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{{Short description|Island country in East Asia}} | |||
{{dablink|This article is about the country in Asia. For other uses, see ]}} | |||
{{redirect-several|Japan|Nihon|Nippon|JPN}} | |||
{{Infobox_Country| | |||
{{Featured article}} | |||
|native_name = 日本国<br />''Nihon-koku''<br />''Nippon-koku'' | |||
{{pp-semi-indef}} | |||
|conventional_long_name = State of Japan | |||
{{Use American English|date=December 2020}} | |||
|common_name = Japan | |||
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}} | |||
|image_flag = Flag of Japan.svg | |||
{{bots|deny=Citation bot,OAbot}} | |||
|image_coat = Imperial Seal of Japan.svg | |||
{{Infobox country | |||
|symbol_type= Imperial Seal | |||
| conventional_long_name = Japan | |||
|image_map = LocationMapJapan.png | |||
| common_name = Japan | |||
|national_motto = ''(])''<br>(translated to ''Peace and Progress'') | |||
| native_name = {{native name|ja|日本国|italics=off}}<br />{{resize|90%|{{transliteration|ja|Nihon-koku}} or {{transliteration|ja|Nippon-koku}}}} | |||
|national_anthem = '']''<br>(translated to ''Imperial Reign'') | |||
| image_flag = Flag of Japan.svg | |||
|official_languages = ] | |||
| alt_flag = Centered deep red circle on a white rectangle | |||
|capital = ] | |||
| image_coat = Imperial Seal of Japan.svg | |||
|latd=35 |latm=41 |latNS=N |longd=139 |longm=46 |longEW=E | | |||
| alt_coat = Golden circle subdivided by golden wedges with rounded outer edges and thin black outlines | |||
|largest_city = ]* | |||
| symbol_type = ]{{efn|The Government of Japan uses a ].}} | |||
|government_type = ] | |||
| other_symbol = {{lang|ja|大日本國璽}} ({{transliteration|ja|Dai Nihon Kokuji}})<br>"National Seal of Greater Japan"{{parabr}}] | |||
| |
| other_symbol_type = ]: | ||
| national_anthem = <br>{{lang|ja|君が代}} ("{{transliteration|ja|]}}")<br />"His Imperial Majesty's Reign"{{parabr}}{{center|]}} | |||
|leader_title2 = ] | |||
| image_map = Japan (orthographic projection).svg | |||
|leader_name1 = ] | |||
| alt_map = Projection of Asia with Japan's Area colored green | |||
|leader_name2 = ] | |||
| map_caption = {{Legend|#336830|Location of Japan}} | |||
|area_rank = 63 | |||
{{Legend|#61E760|]}} | |||
|area_magnitude = 1 E11 | |||
| capital = ] | |||
|area= 377,835 | |||
| coordinates = {{Coord|35|41|N|139|46|E|type:city}} | |||
|areami²=145,883 <!-- Do not remove per ] --> | |||
| largest_city = capital | |||
|percent_water = 0.8% | |||
| national_languages = ] (''de facto'') | |||
|population_estimate = 128,085,000 | |||
| regional_languages = ]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lewallen |first1=Ann-Elise |title=Indigenous at last! Ainu Grassroots Organizing and the Indigenous Peoples Summit in Ainu Mosir |url=https://apjjf.org/-ann-elise-lewallen/2971/article.html |work=The Asia Pacific Journal (Japan Focus) |issue=11 |date=November 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231023122729/https://apjjf.org/-ann-elise-lewallen/2971/article.html |archivedate= October 23, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | |||
|population_estimate_year = 2005 | |||
|last=Martin |first=Kylie | |||
|population_estimate_rank = 10th | |||
|date=2011 | |||
|population_census = | |||
|title=Aynu itak: On the Road to Ainu Language Revitalization | |||
|population_census_year = | |||
|journal=Media and Communication Studies | |||
|population_density = 337 | |||
|script-journal=ja:メディア·コミュニケーション研究 | |||
|population_densitymi² =873 <!-- Do not remove per ] --> | |||
|volume=60 | |||
|population_density_rank = 30th | |||
|pages=57–93 | |||
|GDP_nominal_year= 2004 | |||
|url=https://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/47031/1/MSC60_005.pdf | |||
|GDP_nominal = 4.8 trillion | |||
|url-status=live | |||
|GDP_nominal_rank = 2nd | |||
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421225339/https://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/47031/1/MSC60_005.pdf | |||
|GDP_PPP_year= 2006 | |||
|archivedate=April 21, 2015 | |||
|GDP_PPP = $4.167 trillion | |||
}}</ref> | |||
|GDP_PPP_rank = 3rd | |||
| languages_type = Unrecognized regional languages | |||
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $32,640 | |||
| languages = {{nowrap|]}}<br/>] | |||
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 16th | |||
| languages_sub = yes | |||
|sovereignty_type = ] | |||
| government_type = Unitary ] | |||
|established_event1 = ] | |||
| leader_title1 = ] | |||
|established_event2 = ] | |||
| leader_name1 = ] | |||
|established_event3 = ] | |||
| leader_title2 = ] | |||
|established_event4 = ] | |||
| leader_name2 = ] | |||
|established_date1 = ] | |||
| legislature = ] | |||
|established_date2 = ], ] | |||
| upper_house = ] | |||
|established_date3 = ], ] | |||
| lower_house = ] | |||
|established_date4 = ], ] | |||
| sovereignty_type = ]<!--if necessary, discuss on talk page to determine what events are relevant here before editing--> | |||
|HDI_year = 2003 | |||
| established_event1 = ] | |||
|HDI = 0.943 | |||
| established_date1 = November 29, 1890 | |||
|HDI_rank = 11th | |||
| established_event2 = {{nowrap|]}} | |||
|HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font> | |||
| established_date2 = May 3, 1947 | |||
|currency = ] (¥) | |||
| area_km2 = 377,975 | |||
|currency_code = JPY | |||
| area_footnote = <ref name="area-2019">{{cite web|script-title=ja:令和元年全国都道府県市区町村別面積調 (10月1日時点)|url=https://www.gsi.go.jp/KOKUJYOHO/MENCHO201910-index.html|trans-title=Reiwa 1 nationwide area survey by prefectures and municipalities (as of October 1) | |||
|country_code = JPN | |||
|publisher=]|language=ja|date=December 26, 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415123703/https://www.gsi.go.jp/KOKUJYOHO/MENCHO201910-index.html|archivedate=April 15, 2020|url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
|time_zone = ] | |||
| percent_water = 1.4<ref>{{cite web|title=Surface water and surface water change|accessdate=October 11, 2020|publisher=OECD|url=https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=SURFACE_WATER|archive-date=March 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324133453/https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=SURFACE_WATER|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
|utc_offset = +9 | |||
| area_rank = 62nd<!-- Area rank should match ] --> | |||
|time_zone_DST = None | |||
| population_census = {{DecreaseNeutral}} 126,146,099<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.e-stat.go.jp/en/dbview?sid=0003445154|title=2020 Population Census: population by sex, age (single years), month of birth and all nationality or Japanese|accessdate=July 7, 2024|publisher=]|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707224705/https://www.e-stat.go.jp/en/dbview?sid=0003445154|archivedate=July 7, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
|utc_offset_DST = | |||
| population_census_rank = | |||
|cctld = ] | |||
| population_census_year = 2020 | |||
|calling_code = 81 | |||
| population_estimate = {{DecreaseNeutral}} 123,970,000<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population estimates by age (five-year groups) and sex |url=https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/tsuki/index.html |accessdate=February 20, 2024 |publisher=Statistics Bureau of Japan |archive-date=April 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405030144/https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/tsuki/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
|footnotes = * Largest urban area. ] is the largest incorporated city. | |||
| population_estimate_year = March 1, 2024 | |||
| population_estimate_rank = 11th | |||
| population_density_km2 = 330<!-- Per ], 125,416,877 / 377,975 = 330.29 --> | |||
| population_density_rank = 44th | |||
| GDP_PPP = {{increase}} $6.572 trillion<ref name="IMFWEO.JP">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2024/October/weo-report?c=158,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2022&ey=2029&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2024 Edition. (Japan) |publisher=] |website=www.imf.org |date=October 22, 2024 |access-date=October 22, 2024}}</ref> | |||
| GDP_PPP_year = 2024 | |||
| GDP_PPP_rank = 5th | |||
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{increase}} $53,059<ref name="IMFWEO.JP" /> | |||
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 34th | |||
| GDP_nominal = {{decrease}} $4.070 trillion<ref name="IMFWEO.JP" /> | |||
| GDP_nominal_year = 2024 | |||
| GDP_nominal_rank = 4th | |||
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{decrease}} $32,859<ref name="IMFWEO.JP" /> | |||
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 30th | |||
| Gini = 33.4<!-- Number only. --> | |||
| Gini_year = 2018 | |||
| Gini_change = decrease<!-- Increase/decrease/steady. --> | |||
| Gini_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.oecd.org/inequality/income-inequality.htm|title=Inequality – Income inequality |publisher=]|accessdate=July 25, 2021|archive-date=July 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701171540/https://data.oecd.org/inequality/income-inequality.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| HDI = 0.920<!-- Number only, between 0 and 1. --> | |||
| HDI_year = 2022<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year. --> | |||
| HDI_change = increase<!-- Increase/decrease/steady. --> | |||
| HDI_ref = <ref name="HDI">{{Cite web |date=13 March 2024 |title=Human Development Report 2023/2024 |url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2023-24reporten.pdf|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240313164319/https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2023-24reporten.pdf |archive-date=13 March 2024 |access-date=13 March 2024 |publisher=] |language=en}}</ref> | |||
| HDI_rank = 24th | |||
| currency = ] (]) | |||
| time_zone = ] | |||
| utc_offset = +09:00 | |||
| drives_on = left | |||
| calling_code = ] | |||
| cctld = ] | |||
| official_website = <!----- Do not add www.japan.go.jp – this article is about the country, not the government. -----> | |||
| demonym = Japanese | |||
| today = | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''Japan'''{{efn|{{langx|ja|日本}}, {{transliteration|ja|Nihon}} {{IPA|ja|ɲihoꜜɴ||ja-nihon(日本).ogg}} or {{transliteration|ja|Nippon}} {{IPA|ja|ɲippoꜜɴ||ja-nippon(日本).ogg}}, formally {{lang|ja|日本国}}, ''{{transliteration|ja|Nihon-koku}}'' or ''{{transliteration|ja|Nippon-koku}}''. In Japanese, the name of the country as it appears on official documents, including ], is {{lang|ja|日本国}}, meaning "State of Japan". The short name {{lang|ja|日本}} is also often used officially. In English, the official name of the country is simply "Japan".<ref>{{cite web|title=Official Names of Member States (UNTERM)|url=https://protocol.un.org/dgacm/pls/site.nsf/files/Country%20Names%20UNTERM3/$FILE/UNTERM%20-%20EFSRCA.pdf|publisher=UN Protocol and Liaison Service|accessdate=May 21, 2020|archivedate=June 5, 2020|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605193554/https://protocol.un.org/dgacm/pls/site.nsf/files/Country%20Names%20UNTERM3/$FILE/UNTERM%20-%20EFSRCA.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>|group=nb}} is an ] in ]. Located in the ] off the northeast coast of the ], it is bordered on the west by the ] and extends from the ] in the north to the ] in the south. The ] consists of four major islands—], ], ], and ]—and ], covering {{convert|377,975|km2|mi2}}. Japan has a population of nearly 124 million as of 2024, making it the ]. | |||
<!-- Misplaced Pages:Lead section says that "The lead should briefly summarize the most important points covered in an article in such a way that it could stand on its own as a concise version of the article. It is even more important here than for the rest of the article that the text be accessible ... ."--> | |||
The ] and ] is ]; the ] is the ] in the world, with more than 37 million inhabitants as of 2024. Japan is divided into 47 ] and ]. About three-quarters of ] is mountainous and heavily forested, concentrating ] and ] along its eastern ]. The country sits on the Pacific ], making its islands prone to destructive ] and ]. | |||
{{nihongo|'''Japan'''|] 日本 or <ref>The ] that make up ] literally mean "Sun's Origin", thus Japan is also known as "The Land of the Rising Sun" a name that comes from the country's eastward position relative to China.</ref>|'']'' or '']''}}, officially the '''State of Japan''' is an island ] in ] located in the ], east of ] and ], stretching from the ] in the north to the ] in the south. Its ] is ]. | |||
The first known habitation of the archipelago dates to the ], with the beginning ] dating to {{Circa|36,000 BC}}. Between the fourth and sixth centuries, its kingdoms were united under ] in ], and later ]. From the 12th century, actual power was held by military dictators ({{transliteration|ja|]}}) and feudal lords ({{transliteration|ja|]}}), and enforced by warrior nobility ('']''). After rule by the ] and ] and ], Japan was unified in 1600 by the ], which implemented ]. In 1853, ] forced Japan to ], which led to the ] and the ] in 1868. In the ], the ] pursued rapid ] and ], as well as ] and ]. In 1937, Japan ], and in 1941 ] and European colonial powers, entering ] as an ]. After suffering defeat in the ] and ], Japan ] in 1945 and ]. After the war, the country underwent ] and became a ] of the United States, although ]. | |||
The written ] begins with brief appearances in ] texts from the 1st century CE. However, ] research indicates that people were living on the islands of Japan as early as the ] period. Japanese history has had alternating periods of long isolation and radical, sometimes revolutionary, influence from the outside world. Its culture today is a mixture of such outside influences and ]. | |||
Japan is a ] with a ] legislature, the ]. A ] and the only Asian member of the ], Japan has constitutionally ], but maintains ]. A ] with one of the world's ], Japan ] and the ], ], and ]. It has one of the world's ], though it is undergoing ]. ] is well known around the world, including ], ], ], ], and ], which includes prominent ], ], and ] industries. | |||
At over 377,873 square kilometers, Japan is the ] by area. It is composed of over 3,000 islands, the largest of which are ], ], ], and ]. Most of Japan's islands are mountainous, and many are ]; the highest peak is ]. It is also the world's ] nation, with nearly 129 million people. Greater ], with over 30 million residents, is the largest metropolitan area in the world. | |||
{{TOClimit|3}} | |||
==Etymology== | |||
Since it adopted its ] on ], ], Japan has maintained a ] ] political system with an ] and an elected parliament, called the ], which is one of the oldest legislative bodies in ]. Japan is the world's ], sixth largest ]er and ]er and a member of the ], ], and ]. | |||
{{Main|Names of Japan}} | |||
The name for Japan in ] is written using the ] {{nihongo2|日本}} and is pronounced {{transliteration|ja|Nihon}} or {{transliteration|ja|Nippon}}.<ref name="schreiber">{{cite web|last1=Schreiber|first1=Mark|title=You say 'Nihon', I say 'Nippon', or let's call the whole thing 'Japan'?|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2019/11/26/language/nihon-nippon-japan/|website=]|date=November 26, 2019|archivedate=October 27, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027120630/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2019/11/26/language/nihon-nippon-japan/|url-status=live}}</ref> Before {{nihongo2|日本}} was adopted in the early 8th century, the country was known in China as {{transliteration|zh|]}} ({{lang|zh|倭}}, changed in Japan around 757 to {{Nihongo2|和}}) and in Japan by the ] {{transliteration|ja|]}}.<ref name="carr">{{cite journal|last1=Carr|first1=Michael|title=Wa Wa Lexicography|journal=International Journal of Lexicography|date=March 1992|volume=5|issue=1|pages=1–31|doi=10.1093/ijl/5.1.1|url=https://academic.oup.com/ijl/article/5/1/1/950449|url-access=subscription}}</ref> {{transliteration|ja|Nippon}}, the original ] of the characters, is favored for official uses, including on ] and postage stamps.<ref name="schreiber" /> {{transliteration|ja|Nihon}} is typically used in everyday speech and reflects shifts in ] during the ].<ref name="carr" /> The characters {{nihongo2|日本}} mean "sun origin",<ref name="schreiber" /> which is the source of the popular Western ] "Land of the Rising Sun".<ref>{{cite book|title=The Emergence of Japanese Kingship|author1-link=Joan R. Piggott|first=Joan R.|last=Piggott|year=1997|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=978-0-8047-2832-4|pages=143–144|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BruaJSZmjHcC}}</ref> | |||
==History== | |||
<!--Please try to keep this section as general as possible. Specific information should be added to a more specific article. This section stresses the most important facts, and leaves analysis of cause and effect to the daughter articles. --> | |||
{{main|History of Japan}} | |||
The name "Japan" is based on ] or ] pronunciations of {{nihongo2|日本}} and was introduced to European languages through early trade.<ref name=Mancall /> In the 13th century, ] recorded the ] Chinese pronunciation of the characters {{lang|zh|日本國}} as {{transliteration|cmn|Cipangu}}.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2008/07/27/general/cipangus-landlocked-isles/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825151317/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2008/07/27/general/cipangus-landlocked-isles|archivedate=August 25, 2018|title=Cipangu's landlocked isles|newspaper=The Japan Times|date=July 27, 2008|last1=Hoffman|first1=Michael }}</ref> The old ] name for Japan, {{lang|ms|Japang}} or {{lang|ms|Japun}}, was borrowed from a southern coastal Chinese dialect and encountered by ] traders in ], who brought the word to Europe in the early 16th century.<ref>{{cite book|title=Asia in the Making of Europe|volume=I|page=157|year=2010|publisher=University of Chicago Press|last=Lach|first=Donald}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mancall|first=Peter C.|title=Travel Narratives from the Age of Discovery: an anthology|year=2006|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=156–157|chapter=Of the Ilande of Giapan, 1565}}</ref><ref name=Mancall>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=giZnAgAAQBAJ&pg=PAPA79|title=London: The Selden Map and the Making of a Global City, 1549–1689|first=Robert K.|last=Batchelor|pages=76, 79|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-08079-6|year=2014}}</ref> | |||
===Jomon and Yayoi eras=== | |||
] research indicates that the earliest inhabitants of the ] migrated over ]s from ] about 30,000 years ago. Other evidence also suggests that there may have been some migration by sea from ] during a period of general migration toward the ]. | |||
] vessel (3000 to 2000 BC)]] | |||
==History== | |||
The first signs of civilization appeared around ] with the ] culture, characterized by a ] to ] semi-sedentary ] lifestyle of pit dwelling and a rudimentary form of ]. ] was still unknown and clothes were often made of ]. Around that time, however, the Jomon people started to make ] vessels, ] with patterns made by impressing the wet clay with braided or unbraided cord and sticks (Jōmon means "patterns of plaited cord"). The oldest surviving ] in the world may be found in Japan, although the dating is disputed. | |||
{{Main|History of Japan}} | |||
{{For timeline|Timeline of Japanese history}} | |||
===Prehistoric to classical history=== | |||
Many believe that the ], an indigenous people found mostly on the northern island of ], are descended from the Jomon and thus represent descendants of the first inhabitants of Japan. | |||
]ary {{Nihongo|]|神武天皇|Jinmu-tennō}}]] | |||
Modern humans arrived in Japan around 38,000 years ago (~36,000 BC), marking the beginning of the ].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kondo |first=Y. |last2=Takeshita |first2=Y. |last3=Watanabe |first3=T. |last4=Seki |first4=M. |last5=Nojiri-ko Excavation Research Group |date=April 2018 |title=Geology and Quaternary environments of the Tategahana Paleolithic site in Nojiri-ko (Lake Nojiri), Nagano, central Japan |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1040618217300307 |journal=Quaternary International |language=en |volume=471 |pages=385–395 |doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2017.12.012}}</ref> This was followed from around 14,500 BC (the start of the ]) by a ] to ] semi-sedentary ] culture characterized by ] and rudimentary agriculture.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Habu |first1=Junko |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vGnAbTyTynsC&pg=PA43 |title=Ancient Jomon of Japan |publisher=] |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-521-77670-7 |page=43}}</ref> ] from the period are among the oldest surviving examples of pottery.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jomo/hd_jomo.htm|publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art|title=Jōmon Culture (ca. 10,500–ca. 300 B.C.)|accessdate=August 28, 2020|archive-date=December 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213222716/https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jomo/hd_jomo.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The ]-speaking ] entered the archipelago from the Korean Peninsula,<ref>{{cite news |last=Wade |first=Nicholas |date=May 4, 2011 |title=Finding on Dialects Casts New Light on the Origins of the Japanese People |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/science/04language.html |url-access=limited |archivedate=March 31, 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331175152/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/science/04language.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | surname = Vovin | given = Alexander | author-link = Alexander Vovin | chapter = Origins of the Japanese Language | doi = 10.1093/acrefore/9780199384655.013.277 | doi-access = free | title = Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Linguistics | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 2017 | isbn = 978-0-19-938465-5}}</ref><ref name="Yayoi culture" /> intermingling with the ];<ref name="Yayoi culture">{{cite journal |last1= Watanabe |first1=Yusuke |last2=Naka |first2=Izumi |last3= Khor |first3=Seik-Soon |last4=Sawai |first4=Hiromi |last5=Hitomi |first5=Yuki |last6=Tokunaga |first6=Katsushi |last7=Ohashi |first7= Jun |title=Analysis of whole Y-chromosome sequences reveals the Japanese population history in the Jomon period |journal= Scientific Reports |date=June 17, 2019 |volume=9 |issue=1 |page =8556 |doi=10.1038/s41598-019-44473-z |doi-access=free }}</ref> the ] saw the introduction of practices including ],<ref>{{cite web|title=Road of rice plant|url=http://www.kahaku.go.jp/special/past/japanese/ipix/5/5-25.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430010530/http://www.kahaku.go.jp/special/past/japanese/ipix/5/5-25.html|archivedate=April 30, 2011|publisher=]|accessdate=January 15, 2011}}</ref> a new ],<ref>{{cite web|title=Kofun Period (ca. 300–710)|url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/kofu/hd_kofu.htm|publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art|accessdate=August 28, 2020|archive-date=February 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221210151/https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/kofu/hd_kofu.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> and metallurgy from China and Korea.<ref>{{cite web|title=Yayoi Culture (ca. 300 B.C.–300 A.D.)|url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/yayo/hd_yayo.htm|publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art|accessdate=August 28, 2020|archive-date=January 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104161858/https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/yayo/hd_yayo.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> According to legend, ] (descendant of ]) founded ] in central Japan in 660 BC, beginning ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Hendry |first=Joy |url=https://archive.org/details/understandingjap00hend |title=Understanding Japanese Society |publisher=Routledge |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-136-27918-8 |page=9 |url-access=registration}}</ref> | |||
Japan first appears in written history in the Chinese '']'', completed in 111 AD. ] was introduced to Japan from ] (a Korean kingdom) in 552, but the development of ] was primarily influenced by China.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Delmer M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A3_6lp8IOK8C&pg=PA141 |title=The Cambridge History of Japan |last2=Hall |first2=John Whitney |last3=Jansen |first3=Marius B. |last4=Shively |first4=Donald H. |last5=Twitchett |first5=Denis |publisher=] |year=1988 |isbn=978-0-521-22352-2 |volume=1 |pages=140–149, 275}}</ref> Despite early resistance, Buddhism was promoted by the ruling class, including figures like ], and gained widespread acceptance beginning in the ] (592–710).<ref>{{cite book |last=Beasley |first=William Gerald |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9AivK7yMICgC&pg=PA42 |title=The Japanese Experience: A Short History of Japan |publisher=University of California Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-520-22560-2 |page=42}}</ref> | |||
The start of the ] period around 300 BC marked the influx of new practices such as ] farming, ] and ] and ]-making brought by migrants mostly from ], and to a lesser extent from ]. <ref>"," BookRags.com; Jared Diamond, "," ''Discover'' 19:6 (June 1998); Thayer Watkins, ""; "," ''Encyclopædia Britannica''; "," ''Encyclopædia Britannica''.</ref> | |||
In 645, the government led by ] and ] devised and implemented the far-reaching ]s. The Reform began with land reform, based on Confucian ideas and ] from ].<ref name="Totman 2005">{{cite book|last=Totman|first=Conrad|title=A History of Japan|edition=2nd|year=2005|publisher=Blackwell|isbn=978-1-4051-2359-4|page=72|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_a_QgAACAAJ}}</ref> It nationalized all land in Japan, to be ] among cultivators, and ordered the compilation of a household registry as the basis for a new system of taxation.<ref name="Sansom" /> The true aim of the reforms was to bring about greater centralization and to enhance the power of the imperial court, which was also based on the governmental structure of China. Envoys and students were dispatched to China to learn about Chinese writing, politics, art, and religion.<ref name = "Totman 2005"/> The ] of 672, a bloody conflict between ] and his nephew ], became a major catalyst for further administrative reforms.<ref name="ritsuryo" /> These reforms culminated with the promulgation of the ], which consolidated existing statutes and established the structure of the central and subordinate local governments.<ref name="Sansom">{{cite book|first=George|last=Sansom|year=1961|title=A History of Japan: 1334–1615|publisher=Stanford University Press|pages=57, 68|isbn=978-0-8047-0525-7|url={{Google books|0syC6L77dpAC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} }}</ref> These legal reforms created the {{transliteration|ja|]}} state, a system of Chinese-style centralized government that remained in place for half a millennium.<ref name="ritsuryo">{{cite book|first=Conrad|last=Totman|year=2002|title=A History of Japan|publisher=Blackwell|pages=107–108|isbn=978-1-4051-2359-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_a_QgAACAAJ}}</ref> | |||
Japan first appeared in written history in 57 AD with the following mention in the ] Chronicles of China: "Across the ocean from ] are the people of ] (in ], "Wo" or "''dwarf state''"). Formed from more than one hundred tribes, they come and pay tribute frequently." | |||
The ] (710–784) marked the emergence of a Japanese state centered on the Imperial Court in ] (modern ]). The period is characterized by the appearance of a nascent ] with the completion of the {{transliteration|ja|]}} (712) and {{transliteration|ja|]}} (720), as well as the development of Buddhist-inspired artwork and ].<ref>{{cite book|first=Conrad|last=Totman|year=2002|title=A History of Japan|publisher=Blackwell|pages=64–79|isbn=978-1-4051-2359-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_a_QgAACAAJ}}</ref><ref name="Courtiers">{{cite book |author=Henshall, Kenneth |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p5OL-k7A4mAC&pg=PT40 |title=A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-230-36918-4 |pages=24–52 |chapter=Of Courtiers and Warriors: Early and Medieval History (710–1600)}}</ref> A ] is believed to have killed as much as one-third of Japan's population.<ref name="Courtiers" /><ref>{{cite book |last=Hays |first=J.N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GyE8Qt-kS1kC&pg=PA31 |title=Epidemics and pandemics: their impacts on human history |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-85109-658-9 |page=31}}</ref> In 784, ] moved the capital, settling on ] (modern-day ]) in 794.<ref name="Courtiers" /> This marked the beginning of the ] (794–1185), during which a distinctly indigenous Japanese culture emerged. ]'s '']'' and the lyrics of Japan's national anthem {{transliteration|ja|"]"}} were written during this time.<ref>{{cite book|first=Conrad|last=Totman|year=2002|title=A History of Japan|publisher=Blackwell|pages=79–87, 122–123|isbn=978-1-4051-2359-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_a_QgAACAAJ}}</ref> | |||
The ensuing ], beginning around ] and named after the giant burial mounds that were popular at the time, saw the establishment of strong military states centered around powerful clan leaders. The ], concentrated in the ] region, suppressed the surrounding clans and acquired agricultural lands, increasing their power. Based upon the Chinese model, they then developed a central administrative and imperial court system and society was organized into occupation groups: farmers, fishermen, weavers, potters, artisans, armorers, and ritual specialists. | |||
=== |
===Feudal era=== | ||
] boarding a Mongol vessel during the ], depicted in the {{transliteration|ja|]}}, 1293]] | |||
During the 5th and 6th centuries, ], ], advanced ], and ceremonial burial were all introduced by the ]n kingdom of ], to which Japan provided military support. <ref>"," ''Seoul Times'', June 18, 2006; "," Asia Society Museum; "," JapanGuide.com; "," MSN Encarta; "," JapanVisitor.com.</ref><ref>{{cite book | editor = Delmer M. Brown (ed.) | year = 1993 | title = The Cambridge History of Japan | publisher = Cambridge University Press | pages = 140-149 | url = http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0521223520&id=x5mwgfPXK1kC&pg=PA159&lpg=PA159&vq=buddhism&dq=Paekche+hostage+japan&sig=dwsfsmf80GCVdVXe90a5s9Tkq34}}; George Sansom, ''A History of Japan to 1334'', Stanford University Press, 1958. p. 47. ISBN 0804705232</ref> | |||
], ] and ].]] | |||
Japan's feudal era was characterized by the emergence and dominance of a ruling class of warriors, the ].<ref name="Leibo2015">{{cite book|first=Steven A.|last=Leibo|title=East and Southeast Asia 2015–2016|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1yX-CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA99|year=2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-1-4758-1875-8|pages=99–104}}</ref> In 1185, following the defeat of the ] by the ] in the ], samurai ] established a ] at ].<ref>{{cite book|title=World Monarchies and Dynasties|last=Middleton|first=John|year=2015|page=616|publisher=Routledge}}</ref> After Yoritomo's death, the ] came to power as regents for the {{transliteration|ja|shōgun}}.<ref name="Courtiers" /> The ] school of Buddhism was introduced from China in the ] (1185–1333) and became popular among the samurai class.<ref>{{cite book|last=Totman|first=Conrad|title=A History of Japan|edition=2nd|year=2005|publisher=Blackwell|isbn=978-1-4051-2359-4|pages=106–112|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_a_QgAACAAJ}}</ref> The ] repelled ] in 1274 and 1281 but was eventually ] by ].<ref name="Courtiers" /> Go-Daigo was defeated by ] in 1336, beginning the ] (1336–1573).<ref name="Shirane2012a">{{cite book|first=Haruo|last=Shirane|title=Traditional Japanese Literature: An Anthology, Beginnings to 1600|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E8qq6zhhM5kC&pg=PA409|year=2012|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-15730-8|page=409}}</ref> The succeeding ] failed to control the feudal warlords ({{transliteration|ja|daimyō}}) and a ], opening the century-long ] ("Warring States").<ref>{{cite book|first=George|last=Sansom|year=1961|title=A History of Japan: 1334–1615|publisher=Stanford University Press|pages=42, 217|isbn=978-0-8047-0525-7|url={{Google books|0syC6L77dpAC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} }}</ref> | |||
] was introduced to Japan in the year 538 or 552 and was promoted by the ruling class. ] devoted his efforts to the spread of ] and ] in Japan. He is credited with bringing peace and harmony to the Japanese nation through proclamation of ]. And his declaration to the emperor in China that The Emperor of the Sun Rising Land(Japan) addresses respectfully to the Emperor of the Sun Setting Land(China), is famous. <ref>Chinese History Record ] : 隋書 東夷伝 第81巻列伝46 : "日出处天子至书日没处天子无恙" </ref> | |||
