Japan
Country Guide

Explore Japan

Japan with its capital Tokyo is located in Asia (Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan). It covers some 377,916 square kilometers (slightly smaller than California) with 126,451,000 citizens. Japanese is the official language used in Japan. Thiscountry has no land-based border with any other country.

Japan known as Nihon or Nippon in Japanese, is an island nation in East Asia.The Land of the Rising Sun is a country where the past meets the future. Japanese culture stretches back millennia, yet has also adopted (and created) the latest modern fashions and trends. Cities are as modern and high tech as anywhere else, but tumbledown wooden shacks can still be spotted next to glass fronted designer condominiums. On an average subway ride, you might see childishly cute character toys and incredibly violent pornography - sometimes enjoyed by the same passenger, at the same time!

Popular Destinations in Japan

Administrative regions of Japan

• Aichi-ken
• Akita
• Aomori
• Chiba
• Ehime
• Fukui
• Fukuoka
• Fukushima-ken
• Gifu
• Gunma
• Hiroshima
• Hokkaido
• Hyogo
• Ibaraki
• Ishikawa-ken
• Iwate
• Kagawa-ken
• Kagoshima-ken
• Kanagawa
• Kochi
• Kumamoto
• Kyoto
• Mie-ken
• Miyagi
• Miyazaki
• Nagano
• Nagasaki
• Nara-ken
• Niigata
• Oita Prefecture
• Okayama-ken
• Okinawa
• Osaka
• Saga-ken
• Saitama
• Shiga
• Shimane
• Shizuoka
• Tochigi
• Tokushima
• Tokyo
• Tottori
• Toyama
• Wakayama
• Yamagata
• Yamaguchi
• Yamanashi

About the country

The topography is mostly rugged and mountainous. The average density of population is about 335 per km². The climate in Japan can be described as varying from tropical in south to cool temperate in north. Potential natural disasters are about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors but occasional severe earthquakes) every year, both Unzen (1,500 m) and Sakura-jima (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 , many dormant and some active volcanoes, tsunamis and typhoons.

To reach someone Japan dial +81 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".jp". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 100 V - 50 Hz / 60 Hz (plugs: A, B). The sign for the locally used currency Yen is JPY.

White with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center.

In 1603, after decades of civil warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports after signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and an ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians hold actual decision-making power. Following three decades of unprecedented growth, Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, but the country remains an economic power. In March 2011, Japan's strongest-ever earthquake, and an accompanying tsunami, devastated the northeast part of Honshu island, killed thousands, and damaged several nuclear power plants. The catastrophe hobbled the country's economy and its energy infrastructure, and tested its ability to deal with humanitarian disasters. Prime Minister Shinzo ABE was reelected to office in December 2012, and has since embarked on ambitious economic and security reforms to improve Japan's economy and bolster the country's international standing.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 63)	377,915	sq km
Land (World Rank: 61)	364,485	sq km
Water (World Rank: 39)	13,430	sq km
Comparative	slightly smaller than California
Note	includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Coastline
29751
Elevation
Lowest point (World Rank: 46)	-4	m
Highest point (World Rank: 48)	3,776	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 182)	12.50	%
Arable (World Rank: 98)	11.70	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 132)	0.80	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 24)	24,690	sq km
Map reference
Asia
Environment
Issues	- acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life - air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain - but it has now implemented a new policy of seeking to restart nuclear power plants that meet strict new safety standards - contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere - following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster - Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber - Japan originally planned to phase out nuclear power
Agreement party	- Antarctic Seals - Antarctic Treaty - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol - Antarctic-Marine Living Resources - Biodiversity - Climate Change - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol - Desertification - Endangered Species - Environmental Modification - Hazardous Wastes - Law of the Sea - Marine Dumping - Ozone Layer Protection - Ship Pollution - Tropical Timber 83 - Tropical Timber 94 - Wetlands - Whaling
Hazzards	- about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors but occasional severe earthquakes) every year - both Unzen (1,500 m) and Sakura-jima (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 - many dormant and some active volcanoes - tsunamis - typhoons
Location
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Climate
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain
mostly rugged and mountainous

