Countries & Cities
How well do you know Japan?
Not about sushi or Mount Fuji. These six questions dig into the everyday habits, inventions and records that make Japan unlike anywhere else.
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Did you know?
- Japan's high-speed shinkansen has had no passenger fatalities from derailments or collisions since it opened in 1964.
- The first set of emoji was created in 1999 by designer Shigetaka Kurita for a mobile internet service.
- Kit Kat Japan has released hundreds of flavours, from matcha to wasabi.
Everyday Japan, explained
Japan's most interesting details are often found in daily life: how trains run, what students eat before exams and how words are made.
Precision as a habit
Japanese trains are known for punctuality, so even a small delay is treated seriously — enough to earn an official certificate.
Words that travelled
Emoji, karaoke and tsunami are Japanese words now used all over the world, often with their original meaning forgotten.
A land shaped by volcanoes
Japan's volcanoes bring hot springs and fertile soil, and the hot-spring inn tradition goes back more than 1,300 years.