Japan

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"Nippon" redirects here. For other uses, see Japan (disambiguation) and Nippon
(disambiguation).

Japan
日本国 (Japanese)
Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku

Flag

Imperial Seal

Anthem: "Kimigayo" (君が代)
"His Imperial Majesty's Reign"

May your reign

MENU

0:05

Government Seal
 Japanese territory in dark green; claimed but uncontrolled territory in
light green

Capital Tokyo
and largest city 35°41′N 139°46′E

National language Japanese

Demonym(s) Japanese

Government Unitary parliamentary constitutional
monarchy

• Emperor Naruhito
• Prime Minister Fumio Kishida

Legislature National Diet

• Upper house House of Councillors

• Lower house House of Representatives

Formation
• Imperial Dynasty February 11, 660 BC
established
• Meiji constitution November 29, 1890
• Current constitution May 3, 1947

Area
• Total 377,975 km2 (145,937 sq mi)[1] (62nd)
• Water (%) 1.4 (as of 2015)[2]

Population
• 2021 estimate  125,360,000[3] (11th)

• 2020 census 126,226,568[4]
• Density 334/km2 (865.1/sq mi) (24th)

GDP (PPP) 2021 estimate
 • Total  $5.586 trillion[5] (4th)

• Per capita  $44,585 (27th)

GDP (nominal) 2021 estimate
• Total  $5.378 trillion[5] (3rd)

• Per capita  $42,928 (23rd)

Gini (2018)  33.4[6]
medium · 78th

HDI (2019)  0.919[7]
very high · 19th

Currency Japanese yen (¥)

Time zone UTC+09:00 (JST)

Driving side left

Calling code +81

ISO 3166 code JP

Internet TLD .jp

Japan (Japanese: 日本, Nippon or Nihon,[nb 1] and formally 日本国[nb 2]) is an island

country in East Asia, located in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It is bordered on the
west by the Sea of Japan, and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north toward
the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. Part of the Ring of Fire, Japan
spans an archipelago of 6852 islands covering 377,975 square kilometers
(145,937 sq mi); the five main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu,
and Okinawa. Tokyo is Japan's capital and largest city; other major cities
include Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Kobe, and Kyoto.
Japan is the eleventh-most populous country in the world, as well as one of the most
densely populated and urbanized. About three-fourths of the country's terrain is
mountainous, concentrating its population of 125.36 million on narrow coastal plains.
Japan is divided into 47 administrative prefectures and eight traditional regions.
The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with
more than 37.4 million residents.
Japan has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic period (30,000 BC), though the
first written mention of the archipelago appears in a Chinese chronicle finished in the
2nd century AD. Between the 4th and 9th centuries, the kingdoms of Japan became
unified under an emperor and the imperial court based in Heian-kyō. Beginning in
the 12th century, political power was held by a series of military dictators (shōgun)
and feudal lords (daimyō), and enforced by a class of warrior nobility (samurai).
After a century-long period of civil war, the country was reunified in 1603 under
the Tokugawa shogunate, which enacted an isolationist foreign policy. In 1854, a
United States fleet forced Japan to open trade to the West, which led to the end of
the shogunate and the restoration of imperial power in 1868. In the Meiji period,
the Empire of Japan adopted a Western-modeled constitution and pursued a
 program of industrialization and modernization. In 1937, Japan invaded China; in
1941, it entered World War II as an Axis power. After suffering defeat in the Pacific
War and two atomic bombings, Japan surrendered in 1945 and came under a seven-
year Allied occupation, during which it adopted a new constitution. Under the 1947
constitution, Japan has maintained a unitary parliamentary constitutional
monarchy with a bicameral legislature, the National Diet.
Japan is a great power and a member of numerous international organizations,
including the United Nations (since 1956), the OECD, and the Group of Seven.
Although it has renounced its right to declare war, the country maintains Self-
Defense Forces that rank as one of the world's strongest militaries. After World War
II, Japan experienced record growth in an economic miracle, becoming the second-
largest economy in the world by 1990. As of 2021, the country's economy is
the third-largest by nominal GDP and the fourth-largest by PPP. A global leader in
the automotive and electronics industries, Japan has made significant contributions
to science and technology. Ranked "very high" on the Human Development Index,
Japan has one of the world's highest life expectancies, though it is experiencing a
decline in population. The culture of Japan is well known around the world, including
its art, cuisine, music, and popular culture, which encompasses
prominent comic, animation and video game industries.

Contents

 1Etymology
 2History
o 2.1Prehistoric to classical history
o 2.2Feudal era
o 2.3Modern era
 3Geography
o 3.1Climate
o 3.2Biodiversity
o 3.3Environment
 4Politics
o 4.1Administrative divisions
o 4.2Foreign relations
o 4.3Military
o 4.4Domestic law enforcement
 5Economy
o 5.1Agriculture and fishery
o 5.2Industry
o 5.3Services and tourism
o 5.4Science and technology
 6Infrastructure
o 6.1Transportation
o 6.2Energy
o 6.3Water supply and sanitation
 7Demographics
o 7.1Religion
o 7.2Languages
o 7.3Education
 o 7.4Health
 8Culture
o 8.1Art and architecture
o 8.2Literature and philosophy
o 8.3Performing arts
o 8.4Customs and holidays
o 8.5Cuisine
o 8.6Media
o 8.7Sports
 9See also
 10Notes
 11References
 12External links

