Right near the top of our bucket lists is visiting Japan someday (hopefully soon). It’s a fascinating country that sometimes seems more at home in a fairytale book than on Planet Earth. There’s a sense of excitement, modernity, and love for its people present there that’s almost unparalleled anywhere else in the world. It’s far from just about anime, manga, samurai, and Sony—concentrating just on those would do the culture a disservice.
Our team here at Bored Panda wanted to show you some of the most interesting aspects of life in Japan, so we’ve lovingly curated this list for you that proves that it’s a country that’s both extremely technologically advanced and deeply magical and wondrous at its core. Check out the coolest facts about Japan below, upvote your fave pics, and let us know what you personally love the most about the country and Japanese culture.
By the way, when you’re done enjoying this list, have a look through our earlier ‘Facts about Japan’ article series right here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
#1 Train Seats In Japan Facing Outwards So You Can See The Scenery
Image credits: Nazulle
#2 A Cafe In Japan Is Hiring Paralyzed People To Control Robot Servers In Order To Still Make An Income
Image credits: orylab
#3 When You Need Help At A Train Station In Japan, Station Staff Will Literally Pop Out And Help You
Image credits: Inazumaryoku
Earlier, Japanese language expert Kotryna Kvietkauskaitė, from Lithuania, explained to Bored Panda that the Japanese are very welcoming of foreigners who put in the effort to speak their language and absorb their culture.
“In Japan, when a foreigner speaks Japanese, they can often get praise for their language skills, even if they simply introduced themselves which is one of the first things that students learn to do,” she said that you’ll often get points for trying, even if what you’re saying isn’t at native-level standards yet.
#4 This Is A Rice Paddy. Farmers In Japan Plant Specific Rice Species To Make These Amazing Artworks
Image credits: CYBERSson
#5 Penguin Soap Opera In Kyoto Aquarium
Image credits: OliverJia1014
#6 The Picture Of The Japanese Movie Advertisement Is Printed On Two Sides Of The Newspaper, So The Full Picture Could Be Seen Under Light
Image credits: TCLP
Language expert Kotryna said that learning any language, including Japanese, is a personal experience. Everyone moves at their own pace and we shouldn’t be in a rush to compare ourselves to others in our own journeys.
“One person might take 5 years until they learn to read Japanese fiction without any problems while another person might take 10 years. In other words, there isn’t a clearly-defined point that can be reached after which a person can confidently state that they know Japanese as well as the average native,” she said. That’s why you shouldn’t wait for the ‘perfect’ moment to visit the country (i.e. when you know the language well enough): you ought to embrace the culture and absorb the language by going there in person as soon as you can.
#7 The Gum I Bought In Japan Comes With A Stack Of Paper For Easy Disposal
Image credits: tikuku
#8 Anti-Theft System For Bags I Found In The Space In Front Of The Toilet At Shinjuku Station This Week And I Really Like It
Image credits: ktansai
#9 This KFC In Japan Has Colonel Sanders Dressed In A Samurai Attire (And A Matching Mask)
Image credits: kjais
The world’s full of fans of Japan and its culture. There’s nothing wrong with being a Japanophile, considering the huge impact the 126-million-people strong country has had on the entertainment and tech industries.
However, there are times when your love for a foreign country can be taken to extremes and go from kawaii to cringey. One example when you can take an obsession with Japan too far is when you end up with people getting tattoos of Japanese kanji done without knowing what the symbols actually mean.
#10 These Sprinklers On The Road Near The Ski Resort I’m At In Japan To Keep The Road From Freezing Over. (Salt Water If You Were Wondering)
Image credits: TheWolvis
#11 A Vending Machine In Japan That Sells Solder And Resistors, For Your Late-Night Circuitry Cravings
Image credits: 9999monkeys
#12 Bus Drivers In Japan, Striking In Such A Way That People Don't Suffer
Image credits: NewCarthagea
Or a foreigner who’s just started learning the language (and just managed to painstakingly memorize the hiragana alphabet) suddenly starts pretending that they know the language better than actual experts. In their love of the culture, some folks end up making fools of themselves because they’re too eager to demonstrate that they’re bigger fans than anyone else.
However, the vast majority of Japanophiles love the country and culture enough to be humble enough with their knowledge and not jump up at every opportunity to show it off. After all, if we’re all in love with Japanese culture, why turn it into a competition for who loves it the most? Rather, it’s best to share your favorite aspects with others and listen to others share theirs.
#13 In Japan Some Restaurants Are Really Private, You Are Sitting In A Corner, Where No One Sees You, A Door Opens In Front Of You, The Chef's Hands Come Out And Serves You Without Looking
Image credits: yudoit
#14 This Is How Smooth The Bullet Train Is In Japan
Image credits: gaijinpot
#15 This Train Stop In Japan Has No Entries Or Exits, It Has Been Put There Merely So That People Can Stop Off In The Middle Of A Train Journey And Admire The Scenery
Image credits: H1ggyBowson
#16 While Waiting At Kyoto Station This Guy Asked If I Want To Play Two Player Game Boy With Him. 30 Mins Well Spent
Image credits: ChristianLL
#17 In Yokohama, They’re Making A 1/1 Scale “Mobile Suit” From Mobile Suit Gundam. It’s Gonna Even Have All Moving Parts, And Might Walk On Its Own
Image credits: shenyboi101
#18 This Driverless Roving Sales Vehicle In Japan
Image credits: 9999monkeys
#19 Japan Repair A Sinkhole In Fukuoka City In 2 Days
Image credits: boredpanda.com
#20 This Japanese Toilet Refills Through A Sink In The Top So You Can Rinse Your Hands And Re-Use The Water
Image credits: Flupsy
#21 This Pizza Box In Japan That Has A Handle In The Middle To Keep The Pizza Flat
Image credits: SaekoZ2
#22 A Tsunami Evacuation Pod For Sale In Japan
Image credits: MTPokitz
#23 There Is A Phone Booth Known As The “Telephone Of The Wind" On A Hill Overlooking The Ocean In Otsuchi Town In Northeastern Japan. It Is Connected To Nowhere, But People Come To "Call" Family Members Lost During The 2011 Earthquake And Tsunami
Image credits: Successful_Donut_928
#24 On Many Japanese Toilets, The Hand Wash Sink Is Attached So That You Can Wash Your Hands And Reuse The Water For The Next Flush. Japan Saves Millions Of Liters Of Water Every Year Doing This
Image credits: Dea_seven_nine
#25 Flight Delayed Due To The Rain Storm, Employees Of Japan Airlines Bow Sorry Passengers
What a delightful moment. The reason I love Japan for its behavior, cleanliness and warm hearted people. There is so much to learn from this country. Salute to them.
Image credits: Cheng Phukan
#26 These Square Watermelons In Japan - Grown In Boxes To Shape Them While On The Vine - For Convenient Stacking, Shipping, And Refrigerator Storage
Image credits: PeoplesDaily
#27 A Relaxation Drink In Japan, The Opposite Of An Energy Drink
Image credits: hello297
#28 Chopsticks I Got In Tokyo (2019) For The 2020 Olympics That Never Happened
Image credits: KazaksMaster
#29 Floating Solar Power Plant In Japan On The On The Yamakura Dam Reservoir
Image credits: jerembanana3
#30 Train Tracks In Japan Have Special Pathways For Turtles Under Them To Avoid Turtle Casulaties And Train Delays
Image credits: UnironicThatcherite
#31 Long Walkway Covered In Semi-Transparent Umbrellas In Moominvalley Park, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Image credits: wakaponpoco
#32 “Pets” Button On A High End Residential Building Elevator In Tokyo
Those who ride the elevator with a pet press it so an HEPA filter purifies the air and a silent alarm alerts those with allergies to avoid riding it until the air is clean again.
Image credits: tokyo202012345
#33 At This Japanese Toilet, You Will Never Forget Your Items Again
Image credits: yusonice
#34 Subways In Japan Have Women Only Cars
Image credits: CommitteeOfTheHole
#35 These Air Conditioned Construction Worker Jackets In Japan
Image credits: schmistopher
#36 These Fish Socks From Japan
Image credits: danifrancuzrose
#37 My Package From Japan Just Came In And The Owner Sent Me A Note With Some Origami
Image credits: dillhen
#38 Crystal Cola? Is Being Sold Here In Japan
Image credits: thompower
#39 A Museum In Japan That Has Rocks That Look Like Faces
Image credits: anon883083
#40 Born In Japan, 1751 And Died In July 7, 1977 At A Grand Old Age Of 226, Koi Hanako Was The Oldest Koi Fish Ever Recorded
Image credits: monsieurbabadook
#41 The "Solar Ark", A Massive Building In Japan Comprised Of 5,046 Solar Panels
Image credits: Inazumaryoku
#42 This Robot Getting Transported In Japan
Image credits: MidoriMoriYT
#43 This 400 Year Old Bonsai Tree Survived The Bombing Of Hiroshima In Japan
Image credits: NazmulHossainRana
#44 Flood In Japan, Just Realized There Are Barely Any Floating Trash And Debris
Image credits: VidE27
#45 Eggs Boiled In Volcano Water. Japan
Image credits: P00shy_
#46 These Strawberries From Japan Come In Three Different Shades
Image credits: suchthefool88
#47 At Japanese Airports, The Baggage Handlers Arrange Luggage By Color So It’s Easier For You To Find Your Bag
Image credits: penguinsAreCool3
#48 Japan's First Sign Language Starbucks
Image credits: MarshyMiao
#49 Ebisu East Gallery In Shibuya, Tokyo
Image credits: poopingpasta
#50 This Shop Window In Kyoto Had A Model Of The Shop, Which Had A Model Of The Shop In Its Window, Which Then Had A Model Of The Shop In That Window
Image credits: melisage
#51 Somewhere In Kyoto, Japan, There’s This Man And His Dog. He Plays The Flute, The Dog Is Cute, And That’s How They Earn Some Loot
Image credits: BeardedGlass
#52 The "Vanish" Roller Coaster Is A One-Of-A-Kind Roller Coaster At Cosmo World Amusement Park In Yokohama, Japan
Bringing riders through an underwater tunnel for roughly two minutes of thrill.
Image credits: european.coaster.pics
#53 Tree In Japan Being Relocated To Make Way For A Road
Image credits: AristonD
#54 The Heaviest Apple Ever Weighted 1.849kg And Was Grown And Picked By Chisato Iwasaki In Japan
Image credits: Knorke_Leon
#55 Hiroshima, Before When It Got Wiped Off The Map And Less Than A Single Lifetime After
Image credits: BeardedGlass
#56 This Tree Survived The Bombing In Hiroshima
Image credits: Bagheera12
#57 Economy Class Meal On Japanese Airline
Image credits: cbciv
#58 Passed By This Restaurant Last Summer. In Here You Can Be Able To Catch Your Fish And Make Them Cooked (Shinsekai, Osaka)
Image credits: Khusley
#59 In Japan They Have Fountains For Drinking And Gargling
Image credits: poizer
#60 A Suit Store In An Okinawa Mall
Image credits: Jamestown2017
#61 A Cafe I Visited In Tokyo Can Print Pictures Of You Into The Foam Of Your Macchiato
Image credits: JungleStirFry
#62 This Guy In His Cooling Fan Jacket In 36° Tokyo Heat
Image credits: uzi1102
#63 These Hello Kitty Construction Barriers In Tokyo
Image credits: 888andtheHeartbreaks
#64 At Narita Airport In Tokyo They Neatly Line Up Your Suitcases With The Handle Facing Up
Image credits: loperthehoper
#65 This Kids’ Slide With Rollers Near Osaka Castle
Image credits: theresjustme
#66 Hospital Food In Japan
Image credits: cvltivar
#67 Long Carrots For Sale At The Supermarket (In Japan)
Image credits: MarshyMiao
#68 This Is A Miniature Statue Of Liberty Next To An Abandoned Sushi Restaurant In My Wife's Home Town In Northeastern Japan
Image credits: pinkbeehive
#69 I Bought Eye Drops From Japan And The Owner Decided To Write A Thank You Note With It Because Of The Covid Delay And Included His Favourite Tea And Sweets
Image credits: Shiketeru
#70 In Japan, They Treat Wood Siding By Charring It In A Process Called Shou Sugi Ban
Image credits: coilerman
#71 We Have Pringles Cup Noodles In Japan
Image credits: Pants_Jack
#72 Covid-19 Test Vending Machine In Japan
Image credits: SamHennessy
#73 Game Boy-Shaped Mailbox In The Remote Mountain Area Of Shikoku, Japan
Image credits: TheConfusedLord
#74 This Is Not The Food From A High-End Restaurant. This Is Hospital Food In Japan
Image credits: Katica123
#75 The Stairs Made Of Glass Blocks At Go'o Shrine In Naoshima Japan
Image credits: BeardedGlass
#76 I Found A Store In Japan That Has Every Console, Ever
Image credits: Dukeofepicness
#77 In The City Of Shimabara On Japan’s Kyushu Island, The Drainage Canals Are So Clean They Are Home To Hundreds Of Koi Carp
Image credits: Fluid-Daydreamer
#78 The Massive Underground Cathedral Protecting Tokyo From Floods (This Isn't A 3D Render)
Image credits: BeardedGlass
#79 Before A Typhoon Light Refraction Causes The Sky To Turn Purple In Japan
Image credits: BloomingMoss
#80 Nintendo Was Founded 132 Years Ago In Kyoto. These Are Their First Headquarters
Image credits: eurogamer.net
#81 Meiji Chocolate Factory In Japan Has Chocolate Bar Shaped Wall
Image credits: japantravel.com
#82 Car Is Parked In The Driveway Which Is Built Over A Small Stream In Kyoto, Japan
Image credits: snowdaruma
#83 These White Strawberries From Japan
Image credits: TheDanimal8888
#84 The Japanese Daisugi Technique For Growing Trees Started In The 14th Century And Have Been Producing Wood For 700 Years Without Cutting Down Trees
Trees are pruned similar to a bonsai tree and the wood is cut as uniform, straight and without knots. Practically perfect for construction.
Image credits: EmperorOfNada
#85 There's An Ancient Japanese Pruning Method From The 14th Century That Allows Lumber Production Without Cutting Down Trees Called “Daisugi”
Image credits: TerminustheInfernal
#86 Abandoned Cars Slowly Getting Overtaken By Nature In The Fukushima Exclusion Zone After The Nuclear Incident In 2011
Image credits: Sapulinjing
#87 Radiation Levels Displayed At A Train Station Near Fukushima In Japan - 8 Years On From The Nuclear Disaster. This Was The Last Stop Before The Exclusion Zone, And I Was The Only One Left On The Train
Image credits: HostageOfGeography
#88 This Public Onsen Foot Spa In Japan Designed So That Wheelchair Users Can Use It Too
Image credits: AndyTarou
#89 They Put A Raincoat On Mametchi Outside The Bandai HQ In Tokyo When It Rains
Image credits: kalvin74
#90 Emergency Toilet In All The Lifts At My Hotel In Japan
Image credits: Declanmar
#91 This House In Japan
Image credits: reddit.com
#92 Outback Steakhouse In Japan Gives Each Diner A Mask Case To Store Their Masks
Image credits: Pikakong
#93 This Bathroom In Japan Lets You Know Which Stalls Are Vacant Before You Even Go In
Image credits: revchu
#94 Abandoned Spaceship Ropeway, Japan
Image credits: robinsche
#95 Japan's Fans Cleaning Up Their Sections After Their Match vs. Ivory Coast. Much Respect
Image credits: Kebbs
#96 To Reach The Peak Of Mt. Ishizuchi In Japan You Have To Climb These Large Link Chains
Image credits: PantherAZ
#97 This Is How Many Documents You Have To Submit To Become A Japanese Citizen. Manga For Scale
Image credits: jpndude39
#98 Aogashima Is An Isolated Village In Tokyo That Is Inside A Volcano That Has Another Mini Volcano Inside It
Image credits: BeardedGlass
#99 On May 30, The Tokyo Shimbun Newspaper Ran A Full-Page Editorial Imploring Japan To Reduce Plastic And Hosaka Reproduced It On A Beach
Image credits: ReaganAbe
#100 Beautiful Seaglass In Japan
Image credits: hjalmar111
#101 The Priority Seats In Kyoto Metro Have A Special Design
Image credits: Le_Pygargue
#102 This Capsule Machine Mall In Kyoto, Japan
Image credits: TankGrlX
#103 Training Work For A Bank In Japan. You Have To Perfect Numbers
Image credits: ichigomashimaro
#104 When In Tokyo, Check Out Pigment - It's A Store With Every Color Imaginable, And You Can Even Mix Your Own
Image credits: spaaaaaaaaaace_123
#105 In Tokyo, Sidewalks Have Paths For The Blind
Image credits: DrTommyNotMD
#106 Karate Chop Building, Okinawa, Japan
Image credits: pejiita
#107 My Local Tokyo Grocery Sells Loaves Of Bread With 4, 5, Or 6 Slices. Each Has The Same Total Volume Per Loaf; They Only Change The Thickness Of Each Slice
Image credits: TheMonksAndThePunks
#108 This Krispy Kreme Store In Tokyo Looks Like A Donut Box
Image credits: Nomadic_nerdette
#109 This Stoplight In Tokyo Uses Astro Boy
Image credits: alex_dlc
#110 The Way The Movers Arranged My Boots To Keep My Floor Clean (Japan)
Image credits: JuanJoseOle
#111 My Rugby Jersey Is An Extra Large In Japan
Image credits: Runswithpancakes
#112 Japan's Future Passenger Maglev Trains Have Been Tested At Half The Speed Of Sound
Image credits: spicypepper999
#113 In Japan Spaghetti Portions In Each Bag Are Wrapped Separately And Marked With The Number Of Minutes They Need To Be Boiled For
Image credits: chishiki
#114 Japan Has Bottled Colorless Coffee Without Caffeine That Tastes Exactly Like The Usual One
Image credits: il_filk
#115 A Photo Of Didymium Serpula (A Slime Mold) From Japan
They appear at the beginning of the rainy season (end of May to the beginning of June in the Kansai area).
