Overview of Japan

Geography

Japan is located in the North Pacific off the coast of Russia and the Korean peninsula. The area of Japan is 377,873km², which makes it slightly smaller in land mass than California. Japan consists of four main larger islands and more than 4000 smaller islands. The main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Honshu is the largest with an area of 231,000km². A modern railroad system connects the major islands. Japan's high-speed Shinkansen (bullet train), connects major urban areas.

Japan is over 70% mountainous with approximately 18% of the land mass being suitable for settlement. As a result Japan's cities are sprawling and densely populated. Tokyo, the capital mega-city of Japan, is located on Honshu island. Central Tokyo has a population of 12 million people, with the population of the Greater Tokyo Area estimated at over 35 million people.

Japan is located in an area known as The Ring of Fire in the Pacific. This is an area with many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Japan is very seismically active with over 1,500 earthquakes per year. In 1923 the Great Kanto Earthquake killed more than 143,000 people in the Tokyo area. Tsunamis and volcanic eruptions are other natural destructive forces in Japan. In 1896 in Sanriku, Japan, 27,000 people were killed by a Tsunami caused by an earthquake.

Population

There are over 127,433,494 (July 2007 est.) people living in Japan. For most of Japan's history its borders were closed to foreign nationals. As a result, Japan's society is very homogeneous, composed of 98.5% ethnic Japanese. The remaining 1.5 percent is composed largely of Koreans, who number around 1 million. There are also considerable numbers of Brazilians, Chinese, and Filipinos who reside in Japan. Ethnic minorities that are indigenous to Japan include the Ainu who are now facing issues of discrimination.

Language

Japanese is the official language of Japan. Many Japanese can also understand and speak English to a degree. English is also mandatory as part of the curriculum in the Japanese education system. Japanese has four writing systems. Kanji (Chinese characters), Hiragana, Katakana, and Romaji. Japanese vocabulary has been strongly influenced by loanwords from other languages, with most loanwords coming from Chinese and English.

Climate

The climate of Japan varies considerably depending on the region and season. Summer is usually very hot and humid, known to the Japanese as "mushiatsui". From mid July there is a rainy season which lasts around one month. Winters are usually mild, with the northern areas of Japan receiving more snow. Spring and autumn are usually sunny with mild temperatures.

Religion

Japanese typically conduct religious ceremonies at birth, weddings, and funerals. During New Year visiting a temple or shrine is also custom in Japan. The two major religions in Japan are Shintoism and Buddhism. The coexistence of these religions for many centuries has resulted in them becoming intertwined with each other. It is often difficult to know where one ends and the other begins because of the complex syncretism. A common saying for the Japanese regarding their religious beliefs is, "We live as Shintoists, and die as Buddhists." It might be said that Shintoism focuses more on this world, while Buddhism focuses more on the afterlife.

Quick Facts about Japan

Industries: Consumer electronics, motor vehicles, machine tools, steel, and nonferrous metals

Exports: Motor vehicles, semiconductors, and office machinery

Agriculture: Rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit, pork, fish

Currency: Yen

Life Expentancy: Total population 82, Male 78, Female 85

GDP per Capita: $33,800

Literacy Rate: 99%

Unemployment Rate: 4%

Oil imports: 5.425 million bbl/day

Internet Users: 87.5 million

Environmental Issues: Acid rain; Japan is the largest consumer of Amazon rainforest timber