25 Fun & Educational Facts About Japan + Free Colouring Sheet!

Japan is located off Asia’s east coast. It comprises four large islands and around 3,900 smaller islands with a total land area of 377,915 sq km (145,936 sq miles). Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu are the four main islands. Honshu is Japan’s largest and most populated island. China and Korea, to the south and Russia, to the north, are Japan’s mainland neighbours. It’s a beautiful country with a unique lifestyle and society that can’t be compared to any other country in the world.

We’ve put together 25 fun facts about Japan that will spark curiosity and might even inspire a future family trip!

Scroll down to grab your free printable coloring sheet - made especially for parents, caregivers, and educators. It’s a fun and engaging way for kids to:

• Explore cultural symbols

• Practice motor skills through coloring

• Learn shapes, colors, and a little bit of Asian culture too!

1. Japanese is the main language in Japan. Japanese can be one of the most difficult languages to learn for native English speakers.
2. Tokyo is the largest city in Japan and the country’s capital. The estimated population of Tokyo is over 38 million people, which is more than the entire population of Canada. As a result, it is the world’s most populated megacity.
3. Okunoshima is a small island in Japan known for having many cute rabbits you can pet. The island is called “Rabbit Island,” Over the years, it has become a popular place for tourists to visit. It is estimated that there are up to 1,000 rabbits roaming the island.
4. Every year, approximately 1500 earthquakes occur in Japan, and the frequency of these natural disasters is due to the country’s geographic location.
5. Samurai was the name for Japan’s warriors in the past. They knew how to fight and use swords very well. The Katana was their main weapon, a sharp sword with a slight curve.
6. The kimono is a traditional Japanese garment worn by both men and women. It is made up of a long robe-like dress wrapped around the body, with the left side always covering the right. The obi is the belt that holds the kimono in place.
7. Anime is a type of Japanese animated movie and TV show. Kids really like to watch them. It makes up 60% of all animated entertainment in the world.
8. Japan is the best in the world at making robots. Engineers in Japan are known for creating robots that look like people, like ASIMO. Japanese animal robots, such as PARO, are created and built to comfort humans. They can also be used for education, amusement, and therapy.
9. All over the world, people are eating more Japanese food. Sushi, sashimi, and tempura are some of the most well-known dishes. A lot of Japanese food is eaten with chopsticks. But if you use chopsticks at a formal event, you should remember to follow the rules of how to use them. It is rude to put chopsticks in the food straight up and down.
10. Various forms of martial arts can be found in Japan. Some examples of martial arts are Karate, Judo, Sumo, Ninjutsu, Kendo, Jujutsu, and Aikido. Martial arts training has many more levels than just White Belt and Black Belt! Here they are, from beginner to expert: White, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, brown, red, and black are some of the colours available.
11. More than 85,000 people in Japan are more than 100 years old. They are mostly women. Most people treat older people with the utmost respect. A lot of Japanese families have more than one generation living together. This is thought to be one of the many reasons why older people in Japan live longer than in other countries.
12. Shinto and Buddhism are two different religions in Japan. Each has its own set of beliefs and ways of doing things. Shinto shrines have a torii gate, while the entrance to a Buddhist temple is a Sanmon gate. Japan has more than 80,000 Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.
13. In Japanese culture, cherry blossoms, or sakura, are significant. In fact, there is a time called hanami that is all about them. Hanami is the Japanese word for going to see flowers. Japan has a long tradition of enjoying beautiful flowers. Most people like cherry blossoms. Hanami has been done for more than a thousand years. Hanami is a springtime event. The cherry blossoms only last a week or two. The cherry trees bloom at the end of March or the beginning of April. The flowers don’t look good for very long. After a while, the flowers stop blooming. Then the flowers on the trees fall.
14. Sumo is known as Japan’s national sport, but baseball is the sport that most people watch. Sumo wrestlers must have gone to school for nine years and be a certain height and weight before they can compete professionally. Professional sumo competitions and ceremonies usually don’t let women take part. Women can’t go into the sumo wrestling ring or touch it.
15. Forests mainly cover Japan. Pines, cypresses, hemlocks, cedars, firs, and spruces are some of the evergreen trees in the country. Oaks, maples, ashes, birches, beeches, and poplars are all examples of trees with broad leaves. In the south and centre of Japan, bamboo and palm trees grow. People think of cherry trees as symbols of Japan.
16. The Japanese drive on the left side of the road. This custom goes back to the Edo period (1603–1867) when the country was run by Samurai.
17. The Japanese art of folding paper is known as origami. The art of folding paper dates back to the seventh century when it was brought to Japan from China. Folded paper constructions first appeared in Shint rites as a way to wrap offerings to the gods. Originally, origami was created to decorate temples and shrines. It is now considered a craft or an art form.
18. The most popular drink in Japan is green tea, which is also good for your health in many ways. Numerous studies have found that green tea extract can help with weight loss, blood sugar regulation, disease prevention, and workout recovery. It can also help your skin and liver stay healthy, lower your blood fat levels, control your blood pressure, and improve your brain health.
19. Sake is a popular drink in Japan. It is a sort of alcohol derived from fermented rice. Sake is created from four main components: rice, water, koji (rice mould), and yeast. Making Sake is an intricate process that has historically been passed down through family lines in Japan.
20. Japanese comic books, known as manga, are currently popular worldwide. A manga can have both black and white and coloured pages. “Mangaka” is the name of a manga artist.
21. The Japanese language is written in a combination of three main scripts: Kanji (Chinese ideographic symbols), Hiragana, and Katakana. Kanji are Chinese characters introduced to Japan in the fifth century. However, unlike Chinese, Japanese cannot be written wholly in kanji. Kanji characters are used to write nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, and names. Hiragana has typically employed for grammatical purposes as well as terms for which no kanji exist or whose kanji are non-standard. Katakana is primarily used for vocabulary borrowed from other languages.
22. The Japanese flag is composed of a red circle representing the sun against a white backdrop. In Japanese, it is known as the Hinomaru, which translates as “sun circle.” Because Japan is located in the Pacific Ocean’s far west, the sun rises magnificently over the water to the east.
23. Mount Fuji is Japan’s highest mountain and a popular place to climb and hike. It appears to be one massive mountain, but it is made up of three different volcanoes. Mount Fuji has been a famous symbol of Japan for a long time, adding to the country’s spiritual and cultural geography.
24. Japan’s national animal is the macaque monkey. Their red faces and long, thick hair make them commonly known as snow monkeys. They are often found in mountain ranges with snow, so they are often known as snow monkeys.
25. Japan is a country with more than 21,000 rivers. Japan’s longest river is the Shinano, which flows for 228 miles. People say that the water in the Niyodo-gawa River is the cleanest in all of Japan. It has a mysterious colour that looks both blue and green.