Top 10 Japan facts

Kokura. The crew was under orders to only bomb visually. When they got to Kokura they found the haze and smoke obscuring the city as well as the large ammunition arsenal that was the reason for targeting the city. They made three unsuccessful passes, and eventually headed for Nagasaki and its torpedo factory, the alternative target. In Japan, the phrase "Kokura luck" was coined to describe lucky avoidance of the great misfortune without being aware of it.

Ainu. The Ainu are an indigenous people in Japan, today almost completely assimilated by the Japanese. The Ainu women tattooed their mouths, starting at a young age with a small spot on the upper lip, gradually increasing with size. When they reached age 15–16, their tattoos were completed. Thus were they qualified for marriage.

Kendo and karate. Kendo, along with other martial arts, was banned in Japan in 1946 by the occupying powers. This was part of "the removal and exclusion from public life of militaristic and ultra nationalistic persons" in response to the wartime militarisation of martial arts instruction in Japan.

It was a disappointment. Kaitens had a very limited diving depth, which in turn limited the diving depth of the host submarine. This is one of several factors blamed for the very poor survival rate of submarines armed with kaitens: eight submarines being lost for the sinking of only two enemy ships and damaging several others.

It is being rebuilt every 20 years. The shrine buildings are rebuilt every 20 years as a part of the Shinto belief of the death and renewal of nature. The architectural style of the Ise shrine pre-date the introduction of Buddhist architecture in Japan. Thanks to constant rebuilding, ancient building techniques are passed from one generation to the next.

4. Words "four" and "Death" have very similar pronunciation in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese. In East Asia many buildings do not have a 4th floor. Some high-rise residential buildings omit all floor numbers with "4", e.g., 4, 14, 24, 34 and all 40–49 floors.

Ryukyu Kingdom. Karate developed from the indigenous martial arts of Ryukyu Islands (today Japanese) under the influence of Chinese martial arts. The Ryukyu Kingdom was an independent kingdom from the 15th to 19th century, and despite its small size, the kingdom played a central role in the maritime trade networks of medieval East Asia. Until the 19th century, it has had much more in common with China, than with Japan.

Ninjatō. The ninjatō or shinobigatana, are allegedly the preferred weapon that the Shinobi of feudal Japan carried. It is portrayed by modern ninjutsu practitioners as the weapon of the ninja, and is prominently featured in popular culture. Replicas of this sword have also been prominently on display at the Ninja Museum of Igaryu located in Iga

Manga. The term manga in Japan is a word used to refer to both comics and cartooning. "Manga" as a term used outside Japan refers to comics originally published in Japan.

Overwork. Karōshi (過労死), which can be translated literally as "overwork death" in Japanese, is occupational sudden mortality. The major medical causes of karōshi deaths are heart attack and stroke due to stress and a starvation diet. This phenomenon is also widespread in other parts of Asia as well. The first case of karōshi was recorded in Japan in 1969.