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Japan at a glance
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Japanese people know their country as Nippon or Nihon whose characters are translated as 'The Land of the Rising Sun'
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- Region
- North/East Asia
- Population
- 127,463,611 (July 2006 est.)
- Land
- Geography mostly rugged and mountainous
- Climate varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
- People
- Religion: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16%
- Language: Japanese
- Economy
- GDP per person (PPP): $US33,100
GDP by sector: Agriculture1.6%; Industry 25.3%; Services 73.1%
- Government
- Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
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Land
Physical geography
Japan is an archipelago of roughly 4,000 islands running north-east along the coast of China . It has four main islands – Hokkaido , Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu . Steep mountains and hills make up about three quarters of Japan and there are only small areas of flat land. Earthquakes are common, as Japan lies in the earthquake zone ringing the Pacific Ocean . The largest island is Honshu, (231,000 square kilometres) is slightly larger than Victoria (227,416 square kilometres) and is home to most of Japan 's population. Mt Fuji (3776 metres) Japan 's highest peak rises near the Pacific coast southwest of Tokyo and is a dormant volcano.
Climate
Japan generally experiences hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters. The mountain ranges running north-south down Honshu cause winters to be humid with high snowfall on the west side, but dry on the east side. From summer to autumn, tropical cyclones generated in the tropical seas develop into typhoons and hit Japan , sometimes causing major storm and flood damage. Tokyo (eastern Honshu ) has a temperature range of 4.7°C-25.2°C and annual rainfall of 1460 millimetres, heaviest during June and July.
Environment
Forests cover about two-thirds of Japan . Factory-produced air and water pollution badly affected the Japanese environment in the twentieth century but strict laws are now enforced and Japan is an important world leader in energy conservation and environmental protection.
The range of climate zones mean there is also a range of flora and fauna. Japanese plants include pine, cedar and cherry trees. Brightly coloured tropical coral fish, turtles, dugong and the black finless porpoise are found in the tropical sea of the Ryukyu Islands while on land there are serpent eagle, the flying fox, and the variable lizard. In the sea to the north of central Honshu there are sea lions, fur seals, and beaked whales while on the mainland there are tanuki (racoon dogs), sika deer, and mandarin ducks. Further north, in the Siberian coniferous forests are brown bear, hazel grouse, and common lizard while walrus are in the seas.
People
With over 126.8 million people, Japan is the tenth most populous country in the world. The average population density is 337.2 people per square kilometre, placing it among the world's most densely populated nations. With most people living on Honshu and great stretches of the land in which very few people live it is even more densely settled than the average suggests. Japan is a highly urbanised country, with 77% of the population living in cities. Tokyo (capital) 8,273,900 and Yokohama 3,517,200 have merged to form a massive city. Osaka 2,595,900, Nagoya 2,195,300 and Sapporo 1,856,300 are the other major cities.
People
Culture and identity
Japanese society is relatively homogeneous society, although there are some minority groups - Korean (511,262), Chinese (244,241), Brazilian (182,232) and Filipino (89,851). An ethnic minority group, the Ainu, between 30,000 and 50,000 people, live mainly in Hokkaido .
The kimono is the traditional dress for both men and women comes in a variety of styles but is generally only worn on special occasions. There are many festivals which are distinct for different regions and include the Sapporo Snow Festival, Kyoto 's Gion Festival, Tokyo 's Kanda Festival, Osaka 's Tenjin Festival and the annual sakura or cherry blossom festival.
The Japanese language is derived from Chinese and written using Chinese characters (kanji) and two phonetic scripts (hiragana and katakana). Traditional Japanese arts include crafts (ikebana, origami, ukiyo-e, dolls, lacquer ware, pottery), theatre (kabuki, noh) and instruments - shakuhachi (flute), koto (zither), shamisen (a three-stringed guitar) and taiko (drum). The Japanese manga cartoon, anime and video games are found around the world.
Health
Japan has a modern, well-equipped health system in which annual health checks are provided free to almost everyone. Two tiers of medical insurance exist – a community-based national health insurance system and employee insurance, paid by the employer and based on the annual salary. The infant mortality rate is 3.24 deaths per 1,000 live births. Japanese have one of the highest life expectancies in the world - 81.25 years (male: 77.96 years; female: 84.7 years). The main causes of death in Japan are cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, accidents and suicide. Around 12,000 or less than 0.1% of the population are HIV positive.
