Japan

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This article is about the country in East Asia. For other uses, see Japan (disambiguation).

日本国 Nippon-koku
Anthem: Kimi ga Yo (君が代, Kimi ga Yo?)
Capital (and largest city)		Tokyo1 35°41′N, 139°46′E
Official languages		Japanese (de facto)
Demonym		Japanese
Government		Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy
-	Emperor	Akihito
-	Prime Minister	Yasuo Fukuda
Formation
-	National Foundation Day	February 11, 660 BC3
-	Meiji Constitution	November 29 1890
-	Current constitution	May 3 1947
-	Treaty of San Francisco	April 28 1952
Area
-	Total	377,873 km² (62nd) 145,883 sq mi
-	Water (%)	0.8
Population
-	2007 estimate	127,433,494 (10th)
-	2004 census	127,333,002
-	Density	337/km² (30th) 872.8/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$4.346 trillionCIA World Factbook[GDP PPP Rankings 2007] (3rd)
-	Per capita	$33,800CIA World Factbook[GDP PPP Per Capita Rankings 2007 (34th)
GDP (nominal)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$4.346 trillionCIA World Factbook[GDP Nominal Rankings 2007] (2nd)
-	Per capita	$38,341 (14th)
Gini		38.1 (2002)CIA World Factbook[Gini rankings]
HDI (2007)		▲ 0.953 (high) (8th)
Currency		International Symbol ¥ Pronounced (Yen) Japanese Symbol 円 Pronounced (En) (JPY)
Time zone		JST (UTC+9)
Internet TLD		.jp
Calling code		+81
1	Yokohama is the largest incorporated city.
2	World Factbook; Japan—Economy. CIA (2006-12-19). Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
3	According to legend, Japan was founded on this date by the Emperor Jimmu, first emperor of Japan; it is seen as largely symbolic.

Japan (日本 Nihon or Nippon ^? , officially 日本国 Nippon-koku (help·info) or Nihon-koku) is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. The characters that make up Japan\'s name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes identified as the "Land of the Rising Sun".

Japan comprises over 3,000 islands,Nihon Rettō. Daijirin / Yahoo Japan dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-05-07. the largest of which are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for 97% of land area. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world\'s tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.

Archaeological research indicates that people were living on the islands of Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan begins with brief appearances in Chinese history texts from the first century AD.

Influence from the outside world followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan\'s history. Since adopting its constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament, the Diet.

A major economic power, Japan has the world\'s second largest economy by nominal GDP. It is a member of the United Nations, G8, G4 and APEC, with the world\'s fifth largest defense budget. It is also the world\'s fourth largest exporter and sixth largest importer and a world leader in technology and machinery.

Contents 1 History 2 Government and politics 3 Foreign relations and military 4 Administrative divisions 5 Geography 6 Environment 7 Economy 8 Science and technology 9 Demographics 10 Education and health 11 Culture and recreation 12 Sports 13 References 14 Further reading 15 External links

History

Main article: History of Japan

The first signs of occupation on the Japanese Archipelago appeared with a Paleolithic culture around 30,000 BC, followed from around 14,000 BC by the Jōmon period, a Mesolithic to Neolithic semi-sedentary hunter-gatherer culture of pit dwelling and a rudimentary form of agriculture. Decorated clay vessels from this period, often with plaited patterns, are some of the oldest surviving examples of pottery in the world.Habu Jinko (2004). Ancient Jomon of Japan. Cambridge Press. Jomon Fantasy: Resketching Japan\'s Prehistory. web-japan.org (1999-06-22). Retrieved on 2008-01-24."Fakery" at the beginning, the ending and the middle of the Jomon Period. Bulletin of the International Jomon Culture Conference (Vol. 1) (2004). Retrieved on 2008-01-24.