During the 16th century, Portuguese traders and ] missionaries reached Japan for the first time, initiating direct ] and ] exchange between Japan and the West.<ref name="Courtiers" /><ref>{{cite book|title=Tanegashima|year=2005|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=0-203-47957-2|last=Lidin|first=Olof}}</ref> ] used European technology and firearms to conquer many other {{transliteration|ja|daimyō}};<ref>{{cite journal|title=The impact of firearms on Japanese warfare, 1543–98|last=Brown|first=Delmer|journal=The Far Eastern Quarterly|volume=7|issue=3|date=May 1948|doi=10.2307/2048846|pages=236–253}}</ref> his consolidation of power began what was known as the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collections.dma.org/essay/dAg2pDvx|publisher=Dallas Museum of Art|title=Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573–1603)|accessdate=October 3, 2020|archive-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106110854/https://collections.dma.org/essay/dAg2pDvx|url-status=live}}</ref> After ] in 1582, his successor, ], unified the nation in the early 1590s and launched ].<ref name="Courtiers" /> | |||
Starting with the ] of 645, Japanese intensified the adoption of ] practices and reorganized the government and the penal code in accordance with the Chinese administrative structure (the ] state) of the time. This paved the way for the dominance of ] philosophy in Japan until the 19th century. | |||
] served as ] for Hideyoshi's son ] and used his position to gain political and military support.<ref name="Turnbull2011">{{cite book|last=Turnbull|first=Stephen|title=Toyotomi Hideyoshi|year=2011|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-1-84603-960-7|page=61|url={{Google books|x8govgAACAAJ|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}}}</ref> When open war broke out, Ieyasu defeated rival clans in the ] in 1600. He was appointed {{transliteration|ja|shōgun}} by ] in 1603 and established the ] at ] (modern Tokyo).<ref name="Closed">{{cite book|chapter=The Closed Country: the Tokugawa Period (1600–1868)|pages=53–74|author=Henshall, Kenneth|title=A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower|isbn=978-0-230-36918-4|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2012}}</ref> The shogunate enacted measures including {{transliteration|ja|]}}, as a code of conduct to control the autonomous {{transliteration|ja|daimyō}},<ref>{{cite book|last=Totman|first=Conrad|title=A History of Japan|edition=2nd|year=2005|publisher=Blackwell|isbn=978-1-4051-2359-4|pages=142–143|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_a_QgAACAAJ}}</ref> and in 1639 the isolationist {{transliteration|ja|]}} ("closed country") policy that spanned the two and a half centuries of tenuous political unity known as the ] (1603–1868).<ref name="Closed" /><ref>{{cite journal|last=Toby|first=Ronald P.|title=Reopening the Question of Sakoku: Diplomacy in the Legitimation of the Tokugawa Bakufu|journal=Journal of Japanese Studies|year=1977|volume=3|issue=2|pages=323–363|doi=10.2307/132115|jstor=132115}}</ref> Modern Japan's economic growth began in this period, resulting in ] and water transportation routes, as well as financial instruments such as ]s, banking and insurance of the ].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Origins of Japanese Trade Supremacy|author=Howe, Christopher|publisher=Hurst & Company|year=1996|isbn=978-1-85065-538-1|pages=58ff|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XkCRcv0iXn0C}}</ref> The study of Western sciences ({{transliteration|ja|]}}) continued through contact with the Dutch enclave in ].<ref name="Closed" /> The Edo period gave rise to {{transliteration|ja|]}} ("national studies"), the study of Japan by the Japanese.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ohtsu|first1=M.|last2=Imanari|first2=Tomio|title=Japanese National Values and Confucianism|journal=Japanese Economy|year=1999|volume=27|issue=2|pages=45–59|doi=10.2753/JES1097-203X270245}}</ref> | |||
The use of the word ''Nihon'' (日本) for the emerging state first appeared around the end of the 7th century. | |||
===Modern era=== | |||
] at ], ], originally cast in 752]] | |||
{{multiple image | |||
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The ] of the 8th century marked the first emergence of a strong Japanese state, centered around an imperial court in the city of ] (now ]). The imperial court then moved briefly to ], and then to Heian-kyō (now ]). | |||
| alt1 = | |||
| caption1 = {{nihongo|]|明治天皇|Meiji-tennō}}; 1852–1912 | |||
| image2 = Japanese Empire (orthographic projection).svg | |||
]]] | |||
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| caption2 = The ] and its influence, 1942 | |||
}} | |||
The ] sent Commodore ] to force the opening of Japan to the outside world. Arriving at ] with four "]" in July 1853, the ] resulted in the March 1854 ].<ref name="Closed" /> Subsequent similar treaties with other Western countries brought economic and political crises.<ref name="Closed" /> The resignation of the {{transliteration|ja|shōgun}} led to the ] and the establishment of a ] nominally unified under the emperor (the ]).<ref>{{cite book|last=Totman|first=Conrad|title=A History of Japan|edition=2nd|year=2005|publisher=Blackwell|isbn=978-1-4051-2359-4|pages=289–296|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_a_QgAACAAJ}}</ref> Adopting Western political, judicial, and military institutions, the ] organized the ], introduced the ] (November 29, 1890), and assembled the ].<ref name=modernnation>{{cite book|chapter=Building a Modern Nation: the Meiji Period (1868–1912)|pages=75–107|author=Henshall, Kenneth|title=A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower|isbn=978-0-230-36918-4|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2012}}</ref> During the ] (1868–1912), the ] emerged as the most developed state in ] and as an industrialized world power that pursued military conflict to expand its sphere of influence.<ref>{{cite book|last=McCargo|first=Duncan|title=Contemporary Japan|year=2000|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=978-0-333-71000-5|pages=18–19|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8au8QgAACAAJ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Political Economy of Growth|last=Baran|first=Paul|publisher=Monthly Review Press|year=1962|isbn=|page=160}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Totman|first=Conrad|title=A History of Japan|edition=2nd|year=2005|publisher=Blackwell|isbn=978-1-4051-2359-4|pages=312–314|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_a_QgAACAAJ}}</ref> After victories in the ] (1894–1895) and the ] (1904–1905), Japan gained control of Taiwan, Korea and the southern half of ],<ref>{{cite book|last=Matsusaka|first=Y. Tak|title=Companion to Japanese History|year=2009|publisher=Blackwell|isbn=978-1-4051-1690-9|pages=224–241|editor=Tsutsui, William M.|chapter=The Japanese Empire}}</ref><ref name=modernnation/> and annexed Korea in 1910.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=October 15, 2019 |title=Japanese Colonial Ideology In Korea (1905–1945)|journal=The Yale Review of International Studies |url=https://yris.yira.org/essays/japanese-colonial-ideology-in-korea-1905-1945/S|author=Yi Wei}}</ref> The Japanese population doubled from 35 million in 1873 to 70 million by 1935, with a significant shift to urbanization.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hiroshi|first=Shimizu|title=Japan and Singapore in the world economy: Japan's economic advance into Singapore, 1870–1965|year=1999|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-19236-1|author2=Hitoshi, Hirakawa|page=17|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7k0F8YoZ6P0C}}</ref><ref name=excesses>{{cite book|chapter=The Excesses of Ambition: the Pacific War and its Lead-Up|pages=108–141|author=Henshall, Kenneth|title=A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower|isbn=978-0-230-36918-4|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2012}}</ref> | |||
The early 20th century saw a period of ] (1912–1926) overshadowed by increasing ] and ].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Pursuit of Power in Modern Japan 1825–1995|chapter=Taisho Democracy and the First World War|doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198205890.001.0001|last=Tsuzuki|first=Chushichi|year=2011|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-820589-0}}</ref><ref name=ramesh>{{cite book|chapter=The Taisho Period (1912–1926): Transition from Democracy to a Military Economy|title=China's Economic Rise|last=Ramesh|first=S|pages=173–209|isbn=978-3-030-49811-5|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2020}}</ref> ] allowed Japan, which joined the side of the victorious ], to capture ] in the ] and China in ].<ref name=ramesh/> The 1920s saw a political shift towards ], a period of lawlessness following the 1923 ], the passing of ], and a series of ].<ref name=excesses/><ref>{{cite book|title=Nationalism Today: Extreme Political Movements around the World|page=20|editor=Burnett, M. Troy|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|page=268|title=Embracing 'Asia' in China and Japan|year=2018|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|last=Weber|first=Torsten}}</ref> This process accelerated during the 1930s, spawning several radical nationalist groups that shared a hostility to liberal democracy and a dedication to expansion in Asia.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Young |first=Louise |chapter=The Breakdown in Democracy in 1930s Japan |date=2024 |title=When Democracy Breaks |pages=108–141 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-776078-3}}</ref> In 1931, Japan ], which led to the establishment of ] of ] in 1932; following ], it resigned from the ] in 1933.<ref name="Inc1945">{{cite magazine|title=The Japanese Nation: It has a history of feudalism, nationalism, war and now defeat|magazine=LIFE|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t0kEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA109|date=September 17, 1945|volume=19|issue=12|pages=109–111}}</ref> In 1936, Japan signed the ] with ]; the 1940 ] made it one of the ].<ref name=excesses/> | |||
Historical writing in Japan culminated in the early 8th century with the massive chronicles, ] (The Record of Ancient Matters, 712) and ] (Chronicles of Japan, 720). These chronicles give a legendary account of Japan's beginnings in which the people are descendants of the gods themselves. According to the myths contained in Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, Japan was founded in 660 BC by the ancestral ], a direct descendant of the ] deity ], or the Sun Goddess. The myths also claim that Jimmu started a line of emperors that remains unbroken to this day. However, historians believe the first emperor who actually existed was ], though the date of his reign is uncertain. For most of Japan's history, however, actual political power has been in the hands of the ], the ]s, the military and, more recently, the prime minister. | |||
] | |||
The Empire of Japan invaded other parts of China in 1937, precipitating the ] (1937–1945).<ref name="Paine2012">{{cite book|first=S. C. M.|last=Paine|title=The Wars for Asia, 1911–1949|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bAYgAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA123|year=2012|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-139-56087-0|pages=123–125}}</ref> In 1940, the Empire ], after which the United States placed an oil embargo on Japan.<ref name=excesses/><ref>{{cite book| first=Roland H. Jr. |last=Worth|title=No Choice But War: the United States Embargo Against Japan and the Eruption of War in the Pacific|publisher=McFarland|year=1995|pages=56, 86|isbn=978-0-7864-0141-3|url={{Google books|ezBnAAAAMAAJ|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} }}</ref> On December 7–8, 1941, Japanese forces carried out surprise ], as well as on British forces in ], ], and ], among others, beginning ].<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Introduction: December 7/8, 1941|last1=Bailey|first1=Beth|last2=Farber|first2=David|pages=1–8|title=Beyond Pearl Harbor: A Pacific History|year=2019|publisher=University Press of Kansas}}</ref> Throughout areas occupied by Japan during the war, numerous abuses were committed against local inhabitants, with many forced into ].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Yōko|first=Hayashi|title=Issues Surrounding the Wartime "Comfort Women"|journal=Review of Japanese Culture and Society|year=1999–2000|volume=11/12|issue=Special Issue|pages=54–65|jstor=42800182}}</ref> After ] victories during the next four years, which culminated in the ] and the ] in 1945, Japan agreed to ].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Pape|first=Robert A.|title=Why Japan Surrendered|journal=International Security|year=1993|volume=18|issue=2|pages=154–201|doi=10.2307/2539100}}</ref> The war cost Japan millions of lives and ], including '']'' parts of Japan such as ], ], ], and the ].<ref name=excesses/> The Allies (led by the United States) repatriated millions of ] from their former colonies and military camps throughout Asia, largely eliminating the ] and its influence over the territories it conquered.<ref>{{cite book|last=Watt|first=Lori|title=When Empire Comes Home: Repatriation and Reintegration in Postwar Japan|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=2010|isbn=978-0-674-05598-8|pages=1–4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_F3AN6x6AQ8C}}</ref><ref name=phoenix/> The Allies convened the ] to prosecute Japanese leaders except the Emperor<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frank|first=Richard|date=August 26, 2020 |title=The Fate of Emperor Hirohito |url=https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/what-happened-to-emperor-hirohito |publisher=The National WWII Museum |archivedate=May 9, 2024 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509105645/https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/what-happened-to-emperor-hirohito |url-status=live }}</ref> for ].<ref name=phoenix>{{cite book|chapter=A Phoenix from the Ashes: Postwar Successes and Beyond|pages=142–180|author=Henshall, Kenneth|title=A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower|isbn=978-0-230-36918-4|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2012}}</ref> | |||
In 1947, Japan adopted ] emphasizing liberal democratic practices.<ref name=phoenix/> The ] ended with the ] in 1952,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2007/03/06/national/52-coup-plot-bid-to-rearm-japan-cia/|title='52 coup plot bid to rearm Japan: CIA|first=Joseph|last=Coleman|date=March 6, 2007|newspaper=The Japan Times|archive-date=April 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411091335/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2007/03/06/national/52-coup-plot-bid-to-rearm-japan-cia/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Japan was granted membership in the ] in 1956.<ref name=phoenix/> ] propelled Japan to become the ] in the world;<ref name=phoenix/> this ended in the mid-1990s after the popping of ], beginning the "]".<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1111/1467-9701.00522|title=The bubble and the lost decade|last1=Saxonhouse|first1=Gary|last2=Stern|first2=Robert|journal=The World Economy|year=2003|pages=267–281|volume=26|issue=3|hdl=2027.42/71597|hdl-access=free}}</ref> In 2011, Japan suffered one of the largest earthquakes in its recorded history - the ] - triggering the ].<ref name="nytimes-tsunami">{{cite news|last1=Fackler|first1=Martin|author1-link=Martin Fackler (journalist)|last2=Drew|first2= Kevin|title=Devastation as Tsunami Crashes Into Japan|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12japan.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220103/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12japan.html |archive-date=January 3, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 11, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On May 1, 2019, after the historic ], his son ] became Emperor, beginning the {{Lang|ja-latn|]}} era.<ref>{{cite web|title=Japan's emperor thanks country, prays for peace before abdication|url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Japan-s-Reiwa-era/Japan-s-emperor-thanks-country-prays-for-peace-before-abdication|website=Nikkei Asian Review|date=April 30, 2019|archivedate=May 11, 2020|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511172939/https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Japan-s-Reiwa-era/Japan-s-emperor-thanks-country-prays-for-peace-before-abdication|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
A distinctly indigenous culture emerged during the ] which lasted for nearly four centuries. After absorbing so much from the mainland over several centuries, the Japanese began to experience a growing sense of self-confidence and appreciation of their own land and heritage. The ] and ] flourished and, in the early 11th century, ] wrote the world's oldest surviving novel called '']''. Although trade expeditions and Buddhist pilgrimages continued, the court decided to discontinue official relations with China.<ref>"," Metropolitan Museum of Art.</ref> The ]'s regency regime dominated politics during this period. | |||
== |
==Geography== | ||
{{Main|Geography of Japan|Geology of Japan}} | |||
] clan, during the ] period, circa 1867. Photograph by ].]] | |||
] | |||
Japan's ] era was characterized by the emergence of a ruling class of ]s, the ] or more commonly known in the West as the ] and ]. In 1185, following the defeat of the rival Taira clan, general ] was declared Seii-tai ] and established a base of power in ]. After Yoritomo's death, another warrior clan, the ], came to rule as regents for the ]s. The ] managed to repel ] in 1274 and 1281, with assistance from a storm that the Japanese interpreted as divine intervention, and named ] (Divine Wind). The shogunate lasted another fifty years. Its successor, the ] failed in the management of ]. ] was a civil war that rampaged throughout Japan from 1467 to 1477. Vassals rebelled against their liege lords and peasants rebelled against their superiors. This led to the "Warring States" or ] period. | |||
Japan comprises ] extending along the Pacific coast of Asia.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/16/japan-sees-its-number-of-islands-double-after-recount |title=Japan sees its number of islands double after recount |first=Justin |last=McCurry |date=February 16, 2023 |work=The Guardian |archivedate=March 1, 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301154105/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/16/japan-sees-its-number-of-islands-double-after-recount |url-status=live }}</ref> It stretches over {{convert|3000|km|mi|abbr=on|comma=5}} northeast–southwest from the ] to the ].<ref name=water>{{cite web|title = Water Supply in Japan|url = https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health/water_supply/1.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126130519/https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health/water_supply/1.html|archivedate = January 26, 2018|publisher = Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare|accessdate = September 26, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=An Invitation to Japan's Borderlands: At the Geopolitical Edge of the Eurasian Continent|last=Iwashita|first=Akihiro|pages=279–282|doi=10.1080/08865655.2011.686969|year=2011|journal=Journal of Borderlands Studies|volume=26|issue=3}}</ref> The country's five main islands, from north to south, are ], ], ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.imic.2012.04.004|title=The development of small islands in Japan: An historical perspective|last=Kuwahara|first=Sueo|year=2012|volume=1|issue=1|journal=Journal of Marine and Island Cultures|pages=38–45|doi-access=free}}</ref> The ], which include Okinawa, are a chain to the south of Kyushu. The ] are south and east of the main islands of Japan. Together they are often known as the ].<ref>{{cite book|last=McCargo|first=Duncan|title=Contemporary Japan|year=2000|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=978-0-333-71000-5|pages=8–11|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8au8QgAACAAJ}}</ref> {{As of|2019}}, Japan's territory is {{convert|comma=5|377,975.24|km²|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="area-2019" /> Japan has the ] in the world at {{convert|comma=5|29751|km|mi|abbr=on}}. Because of its far-flung outlying islands, ] is the ] in the world, covering {{convert|comma=5|4470000|km²|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name=cia/><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1080/08865655.2011.686972|last=Yamada|first=Yoshihiko|title=Japan's New National Border Strategy and Maritime Security|pages=357–367|year=2011|volume=26|issue=3|journal=Journal of Borderlands Studies}}</ref> | |||
The Japanese archipelago is 67% ] and 14% ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/npr/ncj/section1.html|publisher=Ministry of the Environment|title=Natural environment of Japan: Japanese archipelago|accessdate=August 4, 2022|archive-date=August 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805032536/https://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/npr/ncj/section1.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The primarily rugged and mountainous terrain is restricted for habitation.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Shouji|last1=Fujimoto|first2=Takayuki|last2=Mizuno|first3=Takaaki|last3= Ohnishi|first4=Chihiro|last4=Shimizu|first5=Tsutomu|last5=Watanabe|title=Relationship between population density and population movement in inhabitable lands|journal=Evolutionary and Institutional Economics Review|year=2017|volume=14|pages=117–130|doi=10.1007/s40844-016-0064-z|doi-access=free}}</ref> Thus the habitable zones, mainly in the coastal areas, have very high population densities: Japan is the 40th ] even without considering that local concentration.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://statisticstimes.com/demographics/countries-by-population-density.php|website=Statistics Times|title=List of countries by population density|accessdate=October 12, 2020|archive-date=September 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926222139/http://statisticstimes.com/demographics/countries-by-population-density.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite proceedings|title=Geographic Dependency of Population Distribution|conference=International Conference on Social Modeling and Simulation, plus Econophysics Colloquium 2014 |pages=151–162|first1=Shouji|last1=Fujimoto|first2=Takayuki|last2= Mizuno|first3=Takaaki|last3=Ohnishi|first4=Chihiro|last4=Shimizu|first5=Tsutomu|last5=Watanabe|series=Springer Proceedings in Complexity|year=2015|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-20591-5_14|isbn=978-3-319-20590-8|url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-20591-5_14}}</ref> Honshu has the highest population density at 450 persons/km<sup>2</sup> (1200/sq mi) {{as of|2010|lc=y}}, while Hokkaido has the lowest density of 64.5 persons/km<sup>2</sup> {{as of|2016|lc=y}}.<ref name="JPCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/daityo/index.html|script-title=ja:総務省|住基ネット|trans-title=Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Resident Registration net|work=soumu.go.jp|accessdate=November 13, 2021|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224144613/https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_gyousei/c-gyousei/daityo/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2014}}, approximately 0.5% of Japan's total area is ] ({{transliteration|ja|umetatechi}}).<ref>{{cite journal|first=Yang|last=Hua|title=Legal Regulation of Land Reclamation in China's Coastal Areas|journal=Coastal Management|volume=42|issue=1|year=2014|pages=59–79|doi=10.1080/08920753.2013.865008}}</ref> ] is an ] and the country's largest freshwater lake.<ref name=Tabata2016>{{Cite journal|doi = 10.1002/ece3.2070|title = Phylogeny and historical demography of endemic fishes in Lake Biwa: The ancient lake as a promoter of evolution and diversification of freshwater fishes in western Japan|year = 2016|last1 = Tabata|first1 = Ryoichi|last2 = Kakioka|first2 = Ryo|last3 = Tominaga|first3 = Koji|last4 = Komiya|first4 = Takefumi|last5 = Watanabe|first5 = Katsutoshi|journal = Ecology and Evolution|volume = 6|issue = 8|pages = 2601–2623|pmid = 27066244|pmc = 4798153}}</ref> | |||
During the 16th century, traders and ] from ] reached Japan for the first time, initiating the '']'' ("southern barbarian") period of active commercial and cultural exchange between Japan and the West. ] conquered numerous other Daimyou by using European technology, and had almost unified the nation when he was assassinated at ] in 1582. ] succeeded to the work of Nobunaga. He united Japan in 1590. Hideyoshi attempted two invasions of ] in the ], but ] China came to Korea's aid. After several defeats and Hideyoshi's death, Japanese troops were quickly withdrawn in 1598. | |||
Japan is substantially prone to ], ] and ] because of its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire.<ref>{{cite web|last=Israel|first=Brett|date=March 14, 2011|title=Japan's Explosive Geology Explained|url=http://www.livescience.com/30226-japan-tectonics-explosive-geology-ring-of-fire-110314.html|website=Live Science|archivedate=August 5, 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805085127/https://www.livescience.com/30226-japan-tectonics-explosive-geology-ring-of-fire-110314.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It has the ] as measured in the 2016 World Risk Index.<ref name=wri>{{Cite web|title=World Risk Report 2016|url=http://collections.unu.edu/view/UNU:5763#viewMetadata|publisher=UNU-EHS|accessdate=November 8, 2020|archive-date=September 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923203844/https://collections.unu.edu/view/UNU:5763#viewMetadata|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan has 111 active volcanoes.<ref>{{cite journal|title=A New Japan Volcanological Database|last1=Fujita|first1=Eisuke|last2=Ueda|first2=Hideki|last3=Nakada|first3=Setsuya|journal=Frontiers in Earth Science|date=July 2020|volume=8|page=205|doi=10.3389/feart.2020.00205|doi-access=free}}</ref> Destructive earthquakes, often resulting in tsunami, occur several times each century;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_asia/japan_tec.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204064754/http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_asia/japan_tec.html|archivedate=February 4, 2007|title=Tectonics and Volcanoes of Japan|publisher=Oregon State University|accessdate=March 27, 2007}}</ref> the ] killed over 140,000 people.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-japan-earthquake-of-1923-1764539/|website=Smithsonian Magazine|last=Hammer|first=Joshua|date=May 2011|title=The Great Japan Earthquake of 1923|archive-date=March 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318031207/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-japan-earthquake-of-1923-1764539/|url-status=live}}</ref> More recent major quakes are the 1995 ] and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, which triggered a large tsunami.<ref name="nytimes-tsunami" /> | |||
===Edo era=== | |||
].]] | |||
===Climate=== | |||
] defeated Hideyori loyalists and his rival clans in the ] in 1600. Ieyasu was appointed shogun and establishes the ] in ] (]). He set up the ] feudal system and implementing ] to ensure the loyalty of the vassal lords. After Ieyasu, the ] began the isolationist '']'' ("closed country") policy that spanned the two and a half centuries of tenuous political unity known as the ], often considered to be the height of Japan's medieval culture. The study of Western sciences, known as '']'', continued during this period through contacts with the ] enclave at ] in ]. This period saw the development of the ethnocentric philosophy ]. | |||
{{Main|Geography of Japan#Climate}} | |||
] in spring, view from ]]] | |||
The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate but varies greatly from north to south. The northernmost region, Hokkaido, has a ] with long, cold winters and very warm to cool summers. ] is not heavy, but the islands usually develop deep snowbanks in the winter.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite book|last=Karan|first=Pradyumna Prasad|title=Japan in the 21st century|year=2005|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|isbn=978-0-8131-2342-4|pages=18–21, 41|author2=Gilbreath, Dick|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oze_mWihnU0C}}</ref> | |||
In the ] 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 ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.data.jma.go.jp/gmd/cpd/longfcst/en/tourist/file/Hokuriku.html|publisher=Japan Meteorological Agency|title=Climate of Hokuriku district|accessdate=October 24, 2020|archive-date=November 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115152056/https://www.data.jma.go.jp/gmd/cpd/longfcst/en/tourist/file/Hokuriku.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The ] has a typical inland humid continental climate, with large temperature differences between summer and winter. The mountains of the ] and Shikoku regions shelter the ] from seasonal winds, bringing mild weather year-round.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> | |||
===Meiji, Taisho and Showa eras=== | |||
====Meiji Restoration==== | |||
{{main|Meiji Restoration}} | |||
], circa 1860]] | |||
On ], ], ] ] and the "]" of the ] forced the opening of Japan to the West with the ]. The ] of 1867 to 1868 led to the resignation of the shogunate, and the ] established a government centered around the emperor. One of the main figures that helped bring change was ] who wrote "]", encouraging Japan to disassociate itself from China and Korea and modernize through ]. | |||
The Pacific coast features a ] 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 ], with warm winters and hot summers. Precipitation is very heavy, especially during the rainy season.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> The main ] begins in early May in Okinawa, and the rain front gradually moves north. In late summer and early autumn, ]s often bring heavy rain.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.data.jma.go.jp/gmd/cpd/longfcst/en/tourist_japan.html|publisher=Japan Meteorological Association|title=Overview of Japan's climate|accessdate=December 11, 2020|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112031532/https://www.data.jma.go.jp/gmd/cpd/longfcst/en/tourist_japan.html|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the Environment Ministry, heavy rainfall and increasing temperatures have caused problems in the agricultural industry and elsewhere.<ref name=climatechange>{{Cite web|title=Japan 2030: Tackling climate issues is key to the next decade|url=https://features.japantimes.co.jp/climate-crisis-2030/|website=The Japan Times|last=Ito|first=Masami|accessdate=September 24, 2020|archive-date=March 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309021632/https://features.japantimes.co.jp/climate-crisis-2030///|url-status=live}}</ref> The highest temperature ever measured in Japan, {{convert|comma=5|41.1|°C}}, was recorded on July 23, 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|agency=Associated Press|date=July 23, 2018|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/07/23/world/asia/ap-as-asia-heat-wave.html|title=Record High in Japan as Heat Wave Grips the Region|website=The New York Times|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180723124113/https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/07/23/world/asia/ap-as-asia-heat-wave.html|archivedate=July 23, 2018|url-status=dead }}</ref> and repeated on August 17, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/18/weather/japan-hottest-temperature-record-climate-intl-hnk/index.html|publisher=CNN|date=August 18, 2020|title=Japan's heat wave continues, as temperatures equal highest record|last1=Ogura|first1=Junko|last2=Regan|first2=Helen|archive-date=November 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120015703/https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/18/weather/japan-hottest-temperature-record-climate-intl-hnk/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
====Imperial Japan==== | |||
] of the ] was prominent symbol of ]]] | |||
{{main|Imperial Japan}} | |||
During the ], Japan adopted numerous Western institutions, including a modern government, legal system, and military. These reforms helped transform the ] into a ], and eventually decided to expand their territorial control by defeating ] in the ] (1894-1895) and ] in the ] (1904-1905). The Russo-Japanese war is important because it was the first time that an Asian country had defeated an ]an imperial power. By ], Japan controlled ], ], and the southern half of ]. | |||
===Biodiversity=== | |||
The early 20th century saw a brief period of "]" overshadowed by the rise of ]. ] enabled Japan, which fought on the side of the victorious ], to expand its influence in Asia, and its territorial holdings in the Pacific and took a seat in ]. ] | |||
{{Main|Wildlife of Japan}} | |||
