Every thinking person purposefully or unconsciously seeks to get away from chaos in his life and come to calmness and harmony. Trying to understand the culture of Eastern countries, you can see several ways in which the movement towards peace of mind will be faster and more effective. One of these ways is the knowledge of the culture and history of Japan.
- Since ancient times, the Japanese themselves have called their country Nippon (or in another way - Nihon). This name is made up of two hieroglyphs. One of them is translated as "sun", the other - "base". Therefore, an unofficial definition of Japan as the Land of the Rising Sun arose. On the flag it is symbolized by a red circle. The coat of arms of the island state contains a round yellow chrysanthemum, which has already become a national flower. She also acts as a symbol of the sun at sunrise.
- The number of people living in Japan has changed in recent years, but not significantly. On average, the population is 126 million. This has not always been the case. In 1945, almost 72 million people lived. But by 2016, the population had grown by 80%: it became 126, 9 million people.
- Japan is a state that includes several islands. Therefore, the sea washes it from all possible sides, which obliges the Japanese to eat a lot of fish and fish products. They eat them most of all with cheese, sometimes dried. But there are also dishes traditionally cooked in a pan or charcoal.
- Japan is an exalted country. Figuratively and literally. Traditions, culture, science have always distinguished this state against the background of many other, including European, countries. And the hills, mountains, which occupy more than 3/4 of the entire territory, also make it possible to call Japan unique.
- There are not as many minerals in Japan as the country's leadership would like. Basically, coal, silver and gold ores, industrial raw materials, natural building materials are mined.
- In the capital of Japan, Tokyo, there are many streets, so much so that if you add up all their lengths, you will get 22 thousand km - and this is already more than half the length of the equator of our planet. There are also many houses: more than 4 million. And most of the streets do not even have names. On the houses there are simple plaques indicating the number of the district (there are 23 in the city), block and apartment numbers. Even the police and taxi drivers, who are renowned for their very good customer service, are constantly inconvenienced by this designation system. Guests and visitors alike will spend even more time finding the desired home. Car overpasses connect separate parts of the city. But the movement of more than 5 million cars along them also occurs with certain difficulties.
- There are several different festivals held in Japan every year. There are more than 40 of them. Particularly noteworthy is the famous snow festival taking place on the "white island" of Hokkaido. This happens in early February. During the days of the celebration, more than 300 snow structures are created on Sapporo Street. Characters of fairy tales known to the Japanese, heroes of literary works, copies of famous monuments and architectural creations - all this can be observed on the joyful days of a big holiday.
