2015 Edition

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.

Area

land

364,485 sq km

note

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

total

377,915 sq km

water

13,430 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than California

Climate

varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Coastline

29,751 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Fuji 3,776 m

lowest point

Hachiro-gata -4 m

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 is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere; following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan now seeks to make itself nuclear free by the 2030s

Environment - international agreements

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, 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

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

714.3 cu m/yr (2007)

total

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

Geographic coordinates

36 00 N, 138 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location in northeast Asia

Irrigated land

25,000 sq km (2010)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land 11.7%; permanent crops 0.8%; permanent pasture 0%

agricultural land

12.5%

forest

68.5%

other

19% (2011 est.)

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

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

negligible mineral resources, fish

note

with virtually no natural energy resources, Japan is the world's largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as the second largest importer of oil

Terrain

mostly rugged and mountainous

Total renewable water resources

430 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

13.11% (male 8,582,648/female 8,051,706)

15-24 years

9.68% (male 6,436,948/female 5,846,808)

25-54 years

37.87% (male 23,764,421/female 24,297,773)

55-64 years

12.76% (male 8,104,835/female 8,084,317)

65 years and over

26.59% (male 14,693,811/female 19,056,392) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

7.93 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

54.3%

note

percent of women aged 20-49 (2005)

Death rate

9.51 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

43.3%

potential support ratio

2.3% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

64.5%

youth dependency ratio

21.1%

Drinking water source

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2012)

Ethnic groups

Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.6%

note

up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan in the 1990s to work in industries; some have returned to Brazil (2004)

Health expenditures

10.3% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

13.7 beds/1,000 population (2009)

Infant mortality rate

female

1.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

2.31 deaths/1,000 live births

total

2.08 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Japanese

Life expectancy at birth

female

88.26 years (2015 est.)

male

81.4 years

total population

84.74 years

Major urban areas - population

TOKYO (capital) 38.001 million; Osaka-Kobe 20.238 million; Nagoya 9.406 million; Kitakyushu-Fukuoka 5.51 million; Shizuoka-Hamamatsu 3.369 million; Sapporo 2.571 million (2015)

Median age

female

47.9 years (2015 est.)

male

45.2 years

total

46.5 years

Nationality

adjective

Japanese

noun

Japanese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

3.5% (2014)

Physicians density

2.3 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

Population

126,919,659 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.16% (2015 est.)

Religions

Shintoism 79.2%, Buddhism 66.8%, Christianity 1.5%, other 7.1%

note

total adherents exceeds 100% because many people practice both Shintoism and Buddhism (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2012)

male

15 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.07 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.1 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.98 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.77 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.4 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

7.1% (2012 est.)

male

8.7%

total

7.9%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.56% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

93.5% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, 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

geographic coordinates

35 41 N, 139 45 E

name

Tokyo

time difference

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

Constitution

previous 1890; latest approved 6 October 1946, adopted 3 November 1946, effective 3 May 1947 (2013)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Japan

local long form

Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku

local short form

Nihon/Nippon

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Caroline Bouvier KENNEDY (since 19 November 2013)

consulate(s)

Fukuoka, Nagoya

consulate(s) general

Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo

embassy

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

FAX

[81] (03) 3505-1862

mailing address

Unit 9800, Box 300, APO AP 96303-0300

telephone

[81] (03) 3224-5000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Kenichiro SASAE (since 19 November 2012)

consulate(s) general

Anchorage (AK), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver (CO), Detroit (MI), Honolulu (HI), Houston, Las Vegas (NV), Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville (TN), New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City (OK), Orlando (FL), Philadelphia (PA), Phoenix (AZ), Portland (OR), San Francisco, Seattle, Saipan (Puerto Rico), Tamuning (Guam)

FAX

[1] (202) 328-2187

telephone

[1] (202) 238-6700

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the prime minister

chief of state

Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister

head of government

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

Flag description

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

Government type

a parliamentary government with a constitutional monarchy

Independence

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)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, CPLP (associate), EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

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)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - LDP 61.26%, DPJ 15.37%, JIP 8.63%, New Komeito 7.37%, JCP 4.42%, PFG .42%, SDP .42%, PLP .42%, independents 1.68%; seats by party - LDP 291, DPJ 73, JIP 41, New Komeito 35, JCP 21, PFG 2, SDP 2, PLP 2, independents 8

description

bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in (242 seats; 146 members directly elected by majority vote and 96 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) and the House of Representatives or Shugi-in (475 seats; 295 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 180 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve maximum 4-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 2 years)

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

elections

House of Councillors - last held on 21 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2016); House of Representatives - last held on 14 December 2014 (next to be held by 15 December 2016)

note

the 2013 amended electoral law - effective for the December 2016 election - reduced to 475 the number of seats in the House of Representatives

