Japan

constitutional monarchyIndependence 660 BC, traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu

Japan as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 72 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalTokyo

Area377,835 km2

Populationas each edition published it

123.64 million July 1990 · 123.2m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.32% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 42 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 79.18 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.6 children per woman 1990 · 1.41 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

5 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 1.8 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $19,800 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.5% in 1993

Geography

13 fields

Land useshare of 377,835 km2

arable land 13%meadows and pastures 1%forest and woodland 67%other 18%permanent crops 1% in allincludes 9% irrigated

Total area

377,835km2

land area: 374,744 km2; includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)Comparative area: slightly smaller than California

Coastline

29,751km

land boundaries: noneTerritorial sea: 12 nm (3 nm in international straits--La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait)

Exclusive fishing zone

200 nm;

Disputes

Habomai Islands, Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands occupied by Soviet Union since 1945, claimed by Japan;
Kuril Islands administered by Soviet Union;
Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea;
Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan

Climate

varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Terrain

mostly rugged and mountainous

Natural resources

negligible mineral resources, fish

Environment

many dormant and some active volcanoes;
about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year;
subject to tsunamis

Note

strategic location in northeast Asia

People

14 fields

Population

123,642,461

(July 1990), growth rate 0.4% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

11Death

7Net migration

Ethnic divisions

Japanese 99.4%other (mostly Korean) 0.6%

Literacy

99%

Infant mortality rate

5 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

76 years male, 82 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate

1.6 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality

noun--Japanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Japanese

Religion

most Japanese observe both Shinto and Buddhist rites; about 16% belong to other faiths, including 0.8% Christian

Language

Japanese

Labor force

63,330,000;
54% trade and services;
33% manufacturing, mining, and construction;
7% agriculture, forestry, and fishing;
3% government (1988)

Organized labor

about 29% of employed workers; 76.4% public service, 57.9% transportation and telecommunications, 48.7% mining, 33.7% manufacturing, 18.2% services, 9.3% wholesale, retail, and restaurant

Government

Constitutional monarchy

17 fields

House of Councillors, 244 seats, elected 23 July 1989one dot, one seat

(252 total, 100 elected) LDP 109JSP 67CGP 21JCP 14others 33

Long-form name

none

Type

constitutional monarchy

Capital

Tokyo

Administrative divisions

47 prefectures (fuken, singular and plural);
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; 3 May 1947, constitutional monarchy established

Constitution

3 May 1947

Legal system

civil law system with English-American influence;
judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holiday

Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)

Executive branch

emperor, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consists of an upper house or House of Councillors (Sangi-in) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Shugi-in)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State--Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989); Head of Government--Prime Minister Toshiki KAIFU (since 9 August 1989)

Political parties and leaders

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Toshiki Kaifu, president;
Japan Socialist Party (JSP), T. Doi, chairman;
Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), Keigo Ouchi, chairman;
Japan Communist Party (JCP), K. Miyamoto, Presidium chairman;
Komeito (Clean Government Party, CGP), Koshiro Ishida, chairman

Suffrage

universal at age 20 House of Councillors--last held on 23 July 1989 (next to be held 23 July 1992);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(252 total, 100 elected) LDP 109, JSP 67, CGP 21, JCP 14, others 33;
House of Representatives--last held on 18 February 1990 (next to be held by February 1993);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(512 total) LDP 275, JSP 136, CGP 45, JCP 16, JDSP 14, other parties 5, independents 21;
note--nine independents are expected to join the LDP, five the JSP

Communists

about 470,000 registered Communist party members

Member of

ADB, ASPAC, CCC, Colombo Plan, DAC, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Nobuo MATSUNAGA;
Chancery at 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 939-6700;
there are Japanese Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland (Oregon), and a Consulate in Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands);
US--Ambassador Michael H. ARMACOST;
Embassy at 10-1, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96503);
telephone [81] (3) 224-5000;
there are US Consulates General in Naha, Osaka-Kobe, and Sapporo and a Consulate in Fukuoka

Flag

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

Economy

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

2.1%

(1989)

Unemployment rate

2.3%

(1989)

Imports $210 billion (c.i.f., 1989)commodities, where a share is given

manufactures

42%fossil fuels

30%foodstuffs

15%nonfuel raw materials

13%

; partners--Southeast Asia 23%, US 23%, Middle East 15%, Western Europe 16%, Communist countries 7%

Budget

Revenues

$392 billionExpenditures

$464 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY89)

Overview

Although Japan has few natural resources, since 1971 it has become the world's third-largest industrial economy, ranking behind only the US and the USSR. Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, and a comparatively small defense allocation have helped Japan advance rapidly, notably in high-technology fields.

