What is Japan Known For? 15 Awesome Things

What is Japan known for? That’s a hard question to answer! I suspect if you ask ten people you’ll get ten different answers. Anyway, here’s a list of some of the things Japan is known for. I’ve tried to do a mix of culture, nature, history, landmarks, tradition and straight up tourist attractions.

Japan is known for:

• Tokyo Skytree. The world’s tallest tower
• Capsule hotels. You sleep in a coffin!
• Cherry blossoms
• Mount Fuji. The sacred mountain
• The low crime rate
• Shinkansen. The iconic bullet train
• Onsens (hot springs)
• Sumo wrestling
• Geishas
• The Japanese cuisine. The land of the sushi
• Karaoke
• Samurais
• Kyoto
• Vending machines
• Manga and anime

Tokyo Skytree

Tokyo Skytree is one of the most famous landmarks in Tokyo. The towering tower standing 2 080 feet (634 meters) tall and was completed in 2012. Since then tens of millions of locals and tourists have visited the impressive structure.

Tokyo Skytree took four years to build and cost over ¥65 billion ($600 million). Its primary function is to broadcast radio and TV signals to the Kanto region, but it’s most famous for its observation deck. From there you get a unique view of one of the greatest cities in the world.

You can see Tokyo Skytree from all over Tokyo, and it has become an integral part of the Tokyo skyline, and it’s quickly becoming even more iconic than Tokyo Tower.

Want to find out how it is to visit Tokyo Skytree?

Sumo Wrestling

I haven’t done a survey of this, but I suspect that sumo wrestling is one of the top 3 things Japan is known for all around the world. Don’t you agree? It’s the only country in the world where the sport is practiced professionally, and sumo wrestling itself dates back over 2,000 years.

Standing on the outside sumo wrestling seems like a weird sport. Let me just give you a few quick facts. There are 660 registered sumo wrestlers in the world, and they are all being trained by former sumo wrestlers. All the sumo wrestlers have to have a “ring name” called shikona, but they’re not allowed to choose the name themselves. The name is often given to them by their trainers and even sometimes by fans.

They are not allowed to drive cars, and they are required to grow their hair long so they can style it into something called chonmage, which is the traditional “sumo man bun.” Whenever they’re in public, they have to wear the chonmage and a traditional Japanese dress. That makes it very easy to identify a sumo wrestler even if he’s not wrestling!

We all know that sumo wrestlers weigh a lot but did you know the most massive sumo wrestler who’s ever competed, weighed a whopping 600 pounds (272 kg). His name is Yamamotoyama Ryūta, and he retired in 2011.

There are only six major sumo tournaments (Honbasho) each year, so every tournament is a big happening and gets a lot of media coverage. Out of the six events three are held in Tokyo, all in Ryōgoku Sumo Hall which has a capacity of 11,098. So if you want to experience a sumo tournament while you visit Tokyo, you have to go in either January, May or December. The months are the same year after year. Each tournament lasts for 15 days, so it’s not that hard to get a ticket! You can check out the exact sumo wrestling tournament dates here.

 

You are the dancing queen. Young and sweet. Only seventeen! Aah, karaoke! Japan is definitely famous for its karaoke craze. There are numerous karaoke bars and karaoke rooms spread all over Japan. After Daisuke Inoue invented the karaoke machine back in the 1970’s Japan never looked back.

Karaoke is a $10 billion a year industry in Japan, and it’s considered to be one of Japan’s favorite pastimes. Some claim that nearly 80% of Japan’s 350,000 bars and nightclubs have karaoke. This results in over 16 million Japanese people singing karaoke every day!

In addition to the 280,000 bars and nightclubs that have karaoke, there are also 140,000 “karaoke rooms” in Japan, where you and your crew can rent a room for the evening. It’s easy to do, and you usually have to order one drink per person and rent it for a minimum of 30 minutes. Easy 30-minute block costs from ¥150 to ¥450 depending on the quality of the room and which day of the week it is. (Weekends are more expensive.)

Why is karaoke so popular in Japan? There’s not an exact answer to this, but I’ve done some research, and people list a plethora of different possible reasons.

