Mount Fuji and Japan's nature
Mount Fuji, or Fujisan, is Japan’s highest and best-known mountain. It is a volcano that rises to 3,776 meters, about 100 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.[2] It stands alone, so on clear days it can be seen from far away.[2]
For centuries people have climbed Mount Fuji as a pilgrimage, and it is linked to Shinto and Buddhist beliefs.[2] It also inspired many artists. Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock prints, such as "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji," made the mountain a symbol of Japan and influenced Western art in the 1800s.[2] UNESCO lists Fujisan as a World Heritage site that includes 25 places, such as shrines and natural features on its slopes.[2]
Japan is made up of many islands, with mountains covering much of the land and the sea all around. Beauty in nature matters a lot in Japanese culture. At the Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, the buildings stand over the sea with a forested mountain behind them, a view that is considered a Japanese standard of scenic beauty.[8]
History and the old capital, Kyoto
Kyoto was founded in 794 and modeled on the capitals of ancient China.[3] It was Japan’s imperial capital until the middle of the 1800s.[3] For more than a thousand years it was a center of art, religion and government.
Kyoto’s historic monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage site with 17 parts. Sixteen of them are Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines, and one is Nijo Castle.[3] Their wooden halls and gardens show how Japanese building and garden design developed over many centuries.[3]
Shinto and Buddhism are both important in Japanese history. Itsukushima Island has been a holy place of Shinto since the earliest times, and the present shrine dates from the 12th century.[8] Today Tokyo is the capital, while Kyoto is visited by students and travelers who want to see traditional Japan.
Food: washoku
Traditional Japanese food culture, called washoku, is on UNESCO’s list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.[4] It covers the skills and knowledge for producing, preparing and eating food, and it reflects respect for nature.[4]
Washoku uses fresh, local ingredients such as rice, fish, vegetables and wild plants.[4] Dishes are often served on special tableware and shared with family or the community.[4] Many students know sushi, ramen and miso soup, which use some of these ingredients.
New Year is the most important time for washoku. Families pound mochi, which are rice cakes, and prepare special meals with dishes that each carry a meaning for the year ahead.[4] Children learn these traditions at home during family meals and also at school.[4]
Traditions, theater and festivals
Kabuki is a famous form of Japanese theater. It began in the early 1600s, during the Edo period, and became very popular with townspeople.[5] Today all the roles are played by male actors, and actors who play women’s roles are called onnagata.[5] Kabuki is known for its bold makeup, called keshō.[5]
Japan also has many festivals with decorated floats. The Yama, Hoko and Yatai float festivals are held every year in different regions.[6] People pull the large floats through the streets to pray for peace and protection from natural disasters.[6] These festivals were added to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list in 2025.[6]
Festivals, theater and food help communities pass their traditions from one generation to the next. Many of these customs are learned by watching and practicing with older family members and teachers.[4][5]
Hiroshima and the hope for peace
On August 6, 1945, near the end of World War II, the first atomic bomb used in war exploded over the city of Hiroshima.[7] The Genbaku Dome, now called the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, was the only building left standing near the center of the blast.[7]
The ruin has been kept just as it was after the bombing.[7] UNESCO explains that it shows the destructive power people can create and the hope for lasting world peace and the end of nuclear weapons.[7] Today Hiroshima is a rebuilt, busy city, and many students visit the memorial on school trips.
Japan has many other World Heritage sites, from castles to ancient forests.[9] Students can explore Japan’s neighbors in our Asia page and compare languages, foods and festivals across the continent.
Free printable: map of Asia (PDF)
Questions people ask
What is Japan famous for?
Japan is famous for Mount Fuji, old temples in Kyoto, washoku food such as rice and fish, kabuki theater and float festivals.[2][3][4][5][6]
How tall is Mount Fuji?
Mount Fuji is 3,776 meters tall, the highest mountain in Japan.[2]
What was the old capital of Japan?
Kyoto, founded in 794, was Japan’s imperial capital until the middle of the 1800s.[3]
What do people eat in Japan?
Traditional washoku uses rice, fish, vegetables and wild plants. At New Year, families make mochi rice cakes.[4]
How many people live in Japan?
About 123 million people lived in Japan in 2025, according to the World Bank.[1]
Sources
- World Bank Open Data: Japan · data.worldbank.org/country/japan (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration · whc.unesco.org/en/list/1418 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto · whc.unesco.org/en/list/688 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese · ich.unesco.org/en/RL/washoku-traditional-dietary-cultures-of-the-japanese-notably-for-the-celebration-of-new-year-00869 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Kabuki theatre · ich.unesco.org/en/RL/kabuki-theatre-00163 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan · ich.unesco.org/en/RL/yama-hoko-yatai-float-festivals-in-japan-02292 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) · whc.unesco.org/en/list/775 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Itsukushima Shinto Shrine · whc.unesco.org/en/list/776 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Japan (State Party page) · whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/jp (accessed 2026-10-30)
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