of the three precious statues of the goddess Kannon enshrined in the Sugimoto-dera temple in Kamakura, Japan, likely none were made by the artists they are traditionally attributed to?
in the Japanese theatrical art known as Taishū engeki(pictured), it is not uncommon for fans to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of yen on gifts for the performers?
the JapanesedestroyerMatsu had a very short career: just more than three months from her completion in 1944, to her sinking as she returned from her first escort mission?
the Buddhist monk Tetsugen spent twenty years in an attempt to publish the Chinese scriptures of Buddhism in Japan, because he kept giving away the money he collected for the purpose?
in the 1869 Battle of Hakodate in Japan, French soldiers fought side-by-side with rebel samurai against the newly formed Imperial government, in an episode reminiscent of the movie The Last Samurai?
as part of Fukubukuro, a New Year'scustom in Japan, merchants offer bags of merchandise for prices much lower than the normal value of the items inside?
in 1686, at the Tōshiya archery contest in Kyoto, Japan, Wasa Daihachiro successfully fired a record 13,053 arrows in 24 hours, averaging nine arrows a minute and hitting the target 8,133 times?
the Type numbering system in Japan specified that the Mitsubishi A6M of 1940 would be designated "Type 0 Carrier Fighter", giving rise to the popular name "Zero"?
the story of Sada Abe, a woman who cut off her dead lover's genitals and carried them around with her for days, is one of Japan's most notorious scandals?
the stationmaster of the Kinokawa train station in Kinokawa, Japan is a cat named Tama(pictured)?
the Peachliner (pictured) people mover in Komaki, Japan was planned originally to carry 43,000 passengers daily, but only carried an average of 2670 per day during 15 years of operation?
the history of sushi shows that although sushi is famous for its use in the Japanese cuisine, it actually originated in China in the 3rd or 4th century BC, more than 900 years before its first known appearance in Japan?
Tanna japonensis, the Japanesecicada, makes a melancholy sound (example right) after sunset, when the temperature has dropped, or when it becomes cloudy?
tōgyū(pictured) is a bullfighting sport practiced in Okinawa, Japan, in which two bulls wrestle in a ring in a manner compared to sumo?
delay certificates issued by railway companies in Japan and Germany to passengers for tardy trains are considered valid reasons by superiors for reporting late to school or work?
99 percent of Japanese municipalities collect and recyclesteel cans despite not being required by law, giving the country one of the world's highest recycling rates for these cans? (Japanese recycling bins pictured)
22-year-old Ling Ling was the oldest panda in Japan at the time of his death in April 2008?
Japanesefilm director and actressTomoko Matsunashi was described as one of the Japanese directors who "have brought some needed originality and talent to contemporary Japanese cinema"?
Léonce Verny was a French Naval engineer who directed the construction of the Yokosuka arsenal in Japan from 1865 to 1876, thus helping jump-start Japan's modernization?