Japan

constitutional monarchyIndependence 660 BC, traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu

Japan as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 74 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
1992

Every edition of Japan

Populationas each edition published it
124.46 million July 1992 · 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 1992 · 1.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 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

13 fields
Total area
377,835km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than California
Coastline
29,751km
land boundaries: noneExclusive fishing zone: 200 nmTerritorial 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)

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)

Disputes

  • Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands and the Habomai island group occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, 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
124,460,481
(July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

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 (1992)

Life expectancy at birth

77 years male, 82 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate

1.6 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality

noun - Japanese (singular and plural); adjective - Japanese

Ethnic divisions

Japanese 99.4%, other (mostly Korean) 0.6%

Religions

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)

Languages

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

19 fields

Type

constitutional monarchy

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

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

Leaders

Chief of State:
Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Kiichi MIYAZAWA (since 5 November 1991)

Political parties and leaders

  • Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Kiichi MIYAZAWA, president;
  • Tamisuke WATANUKI, secretary general;
  • Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ), Makoto TANABE, Chairman;
  • Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), Keizo OUCHI, chairman;
  • Japan Communist Party (JCP), Tetsuzo FUWA, Presidium chairman;
  • Komeito (Clean Government Party, CGP), Koshiro ISHIDA, chairman

Suffrage

universal at age 20

Elections

House of Councillors:
  • last held on 23 July 1989 (next to be held 26 July 1992);
  • results - percent of vote by party NA;
  • seats - (263 total) LDP 114, SDPJ 71, CGP 20, JCP 14, other 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 278, SDPJ 137, CGP 46, JCP 16, DSP 13, others 5, independents 6, vacant 11

Communists

about 490,000 registered Communist party members

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), Australia Group, 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, MTCR, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation

  • Ambassador Takakazu KURIYAMA;
  • 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 10-5, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo (mailing address is APO AP 96337-0001);
  • telephone [81] (3) 3224-5000;
  • FAX [81] (3) 3505-1862;
  • 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

Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, and a comparatively | small defense allocation have helped Japan advance with extraordinary | rapidity, notably in high-technology fields.

16 fields

Budget

Revenues
$481 billionExpenditures
$531 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures (public works only) of about $60 billion (FY91)

Overview

Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, and a comparatively small defense allocation have helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity, 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. A major contributor to overall growth of 4.5% in 1991 was net exports, which cushioned the effect of slower growth in domestic demand. Inflation remains low at 3.3% and is easing due to lower oil prices and a stronger yen. Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus, $80 billion in 1991, which supports extensive investment in foreign assets. The increased crowding of its habitable land area and the aging of its population are two major long-run problems.

GDP

purchasing power equivalent - $2,360.7 billion, per capita $19,000; real growth rate 4.5% (1991)

Exports

$314.3 billion (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:
manufactures 97% (including machinery 40%, motor vehicles 18%, consumer electronics 10%)
partners:
Southeast Asia 31%, US 29%, Western Europe 23%, Communist countries 4%, Middle East 3%

Imports

$236.6 billion (c.i.f., 1991)

commodities:
manufactures 50%, fossil fuels 21%, foodstuffs and raw materials 25%
partners:
Southeast Asia 25%, US 22%, Western Europe 17%, Middle East 12%, Communist countries 8%

Industrial production

growth rate 2.1% (1991); accounts for 30% of GDP (mining and manufacturing)

Electricity

196,000,000 kW capacity; 823,000 million kWh produced, 6,640 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

metallurgy, engineering, electrical and electronic, textiles, chemicals, automobiles, fishing, telecommunications, machine tools, construction equipment

Agriculture

  • accounts for only 2% of GDP;
  • 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 $9.1 billion in 1990 (est.)

Currency

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

Exchange rates

yen (Y) per US$1 - 132.70 (March 1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990), 137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 976 ships by type

passenger 10short-sea passenger 40passenger cargo 3cargo 89container 44roll-on/roll-off cargo 36refrigerated cargo 111vehicle carrier 93petroleum tanker 227chemical tanker 11liquefied gas 40combination ore/oil 9specialized tanker 3bulk; note - Japan also owns a large flag of convenience fleet, including up to 55% of the total number of ships under the Panamanian flag 260976 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,684,459 GRT/34,683,035 DWT

Airports, 163 total, 158 usable

permanent-surface runways
131runways | over 3,659 m
2runways 2,440-3,659 m
31runways 1,220-2,439 m
51

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

  • 1,111,974 km total;
  • 754,102 km paved, 357,872 km gravel, crushed stone, or unpaved;
  • 4,400 km national expressways;
  • 46,805 km national highways;
  • 128,539 km prefectural roads;
  • and 930,230 km city, town, and village roads

Inland waterways

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

Pipelines

  • crude oil 84 km;
  • petroleum 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;
  • broadcast 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 Russia

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, 32,219,754;
  • 27,767,280 fit for military service;
  • 1,042,493 reach military age (18) annually

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $36.7 billion, 0.94% of GDP (FY92 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Japan.” The World Factbook 1992. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/japan/1992.

How to cite ← 1991 edition 1993 edition →