Industry, the most important sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. Self-sufficent in rice, Japan must import 50% of its requirements for other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the total global catch.

Overall economic growth has been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1989 strong investment and consumption spending helped maintain growth at nearly 5%. Inflation remains low at 2.1% despite high oil prices and a somewhat weaker yen. Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus, $60 billion in 1989, which supports extensive investment in foreign properties.

GNP

$1,914.1 billion, per capita $15,600; real growth rate 4.8% (1989 est.)

Exports

$270 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--manufactures 97% (including machinery 38%, motor vehicles 17%, consumer electronics 10%);
partners--US 34%, Southeast Asia 22%, Western Europe 21%, Communist countries 5%, Middle East 5%

External debt

$NA

Industrial production

growth rate 9.0% (1989)

Electricity

191,000,000 kW capacity; 700,000 million kWh produced, 5,680 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

metallurgy, engineering, electrical and electronic, textiles, chemicals, automobiles, fishing

Agriculture

accounts for 3% of GNP;
highly subsidized and protected sector, with crop yields among highest in world;
principal crops--rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit;
animal products include pork, poultry, dairy and eggs;
about 50% self-sufficient in food production;
shortages of wheat, corn, soybeans;
world's largest fish catch of 11.8 million metric tons in 1987

Aid

donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $57.5 billion

Currency

yen (plural--yen); 1 yen (Y) = 100 sen

Exchange rates

yen (Y) per US$1--145.09 (January 1990), 137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987), 168.52 (1986), 238.54 (1985)

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 1,088 ships by type

passenger 7short-sea passenger 57passenger cargo 4cargo 108container 44roll-on/roll-off cargo 27refrigerated cargo 135vehicle carrier 117petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 237chemical tanker 21liquefied gas 42combination ore/oil 12specialized tanker 3bulk 272combination bulk 1multifunction large-load carrier 11,088 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,597,688 GRT/36,655,266 DWT

Airports, 165 total, 156 usable

permanent-surface runways

128runways over 3,659 m

2runways 2,440-3,659 m

27runways 1,220-2,439 m

Railroads

27,327 km total;
2,012 km 1.435-meter standard gauge and 25,315 km predominantly 1.067-meter narrow gauge;
5,724 km doubletrack and multitrack sections, 9,038 km 1.067-meter narrow-gauge electrified, 2,012 km 1.435-meter standard-gauge electrified (1987)

Highways

1,098,900 km total;
718,700 km paved, 380,200 km gravel, crushed stone, or unpaved;
3,900 km national expressways, 46,544 km national highways, 43,907 km principal local roads, 86,930 km prefectural roads, and 917,619 other (1987)

Inland waterways

about 1,770 km; seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas

Pipelines

crude oil, 84 km;
refined products, 322 km;
natural gas, 1,800 km

Ports

Chiba, Muroran, Kitakyushu, Kobe, Tomakomai, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Yokkaichi, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Niigata, Fushiki-Toyama, Shimizu, Himeji, Wakayama-Shimozu, Shimonoseki, Tokuyama-Shimomatsu

Civil air

341 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

excellent domestic and international service;
64,000,000 telephones;
stations--318 AM, 58 FM, 12,350 TV (196 major--1 kw or greater);
satellite earth stations--4 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT;
submarine cables to US (via Guam), Philippines, China, and USSR

Defense Forces

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (army), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (navy), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (air force), Maritime Safety Agency (coast guard)

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49

32,181,866fit for military service

27,695,890reach military age (18) annually

1,004,052

Defense expenditures

1.0%of GNP at market prices

(1989 est.)

Branches