We’ve always known Japan not just as the land of the rising sun, but also the land
of the most peculiar traditions, practices and inventions. Being an island nation with
a long history of isolation, it’s only natural that Japan develops a unique kind of culture
that’s a mishmash of innovative and absurd. But some of their cultural quirks will just make your
head spin in confusion! Today, we’re counting down the 11 Crazy Things You Will Only Find in Japan!
What’s up, fact-natics! This is Discovery Amuse, serving up your daily dose of the most
outrageous, outlandish, and out-of-this-world fun facts!
Kawaii or creepy? You’ll surely be faced with that dilemma once we get
to our number one pick. So stick around for that!
Let’s say konnichiwa to these Japanese curiosities!
#11: Family for Rent
Rupaul: We as gay people, we get to choose our family,
we get to choose the people that we’re around.
Well even if you’re not gay, in Japan, you also get to choose your family!
Well, that’s if you have $200 per day to spare. Just like this man,
whose wife and daughter passed away years ago and now rents a wife and
daughter once every 3-4 months to ease his loneliness, even for just one day.
Family rental services have been offered in Japan since the early 1990s. Some agencies say that this
service aims to address the widespread social isolation phenomenon in Japan because people
are too focused on work that they neglect social interactions and forming actual relationships.
But before you dismiss this as some sort of clandestine escort service, there are actually
strict rules to renting out family members. Kissing for one, is strictly not allowed.
Even comedian and TV host Conan O’Brien once tried out the rental service
to see what all the fuss is about. Conan: I left Family Romance
an hour and 20 minutes ago. I’m back in my hotel room in Tokyo and I have a family.
And if you need that extra dose of encouragement that you don’t get from your nuclear family,
they’d be more than willing to shower you with all the praises and compliments.
Which, to be honest, is all we really need to lift our spirits up these days. Right, Conan?
Conan: It would mean a lot to me if you said I like you more than your brothers.
Dad: I like you more than your brothers. Conan: Yes, I’m the best one right?
Dad: Of course, you are my favorite son. Conan: Yes!!!
Keep watching, because our number 1 pick will either get you excited
or terrified about your upcoming Japan getaway! There’s no middle ground!
#10: Robotic Hospitality
Ever wonder what it’s like to interact with a mostly robotic staff in a hotel?
Robot: Welcome to the Henn Na Hotel!
In Nagasaki, Japan, sci-fi fans can live out their dystopian fantasy when they
check-in at the Henn Na Hotel, the world’s first hotel where robots work as staff!
Right at the reception, you’ll already be greeted by either a humanoid Japanese woman…or
a broken-English speaking bow-tied dinosaur!
Dinosaur: please move to the right touch panel and check in.
Once you check in, a plethora of intelligent robots and automatons are ready to assist you—from
carrying your luggage, providing directions around the hotel, to turning off your lights!
Man: Turn
off the lights. Robot: Turning off the lights!
Although the hotel’s concept highlights the use of robots as staff,
of course there are still human employees in the background. The hotel owner views it as a
step towards a future where intelligent robots can co-exist in a productive and efficient work
setting with humans—something one would expect in a technologically-advanced country like Japan.
#9: High Tech Toilets
While a lot of people in the West are still averse to the idea of bidets,
the Japanese are already miles ahead when it comes to their toilet business.
In fact, 80% of Japanese households already own an electronic toilet. And truth be told,
you have no idea how much we’re missing out on.
How about a toilet that has an automatic lid, heated seats, and built-in deodorizer? Imagine not
having to worry that your colleagues would find out you did a number 2 in the office bathroom!
And when you wanna hangout longer inside the bathroom, these toilets
also have a butt massager. It’s a gift that keeps on giving!
Plus, using bidets instead of toilet paper is way more environment-friendly!
Woman: Not only is it better for your own personal hygiene, not only is it
better for the environment, it also just feels really good every time you use the bathroom.
And just like you favorite mobile app, some more advanced toilets have a control panel
that can introduce new features through a software update!
You really won’t help but feel like a king while you’re sitting in these ceramic thrones.
#8: Burger-eating Cover
In traditional Japanese culture, it is considered attractive for women to have “Ochobo,” which is
basically keeping your mouth tiny, and covering your mouth when you need to open it in public.
So what’s a Japanese girl to do when, for instance,
she needs to take a bite out of a big, juicy, scrumptious burger?
One day, Japanese fast food joint Freshness Burger noticed that their largest offering on the menu,
the “Classic Burger,” was only famous among their male customers. And because they can’t
let traditional sexist manners get in the way of women enjoying their signature burger,
the company came up with the “Liberation Wrapper.” It’s quite an intimidating name for what is
essentially nothing more than an oversized burger wrapper that’s meant to cover a woman’s face
while she’s devouring their Classic Burger. To add to the illusion of a well-mannered lady, the
wrapper also features a tiny-mouthed, half-smiling woman! ‘Coz she’s a classy lady, you know!
#7: Quirky Vending Machines
What do a live beetle, a ball of lettuce, a pair of socks, a board game, and a pair
of used ladies’ underpants have in common? You can all get them in a Japanese vending machine!
Wait, used ladies’ underpants? Man: This is how you buy used
panties at a Japanese AV store. 10 bucks. Press the button. I’m afraid to touch it with my hands.
The Japanese are not messing around when it comes to their vending machines, I’ll give ‘em that.
Hungry? Why settle for chips and candy bars,
when you can get a warm homecooked curry rice, a box of pizza, or
if you’re the adventurous type, hornet larva! Safiya: Oooh! Now I wasn’t exactly expecting
the larva to be quite so soggy but when I sniffed them, they smelled okay.
