from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Japan
Introduction
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 stability and a
flowering of its indigenous culture. Following the
Treaty of Kanagawa with the US 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 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 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, but Japan still remains a
major economic power, both in Asia and globally. In
2005, Japan began a two-year term as a non-permanent
member of the UN Security Council.
Geography
Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific
Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean
Peninsula
Geographic 36 00 N, 138 00 E
coordinates:
Map Asia
references:
Area: total: 377,835 sq km
land: 374,744 sq km
water: 3,091 sq km
note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto),
Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu
Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands
(Kazan-retto)
Area - slightly smaller than California
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 29,751 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the
claims: 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 lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m
extremes: highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m
Natural negligible mineral resources, fish
resources:
Land use: arable land: 11.64%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 87.46% (2005)
Irrigated 25,920 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500
hazards: seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year;
tsunamis; typhoons
Environment - air pollution from power plant emissions results in
current acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs
issues: 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 - party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
international Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals,
agreements: 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 - strategic location in northeast Asia
note:
People
Population: 127,463,611 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.2% (male 9,309,524/female 8,849,476)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 42,158,122/female 41,611,754)
65 years and over: 20% (male 10,762,585/female
14,772,150) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 42.9 years
male: 41.1 years
female: 44.7 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.02% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 9.37 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 9.16 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 3.24 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 2.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 81.25 years
expectancy at male: 77.96 years
birth: female: 84.7 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 12,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 500 (2003 est.)
deaths:
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)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Japan
local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku
local short form: Nihon/Nippon
Government constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
type:
Capital: name: Tokyo
geographic coordinates: 35 42 N, 139 46 E
time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time)
Administrative 47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime,
divisions: 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
Independence: 660 B.C. (traditional founding by Emperor JIMMU)
National Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)
holiday:
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 chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
branch: head of government: Prime Minister Shinzo ABE (since 26
September 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: Diet designates prime minister; constitution
requires that prime minister commands parliamentary
majority; following legislative elections, leader of
majority party or leader of majority coalition in House
of Representatives usually becomes prime minister;
monarch is hereditary
election results: ABE was elected prime minister with
339 of 476 votes cast in the House of Representatives
and 136 of 240 votes cast in the House of Councilors.
Legislative bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of
branch: Councillors or Sangi-in (242 seats - members elected
for six-year terms; half reelected every three years;
146 members in multi-seat constituencies and 96 by
proportional representation) and the 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)
elections: House of Councillors - last held 11 July
2004 (next to be held in July 2007); House of
Representatives - last held 11 September 2005 (next
election by September 2009)
election results: House of Councillors - percent of
vote by party - NA; seats by party - LDP 115, DPJ 82,
Komeito 24, JCP 9, SDP 5, others 7; distribution of
seats as of January 2006 - LDP 112, DPJ 83, Komeito 24,
JCP 9, SDP 6, others 8
: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party -
LDP 47.8%, DPJ 36.4%, others 15.8%; seats by party -
LDP 296, DPJ 113, Komeito 31, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 24;
distribution of seats as of January 2006 - LDP 294, DPJ
112, Komeito 31, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 27 (2006)
Judicial Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the
branch: monarch after designation by the cabinet; all other
justices are appointed by the cabinet)
Political Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Ichiro OZAWA]; Japan
parties and Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]; Komeito [Akihoro
leaders: OTA]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Shinzo ABE];
Social Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho FUKUSHIMA]
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner),
organization Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer),
participation: CP, EAS, 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, IPU,
ISO, ITU, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner),
SAARC (observer), SECI (observer), UN, UN Security
Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Ryozo KATO
representation chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700
FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187
consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston,
Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Agana (Guam), Honolulu,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York,
Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, Seattle
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador J. Thomas SCHIEFFER
representation embassy: 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420
from the US: 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 white with a large red disk (representing the sun
description: without rays) in the center
Economy
Economy - Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic,
overview: 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 the third-largest economy in the world after the
US and China, measured on a purchasing power parity
(PPP) basis. One notable characteristic of the economy
is how manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors work
together 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. Japan's
industrial sector is heavily dependent on imported raw
materials and fuels. The tiny 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 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 overinvestment during the late 1980s and
contractionary domestic policies intended to wring
speculative excesses from the stock and real estate
markets and to force a restructuring of the economy.
From 2000 to 2003, government efforts to revive
economic growth met with little success and were
further hampered by the slowing of the US, European,
and Asian economies. In 2004 and 2005, growth improved
and the lingering fears of deflation in prices and
economic activity lessened. Japan's huge government
debt, which totals 170% of GDP, and the aging of the
population are two major long-run problems. Some fear
that a rise in taxes could endanger the current
economic recovery. Internal conflict over the proper
way to reform the financial system will continue as
Japan Post's banking, insurance, and delivery services
undergo privatization between 2007 and 2017.
