Country Profile

Japan

Country Profile

Government
The government is a constitutional monarchy. The emperor is head of state but has no executive power. The head of government is the prime minister, who with a cabinet forms the executive branch. Legislative power is vested in the Diet (Kokkai), consisting of a 500-member House of Representatives (Lower House) and the 252-member House of Councillors (Upper House). Japan has 47 prefectures (provinces), each administered by an elected governor. The voting age is 20.
Recent History The 1950s marked a period of growth and prosperity in Japan, as the nation focused on economic reconstruction. World War II and the subsequent foreign occupation, which had transformed Japan's government and economy, were now in the past. Japan had been stripped of its empire and sovereignty after World War II, but became a self-governing nation once again in 1952, following a September 1951 peace treaty signed by 49 nations in San Francisco. In 1955 the Liberal party and the Japan Democratic party merged to form the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which would dominate the Japanese government for the next four decades. The following year, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly voted to admit Japan into the UN. Japan's most serious post-war political crisis took place in 1960, when the 10-year Japan-United States Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security was being concluded. The pact, which renewed the United States' role as military protector of Japan, proved bitterly unpopular with many Japanese. Widespread street protests and political upheaval reflected anti-American sentiment as well as disapproval with the Japanese government. Japan's economy in the 1960s continued to grow with unexpected and unprecedented speed. Japan invested an enormous amount of money in urban improvements to prepare for the 1964 Olympic Games, held in Tokyo. Both the Olympics and the 1970 Japan World Exposition in Osaka were testaments to Japan's having regained international status in the post-war period. Japan had reestablished relations with the Republic of China after World War II, and had maintained diplomatic and economic ties with the Nationalist government after it was exiled to Taiwan by the Communists. Profitable trade developed between the two nations. Although no political ties were formed, Japan also traded with the People’s Republic of China. Each Chinese government watched Japan's interactions with the other closely and jealously; when the Japanese government signed a historic agreement with the government of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing in 1972, it was forced to break ties for the time being with Taiwan. China and Japan signed a Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1978.

