Japan

The Japanese, other than nobles or samurai class families, did not have surnames until 1868, when the government required commoners to adopt surnames. Names were chosen based on locations, occupations, or simply were made up, explaining the diversity in Japanese surnames (100,000+ present).

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Japanese name Not to be confused with Names of Japan. Yamada Tarō (山田太郎), a Japanese placeholder name (male), equivalent to John Smith in English. The equivalent of Jane Smith would be Yamada Hanako (山田花子). Japanese names (日本人の氏名, Nihonjin no Shimei) in modern times consist of a family name (surname), followed by a given name; in …

The Japanese, other than nobles or samurai class families, did not have surnames until 1868, when the government required commoners to adopt surnames. Names were chosen based on locations, occupations, or simply were made up, explaining the diversity in Japanese surnames (100,000+ present). Read More »

The German candy “Werther’s Original”, was purposefully marketed in the 1990s as being a candy that grandparents would give to their grandchildren.

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Werther’s Original Werther’s Original (from the original German: Werthers Echte) is a brand of caramel candy owned by the German company August Storck KG, based in Berlin, Germany. The candy is popular in Europe and North America. History The sweet brand is named after the town of Werther in Westphalia, where the company was founded …

The German candy “Werther’s Original”, was purposefully marketed in the 1990s as being a candy that grandparents would give to their grandchildren. Read More »

When Sweden won the ice hockey world championships in 1957 in Moscow, the Soviets didn’t have the national anthem ready. The Swedish team decided to sing it over the stadium’s PA system, but didn’t know the words to the anthem, so instead they sang the Swedish drinking song, “Helan går!”.

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1957 Ice Hockey World Championships The 1957 Ice Hockey World Championships were held between 24 February and 5 March 1957 at the Palace of Sports of the Central Lenin Stadium in Moscow, USSR. Trophy awarded for the 1957 World Championships This was the last World Championships played on natural ice; and were the first World …

When Sweden won the ice hockey world championships in 1957 in Moscow, the Soviets didn’t have the national anthem ready. The Swedish team decided to sing it over the stadium’s PA system, but didn’t know the words to the anthem, so instead they sang the Swedish drinking song, “Helan går!”. Read More »

Some Buddhist monks attempt to mummify themselves alive—and at least two dozen have succeeded. The process involves eating only pine needles, resins & seeds to eliminate all body fat, and then slowly reducing liquid intake to zero, thus dehydrating the body and shrinking all organs, until death.

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Sokushinbutsu The body of the Thai Buddhist monk Luang Pho Daeng at Wat Khunaram, Ko Samui, Thailand Sokushinbutsu (即身仏) are a kind of Buddhist mummy. The term refers to the practice of Buddhist monks observing asceticism to the point of death and entering mummification while alive. They are seen in a number of Buddhist countries, …

Some Buddhist monks attempt to mummify themselves alive—and at least two dozen have succeeded. The process involves eating only pine needles, resins & seeds to eliminate all body fat, and then slowly reducing liquid intake to zero, thus dehydrating the body and shrinking all organs, until death. Read More »

Japan’s reputation for longevity among its citizens is a point of controversy: In 2010, one man, believed to be 111, was found to have died some 30 years before; his body was discovered mummified in his bed. Investigators found at least 234,354 other Japanese centenarians were “missing.”

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Centenarian The number of Japanese centenarians was called into question in 2010, following a series of reports showing that hundreds of thousands of elderly people had gone “missing” in the country. The deaths of many centenarians had not been reported, casting doubt on the country’s reputation for having a large population of centenarians. In July …

Japan’s reputation for longevity among its citizens is a point of controversy: In 2010, one man, believed to be 111, was found to have died some 30 years before; his body was discovered mummified in his bed. Investigators found at least 234,354 other Japanese centenarians were “missing.” Read More »

The webcam was invented just because 3 people wanted to keep a check on coffee level without walking to their breakroom.

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Design Of Everyday Things #12 Brilliance of Everyday Objects Problem: Coffee less trips to break room Solution: Let’s keep a track of the coffee levels from where we are sitting The year was 1991, and the computer science faculty at Cambridge University was tired of walking all the way to the breakroom only to find …

The webcam was invented just because 3 people wanted to keep a check on coffee level without walking to their breakroom. Read More »

Along a lonely stretch of highway in Awa-shi, Japan, a rare vending machine sells homemade meals of fresh curry over rice. The vending machine owner, Tadashi Yoshimoto, grows the rice in every meal just down the road on his own farm!

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A Homemade Meal . . . From a Vending Machine In Japan, vending machines generally sell beverages and simple, readymade provisions. But fresh curry over rice? You bet. Along a lonely stretch of highway in Awa-shi, Japan, you’ll find a rare vending machine selling tantalizing homemade meals. Even better? The vending machine owner, Tadashi Yoshimoto, …

Along a lonely stretch of highway in Awa-shi, Japan, a rare vending machine sells homemade meals of fresh curry over rice. The vending machine owner, Tadashi Yoshimoto, grows the rice in every meal just down the road on his own farm! Read More »

Japanese vending machines are operated to dispense drinking water free of charge when the water supply gets cut off during a disaster.

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3 Things You Might Not Know Japanese Vending Machines Can Do! Everywhere you look in Japan, no doubt it’s hard to miss the widespread varieties of vending machines or 自動販売機/自販機 (Jidouhanbaiki/ Jihanki) in the country. From the most common products like warm and cold drinks to the most unusual selection of fruits, clothing and even …

Japanese vending machines are operated to dispense drinking water free of charge when the water supply gets cut off during a disaster. Read More »

There is a man who has been visiting the same fish for almost 30 years that comes to him whenever he dives in the ocean.

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Fish Comes To Visit Japanese Diver Friend At Underwater Shrine For 30 Years You may remember Hasama Underwater Park, a praised diving spot in Japan that houses an underwater Shinto shrine (a specially opened extension of the Susaki Shrine) that boasts whale sharks, sunfish, and other exotic marine wildlife that swirl around the sunken torii …

There is a man who has been visiting the same fish for almost 30 years that comes to him whenever he dives in the ocean. Read More »

A 74 year old Japanese man, dressed as a ninja and possessing great physical ability, carried out 254 break-ins worth $260,000 before he was caught by police

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Japanese Police Finally Arrest 74-Year Old Ninja Thief A rash of of thievery in Osaka has come to an end as Japanese police have finally apprehended a prolific criminal, one who disguised himself as a ninja to carry out his mischief. According to Sankei Shinbun, a 74-year-old man who came to be known as the …

A 74 year old Japanese man, dressed as a ninja and possessing great physical ability, carried out 254 break-ins worth $260,000 before he was caught by police Read More »

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