Whether it’s Godzilla’s citizenship or the unexpected origins of geishas, these interesting facts about Japan shine a light on the “Land of the Rising Sun.”
Japan’s ancient samurai suicide ritual of seppuku involved an elaborate process of disemboweling oneself with a dagger. Seppuku was performed largely in order to voluntarily die with honor instead of involuntarily dying with shame.
Some Shingon monks successfully mummified themselves alive via a practice called sokushinbutsu. The process involves dehydrating the body thanks to a very specific diet over the course of several years.
Kanamara Matsuri is a yearly fertility festival, centered around mikoshi – a giant pink penis whose lore is a part of the Shinto religion.
Godzilla is an official citizen of Japan. The government gave him citizenship as a publicity/tourism move in 2015.