• Japanese walls are some thin that you can’t sing at home without annoying the neighbors, so to get an outlet for your singing needs you go karaokeing!
• It’s a cheap way to hang out with your friends and drink. For about ¥1,500 to ¥2,000 you can hang out for four hours at an all you can drink (nomihodai) karaoke.
• Karaoke releases stress! Many people in Japan are stressed out and supposedly murdering some oldies relieves that stress.
• Karaoke is a good dating scene. Boys and girls sing together.

If you’re really into karaoke, you can buy a home system. It’s surprisingly cheap. Check out prices on Amazon.

Samurais

Admit it, you too love samurais. One of the coolest warrior types in the world. The age of the samurai was 1185-1868, so how come Japan is still known for them today? The samurais had a unique position in the old Japanese society. They were part of the ruling military class which eventually evolved into the highest ranking social caste back in the Edo period which ended in 1868. Many still today admire the samurai culture and lifestyle, and the samurai history has a special place in Japanese history.

You can find samurai castles and historical samurai residents all over Japan. There are numerous museums dedicated to honoring the samurai traditions, and you even have samurai-themed amusement parks. Like Edo Wonderland located about 3 hours outside of Tokyo.

Today, more than 150 years after the end of the samurai era, Japan is still famous for its samurais. And I suspect Japan will be known for samurais 150 years from now.

Shinkansen (bullet train)

Shinkansen is the name of the network in which the Japanese bullet trains run. They have an operating speed of 150-200 mph (240-320 km/h), and they are the lifeblood of the Japanese transportation system.

The Shinkansen network saw the day of light back in 1964, and today the network is enormous and currently consists of 1,717.8 miles (2,764.6 km) of lines. The most impressive thing with Shinkansen is its safety record and its punctuality. Here are some key facts for you:

• 10 billion passengers (since 1964)
• 424,000 daily passengers
• 342 daily departures
• 0 fatalities due to derailments or collision (since 1964)
• An average of 0.9 minutes delay per train (including delays due to uncontrollable causes, such as natural disasters)

Being the lifeblood of Japan Shinkansen is, of course, a favorite way of transportation for inhabitants of Japan, but due to the Japan Rail Pass, it’s also very popular for tourists. If you visit Tokyo and want to travel to Kyoto or Osaka, Shinkansen is the fastest way.

Onsens (Hot Springs)

An onsen is a hot water spring. There are thousands of natural hot water springs spread across Japan because it’s a volcanically active country. Not only is it a great feeling to soak in a natural hot spring, but it’s also environmentally friendly and energy neutral due to its geothermally heating.

So why is Japan known for hot springs? You really don’t have anything like it anywhere else in the world. Yes, you have hot springs in many countries (shoutout to Iceland, the US, and Australia!) but they aren’t utilized in the same way and by the same numbers as in Japan. The onsen bathing started in the 8th century, so the onsen culture is ingrained in Japanese society.

The onsens culture in Japan is unique. While many Westerns prefer not to show off their naked bodies to friends and strangers, in Japan, you have something called “naked friendship” (hadaka no tsukiai). I know it sounds a bit weird, but stay with me. The thinking is as soon as you strip off your clothes to remove the shield you usually wear, you can relax and really get to know one another – on a deeper level. I’m not sure I’m buying it! But I can at least attest to it being very relaxing.

You have both outdoor and indoor onsens, and many of the hot springs are accompanied by a traditional Japanese inn called ryokan. Some of these serve as a “spa hotel,” and you should really consider spending a night in a ryokan with an onsen if you’re in Japan. It’s a genuine yet luxurious feeling.

But before you go ahead and book your onsen hotel, make sure you read up on the onsen etiquette and rules. It varies from onsen to onsen, so spend a couple of minutes researching if your onsen allows tattoos and mixed-sex bathing. Tattoos are somewhat of a taboo in Japan which has resulted in many onsens not allowing them. This has to do with tattoos being associated with crime and yakuza.

Kyoto

Japan is definitely known for its old capital; Kyoto. In many ways, Kyoto is the polar opposite of the current capital; Tokyo. Whereas Tokyo is seen as a hyper-modern and high-paced city, Kyoto is more traditional and more relaxed.