Japan's rapid economic growth and political tranquillity of the mid-to-late 1960s were jeopardized when the price of oil from the Middle East rocketed in 1973. Almost completely dependent on imports for petroleum, Japan experienced its first and only recession since the war. The LDP maintained control of the government through the 1980s, although its popularity fluctuated and leaders faced various charges of corruption. Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei, who stepped down in 1974, was the first of a chain of leaders to resign with a tarnished reputation. The previously booming economic growth began to decline in the late 1980s. Emperor Hirohito died in January 1989 after having reigned for more than six decades. He was succeeded by his son Akihito, who inaugurated a reign called Heisei (Achieving Peace). In June 1993, Crown Prince Naruhito made international news when he married the highly educated, cosmopolitan diplomat and commoner Owada Masako. In the next month's elections, the Liberal Democrats lost their majority but stayed in power as part of a coalition government. Japan experienced two major tragedies in 1995. In January a strong earthquake struck near Kobe, resulting in more than 5,000 deaths. In March a poisonous nerve gas was released in Tōkyō's subway system during the morning rush hour. The attack left 11 people dead and more than 5,500 injured, devastating a country unfamiliar with such extreme acts of terrorism. The leader of the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult, Shoko Asahara, was imprisoned in May on charges of masterminding the attack. His trial began in April 1996. At a summit meeting in April 1996, the leaders of the United States and Japan signed a military-cooperation agreement calling for Japan to provide logistical support for US forces in UN peacekeeping operations. At the same time, the United States agreed to return about 20 per cent of the land it occupies on Okinawa. Protests against the US military presence on Okinawa had become heated after the September 1995 abduction and rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US soldiers. In September 1996 Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, a Liberal Democrat, dissolved the legislature and called for new elections to be held in October. The elections resulted in the LDP failing to win a majority of seats in the legislature; however, the LDP once again joined two other parties in a ruling coalition. Prime Minister Hashimoto resigned in July 1998 following a heavy defeat in parliamentary elections to Japan's upper house. His successor was Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. Japan has several unresolved international issues. The Kuril Islands-especially the southern ones, Iturup Island (disputed), Kunashir Island (disputed), Shikotan Island (disputed), and the Malaya Kuril’skaya Ridge (disputed)-are the subject of a long-standing issue with Russia over ownership and fishing rights. Japan and Russia also have issues regarding the southern region of Sakhalin Island. Japan also has an unresolved issue with South Korea. Japan claims Liancourt Rocks. The islands, called TOk-do in Korean and Take-shima in Japanese are currently occupied by the Korean Police Force. In addition, Taiwan and mainland China claim Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto or Daioyu-dao. Economy
Japan's economy is the second largest in the world after that of the United States. The gross domestic product (GDP) is US$4.60 trillion (1996), less than two-thirds that of the US but more than twice that of Germany (the world's third largest economy). In terms of GDP, the Japanese enjoy one of the highest living standards in the world-at US$36,570 (1996). However, when purchasing power parities (PPP) are used, living standards in 1990 were calculated to be roughly four-fifths of the level in the US. For much of the post-war period the country has enjoyed exceptional rates of economic growth, and during the 1980s growth was still averaging around 3.6 per cent a year. However, in recent years annual growth has slipped back to around 1.3 per cent (1995 estimate). Japan is one of the most productive industrialized nations in the world, even despite a difficult three-year recession. Japan has achieved its economic miracle despite a lack of natural resources. It has to import most of its energy requirements (it is the world's largest oil importer) and many of the raw materials needed for industrial processes. Also, because most of the country is mountainous and unsuitable for cultivation, Japan has to import nearly half its food, including grains other than rice. Major crops include rice, sugar cane, vegetables, tea, and various fruits. Japan also accounts for 15 per cent of the total world catch of seafood. Japan's economic success was built on industrialization. The country produces motor vehicles (including motorcycles), electronic equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, machinery, ships, and scientific and optical equipment. In 1992 it accounted for almost 10 per cent of world visible exports; only Germany and the US exported more. Japan has a large trade surplus, which has been a source of tension, particularly with its largest trading partner, the US. More recently there has been a shift to services. Japan is home to the world's largest banks and largest life-insurance company. In 1992 the country accounted for more than 10 per cent of world invisible exports (such as financial and banking services), second only to the US. Japan has also been investing heavily in the US, the United Kingdom (as a means of access to the European Union market), and in many other countries around the world, more recently those in Middle East. The bursting of the economic bubble at the beginning of the 1990s has caused some major readjustments in Japan and may mark the beginning of a new economic era. The currency is the yen. Transport and Communication
A highly developed and very efficient mass-transit system of trains and buses is the principal mode of transport in urban areas, and several cities have underground systems. “Bullet” trains (shinkansen) provide rapid transport between major cities. Many people also have private cars, although car ownership figures are lower than for many other developed countries because of highly restrictive parking regulations in urban areas. Traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road. In big cities, roads are often congested. There is a comprehensive domestic air network, although the shinkansen are often quicker for journeys between city centres. International air links are excellent. Japan’s communication systems are among the best and most modern in the world. Hundreds of newspapers and magazines are widely read. Education
Education is generally free and compulsory for nine years (from the ages of 6 to 15). The Japanese state school structure is based on six years at primary school followed by three years at secondary school and three years at upper secondary school, which about 90 per cent of students complete. Examinations play a central role in Japanese education, which is very competitive. Many parents pay for additional private tuition in juku (cram schools) to give their children a better chance of passing the difficult entrance examinations set by the best secondary schools. The pressure on children can be intense. Children are in school Monday to Saturday, with one Saturday off a month. More than a third of students who finish secondary school go on to university. Entrance examinations are rigorous and again competition is fierce; students study for years and cram for months to take them. Admission to the best schools is more important than ultimate performance. Graduation from a top university usually guarantees a prestigious job. Health and Welfare
The Japanese enjoy one of the highest standards of health in the world. The infant mortality rate is only 4 deaths per 1,000 live births (1997). Life expectancy averages 80 years (1997), the highest in the world. Companies are generally responsible for providing insurance benefits to employees, but the government also sponsors some social welfare programmes. Medical facilities are very good. Pollution is a problem in Tokyo. Factsheet
Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula Geographic coordinates: 36 00 N, 138 00 E Map references: Asia Area: total area: 377,835 sq km land area: 374,744 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than California (note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)) Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 29,751 km Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm; 3 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait International disputes: islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai 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 Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m highest point: Fujiyama 3,776 m Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish Land use: arable land: 13% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 67% other: 18% Irrigated land: 28,680 sq km (1989) Environment: current issues: air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan's appetite for fish and tropical timber is contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere natural hazards: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94 Geographic note: strategic location in northeast Asia.