In 1936, however, Japan signed the ], joining ] and ] to form the ] that opposed the original ] ]. Japan continued its expansionist policy and invaded ], occupying ] in 1931, and continued its expansion into China in 1937, starting the ] (1937-1945), which lasted until the end of ]. In 1941, Japan ] in ] and declared war on the ] after which ] declared war on the United States a week later, bringing the United States into ]. Japan continued its invasion and invaded and occupied ], ], and U.S. colonies that now make up the present-day countries of ], ], ], the ], and ]. | |||
Japan has nine forest ] which reflect the climate and geography of the islands. They range from ] in the Ryūkyū and ], to ] in the mild climate regions of the main islands, to ]s in the cold, winter portions of the northern islands.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/spotflora.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070213035135/http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/spotflora.htm|archivedate=February 13, 2007|title=Flora and Fauna: Diversity and regional uniqueness|publisher=Embassy of Japan in the USA|accessdate=April 1, 2007}}</ref> Japan has over 90,000 species of wildlife {{as of|2019|lc=y}},<ref name="Sakurai2019">{{cite book|first=Ryo|last=Sakurai|title=Human Dimensions of Wildlife Management in Japan: From Asia to the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=68OWDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA12|year=2019|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-981-13-6332-0|pages=12–13}}</ref> including the ], the ], the ], the ], and the ].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Wildlife in Japan|url=https://www.env.go.jp/nature/yasei/pamph/pamph01/WildlifePamphlet-EN_151126.pdf|publisher=]|date=March 2015|archive-date=December 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221054522/http://www.env.go.jp/nature/yasei/pamph/pamph01/WildlifePamphlet-EN_151126.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> There are 53 ] in Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ramsar.org/wetland/japan|publisher=Ramsar|title=Japan|accessdate=December 11, 2020|archive-date=October 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021083523/https://ramsar.org/wetland/japan|url-status=live}}</ref> ] have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for their outstanding natural value.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Japan|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/jp |accessdate=September 29, 2024 |publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Centre }}</ref> | |||
===Environment=== | |||
]ing of ].]] | |||
{{Main|Environmental issues in Japan|Climate change in Japan}} | |||
After a long campaign in the ], Japan lost many of its initial territorial gains especially after the defeat at the ], and American forces moved close enough to begin ] of Tokyo, ], and other major cities that culminated in the ] ]s of ] and ], killing about 214,000 people, mostly civilians. A week after the atomic bombings, Imperial Japan agreed to an ] on ], ] (]) on ]. The ] was convened on ]] to prosecute ], including atrocities like the ]. Emperor ], however, was given immunity and retained his title. | |||
] ({{transliteration|ja|]}}) at ] on ], a ] ]]] | |||
In the period of rapid economic growth after World War II, environmental policies were downplayed by the government and industrial corporations; as a result, ] was widespread in the 1950s and 1960s. Responding to rising concerns, the government introduced environmental protection laws in 1970.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:日本の大気汚染の歴史|trans-title=Historical Air Pollution in Japan|url=http://www.erca.go.jp/taiki/history/ko_syousyu.html|publisher=Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency|accessdate=March 2, 2014|language=Japanese|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501085231/http://www.erca.go.jp/taiki/history/ko_syousyu.html|archivedate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> The ] also encouraged the efficient use of energy because of Japan's lack of natural resources.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sekiyama|first=Takeshi|title=Japan's international cooperation for energy efficiency and conservation in Asian region|url=http://nice.erina.or.jp/en/pdf/C-SEKIYAMA.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216005103/http://nice.erina.or.jp/en/pdf/C-SEKIYAMA.pdf|archivedate=February 16, 2008|publisher=Energy Conservation Center|accessdate=January 16, 2011}}</ref> | |||
Japan ranks 20th in the 2018 ], which measures a country's commitment to environmental sustainability.<ref>{{cite web|title=Environmental Performance Index: Japan|url=https://epi.envirocenter.yale.edu/epi-country-report/JPN|publisher=Yale University|accessdate=February 26, 2018|archive-date=November 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119100506/https://epi.envirocenter.yale.edu/epi-country-report/JPN|url-status=dead}}</ref> Japan is the world's ] of ].<ref name=climatechange/> As the host and signatory of the 1997 ], Japan is under treaty obligation to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and to take other steps to curb climate change.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUST191967|title=Japan sees extra emission cuts to 2020 goal – minister|date=June 24, 2009|publisher=Reuters|archive-date=October 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012011542/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUST191967|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, the government of Japan announced a target of ]ity by 2050.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Davidson|first1=Jordan|title=Japan Targets Carbon Neutrality by 2050|url=https://www.ecowatch.com/japan-carbon-neutral-2648499409.html|website=Ecowatch|date=October 26, 2020|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101101328/https://www.ecowatch.com/japan-carbon-neutral-2648499409.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Environmental issues include urban air pollution (], suspended ], and ]), ], water ], ], ], chemical management and international co-operation for conservation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Environmental Performance Review of Japan|url=http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/0/17/2110905.pdf|publisher=]|accessdate=January 16, 2011|archive-date=February 15, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215084051/http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/0/17/2110905.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Heisei era=== | |||
The ] ended with complete defeat of the ] that Japan was in with the cost of countless lives and much of the economy in bad shape throughout ] and ], especially in ] and the ] if Japan is concerned. After the ], official ] lasted until ], although ] still retain important bases in Japan, especially in ]. In 1947, Japan adopted a new ] ], seeking international cooperation and emphasizing human rights and democratic practices. After the American occupation, under a program of aggressive industrial development and U.S. assistance, Japan achieved spectacular growth to become the second largest economy in the world and regained its status as a ] second only to the ]. | |||
==Government and politics== | ==Government and politics== | ||
{{Main|Emperor of Japan|Government of Japan|Politics of Japan|Law of Japan}} | |||
<!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series--> | |||
], current head of state, and ] participated in the ] in ] on November 10, 2019.]] | |||
{{morepolitics|country=Japan}} | |||
Japan is a ] and ] in which the power of the ] is limited to a ].<ref name=euparl>{{cite web|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI%282020%29651951|publisher=European Parliament|title=Japan's Parliament and other political institutions|date=June 9, 2020|archive-date=October 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019205439/https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2020)651951|url-status=live}}</ref> Executive power is instead wielded by the ] and his ], whose sovereignty is vested in the Japanese people.<ref name="Constitution">{{cite web|url=http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/constitution_and_government_of_japan/constitution_e.html|title=The Constitution of Japan|publisher=Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet|date=November 3, 1946|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214104438/http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/constitution_and_government_of_japan/constitution_e.html|archivedate=December 14, 2013}}</ref> ] is the Emperor of Japan, having succeeded his father ] upon his accession to the ] in 2019.<ref name=euparl/> | |||
In academic studies, Japan is generally considered a ], based largely upon the British system with strong influences from European continental ] countries such as Germany and France. For example, in 1896 the Japanese government established ''Minpo'', the ], on the French model. With post-World War II modifications, the code remains in effect in present-day Japan.<ref>, ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved 14 May 2006.</ref> | |||
]]] | |||
===The Emperor=== | |||
Japan's legislative organ is the ], a ] ].<ref name=euparl/> It consists of a lower ] with 465 seats, elected by popular vote every four years or when dissolved, and an upper ] with 245 seats, whose popularly-elected members serve six-year terms.<ref name=sec>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/837056/000119312520211213/d477441dex1.htm|publisher=US Securities and Exchange Commission|date=August 6, 2020|title=Japan|archive-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106133727/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/837056/000119312520211213/d477441dex1.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> There is ] for adults over 18 years of age,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2016/07/japan-youth-can-make-difference-new-voting-rights-u-n-envoy/|publisher=UN Envoy on Youth|title=Japan Youth Can Make Difference with New Voting Rights: UN Envoy|date=July 2016|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028222010/https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2016/07/japan-youth-can-make-difference-new-voting-rights-u-n-envoy/|url-status=live}}</ref> with a ] for all elected offices.<ref name="Constitution" /> The prime minister as the ] has the power to appoint and dismiss ], and is ] by the emperor after being designated from among the members of the Diet.<ref name=sec/> ] is Japan's prime minister; he took office after winning the ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Ninivagi|first=Gabriele |title=Ishiba wins: An unusual result for an unusual election |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/09/27/japan/politics/ldp-presidential-election-analysis/|date=September 27, 2024 |work=The Japan Times|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240930195331/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/09/27/japan/politics/ldp-presidential-election-analysis/ |archivedate=September 30, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> The broadly conservative ] has been the ] in the country since the 1950s, often called the ].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Crespo|first=José Antonio|title=The Liberal Democratic Party in Japan: Conservative Domination|journal=]|volume=16|number=2|pages=199–209|date=April 1995|doi=10.1177/019251219501600206|jstor=1601459}}</ref> | |||
] ] and ]]] | |||
The ] (天皇 tennō, literally "heavenly sovereign") is currently a constitutionally-recognized symbol of the Japanese nation and the unity of its people. He is the head of the ]. Under Japan's present constitution, the emperor is a ceremonial figurehead in a constitutional monarchy. The current emperor is ]. | |||
Historically influenced by ], the Japanese legal system developed independently during the Edo period through texts such as {{transliteration|ja|]}}.<ref name=dean>{{cite book|last=Dean|first=Meryll|title=Japanese legal system: text, cases & materials|year=2002|publisher=Cavendish|isbn=978-1-85941-673-0|pages=55–58, 131|edition=2nd|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lt9jB5CjfRIC}}</ref> Since the late 19th century, ] has been largely based on the ] of Europe, notably Germany. In 1896, Japan established a ] based on the German ], which remains in effect with post–World War II modifications.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kanamori|first=Shigenari|title=German influences on Japanese Pre-War Constitution and Civil Code|journal=European Journal of Law and Economics|date=January 1, 1999|volume=7|issue=1|pages=93–95|doi=10.1023/A:1008688209052}}</ref> The ], adopted in 1947, is the oldest unamended constitution in the world.<ref name="anomalous-constitution">{{cite news|last=McElwain|first=Kenneth Mori|title=The Anomalous Life of the Japanese Constitution|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/a05602/the-anomalous-life-of-the-japanese-constitution.html|date=August 15, 2017|website=Nippon.com|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811213143/https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/a05602/the-anomalous-life-of-the-japanese-constitution.html|url-status=live|archivedate=August 11, 2019}}</ref> 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 ].<ref name=dean/> Japan's court system is divided into four basic tiers: the ] and three levels of lower courts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/judiciary/0620system.html|publisher=Office of the Prime Minister of Japan|title=The Japanese Judicial System|date=July 1999|archive-date=January 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116032711/http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/judiciary/0620system.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
====Japanese Imperial Family==== | |||
] | |||
The ] is headed by the ], defined by the Constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". He performs ceremonial duties but does not wield even emergency ]s. Power is mainly held by the Prime Minister, and other elected members of the ]. Sovereignty is vested in the ] by the constitution. Though his official status is disputed, on diplomatic occasions the emperor effectively acts as a ]. As of 2006, Japan is the only country in the world with an emperor. | |||
=== |
===Administrative divisions=== | ||
{{Main|Administrative divisions of Japan|Prefectures of Japan}} | |||
] sits in joint session]] | |||
Japan is divided into 47 prefectures, each overseen by an elected ] and legislature.<ref name=euparl/> In the following table, the prefectures are grouped by ]:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web-japan.org/factsheet/en/pdf/e02_regions.pdf|title=Regions of Japan|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan|accessdate=January 13, 2021|archive-date=January 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119041311/https://web-japan.org/factsheet/en/pdf/e02_regions.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
The ] states that the nation's "highest organ of state power" is its bicameral ], the ] (''Kokkai''). The Diet consists of a ] (Lower House or ''Shūgi-in'') containing 480 seats, elected by popular vote every 4 years or when dissolved, and a ] (Upper House or ''Sangi-in'') of 242 seats, whose popularly-elected members serve six-year terms. There is universal adult (over 20 years old) ], with a ] for all elective offices. | |||
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<!--{{Japan Regions and Prefectures Labelled Map}}--> | |||
{{clear}} | |||
===Foreign relations=== | |||
The ] is composed of a ] and ministers of state, and is responsible to the Diet. The Prime Minister must be a member of the ], and is designated by his colleagues. The Prime Minister has the power to appoint and remove ministers, a majority of whom must be Diet members. The ] ] (LDP) has been in power since 1955, except for a short-lived ] formed from its opposition parties in 1993; the largest opposition party is the liberal-socialist ]. | |||
{{Main|Foreign relations of Japan}} | |||
] and the ].]] | |||
A member state of the United Nations since 1956, Japan is one of the ] seeking reform of the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/other/bluebook/2017/html/chapter3/c030105.html|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan|title=Japan's Efforts at the United Nations (UN)|work=Diplomatic Bluebook 2017|accessdate=December 11, 2020|archive-date=February 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214051435/https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/other/bluebook/2017/html/chapter3/c030105.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan is a member of the ], ], and "]", and is a participant in the ].<ref name=terada>{{cite book|url=https://www.jcie.org/researchpdfs/PacificNation/Terada.pdf|last=Terada|first=Takashi|chapter=The United States and East Asian Regionalism|title=A Pacific Nation|editor1=Borthwick, Mark|editor2=Yamamoto, Tadashi|editor2-link=Tadashi Yamamoto|year=2011|isbn=978-4-88907-133-7|publisher=Japan Center for International Exchange|archive-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106123037/https://www.jcie.org/researchpdfs/PacificNation/Terada.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> It is the world's ] of ], donating US$9.2 billion in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statistics from the Development Co-operation Report 2015|url=http://www.oecd.org/dac/japan.htm|publisher=OECD|accessdate=November 15, 2015|archive-date=January 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123081241/http://www.oecd.org/dac/Japan.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2024, Japan had the ] in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Diplomacy Index – Country Rank |url=https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/country_rank.html |accessdate=February 26, 2024 |publisher=] |archive-date=February 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201012801/http://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/country_rank.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
Japan has close economic and military relations with the United States, with which it maintains a ].<ref name=us-relations>{{cite web|url=https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-japan/|publisher=US Department of State|title=US Relations with Japan|date=January 21, 2020|archive-date=May 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503135404/https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4142.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref name=us-relations/> In 2016, Japan announced the Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, which frames its regional policies.<ref>{{Cite web |last2=Hosoya |first1=Nicholas |last1=Szechenyi |first2=Yuichi |title=Working Toward a Free and Open Indo-Pacific |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/10/10/working-toward-free-and-open-indo-pacific-pub-80023 |accessdate=May 8, 2024 |publisher=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace |language=en |archive-date=October 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029041716/https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/10/10/working-toward-free-and-open-indo-pacific-pub-80023 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Achieving the 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)' Vision: Japan Ministry of Defense's Approach |url=https://www.mod.go.jp/en/d_act/exc/india_pacific/india_pacific-en.html |accessdate=May 8, 2024 |publisher=Japan Ministry of Defence |archive-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508095151/https://www.mod.go.jp/en/d_act/exc/india_pacific/india_pacific-en.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Japan is also a member of the ] ("the Quad"), a multilateral security dialogue reformed in 2017 aiming to limit Chinese influence in the ] region, along with the United States, Australia, and India.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep17325 |title=Japan, the Indo-Pacific, and the "Quad" |last=Chanlett-Avery |first=Emma |date=2018 |publisher=Chicago Council on Global Affairs }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Quad in the Indo-Pacific: What to Know |first=Sheila A. |last=Smith |date=May 27, 2021 |url=https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/quad-indo-pacific-what-know |accessdate=January 26, 2022 |publisher=Council on Foreign Relations |archive-date=May 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230503162143/https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/quad-indo-pacific-what-know |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
===The Prime Minister=== | |||
] ]]] | |||
] is the ] of Japan, although the literal translation is Prime Minister of the Cabinet. The Prime Minister is appointed by the ] after being designated by the ] from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the ] to remain in office. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet and appoints and dismisses the Ministers of State. The current Prime Minister of Japan, since ], is ]. | |||
Japan is engaged in several territorial disputes with its neighbors. Japan contests Russia's control of the ], which were occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/europe/russia/territory/index.html|title=Japanese Territory, Northern Territories|date=April 4, 2014|publisher=]|archive-date=June 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626202149/https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/europe/russia/territory/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> South Korea's control of the ] is acknowledged but not accepted as they are claimed by Japan.<ref name="takeshima">{{cite web|url=https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/takeshima/index.html|title=Japanese Territory, Takeshima|date=July 30, 2014|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs|archive-date=June 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190613022420/https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/takeshima/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan has strained relations with China and Taiwan over the ] and the status of ].<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1177/0920203X16665778|date=September 2016|title=The Senkaku Shoto/Diaoyu Islands and Okinotorishima disputes: Ideational and material influences|last=Fox|first=Senan|journal=China Information|volume=30|issue=3|pages=312–333}}</ref> | |||
==Foreign relations and military== | |||
{{main|Foreign relations of Japan|Japan Self-Defense Forces|Military of Japan}} | |||
] ] and ] President ] meet at the White House]] | |||
<!--] in Tokyo is the primary residence of the emperor]]--> | |||
Japan maintains close economic and military ties with its key ally, the ], and the ] serves as the cornerstone of its foreign policy. Japan is a member state of the ] and currently serving as a non-permanent ] member. It is also one of the "]" seeking permanent membership in the Security Council. | |||
===Military=== | |||
As a major economic power, Japan is a member of the ]. It is also a member of the ], a part of the "] plus three" group, and a participant in the ]. The country is a leader in ] and development efforts, donating 0.19% of its ] in 2004.<ref>, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 11 April 2005. Retrieved 14 May 2006. {{PDFlink}}</ref> | |||
{{Main|Japan Self-Defense Forces}} | |||
] ]]] | |||
Japan is the third highest-ranked Asian country in the 2024 ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 Global Peace Index |url=https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GPI-2024-web.pdf|publisher=Institute for Economics & Peace|date=June 2024}}</ref> It spent 1.1% of its total GDP on ] in 2022,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?locations=JP|title=Military expenditure (% of GDP) – Japan|publisher=]|accessdate=August 11, 2022|archive-date=August 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811211411/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?locations=JP|url-status=live}}</ref> and maintained the ] in the world in 2022.<ref name="SIPRI-2020">{{cite web |date=April 2023 |title=Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2022 |url=https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/2304_fs_milex_2022.pdf |publisher=] |accessdate=May 22, 2023 |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423231601/https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/2304_fs_milex_2022.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The country's military (the Japan Self-Defense Forces) is restricted by ], which renounces Japan's right to declare war or use military force in international disputes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/law/help/japan-constitution/article9.php|publisher=Library of Congress|title=Japan: Article 9 of the Constitution|date=February 2006|archive-date=November 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113230055/https://www.loc.gov/law/help/japan-constitution/article9.php|url-status=live}}</ref> The military is governed by the ], and primarily consists of the ], the ], and the ]. The ] and Afghanistan marked the first overseas use of Japan's military since World War II.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/japan-and-its-military|last=Teslik|first=Lee Hudson|date=April 13, 2006|publisher=Council on Foreign Relations|title=Japan and its military|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111193330/https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/japan-and-its-military|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
The ] has been making changes to its security policy which include the establishment of the ], the adoption of the National Security Strategy, and the development of the National Defense Program Guidelines.<ref name="Japan's Security Policy">{{cite news|title= Japan's Security Policy|publisher= Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan|url= http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/security/|date= April 6, 2016|archive-date= January 28, 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150128132310/http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/security/|url-status= live}}</ref> In May 2014, Prime Minister ] said Japan wanted to shed the passiveness it has maintained since the end of World War II and take more responsibility for regional security.<ref name="JapanAsia">{{cite news|title=Abe offers Japan's help in maintaining regional security|url=http://www.japanherald.com/index.php/sid/222467193/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044/ht/Abe-offers-Japans-help-in-maintaining-regional-security|date=May 30, 2014|newspaper=Japan Herald|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531184828/http://www.japanherald.com/index.php/sid/222467193/scat/c4f2dd8ca8c78044/ht/Abe-offers-Japans-help-in-maintaining-regional-security|archivedate=May 31, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> In December 2022, Prime Minister ] further confirmed this trend, instructing the government to increase spending by 65% until 2027.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Liff |first=Adam P. |date=May 22, 2023 |title=No, Japan is not planning to 'double its defense budget' |url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2023/05/22/no-japan-is-not-planning-to-double-its-defense-budget/ |publisher=]|archive-date=May 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523074432/https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2023/05/22/no-japan-is-not-planning-to-double-its-defense-budget/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Recent tensions, particularly with North Korea and China, have reignited the debate over the status of the JSDF and its relation to Japanese society.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/japan-dealing-with-north-koreas-growing-missile-threat/|work=The Diplomat|last=Yoji|first=Koda|date=September 18, 2020|title=Japan: Dealing with North Korea's Growing Missile Threat|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111164739/https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/japan-dealing-with-north-koreas-growing-missile-threat/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/japan-china-military-provocations-revival-disputed-islands-pacifism-11594735596|work=The Wall Street Journal|title=China Provocations Hasten Japan's Military Revival|last1=Gale|first1=Alastair|last2=Tsuneoka|first2=Chieko|date=July 14, 2020|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111145238/https://www.wsj.com/articles/japan-china-military-provocations-revival-disputed-islands-pacifism-11594735596|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Japan is a major ] country with the second highest in providing non-military ] to other countries with having donated aid equal to $9.7 billion ] in ]. | |||
===Law enforcement=== | |||
Japan's relationship with its neighbors, however, can be described as tenuous at best. It currently has territorial disputes with ] over the ], with ] over ] (Takeshima), with the ] (PRC) and the ] (Taiwan) over the ] (Diaoyutai Islands), and with the People's Republic of China over the status of ]. These disputes are in part about the control of marine and natural resources, such as possible reserves of ] and ]. | |||
{{Main|Law enforcement in Japan|Crime in Japan}} | |||
]]] | |||
Domestic security in Japan is provided mainly by the ]s, under the oversight of the ].<ref>{{Cite web|publisher=Supreme Court of Japan|year=2005|title=Who will conduct the investigation?|url=http://www.courts.go.jp/saiban/qa_keizi/qa_keizi_09/index.html|accessdate=November 1, 2018|archive-date=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924211451/http://www.courts.go.jp/saiban/qa_keizi/qa_keizi_09/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> As the central coordinating body for the Prefectural Police Departments, the National Police Agency is administered by the ].<ref name="NPA1977-2">{{Cite book|editor=National Police Agency Police History Compilation Committee|year=1977|title=Japan post-war police history|publisher=]|language=Japanese}}</ref> The ] comprises national-level ] tactical units that cooperate with territorial-level ].<ref name="WP">{{cite web|url=http://www.npa.go.jp/english/kokusai9/White_Paper_2009_7.pdf|title=Chapter IV. Maintenance of Public Safety and Disaster Countermeasures|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110323151825/https://www.npa.go.jp/english/kokusai9/White_Paper_2009_7.pdf|accessdate=March 25, 2011|archivedate=March 23, 2011|publisher=]|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ] guards territorial waters surrounding Japan and uses surveillance and control countermeasures against smuggling, marine ], poaching, piracy, spy ships, unauthorized foreign fishing vessels, and illegal immigration.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/e/image/15_b%20of%20jcg.pdf|title=Japan Coast Guard|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708235951/https://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/e/image/15_b%20of%20jcg.pdf|accessdate=July 8, 2019|archivedate=July 8, 2019|publisher=]|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
The ] strictly regulates the civilian ownership of guns, swords, and other weaponry.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2008/11/29/national/diet-tightens-laws-on-knives-guns/#.XS9faShKi01|title=Diet tightens laws on knives, guns|date=November 29, 2008|work=The Japan Times|archive-date=April 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413233016/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2008/11/29/national/diet-tightens-laws-on-knives-guns/#.XS9faShKi01|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/07/a-land-without-guns-how-japan-has-virtually-eliminated-shooting-deaths/260189/|title=A Land Without Guns: How Japan Has Virtually Eliminated Shooting Deaths|date=July 23, 2012|first=Max|last=Fisher|work=]|archive-date=December 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151216014947/http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/07/a-land-without-guns-how-japan-has-virtually-eliminated-shooting-deaths/260189/|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the ], among the member states of the UN that report statistics {{as of|2018|lc=y}}, the incidence rates of violent crimes such as murder, abduction, sexual violence, and robbery are very low in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|publisher=UNODC|title=Victims of intentional homicide, 1990–2018|url=https://dataunodc.un.org/content/data/homicide/homicide-rate|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=March 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328012947/https://dataunodc.un.org/content/data/homicide/homicide-rate|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=UNODC|url=https://dataunodc.un.org/data/crime/kidnapping|title=Kidnapping: 2018|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=October 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021235926/https://dataunodc.un.org/data/crime/kidnapping|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=UNODC|title=Sexual violence|url=https://dataunodc.un.org/data/crime/sexual-violence|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107001709/https://dataunodc.un.org/data/crime/sexual-violence|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=UNODC|title=Robbery: 2018|url=https://dataunodc.un.org/data/crime/Robbery|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111163831/https://dataunodc.un.org/data/crime/Robbery|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
