Thursday 24 January 2013

Interesting Facts about India

  • India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history.
  • When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
  • The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
  • The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name 'Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.
  • Chess was invented in India.
  • Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.
  • The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C.
  • The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the temple is made from a single 80-tonne piece of granite. This magnificent temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola.
  • India is the largest democracy in the world, the 7th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.
  • The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
  • The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.
  • India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.
  • The largest employer in India is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.
  • The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
  • Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
  • India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
  • The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
  • Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days.
  • The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.
  • Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).
  • Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world 
    (Source: Gemological Institute of America).
  • The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.
  • Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries.
  • Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.
  • India exports software to 90 countries.
  • The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.
  • Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively.
  • Islam is India's and the world's second largest religion.
  • There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world.
  • The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively.
  • Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D. respectively
  • The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century.
  • The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday.
  • Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577.
  • Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the Ancient City" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
  • India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution.
  • His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharmashala in northern India.
  • Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
  • Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.
  •  source: official website of indian gov.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

10 Interesting Facts About

Samsung

Samsung is big. Or, it has grown big over the years. Currently, Samsung Groups is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. Let’s learn some interesting facts about Samsung:
1. One Samsung, Many Businesses
For those who think that Samsung is just electronics (tablets, smartphones, etc.), you couldn’t be more wrong. Samsung actually comprises of subsidiaries which do business in a wide variety of markets. Some of them are: Samsung Electronics, Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung Heavy Industries, Samsung C&T, Samsung SDS, etc.
2. Samsung - A Heavyweight Corporation
Let’s talk some numbers. For the year 2011 alone, Samsung’s revenue was US$ 247.5 billion, Net Income was US$ 18.3 billion, Total Assets were US$ 384.3 billion and Total Equity was US$ 224.7 billion. What I am trying to say is that Samsung is easily amongst the most heavyweight corporations that exist on the globe. If that’s not enough to impress you, Samsung had 344,000 employees on payroll in the year of 2010.
3. Samsung Influences South Korea in a Big Way
Samsung’s revenues are larger than the total GDP of many countries in the world. The company influences politics, economic development, media and culture of South Korea in a big way. The company wields so much power that it has the capability to shape the policy of the South Korean Government when it comes to doing business with other economies of the world.
4. Samsung - The 3 Stars
Ever wondered what’s the meaning of the word ‘Samsung’? Well, the word in Korean means “three stars”. In the words of the founder of the Samsung Group, the three stands for big, numerous and powerful and stars stands for eternity. It’s living right up to its name as of now.
5. Samsung's Early Business
Samsung, in its founding days in the year 1938, dealt in groceries produced in and around the city (Su-dong) and produced noodles itself. It wasn’t even remotely associated with electronics until the 1960’s.
6. Samsung's Charity Programs
The group is not only about corporate greed and profits. It donates more than $100 million every year to the Samsung Medical Center. This is the only organization of Samsung which doesn’t make money for its bosses (it’s a non-profit organization). The facility comprises of Seoul Hospital, Kangbook Samsung Hospital, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Samsung Cancer Center and Samsung Life Sciences Research Center.
7. Number 1 Smartphone Maker
Apple is no longer the world’s largest smartphone maker, Samsung is. This achievement was bagged quite recently (in 2011).
8. Samsung Heavy Industries
Taking a break from the electronics stuff, it may surprise you that Samsung Heavy Industries is likely to supply facilities for liquefied natural gas storage to Royal Dutch Shell at a staggering US$ 48 billion for a lot of years to come.
9. A Leading Memory Chip Maker
The credit of being a leading producer of memory chips also goes to Samsung. Further, Samsung also trumped Sony in consumer popularity in 2005. All these spectacular feats have been achieved through more than two decades of hard work, commitment, passion and a desire for perfection.
10. How It Separates from American Corporation
Unlike the non-personal attitude of American corporations, the feeling of togetherness runs among the employees of the corporation as the Japanese and the Koreans have a tradition of working towards their goals as a team and bask in the glory of success as a team unlike American companies where self comes before the team.