Kyoto was the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years before it lost its reign to Tokyo in 1868, which marks the end of the Edo period. With its long history, the Kyoto area has 17 sites in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Two of the most famous ones are Ryōan-ji Temple with its stone zen garden, and Kinkaku-ji Temple also known as Golden Pavilion. Both sights are worth the visit.

15.57 million foreign and Japanese visitors spent at least one night in Kyoto in 2017, so there’s no doubt Kyoto is both a famous and popular city. That’s why it has made the list of things Japan is known for.

Geishas

It’s only natural to transition from Kyoto to geishas. Although not the capital of Japan, Kyoto is definitely the geisha capital of Japan. But first, let us clarify a few words. Geisha, geiko, and maiko.

Geisha and Geiko

In the past “geisha” used to refer only to the geisha from the Tokyo area while geiko referred to geisha from the Kyoto area. Nowadays geisha is the general term for all geishas.

Maiko

Maiko is an apprentice of the geisha, and you have to be a maiko for about five years before you can go on the become a real geisha.

To the untrained eye, the geishas and maikos look identical, so for the sake of simplicity I’ll from now an refer to both geishas and maikos as geishas.

So what exactly is a geisha? In kanji geisha spells 芸者. 芸 being gei and meaning “art” and 者 being sha and meaning “person.” The literal translation is quite simply “art person.” A better translation is something like “artist” or “woman of art.” What does this artist do? Geishas can do a wide variety of different arts like playing traditional instruments, dancing and performing tea ceremonies.

To attend a private tea ceremony performed by a geisha in a chashitsu (tea room) is crazy expensive and can cost as much as $2,000 per person. It’s very exclusive, and you have to get invited by a member of the tea house to attend. If you want a more reasonable option, maikos (the geishas in the making) sometimes perform at dinners for small groups, and that’s usually a lot cheaper. You can get away with paying from $100 and upwards.

If you’re in Kyoto and “bump into” a geisha, it is allowed to take pictures of her. From what I can gather it’s not considered rude. But the geishas are usually in a hurry so I wouldn’t bother her and ask her to pose for a picture with you. Personally, when I’ve seen geishas (which are mystical creatures to me), I’ve just savored the moment and not treated them like tourists attractions.

Japan Is Famous for Its Low Crime Rate

Even though you’re in Tokyo, the city with the most Michelin stars in the world, you feel like McDonald’s. You go to the closest McDonald’s restaurant, put your purse and your MacBook Pro and on the table and head to the counter to place your order. You wait there for a couple of minutes, receive your food and head back to your table to eat.

This sounds ludicrous, right? Well, that’s how you do it in Japan! It’s not at all uncommon to see people leaving their valuables at the table while they go to the restroom or to the counter to place an order. It is considered safe because petty theft is almost non-existent in Japan. I’ve many times thought that Japan must be a thief’s paradise because Japanese people seem so naive when it comes to crime. But who can blame them? Why worry about something that doesn’t exist? And frankly, the low crime rate and the safe environment are some of my favorite things about Japan!

Petty theft and pickpocketing are as mentioned, almost non-existent. But what about more serious crimes? The most serious of them all; homicide. Glad you asked! Out of 230 countries in a rapport from 2017, Japan clocked in at 219th place. This means that only 11 states and territories have a lower homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants than Japan. Those 11 states and territories are Niue, Nauru, Monaco, Lichtenstein, San Marino, Holy See, Andorra, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Saint Helena, and Macau.

As you can see, not the biggest countries! In fact, they have a combined population of under 1 million. Where Macau alone has 650,000. My conclusion is that Japan beats every sizable country in the world when it comes to having a low homicide rate.

Just to give you some a quick comparison of some of the major countries in the world. Homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants:

• Japan, 0.28
• Singapore, 0.32
• Australia, 0.94
• Sweden, 1.08
• German, 1.18
• United Kingdom, 1.20
• France, 1.35
• Canada, 1.68
• India, 3.22
• USA, 5.35
• Philippines, 11.02
  Source: Wikipedia

In a society with so few murders do Japanese police even have to carry guns?

Just to drive my point home, I’ll put up some comparison charts from Numbeo so you can see the spectrum of different crimes in Japan compared to Australia, United States, and United Kingdom.

