Every country has its claim to fame, and Japan is no different. But there’s a lot more we have to thank this glorious country for than just sushi and anime.
#1. For making video games a reality.
Nintendo and Playstation would be non-existent without Japanese ingenuity. Mario, where ya at?
#2. For having the world’s most strangest festivals.
Belly button festivals, metallic penis festivals, naked festivals. You do you, Japan. #nojudgement.
#3. For making karaoke a thing.
Yep, we’ve all got Japan to thank for obnoxious drunks shamelessly singing “You give love a bad name” at the top of their lungs.
#4. For spending time on making robots a reality.
Though this technology’s got a long way to go, Japan’s already spending more time on it than they should.
#5. For the existence of vending machines.
That dispense basically anything, from canned food and drinks to toys. Even underwear, cigarettes, and dirty magazines. Damn, Japan.
#6. For making surgery bearable by coming up with general anaesthesia.
Imagine getting a modern operation with only a swig and some leather to bite on to null the pain. God bless, Japan. God bless.
#7. For having the best game shows.
Because, seriously. Seriously. This one’s called “Man Eats Spaghetti In A Dryer” because… well, duh.
#8. For video cameras and digital cameras.
And the Japanese said, “go forth and take high resolution selfies.”
#9. For high quality movies at home, through blu-ray.
Yes, your high resolution dvd copy was made possible by the Japanese.
#10. The delicious yet peculiar taste that is sushi.
Before it became a popular dish, wrapping raw fish in salt and rice was primarily for preservation purposes. Who knew it would become such a sought-after dish.
#12. Not forgetting to mention ramen, of course.
While there may be some overlap as to exactly where ramen originated, it’s no doubt that Japan’s ramen game is on point. They invented instant noodles, too!
#13. Origami, which is basically paper magic.
Some Japanese dude most probably just looked a piece of paper, saw a random object, and muttered to themselves, “challenge accepted.”
#14. For entertaining us with Anime and Manga.
Life wouldn’t be the same without it. Not to mention, it taught us a pretty basic lessons about Japanese culture.
#15. Hello Kitty!
Where would all the kawaii girls be without her?
#16. Japanese knives.
Chefs all over the world have praised the quality of Japanese knives.
#17. For having a better term for motels by calling them love hotels.
For adult sleepovers!
#18. The incredible variety of KitKat flavours.
Red bean, strawberry, cheesecake, apple, oh wow. Yes. Baked potato and soy sauce flavours, though. No.
#19. For inventing crazy super toilets.
“Regular toilets? What are we, cavemen?”
#20. For matcha. Mmmmmm.
Yes, you owe your obsession with Matcha Lattes and Frappuccinos to the Japanese.
#21. For gadgets that don’t even seem to make sense but turn out to be indispensable.
Butter sticks actually make perfect sense when you think about it… If you can imagine something, Japan has probably made it.
#22. For Muji, the no-brand brand.
Shopping at a Muji store is every minimalist’s wet dream.
#23. For ice cream shaped like roses.
Chirin-chirin. Sold on pretty much every street in Nagasaki, for over 50 years for the reasonable price of 100 Yen (that’s barely a dollar!). It’s scooped into this shape so it doesn’t fall off the cone. Coldstone better take a lesson from this.
#24. For making cat cafes a thing.
These fantastic establishments have even inspired cat pubs! Thank you, Japan, for making this a thing
#25. For air soft, which is basically Counter Strike IRL.
Well, except for the knives, and death. P.S. Respawn feature not included.