Interesting facts about Japan

 

Here are some interesting Japan Facts for kids.

Population: 126 million people live in Japan (2022)

Capital: Tokyo, which is the biggest city in Japan with over 13 million inhabitants.  

Name: Japan, in Japanese: Nihon or Nippon

Government: Constitutional Monarchy. The Japanese emperor is called Naruhito.

Language: Japanese

Learn more about Japan by practicing a few Japanese words. Japenese is a language made up of characters and is one of the oldest languages in the world. The video below will teach you 25 of the most common phrases.

 

Religion: majority are Buddhists or Shintoists

National Symbols: red sun disk (as shown on the flag), national bird: green pheasant, national flower: cherry blossom and chrysanthemum, national fish: Japanese koi fish

 Japan Map

Japan is an archipelago or chain of islands along the eastern coast of Asia, reaching from the northern coast of Russia to the South East China Sea.

The Japanese islands consist of 4 main islands and many of smaller isles. In total there are over 6,800 islands! The largest of the four major islands is Honshu, which is also the seventh largest island in the world.

The biggest cities in Japan are Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya.

The highest mountain in Japan is Mount Fuji, a dormant (sleeping) volcano, which last erupted in 1707. Mount Fuji is 3,776 metres/ 12,388 feet high.

Japan lies on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', a chain of volcanoes which are responsible for the most dramatic volcanic outbreakes and tsunamis in the recent years. In Japan, there are more than 108 active volcanos. Japan records the most earthquakes in the world every year.

Japanese celebrate many festivals among them the most popular in springtime to celebrate the spring flower season and the cherry blossom. The Gion Matsuri in July is celebrated in Kyoto when the Japanese people dress in traditional kimonos.

Ancient warriors of Japan were known as Samurai. They were very skilled fighters and swordsmen.

Some of the most well-known companies in the world are Japanese such as Toyota, Honda, Sony, Nintendo, Canon, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Sharp.

Japan Attractions

Tokyo: Visit the Imperial Palace and gardens or have fun at Disneyland Tokyo

Kyoto: see the historic sites and temples such as the famous Golden Pavilion

Osaka: visit Dotonbori, the main entertainment district and the aquarium or go on tour in the Universal Studios

Hokkaido: Go skiing or snowboarding in one of the oldest ski resorts in Japan

Nagano: Monkey parks and hot springs and the famous Matsumoto Castle

Learn Japenese Phrases/Words

Learn more about Japan by practicing a few Japanese words. Japenese is a language made up of characters and is one of the oldest languages in the world. The video below will teach you 25 of the most common phrases.

Japanese Food

The Japanese diet consists mainly of rice, fish, soy products and vegetables. Many dishes contain these ingredients and soups as well as sushi are very popular.

Sushi: raw fish or seafood dish but also vegetable can be used in these dainty little bites or rice rolls

Ramen: thin egg noodles, usually served in broth

Teriyaki: dark sticky sauce containing honey, ginger, garlic and soy sauce. This sauce is popularly served with meat or fish dishes.

Taiyaki: sweet cake treat with various fillings in fish shape

Japanese Animals

Japan has a wide variety of wildlife.

 The red-crowned crane (Japanese Crane) is a large crane known is as a symbol of luck and longevity.

The Ussuri brown bear is one of the largest black bears in all of Asia.

Japanese Macaque Monkeys (snow monkeys) are one of Japan’s most popular animals. The monkeys of Jigokudani in Yudanaka Onsen are particularly famous for bathing in the hot spring waters to keep warm.

Japanese Sport

Karate is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429 to 1879)

Sumo is recognized as the national sport of Japan, although the most popular spectator sport is baseball.

Anime

Anime is a style of animation popular in Japanese films and television series. It often combines stark, colorful graphics with action-packed plots. 

Rabbit Island

Located in eastern Hiroshima, Rabbit Island is a small place occupied by hundreds of wild rabbits.The island is a popular destination for tourists from around the world.Rabbit Island is the home of over 1,000 rabbits.

Maneki Neko

The Lucky Cat, or welcoming cat, also known as maneki-neko, is a symbol that originated in Japan. In Japanese, maneki-neko means beckoning cat. The idea is that the cat is welcoming and greeting you. This lucky cat symbol is considered good luck to place in your home, office, or business.

 Koi fish

Koi are a type of carp, a common fish that can be found all over the world, but what makes Koi so special is their coloring. Koi fish can be white, black, red, yellow, blue, and cream.