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 United States 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 1933 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. In 2005, Japan began a two-year term as a
non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Geography
Location:
Eastern Asia,
island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of
Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Geographic
coordinates:
36 00 N, 138 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
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)
Area -
comparative:
slightly smaller
than California
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
29,751 km
Maritime claims:
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
Climate:
varies from
tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain:
mostly rugged and
mountainous
Elevation
extremes:
lowest point:
Hachiro-gata -4 m highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m
many dormant and
some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly
tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons
Environment -
current issues:
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
Environment -
international agreements:
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
total: 42.64
years male: 40.87 years female: 44.44 years (2005 est.)
Population
growth rate:
0.05% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
9.47 births/1,000
population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
8.95 deaths/1,000
population (2005 est.)
Net migration
rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality
rate:
total: 3.26
deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.52 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy
at birth:
total
population: 81.15 years male: 77.86 years female: 84.61 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility
rate:
1.39 children
born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult
prevalence rate:
less than 0.1%
(2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS -
people living with HIV/AIDS:
12,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS -
deaths:
500 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Japanese (singular and plural) adjective: Japanese
Ethnic groups:
Japanese 99%,
others 1% (Korean 511,262, Chinese 244,241, Brazilian 182,232,
Filipino 89,851, other 237,914) 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)
Religions:
observe both Shinto
and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)
Languages:
Japanese
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2002)
Government
Country name:
conventional
long form: none conventional short form: Japan
Government type:
constitutional
monarchy with a parliamentary government
modeled after
European civil law system with English-American influence;
judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
20 years of age;
universal
Executive
branch:
chief of state:
Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989) head of government: Prime Minister Junichiro KOIZUMI
(since 26 April 2001) 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; KOIZUMI's term as leader of the LDP is
scheduled to end in September 2006; a new prime minister may be
chosen at that time; monarch is hereditary
Legislative
branch:
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; 144 members in multi-seat constituencies and 98 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 11 July 2004
(next to be held in July 2007); House of Representatives - last
held 9 November 2003 (next election by November 2007) election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party - LDP 115, DPJ 82, Komeito 24, JCP
9, SDP 5, others 7; distribution of seats as of October 2004 -
LDP 114, DPJ 84, Komeito 24, JCP 9, SDP 5, others 6 : House of Representatives - percent of vote by party -
LDP 49.38%, DPJ 36.88%, Komeito 7.09%, JCP 1.88%, SDP 1.25%, NCP
0.84%; seats by party - LDP 237, DPJ 177, Komeito 34, JCP 9, SDP
6, NCP 4, others 13 note: distribution of seats as of December 2004: LDP 249,
DPJ 177, Komeito 34, JCP 9, SDP 6, others 3, vacant 2 (2004)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
(chief justice is appointed by the monarch after designation by
the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by the cabinet)
Political
parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of
Japan or DPJ [Katsuya OKADA, leader; Tatsuo KAWABATA, secretary
general]; Japan Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII, chairman;
Tadayoshi ICHIDA, secretary general]; Komeito [Takenori KANZAKI,
president; Tetsuzo FUYUSHIBA, secretary general]; Liberal
Democratic Party or LDP [Junichiro KOIZUMI, president; Tsutomu
TAKEBE, secretary general]; Social Democratic Party or SDP
[Mizuho FUKUSHIMA, chairperson; Seiji MATAICHI, secretary
general]
white with a large
red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center
Economy
Economy -
overview:
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 third-largest economy after the US and China, measured on a
purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. (Using market exhange rates
rather than PPP rates, Japan's economy is larger than China's.)
One notable characteristic of the economy is the working
together of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors 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 are now eroding.
Industry, the most important sector of the economy, 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 50% of its
requirements of other grain and fodder crops. 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 during
the late 1980s and contractionary domestic policies intended to
wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate
markets. From 2000 to 2003, government efforts to revive
economic growth met with little success and were further
hampered by the slowing of the US, European, and Asian
economies. In 2004, growth improved and the lingering fears of
deflation in prices and economic activity lessened. Japan's huge
government debt, which totals more than 160% of GDP, and the
aging of the population are two major long-run problems. A rise
in taxes could be viewed as endangering the revival of growth.
