The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper (Japan) is credited with having the highest circulation in the world, and with being the only newspaper to have a morning circulation in excess of 10 million copies. The morning edition has a circulation of 10,020,584, while the evening edition has a circulation of 3,516,692, producing a combined figure of 13,537,276 (Source: Japan ABC, average July- December 2010, & The Yomiuri Shimbun). With an average of 2.5 readers per copy, this results in a total readership of 25,051,460 per day (Source:
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The world record for the highest jump by a pig is 70 cm (27.5 in) and was achieved by Kotetsu, a pot-bellied pig on 22 August 2004 at the Mokumoku Tedsukuri Farm, Mie, Japan. Kotetsu was 18 months old when he achieved his record, and was trained by Makoto Ieki (Japan).
On 31 December (New Year’s Eve) 2006, a team of researchers from the University of Tokyo, Japan, led by professor of computing science Dr Kei Hiraki, the WIDE Project and NTT Communications transmitted 585 gigabytes of data across 32,372 km (20,115 miles) of network in approximately 30 minutes – an average rate of 9.08 gigabits per second. The network stretched from Tokyo to Chicago (USA) to Amsterdam (Netherlands) the back to Tokyo via Seattle (USA). New Year’s Eve was chosen as Internet traffic is traditionally
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The largest aluminium can sculpture consists of 104,840 cans and was created by Junior Chamber International Toyohashi (Japan) at Toyohashi Park, in Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan, on 21 September 2013. The sculpture depicts the Yoshida Castle that is located in Toyohashi Park. All aluminium drink cans were collected from the residents and companies of Toyohashi City. This sculpture will continue to be displayed in Toyohashi Park until 20 October 2013 (confirmed with the record holder as of 21 September 2013).
The largest recorded area of water entirely covered by the same fern, red Azolla japonica, measured 9,685 m² (104,284 ft ²), when measured in January-June 2000. The fern was floating on the Furukawa-Sawanoike Pond, Kasuga Town, Japan.
The largest manufactured pure gold bar weighs 250 kg (551 lb 2 oz) and was made by the Mitsubishi Materials Corporation on 11 June 2005 at the Naoshima Smelter & Refinery, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. FYI – unrelated article from The Guardian (9 Dec 2005) attached with interesting facts about gold.
The largest battleships ever to enter service were the Japanese vessels Yamato, commissioned in December 1941 and sunk by 11 torpedoes and 7 bombs south-west of Kyushu, Japan, by US planes on 7 April 1945) and Musashi, commissioned in August 1942 and sunk in the Philippine Sea by 20 torpedoes and 17 bombs on 24 October 1944. Both ships had a full load displacement of 71,111 tonnes (156.7 million lb), an overall length of 263 m (863 ft), a beam of 38.7 m (127 ft)
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The largest bean mosaic measures 300.85 m² (3238 ft² 44 in²), and was created by the World Largest Seed Art Production Committee (Japan) in Minamisouma, Fukushima, Japan, on 23 March 2014. The beans used in the mosaic were black and white soy. The challengers used 1,864,320 black soy beans and 2,096,640 white soy beans.
A total of 1,932 people formed a circle with a circumference of 1,197.8 m (3,929.8 ft) and danced for five minutes a ‘Super Bon’ – a traditional Japanese dance – at Twin Link Motegi, Tochigi, Japan, on 14 August 2001. Previously approved as the largest circle dance.
The largest bowling alley, Inazawa Grand Bowl bowling centre (Japan), consists of 116 lanes, is 198.39 meters (650.88 ft) in length, and opened on 24 March 1972. The centre was completed on 17 March 1972; it has an area of approximately 8500 m² with a floor space of 17000 m².