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50 Cool Things That Prove Japan Lives In The Future
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.
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#1
A Cafe In Japan Is Hiring Paralyzed People To Control Robot Servers In Order To Still Make An Income
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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
#5
Long Walkway Covered In Semi-Transparent Umbrellas In Moominvalley Park, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
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
Train Tracks In Japan Have Special Pathways For Turtles Under Them To Avoid Turtle Casulaties And Train Delays
#8
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
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
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
#12
There's An Ancient Japanese Pruning Method From The 14th Century That Allows Lumber Production Without Cutting Down Trees Called “Daisugi”
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.
#14
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
#15
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
#16
While Waiting At Kyoto Station This Guy Asked If I Want To Play Two Player Game Boy With Him. 30 Mins Well Spent
#17
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
#19
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
#20
At Japanese Airports, The Baggage Handlers Arrange Luggage By Color So It’s Easier For You To Find Your Bag
#23
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)
#28
When You Need Help At A Train Station In Japan, Station Staff Will Literally Pop Out And Help You
#30
“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.
#31
These Square Watermelons In Japan - Grown In Boxes To Shape Them While On The Vine - For Convenient Stacking, Shipping, And Refrigerator Storage
#32
In The City Of Shimabara On Japan’s Kyushu Island, The Drainage Canals Are So Clean They Are Home To Hundreds Of Koi Carp
#33
Aogashima Is An Isolated Village In Tokyo That Is Inside A Volcano That Has Another Mini Volcano Inside It
#34
The Picture Of The Japanese Movie Advertisement Is Printed On Two Sides Of The Newspaper, So The Full Picture Could Be Seen Under Light
#35
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.
#39
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
#46
A Vending Machine In Japan That Sells Solder And Resistors, For Your Late-Night Circuitry Cravings
#48
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
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