|
Background:
|
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.
|
|
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 |
|
Natural resources:
|
negligible mineral resources, fish |
|
Land use:
|
arable
land: 12.19%
permanent crops: 0.96%
other: 86.85% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
26,790 sq
km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
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 |
|
Geography - note:
|
strategic
location in northeast Asia |
|
Population:
|
127,417,244 (July 2005 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14
years: 14.3% (male 9,328,584/female 8,866,772)
15-64 years: 66.2% (male 42,462,533/female
41,942,835)
65 years and over: 19.5% (male 10,435,284/female
14,381,236) (2005 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
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:
|
efinition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2002) |
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Japan |
|
Government type:
|
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
|
|
Capital:
|
Tokyo
|
|
Administrative divisions:
|
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 |
|
Independence:
|
660 BC
(traditional founding by Emperor JIMMU) |
|
National holiday:
|
Birthday
of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933) |
|
Constitution:
|
3 May
1947 |
|
Legal system:
|
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; 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 11
July 2004 (next to be held in July 2007); 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 - LDP 115, DPJ 82,
Komeito 24, JCP 9, SDP 5, others 7; distribution of
seats as of December 2004 - LDP 113, DPJ 83, Komeito 24,
JCP 9, SDP 6, others 6
: 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; distribution of seats as of December 2005 -
LDP 296, DPJ 112, Komeito 31, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 25
(2005) |
|
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 [Seiji MAEHARA,
president; Yukio HATOYAMA, secretary general]; Japan
Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII, chairman; Tadayoshi
ICHIDA, head of secretariat]; Komeito [Takenori KANZAKI,
chief representative; 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] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA |
|
International organization participation:
|
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, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA,
MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW,
OSCE (partner), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC
(observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD,
UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
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, and Seattle
consulate(s): Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
|
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
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 |
|
Flag description:
|
white
with a large red disk (representing the sun without
rays) in the center |
|
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 third largest
economy in the world after the US and China, measured on
a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. Japan is the
second largest economy, measured on an exchange rate
basis. 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. 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 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 and to force a restructuring of the economy.
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 and 2005, growth improved and the lingering
fears of deflation in prices and economic activity
lessened. Japan's huge government debt, which totals
170% 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. Internal conflict
over the proper way to reform the financial system will
continue as Japan Post's banking, insurance, and
delivery services undergo privatization between 2007 and
2017. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$3.867
trillion (2005 est.) |
|
GDP (official exchange rate):
|
$4.955
trillion (2005 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
2.1%
(2005 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $30,400 (2005 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 1.3%
industry: 25.3%
services: 73.5% (2005 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
66.4
million (2005 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 4.6%, industry 27.8%, services 67.7% (2004)
|
|
Unemployment rate:
|
4.3%
(2005 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest
10%: 4.8%
highest 10%: 21.7% (1993) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
37.9
(2000) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
-0.2%
(2005 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
24.4% of
GDP (2005 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $1.429 trillion
expenditures: $1.775 trillion, including capital
expenditures (public works only) of about $71 billion
(2005 est.) |
|
Public debt:
|
170% of
GDP (2005 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
rice,
sugar beets, vegetables, fruit, pork, poultry, dairy
products, eggs, fish |
|
Industries:
|
among
world's largest and technologically advanced producers
of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools,
steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles,
processed foods |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
1.3%
(2005 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
1.017
trillion kWh (2003) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
946.3
billion kWh (2003) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh
(2003) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh
(2003) |
|
Oil - production:
|
120,700
bbl/day (2003 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
5.578
million bbl/day (2003 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
93,360
bbl/day (2001) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
5.449
million bbl/day (2001) |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
29.29
million bbl (1 January 2002) |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
2.519
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
80.42
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
77.73
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
20.02
billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
|
Current account balance:
|
$158.3
billion (2005 est.) |
|
Exports:
|
$550.5
billion f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
|
Exports - partners:
|
US 22.7%,
China 13.1%, South Korea 7.8%, Taiwan 7.4%, Hong Kong
6.3% (2004) |
|
Imports:
|
$451.1
billion f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
|
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:
|
$845
billion (2004) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$1.545
trillion (31 December 2004) |
|
Economic aid - donor:
|
ODA, $8.9
billion (2004) |
|
Currency (code):
|
yen (JPY)
|
|
Exchange rates:
|
yen per
US dollar - 109 (2005), 108.19 (2004), 115.93 (2003),
125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
1 April -
31 March |
|
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) |
|
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) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.jp |
|
Internet hosts:
|
12,962,065 (2003) |
|
Internet users:
|
57.2
million (2002) |
|
Airports:
|
174 (2004
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
142
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 39
1,524 to 2,437 m: 37
914 to 1,523 m: 29
under 914 m: 30 (2005 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total:
31
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 26 (2005 est.) |
|
Heliports:
|
15 (2005
est.) |
|
Pipelines:
|
gas 2,719
km; oil 170 km; oil/gas/water 60 km (2004) |
|
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) |
|
Roadways:
|
total:
1,177,278 km
paved: 914,745 km (including 6,946 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 262,533 km (2002) |
|
Waterways:
|
1,770 km
(seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2004) |
|
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) |
|
Ports and terminals:
|
Chiba,
Kawasaki, Kiire, Kisarazu, Kobe, Mizushima, Nagoya,
Osaka, Tokyo, Yohohama |
|
Military branches:
|
Ground
Self-Defense Force (Army), Maritime Self-Defense Force
(Navy), Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force) |
|
Military service age and obligation:
|
18 years
of age for voluntary military service (2001) |
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 27,003,112 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 22,234,663 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
|
males:
683,147 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$45.841
billion (2004) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
1% (2004)
|
|
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 |
This page was last updated on 10
January, 2006
|
