Japan

constitutional monarchyIndependence 660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)

Japan as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 82 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 sq km

LocationEastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean

Populationas each edition published it

125.51 million July 1995 est. · 123.64m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.32% 1995 est. · 0.32% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 42 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

79.44 years 1995 est. · 79.18 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.56 children per woman 1995 est. · 1.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

4.3 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 5 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$20,200 1994 est. · $19,800 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

0.6% 1994 est. · 1.5% in 1993

Geography

Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean | and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean peninsula

14 fields

Land useshare of 377,835 sq km

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

Area

377,835sq km

land area: 374,744 sq kmcomparative 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

Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean peninsula

Map references

Asia

International disputes

islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai 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

current issues:: air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain;
acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life;
Japan's appetite for fish and tropical timber is contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere
natural hazards:: many dormant and some active volcanoes;
about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year;
tsunamis
international agreements:: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling;
signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea

Note

strategic location in northeast Asia

People

15 fields

Population

125,506,492

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 0.32% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

10.66Death

7.46Net migration

Labor force

65.87million

(December 1994)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 est.)total population: 99%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 16% (female 9,955,603; male 10,542,973)
15-64 years:: 69% (female 43,377,425; male 43,843,645)
65 years and over:: 15% (female 10,514,017; male 7,272,829) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

4.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 79.44 years
male:: 76.6 years
female:: 82.42 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.56 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

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

Ethnic divisions

Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean)

Religions

observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including 0.7% Christian)

Languages

Japanese

Government

Constitutional monarchy; Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989); Prime Minister Tomiichi MURAYAMA (since 30 June 1994)

22 fields

Legislature, 252 seatsone dot, one seat

LDP 106SDPJ 73Komeito 24DSP 12JCP 11JNP 4others 16independents 6

Legislature, 511 seatsseats by party

LDP 223SDPJ 70Shinseito 55Komeito 51JNP 35JCP 15DSP 15Sakigake 13others 4independents 30

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)

National holiday

Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)

Constitution

3 May 1947

Legal system

modeled after European 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 branch

chief of state:: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
head of government:: Prime Minister Tomiichi MURAYAMA (since 30 June 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Yohei KONO (since 30 June 1994)
cabinet:: Cabinet; appointed by the prime minister

Legislative branch

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

House of Councillors (Sangi-in)

half of the members elected every three years to six-year terms;
elections last held on 26 July 1992 (next set to be held 23 July 1995);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (252 total) LDP 106, SDPJ 73, Komeito 24, DSP 12, JCP 11, JNP 4, others 16, independents 6;
note - the distribution of seats as of 1 April 1995 is as follows - LDP 94, SDPJ 68, Heisei-kai 47, Shin Ryokufu-kai 16, JCP 11, others 15, vacant 1

House of Representatives (Shugi-in)

all members elected every four years to four-year terms;
elections last held on 18 July 1993 (next to be held by 1997);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (511 total) LDP 223, SDPJ 70, Shinseito 55, Komeito 51, JNP 35, JCP 15, DSP 15, Sakigake 13, others 4, independents 30;
note - the distribution of seats as of 1 April 1995 is as follows - LDP 207, Shinshinto 173, SDPJ 70, Sakigake 21, JCP 15, others 19, vacant 6

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Yohei KONO, president and Yoshiro MORI, secretary general;
Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ), Tomiichi MURAYAMA;
Japan Communist Party (JCP), Tetsuzo FUWA, Presidium chairman;
Sakigake (Harbinger), Masayoshi TAKEMURA, chairman;
Shinshinto (New Frontier Party, NFP), Toshiki KAIFU, chairman and Ichiro OZAWA, secretary general

note: Shinshinto was formed in December 1994 by the merger of Shinseito (Japan Renewal Party, JRP), Komeito (Clean Government Party, CGP), Japan New Party (JNP), Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), and several minor groups;

Shin Ryokufu-kai is a parliamentary alliance which exists only in the upper house, it includes remnants of Shinseito, JNP, DSP, and a minor labor group; Heisei-kai is a joint bloc of Shinshinto and Komei members; Komei is a group formed from what remains of Komeito in the upper house

