Welcome to the “Land of the Rising Sun”—Japan, a stunning volcanic archipelago in East Asia where ancient traditions and futuristic technology live side by side. There are around 123 million people living here, and the capital is Tokyo, the world’s most populous metropolitan area and a neon-lit marvel of efficiency. The official language is Japanese, which uses a unique writing system consisting of three different scripts: Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana.

Japan covers about 377,975 square kilometers (145,937 square miles). The country is roughly the same size as the state of Montana in the U.S., or about the same size as Germany. It is a land of islands—four main ones (Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku) and thousands of smaller ones—where about 70% of the land is covered by uninhabitable mountains and forests.

The most popular sport is Baseball, which has a massive and dedicated following, though Sumo remains the traditional national sport of Japan. Their national animal is the Japanese Macaque (the famous “Snow Monkey”), and the Green Pheasant is the national bird.

The flag, known as the Nisshōki, features a simple red circle on a white background, where the red disk represents the sun and the white symbolizes purity and honesty.

The food is an art form focused on seasonality and presentation. You must try Sushi and Sashimi, but you should also explore Ramen, Takoyaki (octopus balls), and Wagyu beef. Japan is famous for its Matcha (green tea) and Sake (rice wine). You can even find hundreds of unique Kit-Kat flavors, like wasabi or sake, which are popular souvenirs!

Japan is home to Mount Fuji, a perfectly symmetrical volcanic cone that is a sacred symbol of the nation. The country is the birthplace of Anime, Manga, and Video Game giants like Nintendo and PlayStation. You can ride the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) at speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph) to visit the ancient temples of Kyoto, which was the capital for over a thousand years. Japan is also famous for its Onsens (natural hot springs) and the annual Sakura (cherry blossom) season, when the entire country turns pink. It is a place where you can find high-tech robot cafes in one street and a silent, 500-year-old Zen garden in the next.

From the snow festivals of Sapporo to the tropical beaches of Okinawa, Japan is a land of harmony and incredible detail. Arigato! That means “Thank you!”