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 10)	126,451,000
Deathrate (World Rank: 43)	0.98	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 220)	0.77	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 204)	-0.21	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 207)	1.41	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 3)	46.00
Female (World Rank: 2)	48.70
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 21)	8,361,610
0 14 female (World Rank: 21)	7,875,040
15 24 male (World Rank: 17)	6,417,080
15 24 female (World Rank: 18)	5,778,900
25 54 male (World Rank: 11)	23,435,300
25 54 female (World Rank: 11)	23,980,800
55 64 male (World Rank: 7)	7,692,420
55 64 female (World Rank: 7)	7,665,160
65 x male (World Rank: 4)	15,397,300
65 x female (World Rank: 4)	19,847,800
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 220)	0.20	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 2)	85	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 2)	89	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 3)	82	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 66)	2.30
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 2)	13.70
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 15)	100.00	%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 186)	4.30	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 22)	100.00	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 5)	976,300,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 4)	933,600,000,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 131)	59.50	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 109)	12.50	%
Source renew (World Rank: 46)	15.00	%
Crude oil
Production (World Rank: 83)	3,918	bbl / day
Imports (World Rank: 4)	3,181,000	bbl / day
Proved reserves (World Rank: 79)	44,120,000	bbl
Refined products
Production (World Rank: 5)	3,536,000	bbl / day
Consumption (World Rank: 4)	4,026,000	bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 20)	381,100	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 4)	1,141,000	bbl / day
Natural gas
Production (World Rank: 52)	4,453,000,000	m³
Consumption (World Rank: 9)	123,600,000,000	m³
Import (World Rank: 39)	0	m³
Carbon footprint
1257000000

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Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 115)	4	% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 120)	1	% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 24)	10	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 144)	-5	% of GDP
National symbol
red sun disc
National colours
white
Adjective
Japanese
Noun
Japanese (singular and plural)
Background
In 1603, after decades of civil warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports after signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and an ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians hold actual decision-making power. Following three decades of unprecedented growth, Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, but the country remains an economic power. In March 2011, Japan's strongest-ever earthquake, and an accompanying tsunami, devastated the northeast part of Honshu island, killed thousands, and damaged several nuclear power plants. The catastrophe hobbled the country's economy and its energy infrastructure, and tested its ability to deal with humanitarian disasters. Prime Minister Shinzo ABE was reelected to office in December 2012, and has since embarked on ambitious economic and security reforms to improve Japan's economy and bolster the country's international standing.
Flag description
white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 4)	5,233,000,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 172)	1.00	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 41)	41,200	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 195)	1.10	%
Source industry (World Rank: 78)	29.60	%
Source service (World Rank: 71)	69.40	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 8)	66,730,000
In poverty (World Rank: 125)	16.10	%
Products
Industries	- chemicals - electronic equipment - machine tools - most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles - nonferrous metals - processed foods - ships - steel - textiles
Agriculture	- barley - beef - dairy products - fish - flowers - fruit - legumes - pork - potatoes - poultry - rice - sugarcane - taros - tea - vegetables - wheat - yams
Exports	- auto parts - iron - motor vehicles - plastic materials - power generating machinery - semiconductors - steel products
Imports	- audio - clothing - coal - liquid natural gas - petroleum - semiconductors - visual apparatus

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 3)	64,024,900
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 18)	51.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 51)	130.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 5)	116,566,000
Population (World Rank: 18)	92.00	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 16)	142.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 78)	33.00
Heliports (World Rank: 15)	16.00
Rail
Total length (World Rank: 11)	27,311
Road
Total length (World Rank: 6)	1,218,770
Paved length (World Rank: 4)	992,835
Unpaved length (World Rank: 10)	225,937
Water
Total length (World Rank: 46)	1,770

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