Robotics constitutes a key long-term economic strength with
Japan possessing 410,000 of the world's 720,000 "working
robots." Internal conflict over the proper way to reform the
ailing banking system continues.
GDP:
purchasing power
parity - $3.745 trillion (2004 est.)
among world's
largest and technologically advanced producers of motor
vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and
nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods
transport
equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical machinery,
chemicals
Exports -
partners:
US 22.7%, China
13.1%, South Korea 7.8%, Taiwan 7.4%, Hong Kong 6.3% (2004)
Imports:
$401.8 billion
f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports -
commodities:
machinery and
equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, raw materials
(2001)
Imports -
partners:
China 20.7%, US
14%, South Korea 4.9%, Australia 4.3%, Indonesia 4.1%, Saudi
Arabia 4.1%, UAE 4% (2004)
Reserves of
foreign exchange and gold:
$664.6 billion
(2003)
Debt - external:
NA (2002 est.)
Economic aid -
donor:
ODA, $7.9 billion
(FY03/04)
Currency (code):
yen (JPY)
Currency code:
JPY
Exchange rates:
yen per US dollar -
108.19 (2004), 115.93 (2003), 125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001),
107.77 (2000)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Communications
Telephones -
main lines in use:
71.149 million
(2002)
Telephones -
mobile cellular:
86,658,600 (2003)
Telephone
system:
general
assessment: excellent domestic and international service domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent
service of every kind international: country code - 81; satellite earth
stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1
Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and
Indian Ocean regions); submarine cables to China, Philippines,
Russia, and US (via Guam) (1999)
Radio broadcast
stations:
AM 215 plus 370
repeaters, FM 89 plus 485 repeaters, shortwave 21 (2001)
Radios:
120.5 million
(1997)
Television
broadcast stations:
211 plus 7,341
repeaters note: in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations
and 2 TV cable services (1999)
Televisions:
86.5 million (1997)
Internet country
code:
.jp
Internet hosts:
12,962,065 (2003)
Internet Service
Providers (ISPs):
73 (2000)
Internet users:
57.2 million (2002)
Transportation
Railways:
total:
23,577 km (16,519 km electrified) standard gauge: 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km
electrified) narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km electrified);
20,265 km 1.067-m gauge (13,227 km electrified); 11 km 0.762-m
gauge (11 km electrified) (2004)
Highways:
total:
1,171,647 km paved: 903,340 km (including 6,851 km of expressways) unpaved: 268,307 km (2001)
Waterways:
1,770 km (seagoing
vessels use inland seas) (2004)
Pipelines:
gas 2,719 km; oil
170 km; oil/gas/water 60 km (2004)
Ports and
harbors:
Chiba, Kawasaki,
Kiire, Kisarazu, Kobe, Mizushima, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Yohohama
Merchant marine:
total: 702
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 10,149,196 GRT/12,680,544 DWT by type: bulk carrier 136, cargo 29, chemical tanker 23,
container 13, liquefied gas 53, passenger 16, passenger/cargo
157, petroleum tanker 160, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll
off 52, vehicle carrier 59 registered in other countries: 2,233 (2005)
Airports:
174 (2004 est.)
Airports - with
paved runways:
total: 143
over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 37 1,524 to 2,437 m: 39 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 32 (2004 est.)
Airports - with
unpaved runways:
total: 31
over 3047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.)
Heliports:
15 (2004 est.)
Military
Military
branches:
Ground Self-Defense
Force (Army), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Navy), Air
Self-Defense Force (Air Force)
Military
manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for
voluntary military service (2001)
Military
manpower - availability:
males age 18-49:
27,003,112 (2005 est.)
Military
manpower - fit for military service:
males age 18-49:
22,234,663 (2005 est.)
Military
manpower - reaching military age annually:
males:
683,147 (2005 est.)
Military
expenditures - dollar figure:
$45.841 billion
(2004)
Military
expenditures - percent of GDP:
1% (2004)
Transnational Issues
Disputes -
international:
the sovereignty
dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan,
and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern
Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands",
occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia
and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to
signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities;
Japan and South Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do),
occupied by South Korea since 1954; China and Taiwan dispute
both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of the
Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared
exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea, the site of
intensive hydrocarbon prospecting
100+ Important Documents in United States History
