5 Fun Facts About Japan

On average, a citizen of Japan will live to be 84 years old. That means that out of every country on Earth, Japan ranks #1 for average life expectancy. One Japanese island in particular, Okinawa, is known as the "island of longevity," due to the fact that a high concentration of the people that live on the island will live for 100 years or more. It's thought by researchers that this incredible longevity is due to the fact that low fat diets of fish and vegetables keep people healthy, while strong social and community bonds keep people socially active and emotionally healthy well into their golden years. So if you want to live to be as old as the residents of Okinawa, keep your friends and family close and eat a lot of fish!

The Japanese Macaque is the only species of monkey native to Japan and found nowhere else on Earth. Commonly known as "Snow Monkeys," they are the only species of monkey adapted to live in freezing cold, snowy mountain climates. No other species of monkey lives further North, nor in a colder climate. To stay warm in the freezing temperatures, groups of Japanese Macaques seek out and spend much of their time bathing in natural hot springs known as "Onsens." Macaque family groups enforce a rigid hierarchy, with elder macaques claiming first dibs on the best bathing spots. If a younger Macaque attempts to steal a spot for themselves, they may be forced by the leader of the group (typically an older female) to wait out in the cold and snow until the others finish bathing. Talk about tough love!

Japan is the last country on Earth that is still officially ruled by an Emperor. On May 1st, 2019, Emperor Naruhito was sworn in as the 126th emperor of Japan after his father, Emperor Akihito, abdicated the throne. While it's an impressive title, the Japanese constitution was rewritten following the country's defeat in World War II and today the emperor's role in Japanese society is entirely ceremonial. Emperor Naruhito has no governmental authority, and is constitutionally barred from making political statements. Still, it must be pretty cool to be able to say you're the last emperor left on Earth!

Japan leads the world in robotics research, development and manufacturing, and has already begun to employ robots in many different sectors of its economy. Researchers have unveiled increasingly sophisticated "humanoid" robots with many different functions, including a talking office receptionist, a security guard, and even a primary school teacher! It's estimated that about 250,000 industrial robots are hard at work in Japan's many warehouses, factories, restaurants, malls, and hospitals, making it the largest employer of robots in the entire world. So far the robots haven't risen up to overthrow their human masters, but it's only a matter of time, right?

Viewed from above at night, Japan's capital city, Tokyo, looks like its own galaxy. Tokyo is home to an estimated 37.5 million people, making it the most heavily populated city on Earth! Tokyo's larger metropolitan area spreads across 5,194 square miles. New York City, by comparison, has only 8 million residents and encompasses an area of only 300 square miles. In addition to being the largest city by population and square footage, Tokyo is listed as the largest urban economy worldwide according to gross domestic product. Which is just a complicated way of saying that they make and sell a lot more stuff than any other city. You might expect the largest city to have the most crime, but surprisingly, Tokyo also has the lowest crime rate of any major urban center. That's a pretty impressive come up for a former 17th century fishing village!

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