Japan

constitutional monarchyIndependence 660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)

Japan as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 78 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

LocationNortheast Asia, off the southeast coast of Russia and east of the Korean

Populationas each edition published it

124.71 million July 1993 est. · 123.64m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.32% 1993 est. · -0.45% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 42 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

79.18 years 1993 est. · 85.2 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.54 children per woman 1993 est. · 1.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

4.3 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 5 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$19,800 1992 · $46,100 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

1.5% 1992 · 0.1% in 2025

Geography

Northeast Asia, off the southeast coast of Russia and east of the Korean | peninsula

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Land useshare of 377,835 km2

arable land 13%meadows and pastures 1%forest and woodland 67%other 18%permanent crops 1% in all · irrigated 28,680 km2 (1989)

Area

377,835km2

land area: 374,744 km2comparative area: slightly smaller than Californianote: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)

Coastline

29,751km

land boundaries: 0 kmexclusive fishing zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm 3 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait

Location

Northeast Asia, off the southeast coast of Russia and east of the Korean peninsula

Map references

Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

International 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

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

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Population

124,711,551

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 0.32% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

10.31Death

7.17Net migration

Labor force

63.33million

by occupation: trade and services 54%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 33%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 7%, government 3% (1988)

Literacy

15and over can read and write

age · (1970)total population: 99%male: NA%female: NA%

Infant mortality rate

4.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 79.18 years
male:: 76.35 years
female:: 82.15 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.54 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Japanese (singular and plural)
adjective:: Japanese

Ethnic divisions

Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean)

Religions

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

Languages

Japanese

Government

Constitutional monarchy

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Names

conventional long form:: none
conventional short form:: Japan

Digraph

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

Legal system

modled after European 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)

Political parties and leaders

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Kiichi MIYAZAWA, president;
Seiroku KAJIYAMA, secretary general;
Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ), Sadao YAMAHANA, Chairman;
Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), Keizo OUCHI, chairman;
Japan Communist Party (JCP), Tetsuzo FUWA, Presidium chairman;
Komeito (Clean Government Party, CGP), Koshiro ISHIDA, chairman;
Japan New Party (JNP), Morihiro HOSOKAWA, chairman

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Elections

House of Councillors:: last held on 26 July 1992 (next to be held NA July 1995);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (252 total) LDP 106, SDPJ 73, CGP 24, DSP 12, JCP 11, JNP 4, other 22
House of Representatives:: last held on 18 February 1990 (next to be held by NA February 1994);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (512 total) LDP 274, SDPJ 137, CGP 46, JCP 16, DSP 13, others 5, independents 6, vacant 15

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)

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), Australia Group, APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, COCOM, CP, CSCE (observer), 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, UNOMOZ, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Takakazu KURIYAMA
chancery:: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: (202) 939-6700
consulates general:: Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland (Oregon)
consulates:: Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Michael H. ARMACOST
embassy:: 10-5, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo
mailing address:: APO AP 96337-0001
telephone:: [81] (3) 3224-5000
FAX:: [81] (3) 3505-1862
consulates general:: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
consulate:: 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.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$19,800

(1992)

Real growth rate

1.5%

(1992)industrial production growth: growth rate -6.0% (1992); accounts for 30% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

2.1%

(1992)

Unemployment rate

2.2%

(1992)

Budget

Revenues

$490 billionExpenditures

$579 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures (public works only) of about $68 billion (FY93)

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-sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 50% of its requirements of 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. Economic growth slowed markedly in 1992 largely because of contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. At the same time, the stronger yen and slower global growth are containing export growth. Unemployment and inflation remain low at 2%. Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus - $107 billion in 1992, up nearly 40% from the year earlier - which supports extensive investment in foreign assets. The crowding of its habitable land area and the aging of its population are two major long-run problems.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.468 trillion (1992)

Exports

$339.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992)

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

$232.7 billion (c.i.f., 1992)

commodities:: manufactures 44%, fossil fuels 33%, foodstuffs and raw materials 23%
partners:: Southeast Asia 25%, US 22%, Western Europe 17%, Middle East 12%, former Communist countries and China 8%

External debt

$NA

Electricity

196,000,000 kW capacity; 835,000 million kWh produced, 6,700 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

steel and non-ferrous metallurgy, heavy electrical equipment, construction and mining equipment, motor vehicles and parts, electronic and telecommunication equipment and components, machine tools and automated production systems, locomotives and railroad rolling stock, shipbuilding, chemicals, textiles, food processing

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 10 million metric tons in 1991

Economic aid

donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $83.2 billion; ODA outlay of $9.1 billion in 1990 (est.)

Currency

1 yen (Y) = 100 sen

Exchange rates

yen (Y) per US$1 - 125.01 (January 1993), 126.65 (1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990), 137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Communications

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Merchant marine, 950 ships by type

passenger 10short-sea passenger 39passenger cargo 1cargo 81container 43roll-on/roll-off cargo 43refrigerated cargo 87vehicle carrier 97oil tanker 240chemical tanker 11liquefied gas 39combination ore/oil 9specialized tanker 2bulk 247multi-function large load carrier; note - Japan also owns a large flag of convenience fleet, including up to 44% of the total number of ships under the Panamanian flag 1950 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,080,149 GRT/32,334,270 DWT

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, 6,400 km other

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

Airports

total:: 162
usable:: 159
with permanent-surface runways:: 132
with runways over 3,659 m:: 2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 32
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 50

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)

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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)