Japan

Japan

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Nihon-koku/State of Japan Area 377,535 sq km/145,766 sq mi Capital Tokyo Language Japanese (official), Ainu Religion Shinto, Buddhist (often combined), Christian (less than 1%) Time difference GMT +9 Major holidays 1–3, 15 January, 11 February, 21 March, 29 April, 3, 5 May, 15, 23 September, 10 October, 3, 23 November


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, Kyoto, Sapporo, Kobe, Kawasaki, Hiroshima Major ports Osaka, Nagoya, Yokohama, Kobe Physical features mountainous, volcanic (Mount Fuji, volcanic Mount Aso, Japan Alps); comprises over 1,000 islands, the largest of which are Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku Airports six international airports and 79 other airports; total passengers carried: 103.6 million (2003 est) Railways total length: 36,634 km/22,763 mi (1997); total passenger journeys: 21.6 billion (2002) Roads total road network: 1,177,278 km/731,526 mi, of which 77.7% paved (2002 est); passenger cars: 581.7 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Emperor Akihito from 1989 Head of government Shinzo Abe from 2006 Political system liberal democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions 47 prefectures Political parties Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), right of centre; Shinshinto (New Frontier Party) opposition coalition, centrist reformist; Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ, former Socialist Party), left of centre but moving towards centre; Shinto Sakigake (New Party Harbinger), right of centre; Japanese Communist Party (JCP), socialist; Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), Sakigake and SDPJ dissidents; Komeito (Clean Government Party), reformist, pro-democratic Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 260,300; plus 44,400 reservists and paramilitary forces of 12,000 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 1 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 3.6 (2002 est) Health spend (% GDP) 6.4 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency yen GDP (US$) 4,505.9 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 2.7 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 4,988.2 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 31,410 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 0.3% (2006 est) Unemployment 4.1% (2006 est) Labour force 4.4% agriculture, 27.9% industry, 67.7% services (2005) Major trading partners USA, China, South Korea, Australia, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia Resources coal, iron, zinc, copper, natural gas, fish Industries motor vehicles, steel, machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, chemicals, textiles Exports electrical machinery, motor vehicles, electronic goods and components, chemicals, iron and steel products, scientific and optical equipment. Principal market: USA 22.6% (2005) Imports mineral fuels, electrical and other machinery, foodstuffs, live animals, bauxite, iron ore, copper ore, coking coal, chemicals, textiles, wood. Principal source: China 21% (2005) Arable land 11.6% (2006 est) Agricultural products rice, potatoes, cabbages, sugar cane, sugar beet, citrus fruit; one of the world's leading fishing nations


POPULATION

Population 128,219,000 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.1% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 340 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 66 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 14%, 15–59 60%, 60+ 26% (2005 est) Ethnic groups more than 99% of Japanese descent; Ainu (aboriginal people of Japan) in north Japan (Hokkaido, Kuril Islands) Life expectancy 79 (men); 86 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 4 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 99% (men); 99% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 20.1 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 16.5 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) <0.1 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 1,400 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban); 100 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 45.9 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 74 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 960 (1998) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 843 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 54.2 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 50.2 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

