Map of Japan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: In 1603 after decades of civil warfare the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports after signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 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 1931-32 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 an ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity elected politicians hold actual decision-making power. Following three decades of unprecedented growth Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s but the country remains a major economic power. In March 2011 Japan's strongest-ever earthquake and an accompanying tsunami devastated the northeast part of Honshu island killing thousands and damaging several nuclear power plants. The catastrophe hobbled the country's economy and its energy infrastructure and tested its ability to deal with humanitarian disasters.


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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 reference

Area
Rank: 62
Comparative: slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 29,751 km

Maritime claims

Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous

Elevation

Natural resources: negligible mineral resources fish

Land use

Irrigated land: 25,160 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 430 km³ (1999)

Natural hazards: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors but occasional severe earthquakes) every year; tsunamis; typhoons

Geography
Note: strategic location in northeast Asia


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Population: 127,368,088 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 10
Growth rate: -0.077% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 198
Below poverty line: 16% (2010)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Japanese 98.5% Koreans 0.5% Chinese 0.4% other 0.6%

Languages: Japanese

Religions: Shintoism 83.9% Buddhism 71.4% Christianity 2% other 7.8%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.077% (2012 est.)
Rank: 198

Birth rate: 8.39 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 217

Death rate: 9.15 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 63

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 90

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 222

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 3

Total fertility rate: 1.39 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 206

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 2.063 physicians/1000 population (2006)

Hospital bed density: 13.75 beds/1000 population (2008)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 131
People living with hivaids: 8,100 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 108
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 117

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 3.1% (2000)
Rank: 65

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 3.5% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 117

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: a parliamentary government with a constitutional monarchy

Capital

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 3 May 1947 (current constitution adopted as amendment to Meiji Constitution); notable earlier dates: 660 B.C. (traditional date of the founding of the nation by Emperor JIMMU); 29 November 1890 (Meiji Constitution provides for constitutional monarchy)

National holiday: Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO 23 December (1933)

Constitution: 3 May 1947

Legal system: civil law system based on German model; system also reflects Anglo-American influence and Japanese traditions; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in (242 seats - members elected for fixed six-year terms; 146 members in multi-seat constituencies and 96 by proportional representation) half elected every three years; and the House of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for maximum four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by proportional representation in 11 regional blocs); the prime minister has the right to dissolve the House of Representatives at any time with the concurrence of the cabinet
Election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party (by proportional representation) - LDP 31.6% DPJ 16.6% JRP 22.2% New Komeito 12.2% Your Party 7.7% TRP 3.9% JCP 4.4% others 0.56%; seats by party LDP 294 DPJ 57 JRP 54 New Komeito 31 Your Party 18 TPJ 9 JCP 8 others 4 independents 5

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 [Banri KAIEDA]; Japan Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]; Japan Restoration Party or JRP [Shintaro ISHIHARA]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Shinzo ABE]; New Komeito or NK [Natsuo YAMAGUCHI]; People's New Party or PNP; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho FUKUSHIMA]; Tomorrow Party Japan of TPJ {Yukiko KADA]; Your Party or YP [Yoshimi WATANABE]

International organization participation: ADB AfDB (nonregional member) APEC ARF ASEAN (dialogue partner) Australia Group BIS CD CE (observer) CERN (observer) CICA (observer) CP EAS EBRD EITI (implementing country) FAO FATF G-20 G-5 G-7 G-8 G-10 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD (partners) IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAIA (observer) MIGA NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE (partner) Paris Club PCA PIF (partner) SAARC (observer) SELEC (observer) SICA (observer) UN UNCTAD UNDOF UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMISS UNRWA UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center

