3 November is Japanese Culture Day or Bunkano-hi.  This is a national holiday to celebrate culture and the arts. Here are a few interesting facts that you might not know about Japan...

Japan is made up of over 3,000 islands but only 421 of these have people living on them.  The four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku.

The Japanese flag is white with a red circle in the centre which is meant to be the rising sun.

Mount Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, is actually an active Volcano that last erupted in 1707.

Japanese people “slurp” when eating noodles as it is considered polite and is said to make them taste better.

Tokyo has the largest fish market in the world called the Tsukiji Market.  It handles over 2,800 tonnes and 450 different kinds of fish a day.

Shoes are never worn in the house, Japanese people will always put on slippers.  You must put on a separate pair of “toilet slippers” when using the toilet in peoples homes and even in public toilets.

The kimono is a traditional Japanese garment worn by men, women and children.