Explorer Series: Destination Japan

Wednesday, 30 September 2026

Japan is packed with moments that excite, challenge, and inspire students at every turn. From fascinating cultural experiences to unforgettable adventures, it's no wonder Japan is one of our school groups' all-time favourite destinations.

Here are some fun facts that will make you want to take your students to Japan to explore for themselves:

• Bowing Etiquette: Many of the local deer in Nara have learned to bow their heads to visitors as a polite gesture to ask for special rice-bran crackers (shika senbei).
• Slurping is polite: Slurping your noodles loudly shows that you enjoy the meal and helps cool the hot broth down as you eat.
• KFC for Christmas: Eating KFC is a massive Christmas Eve tradition in Japan, thanks to a clever marketing campaign in the 1970s.
• Rabbit Island: Ōkunoshima is a small island where hundreds of friendly, free-roaming rabbits live and greet visitors.
• Super punctual trains: The bullet trains, known as Shinkansen, are so precise that the average yearly delay is measured in seconds.
• Millions of vending machines: Japan has one of the highest densities of vending machines in the world, selling everything from cold drinks to hot food and umbrellas.
• Wacky Kit Kat flavors: You can find over 300 unique Kit Kat flavors in Japan—like wasabi, edamame, and matcha green tea—because the name sounds like kitto katsu, meaning "surely win".
• No signatures needed: People use personal engraved stamps called hanko instead of handwritten signatures for most official and daily tasks.
• Crying baby festivals: At the Naki Sumo festival, sumo wrestlers hold babies and try to make them cry as loud as possible to bring them good health.
• Public napping is okay: Sleeping in public, or inemuri, is socially acceptable on trains or even at work because it shows you are working hard and exhausted.

Eager to find out about our many Japan tours? REGISTER NOW to take part in our free Japan webinar on Thursday 29th October at 4pm (AEDT). We'd love for you to join us!