Japan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Capital Tokyo
35°41′N 139°46′E
Most populous conurbation Tokyo1
Official languages Japanese
Government Constitutional monarchy
- Emperor HIM Emperor Akihito
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (LDP)
Formation
- National Foundation Day Feb 11, 660 BC2
- 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
- 2005 estimate 128,085,000 (10th)
- 2004 census 127,333,002
- Density 337/km² (20th)
873/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2006 estimate
- Total $4.167 trillion (3rd)
- Per capita $32,640 (12th)
GDP (nominal) 2005 estimate
- Total $4,571 trillion (2nd)
- Per capita $35,757 (14th)
HDI (2004) 0.949 (high) (7th)
Currency Yen (¥) (JPY)
Time zone JST (UTC+9)
Internet TLD .jp
Calling code +81
1 Yokohama is the largest incorporated city.
2 Japan was founded on this date by the legendary Emperor Jimmu, first emperor of Japan; it is seen as largely symbolic.


Japan (help·info) (日本 Nihon or Nippon?, officially 日本国 Nihon-koku or Nippon-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 literally mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun." Its capital and largest city, with a population of over twelve and a half million, is Tokyo.

Japan comprises over 3,000 islands, the largest of which are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku. Most of the islands are mountainous, and many are volcanic, including Japan's highest peak, Mount Fuji. Japan has the world's tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes 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 1st century AD. Influence from the outside world followed by long periods of isolation characterize Japan's history. Thus, its culture today is a mixture of outside influences and internal developments. Since adopting its constitution on May 3, 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament, the Diet, which is one of the oldest legislative bodies in Asia.

Japan is an economic great power with the world's second largest economy (by nominal GDP). It is also the world's largest international creditor and the sixth largest exporter and importer and a member of the United Nations, G8, and APEC.

Contents

* 1 History
o 1.1 Early History
o 1.2 Feudal era
o 1.3 Modern Japan
* 2 Government and politics
o 2.1 Foreign relations
o 2.2 Military
* 3 Administrative divisions
* 4 Geography and climate
* 5 Economy
* 6 Science and technology
* 7 Demographics
* 8 Culture
o 8.1 Sports and recreation
* 9 See also
* 10 Notes
* 11 External links
* 12 Further reading

History

Main article: History of Japan

Early History

The first signs of civilization on the Japanese Archipelago appeared around 10,000 BC with the Jomon culture, characterized by a mesolithic to neolithic semi-sedentary hunter-gatherer lifestyle of pit dwelling and a rudimentary form of agriculture. Weaving was still unknown and clothes were often made of bark. The Jomon people made decorated clay vessels, however, often with plaited patterns. Some of the oldest surviving examples of pottery in the world may be found in Japan.[1]

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 the Chinese mainland and the Korean peninsula. With the development of Yayoi culture, a predominantly agricultural society emerged on the Japanese archipelago.[2][3][4]

The Japanese first appear in written history in China's Book of Han, in which it is recorded, "The people of Wa are located across the ocean from Lelang, are divided into more than one hundred tribes, and come to offer tribute