# Japan

> island country in East Asia

**Wikidata**: [Q17](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/japan

## Summary
Japan is an island country in East Asia, comprising a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is a sovereign state with a constitutional monarchy and a population of approximately 125 million people. The nation is known for its advanced economy, distinct culture, and technological innovation.

## Key Facts
- **Official Name**: 日本国 (Nihon-koku)
- **Common Names**: Japan, Nihon, Nippon, Land of the Rising Sun
- **Geographic Classification**: Island country, sovereign state, located in East Asia
- **Area**: 377,972.28 square kilometres
- **Capital**: Tokyo (de facto since 1943; historical capitals include Kyoto, Nara, Kamakura, Heian-kyō, Edo)
- **Population (Latest)**: 123,802,000 (October 2024, Japan Resident Registry)
- **Population Trend**: Peaked at 128,057,352 in 2010; gradual decline since
- **Coordinates**: Approximate centroid 35°N, 136°E
- **Borders**: Shares maritime borders with Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, China, United States, Philippines
- **Highest Point**: Mount Fuji (3,776 m)
- **Lowest Point**: Hachirōgata (-4 m)
- **Timezone**: Japan Standard Time (JST), UTC+09:00
- **Official Language**: Japanese (de facto)
- **Recognized Languages**: Japanese Sign Language, Ainu, Ryukyuan languages (Yonaguni, Yaeyama, etc.)
- **Government**: Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- **Head of State**: Emperor Naruhito (since 2019-05-01)
- **Current Head of Government**: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (since 2025-10-21)
- **Legislature**: National Diet (bicameral: House of Representatives, House of Councillors)
- **Central Bank**: Bank of Japan
- **Currency**: Japanese Yen (JPY)
- **Driving Side**: Left-hand traffic (since 1945-09-02)
- **Electrical System**: 100V, 50Hz (Eastern Japan) / 60Hz (Western Japan); plug types NEMA 1-15, NEMA 5-15
- **Emergency Numbers**: 110 (police), 119 (fire/ambulance), 118 (Japan Coast Guard)
- **International Calling Code**: +81
- **Top-Level Internet Domain**: .jp
- **ISO 3166-1 Codes**: Alpha-2: JP, Alpha-3: JPN, Numeric: 392
- **Inception (Modern State)**: 1947-05-03 (Constitution of Japan); earlier historical states date to 660 BCE (mythological) or 1890 (Meiji Constitution)
- **Demonym**: Japanese
- **Ethnic Groups (2004 est.)**: Japanese (98.5%), Koreans (0.5%), Chinese (0.4%), Ainu (indigenous)
- **Religions (2020)**: Shinto (69.0%), Buddhism (66.7%), Christianity (1.5%), other/none (remainder)
- **Life Expectancy (2022)**: 84 years
- **Total Fertility Rate (2021)**: 1.38
- **Human Development Index (2021)**: 0.925 (Very High)
- **Inequality-Adjusted HDI (2021)**: 0.850
- **Gini Coefficient (2013)**: 32.9
- **Unemployment Rate (2014)**: 4.0%
- **Median Income (2023)**: ¥557,655 (approx. USD 3,482/month)
- **VAT Rate**: 10% (standard, since 2019-10-01)
- **Age of Majority**: 18 (since 2022-04-01; previously 20)
- **Marriageable Age**: 18 (male and female, since 2022-04-01 for females; males 18 since 1948)
- **Compulsory Education**: Ages 6 to 15
- **Public Holidays**: 16 national holidays including Coming of Age Day, National Foundation Day, Vernal Equinox Day, Shōwa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, Children's Day, Marine Day, Respect for the Aged Day, Autumnal Equinox Day, Sports Day, Culture Day, Labor Thanksgiving Day, The Emperor's Birthday, Mountain Day
- **Anthem**: "Kimigayo"
- **Flag**: White field with red disc (sun)
- **Coat of Arms**: Imperial Chrysanthemum Seal
- **National Symbols**: Cherry blossom (flower), Green Pheasant (bird), Sasakia charonda (butterfly), Sumo (sport)
- **Slogan**: "Endless discovery" (tourism)
- **Administrative Divisions**: 47 prefectures (e.g., Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Okinawa)
- **Part of**: Japanese archipelago, East Asia
- **Member of**: United Nations (since 1956-12-18), OECD, G7, G20, APEC, WTO (since 1995-01-01), World Bank Group (IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA, ICSID), UNESCO (since 1951-07-02), Interpol (founder member, since 1956-06-13), OPCW (since 1997-04-29), WHO, WMO, UPU (since 1877-06-01), ITU (since 1879-01-29), Nuclear Suppliers Group (since 1995), Missile Technology Control Regime (since 1987), Australia Group (since 1985), ASEAN Regional Forum, ADB (since 1966), Antarctic Treaty System, World Customs Organization (since 1964-06-15), G4 nations, Treaty of Saint Petersburg
- **Significant Events**: World War II, Treaty of San Francisco (1951), 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Expo '70 (Osaka), 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics, transfer of sovereignty over Okinawa (1972), 1991 recession, Great Hanshin Earthquake (1995), 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, Tōkaimura criticality accident (1999), 2002 FIFA World Cup (co-host), 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster (2011), 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held 2021)
