Interesting Facts about Visiting Japan: Hidden history, Cultural Habits, Nature & Geography

Originally published on April 24, 2026 | Last updated on April 25, 2026

If you are traveling to Tokyo and beyond the capital and need to be aware of a few interesting facts about visiting Japan, ranging from hidden history, cultural habits, nature, nature & geography, you’ve landed at the right airport:).When we travel, we don’t just look for hotels and things to do, but we also enjoy learning a bit about fun facts about the destinations we are headed to.

And if you are looking for an article featuring interesting facts not just about one country, fun facts, or true experiences about visiting foreign countries, this piece is also for you.

Have you ever come across an interesting fact about the destination you’ve been dreaming of visiting, a true fun fact misunderstood, or even the most-traveled people ignore? Indeed, large destinations like Japan might be full of interesting facts that a seven-day visitor exploring just Tokyo may not be aware of. Fair enough. Short stay travelers focus on what matters most on their itineraries.

The beauty of the travel and hospitality sector is its capacity to take people to fun or meaningful activities beyond what the average tourist sees.

Fun facts about countries like Japan could be fun or even serious, sometimes limited to hidden gems as opposed to the destination as a whole.

Why are fun facts about foreign countries a part of the travel experiences?

Learning interesting facts about Japan that you never knew can end up being the key elements you associate with your travel experience in one way or another.

What is fun gets remembered, usually, if that interesting fact is particularly tied to the destinations you enjoyed exploring and their people.

This article talks about interesting facts about Japan for those headed there beyond summer vacations.

In our next series of interesting facts about foreign countries and destinations, you will learn key facts about these categories.

• Hidden history – lesser-known events, origins, or surprising pasts of a place.
• Cultural habits – everyday customs that might surprise outsiders
• Food specialties – iconic dishes, strange delicacies, or regional ingredients
• Nature & geography – unusual landscapes, rare ecosystems, or geographic oddities
• Language twists – funny place names, dialects, or untranslatable local words.
• Unusual laws or rules – strange regulations or historical legal quirks.
• Pop culture connections – movies, books, or celebrities linked to the destination
• Famous People – notable figures born there or associated with the place

If you have any truly interesting facts to share, feel free to submit them, and of course, provide context for the curious travelers to enjoy your favorite destinations differently.  

Interesting Facts about Visiting Japan: experiences about visiting foreign countries, cultural habits, folklore, and hidden history

by Aaron Peterson  Instagram: aaronstravels123

I lived in Japan for five years as an English teacher.
While I was there, I interacted with my students, befriended the locals, visited over 100 locations, and enjoyed holidays and festivals.
Through these experiences, I learned a lot about Japan.
I learned about some interesting cultural habits.

Unique Japanese cultural habits explained.

In Japan, when a person wants to refer to themself, they use their index finger to point to their nose, whereas in the West, a person would point to their chest.
In Japan, when a person wants to say “no”, they wave their hand in front of their face (almost like they are swatting away a fly), whereas in the West, we shake our head.
In Japan, they do not say anything after a person sneezes, whereas in the West, we say “God bless you” to the person who sneezed.

But while these everyday customs were surprising, the most surprising thing about Japan for me was its iconic folklore creatures known as “oni”.

Hidden folklore of Japan: Oni and traditions

Often translated as “ogres” or “demons”, these creatures are an integral part of Japanese mythology/history, geography, holidays, and even children’s games.
The children’s game of “tag” is called “onigokko” in Japanese.
It translates to “demon child” or “demon game”, where the child who is ‘it’ is called the “oni” (demon) and attempts to tag the other players.
A Japanese holiday known as “Setsubun” consists of “mamemaki” (bean throwing), where one throws “fukumame” (fortune beans) either out the front door or at someone wearing an “oni” (demon) mask while loudly shouting “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (Demons out! Fortune in!).

While teaching in Japan, I had the opportunity to be at a kindergarten on Setsubun.
The older students and I wore demon masks and tried to scare the younger students, who threw fortune beans at us and chased us off.
Then, all together, we threw fortune beans out of the classroom door while shouting “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!”

Little-known historical facts about Japan

The Japanese prefecture of “Iwate” got its name from the tale of “Oni no tegata”.
According to the legend, an oni (demon) often tormented the local people.
When the people prayed to the spirits of Mitsuishi (the “Three Rocks” Shrine) for protection, the demon was shackled to the three rocks at the shrine and forced to make a promise to never again terrorize the people.
As a seal of his oath, the demon left its handprints on one of the rocks, giving rise to the name “Iwate” (which can be directly translated to “Rock Hand”).

While in Japan, I visited the Mitsuishi (“Three Rocks”) Shrine in Iwate prefecture.
I saw the three large rocks with chains wrapped around them, as well as a placard with the legend and the demon’s handprints.
While simple in design, this shrine was nonetheless extraordinary.
While the onis themselves and the legends about them may not be true (I will let the reader decide that for themself), it is certainly true that onis are an indispensable part of Japanese life and culture.

Final Thoughts: Interesting Facts about Japan

Fun facts about destinations cannot all be listed in this 3-minute read article. If you’ve attended unique festivals around the world, you know it is a place where the most unknown or lesser-known facts are exhibited through art and folklore.

When we travel, we don’t just look for hotels and things to do, but we also enjoy learning fun facts about destinations. This features interesting facts about Japan’s cultural habits, folklore, and hidden history from real experiences living in Japan for five years, visiting locations, and learning traditions like oni.

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