Religion and beliefs
The principal religions in Japan are Shinto and Buddhism. Many Japanese believe, at least nominally, in both. There are about 1.75 million Christians found mainly in urban centres. There are countless local festivals matsuri in Japan .
Shinto (literally, the way of the gods) is the native Japanese religion. Its followers worship a many kami (gods or spirits) which personify all aspects of nature, such as the sky, the earth, heavenly bodies, and natural phenomena. Many of the matsuri (festivals) held all over Japan originate from Shinto rites, including prayers of thanksgiving, offerings of food and valuables, and purification rituals.
Food and shelter
The Japanese diet consists mainly of rice, noodles, fresh and pickled vegetables, seafood, soy and fruit. Meat is expensive and is eaten in small portions. There is a strong emphasis on quality and presentation with many regional specialities. Well known meals include sushi (raw fish, vegetables and rice), sashimi (raw fish), tempura (seafood and vegetables deep fired in batter), yakitori (chicken cooked on skewers) and sukiyaki (vegetable and beef stew). Chopsticks are used to eat most meals, although knives and forks are generally used to eat Western food. Alcohol, in the form of saki (rice wine) and beer, is very popular.
Economy
Wealth and poverty
After three decades of spectacular economic growth, a financial crisis occurred in the 1990s that resulted in a major restructuring of Japan 's banking system. Economic recovery is progressing. The changing structure of work means there is increasing gaps between the rich and poor with an unemployment rate of 4.1% and increasing numbers of part-time workers.
Education and work
Education is compulsory from age 6 to 15. Japan has both state and private schools. Spending on public education is 6% of GDP. Over 90% of all students graduate from high school and over 40% from university or junior college. With pressure to perform well many students attend special coaching schools, juku, as well as regular schools to prepare for exams.
The centre of Japanese business has been the tradition of the ‘company man' – a young man would enter a large corporation immediately after graduating from university at age 22 and retire from that same company when he reached age 65. During that time he would develop strong bonds with the company and put in very long hours at work. This system is changing and Japanese no longer expect to work for the same company all their lives.
Industries and products
Japan 's main agricultural products are rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit, pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs and fish. Despite efficient food producing methods, Japan must import a high percentage of its food because of the limited arable land.
Japan 's main industries are motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles and processed foods. Japanese company trade-names have become universal and include such names as Toyota , Sony and Panasonic. Japan leads the world in the robotics industry.
Trade
In 2006 Japan exported transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical machinery, and chemicals worth $590.3 billion to US 22.9%, China 13.4%, South Korea 7.8%, Taiwan 7.3% and Hong Kong 6.1%. It imported machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles and raw materials worth $524.1 billion from China 21%, US 12.7%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, UAE 4.9%, Australia 4.7%, South Korea 4.7% and Indonesia 4%.
Achievements and challenges
Japan 's tiny agricultural sector is highly protected. It is self sufficient in rice but must import about 60% of its food. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch.
Earthquakes are common, as Japan lies in the earthquake zone ringing the Pacific Ocean , resulting in about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year. Japan has become a leading supporter of boosting earthquake preparedness in South Asia , giving $US4.83 million to the United Nations Development Programme to support its Earthquake Risk Reduction and Recovery Preparedness Programme.
Overseas development assistance
Japan 's Official Development Assistance (ODA) includes grant aid, yen loans, and technical cooperation at a cost of $USA11.6 billion, representing 0.25% of its GNI in 2005. It operates in about 100 countries focusing on poverty reduction, sustainable growth, addressing global issues, and peace-building.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/oda/index.html
Links with Australia
Australia and Japan enjoy a strengthening economic and political relationship – Japan is Australia 's largest export market and in 2005-6 imported Australian goods and services worth $A34.2 billion (including coal, gas, iron ore, copper ores, bovine meat and aluminium), while Japanese exports to Australia totalled $A17.1 billion. Japan is Australia 's third-largest source of foreign investment, with investments concentrated in mining, real estate and services.
In March 2007 Japan and Australia signed a security declaration ensuring they will work together to improve security in the South East Asia region.
Cultural links between Australia and Japan include the Australia-Japan Foundation (AJF) and “sister” relationships – between cities, schools, radio stations, cultural centres and universities.
The 2001 census recorded 25,480 Japan-born people living in Australia, with the major concentrations in NSW and Queensland .
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