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Communications

Airports [time series]

163 total, 158 usable; 131 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 31 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 51 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

360 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

1,111,974 km total; 754,102 km paved, 357,872 km gravel, crushed stone, or unpaved; 4,400 km national expressways; 46,805 km national highways; 128,539 km prefectural roads; and 930,230 km city, town, and village roads

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

976 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,684,459 GRT/34,683,035 DWT; includes 10 passenger, 40 short-sea passenger, 3 passenger cargo, 89 cargo, 44 container, 36 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 111 refrigerated cargo, 93 vehicle carrier, 227 petroleum tanker, 11 chemical tanker, 40 liquefied gas, 9 combination ore/oil, 3 specialized tanker, 260 bulk; note - Japan also owns a large flag of convenience fleet, including up to 55% of the total number of ships under the Panamanian flag

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 84 km; petroleum 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; broadcast 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 Russia

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]

exchange rate conversion - $36.7 billion, 0.94% of GDP (FY92 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 32,219,754; 27,767,280 fit for military service; 1,042,493 reach military age (18) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for only 2% of GDP; 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

Budget [time series]

revenues $481 billion; expenditures $531 billion, including capital expenditures (public works only) of about $60 billion (FY91)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $83.2 billion; ODA outlay of $9.1 billion in 1990 (est.)

Electricity [time series]

196,000,000 kW capacity; 823,000 million kWh produced, 6,640 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

yen (Y) per US$1 - 132.70 (March 1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990), 137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987)

Exports [time series]

$314.3 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: manufactures 97% (including machinery 40%, motor vehicles 18%, consumer electronics 10%) partners: Southeast Asia 31%, US 29%, Western Europe 23%, Communist countries 4%, Middle East 3%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$NA

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power equivalent - $2,360.7 billion, per capita $19,000; real growth rate 4.5% (1991)

Imports [time series]

$236.6 billion (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: manufactures 50%, fossil fuels 21%, foodstuffs and raw materials 25% partners: Southeast Asia 25%, US 22%, Western Europe 17%, Middle East 12%, Communist countries 8%

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

growth rate 2.1% (1991); accounts for 30% of GDP (mining and manufacturing)

Industries [time series]

metallurgy, engineering, electrical and electronic, textiles, chemicals, automobiles, fishing, telecommunications, machine tools, construction equipment

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3.3% (1991)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, and a comparatively small defense allocation have helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity, 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. A major contributor to overall growth of 4.5% in 1991 was net exports, which cushioned the effect of slower growth in domestic demand. Inflation remains low at 3.3% and is easing due to lower oil prices and a stronger yen. Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus, $80 billion in 1991, which supports extensive investment in foreign assets. The increased crowding of its habitable land area and the aging of its population are two major long-run problems.

Unemployment rate [time series]

2.1% (1991)

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]

Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands and the Habomai island group occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, claimed by Japan; 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

Area (Land area) [time series]

374,744 km2; includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

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

Maritime claims [time series]

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)

Natural resources [time series]

negligible mineral resources, fish

Note [time series]

strategic location in northeast Asia

Terrain [time series]

mostly rugged and mountainous

Area (Total area) [time series]

377,835 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

47 prefectures; 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 490,000 registered Communist party members

Constitution [time series]

3 May 1947

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

Ambassador Takakazu KURIYAMA; 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 10-5, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo (mailing address is APO AP 96337-0001); telephone [81] (3) 3224-5000; FAX [81] (3) 3505-1862; there are US Consulates General in Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, and Sapporo and a Consulate in Fukuoka

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

House of Councillors: last held on 23 July 1989 (next to be held 26 July 1992); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (263 total) LDP 114, SDPJ 71, CGP 20, JCP 14, other 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 278, SDPJ 137, CGP 46, JCP 16, DSP 13, others 5, independents 6, vacant 11

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

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989) Head of Government: Prime Minister Kiichi MIYAZAWA (since 5 November 1991)

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]

AfDB, AG (observer), Australia Group, 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, MTCR, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

National holiday [time series]

Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)

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

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Kiichi MIYAZAWA, president; Tamisuke WATANUKI, secretary general; Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ), Makoto TANABE, Chairman; Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), Keizo OUCHI, chairman; Japan Communist Party (JCP), Tetsuzo FUWA, Presidium chairman; Komeito (Clean Government Party, CGP), Koshiro ISHIDA, chairman

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 20

Government type (Type) [time series]

constitutional monarchy

People

Birth rate [time series]

10 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Japanese 99.4%, other (mostly Korean) 0.6%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

4 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

Japanese

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

77 years male, 82 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun - Japanese (singular and plural); adjective - Japanese

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

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%

Population [time series]

124,460,481 (July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)

Religions [time series]

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)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.6 children born/woman (1992)