The Yayoi period, starting around the third century BC, introduced new practices, such as wet-rice farming, iron and bronze-making and a new style of pottery, brought by migrants from China or Korea. With the development of Yayoi culture, a predominantly agricultural society emerged in Japan.The Yayoi period (c.250 BC – c.AD 250). Encyclopædia Britannica (2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-28.Jared Diamond (June 1998). "Japanese Roots". Discover Magazine Vol. 19 No. 6. Pottery. MSN Encarta. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.De Bary, William Theodore (2005). Sources of Japanese Tradition. Columbia University Press, 1304. ISBN 023112984X. Retrieved on 2007-01-29. 

The Japanese first appear in written history in China’s Book of Han. According to the Chinese Records of Three Kingdoms, the most powerful kingdom on the archipelago during the third century was called Yamataikoku.

A middle Jōmon period vessel (3000 to 2000 BC).

The Great Buddha in Kamakura (1252).

Buddhism was first introduced to Japan from Baekje of the Korean Peninsula, but the subsequent development of Japanese Buddhism and Buddhist sculptures were primarily influenced by China. (1993) in Delmer M. Brown (ed.): The Cambridge History of Japan. Cambridge University Press, 140–149.  Despite early resistance, Buddhism was promoted by the ruling class and eventually gained growing acceptance since the Asuka period.William Gerald Beasley (1999). The Japanese Experience: A Short History of Japan. University of California Press, 42. ISBN 0520225600. Retrieved on 2007-03-27. 

The Nara period of the eighth century marked the first emergence of a strong central Japanese state, centered around an imperial court in the city of Heijō-kyō, or modern day Nara. In addition to the continuing adoption of Chinese administrative practices, the Nara period is characterized by the appearance of a nascent written literature with the completion of the massive chronicles Kojiki (712) and Nihon Shoki (720).Conrad Totman (2002). A History of Japan. Blackwell, 64–79. ISBN 978-1405123594.  (Nara was not the first capital city in Japan, though. Before Nara, Fujiwara-kyō and Asuka served as capitals of the Yamato state.)

In 784, Emperor Kammu moved the capital from Nara to Nagaoka-kyō for a brief ten-year period, before relocating it to Heian-kyō (modern day Kyoto) in 794, where it remained for more than a millennium.Conrad Totman (2002). A History of Japan. Blackwell, 79–87. ISBN 978-1405123594.  This marked the beginning of the Heian period, during which time a distinctly indigenous Japanese culture emerged, noted for its art, poetry and literature. Lady Murasaki\'s The Tale of Genji and the lyrics of modern Japan\'s national anthem, Kimi ga Yo were written during this time.Conrad Totman (2002). A History of Japan. Blackwell, 122–123. ISBN 978-1405123594. 

Japan\'s feudal era was characterized by the emergence of a ruling class of warriors, the samurai. In 1185, following the defeat of the rival Taira clan, Minamoto no Yoritomo was appointed Shogun and established a base of power in Kamakura. After Yoritomo\'s death, the Hōjō clan came to rule as regents for the shoguns. Zen Buddhism was introduced from China in the Kamakura period (1185–1333) and became popular among the samurai class. The Kamakura shogunate managed to repel Mongol invasions in 1274 and 1281, aided by a storm that the Japanese interpreted as a kamikaze, or Divine Wind. The Kamakura shogunate was eventually overthrown by Emperor Go-Daigo, who was soon himself defeated by Ashikaga Takauji in 1336.George Sansom (1961). A History of Japan: 1334–1615. Stanford, 42. ISBN 0-8047-0525-9.  The succeeding Ashikaga shogunate failed to control the feudal warlords (daimyo), and a civil war erupted (the Ōnin War) in 1467 which opened a century-long Sengoku period.George Sansom (1961). A History of Japan: 1334–1615. Stanford, 217. ISBN 0-8047-0525-9. 

During the sixteenth century, traders and Jesuit missionaries from Portugal reached Japan for the first time, initiating active commercial and cultural exchange between Japan and the West (Nanban trade).

Oda Nobunaga conquered numerous other daimyo by using European technology and firearms and had almost unified the nation when he was assassinated in 1582. Toyotomi Hideyoshi succeeded Nobunaga and united the nation in 1590. Hideyoshi invaded Korea twice, but following several defeats by Korean and Ming China forces and Hideyoshi\'s death, Japanese troops were withdrawn in 1598.Stephen Turnbull (2002). Samurai Invasion: Japan\'s Korean War. Cassel, 227. ISBN 978-0304359486. 

One of Japan\'s Red seal ships (1634), which were used for trade throughout Asia.

Samurai of the Satsuma clan during the Boshin War, circa 1867.

The 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

After Hideyoshi\'s death, Tokugawa Ieyasu utilized his position as regent for Hideyoshi\'s son Toyotomi Hideyori to gain political and military support. When open war broke out, he defeated rival clans in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Ieyasu was appointed shōgun in 1603 and established the Tokugawa shogunate at Edo (modern Tokyo). The Tokugawa shogunate enacted a variety of measures such as Buke shohatto to control the autonomous daimyo. In 1639, the shogunate began the isolationist sakoku ("closed country") policy that spanned the two and a half centuries of tenuous political unity known as the Edo period. The study of Western sciences, known as rangaku, continued during this period through contacts with the Dutch enclave at Dejima in Nagasaki. The Edo period also gave rise to kokugaku, or literally "national studies", the study of Japan by the Japanese themselves.Hooker, Richard (1999-07-14). Japan Glossary; Kokugaku. Washington State University. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.

On March 31, 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry and the "Black Ships" of the United States Navy forced the opening of Japan to the outside world with the Convention of Kanagawa. Subsequent similar treaties with the Western countries in the Bakumatsu period brought Japan into economic and political crises. The abundance of the prerogative and the resignation of the shogunate led to the Boshin War and the establishment of a centralized state unified under the name of the Emperor (Meiji Restoration). Adopting Western political, judicial and military institutions, the Cabinet organized the Privy Council, introduced the Meiji Constitution, and assembled the Imperial Diet. The Meiji Restoration transformed the Empire of Japan into an industrialized world power that embarked on a number of military conflicts to expand the nation\'s sphere of influence. 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.Jesse Arnold. Japan: The Making of a World Superpower (Imperial Japan). vt.edu/users/jearnol2. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.

The early twentieth century saw a brief period of "Taisho democracy" overshadowed by the rise of expansionism and militarization. World War I enabled Japan, which joined the side of the victorious Allies, to expand its influence and territorial holdings. Japan continued its expansionist policy by occupying Manchuria in 1931. As a result of international condemnation for this occupation, Japan resigned from the League of Nations two years later. In 1936, Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi Germany, joining the Axis powers in 1941.Kelley L. Ross. The Pearl Harbor Strike Force. friesian.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.

In 1937, Japan invaded other parts of China, precipitating the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), after which the United States placed an oil embargo on Japan.Roland H. Worth, Jr. (1995). No Choice But War: the United States Embargo Against Japan and the Eruption of War in the Pacific. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0141-9.  On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States naval base in Pearl Harbor and declared war on the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. This act brought the United States into World War II. After the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, along with the Soviet Union joining the war against it, Japan agreed to an unconditional surrender on August 15 (Victory over Japan Day).Japanese Instrument of Surrender. educationworld.net. Retrieved on 2006-12-28. The war cost Japan millions of lives and left much of the country\'s industry and infrastructure destroyed. The International Military Tribunal for the Far East, was convened by the Allies (on May 3, 1946) to prosecute Japanese leaders for war crimes such as the Nanking Massacre.The Nanking Atrocities: The Postwar Judgment. University of Missouri-Columbia. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.

In 1947, Japan adopted a new pacifist constitution emphasizing liberal democratic practices. The Allied occupation ended by the Treaty of San Francisco in 1952Joseph Coleman (2006-03-06). \'52 coup plot bid to rearm Japan: CIA. The Japan Times. Retrieved on 2007-04-03. and Japan was granted membership in the United Nations in 1956. Japan later achieved spectacular growth to become the second largest economy in the world, with an annual growth rate averaging 10% for four decades. This ended in the mid-1990s when Japan suffered a major recession. Positive growth in the early twenty-first century has signaled a gradual recovery.Japan scraps zero interest rates. BBC News Online (2006-07-14). Retrieved on 2006-12-28.

Government and politics

Main articles: Government of Japan and Politics of Japan

The National Diet Building, in Nagatachō, Tokyo.

Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected members of the Diet, while sovereignty is vested in the Japanese people.The Constitution of Japan. House of Councillors of the National Diet of Japan (1946-11-03). Retrieved on 2007-03-10. The Emperor effectively acts as the head of state on diplomatic occasions. Akihito is the current Emperor of Japan. Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan, stands as next in line to the throne.

Japan\'s legislative organ is the National Diet, a bicameral parliament. The Diet consists of a House of Representatives, containing 480 seats, elected by popular vote every four years or when dissolved and a House of Councillors of 242 seats, whose popularly-elected members serve six-year terms. There is universal suffrage for adults over 20 years of age,World Factbook; Japan. CIA (2007-03-15). Retrieved on 2007-03-27. with a secret ballot for all elective offices. The liberal conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been in power since 1955, except for a short-lived coalition government formed from opposition parties in 1993.A History of the Liberal Democratic Party. Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. Retrieved on 2007-03-27. The largest opposition party is the social liberal Democratic Party of Japan.

The Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government. The position is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet (the literal translation of his Japanese title is "Prime Minister of the Cabinet") and appoints and dismisses the Ministers of State, a majority of whom must be Diet members. Yasuo Fukuda currently serves as the Prime Minister of Japan.Prime Minister of Japan and his Cabinet. Office of the Prime Minister of Japan. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.

Historically influenced by Chinese law, the Japanese legal system developed independently during the Edo period through texts such as Kujikata Osadamegaki. However, since the late nineteenth century, the judicial system has been largely based on the civil law of Europe, notably France and Germany. For example, in 1896, the Japanese government established a civil code based on the German model. With post-World War II modifications, the code remains in effect in present-day Japan."Japanese Civil Code". Encyclopædia Britannica (2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-28. Statutory law originates in Japan\'s legislature, the National Diet of Japan, with the rubber-stamp approval of the Emperor. The current constitution requires that the Emperor promulgates legislation passed by the Diet, without specifically giving him the power to oppose the passing of the legislation. Japan\'s court system is divided into four basic tiers: the Supreme Court and three levels of lower courts.The Japanese Judicial System. Office of the Prime Minister of Japan. Retrieved on 2007-03-27. The main body of Japanese statutory law is a collection called the Six Codes.

Foreign relations and military

Main articles: Foreign relations of Japan, Japan Self-Defense Forces, and Ministry of Defense (Japan)

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in 2008

Japan maintains close economic and military relations with its key ally the United States, with the U.S.-Japan security alliance serving as the cornerstone of its foreign policy.Michael Green. Japan Is Back: Why Tokyo\'s New Assertiveness Is Good for Washington. Real Clear Politics. Retrieved on 2007-03-28. A member state of the United Nations since 1956, Japan has served as a non-permanent Security Council member for a total of 18 years, most recently in 2005–2006. It is also one of the G4 nations seeking permanent membership in the Security Council.UK backs Japan for UNSC bid. Cenral Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-03-28. As a member of the G8, the APEC, the "ASEAN Plus Three" and a participant in the East Asia Summit, Japan actively participates in international affairs. It is also the world\'s second-largest donor of official development assistance, donating US$8.86 bn in 2004.Table: Net Official Development Assistance In 2004 (PDF).PDF (32.9 KiB) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2005-04-11). Retrieved on 2006-12-28. Japan contributed non-combatant troops to the Iraq War but subsequently withdrew its forces from Iraq.Tokyo says it will bring troops home from Iraq. International Herald Tribune (2006-06-20). Retrieved on 2007-03-28.

