At least, this is what the Economist Intelligence Unit, which annually ranks the most safe megacities in terms of safety, decided so. The city assessment program includes 49 criteria, including such definitions as personal security of citizens, digital security, infrastructure security and health security. Points are awarded for meeting each criterion (the maximum number is 100), and Tokyo scored 89.8 points during the compilation of the next rating, becoming the safest city in the world. Moscow, by the way, is only in the fifth ten of the list.

6. You can smoke almost everywhere

While in recent years more and more restrictions and obstacles have been created for smokers in our country, in Japan smoking citizens are treated with extreme loyalty. No, of course, you can’t flick a lighter at gas stations, just like inside the airport and on railway transport. But the aforementioned businesses are actually the only places where smoking is not allowed in Japan. Otherwise, there are no restrictions, you can safely smoke wherever you please. By the way, there are few urns in Japan, so almost every smoker has a pocket ashtray.

5. The sixth part is covered with forests

It would seem that there is nothing wrong with this simple fact, because somewhere a sixth of the country is covered with mountains, somewhere with steppes, and all of Japan is hardly enough to fill a sixth of Russia. Nevertheless, it is the territory of the country of the Rising Sun that is 17 percent forested. And this will continue for a long time to come, as Japan prohibits logging for commercial purposes. At the same time, the Japanese themselves consume a huge amount of wood, using literally every centimeter of wood. So here we are talking not about the frugality of the world’s wood resources, but about the advantageous position of Japan, in which its forests can remain intact.

4. Growing square watermelons

Well, how to say grow. Rather give the watermelons a square shape during their growth. The required configuration is achieved by placing the watermelon fruit just beginning to grow in a special vessel made of metal and glass. The result is a truly impressive and unusual phenomenon – a perfectly square watermelon. The whole problem is that it cannot be eaten, the fruit is simply immature. However, the Japanese are not going to eat their creations. Watermelons, as a rule, act as gifts and souvenirs, while they are much more expensive than traditional berries.

3. It is customary to sleep at the workplace

Here we should start with the fact that the Japanese are workaholics, which are the only ones in the world. The attitude to work in this country is not respectful, not responsible, it is simply fanatical. The Japanese are ready to work around the clock, but sometimes they remember that they are still people who at least sometimes need to sleep. Since a lot of time is spent at the workplace (in most cases it is 12 hours), it is not considered shameful to take a nap right there. It is clear that falling apart in front of top management is not worth it, while colleagues and small bosses will treat sleep with understanding. In addition, at any enterprise there are beds where the worker, if desired, can spend the night.

2. Dolphins are eaten

In general, in Japan, a lot of things are eaten, which even a hungry European will not fall on. Agree, you would rather prefer a hamburger than a delicacy of poisonous fish. Dolphin meat, by the way, is also toxic and contains mercury, but this does not bother the Japanese in the slightest. Various soups and dolphin skewers are considered chic and status dishes here. Also, the meat of these marine inhabitants can be found in free sale in supermarkets. Some dishonest sellers put dolphin meat on the counter under the guise of more expensive whale meat. As for us, both are a dubious delicacy, but this is Japan.

1. Are there heated sidewalks?

Remember, in the preface we mentioned that Japan is a rather distinctive country? At the end of our list, irrefutable evidence of this appears. You see, Japan has heated sidewalks, but no city has central heating! How to warm housing in the cold is the problem of every resident, but not the state, apparently. As for the amazing sidewalks, Japan’s highways and pedestrian roads are indeed equipped with an electric heating system that is activated during the snowfall.

Thus, there is no need for winter tires, the problem with ice and warm shoes is solved. Well, yes, boots are definitely not worn there.