 |
|
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 stablity
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
Manchuria was occupied and in 1937 a full-scale
invasion of China was launched. 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. |
|
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
note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto),
Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu
Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
water: 3,091 sq km
land: 374,744 sq km |
|
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:
|
127,333,002
(July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14
years: 14.3% (male 9,337,867; female 8,876,996)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 42,697,264; female
42,196,835)
65 years and over: 19% (male 10,169,190;
female 14,054,850) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total:
42.3 years
male: 40.5 years
female: 44.1 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.08%
(2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
9.56
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
8.75
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004
est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
3.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.)
male: 3.54 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 81.04 years
male: 77.74 years
female: 84.51 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.38
children born/woman (2004 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)
|
|
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, Gumma, 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)
note: following the resignation of Prime
Minister Yoshiro MORI, Junichiro KOIZUMI was elected
as the new president of the majority Liberal
Democratic Party and soon thereafter designated by
the Diet to become the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary;
the Diet designates the prime minister; the
constitution requires that the prime minister must
command a parliamentary majority; therefore,
following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or leader of a majority coalition in
the House of Representatives usually becomes prime
minister
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime
minister
head of government: Prime Minister Junichiro
KOIZUMI (since 26 April 2001) |
|
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); 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)
election results: House of Councillors -
percent of vote by party - LPD 47.52%, DPJ 33.89%,
Komeito 9.92%, JCP 3.72%, SDP 2.07%, others 2.88%;
seats by party - LDP 115, DPJ 82, Komeito 24, JCP 9,
SDP 5, others 7
note: the Liberal Party merged with the
Democratic Party of Japan in September 2003; the New
Conservative Party merged with the Liberal
Democratic Party following the election in November
2003 (2004)
: House of Representatives - percent of vote
by party - LDP 49.38%, DPJ 36.88%, Komeito 7.09%,
JCP 1.88%, SDP 1.25%, NCP .84%; seats by party - LDP
237, DPJ 177, Komeito 34, JCP 9, SDP 6, NCP 4,
others 13; distribution of seats as of 13 November
2003 was: LDP 244, DPJ 177, Komeito 34, JCP 9, SDP
6, others 10
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) |
|
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;
Hirohisa FUJII, 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; Shinzo ABE, 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, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia
Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, 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, NAM
(guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE
(partner), Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMISET, UNMOVIC,
UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO, ZC |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief
of mission: Ambassador Ryozo KATO
consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta,
Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Hagatna (Guam),
Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los
Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland
(Oregon), San Francisco, and Seattle
consulate(s): Saipan (Northern Mariana
Islands)
FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187
chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief
of mission: Ambassador Howard H. BAKER, Jr.
embassy: 10-5 Akasaka 1-chome, 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 second most
technologically-powerful economy in the world after
the US and third-largest economy after the US and
China. 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 much smaller 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. Government efforts to revive economic
growth have met with little success and were further
hampered in 2000-2003 by the slowing of the US,
European, and Asian economies. Japan's huge
government debt, which is approaching 150% of GDP,
and the ageing of the population are two major
long-run problems. 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 - $3.582 trillion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
2.7%
(2003 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing
power parity - $28,200 (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
1.3%
industry: 25.4%
services: 73.3% (2003 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
23.9%
of GDP (2003) |
|
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:
|
24.9
(1993) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
-0.3%
(2003 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
66.66
million (2003) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture
5%, industry 25%, services 70% (2002 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
5.3%
(2003) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$1.327 trillion
expenditures: $1.646 trillion, including
capital expenditures (public works only) of about
$71 billion (2003 est.) |
|
Public debt:
|
154.6%
of GDP (2003) |
|
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:
|
3.3%
(2003 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
1.037
trillion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil
fuel: 60%
hydro: 8.4%
other: 1.8% (2001)
nuclear: 29.8% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
964.2
billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh
(2001) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh
(2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
17,330
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
5.29
million bbl/day (2001 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:
|
$135.9
billion (2003) |
|
Exports:
|
$447.1
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
motor
vehicles, semiconductors, office machinery,
chemicals |
|
Exports - partners:
|
US
24.8%, China 12.1%, South Korea 7.3%, Taiwan 6.6%,
Hong Kong 6.3% (2003 est.) |
|
Imports:
|
$346.6
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery
and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals,
textiles, raw materials (2001) |
|
Imports - partners:
|
China
19.7%, US 15.6%, South Korea 4.7%, Indonesia 4.3%
(2003 est.) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
|
$664.6
billion (2003) |
|
Debt - external:
|
NA
(2002 est.) |
|
Economic aid - donor:
|
ODA, $7
billion (FY03/04) |
|
Currency:
|
yen (JPY) |
|
Currency code:
|
JPY |
|
Exchange rates:
|
yen per
US dollar - 115.933 (2003), 125.388 (2002), 121.529
(2001), 107.765 (2000), 113.907 (1999) |
|
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) |
|
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)
|
|
Railways:
|
total:
23,705 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); 20,393 km 1.067-m gauge (13,227 km
electrified); 11 km 0.762-m gauge (11 km
electrified) (2003) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
1,161,894 km
paved: 534,471 km (including 6,455 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 627,423 km (1999) |
|
Waterways:
|
1,770
km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2004) |
|
Pipelines:
|
gas
2,719 km; oil 170 km; oil/gas/water 60 km (2003) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Akita,
Amagasaki, Chiba, Hachinohe, Hakodate,
Higashi-Harima, Himeji, Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Kinuura,
Kobe, Kushiro, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka,
Sakai, Sakaide, Shimizu, Tokyo, Tomakomai |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total:
568 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 10,149,196 GRT/12,680,544
DWT
by type: bulk 113, cargo 39, chemical tanker
18, combination bulk 31, combination ore/oil 1,
container 14, liquefied gas 53, passenger 8,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 170,
refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 58,
short-sea/passenger 7, vehicle carrier 49
registered in other countries: 1,989 (2003
est.)
foreign-owned: China 1, Panama 1, Philippines
1, Singapore 1 |
|
Airports:
|
174
(2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
143
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 37
914 to 1,523 m: 28
under 914 m: 32 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 39 |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total:
31
over 3047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 26 (2003 est.) |
|
Heliports:
|
15
(2003 est.)
|
|
Military branches:
|
Ground
Self-Defense Force (Army), Maritime Self-Defense
Force (Navy), Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force),
Coast Guard |
|
Military manpower - military age:
|
18
years of age (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males
age 15-49: 29,179,095 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service:
|
males
age 15-49: 25,189,438 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age
annually:
|
males:
700,931 (2004 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$42,488.1
million (2003) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
1%
(2003)
|
| Transnational
Issues |
Japan |
|
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; intensified media coverage and
protests highlight dispute over the fishing-rich
Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) also claimed by
South Korea; China and Taiwan have intensified their
claims to the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Tai)
administered by Japan
|
|
