Japan Facts

The YKK on zippers stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha which is the name of the founder of the Japanese zipper company.

The Japanese word for chef, itamae, literally means "in front of the cutting board."

It is considered normal and non offensive to make loud slurping sounds when eating noodles in Japan

The average worker in Japan reportedly takes only half of his/her vacation time each year.

Japan has approximately 200 volcanoes and is home to 10% of the active volcanoes in the world.

Gift giving is very important in Japan, but extravagant gifts require an equally or slightly more extravagant gift in return.

Some farmers in Japan grow their watermelons into a square shape in order conserve shelf space.

In Japan, tipping at restaurants is not a norm. However, some restaurants might add a 5 - 10 % service charge to the bill.

The national anthems of Japan, Jordan, and San Marino each have only four lines.

The national sport of Japan is sumo wrestling.

Before the start of the the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea there was a lot of bickering between the two hosts on issues such as whose country's name would appear first on game tickets.
Watermelon is considered a good gift to give a host in Japan and China.

Japanese chopsticks are pointed at the end and Chinese chopsticks are blunt.

Okonomiyaki is considered to be Japan's answer to pizza. It consists of grilled vegetables, noodles, and meat or seafood, between two pancake-like layers of fried batter.

In Japan you pour your companion's drink and your companion pours yours. It is impolite to pour your own drink.

Sake, Japanese wine made from fermented rice, is shortened from the word sake-mizu, which means "prosperous waters"
Japanese research has concluded that moderate drinking can boost IQ levels.

Ringo Starr once appeared in a Japanese advertisement for applesauce, which is what his name means in Japanese.

In 1281, the Mongol army of Kublai Khan tried to invade Japan but were ravaged by a hurricane that destroyed their fleet.

When visiting Japan, it is important to know that it is considered polite to initially refuse someone's offer of help.

Uninterruptedly since the sixth century, the Japanese throne has been occupied by a member of the same family.

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