With its deeply rooted culture of politeness and quirky sense of humor recalling the funniest moments of our favorite anime, it’s not surprising to learn why so many people are enchanted by Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun.

From ubiquitous vending machines and bizarre game shows to maid cafes, to us westerners, Japan is like a distant parallel universe with its own set of rules and customs. So to celebrate this culture, which has been showering us with its meme-like charm unlike any other, Bored Panda has compiled some of its weirdest cultural practices to show why the internet can’t get enough of it.

#1 Old People In Japan Clean Up Radiation So The Younger Generation Won’t Have To Expose Themselves To It

Image credits: Bob9865

Japan, with its wholesome and occasionally bewildering traditions (like the centuries-old ‘crying baby sumo’ festival where toddlers win by bawling their hearts out), has been at the heart of the internet for, well, as long as we remember. Sometimes comical, other times borderline crazy or simply quirky – it’s not hard to see why.

One of the things the Land of the Rising Sun is quite famous for is its vending machines. While there’s nothing new about the concept itself (although, the idea that one of them could origami itself into a real-life Transformer is pretty tempting!), the fact that catches almost every tourist by surprise is: they are everywhere.

That’s right. According to the most recent data, there are almost 4 million vending machines sprawling all around Japan, which means there’s roughly 1 machine for every 30 people living in the country. What’s even more impressive, some of them sell things like soup, shrimp broth, or even live rhinoceros beetles.

#2 This Is 95 Hirane From Japan. I Accidently Entered His Shop To Ask For Directions. So How We Got Talking And Became Good Friends. And Now He Dedicates 2 Hours Everyday To Teaching Me Japanese

Image credits: Sellatra

If some of you have been wondering where Studio Ghibli, the beloved animation studio responsible for such classics as “My Neighbor Totoro”, gets its inspiration from, part of the truth lies in Japan’s deep-rooted traditions that can leave most us westerners amusingly baffled.

Take, for example, Namahage. Occasionally called ‘Japanese Krampus’, this century-old custom takes place in the northern region of Japan called Akita and is all about demonically-dressed men visiting homes to scare the bejeezus out of children.

While it sounds like something most people would call the police for, it’s actually a beloved tradition with parents preparing special meals and waiting until evil spirits are warded off from their homes. Weirdly enough, even children are usually excited about this New Year tradition.

#3 Japan, Just Japan

Image credits: esberat

#4 Cafe In Japan Gives An Oportunity To Paralyzed People To Feel Fulfilled

Image credits: smildon13

#5 When Pope Francis Visted Japan Last Year, He Was Gifted A Custom Anime Robe, Which He Wore

Image credits: Palana

And so it explains why more than thousands of people flock to r/neverchangejapan every week to share and enjoy the peculiarities the Land of the Rising Sun has to offer. Ranging from seriously impressive synchronized walking competitions to wacky commercials and Kit-Kat flavors you couldn’t make in your wildest dreams, people gather here to appreciate Japan “for all of its funny, weird, stupid, creative and amazing moments!”

#6 When People Matter

Image credits: cheeseter78

#7 Mr. And Mrs. Kuroki Of Japan

Image credits: nickfrik

#8 It’s Japan As Always

Image credits: Bmchris44

To understand what makes this online community, which just recently celebrated its 50k users milestone, so entertaining, Bored Panda reached out to u/VanillaLoaf, who’s been the only moderator of r/neverchangejapan for 2 years and counting (the subreddit’s founder, u/MaxwellIsSmall, had to step down from duties early on because of “unexpected life circumstances”, we were told).

“I’m not entirely sure why I’m personally drawn to Japanese life/culture”, u/VanillaLoaf admitted. While he’s not a hardcore anime/manga or Japanese music fan, as one might suspect; this moderator is an avid gamer with a special place in his heart for Japan’s beloved video game mascot Mario, who just happened to look for Japanese content on the platform at the time.

