12 Interesting And Strange Things About Japan That You Probably Don’t Know

Japan is an island nation located in East Asia, whose largest city and capital is Tokyo. It is the 62nd country in the world by area and the 11th by population. It is the 3rd largest economy in the world by nominal GDP, and Japan has the longest life expectancy in the world at 84.3 years.

Japan is called a wonderland and one of the most progressive countries in the world. To some extent, this is true! Let’s plunge into the world of Japanese cities, or rather, those unique things that these cities are full of.

Where else can you see carp swimming in sewage, painted manhole covers and square watermelons, and dozing right at the workplace during a break for workers? Only in Japan!

We have prepared for you a selection of the most interesting and fascinating facts about the Land of the Rising Sun, which you may not have heard of before. Let’s get started!

Smoking is prohibited indoors, but some trains have passenger carriages for smokers

Yes, some trains have special passenger cars for smokers.

Japanese football fans stay after the match to help clean up the stadium

A few years ago, Japanese football fans stayed after games during the 2018 FIFA World Cup and helped the stadium workers clean up the mess. In fact, keeping clean is part of their culture.

In the city of Shimabara, the water in the street drainage channels is so pure that koi fish live in it.

Volcanic activity on Mount Unzen triggered an earthquake and tsunami in 1792, which created freshwater springs that now flow through the city of Shimabara on the Japanese island of Kyushu.

The water was so clear that in 1978 the authorities decided to release colorful koi fish into a 100-meter water channel.

Many toilets have sinks attached to the cistern to conserve water.

There are many toilets in Japan with sinks attached to cisterns. A person can wash their hands with clean water, which then goes into the tank, and they flush the toilet with the same water that they just washed their hands with. A simple yet smart way to save water.

Lots of public restrooms have these baby carriers

There are over 6,000 manhole covers in Japan that look like real works of art

The Japanese have managed to turn boring and unattractive things like manhole covers into something that can be called art.

There are thousands of different designs: different municipalities have their own unique styles that you won’t find elsewhere, reflecting their local culture.

In the 1980s, Japan installed new sewer pipes throughout the country, and in order to draw attention to this project, local municipalities decided to decorate some of the underground descents with such covers.

Japan has super clean cities

The cleanliness of the streets, buildings, and public transportation may surprise you if you’re not used to it, but in Japan, cleanliness is a way of life. Moreover, the order in the premises is maintained not by hiring additional employees, but by the residents themselves.

Japanese people are taught to clean up after themselves from a young age. During the 12 years that they have been in school, cleaning the school is a part of daily life, so the habits that the Japanese acquire remain for life, and even if they do not really know how to clean, they still do it outside the house out of a feeling debt and responsibility.

Whether a cubicle is occupied or not in some restrooms, you can find out from the electronic scoreboard

Japanese Scientists Develop Ice Cream That Doesn’t Melt For Hours

Researchers in Japan have discovered an ingredient that helps ice cream not melt as quickly as regular ice cream. The novelty is called Kanazawa Ice, and the secret ingredient is the polyphenols contained in strawberries. This dessert may not melt for up to several hours.

Staff wave goodbye until the plane is ready to take off

And there is an island with hundreds of rabbits

The small island of Okunoshima in Japan is often referred to as Usagi Shima, which literally means “rabbit island”. It got its name because it is mostly inhabited by rabbits. It is forbidden to hunt them, and it is also forbidden to bring cats or dogs to the island.

Researchers speculate that the big-eared critters settled on the island after children released some pet rabbits during evacuations in the 1940s. There is another version – that the rabbits escaped from the laboratory, which tested and produced toxic gas.

A man can have several women

Women in Japan are fine with the fact that their man has several women. They are even divided by “appointment”: the first – is for the family. It is with her that the Japanese man continues the race. The second is for all sorts of pleasures. Sometimes such women are taken simply on the basis of their belonging to the oldest female profession. And the third plays the role of a friend and interlocutor. You can talk with this one, sit in the evenings, and exchange any opinions on politics. One woman can be in various roles, which in no way affects her morality. In general, the Japanese have no concept of sin, they interpret their actions in different ways, which allows them to do whatever they want.

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