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Japan | |
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Tourism
Information Places to Visit Other Countries |
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Japan Travel Guide:Facts on Japan |
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| History Geography People Economy Communications Transportation | ||
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Map of Japan and its major cities
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| History | Top of Page | |
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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.
Japan's population, currently some 127 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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| Geography | Top of Page | |
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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 Charleston, South Carolina, with mild winters and wet summers. Okinawa is subtropical. |
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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 | |
| Area |
Total: 377,864sq km (approximately 145,902 sq. mi.) Note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto) Water: 3,091 sq km Land: 374,744 sq km |
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| Area - Comparative | Slightly smaller than California | |
| Land Boundaries | 0 km | |
| Coastline | 29,751 km | |
| Climate | Varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north | |
| Terrain | Mostly rugged and mountainous | |
| Elevation Extremes |
Lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m Highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m |
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| Natural Resources | Negligible mineral resources, fish | |
| Geography Note | Strategic location in northeast Asia | |
| Natural hazards | Many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons | |
| People | Top of Page | |
| Population | 127,433,494 (July 2007 est.) | |
| Age Structure |
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 9,024,344/female 8,553,700) 15-64 years: 65.2% (male 41,841,760/female 41,253,968) 65 years and over: 21% (male 11,312,492/female 15,447,230) (2007 est.) |
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| Nationality |
Noun: Japanese (singular and plural) Adjective: Japanese |
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| Ethnic Groups |
Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.7% 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) |
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| Religions | Observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%) | |
| Language | Japanese | |
| Literacy |
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write Total population: 99% (2002 est.) |
| Government | Top of Page | |
| Country Name |
Conventional long form: Republic of Japan Conventional short form: Japan local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku local short form: Nihon/Nippon |
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| Government Type | Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government | |
| 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) | |
| Flag Description | White with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center | |
| Economy | Top of Page | |
| Overview | Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, 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 has been how manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors have worked 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 have now eroded. 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 55% 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 and an asset price bubble during the late 1980s that required a protracted period of time for firms to reduce excess debt, capital, and labor. From 2000 to 2001, government efforts to revive economic growth proved short lived and were hampered by the slowing of the US, European, and Asian economies. In 2002-07, growth improved and the lingering fears of deflation in prices and economic activity lessened, leading the central bank to raise interest rates to 0.25% in July 2006, up from the near 0% rate of the six years prior, and to 0.50% in February 2007. Japan's huge government debt, which totals 182% 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. Debate also continues on the role of and effects of reform in restructuring the economy, particularly with respect to increasing income disparities and the 2007-17 privatization of Japan Post, which has functioned not only as the national postal delivery system but also, through its banking and insurance facilities, as Japan's largest financial institution. | |
| Currency | Yen | |
| Currency Code | JPY | |
| Communications | Top of Page | |
| Telephone System | Excellent domestic and international service | |
| Internet Country Code | .jp | |
| Transportation | Top of Page | |
| Railways |
total: 23,474 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); 20,182 km 1.067-m gauge (13,334 km electrified); 11 km 0.762-m gauge (11 km electrified) (2006) |
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| Roadways |
total: 1.183 million km paved: 925,000 km (including 6,946 km of expressways) unpaved: 258,000 km (2003) |
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| Waterways | 1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2007) | |
| Ports and Harbors | Akita, Amagasaki, Chiba, Hachinohe, Hakodate, Higashi-Harima, Himeji, Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Kinuura, Kobe, Kushiro, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Sakai, Sakaide, Shimizu, Tokyo, Tomakomai | |
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