1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

36 00 N, 138 00 E -- Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than California

land area

374,744 sq km

note

includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)

total area

377,835 sq km

Climate

varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Coastline

29,751 km

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

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; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94

natural hazards

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

Geographic coordinates

36 00 N, 138 00 E

Geographic note

strategic location in northeast 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

Irrigated land

28,680 sq km (1989)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

13%

forest and woodland

67%

meadows and pastures

1%

other

18%

permanent crops

1%

Location

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

Map references

Asia

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

Terrain

mostly rugged and mountainous

highest point

Fujiyama 3,776 m

lowest point

Hachiro-gata -4 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 16% (male 10,121,414; female 9,644,243) 15-64 years: 69% (male 43,624,464; female 43,359,249) 65 years and over: 15% (male 7,737,781; female 10,962,552) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

10.19 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

7.71 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean)

Infant mortality rate

4.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Japanese

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.68 years (1996 est.)

male

76.57 years

total population

79.55 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

99%

Nationality

adjective

Japanese

noun

Japanese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

125,449,703 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

0.21% (1996 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

all ages

0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.46 children born/woman (1996 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

Constitution

3 May 1947

Data code

JA

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Kunihiko SAITO

telephone

[1] (202) 939-6700

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet was appointed by the prime minister

chief of state

Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989) is a constitutional monarch

head of government

Prime Minister Ryutaro HASHIMOTO (since 11 January 1996) and Deputy Prime Minister Wataru KUBO (since 11 January 1996) were designated by the Diet and appointed by the emperor

FAX

[1] (202) 328-2187

[81] (3) 3505-1862

consulate(s)

Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)

consulate(s)

Fukuoka, Nagoya

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) general

Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo

Flag

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

House of Councillors (Sangi-in)

half of the members elected every three years to six-year terms; elections last held 23 July 1995 (next to be held NA 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (252 total, with 126 up for election) LDP 110 (49 newly won), Shinshinto 56 (40 newly won), SDP 38 (16 newly won), JCP 14 (8 newly won), Sakigate 3 (3 newly won), others 19 (4 newly won), independents 12 (6 newly won); note - the distribution of seats as of 1 March 1996 is as follows - LDP 111, Heisei-kai 69, SDP 35, JCP 14, Sakigake 3, others and independents 19, vacancies 1

House of Representatives (Shugi-in)

all members elected every four years to four-year terms; elections last held 18 July 1993 (next to be held by July 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (511 total) LDP 223, SDP 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 March 1996 is as follows - LDP 207, Shinshinto 170, SDP 63, Sakigake 22, JCP 15, others and independents 19, vacant 15

Independence

660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)

International organization participation

AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G- 2, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNRWA, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the emperor after designation by the cabinet, all other justices are appointed by the cabinet

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Diet (Kokkai)

Name of country

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), Ryutaro HASHIMOTO, president and Koichi KATO, secretary general; Social Democratic Party (SDP), Tomiichi MURAYAMA, president and Kanju SATO, secretary general; Sakigake (Harbinger), Masayoshi TAKEMURA, chairman and Yukio HATOYAMA, secretary general; Shinshinto (New Frontier Party, NFP), Ichiro OZAWA, chairman and Takashi YONEZAWA, secretary general; Japan Communist Party (JCP), Tetsuzo FUWA, presidium chairman

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; 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

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Type of government

constitutional monarchy

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, APO AP 96337-0001

telephone

[81] (3) 3224-5000

Agriculture

rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; world's largest fish catch of 10 million metric tons in 1991

Budget

expenditures

$829 billion, including capital expenditures (public works only) of about $122 billion (1995 est.)

revenues

$595 billion

Currency

yen (Y)

Economic aid

donor

ODA, $11.259 billion (1993)

note

ODA and OOF commitments (1970-95), $143 billion

Economic 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. One notable characteristic of the economy is the working together of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in closely knit groups called keiretsu. A second basic feature has been the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force; this guarantee is slowly eroding. Industry, the most important sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. The much smaller agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the world. 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. For three decades overall economic growth had been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s and 1980s. Growth came to a halt in 1992-95 largely because of the aftereffects of overinvestment during the late 1980s and contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. At yearend 1995, the financial structure is shaky with banks holding hundreds of billions of dollars of suspect assets. At the same time, the continued basic strength of the economy has been reflected in substantial trade surpluses, sizable foreign investments, and remarkably low rates of unemployment, inflation, and social disorder. The crowding of the habitable land area and the aging of the population are two major long-run problems.

Electricity

capacity

205,140,000 kW (1993)

consumption per capita

7,293 kWh (1995)

production

915 billion kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

yen (Y) per US$1 - 105.84 (January 1996), 94.06 (1995), 102.21 (1994), 111.20 (1993), 126.65 (1992), 134.71 (1991)

Exports

$442.84 billion (f.o.b., 1995)

commodities

manufactures 97% (including machinery 46%, motor vehicles 20%, consumer electronics 10%)

partners

Southeast Asia 38%, US 27%, Western Europe 17%, China 5%

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $2.6792 trillion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

2.1%

industry

40.2%

services

57.7% (1994)

GDP per capita

$21,300 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

0.3% (1995 est.)

Imports

$336.09 billion (c.i.f., 1995)

commodities

manufactures 52%, fossil fuels 20%, foodstuffs and raw materials 28%

partners

Southeast Asia 25%, US 22%, Western Europe 16%, China 11%

Industrial production growth rate

3.3% (1995)

Industries

among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of steel and non-ferrous metallurgy, heavy electrical equipment, construction and mining equipment, motor vehicles and parts, electronic and telecommunication equipment, machine tools, automated production systems, locomotives and railroad rolling stock, ships, chemicals; textiles, processed foods

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-0.1% (1995)

Labor force

65.87 million (December 1994)

by occupation

trade and services 54%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 33%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 7%, government 3%, other 3% (1988)

Unemployment rate

3.1% (1995)

Branches

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Navy), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $50.2 billion, 1% of GDP (FY95/96)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

31,833,691

males fit for military service

27,322,517

males reach military age (18) annually

858,912 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 318, FM 58, shortwave 0

Radios

97 million (1993 est.)

Telephone system

excellent domestic and international service

domestic

NA

international

satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean Regions); submarine cables to China, Philippines, Russia, and US (via Guam)

Telephones

64 million (1987 est.)

Television broadcast stations

12,350 (1 kW or greater 196)

Televisions

100 million (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

164

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

34

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

32

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

30

with paved runways over 3 047 m

6

with paved runways under 914 m

60

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

2 (1995 est.)

Heliports

11 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

790,119 km (including 5,054 km of expressways)

total

1,112,844 km

unpaved

322,725 km (1992 est.)

Merchant marine

note

Japan owns an additional 1,587 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 50,072,815 DWT operating under the registries of Panama, Liberia, Vanuatu, The Bahamas, Singapore, Cyprus, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Malta (1995 est.)

ships by type

bulk 192, cargo 57, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 6, container 38, liquefied gas tanker 39, oil tanker 259, passenger 9, passenger-cargo 3, refrigerated cargo 35, roll-on/roll-off cargo 43, short-sea passenger 28, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 77

total

796 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,944,137 GRT/23,662,930 DWT

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

Railways

narrow gauge

72 km 1.372-m gauge (72 km electrified); 23,154 km 1.067-m gauge (13,835 km electrified); 47 km 0.762-m gauge (47 km electrified) (1994)

standard gauge

3,233 km 1.435-m gauge (entirely electrified)

total

26,506 km

Waterways

about 1,770 km; seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas