2. Over 6,800 islands, about 1500 earthquakes every year (although few of them cause real damage), an astounding number of people who are over 100 years old (over 50,000 according to recent statistics), over 200 volcanoes (no wonder, for about 70 percent of Japan consists of mountains) - Japan in statistics. And the national symbol is the cherry blossom or sakura. 3. The tallest mountain is of course Fuji, the sacred landmark which is visited every year not only by tourists from all over the world, by also by hundreds of thousands of Japanese. Fuji is 3,776 meters tall.
4. Afraid of Godzilla? The terrifying monster is an official citizen of Japan.
5. Vending machines are amazingly popular in Japan. There are over 5.5 million such machines, and the number will surely rise in the near future.
6. Some bizarre foods that you can try in Japan: square watermellons, raw horse meat, squid on your pizza, the feared fugu fish (deadly if not prepared properly). There are over 70 flavours of Fanta, many of these exclusive to Japan. You could also buy Kit Kat bars with Camembert flavour.
7. There have been 25 Japanese who have received the Nobel Prize in various fields (medicine, literature, chemistry, peace). No wonder for a country were the literacy rate is almost a perfect 100 percent.
8. Maybe the trains are so crowded that images of conductors cramming people in have gone viral, but a Japanese train is late every year by about... 18 seconds. And even such an insignificant number, easily ignored in other countries, is considered to be a disgrace and real problem.
9. It is rather ok to take a nap on the job. Nowadays it is even considered to be a proof of working too hard, and since the office hours are longer and longer (a current problem not only for Japan) managers tend to turn a blind eye if you fall asleep for a while. Don't do it too often, and don't forget to still do your job as good as you can.
10. If you are a pupil, student or teacher it is your duty to keep your school - classrooms, hallways, cafeteria - clean and tidy, and would be a great shame for your, your classmates and family not to do it. It might seem strange to foreigners, but it is customary for the Japanese.
11. When it comes to pets not only black cats are considered to be very lucky in Japanese lore, but there are about a dozen Cat Islands with a significantly higher feline population that you might think. So if you really (we mean really) like cats you should plan a trip to Japan. You also have the maneki-neko, the little cat statue holding one paw up, which is said to bring a lot of good luck. You could also visit a cat cafe. And you should know that in Japan there are more pets than children. Just a fact. 12. Strange but true: Japan has the second lowest suicide rate in the world, a life expectancy that surpases the US (for example) by 4 years, yet one of the best known sinister landmarks is Aokigahara. Or the Suicide Forest, which has recently been the subject of a movie.
Photo: goodfreephotos.com, publicdomainpictures.net, wikipedia.org