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G- 2, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOMOZ, UNRWA, UNU, 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:: [1] (202) 939-6700

FAX

[1] (202) 328-2187

consulate(s) general:: Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, and Seattle
consulate(s):: Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Walter F. MONDALE
embassy:: 10-5, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo
mailing address:: Unit 45004, Box 258, Tokyo; APO AP 96337-0001
telephone:: [81] (3) 3224-5000

FAX

[81] (3) 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 center

Economy

18 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$20,200

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

0.6%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 1% (1994); accounts for 30% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

0.7%

(1994)

Unemployment rate

2.9%

(1994)

Budget

Revenues

$569 billionExpenditures

$671 billion (1994 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures (public works only) of about $126 billion

Installed generating capacity, 205,140,000 kW

Electricity production

840 billionElectricity consumption per capita

6,262 (1993)

Overview

Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (roughly 1% of GDP) have helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of second most powerful economy in the world. Industry, the most important sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels.

Usually 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 came to a halt in 1992-93 largely because of contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. Growth resumed at a 0.6% pace in 1994 largely because of consumer demand. As for foreign trade, the stronger yen and slower global growth are containing export growth.

Unemployment and inflation remain remarkably low in comparison with the other industrialized nations. Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus - $121 billion in 1994, roughly the same size as in 1993 - which supports extensive investment in foreign assets. Prime Minister MURAYAMA has yet to formalize his government's plans for administrative and economic reform, including reduction in the trade surplus.

As leader of a coalition government, he has softened his own socialist positions. The crowding of the habitable land area and the aging of the population are two major long-run problems.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $2.5274 trillion (1994 est.)

Exports

$395.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994)

commodities:: manufactures 97% (including machinery 46%, motor vehicles 20%, consumer electronics 10%)
partners:: Southeast Asia 33%, US 29%, Western Europe 18%, China 5%

Imports

$274.3 billion (c.i.f., 1994)

commodities:: manufactures 52%, fossil fuels 20%, foodstuffs and raw materials 28%
partners:: Southeast Asia 25%, US 23%, Western Europe 15%, China 9%

External debt

$NA

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 (1970-94), $132 billion note: ODA outlay of $9.9 billion in 1994 (est.)

Currency

yen (Y)

Exchange rates

yen (Y) per US$1 - 99.75 (January 1995), 102.21 (1994), 111.20 (1993), 126.65 (1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 175 in all

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

1,111,974Railroads

27,327

Highways: paved: 754,102 km (including 4,869 km of national expressways) · unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, or earth 357,872 km (1991) · Railroads: (5,724 km double track and multitrack sections) · standard gauge: 2,012 km 1.435-m gauge (2,012 km electrified) · narrow gauge: 25,315 km predominantly 1.067-m gauge (9,038 km electrified) (1987)

Railroads

total:: 27,327 km (5,724 km double track and multitrack sections)
standard gauge:: 2,012 km 1.435-m gauge (2,012 km electrified)
narrow gauge:: 25,315 km predominantly 1.067-m gauge (9,038 km electrified) (1987)

Highways

total:: 1,111,974 km
paved:: 754,102 km (including 4,869 km of national expressways)
unpaved:: gravel, crushed stone, or earth 357,872 km (1991)

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

Akita, Amagasaki, Chiba, Hachinohe, Hakodate, Higashi-Harima, Himeji, Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Kinuura, Kobe, Kushiro, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Sakai, Sakaide, Shimizu, Tokyo, Tomakomai

Merchant marine

total:: 851 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,195,386 GRT/27,292,044 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 210, cargo 63, chemical tanker 7, combination ore/oil 7, container 41, liquefied gas tanker 41, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 264, passenger 10, passenger-cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 48, roll-on/roll-off cargo 43, short-sea passenger 30, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 79

note: Japan owns an additional 1,537 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 45,490,202 DWT that operate under Panamanian, Liberian, Vanuatu, Bahamian, Singaporian, Cypriot, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Maltese registry

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

64,000,000 telephones; excellent domestic and international service

local:: NA
intercity:: NA
international:: 5 INTELSAT (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations; submarine cables to US (via Guam), Philippines, China, and Russia