Top 15 interesting facts about Japan

1. SQUARE WATERMELON

They were invented back in the ’70s by a graphic designer to fit compactly in the fridge and be cut more easily. Japanese farmers grow them in special containers to get the shape. Since they’re pretty expensive, people don’t buy them as food, but rather as a decorative item.

2. RAMEN NOODLES BATH

The Yunessun Spa Resort in Hakone offers its guests the pretty unique experience of splashing around in a vat of pork soup and ramen noodles. While this may sound crazy to many people, the Japanese believe that soaking in such a bath is good for the skin because a broth made of pork is rich in collagen.

3. BIZZARRe FLAVORS OF KIT-KAT

Chili pepper, wasabi, sweet potato, grilled corn, soybean, salt watermelon, mango, and green tea– that’s only a short list of the Kit-Kat flavors you can try in Japan. Which one would you try? Let me know in the comments!

4. FAKE FOOD

Specialists make this kind of food from plastic or wax, and it looks just as delicious as the real one. Many restaurants use fake food to display their popular dishes in the windows and attract hungry clients. Usually, these replicas cost much more than the dishes they imitate.

5. RABBIT ISLAND

Back in the ’40s, scientists brought several rabbits to Kagoshima Island to do some tests. However, later on, the animals were freed and started to multiply. Now the island is full of them and attracts a lot of tourists.

6. PURPura MACHINE

Taking photos in a booth is nothing new, however, Japan added its own exciting twist to this experience. Their photo booths, called purpura, allow you to edit photos right on the spot, adding different backgrounds, funny stickers, or writings. Also, you can send the pictures to your Cell phones.

7. PEOPLE PUSHERS

Indeed, subways and train stations get really overcrowded during rush hour. That’s why the station staff and part-time workers have to perform the routine procedure of pushing people inside trains to fit in as many passengers as possible before the doors close.

8. UMBRELLA PARKING LOT

Before going inside a building, you can “park and lock” your umbrella, just like you do with your bike. Now you can be sure no one will take it, and you won’t make a puddle on the floor if your umbrella is wet. Many government buildings, offices, and hotels have this sort of umbrella racks.

9. MILLIONS OF VENDING MACHINES

Japan has more than 5 million of them! Mostly because they save time for people who work late hours, which is a pretty common thing there. Besides, Japanese vending machines aren’t just for snacks and soda. You can buy basically anything – from live lobsters to underwear – in these machines.

10. TOKYO’S BIGGEST RESIDENT

In 2015, Godzilla was granted citizenship in Tokyo’s Shinkoku ward. The authorities presented a special certificate stating his new residency, and also made him a job offer – Godzilla became the tourism ambassador. Later, they even installed a Godzilla head 171-feet above ground at Toho, the movie studio that made the original movie back in 1954.

11. TRAIN DELAYS MAKE HEADLINE

Undoubtedly, punctuality is a really big thing there, and train stations do everything possible to avoid delays. If a train is 5 minutes late, the railway company might have to issue a delay certificate for railway workers and passengers who missed an important appointment. And if the delay is longer than an hour, then the railway company might give an official apology in the newspapers.

12. “SILENT” KARAOKE

This is a special microphone with a cone that you place over your mouth. It muffles most of the sounds when you sing. It was designed for people who don’t want to wake up their neighbors, and those who feel shy about belting their favorite tunes in public.

13. POLITE SLURPING

While in many other countries slurping is considered rude, in Japan it’s a way to show your appreciation of the dish. If you don’t slurp when you eat noodles, then the chef will think that you don’t enjoy the food, or that it’s cold.

14. FACE NAPKINS

When you eat a burger, it’s never pretty because your mouth gets covered in ketchup or mustard. Owners of one fast-food restaurant found a solution to this by serving burgers together with special napkins. They cover the faces of guests who feel a bit embarrassed about looking messy while eating.

15. WATER-SAVING SINKS

They’re located over the toilet tanks. The idea is simple: first, you wash your hands over the sink, then it goes straight to the tank, and finally, you flush the toilet when you’ve done your business. So, you save water by using it twice.