Japan is an amazing place that invented sushi, Nintendo and ninjas. But here are some of the little-known, sometimes weirder things about Japan.

1) Japan is the #1 Importer of Reggae Music

After Bob Marley visited Japan in the late 70s, the Japanese began falling in love with the genre and now boasts a huge reggae scene as well as one of the biggest reggae festivals in the world, Japansplash. Reggae artists around the world strive to break through in Japan to sell lots and lots of records without having to perform for college kids in shitty Midwest State colleges.
 

2) Japan is Home To Shortest Escalator In The World

People out shopping need to conserve their energy, and people shopping at the Kawasaki More Department Store don’t even need to take five steps down thanks to the Guinness-certified Shortest Escalator In The World (only 32.8 inches high). Ride in luxury for almost 3 whole seconds.
 

3) KFC is a Japanese Christmas Staple

Following a successful ad campaign in 1974, KFC has become a Christmas Day tradition in Japan--more successful in Japan than the actual holiday is. . It’s difficult to find whole chickens and impossible to find turkeys to cook for the family, so people flock to the fast food chain instead for a holly-jolly pastime. It’s become so popular that the chain recommends ordering your meal almost two months early in order to guarantee you’ll get your bucket of Extra Crispy.
 

4) Vending Machines Sell EVERYTHING

People in Japan can buy almost anything from a vending machine: alcohol, floral arrangements, and even underwear (new AND USED). But if you’re looking for sugar, you might be out of luck--it can be almost impossible to find machines that sell the staples of the American vending machine diet: chips and candy bars.
 

5) It’s Okay To Nap At Work

Polls find that a typical Japanese employee sleeps around six hours a night, so sometimes workers need a little shut-eye in the middle of the day. In a tradition called Inemuri, employees are allowed to briefly shut their eyes and nap at the office, but the rules dictate that they must stay seated upright while they do it. The tradition is so widespread that many employees fake Inemuri during boring meetings. Maybe give it a try the next time you nod off in front of your boss!