Interesting Facts About Japan: Dispelling the Myths! 

Japanese culture has fascinated many people around the world in recent decades. Popular elements like video games, anime, and J-pop music attract a lot of attention. However, this popularity has led to some people misunderstanding some aspects of the culture. So, it’s important to look at some interesting facts about Japan to dispel the myths!

Myth #1: “All Japanese food is healthy!”

Expectation

“Japan is full of healthy food. That is true. The country has an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, and with an emphasis on hearty noodle-based dishes, lunch and dinner-time meals can be filling and nutritious. So visitors can rest easy knowing they’ll only eat the finest and healthiest foods around the clock when they visit! It’s like all those Studio Ghibli meals come to life!”

Reality

Japan is a country like any other, with food like everywhere else. There is plenty of healthy food to eat. But Japan is known for konbini, or convenience stores with many pre-packaged foods. You can find cakes, sweets, chips, fried foods, and more on most street corners.

This doesn’t include all the street foods people eat while on the move. Super crepes filled with cream, Samurai Burgers from McDonald’s, and many other fast foods are common. These are often more available than the classic dishes seen in movies and anime.

Myth #2: “Japan is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world!”

Expectation

“In the land where new video game consoles are made and all the best new cell phones are designed, Japan is brimming with space-age technology! Everyone has brand-new phones and all major companies use only the most cutting-edge hardware! It’s like Gundam, just without the Mobile Suits!”

Reality

Yeah, Japan has been rooted in the past for about twenty years regarding day-to-day technology. Many companies still use fax machines, which have been mainly phased out in the United States. While most people have phones, many still use flip phones rather than modern smartphones.

Second-hand stores are huge in Japanese culture, and many people still use upcycled hardware and devices around their homes, too. Outside of Tokyo and other major cities, much of Japan is still very rural and devoid of modern convenience technology. This isn’t suggesting that Japan exists in some dark age, but it must be understood that the country was still primarily cash-only until the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.

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Myth #3: “All Japanese people love anime!”

Expectation

“Japan has had countless anime, manga, and video games since the late 60s, so EVERYONE loves it! No matter where you go, you’ll always find someone wearing a Dragon Ball Z or Spy Family shirt! If I want to dress up in my super-awesome cosplay and walk around squealing like my favorite anime character, people on the street will smile and understand! Japan is the land of anime, and I can escape being the walking incarnation of anime itself!”

Reality

Nope, not really. While anime is a huge part of contemporary Japanese culture and can be found virtually everywhere around the country, that doesn’t mean everyone acts like living anime characters. Finding a horse girl anime-themed ice pop in a 7-11 and then walking past a Kiki’s Delivery Service sign on the subway wall does not mean everyone walks around in full cosplay on a regular basis.

Look at it this way: sports are huge in the United States, but that doesn’t mean people can just walk around in full professional football attire at the local supermarket, yelling out sports jargon, and not get stared at. There’s a time and a place for everything, and a quiet street in Hamamatsucho is not the place to expect strangers to share in your boundless enthusiasm for Honkai Star Rail.

Why is it important to learn these interesting facts about Japan?

On one hand, it’s easy to see why some people would form these unrealistic expectations of Japan if they only have to learn about it from anime and manga. As art, anime and manga are meant to be hyper-exaggerated and larger-than-life regarding Japanese representation. Period pieces show people eating steaming bowls of ramen and vegetables or freshly fire-roasted fish. Moreover, pictures of Tokyo and Osaka show how they look in video games. 

When the only exposure to Japanese culture highlights only those aspects of the country, perceptions can become skewed. Japan is a wonderful place to visit, but it’s not what pop culture has made it out to be. Visit and have fun, just be realistic about what to expect. Have you been to Japan before? Was it what you thought it would be? Please let us know in the comments below! We’d love to hear about your visit to Japan!

Cited Sources

• Mental Floss. “8 Misconceptions About Japan“.
• Boutique Japan. “Top 9 Myths About Japan Travel“.
• Japan Guide. “Manga and Anime“.