Japan

total:

90.04 cu km/yr (20%/18%/62%)

per capita:

714.3 cu m/yr (2007)

• many dormant and some active volcanoes;
• about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors but occasional severe earthquakes) every year;
• tsunamis;
• typhoons

volcanism:

• both Unzen (elev. 1,500 m) and Sakura-jima (elev. 1,117 m), which lies near the densely populated city of Kagoshima, have been deemed "Decade Volcanoes" by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations;
• other notable historically active volcanoes include
  • Asama,
  • Honshu Island's most active volcano,
  • Aso,
  • Bandai,
  • Fuji,
  • Iwo-Jima,
  • Kikai,
  • Kirishima,
  • Komaga-take,
  • Oshima,
  • Suwanosejima,
  • Tokachi,
  • Yake-dake,
  • and Usu

• air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain;
• acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life;
• Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere

noun:

Japanese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Japanese

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.08 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.98 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.76 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Japan

local long form:

Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku

local short form:

Nihon/Nippon

name:

Tokyo

geographic coordinates:

35 41 N, 139 45 E

time difference:

UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

• 3 May 1947 (current constitution adopted as amendment to Meiji Constitution);
• notable earlier dates: 660 B.C. (traditional date of the founding of the nation by Emperor JIMMU);
• 29 November 1890 (Meiji Constitution provides for constitutional monarchy)

• civil law system based on German model;
• system also reflects Anglo-American influence and Japanese traditions;
• judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

chief of state:

Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)

head of government:

Prime Minister Shinzo ABE (since 26 December 2012); Deputy Prime Minister Taro ASO (since 26 December 2012)

cabinet:

Cabinet is appointed by the prime minister; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• Diet, the bicameral legislature, designates the prime minister;
• constitution requires that the prime minister commands parliamentary majority;
• following legislative elections, the leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition in House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister;
• the monarchy is hereditary

• bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in (242 seats - members elected for fixed six-year terms; 146 members in multi-seat constituencies and 96 by proportional representation) half elected every three years;
• and the House of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for maximum four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by proportional representation in 11 regional blocs);
• the prime minister has the right to dissolve the House of Representatives at any time with the concurrence of the cabinet

elections:

• House of Councillors - last held on 21 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2016);
• House of Representatives - last held on 16 December 2012 (next to be held by 15 December 2016)

election results:

• House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA;
• seats by party - LPD 115, DPJ 59, New Komeito 20, Your Party 18, JCP 11, JRP 9, SDP 3, others 4, independents 3

;

• House of Representatives - percent of vote by party (by proportional representation) - LDP 31.6%, DPJ 16.6%, JRP 22.2%, New Komeito 12.2%, Your Party 7.7%, JCP 4.4%, TRP 3.9%, others 1.4%;
• seats by party LDP 294, DPJ 57, JRP 54, New Komeito 31, Your Party 18, TPJ 9, JCP 8, others 4, independents 5

highest court(s):

Supreme Court or Saiko saibansho (consists of the chief justice and 14 associate justices); note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in constitutional issues

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court chief justice designated by the Cabinet and appointed by the monarch;
• associate justices appointed by the Cabinet and confirmed by the monarch;
• all justices are reviewed in a popular referendum at the first general election of the House of Representatives following each judge's appointment and every 10 years afterward

subordinate courts:

• 8 High Courts (Koto-saiban-sho), each with a Family Court (Katei-saiban-sho);
• 50 District Courts (Chiho saibansho), with 203 additional branches;
• 438 Summary Courts (Kani saibansho)

• Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Banri KAIEDA]
• Japan Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]
• Japan Restoration Party or JRP [Shintaro ISHIHARA]
• Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Shinzo ABE]
• New Komeito or NK [Natsuo YAMAGUCHI]
• People's Life Party or PF [Ichiro OZAWA]
• Social Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho FUKUSHIMA]
• Tomorrow Party of Japan or TPJ [Tomoko ABE]
• Your Party or YP [Yoshimi WATANABE]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Caroline Bouvier KENNEDY (since 19 November 2013)

embassy:

1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420

mailing address:

Unit 9800, Box 300, APO AP 96303-0300

telephone:

[81] (03) 3224-5000

FAX:

[81] (03) 3505-1862

consulate(s) general:

Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo

consulate(s):

Fukuoka, Nagoya

• rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit;
• pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs;
• fish

agriculture:

3.9%

industry:

26.2%

services:

69.8% (2010 est.)

lowest 10%:

1.9%

highest 10%:

27.5% (2008)

• motor vehicles 13.6%;
• semiconductors 6.2%;
• iron and steel products 5.5%;
• auto parts 4.6%;
• plastic materials 3.5%;
• power generating machinery 3.5%

• petroleum 15.5%;
• liquid natural gas 5.7%;
• clothing 3.9%;
• semiconductors 3.5%;
• coal 3.5%;
• audio and visual apparatus 2.7% (2011 est.)

general assessment:

excellent domestic and international service

domestic:

high level of modern technology and excellent service of every kind

international:

• country code - 81;
• numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US;
• satellite earth stations - 7 Intelsat (Pacific and Indian Oceans), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), 2 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions), and 8 SkyPerfect JSAT (2012)

• a mixture of public and commercial broadcast TV and radio stations;
• 6 national terrestrial TV networks including 1 public broadcaster;
• the large number of radio and TV stations available provide a wide range of choices;
• satellite and cable services provide access to international channels (2012)

total:

27,182 km

country comparison to the world: 11

standard gauge:

4,251 km 1.435-m gauge (4,251 km electrified)

dual gauge:

486 km 1.435-1.067-m gauge (486 km electrified)

narrow gauge:

• 96 km 1.372-m gauge (96 km electrified);
• 22,301 km 1.067-m gauge (15,222 km electrified);
• 48 km 0.762-m gauge (48 km electrified) (2009)

total:

1,210,251 km

country comparison to the world: 6

paved:

973,234 km (includes 7,803 km of expressways)

unpaved:

237,017 km (2010)

• 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
• no conscription;
• mandatory retirement at age 53 for senior enlisted personnel and at 62 years for senior service officers (2012)

males age 16-49:

27,301,443

females age 16-49:

26,307,003 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

22,390,431

females age 16-49:

21,540,322 (2010 est.)

male:

623,365

female:

591,253 (2010 est.)

• the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities;
• Japan and South Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) occupied by South Korea since 1954;
• China and Taiwan dispute both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting