Borders: Japan is an island nation in East Asia surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Sea of Japan (East Sea) on the other side. Japan shares maritime (water) borders with China, North Korea, South Korea, Philippines, Northern Mariana Islands, and Russia.
Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Major Cities: TOKYO (capital) 36.507 million; Osaka-Kobe 11.325 million; Nagoya 3.257 million; Fukuoka-Kitakyushu 2.809 million; Sapporo 2.673 million (2009)
Major Landforms: The islands Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, Ryukyu Islands, Hida Mountains, Kiso Mountains, Akaishi Mountains, Japanese Alps, Mount Fuji, Kanto Plain, Nobi Plain
Major Bodies of Water: Shinano River, Kiso River, Lake Biwa, Kasumigaura Lake, Lake Inawashiro, Tokyo Bay, Ise Bay, Osaka Bay, Seto Inland Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan (East Sea), Pacific Ocean
Famous Places: Tokyo Tower, Imperial Palace, Mount Fuji, Monkey Park, Kiyomizu-dera Buddhist temple, Himeji Castle, Golden Pavilion, Todaiji Temple, Great Buddha of Kamakura, Tokyo Skytree
Mount Fuji
Economy of Japan
Major Industries: among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods
Natural Resources: negligible mineral resources, fish
Major Exports: transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical machinery, chemicals
Major Imports: machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, raw materials (2001)
Currency: yen (JPY)
National GDP: $4,444,000,000,000
Regions of Japan
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Government of Japan
Type of Government: constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
Independence: 660 B.C. (traditional founding by Emperor JIMMU)
Divisions: Japan is officially divided up into 47 prefectures. The names and location of each are shown in the map to the right. It is also sometimes (unofficially) divided into eight regions shown by the different colors on the map. The largest of the prefectures by population are Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Osaka. The largest by area are Hokkaido, Iwate, and Fukushima.
National Anthem or Song: Kimigayo (The Emperors Reign)
National Symbols:
Animal - Tanuki (Japanese Racoon dog)
Fish - Koi
Bird - Green pheasant, Red-crowned crane
Tree - Cherry blossom
Flower - Chrysanthemum
Imperial Seal - A gold chrysanthemum flower
Imperial Regalia - sword (Kusanagi), mirror (Yata no Kagami), and jewel (Yasakani no Magatama)
Other symbols - Kimono, hand fan, sushi
Description of flag: The flag of Japan was first adopted in 1870 (the current design became the national flag in 1999). It has a white background with a red disk in the center. The red disk represents the sun. The flag is sometimes called the sun-disk flag. In Japan it is called Nisshoki or Hinomaru. Hinomaru means "circle of the sun."
National Holiday: Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)
Other Holidays: New Years' Day (January 1), Foundation Day (February 11), Showa Day (April 29), Constitution Memorial Day (May 3), Greenery Day, Marine Day (July 21), Respect-for-the-aged Day, Culture Day (November 3), Thanksgiving, The Emperor's Birthday (December 23)
The People of Japan
Languages Spoken: Japanese
Nationality: Japanese (singular and plural)
Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)
Origin of the name Japan: The name "Japan" is an English word that comes from the Chinese pronunciation of the word for Japan. The Japanese name for the country is Nippon or Nihon. The words "nippon" and "nihon" both mean "from the Sun" and are sometimes translated as "Land of the Rising Sun."
Famous People:
Emperor Hirohito - Emperor of Japan
Shinji Kagawa - Soccer player
Masashi Kishimoto - Manga artist who created Naruto
Akira Kurosawa - Movie director
Hideki Matsui - Baseball player
Shegeru Miyamoto - Video game designer
Miyamoto Musashi - Samurai warrior
Mika Nakashima - Singer
Oda Nobunaga - Leader who unified Japan
Masi Oki - Actor
Yoko Ono - Married to John Lennon of the Beatles
Ichiro Suziki - Baseball player
Hideki Tojo - Prime Minister of Japan during World War II
Akira Toriyama - Manga artist who created Dragon Ball
