This installment of Japan by the Numbers features crime statistics in Japan and comparisons to America. Japan has a well-earned reputation of being safe, and these statistics prove that. While non-violent crimes such as telephone fraud, pickpocketing and others are increasing, violent crime rates have been going down. The number of the month is 0.04,...Read More
Obon is a Buddhist ritual held from Aug 13 to 16. Salaried workers will take a week-off because most of the companies are closed during the Obon season. We believe during this period the spirits of our ancestors return so we go to the graveyard and clean family graves before then. This belief is based on the...Read More
“Gyu” is the Japanese word for beef, and “tan_ is the Japanese version of the English word tongue. Gyutan (beef tongue) is popular all over Japan, but it is most popular in Sendai. This is partly due to the fact that cooking beef tongue in Japan originated in Sendai in 1948. Gyutan itself consists of...Read More
Hi there! It’s Michelle, your customer service representative for Samurai Tours. I hail from Dallas, Texas originally but, living in Colorado for 10 years has rooted my love of nature and the outdoors. So much so, that I brought a little of nature to me. I have a llama and two alpacas. They are shy...Read More
This month’s Japan By Numbers number is 45. 45 of the 50 busiest train stations in the world are Japanese train stations. Here is a list of the 50 busiest train stations in the world. The top 10 (all Japanese train stations) include the average number of people using the station everyday. 1 Shinjuku Station...Read More
Whenever I find myself in Kyoto, I always jump on the Nara Line and head to Uji for some of Uji’s famous green tea. But green tea is not the only thing that Uji is known for. It is also the home of World Heritage sites and has a connection with the Tale of...Read More
The plum season and the rainy season come at the same time in Japan. So, the rainy season is also called “plum rain.” In Japanese, “plum rain” translates to “tsuyu 梅雨”. The “tsuyu” rainy season normally begins in mid June and ends in mid July. Since the plums are normally ready for picking in early...Read More
This months number is 266. That is number of Japanese restaurants per person in Japan. This is the highest rate anywhere in the world. The country with the second highest number of restaurants in the world is America with 547 restaurants per person. 34 – The number of Michelin 3 star ranked restaurants in Japan....Read More
Millions of Japanese all over Japan start their day with Rajio Taiso, or Radio Calistenics. It is something almost every Japanese person has participated in, and everyone in Japan is familiar with it. In 1928, the program started broadcasting on radio. And in 1957, it started broadcasting on television. Today, every morning at 6:30AM, the...Read More
