List of countries in the world. Facts and information

Japan's form of government is a monarchy. The head of state is the emperor, who is the only ruling emperor in the world. Currently, Japan is ruled by Emperor Akihito, who is already the 125th ruler in the country's history. Japan's imperial dynasty is the oldest in the world. It has not been interrupted for many centuries, and the country itself has not experienced rebellions against the ruler.

Japan is the only country against which nuclear weapons have been used during military operations. There have only been two cases of atomic bombing of civilians in history, and both of them took place in the Land of the Rising Sun. In 1945, at the end of World War II, the US armed forces dropped atomic bombs on the local cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A few days later, the country's emperor announced its surrender. About 80 thousand people died, and the environmental consequences of the explosion still affect the country.

Being late is considered unacceptable here, and the Tokyo subway trains run with an accuracy of a few seconds. In the mornings, so many people rush to work that exceptional employees push passengers into the cars. Often, tired Japanese cannot walk home and fall asleep right on the sidewalks.

The local people are always polite but treat foreigners coolly and distantly. A European will never fit in with the Japanese. However, recently, Europeanization has affected the appearance of the Japanese, mainly the female half.

The clothes and manners of local women often baffle Europeans: wearing ultra-mini is not considered shameful here, but low-cut dresses are vulgar.

Local women do not sunbathe, considering white skin a sign of beauty and aristocracy. Almost all Japanese are short and thin, but despite their external lack of muscles, they are strong and hardy.

The locals are honest and will not take a wallet found on the street. Police officers do not take bribes, and servers do not accept tips. Tokyo has long been considered the safest metropolis in the world. Here, parents calmly let first-graders go to school on the subway. Getting into a Japanese person's home is impossible: he can invite a friend or even a foreigner, but this will be a polite turn of phrase.

The local inhabitants have the highest literacy rate in the world, at almost 100%.

One of the most popular topics of conversation in the country is food. If the Japanese invite you to dinner, praise the dishes and the chef's skills.

Another important rule when visiting a Japanese home is to remove your shoes at the entrance. Hospitable hosts will immediately offer you slippers. By the way, some local homes provide separate slippers for visiting the bathroom and toilet.

The country is famous not only for its seafood. The real star of the local cuisine is Kobe beef. You can buy it only in Japan, Macau, and Hong Kong. They say that Japanese people living abroad miss beef the most of all home-cooked dishes.

There are very few immigrants in Japan. About 98% of the country's residents are ethnic Japanese.

You can find umbrella stands on the streets of cities. If it starts to rain and you don't have one, you can take one for free and then return it to another stand.

The locals allow their children to move around the city and use public transport independently from age 6, even in Tokyo.

The low crime rate in Japan is a testament to the pronounced conscientiousness of its people. Here, you can expect to find lost items returned intact, no bribery, and even bicycles parked freely on the roads are not stolen. This sense of safety and honesty is a hallmark of Japanese society.

Mountains cover 70% of Japan’s territory, more than 200 volcanoes are in the country, and about 1,500 earthquakes occur yearly.

The local houses have both a shower and a bath. And there is a whole ritual for this. Before bathing, the Japanese always shower, and all family members take turns bathing in the water collected in the bath. The water is not changed.

The local public toilets are the cleanest and most high-tech in the world. Most have built-in bidets and heated seats.

The Japanese are known workaholics. It is considered normal to work 14-16 hours without a break.

Every year, thousands of people in Japan die from a diagnosis of death from overwork.