 


Saturday 3 November 2012

Interesting facts about Apple iPad 3

There are a few interesting facts that you need to know about the iPad 3. As the launch date gets closer & closer, your excitement will also be building up immensely. Folks!, Now get set to feel the technology heat by knowing some details about the Apple iPad 3 that you wouldn’t have heard of before. These interesting facts are:
1) The screen of the iPad 3 is a H.D one. It is so high-definition that the moment you look away after looking into the screen, the world around you becomes pixelated. The screen provides the real-world feel whereas the real-world is turned into an object here.
2) Battery life here is more than awesome!. You needn’t have to worry about recharging it often. In fact you have to worry about recharging yourself more than recharging the battery.
3) Mint money with your gadget. Use the various applications that are custom-made for money making & become rich overnight.
4) Don’t be afraid to go out in the dark!. With the iPad 3′s night light, your fears vanish.
5) Tattoo Your iPad 3 as you tattoo yourself. Get all your favorite characters tattooed on your tablet . This would make your friends jealous.
6) Make the gadget your emergency handler. Whenever you are stuck in an emergency, count on your favorite tablet to help you. Yes, there are a lot of features through which you can even tackle emergencies effectively.
So, pre-book your iPad 3 now/wait for it to be available in stores & enhance your life.
Do reply with your opinion in our comment section below.

 

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Saddam Hussein facts

( 2003-12-14 20:06) (Agencies)