Etymology
Main article: Names of Japan

Japan

Japanese name

Kanji 日本国

Hiragana にっぽんこく

にほんこく

Katakana ニッポンコク

ニホンコク

Kyūjitai 日本國

showTranscriptions

The name for Japan in Japanese is written using the kanji 日本 and

pronounced Nippon or Nihon.[9] Before 日本 was adopted in the early 8th century, the
country was known in China as Wa (倭) and in Japan by the endonym Yamato.
[10]
 Nippon, the original Sino-Japanese reading of the characters, is favored for official
uses, including on banknotes and postage stamps.[9] Nihon is typically used in
everyday speech and reflects shifts in Japanese phonology during the Edo period.
[10]
 The characters 日本 mean "sun origin",[9] which is the source of the popular
Western epithet "Land of the Rising Sun".[11]
The name Japan is based on the Chinese pronunciation of 日本 and was introduced
to European languages through early trade. In the 13th century, Marco
Polo recorded the early Mandarin or Wu Chinese pronunciation of the characters 日
本國 as Cipangu.[12] The old Malay name for Japan, Japang or Japun, was borrowed
from a southern coastal Chinese dialect and encountered by Portuguese traders in
Southeast Asia, who brought the word to Europe in the early 16th century. [13] The first
version of the name in English appears in a book published in 1577, which spelled
the name as Giapan in a translation of a 1565 Portuguese letter. [14][15]

History
Main article: History of Japan
Prehistoric to classical history

Legendary Emperor Jimmu (神武天皇, Jinmu-tennō)

A Paleolithic culture from around 30,000 BC constitutes the first known habitation of

the islands of Japan.[16] This was followed from around 14,500 BC (the start of
the Jōmon period) by a Mesolithic to Neolithic semi-sedentary hunter-
gatherer culture characterized by pit dwelling and rudimentary agriculture.[17] Clay
vessels from the period are among the oldest surviving examples of pottery. [18] From
around 1000 BC, Yayoi people began to enter the archipelago from Kyushu,
intermingling with the Jōmon;[19] the Yayoi period saw the introduction of practices
including wet-rice farming,[20] a new style of pottery,[21] and metallurgy from China and
Korea.[22] According to legend, Emperor Jimmu (grandson of Amaterasu) founded a
kingdom in central Japan in 660 BC, beginning a continuous imperial line.[23]
Japan first appears in written history in the Chinese Book of Han, completed in 111
AD. Buddhism was introduced to Japan from Baekje (a Korean kingdom) in 552, but
the development of Japanese Buddhism was primarily influenced by China.
[24]
 Despite early resistance, Buddhism was promoted by the ruling class, including
figures like Prince Shōtoku, and gained widespread acceptance beginning in
the Asuka period (592–710).[25]
The far-reaching Taika Reforms in 645 nationalized all land in Japan, to
be distributed equally among cultivators, and ordered the compilation of a household
registry as the basis for a new system of taxation.[26] The Jinshin War of 672, a bloody
conflict between Prince Ōama and his nephew Prince Ōtomo, became a major
catalyst for further administrative reforms.[27] These reforms culminated with the
promulgation of the Taihō Code, which consolidated existing statutes and
established the structure of the central and subordinate local governments. [26] These
legal reforms created the ritsuryō state, a system of Chinese-style centralized
government that remained in place for half a millennium. [27]
The Nara period (710–784) marked the emergence of a Japanese state centered on
the Imperial Court in Heijō-kyō (modern Nara). The period is characterized by the
appearance of a nascent literary culture with the completion of the Kojiki (712)
and Nihon Shoki (720), as well as the development of Buddhist-inspired artwork
and architecture.[28][29] A smallpox epidemic in 735–737 is believed to have killed as
much as one-third of Japan's population.[29][30] In 784, Emperor Kanmu moved the
capital, settling on Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto) in 794.[29] This marked the beginning of
the Heian period (794–1185), during which a distinctly indigenous Japanese culture
emerged. Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji and the lyrics of Japan's national
anthem "Kimigayo" were written during this time.[31]
Feudal era

Samurai warriors battling Mongols during the Mongol invasions of Japan, depicted in the Mōko Shūrai
Ekotoba

Japan's feudal era was characterized by the emergence and dominance of a ruling
class of warriors, the samurai.[32] In 1185, following the defeat of the Taira clan in
the Genpei War, samurai Minamoto no Yoritomo established a military
government at Kamakura.[33] After Yoritomo's death, the Hōjō clan came to power as
regents for the shōguns.[29] The Zen school of Buddhism was introduced from China
in the Kamakura period (1185–1333) and became popular among the samurai class.
[34]
 The Kamakura shogunate repelled Mongol invasions in 1274 and 1281 but was
eventually overthrown by Emperor Go-Daigo.[29] Go-Daigo was defeated by Ashikaga
Takauji in 1336, beginning the Muromachi period (1336–1573).[35] The
succeeding Ashikaga shogunate failed to control the feudal warlords (daimyōs) and
a civil war began in 1467, opening the century-long Sengoku period ("Warring
States").[36]
During the 16th century, Portuguese traders and Jesuit missionaries reached Japan
for the first time, initiating direct commercial and cultural exchange between Japan
and the West.[29][37] Oda Nobunaga used European technology and firearms to
conquer many other daimyōs;[38] his consolidation of power began what was known
as the Azuchi–Momoyama period.[39] After the death of Nobunaga in 1582, his
successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified the nation in the early 1590s and
launched two unsuccessful invasions of Korea in 1592 and 1597.[29]
Tokugawa Ieyasu served as regent for Hideyoshi's son Toyotomi Hideyori and used
his position to gain political and military support. [40] When open war broke out, Ieyasu
defeated rival clans in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. He was
appointed shōgun by Emperor Go-Yōzei in 1603 and established the Tokugawa
shogunate at Edo (modern Tokyo).[41] The shogunate enacted measures
including buke shohatto, as a code of conduct to control the autonomous daimyōs,
[42]
 and in 1639 the isolationist sakoku ("closed country") policy that spanned the two
and a half centuries of tenuous political unity known as the Edo period (1603–1868).
[41][43]
 Modern Japan's economic growth began in this period, resulting in roads and
water transportation routes, as well as financial instruments such as futures
contracts, banking and insurance of the Osaka rice brokers.[44] The study of Western
sciences (rangaku) continued through contact with the Dutch enclave in Nagasaki.
[41]
 The Edo period gave rise to kokugaku ("national studies"), the study of Japan by
the Japanese.[45]
Modern era