National anthem

lyrics/music

unknown/Hiromori HAYASHI

name

"Kimigayo" (The Emperor"s Reign)

note

adopted 1999; unofficial national anthem since 1883; oldest anthem lyrics in the world, dating to the 10th century or earlier; there is some opposition to the anthem because of its association with militarism and worship of the emperor

National holiday

Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)

National symbol(s)

red sun disc, chrysanthemum; national colors: red, white

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Banri KAIEDA]

Japan Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]

Japan Innovation Party or JIP [Kenji EDA]

Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Shinzo ABE]

New Komeito or NK [Natsuo YAMAGUCHI]

Party for Future Generations or PFG [Shintaro ISHIHARA]

People's Life Party or PLP [Ichiro OZAWA]

Social Democratic Party or SDP [Tadatomo YOSHIDA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

other

business groups; trade unions

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

vegetables, rice, fish, poultry, fruit, dairy products, pork, beef, flowers, potatoes/taros/yams, sugar cane, tea, legumes, wheat and barley

Budget

expenditures

$1.84 trillion (2014 est.)

revenues

$1.512 trillion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

0.3% (31 December 2014)

0.3% (31 December 2013)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

1.48% (31 December 2014 est.)

1.48% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

$45.42 billion (2014 est.)

$33.63 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$5.18 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

$4.026 trillion (31 December 2012)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

37.9 (2011)

24.9 (1993)

Economy - overview

In the years following World War II, government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of GDP) helped Japan develop an advanced economy. Two notable characteristics of the post-war economy were the close interlocking structures of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, known as keiretsu, and the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both features are now eroding under the dual pressures of global competition and domestic demographic change. Scarce in many natural resources, Japan has long been dependent on imported raw materials. Since the complete shutdown of Japan’s nuclear reactors after the earthquake and tsunami disaster in 2011, Japan's industrial sector has become even more dependent than it was previously on imported fossil fuels. A small agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the world. While self-sufficient in rice production, Japan imports about 60% of its food on a caloric basis. For three decades, overall real economic growth had been impressive - a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely because of the aftereffects of inefficient investment and an asset price bubble in the late 1980s that required a protracted period of time for firms to reduce excess debt, capital, and labor. Modest economic growth continued after 2000, but the economy has fallen into recession four times since 2008. Government stimulus spending helped the economy recover in late 2009 and 2010, but the economy contracted again in 2011 as the massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake and the ensuing tsunami in March of that year disrupted manufacturing. The economy has largely recovered in the four years since the disaster, although reconstruction in the affected Tohoku region has lagged, in part due to a shortage of labor in the construction sector. Japan enjoyed a sharp uptick in growth in 2013 on the basis of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “Three Arrows” economic revitalization agenda - dubbed “Abenomics” - of monetary easing, “flexible” fiscal policy, and structural reform. Abe’s government has replaced the preceding administration’s plan to phase out nuclear power with a new policy of seeking to restart nuclear power plants that meet strict new safety standards, and emphasizing nuclear energy’s importance as a base-load electricity source. Japan joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations in 2013, a pact that would open Japan's economy to increased foreign competition and create new export opportunities for Japanese businesses. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price differences, Japan in 2014 stood as the fourth-largest economy in the world after first-place China, which surpassed Japan in 2001, and third-place India, which edged out Japan in 2012. While seeking to stimulate and reform the economy, the government must also devise a strategy for reining in Japan's huge government debt, which amounts to more than 230% of GDP. To help raise government revenue, Japan adopted legislation in 2012 to gradually raise the consumption tax rate to 10% by 2015, beginning with a hike from 5% to 8% implemented in April 2014. That increase had a contractionary effect on GDP, however, so PM Abe in late 2014 decided to postpone the final phase of the increase until April 2017 to give the economy more time to recover. Led by the Bank of Japan’s aggressive monetary easing, Japan is making progress in ending deflation, but demographics - low birthrate and an aging, shrinking population - pose major long-term challenges for the economy.

Exchange rates

yen (JPY) per US dollar -

105.8 (2014 est.)

97.6 (2013 est.)

79.79 (2012 est.)

79.81 (2011 est.)

87.78 (2010 est.)

Exports

$710.5 billion (2014 est.)

$714.9 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

motor vehicles 14.9%; iron and steel products 5.4%; semiconductors 5%; auto parts 4.8%; power generating machinery 3.5%; plastic materials 3.3% (2014 est.)

Exports - partners

US 18.9%, China 18.3%, South Korea 7.5%, Hong Kong 5.5%, Thailand 4.5% (2014)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

17.3%

government consumption

20.6%

household consumption

60.8%

imports of goods and services

-20.4%

investment in fixed capital

22.2%

investment in inventories

-0.5%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.2%

industry

24.5%

services

74.3% (2013 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$37,400 (2014 est.)

$37,400 (2013 est.)

$36,800 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

-0.1% (2014 est.)

1.6% (2013 est.)

1.8% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$4.616 trillion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$4.751 trillion (2014 est.)

$4.754 trillion (2013 est.)