#9 Im Crying Over This Old Man In Japan Who Patiently Walks His Giant Tortoise Everyday

Image credits: Wholesomepost

#10 No Cap

Image credits: medalwinner16

#11 In Nara, Deers Have Learned To Open The Doors Of Food Establishments And Bow To Ask For Food

Image credits: offender_defender_

#12 Grandpa In Japan Makes Totoro So People Wouldn’t Be Lonely At The Bus Stop

Image credits: bulletooftony

#13 A Tree In Japan Being Removed (With Roots Being Painstakingly Protected) And Being Saved And Moved (Instead Of Being Cleared For Road Widening)

Image credits: Ineedunderscoreadvic

#14 Why Is Japan Just So Great

Image credits: WeGotEm42069

#15 The Giant Straw Sculptures Of The Wara Art Festival In Japan

Image credits: CYBERSson

#16 In Japan A Cat Named Coco-Chan Alerts People To Elderly Man Who Fell Into Ditch. Humans Make Him Police Chief For A Day. Coco-Chan’s Thoughts: “Hooooomans Are Weirdos”

Image credits: kervokian

#17 Go Go Godzilla

Image credits: oarngebean

#18 This Latte Art Made Me Chuckle

Image credits: Gainsborough-Smythe

#19 There’s A Park In Japan That Lets You Shake Hands With Otters

Image credits: RODROGAX

#20 Kindergarten School Buses In Japan

Image credits: plywood747

#21 After Their Shocking Win Against Germany, Japan Fans Stayed After The Match To Clean Up The Stadium. Respect

Image credits: rosseepoo

#22 My Wife Was Visiting Me In Japan When She Suddenly Fell Ill On Her Birthday, When The Nurse Found Out That She Had To Celebrate Her Birthday Alone, She Gifted Her This!

Image credits: A_C_A__B

#23 If You Have A Cup Noodle In Japan, You’ll Get Cats On The Inside Of The Lids. However, At A 6% Chance, You’ll Get A Tibetan Fox (Middle Right)

Image credits: sinmantky

#24 In Hong Kong And Japan, Mcdonald’s Has A “Doors Are Always Open” Policy. People Who Have Nowhere To Stay Take Advantage Of This And “Live” In Mcdonald’s, Often Referred To As Mcrefugees

Image credits: 9w_lf9

#25 Taking Historic Architecture Into Account When Adding Vending Machines

Image credits: VanillaLoaf

#26 This Restaurant Being Wholesome

Image credits: JonnTheBig

#27 A Japanese Diver Has Been Entrusted To Oversee One Of Japan’s Shinto Shrines, Which Is Located Beneath The Surface Of Japan’s Tateyama Bay. Over The Decades, He Became Best Friends With One Of The Marine Creatures Who Live Around The Shrine, An Asian Sheepshead Wrasse Named Yoriko

Image credits: modianos

#28 ‘Please Turn Down Your Volume’ Seibu Railway Etiquette Poster

Image credits: Public_esko

#29 On My Way Home, Someone Tied A Lost Jacket To A Pole To Keep It From Getting Dirty On The Street. Love Japan

Image credits: CoffeeBard

#30 A Man Walked 70km In 3 Days From Kota Kinabalu Airport To Get To His Hometown Kota Marudu To Avoid Spreading Covid-19 After Returning From Japan. His Name Is Alixson Mangundok. He Also Adopted A Dog He Met During The Journey

Image credits: obviouslythisnotme

#31 Good For You Japan

Image credits: memezzer

#32 Japan And Its Erasers

Image credits: ararararagi_koyomi

#33 A Retro Game Group In Japan Donated 100 Super Nintendos To Families With Kids Sheltered In Place

Image credits: RelaxRelapse

#34 Yukako Fukushima, Who Makes Prosthetic Small Fingers For Reformed Japanese Gangsters, At Her Workshop In Osaka, Japan

Image credits: finemenyak

#35 *wheeze*

Image credits: mondomascots

#36 Where Do I Sign Up?

Image credits: jhaji09

#37 Do You Keep The Plushie?