Emperor Meiji (明治天皇, Meiji-tennō; 1852–1912)

In 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry and the "Black Ships" of the United States

Navy forced the opening of Japan to the outside world with the Convention of
Kanagawa.[41] Subsequent similar treaties with other Western countries brought
economic and political crises.[41] The resignation of the shōgun led to the Boshin
War and the establishment of a centralized state nominally unified under the
emperor (the Meiji Restoration).[46] Adopting Western political, judicial, and military
institutions, the Cabinet organized the Privy Council, introduced the Meiji
Constitution, and assembled the Imperial Diet.[47] During the Meiji era (1868–1912),
the Empire of Japan emerged as the most developed nation in Asia and as an
industrialized world power that pursued military conflict to expand its sphere of
influence.[48][49][50] After victories in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) and
the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), Japan gained control of Taiwan, Korea and
the southern half of Sakhalin.[51][47] The Japanese population doubled from 35 million in
1873 to 70 million by 1935, with a significant shift to urbanization. [52][53]
The early 20th century saw a period of Taishō democracy (1912–1926)
overshadowed by increasing expansionism and militarization.[54][55] World War
I allowed Japan, which joined the side of the victorious Allies, to capture German
possessions in the Pacific and in China.[55] The 1920s saw a political shift
towards statism, a period of lawlessness following the 1923 Great Tokyo
Earthquake, the passing of laws against political dissent, and a series of attempted
coups.[53][56][57] This process accelerated during the 1930s, spawning a number of
radical nationalist groups that shared a hostility to liberal democracy and a
dedication to expansion in Asia. In 1931, Japan invaded and occupied Manchuria;
following international condemnation of the occupation, it resigned from the League
of Nations two years later.[58] In 1936, Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi
Germany; the 1940 Tripartite Pact made it one of the Axis Powers.[53]
The 19th to 20th century Japanese Empire at its maximum extent in 1942

The Empire of Japan invaded other parts of China in 1937, precipitating the Second
Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945).[59] In 1940, the Empire invaded French Indochina,
after which the United States placed an oil embargo on Japan. [53][60] On December 7–
8, 1941, Japanese forces carried out surprise attacks on Pearl Harbor, as well as
on British forces in Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong, among others,
beginning World War II in the Pacific.[61] Throughout areas occupied by Japan during
the war, numerous abuses were committed against local inhabitants, with many
forced into sexual slavery.[62] After Allied victories during the next four years, which
culminated in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria and the atomic bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, Japan agreed to an unconditional surrender.[63] The
war cost Japan its colonies and millions of lives.[53] The Allies (led by the United
States) repatriated millions of Japanese settlers from their former colonies and
military camps throughout Asia, largely eliminating the Japanese empire and its
influence over the territories it conquered. [64][65] The Allies convened the International
Military Tribunal for the Far East to prosecute Japanese leaders for war crimes.[65]
In 1947, Japan adopted a new constitution emphasizing liberal democratic practices.
[65]
 The Allied occupation ended with the Treaty of San Francisco in 1952,[66] and
Japan was granted membership in the United Nations in 1956.[65] A period of record
growth propelled Japan to become the second-largest economy in the world; [65] this
ended in the mid-1990s after the popping of an asset price bubble, beginning
the "Lost Decade".[67] On March 11, 2011, Japan suffered one of the largest
earthquakes in its recorded history, triggering the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear
disaster.[68] On May 1, 2019, after the historic abdication of Emperor Akihito, his
son Naruhito became Emperor, beginning the Reiwa era.[69]

Geography
Main articles: Geography of Japan and Geology of Japan
The Japanese archipelago

Japan comprises 6852 islands extending along the Pacific coast of Asia. It stretches

over 3000 km (1900 mi) northeast–southwest from the Sea of Okhotsk to the East
China Sea.[70][71] The country's five main islands, from north to south,
are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa.[72] The Ryukyu Islands, which
include Okinawa, are a chain to the south of Kyushu. The Nanpō Islands are south
and east of the main islands of Japan. Together they are often known as
the Japanese archipelago.[73] As of 2019, Japan's territory is
377,975.24 km2 (145,937.06 sq mi).[1] Japan has the sixth longest coastline in the
world at 29,751 km (18,486 mi). Because of its far-flung outlying islands, Japan has
the sixth largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world, covering
4,470,000 km2 (1,730,000 sq mi).[74][75]
Because of its mountainous terrain, approximately 67% of Japan's land is
uninhabitable.[76] The habitable zones, mainly in coastal areas, have extremely high
population densities: Japan is one of the most densely populated countries.[77][78] As of
2014, approximately 0.5% of Japan's total area is reclaimed land (umetatechi).[79]
Japan is substantially prone to earthquakes, tsunami and volcanoes because of its
location along the Pacific Ring of Fire.[80] It has the 17th highest natural disaster
risk as measured in the 2016 World Risk Index.[81] Japan has 111 active volcanoes.
[82]
 Destructive earthquakes, often resulting in tsunami, occur several times each
century;[83] the 1923 Tokyo earthquake killed over 140,000 people.[84] More recent
major quakes are the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake and the 2011 Tōhoku
earthquake, which triggered a large tsunami.[68]
Climate
Main article: Geography of Japan §  Climate

