Japan

constitutional monarchyIndependence 660 BC, traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu

Japan as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 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
1991

Every edition of Japan

Populationas each edition published it
124.02 million July 1991 · 123.64m in 1990
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 1991 · 1.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 5 in 1990
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

11 fields
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

  • 29,751 km Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
  • Territorial 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)

Disputes

  • Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands and the Habomai island group occupied by Soviet Union since 1945, claimed by Japan;
  • 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

Land use

  • arable land 13%;
  • permanent crops 1%;
  • meadows and pastures 1%;
  • forest and woodland 67%;
  • other 18%;
  • includes irrigated 9%

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
124,017,137
(July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth
10Death
7Net migration
0
Literacy
99%
(male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)

Infant mortality rate

4 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth

76 years male, 82 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate

1.6 children born/woman (1991)

Nationality

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

Ethnic divisions

Japanese 99.4%, other (mostly Korean) 0.6%

Religion

most Japanese observe both Shinto and Buddhist rites so the percentages add to more than 100%--Shinto 95.8%, Buddhist 76.3%, Christian 1.4%, other 12% (1985)

Language

Japanese

Labor force

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

Organized labor

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

Government

Constitutional monarchy

16 fields

House of Councillors, 252 seats, elected 23 July 1989one dot, one seat

(252 total, 100 elected) LDP 109JSP 67CGP 21JCP 14other 41

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

Constitution

3 May 1947

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 Kiichi MIYAZAWA (since 5 November 1991) Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Toshiki KAIFU, president;
  • Keizo OBUCHI, secretary general;
  • 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, other 41;
  • 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, DSP 14, other parties 5, independents 21;
  • note--9 independents are expected to join the LDP, 5 the JSP

Communists

about 490,000 registered Communist party members

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, COCOM, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

  • Ambassador Ryohei MURATA;
  • 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) 3224-5000;
  • there are US Consulates General in Naha (Okinawa), 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

Imports $234.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990)commodities, where a share is given

manufactures
50%fossil fuels
24%foodstuffs and raw materials
26%
; partners--Southeast Asia 23%, US 23%, Western Europe 18%, Middle East 13%, Communist countries 7%

Budget

Revenues
$499 billionExpenditures
$532 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures (public works only) of $52 billion (FY90)

Overview

Although Japan has few natural resources, since 1971 it has become the world's third-largest 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 global catch.

Overall economic growth has been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1990 strong investment and consumption spending helped maintain growth at 5.6%. Inflation remains low at 3.1% despite higher oil prices and rising wages because of a tight labor market. Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus, $52 billion in 1990, which supports extensive investment in foreign properties.

GNP

$2,115.2 billion, per capita $17,100; real growth rate 5.6% (1990)

Exports

  • $286.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
  • commodities--manufactures 97% (including machinery 38%, motor vehicles 17%, consumer electronics 10%);
  • partners--US 31%, Southeast Asia 29%, Western Europe 21%, Communist countries 3%, Middle East 3%

Industrial production

growth rate 4.6% (1990 est.); accounts for 30% of GDP (mining and manufacturing)

Electricity

191,000,000 kW capacity; 790,000 million kWh produced, 6,390 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • accounts for only 2% 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 11.9 million metric tons in 1988

Economic aid

donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $83.2 billion; ODA outlay of $7.9 billion in 1989

Currency

yen (plural--yen); 1 yen (3) = 100 sen

Exchange rates

yen (3) per US$1--133.88 (January 1991), 144.79 (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, 1,019 ships by type

passenger 9short-sea passenger 55passenger cargo 4cargo 95container 40roll-on/roll-off cargo 33refrigerated cargo 125vehicle carrier 99petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 231chemical tanker 14liquefied gas 41combination ore/oil 11specialized tanker 3bulk 257combination bulk; note--Japan also owns a large flag of convenience fleet, including up to 40% of the total number of ships under Panamanian flag 21,019 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,396,958 GRT/34,683,035 DWT

Airports, 165 total, 157 usable

permanent-surface runways
129runways over 3,659 m
2runways 2,440-3,659 m
29runways 1,220-2,439 m
56

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

360 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

Branches

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Navy), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force), Maritime Safety Agency (Coast Guard)

Manpower availability

  • males 15-49, 32,256,893;
  • 27,771,374 fit for military service;
  • 992,255 reach military age (18) annually

Defense expenditures

$NA, 1.0% of GNP (1990 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Japan.” The World Factbook 1991. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/japan/1991.

How to cite ← 1990 edition 1992 edition →