660 BC According to legend, Jimmu Tenno, descendent of the Sun goddess, became the first emperor of Japan. c. 400 AD The Yamato, one of many warring clans, unified central Japan; Yamato chiefs are the likely ancestors of the imperial family. 5th–6th centuries Writing, Confucianism, and Buddhism spread to Japan from China and Korea. 646 Start of Taika Reform: Emperor Kotoku organized central government on Chinese model. 794 Heian became imperial capital; later called Kyoto. 858 Imperial court fell under control of Fujiwara clan, who reduced the emperor to a figurehead. 11th century Central government grew ineffectual; real power exercised by great landowners (daimyo) with private armies of samurai. 1185 Minamoto clan seized power under Yoritomo, who established military rule. 1192 Emperor gave Yoritomo the title of shogun (general); the shogun ruled in the name of the emperor. 1274 Mongol conqueror Kublai Khan attempted to invade Japan, making a second attempt in 1281; on both occasions Japan was saved by a typhoon. 1336 Warlord Takauji Ashikaga overthrew Minamoto shogunate; emperor recognized Ashikaga shogunate in 1338. 16th century Power of Ashikagas declined; constant civil war. 1543 Portuguese sailors were the first Europeans to reach Japan; followed by Spanish, Dutch, and English traders. 1549 Spanish missionary St Francis Xavier began to preach Roman Catholic faith in Japan. 1585–98 Warlord Hideyoshi took power and attempted to conquer Korea in 1592 and 1597. 1603 Ieyasu Tokugawa founded new shogunate at Edo, reformed administration, and suppressed Christianity. 1630s Japan adopted policy of isolation: all travel forbidden and all foreigners expelled except a small colony of Dutch traders in Nagasaki harbour. 1853 USA sent warships to Edo with demand that Japan open diplomatic and trade relations; Japan conceded in 1854. 1867 Revolt by isolationist nobles overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate. 1868 Emperor Mutsuhito assumed full powers, adopted the title Meiji (‘enlightened rule’), moved imperial capital from Kyoto to Edo (renamed Tokyo), and launched policy of swift Westernization. 1894–95 Sino-Japanese War: Japan expelled Chinese from Korea. 1902–21 Japan entered a defensive alliance with Britain. 1904–05 Russo-Japanese War: Japan drove Russians from Manchuria and Korea; Korea annexed in 1910. 1914 Japan entered World War I and occupied German possessions in Far East. 1923 Earthquake destroyed much of Tokyo and Yokohama. 1931 Japan invaded Chinese province of Manchuria and created puppet state of Manchukuo; Japanese government came under control of military and extreme nationalists. 1937 Japan resumed invasion of China. 1940 After Germany defeated France, Japan occupied French Indo-China. 1941 Japan attacked US fleet at Pearl Harbor; USA and Britain declared war on Japan. 1942 Japanese conquered Thailand, Burma, Malaya, Dutch East Indies, Philippines, and northern New Guinea. 1945 USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Japan surrendered; US general Douglas MacArthur headed Allied occupation administration. 1947 MacArthur supervised introduction of democratic ‘Peace Constitution’, accompanied by demilitarization and land reform. 1952 Occupation ended. 1955 Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) founded with support of leading business people. 1956 Japan admitted to United Nations. 1950s–70s Rapid economic development; growth of manufacturing exports led to great prosperity. 1993 Economic recession and financial scandals brought about downfall of LDP government in general election; coalition government formed. 1995 Earthquake devastated Kobe. 1997 Financial crash occurred bank failures. 1998 Keizo Obuchi, leader of LDP, became prime minister, with Kiichi Miyazawa as finance minister. Government introduced new $200 billion economic stimulus package, after GDP contracted 2% in 1998 in worst recession since World War II. 2000 Prime Minister Obuchi suffered stroke; Yoshiro Mori appointed in his place. LDP lost majority in elections in June; formed coalition government. Stock market remained weak and three ministers resigned amid series of scandals. 2001 US submarine accidentally sank Japanese fishing trawler, killing nine people. Junichiro Koizumi replaced Yoshiro Mori as prime minister. 2002 Prime Minister Koizumi made historic visit to communist North Korea, prompting unprecedented apology from North Korean leader Kim Jong Il for abduction of about a dozen Japanese nationals by his country's special forces in 1970s and 1980s. Koizumi apologized for Japan's occupation of Korea before and during World War II. 2003 Island of Hokkaido struck by powerful earthquakes measuring up to 8.3 on Richter scale; more than 550 people injured. In parliamentary elections Prime Minister Koizumi's LDP and coalition partners retained power in House of Representatives. 2004 Japan sent non-combat soldiers to Iraq; first deployment in combat zone since World War II; decision divided public opinion. More than 30 people killed in powerful earthquakes in the north. 2005 Japanese textbook that glossed over Japan's World War II record, according to China, led to deterioration in Sino–Japanese relations and sometimes violent anti-Japanese rallies in China. In Japan's worst railway accident in 40 years, a commuter train crashed, killing more than 100 people. Prime Minister Koizimi won landslide victory in early elections. 2006 At talks in Beijing, Japan and China failed to reach agreement over who had control of oil and gas reserves in disputed areas of East China Sea. Last contingent of Japanese troops left Iraq. Prime Minister Koizumi succeeded by Shinzo Abe. Despite its pacifist, post-war constitution, parliament approved creation of defence ministry. 2007 In historic move indicating warmer relations between the two countries, Wen Jibao became first Chinese prime minister to address Japanese parliament. Ruling LDP heavily defeated in upper house elections. Prime Minister Abe, whose year in office had been dogged by political scandals, resigned abruptly; replaced by Yasuo Fukuda, recently-appointed president of LPD.


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