Sakurajima
The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate but varies greatly from north to
south. The northernmost region, Hokkaido, has a humid continental climate with
long, cold winters and very warm to cool summers. Precipitation is not heavy, but the
islands usually develop deep snowbanks in the winter. [85]
In the Sea of Japan region on Honshu's west coast, northwest winter winds bring
heavy snowfall during winter. In the summer, the region sometimes experiences
extremely hot temperatures because of the foehn.[86] The Central Highland has a
typical inland humid continental climate, with large temperature differences between
summer and winter. The mountains of the Chūgoku and Shikoku regions shelter
the Seto Inland Sea from seasonal winds, bringing mild weather year-round. [85]
The Pacific coast features a humid subtropical climate that experiences milder
winters with occasional snowfall and hot, humid summers because of the southeast
seasonal wind. The Ryukyu and Nanpō Islands have a subtropical climate, with
warm winters and hot summers. Precipitation is very heavy, especially during the
rainy season.[85] The main rainy season begins in early May in Okinawa, and the rain
front gradually moves north. In late summer and early autumn, typhoons often bring
heavy rain.[87] According to the Environment Ministry, heavy rainfall and increasing
temperatures have caused problems in the agricultural industry and elsewhere.
[88]
 The highest temperature ever measured in Japan, 41.1 °C (106.0 °F), was
recorded on July 23, 2018,[89] and repeated on August 17, 2020.[90]
Biodiversity
Main article: Wildlife of Japan
Japan has nine forest ecoregions which reflect the climate and geography of the
islands. They range from subtropical moist broadleaf forests in the Ryūkyū
and Bonin Islands, to temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in the mild climate
regions of the main islands, to temperate coniferous forests in the cold, winter
portions of the northern islands.[91] Japan has over 90,000 species of wildlife as of
2019,[92] including the brown bear, the Japanese macaque, the Japanese raccoon
dog, the small Japanese field mouse, and the Japanese giant salamander.[93]
A large network of national parks has been established to protect important areas of
flora and fauna as well as 52 Ramsar wetland sites.[94][95] Four sites have been
inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for their outstanding natural value. [96]
Environment
Main articles: Environmental issues in Japan and Climate change in Japan

Autumn maple leaves (momiji) at Kongōbu-ji on Mount Kōya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

In the period of rapid economic growth after World War II, environmental policies
were downplayed by the government and industrial corporations; as a
result, environmental pollution was widespread in the 1950s and 1960s. Responding
to rising concern, the government introduced environmental protection laws in 1970.
[97]
 The oil crisis in 1973 also encouraged the efficient use of energy because of
Japan's lack of natural resources.[98]
As of 2020, more than 22 coal-fired power plants are planned for construction in
Japan, following the switching-off of Japan's nuclear fleet after the 2011 Fukushima
nuclear disaster.[99] Japan ranks 20th in the 2018 Environmental Performance Index,
which measures a nation's commitment to environmental sustainability. [100] Japan is
the world's fifth largest emitter of carbon dioxide.[88] As the host and signatory of the
1997 Kyoto Protocol, Japan is under treaty obligation to reduce its carbon dioxide
emissions and to take other steps to curb climate change. [101] In 2020 the government
of Japan announced a target of carbon-neutrality by 2050.[102] Environmental issues
include urban air pollution (NOx, suspended particulate matter, and toxics), waste
management, water eutrophication, nature conservation, climate change, chemical
management and international co-operation for conservation. [103]

Politics
Main articles: Politics of Japan and Government of Japan
Japan is a unitary state and constitutional monarchy in which the power of
the Emperor is limited to a ceremonial role.[104] Executive power is instead wielded by
the Prime Minister of Japan and his Cabinet, whose sovereignty is vested in the
Japanese people.[105] Naruhito is the Emperor of Japan, having succeeded his
father Akihito upon his accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019.[104]

The National Diet Building

Japan's legislative organ is the National Diet, a bicameral parliament.[104] It consists of

a lower House of Representatives with 465 seats, elected by popular vote every four
years or when dissolved, and an upper House of Councillors with 245 seats, whose
popularly-elected members serve six-year terms.[106] There is universal suffrage for
adults over 18 years of age,[107] with a secret ballot for all elected offices.[105] The prime
minister as the head of government has the power to appoint and dismiss Ministers
of State, and is appointed by the emperor after being designated from among the
members of the Diet.[106] Fumio Kishida is Japan's prime minister; he took office after
winning the 2021 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election.[108]
Historically influenced by Chinese law, the Japanese legal system developed
independently during the Edo period through texts such as Kujikata Osadamegaki.
[109]
 Since the late 19th century, the judicial system has been largely based on the civil
law of Europe, notably Germany. In 1896, Japan established a civil code based on
the German Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, which remains in effect with post–World War
II modifications.[110] The Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947, is the oldest
unamended constitution in the world.[111] Statutory law originates in the legislature,
and the constitution requires that the emperor promulgate legislation passed by the
Diet without giving him the power to oppose legislation. The main body of Japanese
statutory law is called the Six Codes.[109] Japan's court system is divided into four
basic tiers: the Supreme Court and three levels of lower courts.[112]
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Administrative divisions of Japan and Prefectures of Japan
Japan is divided into 47 prefectures, each overseen by an elected governor and
legislature.[104] In the following table, the prefectures are grouped by region:[113]
  Hokkaid   Tōhoku   Kantō   Chūbu
o

