Japan | History, Capital, Language, Flag, Facts & Geography of Japan
Information about Japan:
| Capital | Tokyo |
| Population | 123,294,513 (Source: 2023 worldometer) |
| Major Cities | Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo, Yokohama, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Kobe |
| Borders | PR China, North Korea, South Korea, the Philippines, Russia, Northern Mariana Islands (United States), and the Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| Gross Domestic Product (GDP) | $4,231,140,000,000 (2022 worldometer) |
| Currency | yen (JPY) |
Flag of Japan:
Flag Description: Japan’s flag was initially adopted in 1870 the present version became the national flag in 1999. It has a red disk in the middle and a white background. The sun is represented by the red disk. The flag has also been referred to as the sun-disk flag. It is known as Nisshoki or Hinomaru in Japan. Hinomaru is Japanese for “circle of the sun.”
Japan Economy Key Industries:
Japan Major Industries: world’s largest and technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods
Japan Agricultural Products: rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish
Japan Natural Resources: negligible mineral resources, fish
Japan Major Exports: transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical machinery, chemicals
Japan Major Imports: machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, raw materials (2001)
The Geography of Japan:
Total Size of Japan: 331,690 km² (source: wikipedia)
Geographical Low Point of Japan: Hachiro-gata -4 m
Geographical High Point of Japan: Mount Fuji 3,776 m
Climate of Japan: Varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
General Terrain of Japan: mostly rugged and mountainous
World Region or Continent of Japan: Asia
Geographical Coordinates: 36 00 N, 138 00 E
Major Landforms of Japan: The islands Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, Ryukyu Islands, Hida Mountains, Kiso Mountains, Akaishi Mountains, Japanese Alps, Mount Fuji, Kanto Plain, Nobi Plain
Major Bodies of Water: Shinano River, Kiso River, Lake Biwa, Kasumigaura Lake, Lake Inawashiro, Tokyo Bay, Ise Bay, Osaka Bay, Seto Inland Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan (East Sea), Pacific Ocean
Famous Places of Japan:
Tokyo Tower,
Imperial Palace,
Mount Fuji,
Monkey Park,
Kiyomizu-dera Buddhist temple,
Himeji Castle,
Golden Pavilion,
Todaiji Temple,
Great Buddha of Kamakura,
Tokyo Skytree
The People of Japan & Culture
Japan Government Type: constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
Japan Nationality: Japanese (singular and plural)
Japan National Holiday: Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)
Other Holidays of Japan:
New Years’ Day (January 1),
Foundation Day (February 11),
Showa Day (April 29),
Constitution Memorial Day (May 3),
Greenery Day,
Marine Day (July 21),
Respect-for-the-aged Day,
Culture Day (November 3),
Thanksgiving,
The Emperor’s Birthday (December 23)
Japan Independence: 660 B.C. (traditional founding by Emperor JIMMU)
Japan National Symbol:
- Animal – Tanuki (Japanese Racoon dog)
- Fish – Koi
- Bird – Green pheasant, Red-crowned crane
- Tree – Cherry blossom
- Flower – Chrysanthemum
- Imperial Seal – A gold chrysanthemum flower
- Imperial Regalia – sword (Kusanagi), mirror (Yata no Kagami), and jewel (Yasakani no Magatama)
- Other symbols – Kimono, hand fan, sushi
Japan National Anthem or Song: Kimigayo (The Emperors Reign)
Japan Languages Spoken: Japanese
Japan Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)
Interesting Facts about Japan:
In Japan, there are more than 6,800 islands.
In Japan, there is a “suicide forest”. Sadly, the Aokigahara forest, known as “the perfect place to die,” holds the distinction of being the second-most popular location for suicide worldwide. The Brilliant Door Scaffold is the first.
60% of all animated entertainment is Japanese anime movies and TV shows.
The largest percentage of people worldwide over the age of 65 is 29% in Japan.
With an average delay of 18 seconds, Japanese trains are the most precise in the world.
Japanese farmers plant square watermelons because they are simpler to stack and store.
In Japan, there are more pets than kids.
Every year, almost 24 billion pairs of chopsticks are used in Japan.
In Japan, there are more than 4 million vending machines that offer anything from drinks to sex toys and live crabs.
A train in Japan can go at 550 km/h (311 mph) while using magnetism to “float” over the tracks.
In Japan’s Sumo Crying newborn Festival, sumo wrestlers compete to see who can make a newborn cry first.
Japanese consumers are such ardent coffee lovers that they import about 80% of Jamaica’s annual coffee production.
Japanese immigration is remarkably low. There are 98% of individuals who are Japanese.
The greater Tokyo area, which has a population of around 37 million, is the largest metropolitan area in the world.
In the nineteenth century, Kyoto, Japan, produced the first fortune cookie.
At a fish market in Tokyo, Japan, the most expensive tuna in the world was bought for US$3.1 million.
Even in family restaurants, it was and occasionally still is difficult to find non-smoking areas in Japan. Many Japanese politicians are interested in the tobacco industry. But in April 2020, Tokyo became the first city in Japan to outlaw smoking.
When visiting someone’s home, you might need to wear special bathroom slippers to prevent contaminating the rest of the house.
It is inappropriate to blow your nose in public.
In the past, sushi was sold on the streets.
East Asian islands contain the country of Japan. Japan is an archipelago that is completely encircled by ocean, and it has no shared land borders with any other nations. The Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the Philippine Sea all border the nation on its eastern, western, southern, and southwest sides, respectively.