Here is a brief list of facts about former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein:
Name: Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti
Birth: April 28, 1937 near Tikrit, Iraq
Parents: The son of peasants. Raised by both his widowed mother and her second husband and Hussein's uncle, Khairallah Talfah, an army officer
Official family: Married to his first cousin, Sajida Khairallah Talfah, since 1963. Children: Two sons, Uday and Qusay (both deceased), and three daughters
Unofficial family: Second wife, Samira al Shahbandar. Her son, Mohammed Saffi, by her first husband was deported from the U.S. in July 2002 for being in the country without a visa
Religion: Sunni Muslim
Education:
al-Karkh secondary school, Baghdad, 1955-?
al-Qasr al-Aini secondary school, Cairo, 1960-1961
University of Cairo Law School, 1962-?
al-Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, 1963-?
Life events and timeline:
1950s - While a student, Saddam becomes involved in the nationalist movement, which aims to over throw the British controlled Iraqi monarchy.
1956 - Saddam takes part in an unsuccessful coup to overthrow King Faisal II and Prime Minister Nuri as-Said.
1957 - Saddam formally joins the Baath Socialist Party.
July 14, 1958 - King Faisal is killed in a coup led by Abdul Karim Kassem.
October 1959 - Saddam and others attack the motorcade of Abdul Karim Kassem. The assassination attempt fails and most of the attackers are killed. Saddam escapes and flees to Syria. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser hears of Saddam's exploits and arranges for him to travel to Cairo.
February 8, 1963 - Kassem is overthrown and executed. The Baath Party assumes control of the government. Saddam returns from Cairo. The new Baath government is overthrown before the end of the year.
November 1964 - Saddam is arrested in Syria and sent to prison.
1967- Saddam escapes from prison.
July 17, 1968 - In a bloodless coup, Major General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr of the Baath party becomes Iraq's new president. Saddam becomes secretary and acting deputy chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council.
February 1972 - Saddam visits Moscow.
October 1973 - Iraq fights against Israel in the Yom Kippur war.
1973 - Saddam is given the rank of lieutenant general.
March 6, 1975 - Saddam and Shah Mohammed Riza Pahlevi of Iran sign a treaty. Iraq gives up claims to the Shatt-al-Arab waterway, while Iran agrees to end its support of the independence seeking Kurds.
1976 - Saddam is given the rank of general.
October 1978 - At the Shah's insistence, Saddam expels Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini from Iraq, where he has been in exile for 13 years.
February 1979 - The Ayatollah returns to Iran to lead the country, after the ouster of the Shah in January.
July 16, 1979 - Saddam Hussein takes over as president of Iraq.
1979 - In response to the Ayatollah's call for the overthrow of the Baathist regime, comprised mostly of Sunni Muslims, Saddam expels 40,000 Shiite Muslims. Saddam also orders the execution of Ayatollah Mohammed al-Bakr Sadr, an ally of Ayatollah Khomeini.
September 22, 1980 - Iraq launches an air attack against Iran, beginning the Persian Gulf War. In 1984 and 1986 Iraq is accused of using mustard gas and other chemical weapons against Iran. The war ends in a stalemate in 1988.
March 16, 1988 - Iraq uses poison gas against the Kurds in Halabja in Northern Iraq.
August 2, 1990 - Iraq invades Kuwait.
January 17, 1991 - Operation Desert Storm begins.
February 28, 1991 - A ceasefire in the Gulf War takes effect.
August 8, 1995 - Saddam's two oldest daughters, Raghad and Rana, along with their husbands Lt. General Hussein Kamel Hassan al-Majid and Lt. Colonel Saddam Kamel Hassan al-Majid, defect to Jordan. Hussein Kamel had headed Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons program since 1987. Saddam Kamel had headed the presidential security forces.
October 15, 1995 - Saddam is reelected president.
February 23, 1996 - Saddam's sons-in-law, Lt. General Hussein Kamel Hassan al-Majid and Lt. Colonel Saddam Kamel Hassan al-Majid, are killed in a shootout, three days after returning to Iraq.
December 12, 1996 - Uday Hussein, Saddam's eldest son and possible successor, is shot and seriously wounded in an assassination attempt.
December 16, 1998 - Great Britain and the United States launch air strikes against Iraq. The attack, called Operation Desert Fox, is in response to Iraq's refusal to cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors.
March 27, 2000 - Uday Hussein is elected to the National Assembly.
August 2000 - Baghdad Airport reopens, but only for humanitarian flights. Domestic air travel resumes in October.
September 30, 2000 - Iran and Iraq hold talks in Venezuela. They reaffirm their 1975 agreement, which had been in abeyance since 1980.
May 2001 - Qusay Hussein, Saddam's younger son, is elected to the leadership of the Baath Party.
September 16, 2002 - Facing the threat of U.S. airstrikes, Iraq agrees unconditionally to the return of inspectors.
September 19, 2002 - Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri delivers a letter to the UN from Saddam Hussein stating that Iraq has no chemical, nuclear or biological weapons.
October 15, 2002 - Re-elected to a seven-year term with 100 percent of the Iraqi vote, according to the Iraqi government.
November 8, 2002 - U.N. Security Council unanimously adopts Resolution 1441, outlining strict new weapons inspections and threatening "serious consequences" if Iraq failed to comply.
November 13, 2002 - Iraq agrees to comply with Resolution 1441.
November 27, 2002 - Inspectors begin work in Iraq.
December 7, 2002 - Iraq submits to the U.N. a 12,000-page declaration of former weapons programs and civilian industries with military applications.
February 26, 2003 - CBS's airs Dan Rather's interview with Saddam on "60 Minutes II." Rather last interviewed Saddam in 1990. Saddam extended an offer to debate President Bush on a live global satellite broadcast.
March 19, 2003 - Iraq war begins when U.S. forces launched a "decapitation attack" aimed at the Iraqi president and other top members of the country's leadership. Hours later, a defiant Saddam wearing a military uniform appeared on Iraqi television to denounce the U.S.-led military campaign as "criminal" and to say his countrymen would be victorious.
April 1 & 4, 2003 - Statements from Saddam read out on television by the information minister, Mohamed Saeed al-Sahaf.
April 18, 2003 - Abu Dhabi TV broadcasts videotape showing what it says was Saddam in Baghdad's Azamiyah neighborhood on April 9, the day Baghdad fell to U.S. troops. In the tape, a man who appears to be Saddam climbs on the hood of a car and waves to a crowd of supporters. Saddam's son, Qusay, is also visible in the tape, Abu Dhabi TV says.
July 22, 2003 - Saddam's sons Uday and Qusay -- also on the coalition's most wanted list -- were killed in July, after U.S. forces stormed their hideout in Mosul.
July 29, 2003 - Saddam releases audio tape, denouncing strike on sons. He says, "Even if Saddam Hussein has 100 sons other than Uday and Qusay, Saddam Hussein would offer them the same path. Duty and right deserve that ... That is the hope of every fighter for God's sake, as another group of noble souls of the martyrs has ascended to their creator."
August - November, 2003 - Various audio tapes believed to have been recorded by Saddam released and broadcast on Arab media. The last audio tape was released on Nov. 16, and the CIA said the tape is "of such poor quality that the analysis is inconclusive" on whether it really is the voice of the former Iraqi leader