2. Aomori 8. Ibaraki 15. Niigata

3. Iwate 9. Tochigi 16. Toyam
1. Hokkaid 4. Miyagi 10. Gunma a
o 5. Akita 11. Saitam 17. Ishika
6. Yamaga a wa
ta 12. Chiba 18. Fukui
7. Fukushi 13. Tokyo 19. Yaman
ma 14. Kanag ashi
awa 20. Nagano
21. Gifu
22. Shizuo
ka
23. Aichi
  Kansai   Chūgoku   Shikoku   Kyūshū

24. Mie 31. Tottori 36. Tokush 40. Fukuok

25. Shiga 32. Shiman ima a
26. Kyoto e 37. Kagaw 41. Saga
27. Osaka 33. Okaya a 42. Nagasa
28. Hyōgo ma 38. Ehime ki
29. Nara 34. Hiroshi 39. Kōchi 43. Kuma
30. Wakay ma moto
ama 35. Yamag 44. Ōita
uchi 45. Miyaza
ki
46. Kagosh
Prefectures of Japan with colored regions ima
47. Okina
wa

Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of Japan
Japan is a member of both the G7 and the G20.

A member state of the United Nations since 1956, Japan is one of the G4
nations seeking reform of the Security Council.[114] Japan is a member of
the G7, APEC, and "ASEAN Plus Three", and is a participant in the East Asia
Summit.[115] It is the world's fifth largest donor of official development assistance,
donating US$9.2 billion in 2014.[116] In 2017, Japan had the fifth largest diplomatic
network in the world.[117]
Japan has close economic and military relations with the United States, with which it
maintains a security alliance.[118] The United States is a major market for Japanese
exports and a major source of Japanese imports, and is committed to defending the
country, with military bases in Japan.[118] Japan signed a security pact with Australia in
March 2007[119] and with India in October 2008.[120]
Japan's relationship with South Korea had historically been strained because of
Japan's treatment of Koreans during Japanese colonial rule, particularly over the
issue of comfort women. In 2015, Japan agreed to settle the comfort women dispute
with South Korea by issuing a formal apology and paying money to the surviving
comfort women.[121] As of 2019 Japan is a major importer of Korean music (K-pop),
television (K-dramas), and other cultural products.[122][123]
Japan is engaged in several territorial disputes with its neighbors. Japan contests
Russia's control of the Southern Kuril Islands, which were occupied by the Soviet
Union in 1945.[124] South Korea's control of the Liancourt Rocks is acknowledged but
not accepted as they are claimed by Japan.[125] Japan has strained relations with
China and Taiwan over the Senkaku Islands and the status of Okinotorishima.[126]
Military
Main article: Japan Self-Defense Forces
JMSDF Kongō class destroyer

Japan is the second-highest-ranked Asian country in the Global Peace Index 2020.

[127]
 Japan maintains one of the largest military budgets of any country in the world.
[128]
 The country's military (the Japan Self-Defense Forces) is restricted by Article 9 of
the Japanese Constitution, which renounces Japan's right to declare war or use
military force in international disputes.[129] The military is governed by the Ministry of
Defense, and primarily consists of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan
Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
The deployment of troops to Iraq and Afghanistan marked the first overseas use of
Japan's military since World War II.[130]
The Government of Japan has been making changes to its security policy which
include the establishment of the National Security Council, the adoption of the
National Security Strategy, and the development of the National Defense Program
Guidelines.[131] In May 2014, Prime Minister Shinzō Abe said Japan wanted to shed
the passiveness it has maintained since the end of World War II and take more
responsibility for regional security.[132] Recent tensions, particularly with North Korea
and China, have reignited the debate over the status of the JSDF and its relation to
Japanese society.[133][134][135]
Domestic law enforcement
Main articles: Law enforcement in Japan and Crime in Japan
Domestic security in Japan is provided mainly by the prefectural police departments,
under the oversight of the National Police Agency.[136] As the central coordinating
body for the Prefectural Police Departments, the National Police Agency is
administered by the National Public Safety Commission.[137] The Special Assault
Team comprises national-level counter-terrorism tactical units that cooperate with
territorial-level Anti-Firearms Squads and Counter-NBC Terrorism Squads.
[138]
 The Japan Coast Guard guards territorial waters surrounding Japan and uses
surveillance and control countermeasures against smuggling, marine environmental
crime, poaching, piracy, spy ships, unauthorized foreign fishing vessels, and illegal
immigration.[139]
The Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law strictly regulates the civilian
ownership of guns, swords and other weaponry. [140][141] According to the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime, among the member states of the UN that report statistics
as of 2018, the incidence rates of violent crimes such as murder, abduction, sexual
violence and robbery are very low in Japan.[142][143][144][145]

