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

top of page


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.


top of page


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
Land: 364,485 km²
Water: 13,430 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 29,751 km

Maritime claims
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 highest point: Fujiyama 3,776 m

Natural resources: negligible mineral resources fish

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.81%
Other: 87.93% (2011)

Irrigated land: 25,000 km² (2010)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 430 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors but occasional severe earthquakes) every year; tsunamis; typhoons
Volcanism: both Unzen (elev. 1500 m) and Sakura-jima (elev. 1117 m) which lies near the densely populated city of Kagoshima have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Asama Honshu Island's most active volcano Aso Bandai Fuji Iwo-Jima Kikai Kirishima Komaga-take Oshima Suwanosejima Tokachi Yake-dake and Usu

Geography
Note: strategic location in northeast Asia


top of page


Population: 127,103,388 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 11
Growth rate: -0.13% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 210
Below poverty line: 16% (2010)

Nationality
Adjective: Japanese

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
15-24 years: 9.7% (male 6,429,429/female 5,890,991)
25-54 years: 38.1% (male 23,953,643/female 24,449,655)
55-64 years: 13.2% (male 8,413,872/female 8,400,953)
65 years and over: 24.8% (male 14,218,655/female 18,531,653) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 21.2 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 42.1 %
Potential support ratio: 2.4 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 44.8 years
Female: 47.5 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.13% (2014 est.)
Rank: 210

Birth rate: 8.07 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 222

Death rate: 9.38 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 58

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 93

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 0.57% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: TOKYO (capital) 37.217 million; Osaka-Kobe 11.494 million; Nagoya 3.328 million; Fukuoka-Kitakyushu 2.868 million; Sapporo 2.742 million; Sendai 2.428 million (2011)

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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 30.3 (2012 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 223
Male: 2.35 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 1.88 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 3
Male: 81.13 years
Female: 87.99 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 208

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 54.3%

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 2.14 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 13.7 beds/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 120
People living with hivaids: 8,100 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 112
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 121

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5% (2008)
Rank: 157

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 115

Literacy
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99% (2002)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 15 years
Female: 15 years (2011)

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional short form: Japan
Local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku
Local short form: Nihon/Nippon

Government type: a parliamentary government with a constitutional monarchy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 35 41 N 139 45 E
Time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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: previous 1890; latest approved 6 October 1946 adopted 3 November 1946 effective 3 May 1947 (2013)

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
Head of government: Prime Minister Shinzo ABE (since 26 December 2012); Deputy Prime Minister Taro ASO (since 26 December 2012)
Cabinet: Cabinet is appointed by the prime minister
Elections: Diet the bicameral legislature designates the prime minister; constitution requires that the prime minister commands parliamentary majority; following legislative elections the leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition in House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister; the monarchy is hereditary

Legislative branch: 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% JCP 4.4% TRP 3.9% others 1.4%; seats by party LDP 294 DPJ 57 JRP 54 New Komeito 31 Your Party 18 TPJ 9 JCP 8 others 4 independents 5
Elections: House of Councillors - last held on 21 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2016); House of Representatives - last held on 16 December 2012 (next to be held by 15 December 2016)
Election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPD 115 DPJ 59 New Komeito 20 Your Party 18 JCP 11 JRP 9 SDP 3 others 4 independents 3

Judicial branch: note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in constitutional issues
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice designated by the Cabinet and appointed by the monarch; associate justices appointed by the Cabinet and confirmed by the monarch; all justices are reviewed in a popular referendum at the first general election of the House of Representatives following each judge's appointment and every 10 years afterward
Subordinate courts: 8 High Courts (Koto-saiban-sho) each with a Family Court (Katei-saiban-sho); 50 District Courts (Chiho saibansho) with 203 additional branches; 438 Summary Courts (Kani saibansho)

Political parties and leaders: 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) Pacific Alliance (observer) 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
In the us chancery: 2,520 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 238-6,700
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 328-2,187
In the us consulate general: Atlanta Boston Chicago Denver Detroit Agana (Guam) Honolulu Houston Los Angeles Miami Nashville (TN) New York Portland (OR) San Francisco Seattle
In the us consulate: Anchorage (AK) Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
From the us embassy: 1-10-5 Akasaka Minato-ku Tokyo 107-8,420
From the us mailing address: Unit 9,800 Box 300 APO AP 96,303-0300
From the us telephone: [81] (03) 3,224-5,000
From the us FAX: [81] (03) 3,505-1862
From the us consulate general: Naha (Okinawa) Osaka-Kobe Sapporo
From the us consulate: Fukuoka Nagoya

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

National symbols: red sun disc; chrysanthemum

National anthem
Lyrics and music: unknown/Hiromori HAYASHI

National heritage


top of page


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 small agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected with crop yields among the highest in the world. While self-sufficient in rice production Japan imports about 60% of its food on a caloric basis. 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 and the ensuing tsunami in March disrupted manufacturing. The economy has largely recovered in the two years since the disaster but reconstruction in the Tohoku region has been uneven. Prime Minister Shinzo ABE has declared the economy his government's top priority; he has overturned his predecessor's plan to permanently close nuclear power plants and is pursuing an economic revitalization agenda of fiscal stimulus monetary easing and structural reform. Japan joined the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations in 2013 a pact that would open Japan's economy to increased foreign competition and create new export opportunities for Japanese businesses. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price differences Japan in 2013 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 is exceeding 230% of GDP. To help raise government revenue and reduce public debt Japan decided in 2013 to gradually increase the consumption tax to a total of 10% by the year 2015. Japan is making progress on ending deflation due to a weaker yen and higher energy costs but reliance on exports to drive growth and an aging shrinking population pose other major long-term challenges for the economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 5

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 142

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 36

Gross national saving:
Rank: 69

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 20.7%
Investment in fixed capital: 21.6%
Investment in inventories: -0.6%
Exports of goods and services: 15.8%
Imports of goods and services: -18.4%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 25.6%
Services: 73.2% (2013 est.)

