Location: Eastern Asia, off the southeast
coast of Russia and east of
the Korean peninsula
Map references: Asia, Standard Time
Zones of the World
Area:
total area 377,835
sq km
land area 374,744 sq km
comparative area slightly
smaller than California
note includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto),
Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto),
and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 29,751 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone 200 nm
territorial sea
12 nm; 3 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi,
and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait
International disputes: islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotau, and
the Habomai group occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by
Russia, claimed by Japan; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea; Senkaku-shoto
(Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan
Climate:
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous
Natural resources: negligible
mineral resources, fish
Land use:
arable land
13%
permanent crops 1%
meadows and pastures
1%
forest and woodland 67%
other 18%
Irrigated land: 28,680 sq km (1989)
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
natural hazards many dormant and some active volcanoes;
about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; subject to tsunamis
international agreements party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Law of the Sea
Note: strategic location in northeast
Asia
Population: 125,106,937
(July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.32% (1994 est.)
Birth rate: 10.49 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate: 7.31 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994
est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births
(1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population
79.31 years
male 76.47 years
female 82.28 years
(1994 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.55 children born/woman
(1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun Japanese (singular
and plural)
adjective Japanese
Ethnic divisions:
Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean)
Religions:
observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including 0.7% Christian)
Languages: Japanese
Literacy: age 15
and over can read and write (1970 est.)
total population 99%
male NA%
female NA%
Labor force: 63.33
million
by occupation trade and services 54%, manufacturing,
mining, and construction 33%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 7%, government
3% (1988)
Names:
conventional long form none
conventional short form Japan
Digraph: JA
Type: constitutional monarchy
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
the Emperor, 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 Tsutomu HATA (since 25 April 1994);
Deputy Prime Minister (vacant)
cabinet Cabinet; appointed by
the prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Diet (Kokkai)
House of Councillors (Sangi-in) elections last held on 26 July 1992 (next
to be held NA July 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (252
total) LDP 95, SDPJ 68, Shin Ryoku fu-Kai 37, CGP 24, JCP 11, other 17
House of Representatives (Shugi-in) elections last held on 18 July 1993
(next to be held by NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (511
total) LDP 206, SDPJ 74, Shinseito 62, CGP 52, JNP 37, DSP 19, JCP 15, Sakigake
15, others 19, independents 10, vacant 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic
Party (LDP), Yohei KONO, president; Yoshiro MORI, secretary general; Social
Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ), Tomiichi MURAYAMA; Democratic Socialist
Party (DSP), Keigo OUCHI, chairman; Japan Communist Party (JCP), Tetsuzo FUWA,
Presidium chairman; Komeito (Clean Government Party, CGP), Koshiro ISHIDA,
chairman; Japan New Party (JNP), Morihiro HOSOKAWA, chairman; Shinseito (Japan
Renewal Party, JRP), Tsutomu HATA, chairman; Ichiro OZAWA, secretary general;
Sakigake (Harbinger), Masayoshi TAKEMURA, chairman; Mirai (Future Party),
Michihiko KANO, chairman; The Liberal Party, Koji KAKIZAWA, chairman
note Shin Ryoku fu-Kai is a new, upper house only, parliamentary alliance
which includes the JRP, JNP, DSP, and a minor labor group
Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer), Australia Group, APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, COCOM, CP,
CSCE (observer), EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNTAC, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission Ambassador Takakazu KURIYAMA
chancery 2520
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone (202)
939-6700
FAX (202) 328-2187
consulate(s) general
Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston,
Kansas City (Missouri), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland
(Oregon), San Francisco, and Seattle
consulate(s) Saipan (Northern
Mariana Islands)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission Ambassador Walter F. MONDALE
embassy 10-5,
Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo
mailing address Unit
45004, Box 258, Tokyo; APO AP 96337-0001
telephone [81] (3) 3224-5000
FAX [81] (3) 3505-1862
consulate(s) general Naha
(Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
consulate(s) Fukuoka
Flag: white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays)
in the center
Overview: Government-industry
cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively
small defense allocation have helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity
to the rank of second most powerful economy in the world. Industry, the most
important sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials
and fuels. 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. Overall economic
growth has been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the
1970s and 1980s. Economic growth came to a halt in 1992-93 largely because
of contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses
from the stock and real estate markets. At the same time, the stronger yen
and slower global growth are containing export growth. Unemployment and inflation
remain remarkably low in comparison with the other industrialized nations.
Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus - $120 billion in 1993, up more
than 10% from the year earlier - which supports extensive investment in foreign
assets. The new prime minister HATA in early 1994 reiterated previous governments'
vows of administrative and economic reform, including reduction in the trade
surplus, but his weak coalition government faces strong resistance from traditional
interest groups. The crowding of the habitable land area and the aging of
the population are two major long-run problems.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.549 trillion (1993)
National product real growth rate: 0% (1993)
National product per capita:
$20,400 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3%
(1993)
Unemployment rate: 2.5% (1993)
Budget:
revenues $490 billion
expenditures $579 billion,
including capital expenditures (public works only) of about $68 billion (FY93)
Exports: $360.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities
manufactures 97% (including machinery 46%, motor vehicles 20%, consumer
electronics 10%)
partners Southeast Asia 33%, US 29%, Western
Europe 18%, China 5%
Imports: $240.7 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities manufactures 52%, fossil fuels 20%, foodstuffs and raw materials
28%
partners Southeast Asia 25%, US 23%, Western Europe 15%, China
9%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production:
growth rate -4% (1993); accounts for 30% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity 196,000,000 kW
production 835 billion
kWh
consumption per capita 6,700 kWh (1992)
Industries:
steel and non-ferrous metallurgy, heavy electrical equipment, construction
and mining equipment, motor vehicles and parts, electronic and telecommunication
equipment and components, machine tools and automated production systems,
locomotives and railroad rolling stock, shipbuilding, chemicals, textiles,
food processing
Agriculture: accounts for only 2% of GDP;
highly subsidized and protected sector, with crop yields among highest in
world; principal crops - rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; animal products
include pork, poultry, dairy and eggs; about 50% self-sufficient in food production;
shortages of wheat, corn, soybeans; world's largest fish catch of 10 million
metric tons in 1991
Economic aid:
donor ODA
and OOF commitments (1970-93), $123 billion
note ODA outlay of
$9.9 billion in 1994 (est.)
Currency: yen (¥)
Exchange rates: yen (¥) per US$1 - 111.51 (January 1994), 111.20
(1993), 126.65 (1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990), 137.96 (1989)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Railroads: 27,327 km total; 2,012 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge and 25,315 km predominantly 1.067-meter narrow gauge; 5,724 km doubletrack
and multitrack sections, 9,038 km 1.067-meter narrow-gauge electrified, 2,012
km 1.435-meter standard-gauge electrified (1987)
Highways:
total 1,115,609 km
paved 782,042 km (including
4,869 km of national expressways)
unpaved gravel, crushed stone,
or earth 333,567 km (1991)
Inland waterways: about 1,770
km; seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas
Pipelines:
crude oil 84 km; petroleum products 322 km; natural gas 1,800 km
Ports: Chiba, Muroran, Kitakyushu, Kobe, Tomakomai, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo,
Yokkaichi, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Niigata, Fushiki-Toyama, Shimizu, Himeji, Wakayama-Shimozu,
Shimonoseki, Tokuyama-Shimomatsu
Merchant marine: 926 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,383,101 GRT31,007,515 DWT, bulk 225, cargo
76, chemical tanker 9, combination ore/oil 9, container 44, liquefied gas
42, multi-function large load carrier 1, oil tanker 265, passenger 10, passenger
cargo 3, refrigerated cargo 66, roll-on/roll-off cargo 44, short-sea passenger
36, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 94
note Japan also
owns a large flag of convenience fleet, including up to 38% of the total number
of ships under the Panamanian flag
Airports:
total
167
usable 165
with permanent-surface runways
137
with runways over 3,659 m 2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m
34
with runways 1,220-2,439 m 52
Telecommunications:
excellent domestic and international service; 64,000,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 318 AM, 58 FM, 12,350 TV (196 major - 1 kw or greater);
satellite earth stations - 4 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT;
submarine cables to US (via Guam), Philippines, China, and Russia
Branches: Japan Ground Self-Defense
Force (Army), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Navy), Japan Air Self-Defense
Force (Air Force), Maritime Safety Agency (Coast Guard)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 32,044,032; fit for military service 27,597,444; reach
military age (18) annually 953,928 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $45.5 billion, less than 1% of GDP (FY94/95
est.)