Economy
Main article: Economy of Japan

The Tokyo Stock Exchange

Japan is the third largest national economy in the world, after the United States and
China, in terms of nominal GDP,[146] and the fourth largest national economy in the
world, after the United States, China and India, in terms of purchasing power
parity as of 2019.[147] As of 2019, Japan's labor force consisted of 67 million workers.
  Japan has a low unemployment rate of around 2.4 percent.[106] Around 16 percent
[106]

of the population were below the poverty line in 2017. [148] Japan today has the highest
ratio of public debt to GDP of any developed nation,[149][150] with national debt at 236%
relative to GDP as of 2017.[151][152]
Japan's exports amounted to 18.5% of GDP in 2018. [153] As of 2019, Japan's main
export markets were the United States (19.8 percent) and China (19.1 percent). [106] Its
main exports are motor vehicles, iron and steel products, semiconductors and auto
parts.[74] Japan's main import markets as of 2019 were China (23.5 percent), the
United States (11 percent), and Australia (6.3 percent). [106] Japan's main imports are
machinery and equipment, fossil fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, and raw materials for
its industries.[106]
Japan ranks 29th of 190 countries in the 2019 ease of doing business index.[154] The
Japanese variant of capitalism has many distinct features: keiretsu enterprises are
influential, and lifetime employment and seniority-based career advancement are
common in the Japanese work environment.[155][156] Japan has a
large cooperative sector, with three of the ten largest cooperatives in the world,
including the largest consumer cooperative and the largest agricultural cooperative in
the world as of 2018.[157] Japan ranks highly for competitiveness and economic
freedom. It is ranked sixth in the Global Competitiveness Report for 2015–2016.[158][159]
Agriculture and fishery
Main article: Agriculture, forestry, and fishing in Japan

A rice paddy in Aizu, Fukushima Prefecture

The Japanese agricultural sector accounts for about 1.2% of the total country's GDP
as of 2018.[106] Only 11.5% of Japan's land is suitable for cultivation. [160] Because of this
lack of arable land, a system of terraces is used to farm in small areas.[161] This results
in one of the world's highest levels of crop yields per unit area, with an agricultural
self-sufficiency rate of about 50% as of 2018.[162] Japan's small agricultural sector is
highly subsidized and protected.[163] There has been a growing concern about farming
as farmers are aging with a difficult time finding successors. [164]
Japan ranked seventh in the world in tonnage of fish caught and captured 3,167,610
metric tons of fish in 2016, down from an annual average of 4,000,000 tons over the
previous decade.[165] Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and
accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch, [74] prompting critiques that Japan's
fishing is leading to depletion in fish stocks such as tuna.[166] Japan has sparked
controversy by supporting commercial whaling.[167]
Industry
Main articles: Manufacturing in Japan, Electronics industry in Japan,
and Automotive industry in Japan

A plug-in hybrid car manufactured by Toyota. Japan is the third-largest maker of automobiles in the world.
[168]

Japan has a large industrial capacity and is home to some of the "largest and most
technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, machine tools, steel and
nonferrous metals, ships, chemical substances, textiles, and processed foods".
[74]
 Japan's industrial sector makes up approximately 27.5% of its GDP. [74] The
country's manufacturing output is the third highest in the world as of 2019. [169]
Japan is the third largest automobile producer in the world as of 2017 and is home
to Toyota, the world's largest automobile company.[168][170] The Japanese shipbuilding
industry faces competition from South Korea and China; a 2020 government initiative
identified this sector as a target for increasing exports. [171]
Services and tourism
Main articles: Trade and services in Japan and Tourism in Japan
Japan's service sector accounts for about 70% of its total economic output as of
2019.[172] Banking, retail, transportation, and telecommunications are all major
industries, with companies such as Toyota, Mitsubishi UFJ,
-NTT, ÆON, Softbank, Hitachi, and Itochu listed as among the largest in the world.[173]
[174]

Japan attracted 31.9 million international tourists in 2019.[175] For inbound tourism,

Japan was ranked 11th in the world in 2019.[176] The 2017 Travel and Tourism
Competitiveness Report ranked Japan 4th out of 141 countries, which was the
highest in Asia.[177]
Science and technology
Main articles: Science and technology in Japan and Video gaming in Japan

The Japanese Experiment Module (Kibō) at the International Space Station

Japan is a leading nation in scientific research, particularly in the natural sciences

and engineering. The country ranks twelfth among the most innovative countries in
the 2020 Bloomberg Innovation Index and 16th in the Global Innovation Index in
2020, down from 15th in 2019.[178][179][180] Relative to gross domestic product,
Japan's research and development budget is the second highest in the world,[181] with
867,000 researchers sharing a 19-trillion-yen research and development budget as
of 2017.[182] The country has produced twenty-two Nobel laureates in either physics,
chemistry or medicine,[183] and three Fields medalists.[184]
Japan leads the world in robotics production and use, supplying 55% of the world's
2017 total.[185] Japan has the second highest number of researchers in science and
technology per capita in the world with 14 per 1000 employees. [186]
The Japanese consumer electronics industry, once considered the strongest in the
world, is in a state of decline as competition arises in countries like South Korea and
China.[187] However, video gaming in Japan remains a major industry. In 2014,
Japan's consumer video game market grossed $9.6 billion, with $5.8 billion coming
from mobile gaming.[188]
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is Japan's national space agency; it
conducts space, planetary, and aviation research, and leads development of rockets
and satellites.[189] It is a participant in the International Space Station: the Japanese
Experiment Module (Kibō) was added to the station during Space Shuttle assembly
flights in 2008.[190] The space probe Akatsuki was launched in 2010 and achieved
orbit around Venus in 2015.[191] Japan's plans in space exploration include building
a moon base and landing astronauts by 2030.[192] In 2007, it launched lunar
explorer SELENE (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) from Tanegashima
Space Center. The largest lunar mission since the Apollo program, its purpose was
to gather data on the moon's origin and evolution. The explorer entered a lunar orbit
on October 4, 2007,[193][194] and was deliberately crashed into the Moon on June 11,
2009.[195]