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

Industries: among world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles electronic equipment machine tools steel and nonferrous metals ships chemicals textiles processed foods

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2013 est.)
Rank: 145

Labor force: 65.62 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 9
By occupation industry: 26.2%
By occupation services: 69.8% (2010 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4.4% (2012 est.)
Rank: 34

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 16% (2010)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 27.5% (2008)

Distribution of family income gini index: 24.9 (1993)
Rank: 76

Budget
Expenditures: $2.149 trillion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -8.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 198

Taxes and other revenues: 34.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 69

Public debt: 219.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 1

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 0% (2012 est.)
Rank: 13

Central bank discount rate: 0.3% (31 December 2009)
Rank: 139

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 1.48% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 175

Stock of narrow money: $6.176 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 2

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

Stock of domestic credit: $13.72 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 3

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 3

Current account balance: $60.8 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 10

Exports: $776.6 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 6
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 18.1% US 17.8% South Korea 7.7% Thailand 5.5% Hong Kong 5.1% (2012)

Imports: $830.1 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 6
Commodities: petroleum 15.5%; liquid natural gas 5.7%; clothing 3.9%; semiconductors 3.5%; coal 3.5%; audio and visual apparatus 2.7% (2011 est.)
Partners: China 21.3% US 8.8% Australia 6.4% Saudi Arabia 6.2% UAE 5% South Korea 4.6% Qatar 4% (2012)

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

Debt external: $3.115 trillion (31 December 2011)
Rank: 6

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $222.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 25

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $1.054 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 8

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Production: 936.2 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 5
Consumption: 859.7 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 5
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 152
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 159
Installed generating capacity: 287 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 4
Generation sources fossil fuels: 63.5% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 127
Generation sources nuclear: 17.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 13
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 7.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 118
Generation sources other renewable sources: 2.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 65

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 135,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 46
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 132
Crude oil imports: 3.472 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 3
Crude oil proven reserves: 44.12 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 79

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 3.862 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 6
Products consumption: 4.464 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 4
Products exports: 349,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 19
Products imports: 1.311 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 5

Natural gas
Production: 3.273 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 56
Consumption: 112.6 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 6
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 123
Imports: 122.2 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 2
Proven reserves: 20.9 billion m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 77

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 1.181 billion Mt (2011 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 64.273 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 3
Mobile cellular: 138.363 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 7

Telephone system
Domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of every kind
International: country code - 81; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia Australia the Middle East Europe and US; satellite earth stations - 7 Intelsat (Pacific and Indian Oceans) 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) 2 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) and 8 SkyPerfect JSAT (2012)

Broadcast media: a mixture of public and commercial broadcast TV and radio stations; 6 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 (2012)

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

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures:
Rank: 103

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; mandatory retirement at age 53 for senior enlisted personnel and at 62 years for senior service officers (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 175 (2013)
Rank: 33
With paved runways over 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 45
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 38
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 28
With paved runways under 914 m: 25 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways: 28 (2013)

Heliports: 16 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 4,456 km; oil 174 km; oil/gas/water 104 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 11
Standard gauge: 4,251 km 1.435-m gauge (4,251 km electrified)
Dual gauge: 486 km 1.435-1.067-m gauge (486 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 96 km 1.372-m gauge (96 km electrified); 22,301 km 1.067-m gauge (15,222 km electrified); 48 km 0.762-m gauge (48 km electrified) (2009)

Roadways
Rank: 6
Paved: 973,234 km (includes 7,803 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 237,017 km (2010)

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

Merchant marine
Rank: 16
By type: bulk carrier 168 cargo 34 carrier 3 chemical tanker 29 container 2 liquefied gas 58 passenger 11 passenger/cargo 117 petroleum tanker 152 refrigerated cargo 4 roll on/roll off 52 vehicle carrier 54
Registered in other countries: 3,122 (Bahamas 88 Bermuda 2 Burma 1 Cambodia 1 Cayman Islands 23 China 2 Cyprus 16 Honduras 4 Hong Kong 79 Indonesia 8 Isle of Man 19 Liberia 110 Luxembourg 3 Malaysia 2 Malta 5 Marshall Islands 59 Mongolia 2 Netherlands 1 Panama 2,372 Philippines 77 Portugal 9 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3 Sierra Leone 4 Singapore 164 South Korea 14 Tanzania 1 UK 5 Vanuatu 39 unknown 7) (2010)

Ports and terminals
Container port: Kobe (2,725,304) Nagoya (2,471,821) Osaka (2,172,797) Tokyo (4,416,119) Yokohama (2,992,517)


top of page


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