Image credits: hormeze
#116 Japan Has A Size Beer For Every Occasion
Image credits: dr_henry_jones
#117 Cup Ramen Ice Cream I Got At The Cup Noodle Museum In Yokohama, Japan
Image credits: lifeisprobsahoax
#118 Chiba Urban Monorail, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Image credits: tanmaypendse63
#119 Kintai-Kyō Arch Bridge, In The City Of Iwakuni, Japan
Image credits: waiphyoe_shutterbug
#120 This Skinny Office Building Squeezed In An Alley Between Two Buildings In Tokyo
Image credits: cferrios
#121 Luffy Traffic Barriers In Oda’s Hometown Of Kumamoto
Image credits: Hoosier_Jedi
#122 Various Drain/Utility Covers I've Seen In Tokyo, Kawaguchiko, Shizuoka, Okayama, Osaka And Kyoto
Image credits: Nier_Tomato
#123 Deformed Daisies From The Fukushima Nuclear Plant In Japan
Image credits: Nikkerloo
#124 Banana Phone Case (Found In Tokyo)
Image credits: cirethesquire
#125 A Japanese 1 Yen Coin Can Float
Image credits: Ambassadortaxi
#126 You Can Buy Cases Of Mini 135ml Beers In Japan
Image credits: capedcaper
#127 Japan's Incredibly Life-Like Plastic Restaurant Menu Displays
Image credits: burgerthrow1
#128 This Hotel In Japan Had Multiple Arcades That Were Empty Both Day And Night
Image credits: hammn
#129 Car Filled With Nature, In A Parking Lot In Tokyo
Image credits: phenomoo7
#130 This Is The Longest Suspension Bridge In The World, Kobe, Japan. I've Been In Japan For 3 Weeks Now And This Is My Best Shot
Image credits: lifesimulationadmin
#131 15 Years Later In Japan And I Still Think Food Models Here Are Amazing
Image credits: wintersky__
#132 Shizuoka, The Epicenter Of Japan's Plastic Model Industry, Debuts Awesome New Mailbox Design
Image credits: meesa-jar-jar-binks
#133 The Designs On These Lipton Tea Cartons In Japan
Image credits: GothamGuardian12
#134 A Sticker That Was Put On My Parcel From Japan
Image credits: succulent_stitch
#135 A Slightly Smaller Coke Bottle In Japan Called The "Drinkable Size Coke"
Image credits: CRAB_KING-
#136 The Mirror In My Hotel In Japan Has A Heated Part That Won't Steam Up After A Shower
Image credits: OrionyRush
#137 This House On A Pole I Saw In Japan
Image credits: oujiouji
#138 Train Through Woods. Railway In Rural Japan
Image credits: Hisa0808
#139 Mushroom House In Akebono Kodomo-No-Mori Park, Hanno, Saitama, Japan
Image credits: HellsJuggernaut
#140 Mario And Luigi Gum From Japan. Look How Detailed The Inside Is
Image credits: CoitusCaptain
#141 Over In Japan, You Can Tie The Sticker On A Coke Bottle In A Bow By Pulling A Tab
Image credits: saxter11
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