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Background Note: Japan
PROFILE
OFFICIAL NAME:
Japan
Geography
Area: 377,864 sq. km. (145,902 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than
California.
Cities: Capital--Tokyo. Other cities--Yokohama,
Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kobe, Kyoto, Fukuoka.
Terrain: Rugged, mountainous islands.
Climate: Varies from subtropical to temperate.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Japanese.
Population (2006 est.): 127.5 million.
Population growth rate (2006 est.): -0.02%.
Ethnic groups: Japanese; Korean (0.6%).
Religions: Shinto and Buddhist; Christian (about 0.7%).
Language: Japanese.
Education: Literacy--99%.
Health (2003): Infant mortality rate--3.3/1,000. Life
expectancy--males 77 yrs., females 84 yrs.
Work force (67 million, 2003): services--42%; trade,
manufacturing, mining, and construction--46%;
agriculture, forestry, fisheries--5%; government--3%.
Government
Type: Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government.
Constitution: May 3, 1947.
Branches: Executive--prime minister (head of government).
Legislative--bicameral Diet (House of Representatives and
House of Councillors). Judicial--civil law system based
on the model of Roman law.
Administrative subdivisions: 47 prefectures.
Political parties: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Democratic
Party of Japan (DPJ), New Clean Government Party (Komeito),
Japan Communist Party (JCP), Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Suffrage: Universal at 20.
Economy
GDP (2005 est.): $4.559 trillion (official exchange rate);
$3.902 trillion (PPP).
Real growth rate (2006 est.): 2.8%.
Per capita GDP (2005 est. PPP): $30,541.
Natural resources: Negligible mineral resources, fish.
Agriculture: Products--rice, vegetables, fruit, milk,
meat, silk.
Industry: Types--machinery and equipment, metals and
metal products, textiles, autos, chemicals, electrical and
electronic equipment.
GEOGRAPHY
Japan, a country of islands, extends along the eastern or
Pacific coast of Asia. The four main islands, running from north
to south, are Hokkaido, Honshu (or the mainland), Shikoku, and
Kyushu. Okinawa Island is about 380 miles southwest of Kyushu.
About 3,000 smaller islands are included in the archipelago. In
total land area, Japan is slightly smaller than California.
About 73% of the country is mountainous, with a chain running
through each of the main islands. Japan's highest mountain is
the world famous Mt. Fuji (12,385 feet). Since so little flat
area exists, many hills and mountainsides are cultivated all the
way to the summits. As Japan is situated in a volcanic zone
along the Pacific depth, frequent low intensity earth tremors
and occasional volcanic activity are felt throughout the
islands. Destructive earthquakes occur several times a century.
Hot springs are numerous and have been developed as resorts.
Temperature extremes are less pronounced than
in the United States, but the climate varies considerably.
Sapporo, on the northernmost main island, has warm summers and
long, cold winters with heavy snowfall. Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto,
Osaka, and Kobe, in central and western parts of the largest
island of Honshu, experience relatively mild winters with little
or no snowfall and hot, humid summers. Fukuoka, on the island of
Kyushu, has a climate similar to that of Washington, DC, with
mild winters and short summers. Okinawa is subtropical.
PEOPLE
Japan's population, currently some 128 million, has
experienced a phenomenal growth rate during the past 100 years
as a result of scientific, industrial, and sociological changes,
but this has recently slowed because of falling birth rates. In
2005, Japan's population declined for the first time, two years
earlier than predicted. High sanitary and health standards
produce a life expectancy exceeding that of the United States.
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