Sino-Japanese reading of the characters, is favored for official uses, including on banknotes and postage stamps.[9]Nihon is typically used in everyday speech and reflects shifts in Japanese phonology during the Edo period.[10] The characters 日本 mean "sun origin",[9] which is the source of the popular Western epithet "Land of the Rising Sun".[11]
The name "Japan" is based on Chinese pronunciations of 日本 and was introduced to European languages through early trade. In the 13th century, Marco Polo recorded the early Mandarin or Wu Chinese pronunciation of the characters 日本國 as Cipangu.[12] 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.[13] 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.[14][15]
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.[26] 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).[27]
The far-reaching
Prince Ōtomo, became a major catalyst for further administrative reforms.[29] 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.[28] These legal reforms created the ritsuryō state, a system of Chinese-style centralized government that remained in place for half a millennium.[29]
two unsuccessful invasions of Korea in 1592 and 1597.[31]
Osaka rice brokers.[46] The study of Western sciences (rangaku) continued through contact with the Dutch enclave in Nagasaki.[43] The Edo period gave rise to kokugaku ("national studies"), the study of Japan by the Japanese.[47]
Modern era
Japanese Empire
in 1942
The
Meiji period (1868–1912), the Empire of Japan emerged as the most developed nation in Asia and as an industrialized world power that pursued military conflict to expand its sphere of influence.[50][51][52] 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.[53][49] The Japanese population doubled from 35 million in 1873 to 70 million by 1935, with a significant shift to urbanization.[54][55]
Japan comprises 14,125 islands extending along the Pacific coast of Asia.[72] It stretches over 3000 km (1900 mi) northeast–southwest from the Sea of Okhotsk to the East China Sea.[73][74] The country's five main islands, from north to south, are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa.[75] 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.[76] As of 2019[update], Japan's territory is 377,975.24 km2 (145,937.06 sq mi).[1] Japan has the sixth-longest coastline in the world at 29,751 km (18,486 mi). Because of its far-flung outlying islands, Japan has the eighth-largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 4,470,000 km2 (1,730,000 sq mi).[77][78]
The Japanese archipelago is 67%
most densely populated country.[81][82]Honshu has the highest population density at 450 persons/km2 (1200/sq mi) as of 2010[update], while Hokkaido has the lowest density of 64.5 persons/km2 as of 2016[update].[83] As of 2014[update], approximately 0.5% of Japan's total area is reclaimed land (umetatechi).[84]Lake Biwa is an ancient lake and the country's largest freshwater lake.[85]
The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate but varies greatly from north to south. The northernmost region, Hokkaido, has a
Precipitation is not heavy, but the islands usually develop deep snowbanks in the winter.[91]
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.[92] 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.[91]
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.[91] 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.[93] According to the Environment Ministry, heavy rainfall and increasing temperatures have caused problems in the agricultural industry and elsewhere.[94] The highest temperature ever measured in Japan, 41.1 °C (106.0 °F), was recorded on July 23, 2018,[95] and repeated on August 17, 2020.[96]
In 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.[103] The oil crisis in 1973 also encouraged the efficient use of energy because of Japan's lack of natural resources.[104]
Japan ranks 20th in the 2018 Environmental Performance Index, which measures a nation's commitment to environmental sustainability.[105] Japan is the world's fifth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide.[94] 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.[106] In 2020 the government of Japan announced a target of carbon-neutrality by 2050.[107] 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.[108]
Historically influenced by Chinese law, the Japanese legal system developed independently during the Edo period through texts such as Kujikata Osadamegaki.[115] 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.[116] The Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947, is the oldest unamended constitution in the world.[117] 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.[115] Japan's court system is divided into four basic tiers: the Supreme Court and three levels of lower courts.[118]
According to data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the majority of members of the Japanese parliament are male and range in age from 50 to 70. In April 2023, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, Ryosuke Takashima, 26, is the Japan's youngest-ever mayor.[119]
Japan is divided into 47 prefectures, each overseen by an elected governor and legislature.[109] In the following table, the prefectures are grouped by region:[120]
Japan has close economic and military relations with the United States, with which it maintains a security alliance.[125] 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.[125] Japan is also a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (more commonly "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, reflecting existing relations and patterns of cooperation.[126][127]
Japan's relationship with South Korea had historically been strained because of Japan's treatment of Koreans during Japanese colonial rule, particularly over the issue of comfort women. In 2015, Japan agreed to settle the comfort women dispute with South Korea by issuing a formal apology and paying money to the surviving comfort women.[128] As of 2019[update] Japan is a major importer of Korean music (K-pop), television (K-dramas), and other cultural products.[129][130]
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.[131] South Korea's control of the Liancourt Rocks is acknowledged but not accepted as they are claimed by Japan.[132] Japan has strained relations with China and Taiwan over the Senkaku Islands and the status of Okinotorishima.[133]
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.[139] 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.[140] In December 2022, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida further confirmed this trend, instructing the government to increase spending by 65% until 2027.[141] Recent tensions, particularly with North Korea and China, have reignited the debate over the status of the JSDF and its relation to Japanese society.[142][143]
low unemployment rate of around 2.8%.[154] Its poverty rate is the second highest among the G7 nations,[155] and exceeds 15.7% of the population.[156] Japan has the highest ratio of public debt to GDP among advanced economies,[157] with national debt estimated at 248% relative to GDP as of 2022[update].[158] The Japanese yen is the world's third-largest reserve currency after the US dollar and the euro.[159]
Japan was the world's fourth-largest exporter and importer in 2021.[160][161] Its exports amounted to 18.4% of its total GDP in 2021.[162] As of 2022[update], Japan's main export markets were China (23.9 percent, including Hong Kong) and the United States (18.5 percent).[163] Its main exports are motor vehicles, iron and steel products, semiconductors, and auto parts.[77] Japan's main import markets as of 2022[update] were China (21.1 percent), the United States (9.9 percent), and Australia (9.8 percent).[163] Japan's main imports are machinery and equipment, fossil fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, and raw materials for its industries.[163]
The Japanese variant of capitalism has many distinct features:
The Japanese agricultural sector accounts for about 1.2% of the total country's GDP as of 2018[update].
