Japan

In 1603, after decades of civil warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries, this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports after signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia.

Capital

Tokyo

Government

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Population

123,201,945

Area

377,915 sq km

Location

Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula

Climate

varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Natural resources

negligible mineral resources; fish

Languages

Japanese

Religions

Shintoism 48.6%; Buddhism 46.4%; Christianity 1.1%; other 4%

Independence

3 May 1947 (current constitution adopted as amendment to Meiji Constitution);

Administrative divisions

47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo,…

Currency

yen (JPY)

Export partners

USA 19%; China 18%; Taiwan 6%; S. Korea 6%…

Import partners

China 22%; USA 11%; Australia 8%; UAE 5%…

Source: CIA World Factbook — a work of the US government, in the public domain

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