JAPAN
GEOGRAPHY
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)
Comparative area: slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 29,751 km
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)
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
Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous
Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish
Land use: arable land 13%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures
1%; forest and woodland 67%; other 18%; includes irrigated 9%
Environment: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500
seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; subject to tsunamis
Note: strategic location in northeast Asia
PEOPLE
Population: 124,017,137 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
Birth rate: 10 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 4 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 76 years male, 82 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1991)
Ethnic divisions: Japanese 99.4%, other (mostly Korean) 0.6%
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)
Language: Japanese
Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1970 est.)
Labor force: 63,330,000; trade and services 54%; manufacturing,
mining, and construction 33%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 7%;
government 3% (1988)
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%
Independence: 660 BC, traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu
Constitution: 3 May 1947
Legal system: civil law system with English-American influence;
judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)
Executive branch: emperor, prime minister, Cabinet
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)
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)
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
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
Communists: about 490,000 registered Communist party members
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
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
Flag: white with a large red disk (representing the sun without
rays) in the center
ECONOMY
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.
GNP: $2,115.2 billion, per capita $17,100; real growth rate 5.6%
(1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.1% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 2.1% (1990)
Budget: revenues $499 billion; expenditures $532 billion, including
capital expenditures (public works only) of $52 billion (FY90)
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
Economic aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $83.2
billion; ODA outlay of $7.9 billion in 1989
Currency: yen (plural--yen); 1 yen (Y) = 100 sen
Exchange rates: yen (Y) 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)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
COMMUNICATIONS
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)
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
Civil air: 360 major transport aircraft
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
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
DEFENSE FORCES
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)
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 32,256,893; 27,771,374 fit for
military service; 992,255 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: $NA, 1.0% of GNP (1990 est.)