Doing some last-minute souvenir shopping? How about some personalized seals,
bug snacks, or even a mystery box!
Due to high labor costs to expensive real estate, these vending machines have become the most
efficient way to bring consumer goods directly to the Japanese people. And I’m living for them!
#6: Square Watermelons
Yup, you heard that right. Square watermelons are an actual thing in Japan!
In 1978, Tomoyuki Ono, a graphic artist, presented these square watermelons in Ginza, Tokyo. He then
further applied for and received a patent for this invention. These days, in the Kagawa prefecture,
the cubic watermelons are grown in boxes, therefore taking their shape.
Compared to the usual round or oval-shaped watermelons, these square ones are easier
to transport and more convenient to store inside the fridge. However, because only
about 200 of these bad boys are harvested every year, they are sold anywhere between $75 to
$200 apiece! Oh, and by the way, farmers recommend displaying it rather than eating it, because
why waste such a beautiful thing of art? But in case you’re wondering how it tastes like…
Girl 1: It really is kind of sour. Girl 2:
The round one is better. #5: Baby Crying Festival
Did you know that the Japanese celebrate around 200,000 festivals each year? And some of these
festivities are just too peculiar, they will leave you scratching your head. There’s the Cursing
Festival where people swear at priests to relieve stress, the Laughing Festival where participants
laugh in unison… and then there’s the Naki Sumo Matsuri or the Baby Crying Festival. Yes,
they deliberately make babies cry. This tradition comes from a Japanese belief
that the loud crying of babies can ward off evil spirits. Additionally, a bizarre Japanese proverb
says that “crying babies grow fast.” Man: The pure cries of the babies are
believed to drive out demons and protect the infants from harm.
Babies aged 4 months to 2 years are dressed int traditional sumo
attire and are carried by sumo wrestlers to face each other. Depending on the region,
the baby who either cries first or the loudest is declared the winner.
Oh, I’m sure my 1-year-old will be crowned world champion in that.
#4: A Monster Citizen
Where else can you find a fictional character,
let alone the “King of Monsters” himself, being granted citizenship? Only in Japan!
Since his first appearance in 1954, the gigantic atomic lizard a.k.a Godzilla,
has become a cultural phenomenon and a global icon in his own right. So
the mayor of Shinjuku, the place that Godzilla destroyed in 3 of his movies,
only saw it fitting to award the ferocious beast his long overdue citizenship.
But it doesn’t stop there! Because Godzilla was also offered to become a tourism
ambassador for the city, and was granted special residency! They even put up a giant Godzilla bust
at the Toho headquarters, the Japanese film studio that created the legendary character.
He’s really come a long way, hasn’t he? I hope he doesn’t get a big head.
#3: Sleeping on the Job
When you’re out and about around Tokyo, it’s not uncommon to see salarymen taking a nap
in the most unusual places like cafes, public parks and sidewalks, or even inside the metro.
You see, Japanese workers are some of the most overworked and sleep-deprived employees
in the world that there’s even a local word for it—“karoshi,” which means “death from overwork.”
This is why the practice of “inemuri” has become widely accepted in Japanese workplaces. But it’s
a little more complicated than just merely taking a nap while at work. “Inemuri” means
“present while sleeping,” and this entails being able to quickly get back to work and
regain composure when required, immediately after catching some Z’s. This also means no sleeping
under the desk or on a table. Basically, you have to pretend you’re still working while dozing off.
#2: Blue Traffic Lights
Red means stop, yellow means slow down, and green means go. So,
what the heck does that blue light mean?
In Japan, you will find traffic lights with shades of blue for “go” instead of green.
Blame it on using only one word, “Aoi”, to describe both colors!
The Japanese language only includes words for four primary colors:
black, white, red, and blue. So, the corresponding term for blue is
also used to describing anything green. When Japan used green in their traffic lights to signal “go,”
linguists objected because “Aoi” was still used in official documents, thus creating confusion.
In 1973, the government compromised, mandating that traffic lights use the quote-unquote
“bluest shade of green possible,” abiding by acknowledged road signs and signals worldwide
and also justifying the nomenclature used in the law.
That’s Japanese bureaucracy for you!
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#1: Valley of Dolls
The small village of Nagoro in Shikoku, Japan, only has less than 30 living residents. The rest?
Life-sized dolls in place of the departed residents. It’s eerily kawaii!
In 2002, Tsukimi Ayano, an artist and former resident of the village,
returned home only to find the shrinking population of Nagoro,
due to the fact that the younger residents decided to move to bigger cities.
So to bring back a certain sense of normalcy to the quiet town,
Ayano decided to create life-sized dolls representing residents who left or died.
Starting with a scarecrow in the image of her father to shoo away birds from
damaging crops in their family’s plot, over the years Ayano has created over 300
more scarecrow-like dolls scattered all over the village – there’s a family waiting at a bus stop,
a classroom full of plush children, a gymnasium filled with villagers, and many
others randomly placed along roads and fields. Tsukimi: My hope is that liveliness is restored
to the village with tourists passing through, and today at 69 years old,
I don’t want to think too much about the negative things about the future.
So, which of these finally convinced you to
book that long overdue Japanese holiday? Let us know in the comments section below.
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If going on a swimming trip is more up your alley, then here are some places you might
wanna consider. Check out our list of the 10 Most Insane Pools That Will Blow Your Mind!
‘Til then, stay quirky, fact-natics! And see you in the next video!