Random Fact!
In Japan, trucks speak. They say stuff like “Bakku shimasu” (I’m going backwards) and “Hidari ni magarimasu” (I’m turning left) in a lovely female voice
Japan in…152 days
Random Fact!
There is a service in Japan called daikou taxi. It is for drunk people who want to get home without leaving their car at the pub. So they call a daikou taxi chauffeur who drives them home in their own car.
It’s also nicer for taxis, they don’t have to clean their car if the drunk guy pukes everywhere.
Japan in…153 days
Random Fact!
If a pickpocket is noticed in a shop, the shop will play the theme tune for “the pink panther” so as to warn customers without alarming them
Japan in 154 days
Hello! My name is Juliette and I’m a huge fan of Japanese culture. So much in fact that after 4 years of pestering them, my parents have decided to send me off there for two weeks this summer. This blog is just going to be a form of “revision” of what I already know before going, and a way to share my experience when I get there! I hope you’ll enjoy it. *does a little japanese bow* I’ll try my best not to ramble on too much…
Japan in…154 days
I’ll start off by a (as a brief as I can make it…^_^”) overview of Japan (called Nihon in Japanese, which means “Sun-origin” or the “Land of the Rising sun”)
Map of Japan
Japan is made of 4 main islands and 1000s of small ones (the most recent popped up not so long ago). The 4 main islands are Hokkaido, in the North, Honshu, the big center where Tokyo is, and then Shikoku and Kyushu in the South. All are connected to Honshu by tunnels and bridges.
Japan has an Imperial Family, but much like the English Royal family and other European ones, they’re just symbolic heads of state and “symbol of the state and unity of the people”.
The imperial family
The Emperor is the highest Shinto authority, since his family is supposed to be descended from the Sun Goddess Amaterasu (you know, like the Fire technique Itachi uses in Naruto and the name of the wolf in Okami). They also have a really cool seal representing a chrysanthemum.
The awesome chrystantemum seal
Religion in Japan is a bit mixed up. The two main ones are Shinto and Buddhist, and you basically Pick n’ Mix them. You can be born Buddhist and die Shinto, or vice-versa, or mix celebrations. It all depends on what you’d rather do. There’s also a Christian community that is quite strong, and used to be persecuted by samurais until the samurais themselves converted. (some)
(by the way, none of these images are mine. EVER. Unless I mention it.)
P.S I have never been presented to the Imperial Family. Again ,that is NOT my picture.
Countdown to Japan 