National symbols: red sun disc; chrysanthemum

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: In the years following World War II government-industry cooperation a strong work ethic mastery of high technology and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of GDP) helped Japan develop a technologically advanced economy. Two notable characteristics of the post-war economy were the close interlocking structures of manufacturers suppliers and distributors known as keiretsu and the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both features are now eroding under the dual pressures of global competition and domestic demographic change. Japan's industrial sector is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. A tiny agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected with crop yields among the highest in the world. Usually self-sufficient in rice Japan imports about 60% of its food on a caloric basis. 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 inefficient investment and an asset price bubble in the late 1980s that required a protracted period of time for firms to reduce excess debt capital and labor. Modest economic growth continued after 2000 but the economy has fallen into recession three times since 2008. A sharp downturn in business investment and global demand for Japan's exports in late 2008 pushed Japan into recession. Government stimulus spending helped the economy recover in late 2009 and 2010 but the economy contracted again in 2011 as the massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake in March disrupted manufacturing. Recovery spending helped boost GDP in early 2012 but slower global economic growth began weakening Japan's export-oriented economy by mid-year. Electricity supplies remain tight because Japan tentatively shut down almost all of its nuclear power plants after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors were crippled by the earthquake and resulting tsunami. Newly-elected Prime Minister Shinzo ABE has declared the economy his government's top priority; he has pledged to reconsider his predecessor's plan to permanently close nuclear power plants and has said he will increase stimulus spending and press the Bank of Japan to loosen monetary policy. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price differences Japan in 2012 stood as the fourth-largest economy in the world after second-place China which surpassed Japan in 2001 and third-place India which edged out Japan in 2012. The new government will continue a longstanding debate on restructuring the economy and reining in Japan's huge government debt which exceeds 200% of GDP. Persistent deflation reliance on exports to drive growth and an aging and shrinking population are other major long-term challenges for the economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 5

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 139

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 36

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: rice sugar beets vegetables fruit; pork poultry dairy products eggs; fish

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: -3.5% (2011 est.)
Rank: 159

Labor force: 65.27 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 9

Unemployment rate: 4.6% (2011 est.)
Rank: 43

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 16% (2010)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index: 24.9 (1993)
Rank: 74

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -9.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 199

Taxes and other revenues: 33.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 78

Public debt: 205.5% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 1

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: -0.3% (2011 est.)
Rank: 3

Central bank discount rate: 0.3% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 141

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 1.48% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 181

Stock of narrow money: $6.637 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 1

Stock of broad money: $13.41 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 2

Stock of domestic credit: $14.64 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 3

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 4

Current account balance: $119.1 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 5

Exports: $787 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 5
Commodities: motor vehicles 13.6%; semiconductors 6.2%; iron and steel products 5.5%; auto parts 4.6%; plastic materials 3.5%; power generating machinery 3.5%
Partners: China 19.7% US 15.5% South Korea 8% Hong Kong 5.2% Thailand 4.6% (2011)

Imports: $807.6 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 5
Commodities: petroleum 15.5%; liquid natural gas 5.7%; clothing 3.9%; semiconductors 3.5%; coal 3.5%; audio and visual apparatus 2.7%
Partners: China 21.5% US 8.9% Australia 6.6% Saudi Arabia 5.9% UAE 5% South Korea 4.7% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.296 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 2

Debt external: $2.441 trillion (30 September 2010)
Rank: 6

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $144.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 28

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $911.5 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 7

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 937.6 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 6
Consumption: 859.7 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 5
Exports: 0 kWh (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 211
Imports: 0 kWh (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 203
Installed generating capacity: 284.5 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 4
Generation sources fossil fuels: 63.9% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 134
Generation sources nuclear: 17.2% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 13
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 7.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 120
Generation sources other renewable sources: 2.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 55

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 17,480 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 75
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 132
Crude oil imports: 3.384 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 4
Crude oil proven reserves: 44.12 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 82

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 3.861 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
Products production rank: 6
Products consumption: 4.464 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 5
Products exports: 366,800 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Products exports rank: 22
Products imports: 949,800 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Products imports rank: 7

Natural gas
Production: 3.298 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 53
Consumption: 112.6 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 7
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 92
Imports: 109.9 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 3
Proven reserves: 20.9 billion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 76

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 1.164 billion Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 6

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 64.668 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 3
Mobile cellular: 132.76 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 7

Telephone system

Broadcast media: a mixture of public and commercial broadcast TV and radio stations; 5 national terrestrial TV networks including 1 public broadcaster; the large number of radio and TV stations available provide a wide range of choices; satellite and cable services provide access to international channels (2008)

Internet
Country code: .jp
Hosts: 64.453 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 2
Users: 99.182 million (2009)
Users rank: 3

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 0.8% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 149

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; Maritime Self-Defense Force mandatory retirement at age 54 (2011)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 175 (2012)
Rank: 34

Heliports: 15 (2012)

Pipelines: gas 4,135 km; oil 171 km; oil/gas/water 53 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 11

Roadways
Rank: 5

Waterways: 1770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2010)
Rank: 45

Merchant marine
Rank: 16

Ports and terminals: Chiba Kawasaki Kobe Mizushima Moji Nagoya Osaka Tokyo Tomakomai Yokohama


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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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs