CIA - The World Factbook -- Japan

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The World Factbook

Japan

Introduction

Japan

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 more than two centuries 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, elected politicians - with heavy input from bureaucrats and business executives - wield actual decisionmaking power. 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.

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Geography

Japan 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 references: Asia 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 (Kazanretto)
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than California Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 29,751 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the

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 extremes: lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m

highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m

Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish Land use: arable land: 11.64%

permanent crops: 0.9% other: 87.46% (2005)

Irrigated land: 25,920 sq km (2003) Total renewable water resources: 430 cu km (1999) Freshwater withdrawal total: 88.43 cu km/yr (20%/18%/62%) (domestic/industrial/agricultural): per capita: 690 cu m/yr (2000) Natural hazards: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500

seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons

Environment - current issues: air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid

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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
Environment - international party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarcticagreements: Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic

Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate ChangeKyoto 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 - note: strategic location in northeast Asia People Japan

Population: 127,288,416 (July 2008 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 13.7% (male 8,926,439/female 8,460,629)

15-64 years: 64.7% (male 41,513,061/female 40,894,057) 65 years and over: 21.6% (male 11,643,845/female 15,850,388) (2008 est.)
Median age: total: 43.8 years

male: 42.1 years female: 45.7 years (2008 est.)

Population -0.139% (2008 est.) growth rate: Birth rate: 7.87 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) Death rate: 9.26 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) Net migration NA (2008 est.) rate: Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality total: 2.8 deaths/1,000 live births rate: male: 3 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy total population: 82.07 years at birth: male: 78.73 years

female: 85.59 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility 1.22 children born/woman (2008 est.)

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rate: HIV/AIDS - adult less than 0.1% (2003 est.) 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 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.6%

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)

School life total: 15 years expectancy male: 15 years (primary to female: 15 years (2006) tertiary education): Education 3.5% of GDP (2005) expenditures: Government Japan

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 41 N, 139 45 E time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative 47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, divisions: Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki,

Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita,

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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 German 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 Taro ASO (since 24 September

2008) 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
Legislative bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangibranch: 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 Shugiin (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 29 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2010); 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 - DPJ 109, LDP 83, Komeito 20, JCP 7, SDP 5, others 18 House of Representatives - percent of vote by party (in single-seat constituencies) - LDP 47.8%, DPJ 36.4%, others 15.8%; seats by party LDP 296, DPJ 113, Komeito 31, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 24 (2007)
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 Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Ichiro OZAWA]; Japan Communist and leaders: Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]; Komeito [Akihiro OTA]; Liberal Democratic

Party or LDP [Taro ASO]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho FUKUSHIMA]
Political other: business groups; trade unions pressure groups and

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leaders: International ADB, AfDB (nonregional members), APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN organization (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN participation: (observer), CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA,

IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Ichiro FUJISAKI representation chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 in the US: 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: 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 without rays) in the description: center Economy Japan

Economy - Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high overview: 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

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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. In addition, the 10-year 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, was completed in October 2007, marking a major milestone in the process of structural reform. Nevertheless, 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.
GDP $4.272 trillion (2007 est.) (purchasing power parity): GDP (official $4.384 trillion (2007 est.) exchange rate): GDP - real 2% (2007 est.) growth rate: GDP - per capita $33,500 (2007 est.) (PPP): GDP - agriculture: 1.4% composition by industry: 26.5% sector: services: 72% (2007 est.) Labor force: 66.69 million (2007 est.) Labor force - by agriculture: 4.6% occupation: industry: 27.8%

services: 67.7% (2004)

Unemployment 3.8% (2007 est.) rate: Population NA% below poverty line: Household lowest 10%: 4.8% income or highest 10%: 21.7% (1993) consumption by percentage share:

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Distribution of 38.1 (2002) family income Gini index: Inflation rate 0.1% (2007 est.) (consumer prices): Investment 23.2% of GDP (2007 est.) (gross fixed): Budget: revenues: $1.462 trillion

expenditures: $1.567 trillion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 170% of GDP (2007 est.) Agriculture - rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; products: 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 1.3% (2007 est.) production growth rate: Electricity - 1.025 trillion kWh (2005) production: Electricity - fossil fuel: 60% production by hydro: 8.4% source: nuclear: 29.8%

other: 1.8% (2001)