In recent years, Japan has had an ongoing dispute with ] over its ] and ]. | |||
=== Human rights === | |||
Japan's military is restricted by ] of the ] that states that, "The Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes." Thus, Japan's current constitution prohibits the use of military force to wage war against other countries. | |||
{{Main|Human rights in Japan}} | |||
Japanese society traditionally places a strong emphasis on ] and ], which has led to the suppression of ].<ref name="h191">{{cite journal | last=Matsui | first=Shigenori | title=Fundamental Human Rights and 'Traditional Japanese Values': Constitutional Amendment and Vision of the Japanese Society | journal=Asian Journal of Comparative Law | volume=13 | issue=1 | date=February 22, 2018 | doi=10.1017/asjcl.2017.25 | doi-access=free | pages=59–86}}</ref> ] prohibits racial and religious discrimination,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination started consideration of the initial and second periodic reports of Japan |url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2009/10/committee-elimination-racial-discrimination-started-consideration-initial |accessdate=May 8, 2024 |publisher=Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights |archive-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508101622/https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2009/10/committee-elimination-racial-discrimination-started-consideration-initial |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite wikisource|title=Constitution of Japan|wslanguage=en}}</ref> and the country is a signatory to numerous international human rights treaties.<ref name="q456">{{cite web |title=Japan Strengthening Its Presence in the International Community|work=Diplomatic Bluebook | publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan | url=https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/other/bluebook/2021/en_html/chapter4/c040207.html | year=2021}}</ref> However, it lacks any laws against discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity and does not have a national human rights institution.<ref name="p620">{{cite book | author=Human Rights Watch | title=World Report 2024: Events of 2023 | publisher=Seven Stories Press | year=2024 | isbn=978-1-64421-338-4 | url=https://books.google.ca/books?id=HjrBEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT425| page=425}}</ref> | |||
Japan's military is governed under Japanese Defense Agency (JDA) and primarily consists of the ], the ], and the ]. Its military budget is estimated to be the sixth largest in the world at around $48 billion per year. The forces have been recently used ] operations and ] marked the first overseas use of its military since ]. | |||
Japan has faced criticism for ],<ref name="p015">{{cite journal | last=Iida | first=Aki | title=Gender inequality in Japan: The status of women, and their promotion in the workplace | journal=Corvinus Journal of International Affairs | volume=3 | issue=3 | year=2018 | doi=10.14267/cojourn.2018v3n3a5 | doi-access=free | pages=43–52}}</ref> ],<ref name="h253">{{cite web | last=Shiraishi | first2=Frances|last2= Mao |first1=Sakiko | title=Japan same-sex marriage ban ruled unconstitutional again by courts | publisher=BBC | date=March 14, 2024 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68561968}}</ref> use of ] by police,<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 17, 2022 |title=Racial profiling, discrimination in Japan far more serious than stats reported by police |url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20221217/p2a/00m/0na/010000c |work=Mainichi Daily News |archive-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508101627/https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20221217/p2a/00m/0na/010000c |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Japan |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/japan/ |accessdate=May 8, 2024 |publisher=U.S. Department of State |archive-date=September 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924171500/https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/japan/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa22/006/2006/en/|title=Japan: 'Will this day be my last?' The death penalty in Japan|publisher=]|date=July 6, 2006}}</ref> Other human rights issues include the treatment of marginalized groups, such as ],<ref name="r037">{{cite web | title=Japan: Long-standing discrimination unchanged |publisher=Amnesty International | url=https://www.amnesty.org/es/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ASA2257602022ENGLISH.pdf |year=2023}}</ref> ].<ref name="v702">{{cite web | title=Japan's new deportation rule for asylum seekers raises rights concerns | website=Nikkei Asia | date=June 10, 2024 | url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Japan-immigration/Japan-s-new-deportation-rule-for-asylum-seekers-raises-rights-concerns}}</ref> | |||
==Geography and climate== | |||
] | |||
{{main|Geography of Japan}} | |||
Japan, a country of ]s, extends along the eastern or ] coast of ]. The main islands, running from north to south, are ], ] (or the mainland), ], and ]. ] in the ] archipelago is over 600 kilometers (375 ]) to the southwest of Kyushu. In addition, about 3,000 smaller islands may be counted in the full extent of the ]. | |||
Japan is the 19th ] in the world. About 70 to 80% of the country is forested, ]ous <ref>http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761566679/Japan.html "Japan," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2006 | |||
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.</ref><ref>http://www.worldinfozone.com/country.php?country=Japan "Japan Information", © 1997 - 2006 World InfoZone Ltd</ref>,and unsuitable for ], ], or residential use, due to the generally steep elevations, climate, and risk of landslides caused by earthquakes, soft ground, and heavy rain. This has resulted in an extremely high population density in the habitable zones that are mainly located in coastal areas. | |||
Its location on the ], at the juncture of three tectonic plates, gives Japan frequent low-intensity earth tremors and occasional volcanic activity. Destructive ]s, often resulting in ]s, occur several times each century. The most recent major quakes include the ] and the ] of 1995. ] are numerous, and have been developed as resorts. | |||
The climate of Japan is predominantly ] but varies greatly from north to south. Japan's geographical features divide it into six principal climatic zones: | |||
*]: The northernmost zone has a temperate climate with long, cold winters and cool summers. ] is not heavy, but the islands usually develop deep snow banks in the winter. | |||
*]: On Honshu's west coast, the northwest wind in the wintertime brings heavy snowfall. In the summer, the region is cooler than the Pacific area, though it sometimes experiences extremely hot temperatures, due to the ] phenomenon. | |||
*]: A typical inland climate, with large temperature differences between summer and winter, and between day and night. Precipitation is light. | |||
*]: The mountains of the ] and ] regions shelter the region from the seasonal winds, bringing mild weather throughout the year. | |||
*Pacific Ocean: The east coast experiences cold winters with little snowfall and hot, humid summers due to the southeast seasonal wind. | |||
*]: The Ryukyu Islands have a subtropical climate, with warm winters and hot summers. Precipitation is very heavy, especially during the rainy season. ] are common. | |||
The main ] begins in early May in Okinawa, and the stationary rain front responsible for this gradually works its way north until it dissipates in northern Japan before reaching Hokkaido in late July. In most of Honshu, the rainy season begins before the middle of June and lasts about six weeks. In late summer and early ], ]s often bring heavy rain. | |||
Japan is home to nine forest ] which reflect the climate and geography of the islands. They range from ] in the Ryukyu and Bonin islands, to ] in the mild climate regions of the main islands, to ] in the cold, winter portions of the northern islands. | |||
===Natural resources=== | |||
{{sectstub}} | |||
Japan has very limited ] to sustain economic development since most of the islands are ] and ]. | |||
==Prefectures and regions== | |||
] | |||
]]] | |||
{{main|Prefectures of Japan}} | |||
Japan has 47 ]. The prefecture is the largest administrative subdivision. Each has an elected governor and legislature, and an administrative bureaucracy. | |||
The prefectures are often grouped into ]. Those regions are not formally specified, they do not have elected officials, nor are they corporate bodies. | |||
This table shows a commonly accepted example of organization of prefectures into regions, from north to south. | |||
{| class=wikitable | |||
! Region | |||
! Prefectures | |||
|- | |||
! ] | |||
| ] | |||
|- | |||
! ] | |||
| ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
|- | |||
! ] | |||
| ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
|- | |||
! ] | |||
| ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
|- | |||
! ] | |||
| ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
|- | |||
! ] | |||
| ], ], ], ], ] | |||
|- | |||
! ] | |||
| ], ], ], ] | |||
|- | |||
! ] | |||
| ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
|- | |||
! ] | |||
| ] | |||
|} | |||
The prefectures are further subdivided into ], ] and ]. The nomenclature is different in the ], which is divided into 23 cities known as the ] (the part of Tokyo outside the 23 special wards uses the nationwide terminology for cities, towns, and villages). Cities (including special wards of Tokyo), towns, and villages have elected officials. In addition, major cities are divided into ]. These wards, however, are not corporate entities. | |||
Japan is currently undergoing administrative ] by merging many of the cities, towns, and villages with each other. This process will reduce the number of sub-prefecture administrative regions, and is expected to cut administrative costs.<ref>http://siteresources.worldbank.org/WBI/Resources/wbi37175.pdf Mabuchi, Masaru, "Municipal Amalgamation in Japan," World Bank, 2001.</ref> The Japanese government is also considering a plan by which several groups of prefectures would merge, creating a sub-national administrative division system consisting of 9, 11, or 13 states, and giving the states more local autonomy than the current prefectures enjoy.<ref>http://www.nira.go.jp/publ/seiken/ev18n10/ev18n10-s.html "''Doshusei'' Regional System," National Association for Research Advancement</ref> | |||
==Economy== | ==Economy== | ||
{{Main|Economy of Japan}} | |||
] ] (]) showing Phoenix Hall of ]]] | |||
], ]; a major ] in Japan]] | |||
{{main|Economy of Japan}} | |||
Japan has the world's ], after that of the United States, China and Germany; and the ].<ref>{{cite web |date=October 10, 2023 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/October/weo-report?c=512,914,612,171,614,311,213,911,314,193,122,912,313,419,513,316,913,124,339,638,514,218,963,616,223,516,918,748,618,624,522,622,156,626,628,228,924,233,632,636,634,238,662,960,423,935,128,611,321,243,248,469,253,642,643,939,734,644,819,172,132,646,648,915,134,652,174,328,258,656,654,336,263,268,532,944,176,534,536,429,433,178,436,136,343,158,439,916,664,826,542,967,443,917,544,941,446,666,668,672,946,137,546,674,676,548,556,678,181,867,682,684,273,868,921,948,943,686,688,518,728,836,558,138,196,278,692,694,962,142,449,564,565,283,853,288,293,566,964,182,359,453,968,922,714,862,135,716,456,722,942,718,724,576,936,961,813,726,199,733,184,524,361,362,364,732,366,144,146,463,528,923,738,578,537,742,866,369,744,186,925,869,746,926,466,112,111,298,927,846,299,582,487,474,754,698,&s=NGDPD,&sy=2021&ey=2028&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |publisher=] |archive-date=October 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029120100/https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/October/weo-report?c=512,914,612,171,614,311,213,911,314,193,122,912,313,419,513,316,913,124,339,638,514,218,963,616,223,516,918,748,618,624,522,622,156,626,628,228,924,233,632,636,634,238,662,960,423,935,128,611,321,243,248,469,253,642,643,939,734,644,819,172,132,646,648,915,134,652,174,328,258,656,654,336,263,268,532,944,176,534,536,429,433,178,436,136,343,158,439,916,664,826,542,967,443,917,544,941,446,666,668,672,946,137,546,674,676,548,556,678,181,867,682,684,273,868,921,948,943,686,688,518,728,836,558,138,196,278,692,694,962,142,449,564,565,283,853,288,293,566,964,182,359,453,968,922,714,862,135,716,456,722,942,718,724,576,936,961,813,726,199,733,184,524,361,362,364,732,366,144,146,463,528,923,738,578,537,742,866,369,744,186,925,869,746,926,466,112,111,298,927,846,299,582,487,474,754,698,&s=NGDPD,&sy=2021&ey=2028&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> {{As of|2021}}, ] is the world's ], consisting of over 68.6 million workers.<ref name="cia" /> {{As of|2022}}, Japan has a ] of around 2.6%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS?locations=JP|title=Unemployment, total (% of the total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate): Japan|publisher=]|accessdate=July 31, 2022|archive-date=July 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731125918/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS?locations=JP|url-status=live}}</ref> ] is the second highest among the G7 countries,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Komiya|first1=Kantaro|last2=Kihara|first2=Leiha|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-confronts-rising-inequality-after-abenomics-2021-10-12/|title=Japan confronts rising inequality after Abenomics|publisher=]|date=October 31, 2021|archive-date=July 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731125918/https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-confronts-rising-inequality-after-abenomics-2021-10-12/|url-status=live}}</ref> and exceeds 15.7% of the population.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/03/japans-middle-class-is-disappearing-as-poverty-rises-warns-economist.html|title=Japan's middle class is 'disappearing' as poverty rises, warns economist|date=July 2, 2020|publisher=]|last=Huang|first=Eustance|archive-date=July 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731125917/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/03/japans-middle-class-is-disappearing-as-poverty-rises-warns-economist.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan has the highest ratio of public debt to GDP among advanced economies,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ímrohoroğlu|first1=Selahattin|last2=Kitao|first2=Sagiri|last3=Yamada|first3=Tomoaki|title=Achieving fiscal balance in Japan|volume=57|number=1|pages=117–154|journal=]|date=February 2016|doi=10.1111/iere.12150|jstor=44075341}}</ref> with ] estimated at 248% relative to GDP {{as of|2022|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fitchratings.com/research/sovereigns/monetary-tightening-poses-medium-term-risks-to-japans-debt-dynamics-06-05-2022|publisher=]|title=Monetary Tightening Poses Medium-Term Risks to Japan's Debt Dynamics|date=May 6, 2022|archive-date=May 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519084011/https://www.fitchratings.com/research/sovereigns/monetary-tightening-poses-medium-term-risks-to-japans-debt-dynamics-06-05-2022|url-status=live}}</ref> The ] is the world's third-largest ] after the US dollar and the euro.<ref>{{cite web|title=Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserve|publisher=IMF|url=https://data.imf.org/regular.aspx?key=41175|accessdate=October 10, 2021|archive-date=May 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512202858/https://data.imf.org/regular.aspx?key=41175|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Japan was the world's ] and ] in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=List of importing markets for the product exported by Japan in 2022 |url=https://www.trademap.org/Country_SelProductCountry.aspx?nvpm=1%7c392%7c%7c%7c%7cTOTAL%7c%7c%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c2%7c1%7c%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c1 |accessdate=August 11, 2023 |publisher=] |archive-date=April 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410225438/https://www.trademap.org/Country_SelProductCountry.aspx?nvpm=1%7C392%7C%7C%7C%7CTOTAL%7C%7C%7C2%7C1%7C1%7C2%7C1%7C%7C2%7C1%7C1%7C1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=List of supplying markets for the product imported by Japan in 2022 |url=https://www.trademap.org/Country_SelProductCountry.aspx?nvpm=1%7c392%7c%7c%7c%7cTOTAL%7c%7c%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c1%7c1%7c%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c1 |accessdate=August 11, 2023 |publisher=] |archive-date=April 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410225448/https://www.trademap.org/Country_SelProductCountry.aspx?nvpm=1%7C392%7C%7C%7C%7CTOTAL%7C%7C%7C2%7C1%7C1%7C1%7C1%7C%7C2%7C1%7C1%7C1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Its exports amounted to 18.2% of its total GDP in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.EXP.GNFS.ZS?locations=JP|publisher=World Bank|title=Exports of goods and services (% of GDP): Japan|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=November 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130064945/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.EXP.GNFS.ZS?locations=JP|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2022}}, ] were China (23.9 percent, including Hong Kong) and the United States (18.5 percent).<ref name="STATJETRO">{{cite web |title=Japanese Trade and Investment Statistics |url=https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/reports/statistics/ |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301094344/https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/reports/statistics/ |archivedate=March 1, 2021 |accessdate=March 3, 2021 |publisher=]}}</ref> ] are motor vehicles, iron and steel products, semiconductors, and auto parts.<ref name="cia">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/japan/|title=World Factbook: Japan|publisher=CIA|accessdate=September 24, 2022|archive-date=January 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105105736/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/japan/|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan's main import markets {{as of|2022||lc=y}} were China (21.1 percent), the United States (9.9 percent), and Australia (9.8 percent).<ref name="STATJETRO" /> Japan's main imports are machinery and equipment, fossil fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, and raw materials for its industries.<ref name="STATJETRO" /> | |||
Japan is an economic ] with ]. ]-] cooperation, a strong ], mastery of ], and a comparatively small ] have helped Japan advance with extraordinary speed to become one of the largest economies in the world. For three decades, overall real economic growth ]: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s.<ref>http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-7176.html</ref> Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s largely due to the after-effects of over-investment during the late 1980s and domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. Government efforts to revive economic growth have met with little success and were further hampered in 2000 to 2001 by the slowing of the global economy.<ref>http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html "Japan Economy", CIA World Factbook</ref> | |||
The Japanese variant of capitalism has many distinct features: ] enterprises are influential, and ] and seniority-based career advancement are common in the ].<ref name="oecd2008">{{cite web|url=http://www.oecd.org/document/17/0,3343,en_2649_34111_40353553_1_1_1_1,00.html|title=Economic survey of Japan 2008|publisher=]|accessdate=August 25, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101109122744/http://www.oecd.org/document/17/0%2C3343%2Cen_2649_34111_40353553_1_1_1_1%2C00.html|archivedate=November 9, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/7193984?story_id=7193984|title=Japan's Economy: Free at last|newspaper=The Economist|date=July 20, 2006|archive-date=April 30, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430001614/http://www.economist.com/node/7193984?story_id=7193984|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan has a large ] sector, with three of the world's ten largest cooperatives, including the largest ] and the largest ] {{as of|2018|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ica.coop/sites/default/files/publication-files/wcm2018-printx50-227290600.pdf|title=The 2018 World Cooperative Monitor: Exploring the Cooperative Economy|date=October 2018|publisher=]|archive-date=February 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202042643/https://www.ica.coop/sites/default/files/publication-files/wcm2018-printx50-227290600.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> It ] for ] and ]. Japan ranked sixth in the ] in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2019.pdf|title=The Global Competitiveness Report|publisher=]|last=Schwab|first=Klaus|author-link=Klaus Schwab|year=2019|archive-date=July 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730051309/https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2019.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> It attracted 31.9 million international tourists in 2019,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://statistics.jnto.go.jp/en/graph/#graph--inbound--travelers--transition|title=Trends in the Visitor Arrivals to Japan by Year|publisher=Japan National Tourism Organization|accessdate=December 11, 2020|archive-date=November 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126123636/https://statistics.jnto.go.jp/en/graph/#graph--inbound--travelers--transition|url-status=live}}</ref> and was ] in the world in 2019 for ].<ref name="WTOB">{{cite journal|date=August–September 2020|title=Statistical Annex|journal=UNWTO World Tourism Barometer|volume=18|issue=5|page=18|doi=10.18111/wtobarometereng.2020.18.1.5|doi-access=free}}</ref> The 2021 '']'' ranked Japan first in the world out of 117 countries.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021|date=May 2022|publisher=]|url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Travel_Tourism_Development_2021.pdf|accessdate=July 31, 2022|archive-date=July 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703090138/https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Travel_Tourism_Development_2021.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Its international tourism receipts in 2019 amounted to $46.1 billion.<ref name="WTOB"/> | |||
However, the economy saw signs of strong recovery in 2005. GDP growth for the year was 2.8%, with an annualized fourth quarter expansion of 5.5%, surpassing the growth rate of the US and European Union during the same period.<ref>http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Japan/HC02Dh01.html</ref> Unlike previous recovery trends, domestic consumption has been the dominant factor in leading the growth. Hence, the Japanese government predicts that recovery will continue in 2006. | |||
===Agriculture and fishery=== | |||
Distinguishing characteristics of the Japanese economy include the cooperation of manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and banks in closely-knit groups called ]; the powerful enterprise unions and '']''; cozy relations with government bureaucrats, and the guarantee of lifetime employment (''shushin koyo'') in big corporations and highly ] ] factories. Recently, Japanese companies have begun to abandon some of these norms in an attempt to increase profitability. | |||
{{Main|Agriculture, forestry, and fishing in Japan}} | |||
] in ], ]]] | |||
The Japanese agricultural sector accounts for about 1.2% of the country's total GDP {{as of|2018|lc=yes}}.<ref name=sec/> Only 11.5% of Japan's land is suitable for cultivation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.ARBL.ZS|title=Arable land (% of land area)|publisher=World Bank|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=November 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107201125/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.ARBL.ZS|url-status=live}}</ref> Because of this lack of arable land, a system of ] is used to farm in small areas.<ref name="Urbanites Help Sustain Japan's Historic Rice Paddy Terraces">{{cite web|url=http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/the-people-who-sustain-japans-historic-terraced-rice-fields|title=Urbanites Help Sustain Japan's Historic Rice Paddy Terraces|website=Our World|date=May 22, 2012|author1=Nagata, Akira|author2=Chen, Bixia|archive-date=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924164244/http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/the-people-who-sustain-japans-historic-terraced-rice-fields|url-status=live}}</ref> 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|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The spatial patterns in long-term temporal trends of three major crops' yields in Japan|doi=10.1080/1343943X.2018.1459752|year=2018|volume=21|last=Chen|first=Hungyen|journal=Plant Production Science|issue=3|pages=177–185|doi-access=free}}</ref> Japan's small agricultural sector is highly subsidized and ].<ref>{{cite web|work=Agricultural Policy Monitoring and Evaluation|title=Japan: Support to agriculture|year=2020|publisher=OECD|accessdate=November 11, 2020|url=https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/751935f0-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/751935f0-en|archive-date=June 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620151745/https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/751935f0-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/751935f0-en|url-status=live}}</ref> There has been a growing concern about farming as farmers are aging with a difficult time finding successors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2019/12/31/grown-from-necessity-vertical-farming-takes-off-in-ageing-japan.html|title=Grown from necessity: Vertical farming takes off in aging Japan|last=Nishimura|first=Karyn|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=January 1, 2020|website=The Jakarta Post|archive-date=February 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205084025/https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2019/12/31/grown-from-necessity-vertical-farming-takes-off-in-ageing-japan.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Japan ranked seventh in the world in ] 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/3/i9540en/i9540en.pdf|title=The state of world fisheries and aquaculture|publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization|date=2018|accessdate=May 25, 2020|archive-date=February 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211011147/http://www.fao.org/3/I9540EN/i9540en.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch,<ref name=cia /> prompting critiques that Japan's fishing is leading to depletion in fish stocks such as ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/24/japan-criticised-exceed-bluefin-tuna-fishing-quota|newspaper=The Guardian|last=McCurry|first=Justin|title=Japan to exceed bluefin tuna quota amid warnings of commercial extinction|date=April 24, 2017|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112024926/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/24/japan-criticised-exceed-bluefin-tuna-fishing-quota|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan has sparked controversy by supporting commercial ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48821797|work=BBC News|title=Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years|date=July 1, 2019|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112020054/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48821797|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
The current government of ] has enacted or attempted to pass (sometimes with failure) major privatization and foreign-investment laws intended to help stimulate Japan's dormant economy. Although the effectiveness of these laws is still ambiguous, the economy has begun to respond, but Japan's aging population is expected to place further strain on growth in the near future.<ref>"", ''Post-Autistic Economics Network'', 5 January 2004. Retrieved 14 May 2006.</ref> | |||
===Industry and services === | |||
] tend to claim that Japan is far stronger economically than is usually appreciated . Some mainstream economists acknowledge that Japan, which unlike most other Western countries has maintained its industrial base, and has vast capital reserves, currently has a strong economic outlook. | |||
{{Main|Manufacturing in Japan|Trade and services in Japan|Electronics industry in Japan|Automotive industry in Japan}} | |||
], a ] manufactured by ]. Japan is the ] in the world.<ref name=":0" />]] | |||
Japan has a large industrial capacity and is home to some of the "largest and most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, ]s, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, ]s, textiles, and ]".<ref name="cia"/> Japan's industrial sector makes up approximately 27.5% of its GDP.<ref name=cia/> The country's manufacturing output is the ] in the world {{as of|2023|lc=yes}}.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Manufacturing, value added (current US$)|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.IND.MANF.CD?most_recent_value_desc=true|accessdate=March 17, 2020|publisher=World Bank|archive-date=January 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107135049/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.IND.MANF.CD?most_recent_value_desc=true|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Japan is in the top three globally for both automobile production<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=2022 Production Statistics |url=https://www.oica.net/category/production-statistics/2022-statistics/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408125523/https://www.oica.net/category/production-statistics/2022-statistics/ |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |accessdate=May 22, 2023 |website= |publisher=OICA}}</ref> and export,<ref>{{cite web |last1=He |first1=Laura |last2=Semans |first2=Himari |date=February 2, 2024 |title=Is China now the world's top car exporter? It's complicated |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/02/cars/japan-china-top-car-exporter-data-intl-hnk/index.html |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cars |url=https://oec.world/en/profile/hs/cars |accessdate=July 27, 2024 |website=]}}</ref> and is home to ], the world's ] by vehicle production. The Japanese shipbuilding industry faces increasing competition from its East Asian neighbors, South Korea and China; a 2020 government initiative identified this sector as a target for increasing exports.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://japan-forward.com/japan-targets-to-export-more-ships-revive-global-market-share/|website=Japan Forward|title=Japan Targets to Export More Ships, Revive Global Market Share|last=Okada|first=Mizuki|date=September 5, 2020|archive-date=January 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123140851/https://japan-forward.com/japan-targets-to-export-more-ships-revive-global-market-share/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Exports=== | |||
] | |||
Exporting of goods is an essential part of the Japanese economy. Its main export partners are: ] 22.7%, ] 13.1%, ] 7.8%, ] 7.4%, ] 6.3% (as of 2004) | |||
Japan's service sector accounts for about 69.5% of its total economic output {{as of|2021|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Services, value added (% of GDP) |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.SRV.TOTL.ZS?locations=JP |accessdate=November 11, 2020 |publisher=World Bank |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516063109/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.SRV.TOTL.ZS?locations=JP |url-status=live }}</ref> ], retail, ], and ] are all major industries, with companies such as Toyota, ], -], ], ], ], and ] listed as among the largest in the world.<ref name="Fortune Global 500 ">{{cite news|url=https://fortune.com/global500/2020/search/?fg500_country=Japan&non-us-cos-y-n=true|title=Fortune Global 500|accessdate=November 11, 2020|website=Fortune|archive-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117130030/https://fortune.com/global500/2020/search/?fg500_country=Japan&non-us-cos-y-n=true|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/global2000/#2cb352db335d|title=The World's Largest Public Companies|work=Forbes|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=December 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221222151/http://www.forbes.com/global2000/#2cb352db335d|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Japan's main exports: | |||
* Transport equipment | |||
* Motor vehicles | |||
* ] | |||
* Electrical machinery | |||
* ]s | |||
=== |
===Science and technology=== | ||
{{Main|History of science and technology in Japan|Science and technology in Japan|Video gaming in Japan|List of Japanese inventions and discoveries}} | |||
