Japan

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Facts at a Glance Name Japan Official Name Nippon or Nihon Official Language Japanese Capital Tokyo Land Area 145,862 square miles (377,781 square kilometers) Highest Elevation Mount Fuji, 12,388 feet (3,776 meters) Climate Tropical and subtropical in the south; cool temperate in the north Population 126,975,000 (2002 estimate) Life Expectancy 81 years Infant Mortality 3.8 deaths per 1,000 births Ethnic Groups 99 percent Japanese, 1 percent Korean, Chinese, Brazilian, Filipino, and other Religions 84 percent observe both Shinto and Buddhist, 16 percent other Literacy 99 percent Government Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government Independence 660 B.C. (Traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu) Currency Yen Gross Domestic Product $3.45 trillion (2002 estimate) Unemployment 5 percent Exports Motor vehicles, semiconductors, office machinery, chemicals Imports Fuel, foodstuffs, machinery; textiles History At Glance 30,000 B.C. Japan’s first settlers ...

Japan Looks Ahead  In your tour of Japan you have learned about Japan’s land, history, and people. You have seen how people in the Land of the Rising Sun have overcome countless hardships and obstacles to become a leading world economic power. Less than 150 years ago, they emerged from a shell in which they had taken refuge for over 300 years. In under a halfcentury, having undergone the many changes introduced during the Meiji Restoration, the small country became a major world power. During your reading, you have come to know the Japanese as a resilient, educated, hard-working, and honest people. They offer a great deal to admire and to respect. Japan has a literacy rate near 100 percent and the world’s longest life expectancy.Indeed,a majority of Japanese believe that their lives are good. As the world’s most hazard-prone country, Japan will certainly continue to suffer the ravages of nature. Earthquakes will continue to cause massive destruction, accompanied by loss of both...

Living in Japan Today  One of the Japanese peoples’ greatest strengths is the ability to adopt ideas and values from other cultures, and then adapt them to their own lives. This marvelous ability is evident in their religion, writing systems, housing, and even food. Yet the Japanese also preserve their own values and beliefs. In this chapter, we will look at lifestyles of the people of Japan, keeping in mind that living in Japan today also means honoring the past. FOOD  With no place in Japan being more than about 100 miles from the sea, a diet of seafood nourishes the population. Warm kuroshio currents meet with the cold oyashio currents to provide some of the world’s richest fishing grounds. Eating beef and pork was forbidden at the end of the 17th century when Buddhist teachings were enforced. This belief, combined with a lack of grazing land for farm animals, further established the habits of a fish-eating country.Health benefits of a low-fat diet composed of ...

The Economy When people call Japan the “Miracle of the Orient,” they are usually referring to the country’s economy. In this chapter,you will learn how the Japanese had to overcome many obstacles in order to become one of the world’s foremost economic powers.You also will learn why the country’s economy has been in a decade-long slump and why many Japanese are concerned about their country’s economic future. JAPAN AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY  To better understand Japan’s position among the world’s economic giants, think for a moment about your own family possessions. Perhaps you own a vehicle,television,camera,or other item made by a Japanese company.A typical American family has many thousands of dollars worth of items manufactured by Japanese corporations. Now,try to identify those “big ticket”items that were manufactured in Europe. If you can only find a few items, or perhaps none, you are not alone. You also have just learned a very important lesson in changing pat...

Government Japan adopted its current constitution in 1947. The Japanese constitution established the country as a constitutional monarchy. This means that Japan is a democracy where the people rule indirectly through their representatives in the Diet, the Japanese Parliament. The constitution gives all citizens 20 years of age and older the right to vote. Under the constitution, the emperor has almost no power. Instead, he serves as a symbol of the country. The emperor, however, does appoint key public officials like the prime minister and chief justice. This is only a formality, however, and not a political requirement. This situation is much like the role of the royal family in the United Kingdom. An important national holiday in Japan is the emperor’s birthday.  BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT  Japan has three branches of government: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. Japan’s legislative branch of government is called the Diet. The Di...

Japan’s people and culture are yet another reason the country is often referred to as the “Miracle of the Orient.” Japan has successfully blended its traditional East Asian culture with a modern Western urban-industrial way of life.This mixture of the old and the new defines modern Japan . POPULATION  Japan has an estimated population of 127 million. At first, that figure may not seem very large. In terms of numbers alone, nine countries have more people. But such facts and figures fail to tell the whole story. In total area, Japan is slightly smaller than California, which, with about 34 million people, is the most populated state in the United States. But Japan’s population is nearly four times greater than that of California! In fact, Japan’s population is nearly half that of the entire United States.Like California,however, much of Japan is sparsely settled. Because so much of Japan is mountainous, the population is concentrated in just a few cities and towns. This me...