protected.[174] There has been a growing concern about farming as farmers are aging with a difficult time finding successors.[175]
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.[176] Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch,[77] prompting critiques that Japan's fishing is leading to depletion in fish stocks such as tuna.[177] Japan has sparked controversy by supporting commercial whaling.[178]
Japan is the third-largest automobile producer in the world as of 2022[update] and is home to Toyota, the world's largest automobile company by vehicle production.[179][181] By number, Japan was the world's largest exporter of cars in 2021,[182] though it was overtaken by China in early 2023.[183][184] The Japanese shipbuilding industry faces competition from South Korea and China; a 2020 government initiative identified this sector as a target for increasing exports.[185]
Japan's service sector accounts for about 69.5% of its total economic output as of 2021[update].
second highest in the world,[191] with 867,000 researchers sharing a 19-trillion-yen research and development budget as of 2017[update].[192] The country has produced twenty-two Nobel laureates in either physics, chemistry or medicine,[193] and three Fields medalists.[194]
Japan leads the world in robotics production and use, supplying 55% of the world's 2017 total.[195] Japan has the second highest number of researchers in science and technology per capita in the world with 14 per 1000 employees.[196]
Once considered the strongest in the world, the Japanese consumer electronics industry is in a state of decline as competition arises in countries like South Korea and China.
video gaming in Japan remains a major industry. In 2014, Japan's consumer video game market grossed $9.6 billion, with $5.8 billion coming from mobile gaming.[198] By 2015, Japan had become the world's fourth-largest PC game market, behind only China, the United States, and South Korea.[199]
The
space probe Akatsuki was launched in 2010 and achieved orbit around Venus in 2015.[202] Japan's plans in space exploration include building a Moon base and landing astronauts by 2030.[203] 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,[204][205] and was deliberately crashed into the Moon on June 11, 2009.[206]
Japan has invested heavily in transportation infrastructure.[207] 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[update].[208]
There are 175 airports in Japan as of 2013[update].
Asia's second-busiest airport in 2019.[211] 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[update].[212]
As of 2019[update], 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.[213] 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.[214] The Sendai Nuclear Power Plant restarted in 2015,[215] and since then several other nuclear power plants have been restarted.[216] Japan lacks significant domestic reserves and has a heavy dependence on imported energy.[217] The country has therefore aimed to diversify its sources and maintain high levels of energy efficiency.[218]
Responsibility for the water and sanitation sector is shared between the
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, in charge of water resources development as well as sanitation; the Ministry of the Environment, in charge of ambient water quality and environmental preservation; and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, in charge of performance benchmarking of utilities.[219] Access to an improved water source is universal in Japan. About 98% of the population receives piped water supply from public utilities.[220]
Japan has a population of almost 125 million, of which nearly 122 million are Japanese nationals (2022 estimates).
