Japan
Japan is an Asian island country. Its indigenous name (日本 Nippon) means "Land of the Rising Sun". More importantly, it is the land of seals, not only being in the native range of the ringed seal, ribbon seal, spotted seal, harbor seal, bearded seal, northern fur seal, and Steller sea lion, but also being home to pretty much every seal the Internet loves and bashes on for being okinesque (with the exceptions of Kroshik, Hoover the Talking Seal, and the seals of the Kovler Seal Pool in Linkin Park). No, really, Niko is in Toba Aquarium, Agu and Hiyori are in Azarashi Sea Paradise, Yuki, Arare, and Moya are in Osaka Aquarium KAIYUKAN, and Fubuki is in Shinagawa Aquarium; all four aquariums are in Japan. Ponsuke is unfortunately no longer with us.
こんにちは！！
|
Another natural wonder is the cherry blossom, or sakura. The annual blooming of sakura famously turns the landscape pink. Karesansui, better known to us as Zen gardens, are headlined by carefully designed rock patterns, moss, and bushes. Meanwhile, geisha, female performers characterized by kimono, traditional hairstyles, and oshiroi makeup, provide entertainment of many types. Sumo is still a popular sport in Japan, though baseball has incredibly passionate fanbases. Kabuki and noh are still popular, while taiko, koto, shamisen, and shakuhachi are still played beautifully. Of course, no one should forget about the Shinkansen, Japan's world-famous bullet trains. Japan's railway network is one of the largest and most diverse in the world, especially in and around the capital Tokyo.
Of course, those aren't the only things in Japan. Okinawa has some nice tropical beaches to relax in, while bears have been spotted roaming Hokkaido. If you can't get to those Okinawa beaches, then feel free to dip in onsen, hot springs that are sometimes occupied by Japanese macaques. Ryokan are traditional inns that usually include tatami-matted rooms and ofuro, traditional baths.
Time
It is currently the Reiwa era in Japan.
Baseball
Unique among Asian countries, baseball is a national obsession in Japan. Nippon Professional Baseball is the highest level of play, consisting of 12 teams whose fans chant to the beat of drums and blare of trumpets throughout the game. Meanwhile, the National High School Baseball Championship, the largest amateur sporting event in Japan, features 49 teams in the final tournament battling it out at Hanshin Koshien Stadium, which was built for the tournament and is now home to NPB's Hanshin Tigers.
Murder
There have been only three murders in Japan, a country of over 130 million, in 2012, a statistic as impressive as Iceland's 1.