Electricity - 974.2 billion kWh (2005) consumption: Electricity - 0 kWh (2005) exports: Electricity - 0 kWh (2005) imports: Oil - production: 125,000 bbl/day (2006) Oil - 5.353 million bbl/day (2005) consumption: Oil - exports: 94,830 bbl/day (2004) Oil - imports: 5.425 million bbl/day (2004) Oil - proved 58.5 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.) reserves: Natural gas - 4.85 billion cu m (2005 est.) production:

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Natural gas - 83.67 billion cu m (2005 est.) consumption: Natural gas - 0 cu m (2005 est.) exports: Natural gas - 77.6 billion cu m (2005) imports: Natural gas - 38.02 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) proved reserves: Current account $210.5 billion (2007 est.) balance: Exports: $678.1 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.) Exports - transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical commodities: machinery, chemicals Exports - US 20.4%, China 15.3%, South Korea 7.6%, Taiwan 6.3%, Hong Kong partners: 5.4% (2007) Imports: $573.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.) Imports - machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, raw commodities: materials Imports - China 20.5%, US 11.6%, Saudi Arabia 5.7%, UAE 5.2%, Australia 5%, partners: South Korea 4.4%, Indonesia 4.2% (2007) Economic aid - ODA, $11.19 billion (2006) donor: Reserves of $954.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.) foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: $1.492 trillion (30 June 2007) Stock of direct $110.8 billion (2007 est.) foreign investment - at home: Stock of direct $533.1 billion (2007 est.) foreign investment abroad: Market value of $4.737 trillion (2005) publicly traded shares: Currency yen (JPY) (code): Currency code: JPY

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Exchange rates: yen per US dollar - 117.99 (2007), 116.18 (2006), 110.22 (2005), 108.19

(2004), 115.93 (2003)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications Japan Telephones - 51.232 million (2007) main lines in use: Telephones - 107.339 million (2007) mobile cellular: Telephone general assessment: excellent domestic and international service 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 - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions
Radio AM 215 (plus 370 repeaters), FM 89 (plus 485 repeaters), shortwave 21 broadcast (2001) stations: Radios: 120.5 million (1997) Television 211 (plus 7,341 repeaters); in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV broadcast stations and 2 TV cable services (1999) stations: Televisions: 86.5 million (1997) Internet country .jp code: Internet hosts: 33.333 million (2007) Internet Service 73 (2000) Providers (ISPs): Internet users: 88.11 million (2007) Transportation Japan Airports: 176 (2007) Airports - with total: 145 paved runways: over 3,047 m: 7

2,438 to 3,047 m: 41 1,524 to 2,437 m: 40 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 29 (2007)

Airports - with total: 31

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unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 4 runways: under 914 m: 27 (2007) Heliports: 14 (2007) Pipelines: gas 3,939 km; oil 170 km; oil/gas/water 104 km (2007) 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)
Roadways: total: 1.193 million km

paved: 942,000 km (includes 7,383 km of expressways) unpaved: 251,000 km (2005)

Waterways: 1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2007) Merchant total: 673 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,598,158 GRT/11,597,912 DWT marine: by type: bulk carrier 135, cargo 30, carrier 3, chemical tanker 24,

container 10, liquefied gas 58, passenger 12, passenger/cargo 133, petroleum tanker 155, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 51, vehicle carrier 60 registered in other countries: 2,875 (Australia 1, Bahamas 73, Belize 2, Bermuda 2, Cambodia 3, Cayman Islands 12, China 2, Cyprus 21, France 1, Honduras 4, Hong Kong 85, Indonesia 5, Isle of Man 4, Italy 2, Liberia 114, Malaysia 4, Malta 4, Marshall Islands 8, Norway 1, Panama 2280, Philippines 83, Portugal 15, Singapore 109, South Korea 3, Thailand 3, UK 3, Vanuatu 29, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and Chiba, Kawasaki, Kobe, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, terminals: Tomakomai, Yohohama Military Japan

Military Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD): Ground Self-Defense Force branches: (Rikujou Jietai, GSDF), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Kaijou Jietai,

MSDF), Air Self-Defense Force (Koku Jieitai, ASDF) (2008)

Military service 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001) age and obligation: Manpower males age 16-49: 27,819,804 available for females age 16-49: 26,863,794 (2008 est.) military service: Manpower fit for males age 16-49: 22.963 million military service: females age 16-49: 22,134,127 (2008 est.) Manpower male: 622,168 reaching female: 590,153 (2008 est.) militarily significant age annually:

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Military 0.8% of GDP (2006) expenditures: Transnational Japan Issues Disputes - the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and international: 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
This page was last updated on 2 October, 2008

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