1993 Edition

Area

total area: 377,835 km2 land area: 374,744 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than California note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)

Climate

varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Coastline

29,751 km

Environment

many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; subject to tsunamis

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

Irrigated land

28,680 km2 (1989)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 13% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 67% other: 18%

Location

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

Map references

Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial 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

Natural resources

negligible mineral resources, fish

Note

strategic location in northeast Asia

Terrain

mostly rugged and mountainous

Birth rate

10.31 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

7.17 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean)

Infant mortality rate

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

Labor force

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

Languages

Japanese

Life expectancy at birth

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

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1970) total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality

noun: Japanese (singular and plural) adjective: Japanese

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

124,711,551 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

0.32% (1993 est.)

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%

Total fertility rate

1.54 children born/woman (1993 est.)

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

Capital

Tokyo

Chief of State

Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)

Constitution

3 May 1947

Digraph

JA

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)

Executive branch

Emperor, prime minister, Cabinet

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

Head of Government

Prime Minister Kiichi MIYAZAWA (since 5 November 1991)

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

Independence

660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

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

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)

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

Names

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Japan

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

Type

constitutional monarchy

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

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

Budget

revenues $490 billion; expenditures $579 billion, including capital expenditures (public works only) of about $68 billion (FY93)

Currency

1 yen (Y) = 100 sen

Economic aid

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

Electricity

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

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)

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%

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

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%

Industrial production

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

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.1% (1992)

National product

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

National product per capita

$19,800 (1992)

National product real growth rate

1.5% (1992)

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

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.

catch. Overall economic growth has been spectacular

a 10% average in the

Unemployment rate

2.2% (1992)

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

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

Merchant marine

950 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,080,149 GRT/32,334,270 DWT; includes 10 passenger, 39 short-sea passenger, 1 passenger cargo, 81 cargo, 43 container, 43 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 87 refrigerated cargo, 97 vehicle carrier, 240 oil tanker, 11 chemical tanker, 39 liquefied gas, 9 combination ore/oil, 2 specialized tanker, 247 bulk, 1 multi-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

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

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; 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

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

exchange rate conversion - $37 billion, 0.94% of GDP (FY93/94 est.)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 32,134,496; fit for military service 27,689,029; reach military age (18) annually 1,002,998 (1993 est.)