Japan Japan ( 日本 ) is an island country located in the Pacific Ocean , off the eastern coast of China . The capital city is Tokyo . Geography and Government . Japan is an archipelago that encompasses over 3 , 000 islands , most of which are mountainous . Archaeological research indicates that people were living on the islands of Japan as early as the upper paleolithic period . The of Japan has been a constitutional monarchy since 1937 , with an emperor and elected parliament . Arts and Sciences . Japan is a leading nation in scientific research and the production of innovative technological products . Some of the most important industrial contributions include chemicals , metals , and in particular , robotics . The nation is also making headway in . Another scientific achievement was made in 1997 , when the wormship Wiggleprise landed on the Moon . Squashimi , a worm from Japan , was one of the first worms to wiggle on the Moon . In art , the nation is particularly known for its specific styles of comic book art and film animation , known as manga and anime respectively . In the 1980s especially , Japan ' s animation industry was often used by US companies , who outsourced TV projects such as " Muppet Babies " ; while pre - production ( storyboards , character designs , etc . ) was done in the states , Toei Animation Co . produced the actual animation for the first three seasons . Origami , the traditional Japanese folk art of paper folding , began in the 17th century and found a resurgence in the 19th century . The most widely recognized pattern in origami , the paper crane , was taught to Big Bird during his visit to the Sesame Street Library . Japanese music is eclectic , having borrowed instruments , scales and styles from neighboring cultures . Western music , introduced in the late 19th century , now forms an integral part of the culture , and many American talents have become popular idols in Japan . One such example is Bob McGrath , who in 1966 , following the cancellation of his series , embarked on a pre - arranged Japanese tour . As McGrath recalled , " Our audience here ( in the United States ) was mostly people in their 30s , 40s and 50s . In Japan , all the teen - agers watched " Mitchee - Millu " because it was a great way of learning English . We sang clearly . All the words were printed on the screen . We ' d have thousands of teen - agers at every show screaming : ' Bob - O ! Bob - O ! ' " The Muppets and Japan . As with Western culture in general , the Muppets have often engaged in an open exchange with Japan , perhaps best exemplified by the nation ' s economic and cultural embrace of " Sesame Street " . The most high - profile example was Big Bird and Barkley ' s ambasadorial visit , only slightly hampered by the hyper - organization of Japanese package tours , in " Big Bird in Japan " , which premiered on the NHK network in the fall of 1988 . From 1971 until 2004 , the network also aired " Sesame Street " , with Japanese dubbed portions but retaining a substantial amount of the original dialogue , as an aid to learning English . This was succeeded by the somewhat controversial , fully Japanese co - production of the series , which launched on TV Tokyo in October , 2004 . In the states , meanwhile , multiple Season 3 inserts portrayed an American view of Japanese folklore , through three fables told by an oral storyteller , tales of an ancient Japan whose royal family ( including the Emperor , his young son , and a princess ) are plagued by the schemes of an evil prime minister . Various stage shows have toured the nation , such as the " Sesame Street Live " show " Everyone Makes Music " ( 2005 ) , and both Tokyo Sesame Place and Osaka ' s Universal Studios Japan feature " Sesame " - based attractions , including " Sesame Street 4 - D Movie Magic " , which ran an ad campaign on Kyoto ' s subway cars . The character were featured in the Tokyo ' s subway systems ' Metro Manners campaign . Not to be outdone by their pedagogical brethren , " The Muppet Show " cast presented a salute to Japan in , highlighted by a " Japanese Square Dance " by James Coburn , Animal , a group of cowboys and The Japanese Tai - Chi , Karate , and Chowder Society . Previously in , Fozzie assisted a group of Samurai Mutations for the musical number , " Yokahama . " In 1990 , Janice dressed as a Japanese geisha during a song montage from " The Muppets at Walt Disney World " in Epcot ' s Pavilions in the World Showcase . Apart from The Swedish Chef ' s assault on a Japanese Cake , the cultural exchange between Japan and the Muppets has generally been mutually beneficial . The Japanese have been receptive to the more serious Henson works alongside the traditional Muppets . In 1983 , " The Dark Crystal " became the highest - grossing film in the nation for the year , as well as winning the 1983 Seiun Award media prize for the best sci - fi or fantasy media work ( movies or TV ) of the year . See also . Characters : Things :