Japanese Cuisine

Sushi, teppanyaki, sukiyaki, ramen, yakitori, onigiri, etc. etc.! Where to start! There are so many different styles and techniques. For a real foodie, Japan is heaven on earth! Japanese cuisine is famous all over the world and in many big cities in the US and Europe, you can’t walk for five minutes without seeing a sushi restaurant or a sushi shop.

Food, in general, holds a special place in Japan. From all the small izakayas to the high-end restaurants. Just to give you an idea of how advanced a food nation Japan is, take a look at this.

Countries with the most Michelin 3-star restaurants in the world (2017)

• Japan, 28
• France*, 27
• United States, 14
• Germany, 11
• China**, 10
• Italy / Spain, 9
• United Kingdom, 5
• Switzerland, 3
• Belgium, 2
• South Korea, 2
  * Including Monaco
  ** Including Hong Kong and Macau

And if this didn’t convince you the number of total stars per city is even more impressive.

Cities with the most Michelin star in the world (2017)

• Tokyo, 314 stars
• Paris, 141 stars
• Kyoto, 134 stars
• Osaka, 121 stars
• New York City, 93 stars
• Hong Kong, 86 stars
• London, 85 stars
• San Francisco, 75 stars
• Singapore, 44 stars
• Shanghai, 40 stars

Not only does Tokyo have more than twice as many Michelin stars as the second best city, but Japanese cities hold the 1st, 3rd and 4th place in the rankings. Unbelievable!

But food is so much more than pretentious Michelin stars (sorry to all the rock star chefs out there that takes offense) and Japan is also great for cheap, high-quality eats. You can get incredible ramen for as little as ¥300 ($2-$3) and a wholesome yakitori meal for around ¥600 ($5-$6).

The food variety in Japan is enormous, and I encourage you to try as many different things as possible. And I promise you, ramen in Los Angeles and Sushi in New York (unless you’re at Nobu) is not the same as eating it in Tokyo and Kyoto. It’s just not.

Take some chances. Go down dark and narrow alleyways and see if you stumble upon a hidden food gem. And by the way, if you’re not familiar with otoshi (special table charge in Japan), you have to check out this article: Table Charge in Japan (Otoshi)

Cherry Blossom in Japan (Sakura)

Many tourists try to time their trip to Japan so they can experience the cherry blossom season while visiting. And with good reason! The cherry blossoms in Japan are a magnificent sight and holds a special place in Japanese culture. You often see the cherry blossom depicted in Japanese art, manga, and anime.

Prunus serrulata is the name of the cherry tree that exists all over Japan. Although they’re called “Japanese cherry” they are not exclusive to Japan as they also exist in China and Korea.

April is the main month for cherry blossoms in Japan, but it really depends on where in Japan you’re at. In the far south of Japan (Okinawa) the cherry blossoms may open as early as January, while in the north (on the island Hokkaido) it may open as late as May. Tokyo usually has their cherry blossom season in early April, but in 2018 the cherry trees bloomed in mid to late March. When you plan your trip, be sure to google the latest cherry blossom forecasts! 🙂

It’s meaningless to describe something so beautiful when a picture says more than a thousand word.

Crazy Vending Machines

You’ve probably heard all the stories. Vending machines with beer, ties, hot coffee, bananas, used underwear, eggs, ramen, pantyhose, hot lunches, sake, and canned bread. What is true? What is a myth? What is exaggerated?

One thing is for sure. Vending machines are a huge business in Japan and do over ¥7 trillion ($60 billion) in sales every year. So how many vending machines do you need to reach such an enormous number? The answer is 5.5 million. That’s one vending machine for every 22 people.

So there’s no doubt vending machines in Japan is a big thing and it’s no wonder Japan is known for them. But are ALL the rumors true? Can you buy used underwear, sake, and bananas from vending machines in Japan? Yes, yes and yes! But the weirdest vending machines are not common, and you really have to search to find some of them.

I’ve personally bought beer, bananas, and umbrellas from vending machines in Tokyo. I’ve never found a machine that sells used panties, but to be honest, I haven’t been searching! But I know they do exist. Don’t believe me?

