Japanese Character

Language: Japanese
Japan's official language is Japanese, and about 99% of the population speaks Japanese as their first language. Most public and private schools require students to take courses in both Japanese and English.

Religion:
The Japanese people's concern towards religion is mostly related to mythology, traditions, and neighborhood activities rather than as a source of morality or a guideline for one's life. Sometimes Confucianism or even Taoism tend to serve as a basis for a moral code. 84% of Japanese people profess to believe both Shinto (the indigenous religion of Japan) and Buddhism.
Religion in Japan tends to be synergetic in nature, and this results in a variety of practices such as parents and children celebrating Shinto rituals, students praying before exams, couples holding a wedding at a Christian church and funerals being held at Buddhist temples. A minority profess to Christianity (0.7%) and other religions (4.7%) like shamanism, Islam, and Hinduism. Also, since the mid-19th century, many religious sects called shinkoshukyo (later shinshukyo) emerged.

Education:
since1947, compulsory education consists of elementary school and middle school, which lasts for 9 years (from age 6 to age 15). Almost all children continue their education at a three-year senior high school, and 96% of high school graduates attend college, trade school, or other post-secondary institution. Japan's education is very competitive, especially at prestigious and large universities such as University of Tokyo, Keio University, Waseda University, and Kyoto University.

Health:
Health care in Japan In Japan, healthcare services are provided by national and local government. Payment for personal medical services is offered through a universal health care insurance system that provides relative equality of access, with fees set by the government committee. People without insurance through employers can participate in a national health insurance program administered by local governments.

Physical Average:
- Men in 20's: 171.0cm(5.61foot), 64.7kg(142.6lb)
- Women in 20's: 158.2cm(5.19foot)、51.8kg(114.2lb)
- All men: 166.2cm(5.45foot), 64.7kg(142.6lb)
- All women: 153.0cm(5.01foot), 52.8kg(116.4lb)

Popular Sports:
Beginning in the 12th century, Japan developed traditional martial arts known as budo, which were popular among the warrior class. These include judo, karate and kendo. Sumo is sometimes considered Japan's national sport and is one of its most popular.
Today, baseball is the most popular spectator sport in Japan, followed by soccer, rugby, golf, badminton, table tennis, MMA, and fishing. Auto racing is also popular in Japan, with Super GT sports car series and Formula Nippon formula racing.
Each year, Japan observes the second Monday in October as a national holiday called Health and Sports Day. The date, originally October 10, commemorates the opening day of the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Other major sporting events that Japan has hosted include the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo and the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. It also co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with South Korea.