Saddam Hussein’s Interesting Secrets – Weapons Of Gold

Saddam Hussein is no longer in this world, but he left behind a lot of interesting secrets.
A huge collection of weapons made of pure gold and silver was found.
There are grenade launchers, and pistols and assault rifles. have a look…
Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (1)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (2)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (3)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (4)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (5)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (6)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (7)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (8)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (9)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (10)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (11)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (12)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (13)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (14)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (15)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (16)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (17)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (18)   Saddam Hussein's Interesting Secrets - Weapons Of Gold (19)

 

Interesting Facts about George W. Bush

George W. Bush served as the president of the United States from 2001-2008. He was considered to be one of the most charismatic presidents of the United States. Surrounded by mystery, gossip, and rumors, the life of George W. Bush has many interesting facts and anecdotes....
George Walker Bush served as the 43rd president of the United States. He was elected and served two consecutive terms as president, from 2001 to 2008. Prior to becoming the president, he served as the Governor of Texas for 6 years. George W. Bush was born on July 6, 1946 in Newhaven, Connecticut to George H. Bush (41st US president) and Barbara Bush.

Facts about George W. Bush
  • Bush is the oldest of 6 siblings. His younger sister, Robin, died of leukemia in 1953, at the age of three.
  • Texas is where Bush got his elementary education. For higher studies, he was sent to Yale University.
  • Bush headed the cheerleading team at school, and was the head of the fraternity in his sophomore years. Like his grandfather, he also headed the Yale University 'Skulls and Bones' team.
  • George Bush's father, George H. Bush served as the 41st US president, from 1989 to 1993.
  • Unlike his father, Bush was an average student at school. He graduated from Yale University with a low C average. Nobody thought he would become the president. However, he always had leadership capabilities and stood out in that aspect.
  • George W. Bush followed his father as president. He is the first son to do so since John Quincy Adams followed John Adams in the early 1800s.
  • After Benjamin Harrison in 1888, Bush was the first presidential candidate to win the electoral college vote, but lose the popular vote.
  • He had a nickname: "Dubya". Mexican cuisine is his favorite and not the southern beef steaks from Texas. He only drinks diet soda and his favorite ice cream flavor is Pralines and cream.
  • Bush enjoys fishing and is passionate about baseball.
  • In his early twenties, he got addicted to alcohol and was even arrested for drunk driving, in Kennebunkport, Maine (1976).
  • He joined the Texas Air National Guard (1968-1973) and was trained as an air force fighter pilot.
  • In 1975, he bought an oil company in Midland, Texas. Since he couldn't find any oil in Texas he sold his stock. Shortly after that the company went bankrupt.
  • He bought part of the Texas Rangers baseball team and became the first managing general partner of a Major League Baseball team to become president.
  • Bush and Laura Welch were married in 1977. He was introduced to Laura, a schoolteacher and librarian, at a backyard barbecue. He proposed to her after a three months courtship. The couple settled down in Midland, Texas and have twin girls: Jenna and Barbara Pierce Bush. Laura was a positive influence on Bush. He quit alcohol in 1998.
  • Christian Methodist by religion, Bush is the third well-known Methodist to hold the highest office in the US, after William McKinley and his father.
  • Bush's viewpoints differed from the Methodist Church. The Church opposed capital punishment and the possession of hand guns. However, Bush supported both. He said that the entire country was not Methodist to make decisions in accordance with Church feelings.
  • Bush granted funds for projects he did not support and believe in. For example, he granted funds for stem cell and embryonic research even though he did not support it.
  • Bush's popularity scale features extreme statistics. His popularity increased after September 11 attacks, however, plummeted after failure to react during the Hurricane Katrina and the slump in US economy.
  • Bush was nearly assassinated in 2005, while visiting the Soviet State of Georgia. A man named Vladimir Arutyunian threw a live grenade at him; fortunately it failed to explode.
George Bush started well, but ended on a bad note. He is succeeded by President Barack Obama.