]]] | |||
] (Kibō) at the ]]] | |||
As a nation that relies heavily on ], Japan also imports a wide variety of goods. Its main import partners are: ] 20.7%, ] 14%, ] 4.9%, ] 4.3%, ] 4.1%, ] 4.1%, ] 4% (as of 2004) | |||
Relative to gross domestic product, Japan's ] budget is the ] in the world,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uis.unesco.org/apps/visualisations/research-and-development-spending/|publisher=UNESCO|title=How much does your country invest in R&D?|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=January 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123180417/http://uis.unesco.org/apps/visualisations/research-and-development-spending/|url-status=live}}</ref> with 867,000 researchers sharing a 19-trillion-yen research and development budget {{as of|2017|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00388/japan%E2%80%99s-science-and-technology-research-spending-at-new-high.html|website=Nippon.com|date=February 19, 2019|title=Japan's Science and Technology Research Spending at New High|archive-date=March 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303221423/https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00388/japan%E2%80%99s-science-and-technology-research-spending-at-new-high.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The country has produced twenty-two ] in either physics, chemistry or medicine,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/lists/all-nobel-prizes/|publisher=Nobel Foundation|title=All Nobel Prizes|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=August 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813202249/https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/lists/all/|url-status=live}}</ref> and three ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mathunion.org/imu-awards/fields-medal|publisher=International Mathematical Union|title=Fields Medal|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=December 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226015744/https://www.mathunion.org/imu-awards/fields-medal|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Japan's main imports: | |||
* Machinery and equipment | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ]s | |||
* Raw materials | |||
Japan leads the world in ] production and use, supplying 45% of the world's 2020 total;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wessling |first=Brianna |date=December 15, 2021 |title=10 most automated countries worldwide |url=https://www.therobotreport.com/10-most-automated-countries-wordlwide-in-2020/ |website=The Robot Report|archive-date=August 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818213733/https://www.therobotreport.com/10-most-automated-countries-wordlwide-in-2020/ |url-status=live }}</ref> down from 55% in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ifr.org/post/why-japan-leads-industrial-robot-production|title=Why Japan leads industrial robot production|publisher=International Federation of Robotics|date=December 17, 2018|last=Fujiwara|first=Hiroshi|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112002714/https://ifr.org/post/why-japan-leads-industrial-robot-production|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan has the second highest number of researchers in science and technology per capita in the world with 14 per 1000 employees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=64|publisher=UNESCO|title=Science, technology, and innovation: Researchers by sex, per million inhabitants, per thousand labour force, per thousand total employment (FTE and HC)|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=December 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205173957/http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=64|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Industrial sector=== | |||
Japan is among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of ]s, ], ]s, ] and nonferrous ]s, ]s, ], ]s, and ]s and is home to some of the largest and most well-known ]s and commercial ]s. It's also one of the leading research nations in these sectors. | |||
Once considered the strongest in the world, the ] is in a state of decline as regional competition arises in neighboring East Asian countries such as South Korea and China.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/05/04/technology/japanese-companies-fall-toshiba-olympus-sanyo-sharp/index.html|website=CNN Money|last=Pham|first=Sherisse|date=May 4, 2017|title=How things got ugly for some of Japan's biggest brands|archive-date=December 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204154837/https://money.cnn.com/2017/05/04/technology/japanese-companies-fall-toshiba-olympus-sanyo-sharp/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, ] remains a major industry. In 2014, Japan's consumer video game market grossed $9.6 billion, with $5.8 billion coming from mobile gaming.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gamasutra.com/view/news/246644/Japans_game_market_hits_record_high_as_consoles_decline_and_mobile_grows.php|title=Japan's game market hits record high as consoles decline and mobile grows|first=Christian|last=Nutt|website=Gamasutra|date=June 19, 2015|archive-date=September 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922173536/http://gamasutra.com/view/news/246644/Japans_game_market_hits_record_high_as_consoles_decline_and_mobile_grows.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> By 2015, Japan had become the world's ] ] market by revenue, behind only ], the ], and ].<ref>{{cite web|title=PC games revenue to hit $42 billion in 2020 – DFC|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2016-08-02-pc-games-revenue-to-hit-usd42-billion-in-2020-dfc|website=]|date=August 2, 2016|archive-date=February 10, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210180401/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2016-08-02-pc-games-revenue-to-hit-usd42-billion-in-2020-dfc|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Japan holds a very large market share in ] industries such as ]s, industrial chemicals, machine tools, ] and (in recent years) ]. ] has long been one of Japan's largest industries, with the help of multi-billion-dollar government contracts in the civil sector. These industries make Japan a major economic ]. ] constitutes a key long-term economic strength. There are very few, or if any countries in the world that matches Japan in production of ] electronic products. Main power of Japan in the industrial sector are ] (machinery) and electronics sectors. | |||
{{seealso|List of Japanese companies}} | |||
The ] is Japan's national ]; it conducts space, planetary, and aviation research, and leads development of rockets and satellites.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.space.com/22672-japan-aerospace-exploration-agency.html|website=Space|first=Elizabeth|last=Howell|date=May 19, 2016|title=JAXA: Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111105102/https://www.space.com/22672-japan-aerospace-exploration-agency.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It is a participant in the ]: the ] (Kibō) was added to the station during ] assembly flights in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Homepage|publisher=Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency|date=August 3, 2006|url=http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070321160909/http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html|archivedate=March 21, 2007}}</ref> The ] '']'' was launched in 2010 and achieved orbit around Venus in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/akatsuki/in-depth/|publisher=NASA|title=Akatsuki|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112195838/https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/akatsuki/in-depth/|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan's plans in ] include building a ] and landing astronauts by 2030.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.space.com/japan-robots-build-moon-base.html|first=Elizabeth|last=Howell|date=April 7, 2019|website=Space|title=Can Robots Build a Moon Base for Astronauts? Japan Hopes to Find Out|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107232039/https://www.space.com/japan-robots-build-moon-base.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2007, it launched lunar explorer ] (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) from ]. The largest lunar mission since the ], its purpose was to gather data on the ]. The explorer entered a lunar orbit on October 4, 2007,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=15429|title=Japan Successfully Launches Lunar Explorer 'Kaguya'|publisher=Japan Corporate News Network|date=September 14, 2007|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430010519/http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=15429|archivedate=April 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6994272.stm|title=Japan launches first lunar probe|work=BBC News|date=September 14, 2007|archive-date=May 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511101523/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6994272.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> and was deliberately crashed into the Moon on June 11, 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8094863.stm|title=Japanese probe crashes into Moon|work=BBC News|date=June 11, 2009|archive-date=September 30, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930160652/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8094863.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
====Electronics==== | |||
] ] at ] in Japan]] | |||
Japan is among the leading, largest and technologically advanced producers of ] and holds a very large market share in the ] with home to some of the largest and most well known ] electronics companies such as ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] with many of them ] in the electronics sector. Japan's electronic products are known for their ], durability and technological sophistication. Some of these companies cross over to automobile and finance sectors as part of a ]. | |||
==Infrastructure== | |||
====Automobile and machinery==== | |||
===Transportation=== | |||
] | |||
{{Main|Transport in Japan}} | |||
Japan holds a large share in automobile, electrical machinery, parts and ] manufacturing with home to ] largest vehicle manufacturers in the world. For example it is home to some of the largest automobile manufacturers such as ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Some of these companies crossover to different sectors such as ] to produce electronic equipment as some of them being a part of ]. Japan's automobiles are generally known for their ], durability, ] efficiency and more ]s with relatively cheaper price than other competitors. | |||
], the ] of Japan]] | |||
Japan has invested heavily in transportation infrastructure since the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-19893379|work=BBC News|last=Wingfield-Hayes|first=Rupert|title=Japan's high-spending legacy|date=October 10, 2012|archive-date=August 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809172340/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-19893379|url-status=live}}</ref> The country has approximately {{convert|comma=5|1200000|km|abbr=off|sp=us}} of roads made up of {{convert|comma=5|1000000|km|abbr=off|sp=us}} of city, town and village roads, {{convert|comma=5|130000|km|abbr=off|sp=us}} of prefectural roads, {{convert|comma=5|54736|km|abbr=off|sp=us}} of general national highways and {{convert|comma=5|7641|km|abbr=off|sp=us}} of ] {{as of|2017|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1007/s12544-017-0255-7|title=Japan's transport planning at the national level, natural disasters, and their interplays|year=2017|journal=European Transport Research Review|last=Shibayama|first=Takeru|volume=9|issue=3|doi-access=free}}</ref> | |||
Since privatization in 1987,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/04/04/editorials/privatization-jnr-30-years/|website=The Japan Times|date=April 4, 2017|title=Privatization of JNR, 30 years on|archive-date=April 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404110226/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/04/04/editorials/privatization-jnr-30-years/|url-status=live}}</ref> ] compete in regional and local passenger transportation markets; major companies include seven ] enterprises, ], ] and ]. The high-speed ] (bullet trains) that connect major cities are known for their safety and punctuality.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-10-07/can-japan-s-bullet-trains-get-back-up-to-speed|publisher=Bloomberg|date=October 7, 2020|last=Sieloff|first=Sarah|title=Japan's Bullet Trains Are Hitting a Speed Bump|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008005117/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-10-07/can-japan-s-bullet-trains-get-back-up-to-speed|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Science and technology=== | |||
] (JAXA)]] | |||
Japan is a leading nation in scientific research and the production of innovative technological products. Some of the most important industrial contributions include ]s, ], ], ], and ]. It is also one of the leading nations in ] and ] research. | |||
There are ] {{as of|2021|lc=y}}.<ref name="cia" /> The largest domestic airport, ] in Tokyo, was Asia's ] in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/asia-busiest-airports-2019/index.html|publisher=CNN|date=April 22, 2019|last=Falcus|first=Matt|title=Asia's 9 busiest airports in 2019|archive-date=April 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422235856/https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/asia-busiest-airports-2019/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Keihin and Hanshin superport hubs are among the largest in the world, at 7.98 and 5.22 million ] respectively {{as of|2017|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldshipping.org/about-the-industry/global-trade/top-50-world-container-ports|publisher=World Shipping Council|title=Top 50 World Container Ports|accessdate=November 16, 2020|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119000412/https://www.worldshipping.org/about-the-industry/global-trade/top-50-world-container-ports|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
Japan is making headway into ] research and exploration. It has its own ] exploration agency, ] that was founded in ], ] and is involved in many missions and projects and a possible independent ] to the ] having shifted some of its focus away from ] efforts beginning 2005. | |||
=== |
===Energy=== | ||
{{Main|Energy in Japan}} | |||
] is the second largest in the world by monetary volume.]] | |||
]]] | |||
{{As of|2019}}, 37.1% of energy in Japan was produced from petroleum, 25.1% from coal, 22.4% from natural gas, 3.5% from ] and 2.8% from ], among other sources. Nuclear power was down from 11.2 percent in 2010.<ref>{{cite report|title=Statistical Handbook of Japan 2021|url=https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/index.html|section=Chapter 7: Energy – 1. Supply and Demand|section-url=http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/pdf/2021all.pdf#page=93|pp=77, 79|publisher=Statistics Bureau of Japan|accessdate=January 8, 2021|archive-date=January 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120232017/http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> By May 2012 all of ] had been taken offline because of ongoing public opposition following the ] in March 2011, though government officials continued to try to sway public opinion in favor of returning at least some to service.<ref>{{cite news|last=Tsukimori|first=Osamu|title=Japan nuclear power-free as last reactor shuts|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nuclear-japan-idUSBRE84405820120505|publisher=Reuters|date=May 5, 2012|archivedate=September 24, 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924163821/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/05/us-nuclear-japan-idUSBRE84405820120505|url-status=live}}</ref> The ] restarted in 2015,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-33858628/nuclear-power-back-in-japan-for-first-time-since-fukushima|title=Nuclear power back in Japan for the first time since Fukushima|work=BBC News|date=August 11, 2015|archive-date=August 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801113235/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-33858628/nuclear-power-back-in-japan-for-first-time-since-fukushima|url-status=live}}</ref> and since then several other nuclear power plants have been restarted.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsmixed-progress-for-japans-nuclear-plant-restarts-7887062|work=Nuclear Engineering International|date=April 23, 2020|title=Mixed progress for Japan's nuclear plant restarts|archive-date=June 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609023614/https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsmixed-progress-for-japans-nuclear-plant-restarts-7887062|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan lacks significant domestic reserves and has a heavy dependence on ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oxfordenergy.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/A-Review-of-the-Evolution-of-the-Japanese-Oil-Industry-Oil-Policy-and-its-Relationship-with-the-Middle-East-WPM-76.pdf|pages=5–12|title=A Review of the Evolution of the Japanese Oil Industry, Oil Policy and its Relationship with the Middle East|date=April 2018|publisher=Oxford Institute for Energy Studies|last=Thorarinsson|first=Loftur|archive-date=April 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410013607/https://www.oxfordenergy.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/A-Review-of-the-Evolution-of-the-Japanese-Oil-Industry-Oil-Policy-and-its-Relationship-with-the-Middle-East-WPM-76.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The country has therefore aimed to diversify its sources and maintain high levels of energy efficiency.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Japan's 2014 Strategic Energy Plan: A Planned Energy System Transition|doi=10.1155/2017/4107614|last1=Kucharski|first1=Jeffrey|last2=Unesaki|first2=Hironobu|year=2017|journal=Journal of Energy|volume=2017|pages=1–13|doi-access=free}}</ref> | |||
==Demographics== | |||
Japan's service sector accounts for about three-fourths of its total economic output. ], ], ], ]ing, ], and ]s are all major industries such as ], ], ], ], ], ], ] counting as one of the largest companies in the world. The ] government is attempting to privatize ], ], one of the country's largest providers of savings and insurance services by 2007. The six major ]s are the ], ], ], ], ] and ] Groups. Japan is home to 326 companies from the ] or 16.3% (as of 2006). | |||
{{Main|Demographics of Japan|Japanese people|Ethnic groups of Japan|List of metropolitan areas in Japan|List of cities in Japan}} | |||
]. The ] is ranked as the ] in the world.]] | |||
Japan has a population of almost 125 million, of whom nearly 122 million are Japanese nationals (2022 estimates).<ref name="November 2020 population estimate">{{cite web|url=https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/tsuki/index.html|title=Population Estimates Monthly Report November 2020|date=June 20, 2019|publisher=Statistics Bureau of Japan|accessdate=April 29, 2021|archive-date=April 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405030144/https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/tsuki/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A small population of foreign residents makes up the remainder.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190710/p2g/00m/0dm/075000c|title=Japan population drops by record number to 124.8 mil.: gov't|last=|first=|date=July 10, 2019|website=The Mainichi|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711174837/https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190710/p2g/00m/0dm/075000c|archivedate= July 11, 2019}}</ref> | |||
Japan is the world's ] and has the highest proportion of ] of any country, comprising ];<ref name="EUAgeing">{{cite web|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2020/659419/EPRS_BRI(2020)659419_EN.pdf|title=Japan's ageing society|publisher=]|last=D'Ambrogio|first=Enrico|date=December 2020|archive-date=December 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201216060510/https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2020/659419/EPRS_BRI(2020)659419_EN.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> this is the result of a ], which was followed by an increase in life expectancy and a decrease in ]s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/01/05/national/numbers-tell-tale-japans-postwar-rise-fall/|website=The Japan Times|title=Numbers tell tale of Japan's postwar rise and fall|last=Yoshida|first=Reiji|date=January 5, 2015|archive-date=January 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107180452/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/01/05/national/numbers-tell-tale-japans-postwar-rise-fall/|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan has a ] of 1.4, which is below the ] of 2.1, and is among the world's ];<ref>{{cite report|last=Noriko|first=Tsuya|title=Low fertility in Japan—no end in sight|pages=1–4|volume=131|date=June 2017|publisher=]|url=https://www.eastwestcenter.org/system/tdf/private/api131.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=36147|archive-date=July 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702014801/https://www.eastwestcenter.org/system/tdf/private/api131.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=36147|url-status=dead}}</ref> it has a ] of 48.4, the ] in the world.<ref name="IMFAgeing">{{cite web|url=https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2020/02/10/na021020-japan-demographic-shift-opens-door-to-reforms|title=Japan: Demographic Shift Opens Door to Reforms|publisher=]|date=February 10, 2020|archive-date=February 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212164106/https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2020/02/10/na021020-japan-demographic-shift-opens-door-to-reforms|url-status=live}}</ref> {{as of|2020}}, over 28.7 percent of the population is over 65, or more than one in four out of the Japanese population.<ref name="EUAgeing"/> As a growing number of younger Japanese are not marrying or remaining childless,<ref name="Walia">{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2019/11/19/commentary/japan-commentary/economic-challenge-japans-aging-crisis/|website=The Japan Times|title=The economic challenge of Japan's aging crisis|last=Walia|first=Simran|date=November 19, 2019|archive-date=November 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191119155159/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2019/11/19/commentary/japan-commentary/economic-challenge-japans-aging-crisis/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/07/japan-mystery-low-birth-rate/534291/|website=The Atlantic|title=The Mystery of Why Japanese People Are Having So Few Babies|last=Semuels|first=Alana|date=July 20, 2017|archive-date=July 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720214203/https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/07/japan-mystery-low-birth-rate/534291/|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan's population is expected to drop to around 88 million by 2065.<ref name="EUAgeing"/> | |||
The changes in demographic structure have created several social issues, particularly a decline in the workforce population and an increase in the cost of social security benefits.<ref name=Walia/> The Government of Japan projects that there will be almost one elderly person for each person of working age by 2060.<ref name="IMFAgeing"/> ] and birth incentives are sometimes suggested as a solution to provide younger workers to support the nation's aging population.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/07/health/japan-child-population-record-low-intl/index.html|publisher=CNN|last1=Wakatsuki|first1=Yoko|last2=Griffiths|first2=James|date=May 7, 2018|title=Number of children in Japan shrinks to new record low|archive-date=May 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507083400/https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/07/health/japan-child-population-record-low-intl/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20181210-more-seniors-more-foreigners-how-japan-is-rapidly-changing|publisher=BBC|title=More seniors, more foreigners: How Japan is changing|last=Lufkin|first=Bryan|date=December 10, 2018|archive-date=July 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727073218/https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20181210-more-seniors-more-foreigners-how-japan-is-rapidly-changing|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=New immigration rules to stir up Japan's regional rentals scene — if they work|url=https://www.rethinktokyo.com/2019/03/27/new-immigration-visa-rules-japan-foreign-workers|website= REthink Tokyo|date=March 27, 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702124120/https://www.rethinktokyo.com/2019/03/27/new-immigration-visa-rules-japan-foreign-workers|archivedate=July 2, 2019}}</ref> | |||
===Fishery=== | |||
{{sectstub}} | |||
Japan ranked second in the world behind ] in tonnage of fish caught—11.9 million tons in 1989, down slightly from 11.1 million tons in 1980. After the 1973 energy crisis, deep-sea fishing in Japan declined, with the annual catch in the 1980s averaging 2 million tons. Offshore fisheries accounted for an average of 50 % of the nation's total fish catches in the late 1980s although they experienced repeated ups and downs during that period | |||
In 2022, 92% of the total Japanese population lived in cities.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS?locations=JP|publisher=World Bank|title=Urban population (% of total population)|accessdate=November 19, 2020|archive-date=January 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121222411/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS?locations=JP|url-status=live}}</ref> The capital city, Tokyo, has a population of 13.9 million (2022).<ref name="toukei-metro">{{cite web|url=http://www.toukei.metro.tokyo.jp/jsuikei/js-index.htm|script-title=ja:東京都の人口(推計)|trans-title=Population of Tokyo (estimate)|publisher=Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Statistics Department|accessdate=October 22, 2018|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002162446/http://www.toukei.metro.tokyo.jp/jsuikei/js-index.htm|archivedate=October 2, 2018}}</ref> It is part of the ], the ] in the world with 37.4 million people (2024).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cutmore |first=James |date=2024-12-05 |title=Top 14 largest cities in the world |url=https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/in-pictures-the-largest-cities-in-the-world |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=] |language=en}}</ref> Japan is an ethnically and culturally ],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apjjf.org/-Chris-Burgess/2389/article.html|last=Burgess|first=Chris|title=Multicultural Japan? Discourse and the 'Myth' of Homogeneity|date=March 1, 2007|volume=5|issue=3|journal=The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus|archive-date=November 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124154805/https://apjjf.org/-Chris-Burgess/2389/article.html|url-status=live}}</ref> with the ] forming 97.4% of the country's population.<ref>{{cite web|title=Population Estimates by Age (Five-Year Groups) and Sex|url=https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/tsuki/index.html|publisher=]|accessdate=September 10, 2024}}</ref> Minority ethnic groups in the country include the indigenous ] and ].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Japanese Archipelago Human Population Genetics Consortium|title=The history of human populations in the Japanese Archipelago inferred from genome-wide SNP data with a special reference to the Ainu and the Ryukyuan populations|journal=Journal of Human Genetics|volume=57|pages=787–795|year=2012|issue=12|doi=10.1038/jhg.2012.114|pmid=23135232|doi-access=free}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2018/06/13/zainichi-being-korean-in-japan/|publisher=Al Jazeera|title=Zainichi: Being Korean in Japan|last1=Ambrose|first1=Drew|last2=Armont|first2=Rhiona-Jade|date=June 13, 2018|archive-date=November 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128055446/https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2018/06/13/zainichi-being-korean-in-japan/|url-status=live}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|doi=10.1007/978-0-387-29904-4_70|title=Chinese in Japan|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Diasporas|last=Chen|first=Lara Tien-shi|year=2005|pages=680–688|isbn=978-0-306-48321-9}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite journal|title='Mixed' Japanese-Filipino identities under Japanese multiculturalism|journal=Social Identities|last=Seiger|first=Fiona-Katharina|pages=392–407|doi=10.1080/13504630.2018.1499225|volume=25|issue=3|year=2019|doi-access=free}}</ref> Brazilians mostly ],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-33114120|work=BBC News|title=The Brazilians winning in Japan|date=July 17, 2015|last=Tobace|first=Ewerthon|archive-date=August 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814090917/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-33114120|url-status=live}}</ref> and Peruvians mostly ] are also among Japan's small minority groups.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/people/e00054/|last=Escala|first=Elard|website=Nippon.com|title=Peruvians Struggling to Find a Place in Japanese Society|date=February 13, 2014|archive-date=February 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140213181022/https://www.nippon.com/en/people/e00054/|url-status=live}}</ref> '']'' make up a social minority group.<ref>{{cite news|title=Japan's hidden caste of untouchables|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34615972|work=BBC News|date=October 23, 2015|archive-date=September 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902111214/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34615972|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Agricultural sector=== | |||
{{main|Agriculture, forestry, and fishing in Japan}} | |||
] | |||
Japan uses a system of terrace farming to build in a small area due to lack of available land. Japanese agriculture has one of the world's highest levels of productivity per unit area. Japan's small ] sector, however, is also highly subsidized and protected, with government regulations that favor small-scale cultivation instead of large-scale agriculture as practiced in North America. | |||
{{Largest cities of Japan}} | |||
Imported ], the most protected crop, is subject to tariffs of 490% and restricted to a quota of only 7.2% of average rice consumption in between 1968 and 1988 Imports beyond the quota are unrestricted in legal terms, but subject to a 341 yen per kilogram tariff. This tariff is now estimated at 490%, but the rate will soar to a massive 778% under new calculation rules to be introduced as part of the ].<ref>"http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=2378"</ref> Although Japan is usually self-sufficient in rice (except for its use in making rice crackers and processed foods), the country must import about 50% <ref>"http://www.skillclear.co.uk/japan/default.asp"</ref> of its requirements of other ] and fodder crops, and relies on imports for most of its supply of ]. | |||
===Languages=== | |||
Japan maintains one of the world's largest ] fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch <ref>"http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html#Econ"</ref>, prompting some claims that Japan's fishing is leading to depletion in ] stocks such as ].<ref>"http://www.atimes.com/oceania/AH31Ah01.html"</ref> Japan has also sparked controversy by supporting quasi-commercial ].<ref>"http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4118990.stm"</ref> | |||
{{Main|Languages of Japan}} | |||
]'' and '']'' signs]] | |||
The ] is Japan's ''de facto'' national language and the primary written and spoken language of most people in the country.<ref name="LangPolicy">{{Cite book |last=Fujita-Round |first=Sachiyo |title=Language Policy and Political Issues in Education |last2=Maher |first2=John C. |date=2017 |publisher=Springer International Publishing |isbn=978-3-319-02343-4 |editor-last=McCarty |editor-first=Teresa L. |edition=3rd |series=Encyclopedia of Language and Education |pages=491–505 |chapter=Language Policy and Education in Japan |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-02344-1_36 |editor-last2=May |editor-first2=Stephen |chapter-url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-319-02344-1_36}}</ref> ] uses ] (]s) and two sets of ] (] based on ] and ] used by kanji), as well as the ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|last=Miyagawa|first=Shigeru|title=The Japanese Language|url=http://web.mit.edu/jpnet/articles/JapaneseLanguage.html|publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology|accessdate=January 16, 2011|archive-date=April 13, 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000413210711/http://web.mit.edu/jpnet/articles/JapaneseLanguage.html|url-status=live}}</ref> English has taken a major role in Japan as a business and international ], and is a compulsory subject at the junior and senior high school levels.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://education.jnto.go.jp/en/school-in-japan/japanese-education-system/|title=Japanese Educational System|accessdate=November 4, 2024|publisher=Japan National Tourism Organization}}</ref> ] is the primary ] used in Japan and has gained some official recognition, but its usage has been historically hindered by discriminatory policies and a lack of educational support.<ref name="LangPolicy"/> | |||
