Japan

Obviously Sailor Moon came from Japan (and the people who didn't know that are the same people that think the Powerpuff Girls are a form of entertainment). It started there as a manga (comic-see, you're learning something already!). So really Sailor Moon was made for a Japanese audience, making some things hard to understand for us Americans. I'm here to try and clear some things up, and help some people learn a little Japanese along the way!

Names
All of the Sailor Senshi's names mean something in Japanese.
*The Senshi's names also share kanji with their planet. For example, in Ami's last name, Mizuno, the "Mizu" kanji can also be pronounced "Sui," like in the word "Suisei," which means Mercury. (By the way, Kanji are Chinese letters used in Japanese that represent words or ideas)
*In Japan, they say that there's a rabbit on the moon. "Tsuki" means moon, and "Usagi" means rabbit. So the rabbit on the moon would be called "Tsukino usagi"... Usagi's name!
*Ami's last name, Mizuno, means "of water"
*Rei's last name, Hino, means "of fire"
*Makoto's last name, Kino, means "of tree"
*Minako's last name, Aino, means "of love"
*Haruka's last name, Tenou, means "sky king"
*Michiru's last name, Kaiou, means "sea king"
*Mamoru's last name, Chiba, shares a kanji with "chikyu", the word for "Earth"
*Chibiusa's name: "chibi" means "small," and "usa" is a shortened version of "Usagi"
*Luna, Artemis, and Diana are all gods of the moon. (ok, so this isn't Japanese, but its educational!)
*Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten all have the first name "Kou" which means "light" (haha... three lights! ha... ha...)
*All of the Villans from the first and second season's names come from stones (i.e. Jadeite, Beryl, Sapphire, Diamond)
*The names "Ail" and "Ann" together make "alien."

Honorifics
In Japan there are a number of suffixes put after people's names to signify their relationship to you.
*sama-used to signify someone way above you- used in Sailor Moon mostly by the villans to way higher-ups like Queen Beryl or Galaxia. The Sailor Senshi also address Tuxedo Kamen this way.
*san-used for those higher up than you- the inner senshi use it for the outer senshi and Mamoru.
*chan-used for close friends or relatives-used among the inner senshi when addressing each other and friends. can also be used as sort of a pet name, like how Usagi calls Mamoru "Mamo-chan"
*kun-mostly used for boys, but can be used for anyone in a lower position than you-used by the inner senshi to address Yaten and Seiya (although why Taiki was "san") I'm not so sure.
*Sometimes no honorific is used at all. This is only used by people who are incredibly close to each other, such as Haruka and Michiru. Usagi also uses this for Seiya, and Rei uses it for Usagi.

The School System
School in Japan is quite different than it is here. Elementary School (shougakkou) is grades 1-6, Junior High (chuugaku) is grades 7-9, and High School (koukou) is grades 10-12. School goes from April to March, with a one month break in August. Most schools in Japan require an entrance exam to enter, universities included. When we first meet Usagi, she's in 8th grade, or chuugaku ni nensei (second year of middle school). In Sailor Moon S, Usagi and her friends reach ninth grade, chuugaku san nensei (third year of middle school). So, in order to make it into a high school, they have to take entrance exams. That's why they're always studying-these entrance exams are incredibly hard and require A LOT of preparation. This is also why there are cram schools, where students can go and take practice exams to prepare. That's why Ami is always going to cram school. However, there are also private schools that range from grades 1-12 and once you're in you're in. This is the kind of school Rei goes to, so technically she's doing everyone else a favor by studying with them. Anyhoo... in Sailor Stars (SuperS in the manga) they finally reach high school, and are then in 10th grade (koukou ichi nensei).

Some Sailor Moon Words Translated
*"Bishoujo Senshi"-pretty soldier
*Something that Usagi says often in episode previews and stuff is "tsuki no hikari wa ai no message". This means "the moonlight carries the message of love."
*The opening song, "moonlight densetsu" means "moonlight legend."
*In almost every episode Sailor Moon makes the same speech:
"ai to seigi no, sera huku bishoujo senshi. Sera Muun! Tsuki ni kawatte, oshokyou!"
This translates as: "For love and justice, pretty soldier in a sailor suit. Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"
*Mercury's attack "shabon spray" translates to "bubble spray"
*Mamoru, Haruka, and Seiya all give Usagi the nickname "odango atama" which translates to "dumpling head."
*Sailor Moon takes place in a district of Tokyo called "Juubangai" or "tenth street."
*Rei's shrine is called the Hikawa shrine-"Hi" means fire, and "kawa" means river.
*"senpai" is a word used for an upperclassman, or in a career someone who has entered it before you. Mako-chan constantly says that boys she meet look like her senpai, an upperclassman she went out with who dumped her.

Other Cultural Stuff
*Obviously Japanese students wear uniforms to school. Many of the different uniforms have sailor collars on them, which is probably where the whole "sailor" thing came from (the senshi uniforms also have sailor collars).
*In Japan, the main religions are Shintoism and Buddhism, with only a small percent of Christianity. Rei's shrine is a Shintoist shrine, and she and her grandpa basically run the shrine.
*In a Japanese legend, the sun goddess brought down three things with her to earth. These sacred objects are kept in the deepest part of a Shintoist shrine. They are a sword, a mirror, and a jewel (sound familiar?)
*Mothers always cook lunches for their children, called "bentou." For some mothers they spend hours cooking these just so their children can show off nice lunches when they get to school. Usagi always has these, and so do many of her classmates. This is probably why she was so impressed when she first met Mako-chan (not to mention all the yummy food Usagi wanted for herself!).
*Teachers sometimes punish students by making them stand outside the hall with a bucket of water. Haruna-sensei makes Usagi do this whenever she's late.
*Japanese cars are designed with the driver's seat on the right, and people drive on the left side of the road (like much of Europe).
*In downtown Tokyo there is a large structure called the Tokyo Tower. It's very large and attracts lots of tourists. The tower can be seen in almost every episode, and the senshi battle on the tower in episode 102.
*In ancient Japan, there was a group of people called the Ainu, who worshipped a bear with a crescent moon on its forehead.

Any additional information or corrections to the information I already have, email me!