Miyajima Torii Gate

Interesting Facts About Japan


1. Raw horse meat is a popular food in Japan.
2. Sometimes the trains are so crowded railway staff are employed to cram passengers inside.
3. For many Japanese couples Christmas is celebrated like Valentine's Day in the western world.
4. Poorly written English can be found everywhere, including T-shirts and other fashion items.
5. More than 70% of Japan consists of mountains, including more than 200 volcanoes.
6. Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan, is an active volcano.
7. Religion does not play a big role in the lives of most Japanese and many do not understand the difference between Shintoism and Buddhism.
8. A nice musk melon, similar to a cantaloupe, may sell for over $300US.
9. There are four different writing systems in Japan, romaji, katakana, hiragana, and kanji.
10. Coffee is very popular and Japan imports approximately 85% of Jamaica's annual coffee production.
11. Japan's literacy rate is almost 100%.
12. Sumo is Japan's national sport, although baseball is also very popular.
13. Sumo wrestlers eat a stew called Chankonabe to fatten up. Many restaurants in the Ryogoku district of Tokyo serve this nabe (Japanese word for stew).
14. Many of the western style toilets in Japan have a built-in bidet system for spraying your backside.
15. When you use the restroom in some one's home, you may need to put on special bathroom slippers so as not to contaminate the rest of the home.
16. Noodles, especially soba (buckwheat), are slurped loudly when eaten. It is often said slurping symbolizes the food is delicious, but the slurping also serves to cool down the hot noodles for eating.
17. Japan is the world’s largest consumer of Amazon rain forest timber.
18. Vending machines in Japan sell beer, hot and cold canned coffee, cigarettes, and other items.
19. When moving into an apartment it is often required to give the landlord a "gift" of money equal to two months' rent.
20. There are around 1,500 earthquakes every year in Japan.
21. In Japan it is not uncommon to eat rice at every meal, including breakfast.
22. Average life expectancy in Japan is one of the highest in the world. Japanese people live an average of 4 years longer than Americans.
23. Japan is the largest automobile producer in the world.
24. The Japanese language has thousands of foreign loan words, known as gairaigo. These words are often truncated, e.g. personal computer = paso kon. The number of foreign loan words is steadily increasing.
25. Tsukiji market in Tokyo is the world's largest fish market.
26. Although whaling is banned by the IWC, Japan still hunts whales under the premise of research.  The harvested whale meat ends up in restaurants and supermarkets.
27. In the past men might shave their heads to apologize.
28. In the past women in Japan might cut their hair after breaking up with a boyfriend.
29. Tokyo has had 24 recorded instances of people either killed or receiving serious skull fractures while bowing to each other with the traditional Japanese greeting.
30. The first novel, The Tale of Genji, was written in 1007 by a Japanese noble woman, Murasaki Shikibu.
31. The term karaoke means "empty orchestra" in Japanese.
32. In a Sumo training "stable" the junior rikishi Sumo wrestlers must wash and bathe their senior sumo wrestlers and make sure their hard to reach places are clean.
33. Contrary to popular belief, whale meat is not a delicacy in Japan. Many Japanese dislike the taste and older Japanese are reminded of the post-World War II period when whale meat was one of the few economical sources of protein.
34. Rampant inbreeding of dogs has resulted in one of the highest rate of genetic defects in the world for canines.
35. Raised floors help indicate when to take off shoes or slippers. At the entrance to a home in Japan, the floor will usually be raised about 6 inches indicating you should take off your shoes and put on slippers. If the house has a tatami mat room its floor may be rasied 1-2 inches indicating you should to take off your slippers.
36. Ramen noodles are a popular food in Japan and it is widely believed extensive training is required to make a delicious soup broth. This is the subject of the movies Tampopo (1985) and The Ramen Girl (2008).
37. On average, it takes about 7-10 years of intensive training to become a fugu (blowfish) chef. This training may not be needed in the future as some fish farms in Japan are producing non-poisonous fugu.
38. Ovens are not nearly as commonplace as rice cookers in Japanese households.
39. Geisha means "person of the arts" and the first geisha were actually men.
40. It was customary in ancient Japan for women to blacken their teeth with dye as white teeth were considered ugly. This practice persisted until the late 1800's.
41. In ancient Japan, small eyes, a round puffy face, and plump body were considered attractive features.
42. Some traditional Japanese companies conduct a morning exercise session for the workers to prepare them for the day's work.
43. In Japan non-smoking areas are difficult to find in restaurants, including family restaurants. Many of Japan's politicians have interest in the tobacco industry so anti-smoking laws are almost non-existent.  If you are planning a trip to Japan you may want to think twice if you are sensitive to cigarette smoke.