Kongō class destroyer Kongo (DDG-173)

Japan is engaged in several territorial disputes with its neighbors: with Russia over the South Kuril Islands, with the two Koreas over the Liancourt Rocks, with the People\'s Republic of China and Taiwan over the Senkaku Islands and the EEZ around Okinotorishima. Japan also faces an ongoing dispute with North Korea over its abduction of Japanese citizens and its nuclear weapons and missile program (see also Six-party talks). As a result of the Kuril Islands dispute, Japan is technically still at war with Russia since no treaty resolving the issue was ever signed.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html

Japan\'s military is restricted by the Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which renounces Japan\'s right to declare war or use military force as a means of settling international disputes, although the conservatives are seeking to amend the Constitution via a referendum.Japan approves constitution steps. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-05-15. Japan\'s military is governed by the Ministry of Defense, and primarily consists of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). The forces have been recently used in peacekeeping operations and the deployment of Japanese troops to Iraq marked the first overseas use of its military since World War II.

Administrative divisions

Tokyo

Yokohama

Osaka

Main articles: Prefectures of Japan, Cities of Japan, Towns of Japan, Villages of Japan, and List of Japanese cities by population

While there exist eight commonly defined regions of Japan, administratively Japan consists of forty-seven prefectures, each overseen by an elected governor, legislature and administrative bureaucracy. The former city of Tokyo is further divided into twenty-three special wards, each with the same powers as cities.

The nation is currently undergoing administrative reorganization by merging many of the cities, towns and villages with each other. This process will reduce the number of sub-prefecture administrative regions and is expected to cut administrative costs.Mabuchi, Masaru (May 2001). Municipal Amalgamation in Japan (PDF). World Bank. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.

Japan has dozens of major cities, which play an important role in Japan\'s culture, heritage and economy. Those in the list below of the ten most populous are all prefectural capitals and government ordinance cities, except where indicated:

	City	Prefecture	PopulationJapan—City Population. citypopulation.de. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
1	Tokyoa	Tokyo	8,535,792
2	Yokohama	Kanagawa	3,602,758
3	Osaka	Osaka	2,635,420
4	Nagoya	Aichi	2,223,148
5	Sapporo	Hokkaidō	1,888,953
6	Kobe	Hyōgo	1,528,687
7	Kyoto	Kyoto	1,472,511
8	Fukuoka	Fukuoka	1,414,417
9	Kawasakib	Kanagawa	1,342,262
10	Saitama	Saitama	1,182,744

^a 23 municipalities. Also capital of Japan.
^b Government Ordinance City only.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Japan

Japan from space, May 2003.

Mount Fuji viewed from Hakone

Mount Yari, Nagano Prefecture in August

Beach in Minnajima in Motobu, Okinawa in September

Japan is a country of over three thousand islands extending along the Pacific coast of Asia. The main islands, running from north to south, are Hokkaidō, Honshū (the main island), Shikoku and Kyūshū. The Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, are a chain of islands south of Kyushū. Together they are often known as the Japanese Archipelago.

About 70% to 80% of the country is forested, mountainous,"Japan". Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia (2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-28.Japan Information—Page 1. WorldInfoZone.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-28. and unsuitable for agricultural, industrial, or residential use. This is because of the generally steep elevations, climate and risk of landslides caused by earthquakes, soft ground and heavy rain. This has resulted in an extremely high population density in the habitable zones that are mainly located in coastal areas. Japan is the thirtieth most densely populated country in the world.World Population Prospects. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.

Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, at the juncture of three tectonic plates, gives Japan frequent low-intensity tremors and occasional volcanic activity. Destructive earthquakes, often resulting in tsunamis, occur several times each century.Tectonics and Volcanoes of Japan. Oregon State University. Retrieved on 2007-03-27. The most recent major quakes are the 2004 Chūetsu earthquake and the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. Hot springs are numerous and have been developed as resorts.Attractions: Hot Springs. JNTO. Retrieved on 2007-04-01.

The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate, but varies greatly from north to south.Essential Info: Climate. JNTO. Retrieved on 2007-04-01. Japan\'s geographical features divide it into six principal climatic zones:

• Hokkaidō: The northernmost zone has a temperate climate with long, cold winters and cool summers. Precipitation is not heavy, but the islands usually develop deep snow banks in the winter.
• Sea of Japan: On Honshū\'s west coast, the northwest wind in the wintertime brings heavy snowfall. In the summer, the region is cooler than the Pacific area, though it sometimes experiences extremely hot temperatures, because of the foehn wind phenomenon.
• Central Highland: A typical inland climate, with large temperature differences between summer and winter, and between day and night. Precipitation is light.
• Seto Inland Sea: The mountains of the Chūgoku and Shikoku regions shelter the region from the seasonal winds, bringing mild weather throughout the year.
• Pacific Ocean: The east coast experiences cold winters with little snowfall and hot, humid summers because of the southeast seasonal wind.
• Ryukyu Islands: The Ryukyu Islands have a subtropical climate, with warm winters and hot summers. Precipitation is very heavy, especially during the rainy season. Typhoons are common.

The hottest temperature ever measured in Japan — 40.9 degrees Celsius — was recorded on August 16, 2007.Gifu Prefecture sees highest temperature ever recorded in Japan - 40.9. Japan News Review Society (2007-08-16). Retrieved on 2007-08-16.

The main rainy season begins in early May in Okinawa, and the stationary rain front responsible for this gradually works its way north until it dissipates in northern Japan before reaching Hokkaidō in late July. In most of Honshū, the rainy season begins before the middle of June and lasts about six weeks. In late summer and early autumn, typhoons often bring heavy rain.

Japan is home to nine forest ecoregions which reflect the climate and geography of the islands. They range from subtropical moist broadleaf forests in the Ryūkyū and Bonin islands, to temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in the mild climate regions of the main islands, to temperate coniferous forests in the cold, winter portions of the northern islands.Flora and Fauna: Diversity and regional uniqueness. Embassy of Japan in the USA. Retrieved on 2007-04-01.

Environment

Main articles: Environmental protection in Japan and Global warming

Japan\'s environmental history and current policies reflect a tenuous balance between economic development and environmental protection. In the rapid economic growth after the World War II, environmental policies had been downplayed by the government and industrial corporations. As an inevitable consequence, some crucial environmental pollutions (see four big pollution diseases of Japan) occurred in 1950s and 1960s. In the rising concern over the problem, the government legislated many environmental protection laws日本の大気汚染の歴史, Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency in 1970 and established the Ministry of the Environment in 1971. The Oil crisis in 1973 also encouraged the efficient use of energy due to Japan\'s lack of natural resources.Japan\' international cooperation for energy efficiency & conservation in Asian region., Takeshi Sekiyama, Energy Conservation Center, 2008 Current priority environmental issues include urban air pollution (NOx, suspended particulate matter, toxics), waste management, water eutrophication, nature conservation, climate change, chemical management and international co-operation for environmental conservation.OECD Environmental Performance Review of Japan, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Today Japan is one of the world\'s leaders in the development of new environment-friendly technologies. Honda and Toyota were named to have the highest fuel economy and lowest emissions.Automaker Rankings 2007: The Environmental Performance of Car Companies, Union of Concerned Scientists, 10/15/07. This is due to the advanced technology in hybrid systems, biofuels, use of lighter weight material and better engineering.