Infrastructure
Transportation
Main article: Transport in Japan

Japan Airlines, the flag carrier of Japan

Japan has invested heavily in transportation infrastructure. [196] The country has

approximately 1,200,000 kilometers (750,000 miles) of roads made up of 1,000,000
kilometers (620,000 miles) of city, town and village roads, 130,000 kilometers
(81,000 miles) of prefectural roads, 54,736 kilometers (34,011 miles) of general
national highways and 7641 kilometers (4748 miles) of national expressways as of
2017.[197]
Since privatization in 1987,[198] dozens of Japanese railway companies compete in
regional and local passenger transportation markets; major companies include
seven JR enterprises, Kintetsu, Seibu Railway and Keio Corporation. The high-
speed Shinkansen (bullet trains) that connect major cities are known for their safety
and punctuality.[199]
There are 175 airports in Japan as of 2013.[74] The largest domestic airport, Haneda
Airport in Tokyo, was Asia's second-busiest airport in 2019.[200] The Keihin and
Hanshin superport hubs are among the largest in the world, at 7.98 and 5.22
million TEU respectively as of 2017.[201]
Energy
Main article: Energy in Japan

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant

As of 2017, 39% of energy in Japan was produced from petroleum, 25% from coal,
23% from natural gas, 3.5% from hydropower and 1.5% from nuclear power. Nuclear
power was down from 11.2 percent in 2010. [202] By May 2012 all of the country's
nuclear power plants had been taken offline because of ongoing public opposition
following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011, though government
officials continued to try to sway public opinion in favor of returning at least some to
service.[203] The Sendai Nuclear Power Plant restarted in 2015,[204] and since then
several other nuclear power plants have been restarted. [205] Japan lacks significant
domestic reserves and has a heavy dependence on imported energy.[206] The country
has therefore aimed to diversify its sources and maintain high levels of energy
efficiency.[207]
Water supply and sanitation
Main article: Water supply and sanitation in Japan
Responsibility for the water and sanitation sector is shared between the Ministry of
Health, Labour and Welfare, in charge of water supply for domestic use; the Ministry
of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, in charge of water resources
development as well as sanitation; the Ministry of the Environment, in charge of
ambient water quality and environmental preservation; and the Ministry of Internal
Affairs and Communications, in charge of performance benchmarking of utilities.
[208]
 Access to an improved water source is universal in Japan. About 98% of the
population receives piped water supply from public utilities. [209]

Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of Japan, Japanese people, Ethnic groups of Japan,
and List of metropolitan areas in Japan
 The Greater Tokyo Area is ranked as the most populous metropolitan area in the world.

Japan has a population of 125.7 million, of which 123.2 million are Japanese
nationals (2020 estimates).[210] A small population of foreign residents makes up the
remainder.[211] In 2019, 92% of the total Japanese population lived in cities. [212] The
capital city Tokyo has a population of 14.0 million (2021). [213] It is part of the Greater
Tokyo Area, the biggest metropolitan area in the world with 38,140,000 people
(2016).[214]
Ethnic minority groups in Japan include the indigenous Ainu and Ryukyuan people.
[215]
 Zainichi Koreans,[216] Chinese,[217] Filipinos,[218] Brazilians mostly of Japanese
descent,[219] and Peruvians mostly of Japanese descent are also among Japan's small
minority groups.[220] Burakumin make up a social minority group.[221]
Japan has the second longest overall life expectancy at birth of any country in the
world, at 84 years as of 2019.[222] The Japanese population is rapidly aging as a result
of a post–World War II baby boom followed by a decrease in birth rates.[223] As of
2019 over 20 percent of the population is over 65, and this is projected to rise to one
in three by 2030.[224] The changes in demographic structure have created a number of
social issues, particularly a decline in workforce population and increase in the cost
of social security benefits.[224] A growing number of younger Japanese are not
marrying or remain childless.[224][225] Japan's population is expected to drop to around
100 million by 2060.[226] Immigration and birth incentives are sometimes suggested as
a solution to provide younger workers to support the nation's aging population. [227]
[228]
 On April 1, 2019, Japan's revised immigration law was enacted, protecting the
rights of foreign workers to help reduce labor shortages in certain sectors. [229]

 
 v

 t

 e
Largest cities or towns in Japan
2015 Census
Rank Name Prefecture Pop. Rank Name Pr
1 Tokyo Tokyo 9,272,740 11 Hiroshima Hirosh
Tokyo 2 Yokohama Kanagawa 3,724,844 12 Sendai Miyag
3 Osaka Osaka 2,691,185 13 Chiba Chiba
4 Nagoya Aichi 2,295,638 14 Kitakyushu Fukuo
5 Sapporo Hokkaido 1,952,356 15 Sakai Osaka
6 Fukuoka Fukuoka 1,538,681 16 Niigata Niigata
7 Kobe Hyōgo 1,537,272 17 Hamamatsu Shizuo
8 Kawasaki Kanagawa 1,475,213 18 Kumamoto Kumam
Yokohama
9 Kyoto Kyoto 1,475,183 19 Sagamihara Kanag
 10 Saitama Saitama 1,263,979 20 Okayama Okaya