Image credits: feemcbee

#38 This Train Station In Japan

Image credits: That-Row-3038

#39 Meet The Samurai Litter Pickers Of Japan

Image credits: JeanettaPiano

#40 Japanese Manhole Covers

Image credits: VanillaLoaf

#41 Thanks, I Hate Spider-Lamps

Image credits: Dramoriga

#42 A Japan Fan At The World Cup

Image credits: orangetmofficial

#43 Japan’s Dedication To Return This Toy Is Adorably Commendable

Image credits: Sbutle

#44 A Coffee Shop In Japan That Allows You To Pick Any Image For Your Coffee

Image credits: Wheyprotein200

#45 Fujisawa Satsuki’s (Olympic Curler) Motivational Message To Herself

Image credits: VanillaLoaf

#46 I Bought Some Collectibles From Japan. Found This Message On The Parcel

Image credits: VladimirCognoscenti

#47 Japan Manager Hajime Moriyasu Bowed In Appreciation To The Fans Who Traveled All The Way To Support Their Team

Image credits: Knight_TheRider

#48 Japanese Twitter Helps Anon

Image credits: Mello115935

#49 A Package Arrived From Japan, And Upon Opening The Package I Found This Little Origami With A Thank You Note. It May Not Be Much, But It Sure Made My Day

Image credits: sgtjuju776

#50 Study Buddy

Image credits: wi5hbone

#51 Outside My Bank In Japan, Carers Had Brought A Disabled Child Out On The School Route So He Could High Five All The School Children On Their Way Home. They All Stopped To Do It

Image credits: Maybe_Im_Really_DVA

#52 So I Lost My Wallet In Japan Where I Live, But Luckily It Was Found (With Almost Everything Inside!), And On The Notice I Got Via Mail Someone Wrote A Greeting In Polish, My Native Language!

Image credits: ChibaCookie

#53 Japan’s Uncle Fist Loses Money Every Week Selling Takoyaki To Kids For Just 10 Yen, Doesn’t Care

Image credits: Exastiken

#54 Traveling Alone In Japan, Wasn’t Having The Best Day And And Was Sitting Alone At The Lounge Area Of Where I Stay… The Barista Walked Over And Passed Me This

Image credits: jumpingsquirrels

#55 Japanese Hotel Apologies For One Minute Internet Stoppage At 4am

Image credits: MakeYourMarks

#56 Japanese Grandma Manually Runs A Vending Machine With A Kappa Puppet

Image credits: VanillaLoaf

#57 I Teach English In Japan, One Of My Kids Gave Me This Today

Image credits: MrFreeloader

#58 Love Hotel In Shibuya

Image credits: VanillaLoaf

#59 It Wokrs!

Image credits: synonymsanonymous

#60 Spotted At A Japan Rail Station

If you drop something on the rail track, a station employee will help you retrieve it.

Image credits: JoWiWa

#61 Chachamaru, A Green Tea Rabbit Mascot In Ikeda, Helping To Pick Tea Leaves

Image credits: VanillaLoaf

#62 Traffic Officer Protects Mother Duck And Her Ducklings Crossing The Road In Tokyo

Image credits: ichigomashimaro

#63 Walking In Japan, Dark, Freezing Cold, And Snowing. We Got Lost And Asked A Car Traveling Past Us How To Get Back To The Main Road. Sure Enough, He Offered Us A Ride Back To Our Hotel, Saving Us From The Menacing Conditions Outside. Thank You, Adam!

Image credits: reddit.com

#64 I Want It

Image credits: YaBoiErr_Sk1nnYP3n15

#65 I Am An International Student Studying In Japan. Our University Gave Free Thermometers To Everyone Living In The Dorm! 324 Is My Room No 🙂

Image credits: grumpyi

#66 Blessing A Toyota Previa

Image credits: BillyWhizz09

#67 Solving The Problem Of Eating A Burger With Dignity

Image credits: VanillaLoaf

Source: boredpanda.com