1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Coastline
29,751 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than California
Disputes
Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands and the Habomai island group occupied by Soviet Union since 1945, claimed by Japan; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea; Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan
Environment
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; subject to tsunamis
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 13%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 67%; other 18%; includes irrigated 9%
Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial 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)
Natural resources
negligible mineral resources, fish
Note
strategic location in northeast Asia
Terrain
mostly rugged and mountainous
Total area
377,835 km2; 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)
People and Society
Birth rate
10 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Japanese 99.4%, other (mostly Korean) 0.6%
Infant mortality rate
4 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
63,330,000; trade and services 54%; manufacturing, mining, and construction 33%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 7%; government 3% (1988)
Language
Japanese
Life expectancy at birth
76 years male, 82 years female (1991)
Literacy
99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)
Nationality
noun--Japanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Japanese
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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%
Population
124,017,137 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
Religion
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)
Total fertility rate
1.6 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
47 prefectures (fuken, singular and plural); 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
Capital
Tokyo
Communists
about 490,000 registered Communist party members
Constitution
3 May 1947
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Ryohei MURATA; 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 10-1, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96503); telephone [81] (3) 3224-5000; there are US Consulates General in Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, and Sapporo and a Consulate in Fukuoka
Elections
House of Councillors--last held on 23 July 1989 (next to be held 23 July 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(252 total, 100 elected) LDP 109, JSP 67, CGP 21, JCP 14, other 41; 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 275, JSP 136, CGP 45, JCP 16, DSP 14, other parties 5, independents 21; note--9 independents are expected to join the LDP, 5 the JSP
Executive branch
emperor, prime minister, Cabinet
Flag
white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center
Independence
660 BC, traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu
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)
Legal system
civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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)
Long-form name
none
Member of
AfDB, AG (observer), 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, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)
Political parties and leaders
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Toshiki KAIFU, president; Keizo OBUCHI, secretary general; Japan Socialist Party (JSP), T. DOI, chairman; Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), Keigo OUCHI, chairman; Japan Communist Party (JCP), K. MIYAMOTO, Presidium chairman; Komeito (Clean Government Party, CGP), Koshiro ISHIDA, chairman
Suffrage
universal at age 20
Type
constitutional monarchy
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for only 2% of GNP; 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
Budget
revenues $499 billion; expenditures $532 billion, including capital expenditures (public works only) of $52 billion (FY90)
Currency
yen (plural--yen); 1 yen (3) = 100 sen
Economic aid
donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $83.2 billion; ODA outlay of $7.9 billion in 1989
Electricity
191,000,000 kW capacity; 790,000 million kWh produced, 6,390 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
yen (3) per US$1--133.88 (January 1991), 144.79 (1990), 137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987), 168.52 (1986), 238.54 (1985)
Exports
$286.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990); commodities--manufactures 97% (including machinery 38%, motor vehicles 17%, consumer electronics 10%); partners--US 31%, Southeast Asia 29%, Western Europe 21%, Communist countries 3%, Middle East 3%
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March
GNP
$2,115.2 billion, per capita $17,100; real growth rate 5.6% (1990)
Imports
$234.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990); commodities--manufactures 50%, fossil fuels 24%, foodstuffs and raw materials 26%; partners--Southeast Asia 23%, US 23%, Western Europe 18%, Middle East 13%, Communist countries 7%
Industrial production
growth rate 4.6% (1990 est.); accounts for 30% of GDP (mining and manufacturing)
Industries
metallurgy, engineering, electrical and electronic, textiles, chemicals, automobiles, fishing, telecommunications
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.1% (1990)
Overview
Although Japan has few natural resources, since 1971 it has become the world's third-largest economy, ranking behind only the US and the USSR. Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, and a comparatively small defense allocation have helped Japan advance rapidly, 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. In 1990 strong investment and consumption spending helped maintain growth at 5.6%. Inflation remains low at 3.1% despite higher oil prices and rising wages because of a tight labor market. Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus, $52 billion in 1990, which supports extensive investment in foreign properties.
Unemployment rate
2.1% (1990)
Communications
Airports
165 total, 157 usable; 129 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 29 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 56 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
360 major transport aircraft
Highways
1,098,900 km total; 718,700 km paved, 380,200 km gravel, crushed stone, or unpaved; 3,900 km national expressways, 46,544 km national highways, 43,907 km principal local roads, 86,930 km prefectural roads, and 917,619 other (1987)
Inland waterways
about 1,770 km; seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas
Merchant marine
1,019 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,396,958 GRT/34,683,035 DWT; includes 9 passenger, 55 short-sea passenger, 4 passenger cargo, 95 cargo, 40 container, 33 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 125 refrigerated cargo, 99 vehicle carrier, 231 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 14 chemical tanker, 41 liquefied gas, 11 combination ore/oil, 3 specialized tanker, 257 bulk, 2 combination bulk; note--Japan also owns a large flag of convenience fleet, including up to 40% of the total number of ships under Panamanian flag
Pipelines
crude oil, 84 km; refined 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
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)
Telecommunications
excellent domestic and international service; 64,000,000 telephones; 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 USSR
Military and Security
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)
Defense expenditures
$NA, 1.0% of GNP (1990 est.) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 32,256,893; 27,771,374 fit for military service; 992,255 reach military age (18) annually