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Communications

Airports [time series]

165 total, 156 usable; 128 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 27 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 55 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

341 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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)

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

1,088 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,597,688 GRT/36,655,266 DWT; includes 7 passenger, 57 short-sea passenger, 4 passenger cargo, 108 cargo, 44 container, 27 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 135 refrigerated cargo, 117 vehicle carrier, 237 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 21 chemical tanker, 42 liquefied gas, 12 combination ore/oil, 3 specialized tanker, 272 bulk, 1 combination bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil, 84 km; refined products, 322 km; natural gas, 1,800 km

Ports [time series]

Chiba, Muroran, Kitakyushu, Kobe, Tomakomai, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Yokkaichi, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Niigata, Fushiki-Toyama, Shimizu, Himeji, Wakayama-Shimozu, Shimonoseki, Tokuyama-Shimomatsu

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

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)

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (army), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (navy), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (air force), Maritime Safety Agency (coast guard)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

1.0% of GNP at market prices (1989 est.)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 32,181,866; 27,695,890 fit for military service; 1,004,052 reach military age (18) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 3% 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 11.8 million metric tons in 1987

Aid [time series]

donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $57.5 billion

Budget [time series]

revenues $392 billion; expenditures $464 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY89)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

yen (plural--yen); 1 yen (Y) = 100 sen

Electricity [time series]

191,000,000 kW capacity; 700,000 million kWh produced, 5,680 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

yen (Y) per US$1--145.09 (January 1990), 137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987), 168.52 (1986), 238.54 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$270 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--manufactures 97% (including machinery 38%, motor vehicles 17%, consumer electronics 10%); partners--US 34%, Southeast Asia 22%, Western Europe 21%, Communist countries 5%, Middle East 5%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$NA

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April-31 March

GNP [time series]

$1,914.1 billion, per capita $15,600; real growth rate 4.8% (1989 est.)

Imports [time series]

$210 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--manufactures 42%, fossil fuels 30%, foodstuffs 15%, nonfuel raw materials 13%; partners--Southeast Asia 23%, US 23%, Middle East 15%, Western Europe 16%, Communist countries 7%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 9.0% (1989)

Industries [time series]

metallurgy, engineering, electrical and electronic, textiles, chemicals, automobiles, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

2.1% (1989)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Although Japan has few natural resources, since 1971 it has become the world's third-largest industrial 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 total global catch. Overall economic growth has been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1989 strong investment and consumption spending helped maintain growth at nearly 5%. Inflation remains low at 2.1% despite high oil prices and a somewhat weaker yen. Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus, $60 billion in 1989, which supports extensive investment in foreign properties.

Unemployment rate [time series]

2.3% (1989)

Geography

Climate [time series]

varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Coastline [time series]

29,751 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than California

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

Habomai Islands, Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands occupied by Soviet Union since 1945, claimed by Japan; Kuril Islands administered by Soviet Union; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea; Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Exclusive fishing zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

13% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 67% forest and woodland; 18% other; includes 9% irrigated

Natural resources [time series]

negligible mineral resources, fish

Note [time series]

strategic location in northeast Asia

Terrain [time series]

mostly rugged and mountainous

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm (3 nm in international straits--La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait)

Area (Total area) [time series]

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)

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

47 prefectures (fuken, singular and plural); Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi

Capital [time series]

Tokyo

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

about 470,000 registered Communist party members

Constitution [time series]

3 May 1947

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Nobuo MATSUNAGA; 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) 224-5000; there are US Consulates General in Naha, Osaka-Kobe, and Sapporo and a Consulate in Fukuoka

Executive branch [time series]

emperor, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

660 BC, traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu; 3 May 1947, constitutional monarchy established

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court Chief of State--Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989); Head of Government--Prime Minister Toshiki KAIFU (since 9 August 1989)

Legal system [time series]

civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consists of an upper house or House of Councillors (Sangi-in) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Shugi-in)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

none

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ADB, ASPAC, CCC, Colombo Plan, DAC, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

National holiday [time series]

Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Toshiki Kaifu, president; 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 [time series]

universal at age 20 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, others 33; 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, JDSP 14, other parties 5, independents 21; note--nine independents are expected to join the LDP, five the JSP

Government type (Type) [time series]

constitutional monarchy

People

Birth rate [time series]

11 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

99.4% Japanese, 0.6% other (mostly Korean)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

5 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

63,330,000; 54% trade and services; 33% manufacturing, mining, and construction; 7% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 3% government (1988)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Japanese

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

76 years male, 82 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

99%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Japanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Japanese

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

about 29% of employed workers; 76.4% public service, 57.9% transportation and telecommunications, 48.7% mining, 33.7% manufacturing, 18.2% services, 9.3% wholesale, retail, and restaurant

Population [time series]

123,642,461 (July 1990), growth rate 0.4% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

most Japanese observe both Shinto and Buddhist rites; about 16% belong to other faiths, including 0.8% Christian

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.6 children born/woman (1990)