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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Japan aka What is this- I don't even...!



HEY!

JAPAN!


That's what we're talking about today. Yes, it's because of what's happening over there right now. I figured with all the problems they're having, it's time to spew out some information about Japan, why it's super cool, and why it fascinates us!

Japan has been mentioned in writing from as early as the first century AD, but it has had inhabitants since at least 30,000 BCE. So for 30,000 years, they just chilled on this island. Preeeettttty sneaky! Perhaps leading to the reputation for being ninjas. Just a thought!

Japan is know as the "Land of the Rising Sun," and even the Japanese names for the country, Nihon or Nippon, mean 'sun-origin.' The flag of Japan is a red circle on a white background to symbolize the sun!


Japan is an economic powerhouse! It's the 3rd largest economy in the world, and with the 10th largest population in the world, at 127 million, it has massive buying power. That's right, the equivalent 2/5 of the population of the United States is able to fit on that chain of islands in the Pacific. Must be cramped! SARDINES!

Or, I thought it would be, until I read this. According to the internetz, Japan consists of 6,852 islands! :[________] WAAAAAAAT!? (<<--That's my face in case you're wondering.)

Culturally, Japan is one of the most unique and original societies in the world. It has given the world origami, the art of paper folding, as well as manga, Japanese comic books. There is also an entire genre of music that makes a fashion statement. I give you, Visual Kei:



And yes, ALL of those are men. All of them.

All of them.

Even the pretty one on the right.


There are amazing technologies coming out of Japan every day, and many of the cutting edge designs of the future originate in the Land of the Rising Sun!

The voting age for Japan is 20, and it's universal suffrage. Japan is split up into what are call prefectures. They're like states and they contain smaller administrative districts. They have governors and legislative and judicial bodies.

The largest city in Japan is Tokyo, with an official population of around 8 million. However, it has the largest Metropolitan population at 32 million people! WOW! With that in mind, living in Tokyo is very expensive, and the public transport costs are some of the steepest in the world, and living quarters are cramped for the most part.

Baseball is very popular in Japan, and the nation has what is probably the second or third most popular professional baseball league in the world! That is based on the assumption that the MLB in the US is the most popular.

A large, LARGE majority of Japanese are Buddhists or Shintoists. Something like 85-95%.

Possibly linked to this, is the fact that Japan has the second lowest homicide rate in the world, including attempted homicide! They are second only to Singapore.

That's kind of random.

Whatever.

ANYWAYS! Despite this fact, they do have a fairly high suicide rate, when compared to the rest of the world. Japanese society is very competitive, and the stress levels can be quite elevated much of the time. There are high expectations for the citizens, especially the youth who are trying to break into the job market.

Sad, but true fact.

But hey, just think about it. Japan has all these amazing other things. A fantastic culture, wonderful food, kind people who don't kill each other, a government that takes care of you!

It is certainly a dream of mine to visit Japan and spend some time taking in the culture and the beauty.

I'll be keeping Japan and the Japanese people in my thoughts and heart in this time of difficulty, and I hope you'll do the same.

For more information on Japan!

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.html


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan

8 comments:

  1. I feel bad about whats happened to japan. Nice post man

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  2. m-men?! gotta watch my back next time i go to japan.

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  3. I saw the girl on the right and thought "wow she is hot" but then I read that you said she is a man....

    Ow!

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  4. It doesn't look very good for our friends over there :/ I just hope they make it out of this without any more disasters.

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  5. nice post, feel sorry for those people right now.

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  6. Wow to Japan. And a shout out to them too.

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