11 February: Japan Foundation Day

The founding of Japan and the imperial line dates back to 660 BC. National Foundation Day is a national holiday and is celebrated on February 11.

1. Japan is the 10th most populous country in the world - 127 million people live there. 35 million of them live in Tokyo, which is not only the largest city in Japan, but the largest in the world. Tokyo’s main train station is the busiest in the world with over 2 million people passing through it every day.
2. There are over 200 volcanoes in Japan. One of these is Mount Fuji, or Fujisan or Fujiyama, the tallest mountain in Japan at 12,388 feet (3,776 m) and also an active volcano.
3. The national sport is Sumo wrestling. Sumo wrestling in Japan can be traced back 1,500 years. Wrestlers can weigh 300 pounds or more. They train in a heya (room, stable) operated by former sumo champions. Younger sumo wrestlers are traditionally required to clean and bathe the veteran wrestlers, including all the hard-to-reach places. Baseball is also very popular.
4. The first geishas were men, called taikomochi. They had a role similar to Western court jesters. The word geisha means “performing artist”.
5. Japan has 6800 islands, including Ōkunoshima, which is populated by Rabbits, the descendants of rabbits taken there during WWII to test the effects of poison gas. In terms of human population, the four main islands are Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Hokkaido. They comprise 97% of Japan’s total land area.
6. Comics and anime cartoons are exceedingly popular. More Paper is used for printing comics than for Toilet paper in Japan. Animated Japanese films and television shows (i.e., anime) account for 60% of the world’s animation. There are about 130 voice-acting schools for anime voices.
7. Etiquette and politeness are very important. It is considered rude to eat while walking, to say "no" directly to someone or to tear wrapping paper off a gift. Slurping your Noodles, on the other hand, is perfectly acceptable - it shows you are enjoying the meal.
8. Japan is home to the world's shortest Escalator. It is just 32.8 inches (83.3 cm) high and has 5 steps. It's in More's Department store in Kawasaki.
9. The Japanese drink a lot of Coffee and eat more fish than any other nation, about 17million tons per year. Sushi started as a way to preserve fish in China. The method of eating raw fish and Rice began in the early 17th century. Sushi does not mean raw fish in Japanese. It actually means rice seasoned with vinegar, sugar, and Salt. Sashimi is the word for raw fish without rice. Or you could try puffer fish, which is poisonous if not prepared correctly. It takes 11 years to train the chefs that cook it, and to pass their final exam, they have to eat the puffer fish they prepared. There is a popular Japanese dish called Basashi that consists of slices of raw Horse meat with onions and ginger. Or you might like to try Kobe beef, meat from Cows that receive daily massages and, in summer, are fed a diet of saké and beer mash. True Kobe beef comes from only 262 farms in the Tajima region, which raise an average of 5 of the animals at a time. Melon as a starter might be a bad idea as melons can cost as much as $400. If you fancy a snack between meals you can get a Kit Kat - in Japan Kit Kats come in wacky flavours like grilled corn, Camembert Cheese, Earl Grey tea, Grape, and wasabi.
10. The first Japanese novel, The Tale of Genji, was written by a Japanese noblewoman, Murasaki Shikibu, in 1007. In 1993, Japanese author Yume-Hotaru wrote the world’s first novel written entirely on a cell phone: Maho No I-rando (MagicIsland).