Besides Japanese, the ] (], ], ], ], ], ]), part of the ], are spoken in the Ryukyu Islands chain.<ref>{{cite book|last=Anderson|first=Mark|chapter=Language shift in the Ryukyu Islands|pages=370–388|title=Routledge Handbook of Japanese Sociolinguistics|editor=Heinrich, Patrick|editor2=Ohara, Yumiko|year=2019|isbn=978-1-315-21337-8|publisher=Routledge}}</ref> Few children learn these languages,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Fujita-Round|first1=Sachiyo|last2=Maher|first2=John|chapter=Language Policy and Education in Japan|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-02320-5_36-2|editor-last1=McCarty|editor-first1=T|editor-last2=May|editor-first2=S|title=Language Policy and Political Issues in Education|year=2017|publisher=Springer|pages=1–15|isbn=978-3-319-02320-5}}</ref> but local governments have sought to increase awareness of the traditional languages.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Language Revitalization Efforts in the Ryukyus|last=Ishihara|first=Masahide|pages=67–82|year=2016|title=Self-determinable Development of Small Islands|publisher=Springer|editor=Ishihara, Masahide|editor2=Hoshino, Eiichi|editor3=Fujita, Yoko|isbn=978-981-10-0132-1}}</ref> The ], which is a ], is ], with only a few native speakers remaining {{as of|2014|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite book|page=1058|chapter=The ethnohistory and anthropology of 'modern' hunter-gatherers: north Japan (Ainu)|last=Hudson|first=Mark|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2014|isbn=978-0-19-955122-4|title=The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology and Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers|editor=Cummings, Vicki|editor2=Jordan, Peter|editor3=Zvelebil, Marek}}</ref> Additionally, a number of other languages are taught and used by ethnic minorities, immigrant communities, and a growing number of foreign-language students, such as ] (including a distinct ]), ] and ].<ref name="LangPolicy"/> | |||
===Infrastructure=== | |||
Japan is unique in that its ] runs at different ] in different parts of the country — 50 ] in Tokyo and elsewhere east of the ], 60 Hz in Osaka and other parts west. The division was due to different technology imports for the initial plant construction; the eastern region imported ] (Germany) technology and the western region imported ] (U.S.) technology. The household power line voltage is constant 100 ] throughout the nation. | |||
===Religion=== | |||
Japan has 1,177,278 ] of paved roadways, 173 ]s, and 23,577 ] of ]s as of 2004. | |||
{{Main|Religion in Japan}} | |||
] of ] near ]]] | |||
Japan's constitution guarantees full religious freedom.<ref name="Inoue2007">{{cite book|first=Kyoko|last=Inoue|title=MacArthur's Japanese Constitution|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ffeE989AWrAC&pg=PA132|year=2007|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-38391-0|pages=132–133|edition=2nd}}</ref> Upper estimates suggest that 84–96 percent of the Japanese population subscribe to ] as its indigenous religion.<ref>{{cite web|title=A View of Religion in Japan|url=https://www.japansociety.org/a_view_of_religion_in_japan|accessdate=January 29, 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123023617/http://www.japansociety.org/a_view_of_religion_in_japan|archivedate=January 23, 2016|last=McQuaid|first=John|publisher=Japan Society}}</ref> However, these estimates are based on people ] with a temple, rather than the number of true believers. Many Japanese people practice both Shinto and ]; they can identify with both religions or describe themselves as non-religious or spiritual.<ref>{{cite web|title=How religious are Japanese people?|url=https://japantoday.com/category/features/opinions/how-religious-are-japanese-people|date=October 27, 2013|website=Japan Today|archive-date=December 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223021631/https://japantoday.com/category/features/opinions/how-religious-are-japanese-people|url-status=live}}</ref> The level of participation in religious ceremonies as a cultural tradition remains high, especially during ] and occasions such as the ] of the ].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Women between Religion and Spirituality: Observing Religious Experience in Everyday Japanese Life|last=Cavaliere|first=Paola|journal=Religions|year=2019|volume=10|issue=6|page=377|doi=10.3390/rel10060377|doi-access=free}}</ref> ] and ] from China have also influenced Japanese beliefs and customs.<ref name="Totman 2005"/> | |||
Today, 1%<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/may/japan-unesco-hidden-christian-persecution-world-heritage.html|website=Christianity Today|title=Why Japan Wants Its Past Persecution of Christians to Be World Renowned|last=Shellnutt|first=Kate|date=May 29, 2018|archive-date=May 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503143743/https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/may/japan-unesco-hidden-christian-persecution-world-heritage.html|url-status=live}}</ref> to 1.5% of the population are ].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.bunka.go.jp/tokei_hakusho_shuppan/hakusho_nenjihokokusho/shukyo_nenkan/pdf/r01nenkan.pdf#page=49|title=Shūkyō nenkan reiwa gan'nen-ban|publisher=]|year=2019|page=35|language=ja|script-title=ja:宗教年鑑 令和元年版|trans-title=Religious Yearbook 2019|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225124108/https://www.bunka.go.jp/tokei_hakusho_shuppan/hakusho_nenjihokokusho/shukyo_nenkan/pdf/r01nenkan.pdf#page=49|url-status=live}}</ref> Throughout the latest century, Western customs originally related to Christianity (including ], ] and ]) have become popular as secular customs among many Japanese.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kato|first=Mariko|title=Christianity's long history in the margins|newspaper=The Japan Times|date=February 24, 2009}}</ref> | |||
==Demographics== | |||
] | |||
{{mainarticle|Demographics of Japan}} | |||
About 90% of those practicing ] are foreign-born migrants {{as of|2016|lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2016/07/13/issues/shadow-surveillance-looms-japans-muslims/|website=The Japan Times|title=Shadow of surveillance looms over Japan's Muslims|last=Blakkarly|first=Jarni|date=July 13, 2016|archive-date=December 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205035509/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2016/07/13/issues/shadow-surveillance-looms-japans-muslims/|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2018}} there were an estimated 105 ]s and 200,000 Muslims in Japan, 43,000 of which were Japanese nationals.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20191128/p2a/00m/0fe/014000c|website=The Mainichi|date=November 29, 2019|title=No. of Muslims, mosques on the rise in Japan amid some misconceptions, prejudice|archive-date=February 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210235636/https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20191128/p2a/00m/0fe/014000c|url-status=live}}</ref> Other minority religions include ], ], and ], as well as the ] beliefs of the Ainu.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/JAPAN-2018-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf|publisher=US Department of State|title=Japan 2018 International Religious Freedom Report|accessdate=November 20, 2020|archive-date=January 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128074718/https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/JAPAN-2018-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Japan's population is estimated at around 128,085,000 people. Japanese society is ], though not ethnically, homogeneous with small populations of primarily ] (1.5 million), North and South ] (0.6 million), ] and ]ese (0.5 million), ]s (0.5 million), and ]ians (250,000). Japan has indigenous minority groups such as the ] and ], and social minority group like '']''. Japanese ] is conferred '']'', and monolingual Japanese-speaking minorities often reside in Japan for generations under permanent residency status without acquiring citizenship in their country of birth. About 99% of the population speaks ] as their first language. | |||
===Education=== | |||
Japan has the highest ] in the world: 85.2 years for women and 78.3 years for men in 2002.<ref>, United Nations Statistics Division. Retrieved 14 May 2006. {{PDFlink}}</ref> However, the Japanese population is rapidly aging, the effect of ] followed by a decrease in births in the latter part of the 20th century. In 2004, about 19.5% of the population was over the age of 65.<ref>"http://www.stat.go.jp/English/data/handbook/c02cont.htm"</ref> The changes in the demographic structure have created a number of social issues, particularly a potential decline in the workforce population and increases in the cost of social securities like the ]. | |||
{{Main|Education in Japan}} | |||
] to the ]]] | |||
Since the 1947 ], compulsory education in Japan comprises ] and ], which together last for nine years.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.jica.go.jp/jica-ri/IFIC_and_JBICI-Studies/english/publications/reports/study/topical/educational/pdf/educational_02.pdf|page=23|chapter=The Modernization and Development of Education in Japan|publisher=Japan International Cooperation Agency Research Institute|date=March 2004|title=The History of Japan's Educational Development|archive-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105093000/https://www.jica.go.jp/jica-ri/IFIC_and_JBICI-Studies/english/publications/reports/study/topical/educational/pdf/educational_02.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Almost all children continue their education at a three-year ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ncee.org/what-we-do/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/japan-overview/japan-instructional-systems/|publisher=Center on International Education Benchmarking|title=Japan: Learning Systems|accessdate=November 22, 2020|archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127083408/https://ncee.org/what-we-do/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/japan-overview/japan-instructional-systems/|url-status=live}}</ref> The top-ranking university in the country is the ].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings?countries=jp | title=QS World University Rankings – 2025 | publisher=QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited | access-date=7 June 2024}}</ref> 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; ] plans for this approach to be adopted nationwide.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/06/10/national/compulsory-nine-year-school-system-kicks-off-japan/|title=Compulsory nine-year school system kicks off in Japan|date=June 10, 2016|newspaper=The Japan Times|archive-date=October 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021063018/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/06/10/national/compulsory-nine-year-school-system-kicks-off-japan|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
If Japan's birth rate remains at the current level, its population is expected to peak at 127.740 million in 2006 and then begin to decline.<ref>"http://www.stat.go.jp/English/data/handbook/c02cont.htm"</ref> At current birth and death rates, the population is expected to drop to 100 million persons in 2050, and to 64 million persons in 2100. Demographers and government planners are currently in a heated debate over how to cope with this problem.<ref>"", The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 7 March 1997. Retrieved 14 May 2006.</ref> ] and birth incentives are sometimes suggested as a possible solution to provide younger workers to support the nation's aging population. Immigration, however, is not publicly popular as recent increased ] rates are often attributed to foreigners living in Japan. | |||
The ] (PISA) coordinated by the OECD ranks the knowledge and skills of Japanese 15-year-olds as the third best in the world.<ref name="OECD Student performance">{{cite web|title=Japan – Student performance (PISA 2015)|publisher=OECD|url=http://gpseducation.oecd.org/CountryProfile?plotter=h5&primaryCountry=JPN&treshold=10&topic=PI|accessdate=December 6, 2020|archive-date=September 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922235259/https://gpseducation.oecd.org/CountryProfile?plotter=h5&primaryCountry=JPN&treshold=10&topic=PI|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan is one of the top-performing ] countries in reading literacy, math, and sciences with the average student scoring 520 and has one of the world's highest-educated labor forces among OECD countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nier.go.jp/kokusai/pisa/pdf/2018/01_point-eng.pdf|title=Key Features of OECD Programme for International Student Assessment 2018 (PISA 2018)|page=2|publisher=]|accessdate=September 1, 2022|archive-date=May 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509072224/https://www.nier.go.jp/kokusai/pisa/pdf/2018/01_point-eng.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="OECD Student performance" /><ref>{{cite web|title=PISA – Results in Focus – Japan|publisher=OECD|url=https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/PISA2018_CN_JPN.pdf|page=1|accessdate=December 6, 2020|year=2018|archive-date=December 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203151025/https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/PISA2018_CN_JPN.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> It spent 7.4% of its total GDP on education {{as of|2021|lc=yes}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GB.ZS?locations=JP|title=Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) – Japan|publisher=World Bank|accessdate=September 7, 2022|archive-date=December 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202163842/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GB.ZS?locations=JP|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2021, the country ranked third for the percentage of 25- to 64-year-olds that have attained tertiary education with 55.6%.<ref name="OECD GPS Education">{{cite web|url=https://gpseducation.oecd.org/CountryProfile?plotter=h5&primaryCountry=JPN&treshold=10&topic=EO|title=Japan|publisher=OECD|accessdate=January 29, 2023|archive-date=August 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815110716/https://gpseducation.oecd.org/CountryProfile?plotter=h5&primaryCountry=JPN&treshold=10&topic=EO|url-status=live}}</ref> Approximately 65% of Japanese aged 25 to 34 have some form of tertiary education qualification, with bachelor's degrees being held by 34.2% of Japanese aged 25 to 64, the second most in the OECD after ].<ref name="OECD GPS Education" /> Japanese women are more highly educated than the men: 59 percent of women possess a university degree, compared to 52 percent of men.<ref>{{cite web|title=Womenomics, Will women help solve Japan's economic problems?|publisher=]|url=https://asiapacificcurriculum.ca/sites/default/files/2019-10/Japan%20-%20Womenomics%20-V3-October%202019.pdf|page=4|year=2019|archive-date=October 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027141529/https://asiapacificcurriculum.ca/sites/default/files/2019-10/Japan%20-%20Womenomics%20-V3-October%202019.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
{{seealso|Ethnic issues in Japan}} | |||
=== |
===Health=== | ||
{{Main|Health in Japan|Health care system in Japan}} | |||
{{main|Japanese language}} | |||
]]] | |||
] | |||
Health care in Japan 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.<ref name="Ikegami2014">{{cite book|first=Naoki|last=Ikegami|title=Universal Health Coverage for Inclusive and Sustainable Development: Lessons from Japan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q6m1BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA16|date=October 14, 2014|publisher=World Bank Publications|isbn=978-1-4648-0408-3|pages=16–17}}</ref> Since 1973, all elderly persons have been covered by government-sponsored insurance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nyu.edu/projects/rodwin/lessons.html|first=Victor|last=Rodwin|title=Health Care in Japan|publisher=New York University|accessdate=March 10, 2007|archive-date=June 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190619212526/https://www.nyu.edu/projects/rodwin/lessons.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
Japan spent 10.82% of its total GDP on healthcare in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS?locations=JP|title=Current healthcare expenditure (% of GDP): Japan|publisher=World Bank|accessdate=July 25, 2022|archive-date=July 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725125322/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS?locations=JP|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, the overall life expectancy in Japan at birth was 85 years (82 years for men and 88 years for women),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN?end=2020&locations=JP|title=Life expectancy at birth, male (years)|publisher=World Bank|accessdate=August 21, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN?end=2020&locations=JP|title=Life expectancy at birth, female (years)|publisher=World Bank|accessdate=August 21, 2024}}</ref> the ] in the world;<ref>{{cite web|title=Life expectancy at birth, total|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN?end=2020&locations=JP|publisher=World Bank|accessdate=July 25, 2022|archive-date=May 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220501205550/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN?end=2020|url-status=live}}</ref> while it had a very low ] (2 per 1,000 ]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.IMRT.IN?Locations=RU&locations=JP|title=Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births): Japan|publisher=World Bank|accessdate=July 25, 2022|archive-date=July 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725125128/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.IMRT.IN?Locations=RU&locations=JP|url-status=live}}</ref> Since 1981, the principal cause of death in Japan is ], which accounted for 27% of the total deaths in 2018—followed by ]s, which led to 15% of the deaths.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Tsugane|first=Shoichiro|title=Why has Japan become the world's most long-lived country: insights from a food and nutrition perspective|date=July 2020|volume=75|pages=921–928|doi=10.1038/s41430-020-0677-5|journal=]|doi-access=free}}</ref> Japan has one of the world's ], which is considered a major social issue.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Cultural influences on suicide in Japan|last1=Russell|first1=Roxanne|last2=Metraux|first2=Daniel|last3=Tohen|first3=Mauricio|journal=Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences|doi=10.1111/pcn.12428|volume=71|year=2017|issue=1|pages=2–5|pmid=27487762|doi-access=free}}</ref> Another significant public health issue is ].<ref>{{cite journal|doi= 10.1016/j.je.2016.12.017|last1=Akter|first1=Shamima|last2=Goto|first2=Atsushi|last3=Mizoue|first3=Tetsuya|title=Smoking and the risk of type 2 diabetes in Japan: A systematic review and meta-analysis|journal=Journal of Epidemiology|year=2017|volume=27|issue=12|pages=553–561|doi-access=free}}</ref> Japan has the lowest rate of heart disease in the OECD, and the lowest level of ] among developed countries.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Britnell|first1=Mark|title=In Search of the Perfect Health System|date=2015|publisher=Palgrave|isbn=978-1-137-49661-4|page=18}}</ref> | |||
The ] is an ] language distinguished by a system of ] reflecting the ] nature of Japanese society, with verb forms and particular vocabulary which indicate the relative status of speaker and listener. There is no consensus on what, if any, relationship Japanese has with other languages, but scholars continue to ] the issue. | |||
==Culture== | |||
Japanese incorporates many foreign elements. Much as ] has borrowed learned vocabulary from ], Japanese has borrowed or derived significant amounts of vocabulary from ]. When foreign words are written in Japanese, they are usually done so in a separate alphabet called ]. Japanese also has extensive borrowings from ]. The ] uses ] (]s) and two sets of ] (] based on simplified forms of Chinese characters), as well as the ] and ]. | |||
{{Main|Culture of Japan}} | |||
{{See also|Japanese popular culture}} | |||
Contemporary Japanese culture combines influences from Asia, Europe, and North America.<ref name="Haffner">{{Cite book|title=Japan's Open Future: An Agenda for Global Citizenship|last1=Haffner|first1=John|last2=Klett|first2=Tomas|last3=Lehmann|first3=Jean-Pierre|publisher=Anthem Press|year=2009|isbn=978-1-84331-311-3|page=17}}</ref> Traditional Japanese arts include ] such as ], ], ], ] and ]; performances of ], ], ], ], and ]; and other practices, the ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Japan has a developed system for the protection and promotion of both tangible and intangible ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bunka.go.jp/english/index.html|title=Administration of Cultural Affairs in Japan|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|accessdate=May 11, 2011|archive-date=October 31, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021031062304/http://www.bunka.go.jp/english/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ] have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, eighteen of which are of cultural significance.<ref name="unesco1">{{cite web |title=Japan |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/jp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805220232/http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/JP/ |archive-date=August 5, 2020 |accessdate=December 11, 2020 |publisher=UNESCO}}</ref> Japan is considered a ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2002/jun/01/artsfeatures.features|title=The other superpower|work=]|date=June 1, 2001|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121170416/https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2002/jun/01/artsfeatures.features|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/2015/01/how-japan-became-a-pop-culture-superpower/|title=How Japan became a pop culture superpower|date=January 31, 2015|website=The Spectator|last=Hoskin|first=Peter|archive-date=December 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210190111/https://www.spectator.co.uk/2015/01/how-japan-became-a-pop-culture-superpower/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title='Pure Invention': How Japan's pop culture became the 'lingua franca' of the internet|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2020/07/18/books/pure-invention-jpop-culture/|work=]|date=July 18, 2020|last=Schley|first=Matt|archive-date=December 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214054619/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2020/07/18/books/pure-invention-jpop-culture/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=How Japan's global image morphed from military empire to eccentric pop-culture superpower|url=https://qz.com/1806376/japans-image-has-changed-from-fierce-to-lovable-over-the-decades/amp/|work=]|date=May 27, 2020|last=Bain|first=Marc|archive-date=October 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021121139/https://qz.com/1806376/japans-image-has-changed-from-fierce-to-lovable-over-the-decades/amp/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Art and architecture=== | |||
Japan's official language is Japanese, and about 99% of the population speaks Japanese as their first language. The ], the other member of the ] considered splitted from the main stream around the 8th century or before, are spoken in ], but few children are learning these languages now. ], the language of the indigenous minority, is moribund, with only a few elderly ] remaining in ]. Most public and private schools require students to take courses in both Japanese and English. | |||
{{Main|Japanese art}} | |||
{{Further|Japanese architecture|Japanese garden|Japanese esthetics|Japanese painting|Japanese sculpture}} | |||
{{multiple image | |||
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|caption1 = ]'s 19th-century ] ] '']'' | |||
|caption2 = ], one of the most famous strolling gardens in Japan | |||
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|image1 = The Great Wave off Kanagawa.jpg | |||
|image2 = 150504 Ritsurin Park Takamatsu Kagawa pref Japan01s3.jpg | |||
}} | |||
The history of Japanese painting exhibits synthesis and competition between native Japanese esthetics and imported ideas.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite book|last=Arrowsmith|first=Rupert Richard|title=Modernism and the Museum: Asian, African, and Pacific Art and the London Avant-Garde|year=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-959369-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MIBNXScRj3QC}}</ref> The interaction between Japanese and European art has been significant: for example ] prints, which began to be exported in the 19th century in the movement known as ], had a significant influence on the development of modern art in the West, most notably on ].<ref name=autogenerated3 /> | |||
Japanese architecture is a combination of 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.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=njnRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT26|pages=26–27|title=Traditional Japanese Architecture: An Exploration of Elements and Forms|last=Locher|first=Mira|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|year=2012|isbn=978-1-4629-0606-2}}</ref> ] and many ] see the use of ] mats and ] that break down the distinction between rooms and indoor and outdoor space.<ref>{{cite book|title=What is Japanese Architecture?: A Survey of Traditional Japanese Architecture with a List of Sites and a Map|author1=Kazuo, Nishi|author2=Kazuo, Hozumi|year=1995|publisher=Kodansha|isbn=978-4-7700-1992-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oZl_yEJGtUYC}}</ref> Since the 19th century, Japan has incorporated much of Western ] into construction and design.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Early Western Architecture in Japan|last=Abe|first=K|volume=13|issue=2|journal=Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians|pages=13–18|date=May 1954|doi=10.2307/987685|jstor=987685}}</ref> 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 ] and then with movements like ].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Inagaki|first=Eizo|title=Japan: Architecture after 1868 (Meiji and after)|doi=10.1093/oao/9781884446054.013.90000369666|year=2003|encyclopedia=Oxford Art Online}}</ref> | |||
===Religion=== | |||
] at ]. ] is the ] of Japan.]] | |||
{{main|Religion in Japan}} | |||
===Literature and philosophy=== | |||
The Japanese people's concern towards religion is mostly related to ], ], and neighborhood activities rather than the source of morality or the guideline for one's life, for which sometimes ], or even ], tends to serve as the basis for the moral code. When asked to identify their religion, most (84%) would profess to believe both ] and ] according to the ]. This is for simple reasons; like their family has belonged to some sect of Buddhism or to avoid contention with religious foreigners. This results in a variety of practices such as parents and children celebrating ] rituals, students praying before exams, couples holding a wedding at a ] church and funerals being held at ] temples. A minority profess to ] (0.7%) and other religions (4.7%) like ], ], and ]. Also, since the mid-19th century, many religious sects called ''shinkoshukyo'', and later '']'', emerged. | |||
{{ |
{{Main|Japanese literature|Japanese poetry|Japanese philosophy}} | ||
] of '']'', a ]]] | |||
The earliest works of Japanese literature include the {{Lang|ja-latn|]}} and {{Lang|ja-latn|]}} chronicles and the {{lang|ja-latn|]}} ], all from the 8th century and written in Chinese characters.<ref>{{cite book|title=Seeds in the Heart: Japanese Literature from Earliest Times to the Late Sixteenth Century|author=Keene, Donald|publisher=Columbia University Press|year=2000|isbn=978-0-231-11441-7|url={{Google books|_DEwTJq3TbcC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.meijigakuin.ac.jp/~ascj/2000/200015.htm|title=Asian Studies Conference, Japan (2000)|publisher=Meiji Gakuin University|accessdate=April 1, 2007|archive-date=January 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116015033/http://www.meijigakuin.ac.jp/~ascj/2000/200015.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the early Heian period, the system of ] known as ''kana'' (] and ]) was developed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/heia/hd_heia.htm|publisher=The Met|title=Heian Period (794–1185)|date=October 2002}}</ref> '']'' is considered the oldest extant Japanese narrative.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://calisphere.org/item/35b0ea2b3cd767b5ae9e0df7b07f43db/|website=Calisphere|title=Tale of the bamboo cutter|accessdate=November 23, 2020}}</ref> An account of court life is given in '']'' by ], while '']'' by ] is often described as the world's first novel.<ref>{{cite book|last=Totman|first=Conrad|title=A History of Japan|edition=2nd|year=2005|publisher=Blackwell|isbn=978-1-4051-2359-4|pages=126–127|url={{Google books|Z_a_QgAACAAJ|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Tale of Genji|editor=Royall, Tyler|publisher=Penguin Classics|year=2003|isbn=978-0-14-243714-8|pages=i–ii, xii|url={{Google books|AIUvc9FnZ5AC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}}}</ref> | |||
During the Edo period, the ] ("townspeople") overtook the samurai aristocracy as producers and consumers of literature. The popularity of the works of ], for example, reveals this change in readership and authorship, while ] revivified the poetic tradition of the ] with his ] (]) and wrote the poetic travelogue '']''.<ref>{{cite book|title=World Within Walls: Japanese Literature of the Pre-Modern Era, 1600–1867|author=Keene, Donald|publisher=Columbia University Press|year=1999|isbn=978-0-231-11467-7|url={{Google books|gwQTF-9axqoC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} }}</ref> The Meiji era saw the decline of traditional literary forms as Japanese literature integrated Western influences. ] and ] were significant novelists in the early 20th century, followed by ], ], ] and, more recently, ] and ]. Japan has two ] authors – ] (1968) and ] (1994).<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Japanese literature|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|last=Keene|first=Donald|url=https://www.britannica.com/art/Japanese-literature|accessdate=July 7, 2024}}</ref> | |||
===Education=== | |||
]]] | |||
{{main|Education in Japan}} | |||
Compulsory education was introduced into Japan in 1872 as one result of the ]. Since 1947, compulsory education consists of ] and ], which lasts for 9 years (from age 6 to age 15). Almost all children continue their education at a three-year senior ], and 96% of high school graduates attend a ], ], trade school, or other post-secondary institution. Japan's education is very competitive especially in the college level and has prestigious and large universities such as ], ], ], ] etc. | |||
Japanese philosophy has historically been a ] of both foreign, particularly ] and ], and uniquely Japanese elements. In its literary forms, Japanese philosophy began about fourteen centuries ago. Confucian ideals remain evident in the ] and the self, and in the organization of the government and the structure of society.<ref name="Japanese Confucian Philosophy">{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/japanese-confucian/|title=Japanese Confucian Philosophy|date=May 20, 2008|encyclopedia=]}}</ref> Buddhism has profoundly impacted Japanese psychology, metaphysics, and esthetics.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2011/entries/japanese-aesthetics/|title=Japanese aesthetics|first=Graham|last=Parkes|editor-first=Edward N.|editor-last=Zalta|date=January 1, 2011|encyclopedia=Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy}}</ref> | |||
===Health=== | |||
{{main article|Health care in Japan}} | |||
In Japan, healthcare services are provided by national and local governments. Payment for personal medical services is offered through a universal health care 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. Since 1973, all elderly persons have been covered by government-sponsored insurance. Patients are free to select physicians or facilities of their choice. | |||
===Performing arts=== | |||
==Culture== | |||
{{Main|Music of Japan|Theatre of Japan}} | |||
] dancer]] | |||
]'' performance at a Shinto shrine]] | |||
]s)]] | |||