Religion
Main article: Religion in Japan

The torii of Itsukushima Shinto Shrine near Hiroshima

Japan's constitution guarantees full religious freedom. [230] Upper estimates suggest

that 84–96 percent of the Japanese population subscribe to Shinto as its indigenous
religion.[231] However, these estimates are based on people affiliated with a temple,
rather than the number of true believers. Many Japanese people practice both Shinto
and Buddhism; they can either identify with both religions or describe themselves as
non-religious or spiritual.[232] The level of participation in religious ceremonies as a
cultural tradition remains high, especially during festivals and occasions such as
the first shrine visit of the New Year.[233] Taoism and Confucianism from China have
also influenced Japanese beliefs and customs.[234]
Christianity was first introduced into Japan by Jesuit missions starting in 1549.
Today, 1%[235] to 1.5% of the population are Christians.[236] Throughout the latest
century, Western customs originally related to Christianity (including Western style
weddings, Valentine's Day and Christmas) have become popular as secular customs
among many Japanese.[237]
About 90% of those practicing Islam in Japan are foreign-born migrants as of 2016.
[238]
 As of 2018 there were an estimated 105 mosques and 200,000 Muslims in Japan,
43,000 of which were ethnically Japanese.[239] Other minority religions
include Hinduism, Judaism, and Baháʼí Faith, as well as the animist beliefs of the
Ainu.[240]
Languages
Main articles: Languages of Japan and Japanese language
Kanji and hiragana signs

Japanese writing uses kanji (Chinese characters) and two sets

of kana (syllabaries based on cursive script and radical of kanji), as well as the Latin
alphabet and Arabic numerals.[241] English instruction was made mandatory in
Japanese elementary schools in 2020.[242]
Besides Japanese, the Ryukyuan
languages (Amami, Kunigami, Okinawan, Miyako, Yaeyama, Yonaguni), part of
the Japonic language family, are spoken in the Ryukyu Islands chain.[243] Few children
learn these languages,[244] but local governments have sought to increase awareness
of the traditional languages.[245] The Ainu language, which is a language isolate,
is moribund, with only a few native speakers remaining as of 2014. [246]
Education
Main article: Education in Japan

Students celebrating after the announcement of the results of the entrance examinations to the University
of Tokyo

Primary schools, secondary schools and universities were introduced in 1872 as a

result of the Meiji Restoration.[247] Since the 1947 Fundamental Law of Education,
compulsory education in Japan comprises elementary and junior high school, which
together last for nine years.[248] Almost all children continue their education at a three-
year senior high school.[249] The two top-ranking universities in Japan are
the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University.[250] Starting in April 2016, various
schools began the academic year with elementary school and junior high school
integrated into one nine-year compulsory schooling program; MEXT plans for this
approach to be adopted nationwide. [251]
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) coordinated by the
OECD ranks the knowledge and skills of Japanese 15-year-olds as the third best in
the world.[252] Japan is one of the top-performing OECD countries in reading literacy,
math and sciences with the average student scoring 529 and has one of the world's
highest-educated labor forces among OECD countries. [253][252][254] As of 2017, Japan's
public spending on education amounted to just 3.3 percent of its GDP, below the
OECD average of 4.9 percent.[255] In 2017, the country ranked third for the percentage
of 25- to 64-year-olds that have attained tertiary education with 51 percent.
[256]
 Approximately 60 percent of Japanese aged 25 to 34 have some form of tertiary
education qualification, and bachelor's degrees are held by 30.4 percent of
Japanese aged 25 to 64, the second most in the OECD after South Korea. [256]
Health
Main articles: Health in Japan and Health care system in Japan
Health care is provided by national and local governments. Payment for personal
medical services is offered through a universal health insurance system that
provides relative equality of access, with fees set by a government committee.
People without insurance through employers can participate in a national health
insurance program administered by local governments. [257] Since 1973, all elderly
persons have been covered by government-sponsored insurance. [258]
Japan has one of the world's highest suicide rates.[259] Another significant public
health issue is smoking among Japanese men.[260] Japan has the lowest rate of heart
disease in the OECD, and the lowest level of dementia in the developed world. [261]

Culture
Main article: Culture of Japan
See also: Japanese popular culture
Contemporary Japanese culture combines influences from Asia, Europe and North
America.[262] Traditional Japanese arts include crafts such
as ceramics, textiles, lacquerware, swords and dolls; performances
of bunraku, kabuki, noh, dance, and rakugo; and other practices, the tea
ceremony, ikebana, martial arts, calligraphy, origami, onsen, Geisha and games.
Japan has a developed system for the protection and promotion of both tangible and
intangible Cultural Properties and National Treasures.[263] Twenty-two sites have been
inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, eighteen of which are of cultural
significance.[96]
Art and architecture
Main article: Japanese art
Further information: Japanese garden, Japanese esthetics, Manga, and Japanese
sculpture

Hokusai's 19th-century ukiyo-e woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa

Ritsurin Garden, one of the most famous strolling gardens in Japan

The history of Japanese painting exhibits synthesis and competition between

native Japanese esthetics and imported ideas.[264] The interaction between Japanese
and European art has been significant: for example ukiyo-e prints, which began to be
exported in the 19th century in the movement known as Japonism, had a significant
influence on the development of modern art in the West, most notably on post-
Impressionism.[264] Japanese manga developed in the 20th century and have become
popular worldwide.[265]
Japanese architecture is a combination between local and other influences. It has
traditionally been typified by wooden or mud plaster structures, elevated slightly off
the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. [266] The Shrines of Ise have been celebrated
as the prototype of Japanese architecture.[267] Traditional housing and many temple
buildings see the use of tatami mats and sliding doors that break down the distinction
between rooms and indoor and outdoor space.[268] Since the 19th century, Japan has
incorporated much of Western modern architecture into construction and design.[269] It
was not until after World War II that Japanese architects made an impression on the
international scene, firstly with the work of architects like Kenzō Tange and then with
movements like Metabolism.[270]