Module 8.2 Culture notes

Japan map

Tokyo

Eric Salard, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Itsukushima Jinja Shrine

Vending machine

Corpse Reviver, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons

       Fun facts about Japan

• Japan is an island country located in East Asia and has a total land area of approximately 3377,727 square kilometers (145,937 square miles). 75% of Japan is covered by mountains.

• Japan’s population (as of 2023) is 125.5 million.

• The capital of Japan is Tokyo. About 38 million people live in Tokyo which makes it the most populated city in the world.

• The fertility rate is 1.3 per woman (as of 2020).

• Japan consists of four main islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku, as well as numerous smaller islands (13,000+ altogether). Honshu is the largest and most populous island, accounting for about 61% of the total land area of Japan. Tokyo is the most populated city with more than 38 million people (as of 2023)

• According to the World Health Organization, the average life expectancy of Japanese people is 84 years (as of 2021), which is one of the highest life expectancies in the world. The life expectancy for Japanese women is even higher, at 87 years, while for men it is slightly lower at 81 years. The high life expectancy in Japan can be attributed to factors such as a healthy diet, universal healthcare, low levels of obesity, and a strong emphasis on public health and disease prevention.

• The native religion of Japan is Shinto (The Way of God).

• Japan has the highest number of vending machines per capita in the world, with over 5 million machines selling everything from snacks and drinks to electronics and toys.

        To learn more about Japan 

Japanese government website

Youtube channel (Japanology)