Japanese music is eclectic and diverse. Many ], such as the ], were introduced in the 9th and 10th centuries. The popular ], with the guitar-like ], dates from the 16th century.<ref>{{cite book|last=Malm|first=William P.|title=Traditional Japanese music and musical instruments|year=2000|publisher=Kodansha International|isbn=978-4-7700-2395-7|pages=|edition=New|url=https://archive.org/details/traditionaljapan0000malm/page/31}}</ref> Western classical music, introduced in the late 19th century, forms an integral part of Japanese culture.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Katsu Watanabe, Akane Oki, and Yasushi Ishii, Librarians of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo|pages=156–167|title=Conversations with the World's Leading Orchestra and Opera Librarians|last=Lo|first=Patrick|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2016}}</ref> ] (ensemble drumming) was developed in postwar Japan and became very popular in North America.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordtaiko/cgi-bin/history.html|publisher=Stanford Taiko|title=History of Taiko|accessdate=November 24, 2020}}</ref> Popular music in post-war Japan has been heavily influenced by American and European trends, which has led to the evolution of ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/aug/21/popandrock3|title= J-Pop History|work=The Observer|first=Chris|last=Campion|date=August 22, 2005}}</ref> ] is a significant cultural activity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/karaoke-in-japan|work=Thrillist|title=What Karaoke Means to the Country That Invented It|last=Caracciolo|first=Frankie|date=September 18, 2020}}</ref> | |||
The four traditional theaters from Japan are '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/art/traditional-japanese-theatre-overview|website=Time Out Tokyo|date=September 27, 2009|title=Traditional Japanese theatre: overview}}</ref> Noh is one of the oldest continuous theater traditions in the world.<ref>{{cite web|first=Edwin|last=Lee|date=December 6, 2018|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/577531/noh-japanese/|title=The Oldest Surviving Form of Theater|website=The Atlantic}}</ref> | |||
{{main|Culture of Japan}}Japanese ] has evolved greatly over the years, from the country's original ] culture to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from ], ], and ]. | |||
===Media=== | |||
Historically, ] and have been the most influential starting with the development of the ] culture from around 300 BC and culminating with the introduction of rice farming, ceremonial burial, pottery, painting, writing, poetry, etiquette, the ], and ] ] by the 7th century AD. | |||
{{Main|Cinema of Japan|Manga|Anime|Media of Japan}} | |||
According to the 2015 NHK survey on television viewing in Japan, 79 percent of Japanese watch television daily.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhk.or.jp/bunken/english/reports/pdf/report_16042101.pdf|title=Television Viewing and Media Use Today: From "The Japanese and Television 2015" Survey|publisher=NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute|date= April 2016}}</ref> ]s are viewed both within Japan and internationally.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Iwabuchi|editor-first=Koichi|title=Feeling Asian Modernities: Transnational Consumption of Japanese TV Dramas|publisher= Hong Kong University Press|year=2004|jstor=j.ctt2jc5b9|isbn=9789622096318}}</ref> Many Japanese ]s have gained considerable global popularity and are among the world's ]. ] are among the most circulated in the world {{as of|2016|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web|page=19|title=World Press Trends 2016|publisher=WAN-IFRA|url=http://anp.cl/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/WAN-IFRA_WPT_2016_3.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724194049/http://anp.cl/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/WAN-IFRA_WPT_2016_3.pdf|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archivedate=July 24, 2020}}</ref> | |||
Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries globally.<ref>{{cite book|page=xi|title=Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema|last=Sharp|first=Jasper|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2011}}</ref> ]'s '']'' became an international icon of Japan and spawned an entire subgenre of '']'' films, as well as the longest-running film franchise in history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nypl.org/blog/2014/05/21/godzilla|publisher=New York Public Library|last=Ingoglia|first=Jesse|date=May 21, 2014|title=Godzilla: monster, metaphor, pop icon}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|chapter=Introduction|year=2017|publisher=McFarland|last=Kalat|first=David|edition=2nd|title=A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series}}</ref> Japanese comics, known as manga, developed in the mid-20th century and have become popular ].<ref name="Kinko Ito 456–475">{{cite journal|first=Kinko|last=Ito|title=A History of Manga in the Context of Japanese Culture and Society|journal=Journal of Popular Culture|volume=38|issue=3|pages=456–475|date=February 2005|doi=10.1111/j.0022-3840.2005.00123.x}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Ro|first=Christine|title=Did manga shape how the world sees Japan?|url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190610-did-manga-shape-how-the-world-sees-japan|publisher=BBC|date=June 12, 2019}}</ref> A large number of ] have become some of the ] of all time, rivalling the ].<ref>{{cite news|last=Medina|first=Cynthia|title= Why are manga outselling superhero comics?|url=https://www.rutgers.edu/news/why-are-manga-outselling-superhero-comics|website=Rutgers Today|date=December 5, 2019}}</ref> Japanese animated films and television series, known as anime, were largely influenced by Japanese manga and have become highly popular globally.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Miyazaki and Takahata anime cinema|pages=105–136|last=Hu|first=Tze-Yue|title=Frames of Anime: culture and image-building|year=2010|publisher=Hong Kong University Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/japan-anime-global-identity-hnk-intl/index.html|last=Jozuka|first=Emiko|title=Japanese anime: From 'Disney of the East' to a global industry worth billions|publisher= CNN|date=July 29, 2019}}</ref> | |||
Japanese civilization flourished during this time and a refined sensibility and interest in the arts began to set in. Traditional ] include: ] (], ], ], ], ], ]), performances (], ], ], ], ]), traditions (], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]), and ] (], ], ], ], ], ]). Short Poetic (] , ]) | |||
=== |
===Holidays=== | ||
{{Main|Public holidays in Japan|Japanese festivals}} | |||
] | |||
]|成人の日|Seijin no Hi}} in ], ].]] | |||
{{main|Japanese literature}} | |||
Officially, Japan has 16 national, government-recognized holidays. Public holidays in Japan are regulated by the {{Nihongo|Public Holiday Law|国民の祝日に関する法律|Kokumin no Shukujitsu ni Kansuru Hōritsu}} of 1948.<ref>{{cite news|author=Nakamura, Akemi|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080408i1.html|title=National holidays trace roots to China, ancients, harvests|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090713203247/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080408i1.html|archivedate=July 13, 2009|newspaper=The Japan Times|date=April 8, 2008}}</ref> Beginning in 2000, Japan implemented the ], which moved a number of national holidays to Monday in order to obtain a long weekend.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/596910.stm|work=BBC News|title=Happy Monday in Japan|last=Hindell|first=Juliet|date=January 10, 2000}}</ref> The national holidays in Japan are ] on January 1, ] on the second Monday of January, ] on February 11, ] on February 23, ] on March 20 or 21, ] on April 29, ] on May 3, ] on May 4, ] on May 5, ] on the third Monday of July, ] on August 11, ] on the third Monday of September, ] on September 23 or 24, ] on the second Monday of October, ] on November 3, and ] on November 23.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00738/|website=Nippon.com|title=Japan's National Holidays in 2021|date=June 10, 2020}}</ref> | |||
Beginning in the Heian period, ] and ] were invented. ] is the oldest story in Japan. ], written by ] is sometimes called the world's first novel. ] was heavily influenced by Buddhist philosophy. When becoming in Edo period, The leadership of literature moved from the aristocrat to the people. ] became popular. In meiji Period, New Japanese literature was created under the influence of Western culture. ], ],],] are typical novelists in Japan. ] and ] won ]. | |||
=== |
===Cuisine=== | ||
{{ |
{{Main|Japanese cuisine}} | ||
]'']] | |||
Japanese cuisine offers a vast array of ] that use traditional recipes and local ingredients.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.frommers.com/destinations/japan/in-depth/food--drink|publisher=Frommer's|title=Food & Drink in Japan|accessdate=December 1, 2020}}</ref> Seafood and ] or ] are traditional staples.<ref>{{cite book|title=Street Foods|last=von Bargen|first=Hinnerk|page=14|publisher=Wiley|year=2015}}</ref> ], since its introduction to Japan from ], is so widely consumed that it can be termed a ], alongside ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Makalintal |first=Bettina |date=February 11, 2018 |title=A brief history of how curry ended up in Japan |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/nepjbw/a-brief-history-of-how-curry-ended-up-in-japan |website=Vice}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=McCurry |first=Justin |date=June 18, 2010 |title=Ramen: Japan's super slurpy noodles |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/18/ramen-japan-national-dish |website=The Guardian}}</ref> Traditional Japanese sweets are known as ''wagashi''.<ref name="Goldstein2015">{{cite book|first=Darra|last=Goldstein|title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets|url={{Google books|jbi6BwAAQBAJ|page=PA777|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|year=2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-931339-6|page=777}}</ref> Ingredients such as ] and ] are used. More modern-day tastes include ].<ref name="FujitaStallings2008">{{cite book|first1=Hiroko|last1=Fujita|first2=Fran|last2=Stallings|title=Folktales from the Japanese Countryside|url={{Google books|p7nNJAt75XQC|page=PA148|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|year=2008|publisher=Libraries Unlimited|isbn=978-1-59158-488-9|page=148}}</ref> | |||
Popular Japanese beverages include ], a brewed rice beverage that typically contains 14–17% alcohol and is made by multiple fermentation of rice.<ref name="Batt2014">{{cite book|first=Carl A.|last=Batt|title=Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology|url={{Google books|1b1CAgAAQBAJ|page=PA846|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|year=2014|publisher=Academic Press|isbn=978-0-12-384733-1|page=846}}</ref> Beer has been brewed in Japan since the late 17th century.<ref name="BoultonQuain2013">{{cite book|first1=Christopher|last1=Boulton|first2=David|last2=Quain|title=Brewing Yeast and Fermentation|url={{Google books|QpDVsu-vaBcC|page=PT20|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}}|year=2013|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-68534-1|page=20}}</ref> ] is produced in Japan and prepared in forms such as ], used in the ].<ref>{{hosking-jfood|30}}</ref> | |||
] is considered Japan's ] and is one of its most popular. In the 8th century AD, ] (724-749) held lavish tournaments where the best wrestlers in the country competed before hundreds. Professional sumo can trace its roots back to the Edo period as a form of sporting entertainment. Today, six major tournaments are held every year in Japan, each one lasting 15 days. Three are held in Tokyo (January, May, and September) and one each in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July), and Fukuoka (November). The highest rank for a wrestler in sumo is ''].'' | |||
===Sports=== | |||
] is a traditional Japanese sport]] | |||
{{Main|Sport in Japan}} | |||
Beginning in the 12th century, Japan developed traditional ] known as ], which were popular among the warrior class. These include ], ], ], and others. Judo has been recognized as an official event in the ] since the ] in Tokyo. It is also one of the four main forms of amateur competitive wrestling practiced internationally today. | |||
] wrestlers form around the referee during the ring-entering ceremony.]] | |||
Traditionally, ] is considered Japan's national sport.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/sumoeastandwest/sumo.html|title=Sumo: East and West|publisher=PBS|accessdate=March 10, 2007|archive-date=March 7, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070307073410/http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/sumoeastandwest/sumo.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Japanese martial arts such as ] and ] are taught as part of the compulsory junior high school curriculum.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/04/24/reference/prewar-bayonetting-martial-art-makes-return-schools/|website=The Japan Times|title=Prewar bayonetting martial art makes a return to schools|last=Aoki|first=Mizuho|date=April 24, 2017}}</ref> ] is the most popular sport in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/japan-baseball-history|last=Adler|first=David|date=February 21, 2023|publisher=Major League Baseball|title=History of baseball in Japan}}</ref> Japan's top professional league, ] (NPB), was established in 1936.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Nagata, Yoichi|author2=Holway, John B.|editor=Palmer, Pete|title=Total Baseball|edition=4th|year=1995|publisher=Viking Press|page=547|chapter=Japanese Baseball}}</ref> Since the establishment of the ] (J.League) in 1992, association football gained a wide following.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tjf.or.jp/takarabako/PDF/TB09_JCN.pdf|title= Soccer as a Popular Sport: Putting Down Roots in Japan|work= The Japan Forum|accessdate=April 1, 2007}}</ref> The country co-hosted the ] with South Korea.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/worldcup/2018/05/24/every-fifa-world-cup-winner-germany-brazil-italy/540978002/|website=USA Today|title=Every FIFA World Cup champion: Brazil, Germany, Italy historically dominate tournament|last=Reineking|first=Jim|date=May 25, 2018}}</ref> Japan has one of the most successful football teams in Asia, winning the ] four times,<ref>{{cite web|title=Team Japan|url=http://www.afcasiancup.com/team/en/Japan|publisher=Asian Football Confederation|accessdate=March 2, 2014|archive-date=January 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125085954/http://www.afcasiancup.com/team/en/Japan|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the ] in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/matches/round=255989/match=300144437/summary.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718121005/http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/matches/round=255989/match=300144437/summary.html|url-status=dead|archivedate=July 18, 2011|title=Japan edge USA for maiden title|date=July 17, 2011|publisher=FIFA}}</ref> Golf is also popular in Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/604/sports.asp|title= Japanese Golf Gets Friendly|website=]|first=Fred|last=Varcoe|accessdate=April 1, 2007|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070926215517/http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/604/sports.asp|archivedate = September 26, 2007}}</ref> | |||
In ], Japanese automotive manufacturers have been successful in multiple different categories, with titles and victories in series such as ], ], and the ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 13, 2021 |title=Honda Wins F1 Championship in Its Final Season |url=https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2021121200336/ |website=Nippon.com |archive-date=December 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213075303/https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2021121200336/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wrc.com/en/more/wrc-history/group-a/|title=Group A|publisher=World Rally Championship|accessdate=February 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motogp.com/en/news/2017/10/11/japanese-industry-in-motogp/241690|title=Japanese industry in MotoGP|date=October 11, 2017|website=MotoGP|accessdate=February 21, 2020}}</ref> Drivers from Japan have victories at the ] and the ] as well as podium finishes in Formula One, in addition to success in domestic championships.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Nagatsuka|first=Kaz|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/06/14/more-sports/auto-racing/sato-revels-glow-historic-indy-500-triumph/|title=Sato revels in glow of historic Indy 500 triumph|date=June 14, 2017|work=The Japan Times }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.autosport.com/general/news/the-man-behind-japans-only-le-mans-winner-5110896/5110896/|work=Autosport|title=The man behind Japan's only Le Mans winner|last=Newbold|first=James|date=June 7, 2018}}</ref> ] is the most popular national racing series in Japan, while ] is the top-level domestic open-wheel series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/623/sports.asp|title=Japanese Omnibus: Sports|last=Clarke|first=Len|website=Metropolis|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926215524/http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/623/sports.asp|archivedate=September 26, 2007|accessdate=April 1, 2007}}</ref> The country hosts major races such as the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2018/04/for-the-love-of-cars-auto-racing-in-japan/|website=Tokyo Weekender|date=April 18, 2018|title=For the Love of Cars: Auto Racing in Japan}}</ref> | |||
After the Meiji Restoration, various kinds of Western sports were introduced into Japan. ] arrived in 1872 and during the 1870s, ] events, ], ], and ] were introduced. In 1911, an ]n gave ] instruction to the Japanese army. In those days, Western sports were played by few people, but through the educational system they spread throughout the country. Western sports were initially stressed as a form of mental discipline, but Japanese have now come to enjoy them as recreational activities.<ref>http://web-japan.org/factsheet/sports/index.html</ref> | |||
Japan hosted the Summer Olympics in ] and the Winter Olympics in ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Olympic History in Japan|url=http://www.joc.or.jp/english/historyjapan/history_japan_bid.html|publisher=Japanese Olympic Committee|accessdate=January 7, 2011}}</ref> The country hosted the official ]<ref>{{cite web|title=2006 FIBA World Championship|url=http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/06_wcm/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060903040643/http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/06_wcm/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 3, 2006|publisher=FIBA|accessdate=May 10, 2017}}</ref> and co-hosted the ].<ref>{{cite web|title=FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023|url=http://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023|accessdate=September 24, 2020|publisher=FIBA}}</ref> Tokyo hosted the ] in 2021, making Tokyo the first Asian city to host the Olympics twice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-selects-tokyo-as-host-of-2020-summer-olympic-games/208784|title=IOC selects Tokyo as host of 2020 Summer Olympic Games|date=July 21, 2016|publisher=International Olympic Committee}}</ref> The country gained the hosting rights for the official ] on five occasions, more than any other country.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Game – World Championships – FIVB Women's World Championships Finals|url=http://www.fivb.org/TheGame/TheGame_WorldChampionships.htm|publisher=FIVB|accessdate=June 13, 2017}}</ref> Japan is the most successful Asian ] country<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.asiarugby.com/about-asia-rugby/history/|title=History|publisher=Asia Rugby|accessdate=December 5, 2020}}</ref> and hosted the 2019 IRB ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/rugbyworldcup2019/news/newsid=2069327.html#japan+reaches+rest+asia|title=Japan reaches out to the rest of Asia|date=November 1, 2013|publisher=Rugby World Cup|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217224929/http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/rugbyworldcup2019/news/newsid%3D2069327.html|archivedate=December 17, 2013 }}</ref> | |||
Today, baseball is the most popular spectator sport in Japan, followed by (in no particular order) football, rugby, ], ], ], ], and ]. ] racing is also popular in Japan with ] sports car series and ] formula racing. | |||
==See also== | |||
Japanese board games include a form of chess, known as ]. ] is also widely popular in the country. | |||
{{Portal|Japan}} | |||
*] | |||
Each year, Japan observes the second Monday in October as a national holiday called ]. The date, originally October 10, commemorates the opening day of the ] in Tokyo. Other major sporting events that Japan has hosted include the ] in ] and the ] in ]. It also co-hosted the ] with ]. | |||
*]{{clear}} | |||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
{{notelist}} | |||
<div class="references-small"> | |||
{{Reflist|group=nb}} | |||
<references /> | |||
</div> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{ |
{{Reflist}} | ||
* S. N. Eisenstadt, ''Japanese Civilization: A Comparative View'', ] 1995. (ISBN 0226195589) | |||
* ''Japan a Profile of Nation'', ] International, 1999. (ISBN 4770023847) | |||
* ''The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Japan'', ]. Press, 1993 (ISBN 0521403529) | |||
* De Mente, ''The Japanese Have a Word For It'', ], 1997 (ISBN 0844283169) | |||
* Henshall, ''A History of Japan'', Palgrave Macmillan, 2001 (ISBN 0312233701) | |||
* Jansen, ''The Making of Modern Japan'', Belknap, 2000 (ISBN 0674003349) | |||
* ''Japan At A Glance'', Kodansha, 1998 (ISBN 4770020805) | |||
* Johnson, ''Japan: Who Governs?'', W.W. Norton, 1996 (ISBN 0393314502) | |||
* ''Lonely Planet Japan'', Lonely Planet Publications, 2003 (ISBN 1740591623) | |||
* Reischauer, ''Japan: The Story of a Nation'', McGraw-Hill, 1989 (ISBN 0075570742) | |||
* Sugimoto et al., ''An Introduction to Japanese Society'', Cambridge Univ. Press, 2003 (ISBN 0521529255) | |||
* Totman, ''A History of Modern Japan'', 2d ed., Blackwell, 2005 (ISBN 1405123591) | |||
* Van Wolferen, ''The Enigma of Japanese Power'', Vintage, 1990 (ISBN 0679728023) | |||
==Miscellaneous topics== | |||
{{sisterlinks|Japan}} | |||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
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* - Official site of the Japanese Supreme Court | |||
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* - Official site of the House of Councillors | |||
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* - Statistics Bureau Home Page (English) | |||
* - Japan National Tourist Organization (English) | |||
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Latest revision as of 11:04, 22 December 2024
Island country in East Asia Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see Japan (disambiguation), Nihon (disambiguation), Nippon (disambiguation), and JPN (disambiguation).
Japan日本国 (Japanese) Nihon-koku or Nippon-koku | |
---|---|
Flag Imperial Seal | |
Anthem: 君が代 ("Kimigayo") "His Imperial Majesty's Reign" | |
State Seal: 大日本國璽 (Dai Nihon Kokuji) "National Seal of Greater Japan" | |
Location of Japan Territory claimed but not controlled | |
Capitaland largest city | Tokyo 35°41′N 139°46′E / 35.683°N 139.767°E / 35.683; 139.767 |
Recognised national languages | Japanese (de facto) |
Recognised regional languages | Ainu |
Unrecognized regional languages | Ryukyuan languages Hachijō |
Demonym(s) | Japanese |
Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Emperor | Naruhito |
• Prime Minister | Shigeru Ishiba |
Legislature | National Diet |
• Upper house | House of Councillors |
• Lower house | House of Representatives |
Formation | |
• Meiji Constitution | November 29, 1890 |
• Current constitution | May 3, 1947 |
Area | |
• Total | 377,975 km (145,937 sq mi) (62nd) |
• Water (%) | 1.4 |
Population | |
• March 1, 2024 estimate | 123,970,000 (11th) |
• 2020 census | 126,146,099 |
• Density | 330/km (854.7/sq mi) (44th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $6.572 trillion (5th) |
• Per capita | $53,059 (34th) |
GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $4.070 trillion (4th) |
• Per capita | $32,859 (30th) |
Gini (2018) | 33.4 medium inequality |
HDI (2022) | 0.920 very high (24th) |
Currency | Japanese yen (¥) |
Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
Drives on | Left |
Calling code | +81 |
ISO 3166 code | JP |
Internet TLD | .jp |
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—and thousands of smaller islands, covering 377,975 square kilometres (145,937 sq mi). Japan has a population of nearly 124 million as of 2024, making it the eleventh-most populous country.
The capital of Japan and its largest city is Tokyo; the Greater Tokyo Area is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37 million inhabitants as of 2024. Japan is divided into 47 administrative prefectures and eight traditional regions. About three-quarters of the country's terrain is mountainous and heavily forested, concentrating its agriculture and highly urbanized population along its eastern coastal plains. The country sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, making its islands prone to destructive earthquakes and tsunamis.
The first known habitation of the archipelago dates to the Upper Paleolithic, with the beginning Japanese Paleolithic dating to c. 36,000 BC. Between the fourth and sixth centuries, its kingdoms were united under an emperor in Nara, and later Heian-kyō. From the 12th century, actual power was held by military dictators (shōgun) and feudal lords (daimyō), and enforced by warrior nobility (samurai). After rule by the Kamakura and Ashikaga shogunates and a century of warring states, Japan was unified in 1600 by the Tokugawa shogunate, which implemented an isolationist foreign policy. In 1853, 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 pursued rapid industrialization and modernization, as well as militarism and overseas colonization. In 1937, Japan invaded China, and in 1941 attacked the United States and European colonial powers, entering 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 Allied occupation. After the war, the country underwent rapid economic growth and became a major non-NATO ally of the United States, although its economy has stagnated since 1990.
Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature, the National Diet. A great power and the only Asian member of the G7, Japan has constitutionally renounced its right to declare war, but maintains one of the world's strongest militaries. A developed country with one of the world's largest economies by nominal GDP, Japan is a global leader in science and technology and the automotive, robotics, and electronics industries. It has one of the world's highest life expectancies, though it is undergoing a population decline. Japan's culture is well known around the world, including its art, cuisine, film, music, and popular culture, which includes prominent animation, comics, and video game industries.
Etymology
Main article: Names of JapanThe name for Japan in Japanese is written using the kanji 日本 and is pronounced Nihon or Nippon. Before 日本 was adopted in the early 8th century, the country was known in China as Wa (倭, changed in Japan around 757 to 和) and in Japan by the endonym Yamato. Nippon, the original Sino-Japanese reading of the characters, is favored for official uses, including on Japanese banknotes and postage stamps. Nihon is typically used in everyday speech and reflects shifts in Japanese phonology during the Edo period. The characters 日本 mean "sun origin", which is the source of the popular Western epithet "Land of the Rising Sun".
The name "Japan" is based on Min or Wu Chinese pronunciations of 日本 and was introduced to European languages through early trade. In the 13th century, Marco Polo recorded the Early Mandarin Chinese pronunciation of the characters 日本國 as Cipangu. 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. 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.
History
Main article: History of Japan For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Japanese history.Prehistoric to classical history
Modern humans arrived in Japan around 38,000 years ago (~36,000 BC), marking the beginning of the Japanese Paleolithic. 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. Clay vessels from the period are among the oldest surviving examples of pottery. The Japonic-speaking Yayoi people entered the archipelago from the Korean Peninsula, intermingling with the Jōmon; the Yayoi period saw the introduction of practices including wet-rice farming, a new style of pottery, and metallurgy from China and Korea. According to legend, Emperor Jimmu (descendant of Amaterasu) founded a kingdom in central Japan in 660 BC, beginning a continuous imperial line.
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. 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).
In 645, the government led by Prince Naka no Ōe and Fujiwara no Kamatari devised and implemented the far-reaching Taika Reforms. The Reform began with land reform, based on Confucian ideas and philosophies from China. It 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. The true aim of the reforms was to bring about greater centralization and to enhance the power of the imperial court, which was also based on the governmental structure of China. Envoys and students were dispatched to China to learn about Chinese writing, politics, art, and religion. The Jinshin War of 672, a bloody conflict between Prince Ōama and his nephew Prince Ōtomo, became a major catalyst for further administrative reforms. 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. These legal reforms created the ritsuryō state, a system of Chinese-style centralized government that remained in place for half a millennium.
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. A smallpox epidemic in 735–737 is believed to have killed as much as one-third of Japan's population. In 784, Emperor Kanmu moved the capital, settling on Heian-kyō (modern-day Kyoto) in 794. 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.
Feudal era
Japan's feudal era was characterized by the emergence and dominance of a ruling class of warriors, the samurai. In 1185, following the defeat of the Taira clan by the Minamoto clan in the Genpei War, samurai Minamoto no Yoritomo established a military government at Kamakura. After Yoritomo's death, the Hōjō clan came to power as regents for the shōgun. The Zen school of Buddhism was introduced from China in the Kamakura period (1185–1333) and became popular among the samurai class. The Kamakura shogunate repelled Mongol invasions in 1274 and 1281 but was eventually overthrown by Emperor Go-Daigo. Go-Daigo was defeated by Ashikaga Takauji in 1336, beginning the Muromachi period (1336–1573). The succeeding Ashikaga shogunate failed to control the feudal warlords (daimyō) and a civil war began in 1467, opening the century-long Sengoku period ("Warring States").
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. Oda Nobunaga used European technology and firearms to conquer many other daimyō; his consolidation of power began what was known as the Azuchi–Momoyama period. 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.
Tokugawa Ieyasu served as regent for Hideyoshi's son Toyotomi Hideyori and used his position to gain political and military support. 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). The shogunate enacted measures including buke shohatto, as a code of conduct to control the autonomous daimyō, 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). 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. The study of Western sciences (rangaku) continued through contact with the Dutch enclave in Nagasaki. The Edo period gave rise to kokugaku ("national studies"), the study of Japan by the Japanese.
Modern era
Emperor Meiji (明治天皇, Meiji-tennō); 1852–1912The Japanese Empire and its influence, 1942The United States Navy sent Commodore Matthew C. Perry to force the opening of Japan to the outside world. Arriving at Uraga with four "Black Ships" in July 1853, the Perry Expedition resulted in the March 1854 Convention of Kanagawa. Subsequent similar treaties with other Western countries brought economic and political crises. 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). Adopting Western political, judicial, and military institutions, the Cabinet organized the Privy Council, introduced the Meiji Constitution (November 29, 1890), and assembled the Imperial Diet. During the Meiji period (1868–1912), the Empire of Japan emerged as the most developed state in Asia and as an industrialized world power that pursued military conflict to expand its sphere of influence. 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, and annexed Korea in 1910. The Japanese population doubled from 35 million in 1873 to 70 million by 1935, with a significant shift to urbanization.