GDP $4.025 trillion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $4.664 trillion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 2.6% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $31,600 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 1.7%
composition by industry: 25.8%
sector: services: 72.5% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 66.4 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 4.6%
by occupation: industry: 27.8%
services: 67.7% (2004)
Unemployment 4.4% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 4.8%
income or highest 10%: 21.7% (1993)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 37.9 (2000)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate -0.3% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 23.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $1.429 trillion
expenditures: $1.775 trillion; including capital
expenditures (public works only) of about $71 billion
(2005 est.)
Public debt: 158% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry,
products: 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 1.5% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 1.017 trillion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 60%
production by hydro: 8.4%
source: nuclear: 29.8%
other: 1.8% (2001)
Electricity - 946.3 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 120,700 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 5.578 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 93,360 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: 5.449 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved 29.29 million bbl (1 January 2002)
reserves:
Natural gas - 2.814 billion cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 86.51 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 77.73 billion cu m (2001 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 39.64 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
proved
reserves:
Current $165.6 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $550.5 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors,
commodities: electrical machinery, chemicals
Exports - US 22.9%, China 13.4%, South Korea 7.8%, Taiwan 7.3%,
partners: Hong Kong 6.1% (2005)
Imports: $451.1 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals,
commodities: textiles, raw materials (2001)
Imports - China 21%, US 12.7%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, UAE 4.9%,
partners: Australia 4.7%, South Korea 4.7%, Indonesia 4% (2005)
Reserves of $835.5 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $1.545 trillion (31 December 2004)
external:
Economic aid - ODA, $8.9 billion (2004)
donor:
Currency yen (JPY)
(code):
Currency code: JPY
Exchange yen per US dollar - 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004),
rates: 115.93 (2003), 125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications
Telephones - 58.78 million (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 94.745 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: excellent domestic and
system: 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 AM 215 plus 370 repeaters, FM 89 plus 485 repeaters,
broadcast shortwave 21 (2001)
stations:
Radios: 120.5 million (1997)
Television 211 plus 7,341 repeaters
broadcast note: in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV
stations: stations and 2 TV cable services (1999)
Televisions: 86.5 million (1997)
Internet .jp
country code:
Internet 28,321,846 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 73 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 86.3 million (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 175 (2006)
Airports - total: 145
with paved over 3,047 m: 7
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 41
1,524 to 2,437 m: 39
914 to 1,523 m: 28
under 914 m: 30 (2006)
Airports - total: 30
with unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 4
runways: under 914 m: 26 (2006)
Heliports: 15 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 8,015 km; oil 170 km; oil/gas/water 60 km (2006)
Railways: total: 23,556 km
standard gauge: 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km electrified);
20,264 km 1.067-m gauge (13,280 km electrified); 11 km
0.762-m gauge (11 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways: total: 1.183 million km
paved: 925,000 km (including 6,946 km of expressways)
unpaved: 258,000 km (2003)
Waterways: 1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2006)
Merchant total: 683 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,415,892 GRT/
marine: 11,765,038 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 134, cargo 30, chemical tanker
20, container 11, liquefied gas 59, passenger 14,
passenger/cargo 149, petroleum tanker 156, refrigerated
cargo 3, roll on/roll off 51, vehicle carrier 56
registered in other countries: 2,459 (Australia 1,
Bahamas 51, Belize 2, Burma 4, Cambodia 4, Cayman
Islands 1, China 3, Cyprus 17, French Southern and
Antarctic Lands 4, Honduras 4, Hong Kong 67, Indonesia
3, Isle of Man 4, South Korea 1, Liberia 102, Malaysia
4, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 7, Mongolia 1, Norway 1,
Panama 2007, Philippines 26, Portugal 9, Singapore 100,
Sweden 2, Thailand 4, Vanuatu 28, unknown 1) (2006)
Ports and Chiba, Kawasaki, Kiire, Kisarazu, Kobe, Mizushima,
terminals: Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Yohohama
Military
Military Japanese Defense Agency (JDA): Ground Self-Defense
branches: Force (Rikujou Jietai, GSDF), Maritime Self-Defense
Force (Kaijou Jietai, MSDF), Air Self-Defense Force
(Koukuu Jietai, ASDF) (2006)
Military 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
service age
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 27,003,112
available for females age 18-49: 26,153,482 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 22,234,663
for military females age 18-49: 21,494,947 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 683,147
reaching females age 18-49: 650,157 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $44.31 billion (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu,
international: 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