of Japanese descent are also among Japan's small minority groups.[233]Burakumin make up a social minority group.[234]
Japan is the world's
median age of 48.4, the highest in the world.[238] As of 2020[update], over 28.7 percent of the population is over 65, or more than one in four out of the Japanese population.[235] As a growing number of younger Japanese are not marrying or remaining childless,[239][240] Japan's population is expected to drop to around 88 million by 2065.[235]
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.[239] The Government of Japan projects that there will be almost one elderly person for each person of working age by 2060.[238]Immigration and birth incentives are sometimes suggested as a solution to provide younger workers to support the nation's aging population.[241][242] 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.[243]
Japan's constitution guarantees full religious freedom.[244] Upper estimates suggest that 84–96 percent of the Japanese population subscribe to Shinto as its indigenous religion.[245] 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 either identify with both religions or describe themselves as non-religious or spiritual.[246] 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.[247]Taoism and Confucianism from China have also influenced Japanese beliefs and customs.[248]
Christianity was first introduced into Japan by Jesuit missions starting in 1549. Today, 1%[249] to 1.5% of the population are Christians.[250] 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.[251]
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.[256] English has taken a major role in Japan as a business and international link language. As a result, the prevalence of English in the educational system has increased, with English classes becoming mandatory at all levels of the Japanese school system by 2020.[255]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.[255]
Besides Japanese, the
moribund, with only a few native speakers remaining as of 2014[update].[260] 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.[255]
Since the 1947 Fundamental Law of Education, compulsory education in Japan comprises elementary and junior high school, which together last for nine years.[261] Almost all children continue their education at a three-year senior high school.[262] The two top-ranking universities in Japan are the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University.[263] 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.[264]
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.[265] 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.[266][265][267] It spent roughly 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2018[update],[268] below the OECD average of 4.9%.[269] In 2021, the country ranked third for the percentage of 25 to 64-year-olds that have attained tertiary education with 55.6%.[270] Approximately 65% of Japanese aged 25 to 34 have some form of tertiary education qualification, and bachelor's degrees are held by 34.2% of Japanese aged 25 to 64, the second most in the OECD after South Korea.[270] In 2020, the share of women among tertiary programmes graduates was 51,8%.[270]
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.[271] Since 1973, all elderly persons have been covered by government-sponsored insurance.[272]
Japan spent 10.74% of its total GDP on healthcare in 2019.[273] In 2020, the overall life expectancy in Japan at birth was 84.62 years (81.64 years for males and 87.74 years for females), the highest in the world;[274] while it had a very low infant mortality rate (2 per 1,000 live births).[275] 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.[276] Japan has one of the world's highest suicide rates, which is considered a major social issue.[277] Another significant public health issue is smoking among Japanese men.[278] However, Japan has the lowest rate of heart disease in the OECD, and the lowest level of dementia among developed countries.[279]
, one of the most famous strolling gardens in Japan
The history of Japanese painting exhibits synthesis and competition between native Japanese esthetics and imported ideas.
Japonism, had a significant influence on the development of modern art in the West, most notably on post-Impressionism.[284]
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.
Japanese concept of society and the self, and in the organization of the government and the structure of society.[298] Buddhism has profoundly impacted Japanese psychology, metaphysics, and esthetics.[299]
Japanese 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.[300] Western classical music, introduced in the late 19th century, forms an integral part of Japanese culture.[301]Kumi-daiko (ensemble drumming) was developed in postwar Japan and became very popular in North America.[302] Popular music in post-war Japan has been heavily influenced by American and European trends, which has led to the evolution of J-pop.[303]Karaoke is a significant cultural activity.[304]
The four traditional theaters from Japan are noh, kyōgen, kabuki, and bunraku.[305] Noh is one of the oldest continuous theater traditions in the world.[306]
Officially, 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.
Popular Japanese beverages include sake, which is a brewed rice beverage that typically contains 14–17% alcohol and is made by multiple fermentation of rice.[316] Beer has been brewed in Japan since the late 17th century.[317]Green tea is produced in Japan and prepared in forms such as matcha, used in the Japanese tea ceremony.[318]
Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries globally.[323]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.[324][325] Japanese comics, known as manga, developed in the mid-20th century and have become popular worldwide.[326][327] A large number of manga series have become some of the best-selling comics series of all time, rivalling the American comics industry.[328] Japanese animated films and television series, known as anime, were largely influenced by Japanese manga and have become highly popular internationally.[329][330]
wrestlers form around the referee during the ring-entering ceremony.
Traditionally,
Japan Professional Football League (J.League) in 1992, association football gained a wide following.[335] The country co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with South Korea.[336] Japan has one of the most successful football teams in Asia, winning the Asian Cup four times,[337] and the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011.[338] Golf is also popular in Japan.[339]
^In English, the official name of the country is simply "Japan".[8] In Japanese, the name of the country as it appears on official documents, including the country's constitution, is 日本国 (Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku), meaning "State of Japan". Despite this, the short-form name 日本 (Nippon or Nihon) is also often used officially.
^Lach, Donald (2010). Asia in the Making of Europe. Vol. I. University of Chicago Press. p. 157.
^Mancall, Peter C. (2006). "Of the Ilande of Giapan, 1565". Travel Narratives from the Age of Discovery: an anthology. Oxford University Press. pp. 156–157.
^日本の大気汚染の歴史 [Historical Air Pollution in Japan] (in Japanese). Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
^National Police Agency Police History Compilation Committee, ed. (1977). Japan post-war police history (in Japanese). Japan Police Support Association.
^東京都の人口（推計） [Population of Tokyo (estimate)]. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Statistics Department. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
^"The Modernization and Development of Education in Japan". The History of Japan's Educational Development(PDF). Japan International Cooperation Agency Research Institute. March 2004. p. 23.
^"Japan: Learning Systems". Center on International Education Benchmarking. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
^Lo, Patrick (2016). "Katsu Watanabe, Akane Oki, and Yasushi Ishii, Librarians of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo". Conversations with the World's Leading Orchestra and Opera Librarians. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 156–167.
124,840,000[3] (11th)
$6.139 trillion[5] (4th)
$4.234 trillion[5] (3rd)
33.4[6]
.
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