An island nation of East Asia in the Pacific Ocean, Japan is an extraordinary country that everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. Their culture is unlike any other, and before you go it’s worth taking note of these interesting facts about Japan.

1 Japan is made up of over 6,800 islands.

As if deciding where to go for your holiday wasn’t tough enough, there are over 6,800 islands that make up Japan. The good news is that many of the islands have been untouched by tourism, so it’s possible to find a gem during your pre-holiday research.(source)

2 Japan suffers from roughly 1,500 Earthquakes every year. 

Japan sits atop four tectonic plates which are always moving. This makes it one of the worst spots on the globe for earth quakes. It has had some pretty devastating earth quakes in the past, and only recently did one result in a tsunami (2011) that caused large scale damage and a death roll of almost 16,000.(source)

3 Japan has more than 50,000 people who are over 100 years old. 

With women comprising of around 87% of the tally, Japan has more than 50,000 people who are over the age of 100. This is a long way off from the 153 people when the survey started back in 1963.(source)

4 Japanese trains are known to be the most punctual in the world.

Japanese trains are so punctual that if they arrive 5 minutes late, everyone gets a formal apology and sometimes even a “delay certificate” for work. Any delays longer than an hour appear on the news because its such a rarity.(source)