Legend:
 Definition
 Field
Listing
 Rank
Order
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Background:
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In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship)
ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence
in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy
enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its
indigenous culture. Following the Treaty of Kanagawa with
the US in 1854, Japan opened its ports and began to
intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late
19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power
that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia.
It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin
Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it
launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US
forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War
II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia.
After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become
an economic power and a staunch ally of the US. While the
emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity,
actual power rests in networks of powerful politicians,
bureaucrats, and business executives. The economy
experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s following
three decades of unprecedented growth, but Japan still
remains a major economic power, both in Asia and globally.
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Location:
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Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean
and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula |
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Geographic coordinates:
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36 00 N, 138 00 E
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Map references:
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Asia |
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Area:
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total: 377,835 sq km
land: 374,744 sq km
water: 3,091 sq km
note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto),
Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands
(Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto) |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than California |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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29,751 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the
international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi,
and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima
Strait
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
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Terrain:
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mostly rugged and mountainous |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m
highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m |
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Natural resources:
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negligible mineral resources, fish |
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Land use:
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arable land: 11.64%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 87.46% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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25,920 sq km (2003)
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Natural hazards:
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many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic
occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons
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Environment - current issues:
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air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid
rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water
quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the
largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing
to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
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Geography - note:
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strategic location in northeast Asia |
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Population:
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127,433,494 (July 2007 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 13.8% (male 9,024,344/female 8,553,700)
15-64 years: 65.2% (male 41,841,760/female
41,253,968)
65 years and over: 21% (male 11,312,492/female
15,447,230) (2007 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 43.5 years
male: 41.7 years
female: 45.3 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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-0.088% (2007 est.)
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Birth rate:
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8.1 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Death rate:
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8.98 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.055 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.014 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.732 male(s)/female
total population: 0.953 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 2.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 82.02 years
male: 78.67 years
female: 85.56 years (2007 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.23 children born/woman (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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12,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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500 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Japanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Japanese |
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Ethnic groups:
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Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.7%
note: up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin
migrated to Japan in the 1990s to work in industries; some
have returned to Brazil (2004) |
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Religions:
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observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including
Christian 0.7%) |
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Languages:
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Japanese |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2002) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Japan
local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku
local short form: Nihon/Nippon
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Government type:
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constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
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Capital:
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name: Tokyo
geographic coordinates: 35 41 N, 139 45 E
time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time) |
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Administrative divisions:
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47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui,
Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo,
Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa,
Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano,
Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka,
Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima,
Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi,
Yamanashi |
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Independence:
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660 B.C. (traditional founding by Emperor JIMMU) |
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National holiday:
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Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933) |
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Constitution:
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3 May 1947 |
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Legal system:
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modeled after German civil law system with English-American
influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the
Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with
reservations
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Suffrage:
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20 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January
1989)
head of government: Prime Minister Yasuo FUKUDA
(since 26 September 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: Diet designates prime minister;
constitution requires that prime minister commands
parliamentary majority; following legislative elections,
leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition in
House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister;
monarch is hereditary
election results: FUKUDA elected prime minister with
338 of 477 votes cast in the House of Representatives; he
received 106 of 240 votes cast in the House of Councillors;
vote of House of Representatives prevailed |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of
Councillors or Sangi-in (242 seats - members elected for
six-year terms; half reelected every three years; 146
members in multi-seat constituencies and 96 by proportional
representation) and the House of Representatives or Shugi-in
(480 seats - members elected for four-year terms; 300 in
single-seat constituencies; 180 members by proportional
representation in 11 regional blocs)
elections: House of Councillors - last held 29 July
2007 (next to be held in July 2010); House of
Representatives - last held 11 September 2005 (next election
by September 2009)
election results: House of Councillors - percent of
vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPJ 109, LDP 83,
Komeito 20, JCP 7, SDP 5, others 18
: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party
- LDP 47.8%, DPJ 36.4%, others 15.8%; seats by party - LDP
296, DPJ 113, Komeito 31, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 24 (2007)
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch
after designation by the cabinet; all other justices are
appointed by the cabinet) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Ichiro OZAWA]; Japan
Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]; Komeito [Akihoro OTA];
Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Yasuo FUKUDA]; Social
Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho FUKUSHIMA] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner),
Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP,
EAS, EBRD, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA,
MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner),
Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SECI
(observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD,
UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UNWTO,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Ryozo KATO
chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700
FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187
consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston,
Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Agana (Guam), Honolulu, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland
(Oregon), San Francisco, Seattle
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador J. Thomas SCHIEFFER
embassy: 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420
mailing address: Unit 45004, Box 258, APO AP
96337-5004
telephone: [81] (03) 3224-5000
FAX: [81] (03) 3505-1862
consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe,
Sapporo
consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya |
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Flag description:
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white with a large red disk (representing the sun without
rays) in the center |
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Economy - overview:
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Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic,
mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small
defense allocation (1% of GDP) helped Japan advance with
extraordinary rapidity to the rank of second most
technologically powerful economy in the world after the US
and the third-largest economy in the world after the US and
China, measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis.
One notable characteristic of the economy has been how
manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors have worked
together in closely-knit groups called keiretsu. A second
basic feature has been the guarantee of lifetime employment
for a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both
features have now eroded. Japan's industrial sector is
heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. The
tiny agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected,
with crop yields among the highest in the world. Usually
self sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 60% of its
food on a caloric basis. Japan maintains one of the world's
largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the
global catch. For three decades, overall real economic
growth had been spectacular - a 10% average in the 1960s, a
5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s.
Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%,
largely because of the after effects of overinvestment and
an asset price bubble during the late 1980s that required a
protracted period of time for firms to reduce excess debt,
capital, and labor. From 2000 to 2001, government efforts to
revive economic growth proved short-lived and were hampered
by the slowing of the US, European, and Asian economies. In
2002-06, growth improved and the lingering fears of
deflation in prices and economic activity lessened. Japan's
huge government debt, which totals 176% of GDP, and the
aging of the population are two major long-run problems.
Some fear that a rise in taxes could endanger the current
economic recovery. Debate also continues on the role of and
effects of reform in restructuring the economy, particularly
with respect to the 2007-17 privatization of Japan Post,
which has functioned not only as the national postal
delivery system but also, through its banking and insurance
facilities, as Japan's largest financial institution. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$4.218 trillion (2006 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$4.883 trillion (2006 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.2% (2006 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$33,100 (2006 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1.5%
industry: 25.6%
services: 73% (2006 est.) |
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Labor force:
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66.57 million (2006 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 4.6%
industry: 27.8%
services: 67.7% (2004) |
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Unemployment rate:
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4.1% (2006 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 4.8%
highest 10%: 21.7% (1993) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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38.1 (2002)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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0.2% (2006 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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23.8% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $1.479 trillion
expenditures: $1.586 trillion; including capital
expenditures (public works only) of about $71 billion (2006
est.) |
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Public debt:
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177.6% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy
products, eggs; fish |
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Industries:
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among world's largest and technologically advanced producers
of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools,
steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles,
processed foods |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3.3% (2006 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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1.025 trillion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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974.2 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2005)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2005)
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Oil - production:
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125,000 bbl/day (2006) |
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Oil - consumption:
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5.578 million bbl/day (2005) |
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Oil - exports:
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94,830 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - imports:
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5.425 million bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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58.5 million bbl (1 January 2005)
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Natural gas - production:
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4.85 billion cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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83.67 billion cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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77.6 billion cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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38.02 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
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Current account balance:
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$170.5 billion (2006 est.) |
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Exports:
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$615.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors,
electrical machinery, chemicals |
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Exports - partners:
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US 22.8%, China 14.3%, South Korea 7.8%, Taiwan 6.8%, Hong
Kong 5.6% (2006) |
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Imports:
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$534.5 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals,
textiles, raw materials |
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Imports - partners:
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China 20.5%, US 12%, Saudi Arabia 6.4%, UAE 5.5%, Australia
4.8%, South Korea 4.7%, Indonesia 4.2% (2006) |
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA, $8.9 billion (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$881 billion (2006 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$1.547 trillion (30 June 2006)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
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$88.62 billion (2006 est.) |
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
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$459.6 billion (2006 est.) |
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$4.737 trillion (2005) |
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Currency (code):
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yen (JPY) |
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Exchange rates:
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yen per US dollar - 116.18 (2006), 110.22 (2005), 108.19
(2004), 115.93 (2003), 125.39 (2002)
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March
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Airports:
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176 (2007) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 145
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 41
1,524 to 2,437 m: 40
914 to 1,523 m: 28
under 914 m: 29 (2007)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 31
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 27 (2007) |
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Heliports:
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14 (2007) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 8,015 km; oil 170 km; oil/gas/water 60 km (2006) |
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Railways:
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total: 23,474 km
standard gauge: 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km
electrified); 20,182 km 1.067-m gauge (13,334 km
electrified); 11 km 0.762-m gauge (11 km electrified) (2006)
|
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Roadways:
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total: 1.183 million km
paved: 925,000 km (includes 6,946 km of expressways)
unpaved: 258,000 km (2003) |
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Waterways:
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1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2007) |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 676 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,386,894 GRT/11,689,142
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 131, cargo 29, carrier 3,
chemical tanker 23, container 10, liquefied gas 58,
passenger 14, passenger/cargo 142, petroleum tanker 157,
refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 52, vehicle carrier
55
registered in other countries: 2,692 (Bahamas 62,
Belize 2, Bermuda 1, Burma 3, Cambodia 3, Cayman Islands 6,
China 2, Cyprus 19, France 5, Honduras 4, Hong Kong 78,
Indonesia 5, Isle of Man 4, South Korea 1, Liberia 111,
Malaysia 4, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 5, Mongolia 1, Norway
1, Panama 2,151, Philippines 69, Portugal 10, Singapore 108,
Sweden 1, Thailand 4, UK 1, Vanuatu 28, unknown 2) (2007)
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Ports and terminals:
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Chiba, Kawasaki, Kiire, Kisarazu, Kobe, Mizushima, Nagoya,
Osaka, Tokyo, Yohohama
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Military branches:
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Japanese Defense Agency (JDA): Ground Self-Defense Force
(Rikujou Jietai, GSDF), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Kaijou
Jietai, MSDF), Air Self-Defense Force (Nihon Koku-Jieitai,
ASDF) (2006) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 18-49: 27,003,112
females age 18-49: 26,153,482 (2005 est.)
|
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 18-49: 22,234,663
females age 18-49: 21,494,947 (2005 est.)
|
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males age 18-49: 683,147
females age 18-49: 650,157 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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0.8% (2006) |
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