Posted on Saturday, 25 May 2019

You can "Rent-a-Cuddle"

Often global trend setters, the Japanese came up with "Rent-a-Cuddle" in 2014 - but we're not sure if it will catch on elsewhere. In a Soine-ya - literally translated as “sleep-together shop” - male customers can pay women for all kinds of (above board) services. For example, “staring at each other for a minute” or “stroking a girl's hair for three minutes” costs 1,000 yen (£7) a time.

The Japanese Bullet Train is insanely punctual

Japan's world-famous bullet train can reach speeds of up to 200mph (much more on the test track) and is an amazing way to explore the country. Despite being the most heavily-travelled high speed line in the world, these trains are amazingly punctual: the average delay is around 30 seconds. Official delay certificates - for employees to show to employers - are handed out if the train is more than five minutes late. In the unlikely event that a train is more than an hour late, it could make the news!

Unhinged vending machines

There are around five million vending machines in Japan - or one machine for every 23 people. And it's not just fizzy drinks and canned coffee for sale. If you can think of it, they probably sell it in a Japanese vending machine: from frozen 'emergency food kits' to underwear to canned muffins and canned snails!

Pokémon go (to hospital)

Have you enjoyed playing Pokémon Go in recent years? If so, visiting the land of its origin may be high on your bucket list. But if you were a fan of the cartoon series, be sure not to reminisce too much before you visit. After one episode that aired in 1997, 685 Japanese children were hospitalized for headaches, dizziness, nausea and even seizures. The episode's crazy visual effects were to blame, which were even repeated on news items about the issue, causing even more hospitalisations.

Japan has more than 6,000 islands

The largest islands in Japan are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, but there are many more smaller ones. In UNESCO-listed Yakushima Island you can explore moss-covered cedar forests, mighty waterfalls and natural hot springs. On Rebun Island you can enjoy more than 300 species of alpine flowers as you hike majestic mountains overlooking the sea. Oh yes, and don't forget Rabbit Island - Ōkunoshima - where rabbits flourish. The island has a dark side, however: the Japanese army made mustard gas and other poisons here during World War Two.

They eat horse meat, don't they?

Yes, they do. In fact, most horse meat in Japan is consumed raw.

Families often share bath water

It's not uncommon for an entire family to use the same bathwater. The father normally goes first, followed by the mother and then the offspring. While this may not seem terribly hygienic, in fact each person scrubs themselves thoroughly first and then has a soak in the tub; bathtubs in Japan are used for relaxing rather than washing.

Adopting a fully grown man is not uncommon

Most adoptions in Japan involve young men. Families do this if they do not have a male to carry on their name, or to inherit the family business. In some cases, a family may already have a son, but believe he is unsuitable to take on the family enterprise.

Power-napping at work is OK

In Japan it is perfectly fine to fall asleep on the job. These power-naps, known as inemuri, are considered a sign that a worker is so industrious they need forty winks to recuperate. It's not uncommon for workers to fake an inemuri!

Norway invented Sushi

OK - that's not entirely correct. But a Japanese diplomat did introduce the use of raw salmon in sushi to Japan in the 1980s. Particularly suited to western palates, salmon sushi created a vast new market for Norwegian salmon.

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