$4.678 trillion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

22.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

21.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

21.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24.8% (2008)

lowest 10%

2.7%

Imports

$811.9 billion (2014 est.)

$832.6 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

petroleum 16.1%; liquid natural gas 9.1%; clothing 3.8%; semiconductors 3.3%; coal 2.4%; audio and visual apparatus 1.4% (2014 est.)

Imports - partners

China 22.3%, US 9%, Australia 5.9%, Saudi Arabia 5.9%, UAE 5.1%, Qatar 4.1%, South Korea 4.1% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

2% (2014 est.)

Industries

among world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.7% (2014 est.)

0.4% (2013 est.)

Labor force

65.48 million (February 2015 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

2.9%

industry

26.2%

services

70.9% (2015 February est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$4.782 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$4.584 trillion (31 December 2013)

$3.715 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)

Population below poverty line

16.1% (2013 est.)

Public debt

231.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

227.2% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.267 trillion (2013 est.)

$1.268 trillion (2012 est.)

Stock of broad money

$8.073 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$8.035 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$1.284 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.117 trillion (2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$205.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$185.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$11.88 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$11.92 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$5.403 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$5.817 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

31.7% of GDP (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate

3.6% (2014 est.)

4% (2013 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

1.276 billion Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - imports

3.441 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - production

11,010 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

541.6 million bbl (March, 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

859.7 billion kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

71% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

8.5% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

16.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

3.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

287.3 million kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

936.2 billion kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

127.2 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - imports

116.9 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

2.822 billion cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

20.9 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

4.3 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

309,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

951,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

3.294 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

Broadcast media

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)

Internet country code

.jp

Internet users

percent of population

86.0% (2014 est.)

total

109.3 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 215 (plus 370 repeaters), FM 89 (plus 485 repeaters), shortwave 21 (2001)

Telephone system

domestic

high level of modern technology and excellent service of every kind

general assessment

excellent domestic and international service

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

50 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

63.61 million

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

120 (2014 est.)

total

152.7 million

Television broadcast stations

211; note - in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV cable services (1999)

Airports

175 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

38

2,438 to 3,047 m

45

914 to 1,523 m

28

over 3,047 m

6

total

142

under 914 m

25 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

28 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

5

total

33

Heliports

16 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 168, cargo 34, carrier 3, chemical tanker 29, container 2, liquefied gas 58, passenger 11, passenger/cargo 117, petroleum tanker 152, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 52, vehicle carrier 54

registered in other countries

3,122 (Bahamas 88, Bermuda 2, Burma 1, Cambodia 1, Cayman Islands 23, China 2, Cyprus 16, Honduras 4, Hong Kong 79, Indonesia 8, Isle of Man 19, Liberia 110, Luxembourg 3, Malaysia 2, Malta 5, Marshall Islands 59, Mongolia 2, Netherlands 1, Panama 2372, Philippines 77, Portugal 9, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Sierra Leone 4, Singapore 164, South Korea 14, Tanzania 1, UK 5, Vanuatu 39, unknown 7) (2010)

total

684

Pipelines

gas 4,456 km; oil 174 km; oil/gas/water 104 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Kobe (2,725,304), Nagoya (2,471,821), Osaka (2,172,797), Tokyo (4,416,119), Yokohama (2,992,517)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Chita, Fukwoke, Futtsu, Hachinone, Hakodate, Hatsukaichi, Higashi Ohgishima, Higashi Niigata, Himeiji, Joetsu, Kagoshima, Kawagoe, Kita Kyushu, Mizushima, Nagasaki, Naoetsu, Negishi, Ohgishima, Oita, Sakai, Sakaide, Senboku, Shimizu, Shin Minato, Sodegaura, Tobata, Yanai, Yokkaichi; Okinawa - Nakagusuku

major seaport(s)

Chiba, Kawasaki, Kobe, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Tomakomai, Yokohama

Railways

dual gauge

132 km 1.435-1.067-m gauge (132 km electrified)

narrow gauge

96 km 1.372-m gauge (96 km electrified); 22,536 km 1.067-m gauge (13,253 km electrified); 48 km 0.762-m gauge (48 km electrified) (2012)

standard gauge

4,343 km 1.435-m gauge (4,343 km electrified)

total

27,155 km

Roadways

paved

988,536 km (includes 7,803 km of expressways)

total

1,217,128 km

unpaved

228,592 km (2013)

Waterways

1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2010)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

26,307,003 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

27,301,443

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

21,540,322 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

22,390,431

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

591,253 (2010 est.)

male

623,365

Military branches

Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD): Ground Self-Defense Force (Rikujou Jieitai, GSDF), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Kaijou Jieitai, MSDF), Air Self-Defense Force (Koukuu Jieitai, ASDF) (2011)

Military expenditures

0.97% of GDP (2012)

1.01% of GDP (2011)

0.99% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

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)

Disputes - international

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; the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands are also claimed by China and Taiwan

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons

635 (2014)