Japan also takes issues surrounding climate change and global warming seriously. As a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol, and host of the 1997 conference which created it, Japan is under treaty obligations to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and to take other steps related to curbing climate change. The Cool Biz campaign introduced under former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was targeted at reducing energy use through the reduction of air conditioning use in government offices.

Japan is ranked 30th best in the world in the Environmental Sustainability Index.2005 Environmental Sustainability Index Benchmarking National Environmental Stewardship, Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, Yale University and Center for International Earth Science Information Network, Columbia University, 2005.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Japan

The automobile industry is among the chief elements of the country\'s economy and exports.

Close government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation among others have helped Japan become the second largest economy in the world,World Economic Outlook Database; country comparisons. IMF (2006-09-01). Retrieved on 2007-03-14. after the United States, at around US$4.5 trillion in terms of nominal GDP and third after the United States and China in terms of purchasing power parity.NationMaster; Economy Statistics. NationMaster. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.

Banking, insurance, real estate, retailing, transportation and telecommunications are all major industries. Japan has a large industrial capacity and is home to some of the largest, leading and most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles and processed foods. Construction has long been one of Japan\'s largest industries, with the help of multi-billion dollar government contracts in the civil sector. Distinguishing characteristics of the Japanese economy have included the cooperation of manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and banks in closely-knit groups called keiretsu and the guarantee of lifetime employment in big corporations.Japan\'s Economy: Free at last. The Economist (2006-07-20). Retrieved on 2007-03-29. Recently, Japanese companies have begun to abandon some of these norms in an attempt to increase profitability.Why Germany\'s economy will outshine Japan. MoneyWeek (2007-02-28). Retrieved on 2007-03-28.

With a market capitalization of more than US$4 trillion, the Tokyo Stock Exchange is the second largest in the world.

Japan is also home to some of the largest financial services companies, business groups and bank such as Sony, Sumitomo, Mitsubishi and Toyota. It is also home to the world\'s largest bank by asset, Japan Post Bank (US$3.2 trillion)Corporate Profile, Japan Post Bank Co., Ltd. and others such as Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (US$1.2 trillion),Company Overview, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. Mizuho Financial Group (US$1.4 trillion)Company Information, Mizuho Financial Group. and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (US$1.3 trillion).Company Profile, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group. The Tokyo Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of over 549.7 trillion Yen as of December 2006 stands as the second largest in the world.Market data. New York Stock Exchange (2006-01-31). Retrieved on 2007-08-11.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, overall real economic growth has been called a "miracle": a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s and a 4% average in the 1980s.Japan: Patterns of Development. country-data.com (January 1994). Retrieved on 2006-12-28. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, largely because of the after-effects of over-investment during the late 1980s and domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. Government efforts to revive economic growth met with little success and were further hampered in 2000 to 2001 by the deceleration of the global economy.World Factbook; Japan—Economy. CIA (2006-12-19). Retrieved on 2006-12-28. However, the economy showed strong signs of recovery after 2005. GDP growth for that year was 2.8%, with an annualized fourth quarter expansion of 5.5%, surpassing the growth rates of the US and European Union during the same period.Masake, Hisane. A farewell to zero. Asia Times Online (2006-03-02). Retrieved on 2006-12-28.

Because only about 15% of Japan\'s land is suitable for cultivation,Kingshuk Roy. Water Resources in relation to Major Agro-Environmental Issues in JapanPDF (111 KiB). College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University (2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-21. a system of terrace farming is used to build in small areas. This results in one of the world\'s highest levels of crop yields per unit area. However, Japan\'s small agricultural sector is also highly subsidized and protected. Japan must import about 50%Japan: Country Information. Strategis. Retrieved on 2007-04-01. of its requirements of grain and fodder crops other than rice, and it relies on imports for most of its supply of meat. In fishing, Japan is ranked second in the world behind