This is the most picturesque mountain in the world, right? It’s perfectly shaped, and it’s standing tall all by itself. Due to its history and good looks, the volcanic mountain is a favored motive for millions of drawings and paintings and people all around the world can identify Fuji-san (the Japanese name) from just a brief glance.

Mount Fuji is 12,389 feet (3,776.24 m) and is by far the tallest mountain in Japan. It’s considered sacred by followers of the Shinto religion, and for many, it’s an important pilgrimage to visit Fuji-san. In fact, so many climb Mount Fuji it’s the most visited mountain in the whole world. You should check out my Ultimate Guide to Climbing Mount Fuji if you want to know if you got what it takes to summit Japan’s tallest mountain. If you just want to know what kind of gear and equipment you need to climb the mountain safely.

Capsule Hotels

I asked a couple of friends (who’s never been to Japan) what Japan is most famous for and I asked them to list their top 3 things. They both said capsule hotels right of the cuff. And I suspect many find the phenomenon very fascinating, especially if you’re from the US where the hotel room size seems to be very important. Correct me if I’m wrong!

Well, do you like sleeping in a coffin? Then this is definitely for you! The “capsules” in a capsule hotel vary in sizes, but they’re roughly 4 feet wide and 6.5 long (1.2 m * 2 m). If you’re a tad claustrophobic, I bet you also want to know the height. It’s usually the same as the width, around 4 feet (1.2 m). You can quite comfortably stand on your knees, but there’s, unfortunately, no standing up.

I don’t suffer from claustrophobia, so this is easy for me to say, but I don’t think the capsule is as claustrophobic as it sounds from just reading the dimensions. At least when I spent my first night in a capsule hotel, I very quickly grew accustomed to the capsule’s size and I found it quite comfy. You can stretch your arms out and toss and turn without the limited spacing being a problem.

Needless to say, if you’re a long guy (or gal!), you might have some problems. I wouldn’t recommend that you stay in a capsule hotel if you’re very tall. And even if you’re of normal size, I would be sure to read the fine print when you book your hotel as I’ve seen capsules as short as 6 feet (1.8 m). And you really should book your capsule in advance, as drop-ins tend to be a lot more expensive. As they are with most hotels.

So why would you want to sleep in a small rectangular shaped room where you can’t stand up? It’s all about the price! If you book in advance in the off-season, you can get a room (capsule!) in Tokyo for as cheap as ¥2,000, but the average price is more like ¥3,000 to ¥6,000 per night. You should look into capsule hotels if you’re on a tight budget or want a fun experience.

But before you book capsule hotels for your whole trip to Japan, remember that the bathrooms and showers are shared. Some people don’t mind living like that for long periods of time, but personally, I would pay a few more yen to get a private bathroom and shower.

In capsule hotels, men and women are more often than not separated. You have capsule hotels that are dedicated for one sex only, but usually, the men and women are separated by floors. Also, it is possible to get a capsule for two persons, but that’s quite rare. So if you want to sleep in the same capsule as your partner, you have to do some research to find the right capsule hotel for you.

Manga and Anime

First of all, I have to be careful with my definitions because manga and anime are like religions to some people! Both manga and anime are art forms which originated in Japan, but what are the differences? I’m not going to give you a long lecture, so here’s a very condensed version. Anime is Japanese animated cartoons for TV and cinema whereas manga is graphic novels and comic books.

Do note that Japanese people use “anime” to describe animated cartoons from all over the world, not only Japan. But in the West, the word “anime” is used primarily to describe cartoons originated in Japan which has vibrant characters, colorful graphics, and fantastical themes.

Manga and anime are huge markets in Japan, but the reason they’re on the list of things Japan is known for is that it’s spreading all over the world. To give you a couple of US numbers manga (which is on the rise) had a 10% market share of the comic book market with its $100 millions in 2017. On the other hand, the anime market in the US is A LOT bigger. In 2009 it was at a staggering $2.741 billion. No wonder Japan is known for manga and anime!

If you don’t know what manga is, you should check out this article to get an idea of the drawing style. Tokyo Ghoul Real-Life Locations.

Did I miss anything? What is Japan most famous for according to you?

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