Most of the wasabi served outside of Japan is a mixture of horseradish, mustard, and food coloring. Real wasabi must be freshly grated as it only holds its strong flavor for ~15 minutes. – WTF Fun Facts
Japan
WTF Fun Fact – Spider Fighting
Spider fighting is a popular sport in the Philippines, Japan, and Singapore, especially among children who can make money off it. The fights that occur in the Philippines and in Japan are staged between females of various species of web weavers. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Purple Heart
Before Japan surrendered to end WW2, the US armed forces ordered 1.5 million Purple Heart medals in anticipation of a difficult land invasion. Roughly 500,000 were left after WW2, and that stock, although refurbished, is still likely being used today. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/purple-heart-stockpile-wwii-medal.html
WTF Fun Fact – Uguisu No Fun
Japan has a facial treatment called Uguisu no fun (or “nightingale feces”), which was first used by geisha’s in the 17th century. The treatment is now used by celebrities including Victoria Beckham & Tom Cruise. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Hadaka Matsuri
In the hope of a prosperous year, thousands of Japanese men brave the cold in loin cloths called fundoshi as part of a naked festival marking the start of spring. The Hadaka Matsuri in Okayama has been celebrated for ~500 years. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Anticrime Color Balls
In Japan, businesses like banks & convenience stores visibly keep baseball-sized orange orbs behind the counter. These “anticrime color balls” are filled with bright pigment that burst on impact & are for employees to throw at robbers to improve the chance of arrest. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2008/05/20/reference/anti-crime-color-balls/#.V7xAjq6toy4
WTF Fun Fact – Nightingale Floor
The builders of Japan’s Nijo castle created purposefully squeaky floors, known as nightingale floors, to prevent ninja assassins from sneaking in. The floors were designed so that just the lightest step produced a clearly audible sound warning guards. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.amusingplanet.com/2018/04/nightingale-floor-ancient-japanese.html
WTF Fun Fact – How Did The Turtle Cross The Tracks?
Japan has installed special concrete tunnels under some of their train tracks to allow for turtles to cross the tracks. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japanese-rail-workers-build-special-tunnels-to-save-turtles-from-train-deaths-a6757466.html
WTF Fun Fact – The Secret War
During the Secret War (1959-75) or ‘Laotian Civil War’, the United States flew more than half a million missions over the tiny southeast Asian nation and dropped more bombs than they did on Germany and Japan combined during World War 2. – WTF Fun Facts