The early 20th century saw a period of Taishō democracy (1912–1926) overshadowed by increasing expansionism and militarization. World War I allowed Japan, which joined the side of the victorious Allies, to capture German possessions in the Pacific and China in 1920. 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. This process accelerated during the 1930s, spawning several radical nationalist groups that shared a hostility to liberal democracy and a dedication to expansion in Asia. In 1931, Japan invaded China and occupied Manchuria, which led to the establishment of puppet state of Manchukuo in 1932; following international condemnation of the occupation, it resigned from the League of Nations in 1933. In 1936, Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi Germany; the 1940 Tripartite Pact made it one of the Axis powers.
The Empire of Japan invaded other parts of China in 1937, precipitating the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945). In 1940, the Empire invaded French Indochina, after which the United States placed an oil embargo on Japan. 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. Throughout areas occupied by Japan during the war, numerous abuses were committed against local inhabitants, with many forced into sexual slavery. 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. The war cost Japan millions of lives and its colonies, including de jure parts of Japan such as Korea, Taiwan, Karafuto, and the Kurils. 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. The Allies convened the International Military Tribunal for the Far East to prosecute Japanese leaders except the Emperor for Japanese war crimes.
In 1947, Japan adopted a new constitution emphasizing liberal democratic practices. The Allied occupation ended with the Treaty of San Francisco in 1952, and Japan was granted membership in the United Nations in 1956. A period of record growth propelled Japan to become the second-largest economy in the world; this ended in the mid-1990s after the popping of an asset price bubble, beginning the "Lost Decade". In 2011, Japan suffered one of the largest earthquakes in its recorded history - the Tōhoku earthquake - triggering the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. On May 1, 2019, after the historic abdication of Emperor Akihito, his son Naruhito became Emperor, beginning the Reiwa era.
Geography
Main articles: Geography of Japan and Geology of JapanJapan comprises 14,125 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. The country's five main islands, from north to south, are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa. 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. As of 2019, Japan's territory is 377,975.24 km (145,937.06 sq mi). Japan has the sixth-longest coastline in the world at 29,751 km (18,486 mi). Because of its far-flung outlying islands, Japan's exclusive economic zone is the eighth-largest in the world, covering 4,470,000 km (1,730,000 sq mi).
The Japanese archipelago is 67% forests and 14% agricultural. The primarily rugged and mountainous terrain is restricted for habitation. Thus the habitable zones, mainly in the coastal areas, have very high population densities: Japan is the 40th most densely populated country even without considering that local concentration. Honshu has the highest population density at 450 persons/km (1200/sq mi) as of 2010, while Hokkaido has the lowest density of 64.5 persons/km as of 2016. As of 2014, approximately 0.5% of Japan's total area is reclaimed land (umetatechi). Lake Biwa is an ancient lake and the country's largest freshwater lake.
Japan is substantially prone to earthquakes, tsunami and volcanic eruptions because of its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire. It has the 17th highest natural disaster risk as measured in the 2016 World Risk Index. Japan has 111 active volcanoes. Destructive earthquakes, often resulting in tsunami, occur several times each century; the 1923 Tokyo earthquake killed over 140,000 people. More recent major quakes are the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, which triggered a large tsunami.
Climate
Main article: Geography of Japan § ClimateThe 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.
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. 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.
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. 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. According to the Environment Ministry, heavy rainfall and increasing temperatures have caused problems in the agricultural industry and elsewhere. The highest temperature ever measured in Japan, 41.1 °C (106.0 °F), was recorded on July 23, 2018, and repeated on August 17, 2020.
Biodiversity
Main article: Wildlife of JapanJapan 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. Japan has over 90,000 species of wildlife as of 2019, including the brown bear, the Japanese macaque, the Japanese raccoon dog, the small Japanese field mouse, and the Japanese giant salamander. There are 53 Ramsar wetland sites in Japan. Five sites have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for their outstanding natural value.
Environment
Main articles: Environmental issues in Japan and Climate change in JapanIn 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 concerns, the government introduced environmental protection laws in 1970. The oil crisis in 1973 also encouraged the efficient use of energy because of Japan's lack of natural resources.
Japan ranks 20th in the 2018 Environmental Performance Index, which measures a country's commitment to environmental sustainability. Japan is the world's fifth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide. 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. In 2020, the government of Japan announced a target of carbon-neutrality by 2050. 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.
Government and politics
Main articles: Emperor of Japan, Government of Japan, Politics of Japan, and Law of JapanJapan is a unitary state and constitutional monarchy in which the power of the Emperor is limited to a ceremonial role. Executive power is instead wielded by the Prime Minister of Japan and his Cabinet, whose sovereignty is vested in the Japanese people. Naruhito is the Emperor of Japan, having succeeded his father Akihito upon his accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019.
Japan's legislative organ is the National Diet, a bicameral parliament. 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. There is universal suffrage for adults over 18 years of age, with a secret ballot for all elected offices. 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. Shigeru Ishiba is Japan's prime minister; he took office after winning the 2024 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election. The broadly conservative Liberal Democratic Party has been the dominant party in the country since the 1950s, often called the 1955 System.
Historically influenced by Chinese law, the Japanese legal system developed independently during the Edo period through texts such as Kujikata Osadamegaki. 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. The Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947, is the oldest unamended constitution in the world. 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. Japan's court system is divided into four basic tiers: the Supreme Court and three levels of lower courts.
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Administrative divisions of Japan and Prefectures of JapanJapan is divided into 47 prefectures, each overseen by an elected governor and legislature. In the following table, the prefectures are grouped by region:
Hokkaido
1. Hokkaido |
Tōhoku
2. Aomori 3. Iwate 4. Miyagi 5. Akita 6. Yamagata 7. Fukushima |
Kantō
8. Ibaraki 9. Tochigi 10. Gunma 11. Saitama 12. Chiba 13. Tokyo 14. Kanagawa |
Chūbu
15. Niigata 16. Toyama 17. Ishikawa 18. Fukui 19. Yamanashi 20. Nagano 21. Gifu 22. Shizuoka 23. Aichi | |
Kansai
24. Mie 25. Shiga 26. Kyoto 27. Osaka 28. Hyōgo 29. Nara 30. Wakayama |
Chūgoku
31. Tottori 32. Shimane 33. Okayama 34. Hiroshima 35. Yamaguchi |
Shikoku
36. Tokushima 37. Kagawa 38. Ehime 39. Kōchi |
Kyūshū
40. Fukuoka 41. Saga 42. Nagasaki 43. Kumamoto 44. Ōita 45. Miyazaki 46. Kagoshima 47. Okinawa |
Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of JapanA member state of the United Nations since 1956, Japan is one of the G4 countries seeking reform of the Security Council. Japan is a member of the G7, APEC, and "ASEAN Plus Three", and is a participant in the East Asia Summit. It is the world's fifth-largest donor of official development assistance, donating US$9.2 billion in 2014. In 2024, Japan had the fourth-largest diplomatic network in the world.
Japan has close economic and military relations with the United States, with which it maintains a security alliance. 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. In 2016, Japan announced the Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, which frames its regional policies. Japan is also a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue ("the Quad"), a multilateral security dialogue reformed in 2017 aiming to limit Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region, along with the United States, Australia, and India.
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. South Korea's control of the Liancourt Rocks is acknowledged but not accepted as they are claimed by Japan. Japan has strained relations with China and Taiwan over the Senkaku Islands and the status of Okinotorishima.
Military
Main article: Japan Self-Defense ForcesJapan is the third highest-ranked Asian country in the 2024 Global Peace Index. It spent 1.1% of its total GDP on its defence budget in 2022, and maintained the tenth-largest military budget in the world in 2022. 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. 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.
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. In May 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo 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. In December 2022, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida further confirmed this trend, instructing the government to increase spending by 65% until 2027. Recent tensions, particularly with North Korea and China, have reignited the debate over the status of the JSDF and its relation to Japanese society.
Law enforcement
Main articles: Law enforcement in Japan and Crime in JapanDomestic security in Japan is provided mainly by the prefectural police departments, under the oversight of the National Police Agency. As the central coordinating body for the Prefectural Police Departments, the National Police Agency is administered by the National Public Safety Commission. The Special Assault Team comprises national-level counter-terrorism tactical units that cooperate with territorial-level Anti-Firearms Squads and Counter-NBC Terrorism Squads. 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.
The Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law strictly regulates the civilian ownership of guns, swords, and other weaponry. 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.
Human rights
Main article: Human rights in JapanJapanese society traditionally places a strong emphasis on collective harmony and conformity, which has led to the suppression of individual rights. Japan's constitution prohibits racial and religious discrimination, and the country is a signatory to numerous international human rights treaties. However, it lacks any laws against discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity and does not have a national human rights institution.
Japan has faced criticism for its gender inequality, not allowing same-sex marriages, use of racial profiling by police, and allowing capital punishment. Other human rights issues include the treatment of marginalized groups, such as ethnic minorities, refugees and asylum seekers.
Economy
Main article: Economy of JapanJapan has the world's fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP, after that of the United States, China and Germany; and the fifth-largest economy by PPP-adjusted GDP. As of 2021, Japan's labor force is the world's eighth-largest, consisting of over 68.6 million workers. As of 2022, Japan has a low unemployment rate of around 2.6%. Its poverty rate is the second highest among the G7 countries, and exceeds 15.7% of the population. Japan has the highest ratio of public debt to GDP among advanced economies, with a national debt estimated at 248% relative to GDP as of 2022. The Japanese yen is the world's third-largest reserve currency after the US dollar and the euro.
Japan was the world's fifth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer in 2022. Its exports amounted to 18.2% of its total GDP in 2021. As of 2022, Japan's main export markets were China (23.9 percent, including Hong Kong) and the United States (18.5 percent). Its main exports are motor vehicles, iron and steel products, semiconductors, and auto parts. Japan's main import markets as of 2022 were China (21.1 percent), the United States (9.9 percent), and Australia (9.8 percent). Japan's main imports are machinery and equipment, fossil fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, and raw materials for its industries.
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. Japan has a large cooperative sector, with three of the world's ten largest cooperatives, including the largest consumer cooperative and the largest agricultural cooperative as of 2018. It ranks highly for competitiveness and economic freedom. Japan ranked sixth in the Global Competitiveness Report in 2019. It attracted 31.9 million international tourists in 2019, and was ranked eleventh in the world in 2019 for inbound tourism. The 2021 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Japan first in the world out of 117 countries. Its international tourism receipts in 2019 amounted to $46.1 billion.
Agriculture and fishery
Main article: Agriculture, forestry, and fishing in JapanThe Japanese agricultural sector accounts for about 1.2% of the country's total GDP as of 2018. Only 11.5% of Japan's land is suitable for cultivation. Because of this lack of arable land, a system of terraces is used to farm in small areas. 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. Japan's small agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected. There has been a growing concern about farming as farmers are aging with a difficult time finding successors.
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. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch, prompting critiques that Japan's fishing is leading to depletion in fish stocks such as tuna. Japan has sparked controversy by supporting commercial whaling.
Industry and services
Main articles: Manufacturing in Japan, Trade and services in Japan, Electronics industry in Japan, and Automotive industry in JapanJapan 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". Japan's industrial sector makes up approximately 27.5% of its GDP. The country's manufacturing output is the fourth highest in the world as of 2023.
Japan is in the top three globally for both automobile production and export, and is home to Toyota, the world's largest automobile company by vehicle production. The Japanese shipbuilding industry faces increasing competition from its East Asian neighbors, South Korea and China; a 2020 government initiative identified this sector as a target for increasing exports.
Japan's service sector accounts for about 69.5% of its total economic output as of 2021. Banking, retail, transportation, and telecommunications are all major industries, with companies such as Toyota, Mitsubishi UFJ, -NTT, Aeon, SoftBank, Hitachi, and Itochu listed as among the largest in the world.
Science and technology
Main articles: History of science and technology in Japan, Science and technology in Japan, Video gaming in Japan, and List of Japanese inventions and discoveriesRelative to gross domestic product, Japan's research and development budget is the second highest in the world, with 867,000 researchers sharing a 19-trillion-yen research and development budget as of 2017. The country has produced twenty-two Nobel laureates in either physics, chemistry or medicine, and three Fields medalists.
Japan leads the world in robotics production and use, supplying 45% of the world's 2020 total; down from 55% in 2017. Japan has the second highest number of researchers in science and technology per capita in the world with 14 per 1000 employees.
Once considered the strongest in the world, the Japanese consumer electronics industry is in a state of decline as regional competition arises in neighboring East Asian countries such as South Korea and China. However, Japan's video game sector remains a major industry. In 2014, Japan's consumer video game market grossed $9.6 billion, with $5.8 billion coming from mobile gaming. By 2015, Japan had become the world's fourth-largest PC game market by revenue, behind only China, the United States, and South Korea.
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. 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. The space probe Akatsuki was launched in 2010 and achieved orbit around Venus in 2015. Japan's plans in space exploration include building a Moon base and landing astronauts by 2030. 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, and was deliberately crashed into the Moon on June 11, 2009.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Main article: Transport in JapanJapan has invested heavily in transportation infrastructure since the 1990s. 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.
Since privatization in 1987, 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.
There are 175 airports in Japan as of 2021. The largest domestic airport, Haneda Airport in Tokyo, was Asia's second-busiest airport in 2019. 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.
Energy
Main article: Energy in JapanAs of 2019, 37.1% of energy in Japan was produced from petroleum, 25.1% from coal, 22.4% from natural gas, 3.5% from hydropower and 2.8% from nuclear power, among other sources. Nuclear power was down from 11.2 percent in 2010. 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. The Sendai Nuclear Power Plant restarted in 2015, and since then several other nuclear power plants have been restarted. Japan lacks significant domestic reserves and has a heavy dependence on imported energy. The country has therefore aimed to diversify its sources and maintain high levels of energy efficiency.
Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of Japan, Japanese people, Ethnic groups of Japan, List of metropolitan areas in Japan, and List of cities in JapanJapan has a population of almost 125 million, of whom nearly 122 million are Japanese nationals (2022 estimates). A small population of foreign residents makes up the remainder. Japan is the world's fastest aging country and has the highest proportion of elderly citizens of any country, comprising one-third of its total population; this is the result of a post–World War II baby boom, which was followed by an increase in life expectancy and a decrease in birth rates. Japan has a total fertility rate of 1.4, which is below the replacement rate of 2.1, and is among the world's lowest; it has a median age of 48.4, the highest in the world. As of 2020, over 28.7 percent of the population is over 65, or more than one in four out of the Japanese population. As a growing number of younger Japanese are not marrying or remaining childless, Japan's population is expected to drop to around 88 million by 2065.
The changes in demographic structure have created several social issues, particularly a decline in the workforce population and an increase in the cost of social security benefits. The Government of Japan projects that there will be almost one elderly person for each person of working age by 2060. Immigration and birth incentives are sometimes suggested as a solution to provide younger workers to support the nation's aging population. 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.
In 2022, 92% of the total Japanese population lived in cities. The capital city, Tokyo, has a population of 13.9 million (2022). It is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, the biggest metropolitan area in the world with 37.4 million people (2024). Japan is an ethnically and culturally homogeneous society, with the Japanese people forming 97.4% of the country's population. Minority ethnic groups in the country include the indigenous Ainu and Ryukyuan people. Zainichi Koreans, Chinese, Filipinos, Brazilians mostly of Japanese descent, and Peruvians mostly of Japanese descent are also among Japan's small minority groups. Burakumin make up a social minority group.
Largest cities or towns in Japan 2015 Census | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Name | Prefecture | Pop. | Rank | Name | Prefecture | Pop. | ||
1 | Tokyo | Tokyo | 9,272,740 | 11 | Hiroshima | Hiroshima | 1,194,034 | ||
2 | Yokohama | Kanagawa | 3,724,844 | 12 | Sendai | Miyagi | 1,082,159 | ||
3 | Osaka | Osaka | 2,691,185 | 13 | Chiba | Chiba | 971,882 | ||
4 | Nagoya | Aichi | 2,295,638 | 14 | Kitakyushu | Fukuoka | 961,286 | ||
5 | Sapporo | Hokkaido | 1,952,356 | 15 | Sakai | Osaka | 839,310 | ||
6 | Fukuoka | Fukuoka | 1,538,681 | 16 | Niigata | Niigata | 810,157 | ||
7 | Kobe | Hyōgo | 1,537,272 | 17 | Hamamatsu | Shizuoka | 797,980 | ||
8 | Kawasaki | Kanagawa | 1,475,213 | 18 | Kumamoto | Kumamoto | 740,822 | ||
9 | Kyoto | Kyoto | 1,475,183 | 19 | Sagamihara | Kanagawa | 720,780 | ||
10 | Saitama | Saitama | 1,263,979 | 20 | Okayama | Okayama | 719,474 |
Languages
Main article: Languages of JapanThe Japanese language is Japan's de facto national language and the primary written and spoken language of most people in the country. Japanese writing uses kanji (Chinese characters) and two sets of kana (syllabaries based on cursive script and radicals used by kanji), as well as the Latin alphabet and Arabic numerals. English has taken a major role in Japan as a business and international link language, and is a compulsory subject at the junior and senior high school levels. Japanese Sign Language is the primary sign language used in Japan and has gained some official recognition, but its usage has been historically hindered by discriminatory policies and a lack of educational support.
Besides Japanese, the Ryukyuan languages (Amami, Kunigami, Okinawan, Miyako, Yaeyama, Yonaguni), part of the Japonic language family, are spoken in the Ryukyu Islands chain. Few children learn these languages, but local governments have sought to increase awareness of the traditional languages. The Ainu language, which is a language isolate, is moribund, with only a few native speakers remaining as of 2014. Additionally, a number of other languages are taught and used by ethnic minorities, immigrant communities, and a growing number of foreign-language students, such as Korean (including a distinct Zainichi Korean dialect), Chinese and Portuguese.
Religion
Main article: Religion in JapanJapan's constitution guarantees full religious freedom. Upper estimates suggest that 84–96 percent of the Japanese population subscribe to Shinto as its indigenous religion. 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 identify with both religions or describe themselves as non-religious or spiritual. 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. Taoism and Confucianism from China have also influenced Japanese beliefs and customs.
Today, 1% to 1.5% of the population are Christians. 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.
About 90% of those practicing Islam in Japan are foreign-born migrants as of 2016. As of 2018 there were an estimated 105 mosques and 200,000 Muslims in Japan, 43,000 of which were Japanese nationals. Other minority religions include Hinduism, Judaism, and Baháʼí Faith, as well as the animist beliefs of the Ainu.
Education
Main article: Education in JapanSince the 1947 Fundamental Law of Education, compulsory education in Japan comprises elementary and junior high school, which together last for nine years. Almost all children continue their education at a three-year senior high school. The top-ranking university in the country is the University of Tokyo. 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.
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. Japan is one of the top-performing OECD countries in reading literacy, math, and sciences with the average student scoring 520 and has one of the world's highest-educated labor forces among OECD countries. It spent 7.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. In 2021, the country ranked third for the percentage of 25- to 64-year-olds that have attained tertiary education with 55.6%. Approximately 65% of Japanese aged 25 to 34 have some form of tertiary education qualification, with bachelor's degrees being held by 34.2% of Japanese aged 25 to 64, the second most in the OECD after South Korea. Japanese women are more highly educated than the men: 59 percent of women possess a university degree, compared to 52 percent of men.
Health
Main articles: Health in Japan and Health care system in JapanHealth care in Japan 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. Since 1973, all elderly persons have been covered by government-sponsored insurance.
Japan spent 10.82% of its total GDP on healthcare in 2021. In 2020, the overall life expectancy in Japan at birth was 85 years (82 years for men and 88 years for women), the highest in the world; while it had a very low infant mortality rate (2 per 1,000 live births). Since 1981, the principal cause of death in Japan is cancer, which accounted for 27% of the total deaths in 2018—followed by cardiovascular diseases, which led to 15% of the deaths. Japan has one of the world's highest suicide rates, which is considered a major social issue. Another significant public health issue is smoking among Japanese men. Japan has the lowest rate of heart disease in the OECD, and the lowest level of dementia among developed countries.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Japan See also: Japanese popular cultureContemporary Japanese culture combines influences from Asia, Europe, and North America. 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. Twenty-two sites have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, eighteen of which are of cultural significance. Japan is considered a cultural superpower.
Art and architecture
Main article: Japanese art Further information: Japanese architecture, Japanese garden, Japanese esthetics, Japanese painting, and Japanese sculpture Hokusai's 19th-century ukiyo-e woodblock print The Great Wave off KanagawaRitsurin Garden, one of the most famous strolling gardens in JapanThe history of Japanese painting exhibits synthesis and competition between native Japanese esthetics and imported ideas. 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.
Japanese architecture is a combination of 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. 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. Since the 19th century, Japan has incorporated much of Western modern architecture into construction and design. 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.
Literature and philosophy
Main articles: Japanese literature, Japanese poetry, and Japanese philosophyThe earliest works of Japanese literature include the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki chronicles and the Man'yōshū poetry anthology, all from the 8th century and written in Chinese characters. In the early Heian period, the system of phonograms known as kana (hiragana and katakana) was developed. The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is considered the oldest extant Japanese narrative. An account of court life is given in The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon, while The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu is often described as the world's first novel.
During the Edo period, the chōnin ("townspeople") overtook the samurai aristocracy as producers and consumers of literature. The popularity of the works of Saikaku, for example, reveals this change in readership and authorship, while Bashō revivified the poetic tradition of the Kokinshū with his haikai (haiku) and wrote the poetic travelogue Oku no Hosomichi. The Meiji era saw the decline of traditional literary forms as Japanese literature integrated Western influences. Natsume Sōseki and Mori Ōgai were significant novelists in the early 20th century, followed by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Kafū Nagai and, more recently, Haruki Murakami and Kenji Nakagami. Japan has two Nobel Prize-winning authors – Yasunari Kawabata (1968) and Kenzaburō Ōe (1994).
Japanese philosophy has historically been a fusion of both foreign, particularly Chinese and Western, and uniquely Japanese elements. In its literary forms, Japanese philosophy began about fourteen centuries ago. Confucian ideals remain evident in the Japanese concept of society and the self, and in the organization of the government and the structure of society. Buddhism has profoundly impacted Japanese psychology, metaphysics, and esthetics.
Performing arts
Main articles: Music of Japan and Theatre of JapanJapanese music is eclectic and diverse. Many instruments, such as the koto, were introduced in the 9th and 10th centuries. The popular folk music, with the guitar-like shamisen, dates from the 16th century. Western classical music, introduced in the late 19th century, forms an integral part of Japanese culture. Kumi-daiko (ensemble drumming) was developed in postwar Japan and became very popular in North America. Popular music in post-war Japan has been heavily influenced by American and European trends, which has led to the evolution of J-pop. Karaoke is a significant cultural activity.
The four traditional theaters from Japan are noh, kyōgen, kabuki, and bunraku. Noh is one of the oldest continuous theater traditions in the world.
Media
Main articles: Cinema of Japan, Manga, Anime, and Media of JapanAccording to the 2015 NHK survey on television viewing in Japan, 79 percent of Japanese watch television daily. Japanese television dramas are viewed both within Japan and internationally. Many Japanese media franchises have gained considerable global popularity and are among the world's highest-grossing media franchises. Japanese newspapers are among the most circulated in the world as of 2016.
Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries globally. Ishirō Honda's Godzilla became an international icon of Japan and spawned an entire subgenre of kaiju films, as well as the longest-running film franchise in history. Japanese comics, known as manga, developed in the mid-20th century and have become popular worldwide. A large number of manga series have become some of the best-selling comics series of all time, rivalling the American comics industry. Japanese animated films and television series, known as anime, were largely influenced by Japanese manga and have become highly popular globally.
Holidays
Main articles: Public holidays in Japan and Japanese festivalsOfficially, Japan has 16 national, government-recognized holidays. Public holidays in Japan are regulated by the Public Holiday Law (国民の祝日に関する法律, Kokumin no Shukujitsu ni Kansuru Hōritsu) of 1948. Beginning in 2000, Japan implemented the Happy Monday System, which moved a number of national holidays to Monday in order to obtain a long weekend. The national holidays in Japan are New Year's Day on January 1, Coming of Age Day on the second Monday of January, National Foundation Day on February 11, The Emperor's Birthday on February 23, Vernal Equinox Day on March 20 or 21, Shōwa Day on April 29, Constitution Memorial Day on May 3, Greenery Day on May 4, Children's Day on May 5, Marine Day on the third Monday of July, Mountain Day on August 11, Respect for the Aged Day on the third Monday of September, Autumnal Equinox on September 23 or 24, Health and Sports Day on the second Monday of October, Culture Day on November 3, and Labor Thanksgiving Day on November 23.
Cuisine
Main article: Japanese cuisineJapanese cuisine offers a vast array of regional specialties that use traditional recipes and local ingredients. Seafood and Japanese rice or noodles are traditional staples. Japanese curry, since its introduction to Japan from British India, is so widely consumed that it can be termed a national dish, alongside ramen and sushi. Traditional Japanese sweets are known as wagashi. Ingredients such as red bean paste and mochi are used. More modern-day tastes include green tea ice cream.
Popular Japanese beverages include sake, a brewed rice beverage that typically contains 14–17% alcohol and is made by multiple fermentation of rice. Beer has been brewed in Japan since the late 17th century. Green tea is produced in Japan and prepared in forms such as matcha, used in the Japanese tea ceremony.
Sports
Main article: Sport in JapanTraditionally, sumo is considered Japan's national sport. Japanese martial arts such as judo and kendo are taught as part of the compulsory junior high school curriculum. Baseball is the most popular sport in the country. Japan's top professional league, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), was established in 1936. Since the establishment of the Japan Professional Football League (J.League) in 1992, association football gained a wide following. The country co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with South Korea. Japan has one of the most successful football teams in Asia, winning the Asian Cup four times, and the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011. Golf is also popular in Japan.
In motorsport, Japanese automotive manufacturers have been successful in multiple different categories, with titles and victories in series such as Formula One, MotoGP, and the World Rally Championship. Drivers from Japan have victories at the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as podium finishes in Formula One, in addition to success in domestic championships. Super GT is the most popular national racing series in Japan, while Super Formula is the top-level domestic open-wheel series. The country hosts major races such as the Japanese Grand Prix.
Japan hosted the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964 and the Winter Olympics in Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998. The country hosted the official 2006 Basketball World Championship and co-hosted the 2023 Basketball World Championship. Tokyo hosted the 2020 Summer Olympics in 2021, making Tokyo the first Asian city to host the Olympics twice. The country gained the hosting rights for the official Women's Volleyball World Championship on five occasions, more than any other country. Japan is the most successful Asian Rugby Union country and hosted the 2019 IRB Rugby World Cup.
See also
Notes
- The Government of Japan uses a different seal.
- Japanese: 日本, Nihon [ɲihoꜜɴ] or Nippon [ɲippoꜜɴ] , formally 日本国, Nihon-koku or Nippon-koku. In Japanese, the name of the country as it appears on official documents, including the country's constitution, is 日本国, meaning "State of Japan". The short name 日本 is also often used officially. In English, the official name of the country is simply "Japan".
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External links
Government
- JapanGov – The Government of Japan (in English)
- Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet Official website (in English)
- The Imperial Household Agency – official site of the Imperial House of Japan (archived November 20, 2016)
- National Diet Library
General information
- Japan from UCB Libraries GovPubs (archived April 21, 2009)
- Japan from BBC News
- Japan from the OECD
- Geographic data related to Japan at OpenStreetMap
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