- **Notable Companies (Headquartered in Japan)**: Toyota, Sony, Mitsubishi, Nintendo, SoftBank, Uniqlo (Fast Retailing), Honda, Nissan, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT), Mizuho Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Japan Post Holdings, Recruit Holdings, ANA Holdings, Japan Airlines, Seven & i Holdings, Aeon, Lawson, FamilyMart, Don Quijote, Rakuten, Mercari, LINE Corporation, Yahoo! Japan, DeNA, GREE, CyberAgent, Square Enix, Sega Sammy Holdings, Bandai Namco Holdings, Konami, Capcom, Toho, Shiseido, Kao Corporation, Unicharm, Asahi Group Holdings, Kirin Holdings, Sapporo Holdings, Suntory, Ajinomoto, Nissin Food Products, Meiji Holdings, Morinaga & Company, Eisai, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Astellas Pharma, Daiichi Sankyo, Otsuka Holdings, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm Holdings, Olympus, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, Renesas Electronics, Toshiba Memory (Kioxia), Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, Fujitsu, NEC, Panasonic, Sharp, Seiko Epson, Brother Industries, Keyence, Omron, SMC Corporation, Fanuc, Yaskawa Electric, Daikin Industries, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Subaru Corporation, Mazda, Suzuki, Isuzu, Hino Motors, Yanmar, Komatsu, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Kubota, JTEKT, NSK, NTN, Nidec, TDK, Murata Manufacturing, Alps Alpine, Taiyo Yuden, Kyocera, NGK Insulators, NGK Spark Plug, Sumco, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Tosoh, Mitsui Chemicals, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings, Asahi Kasei, Toray Industries, Teijin, Kuraray, Ube Industries, Daicel, Zeon Corporation, Nippon Shokubai, Sumitomo Chemical, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, Nippon Steel, JFE Holdings, Kobe Steel, Nippon Light Metal Holdings, Furukawa Electric, Sumitomo Electric, Fujikura, Hitachi Metals, Mitsubishi Materials, Dowa Holdings, Mitsui Mining & Smelting, Sumitomo Metal Mining, Nippon Mining & Metals, JX Nippon Mining & Metals, Toho Zinc, Mitsubishi Logistics, Nippon Express, Sagawa Express, Yamato Transport, Seino Holdings, SBS Holdings, Kintetsu World Express, Nippon Express Holdings, SG Holdings, Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Peach Aviation, Jetstar Japan, Skymark Airlines, Solaseed Air, StarFlyer, Air Do, Hokkaido International Airlines (Air Do), Japan Transocean Air, Ryukyu Air Commuter, J-Air, Japan Air Commuter, Hokkaido Air System, Oriental Air Bridge, Amakusa Airlines, New Central Airservice, Ibex Airlines, Fuji Dream Airlines, ANA Wings, JAL Express, Zipair Tokyo, Spring Airlines Japan, StarFlyer, Solaseed Air, Peach Aviation, Jetstar Japan, Skymark Airlines, Air Do, Hokkaido Air System, Japan Transocean Air, Ryukyu Air Commuter, J-Air, Japan Air Commuter, Oriental Air Bridge, Amakusa Airlines, New Central Airservice, Ibex Airlines, Fuji Dream Airlines, ANA Wings, JAL Express, Zipair Tokyo, Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Japan Post Bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Mizuho Financial Group, Resona Holdings, Chiba Bank, Fukuoka Financial Group, Hokuhoku Financial Group, Shizuoka Bank, Yokohama Rubber, Bridgestone, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Toyo Tire & Rubber, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires, Falken, Dunlop, Goodyear (Japan), Michelin (Japan), Continental (Japan), Pirelli (Japan), Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Keio Corporation, Tokyu Corporation, Odakyu Electric Railway, Seibu Railway, Keikyu Corporation, Keisei Electric Railway, Sotetsu, Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu), Kintetsu Railway, Nankai Electric Railway, JR Group (JR East, JR West, JR Central, JR Shikoku, JR Kyushu, JR Hokkaido), Tokyo Metro, Osaka Metro, Yokohama Municipal Subway, Nagoya Municipal Subway, Kyoto Municipal Subway, Fukuoka City Subway, Sapporo City Subway, Sendai City Subway, Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau, Hiroshima Electric Railway, Izu Kyūkō Line, Hakone Tozan Railway, Enoshima Electric Railway, Toyama Chihō Railway, Nagano Electric Railway, Matsumoto Electric Railway, Echizen Railway, Akechi Railway, Tsukuba Express, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōkyū Meguro Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Tōkyū Ikegami Line, Tōkyū Setagaya Line, Tōkyū

## References

1. [Source](https://www.workwithdata.com/place/japan)
2. [Source](https://www.state.gov/independent-states-in-the-world/)
3. Source
4. [Japan. The World Factbook](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.html)
5. [Source](https://www.bunka.go.jp/tokei_hakusho_shuppan/hakusho_nenjihokokusho/shukyo_nenkan/pdf/r04nenkan_gaiyo.pdf)
6. The World Factbook
7. [Source](http://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ks/ass/ainu_living_conditions_survey_digest.pdf)
8. CiNii Research
9. [Source](https://data.iana.org/time-zones/tzdb-2021e/asia)
10. [Source](https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/countries_e/japan_e.htm)
11. [Source](http://mtcr.info/partners/)
12. [Interpol](https://www.interpol.int/Member-countries/World)
13. [Source](https://www.interpol.int/Who-we-are/Member-countries/Asia-South-Pacific/JAPAN)
14. [Nuclear Suppliers Group](http://www.nuclearsuppliersgroup.org/en/participants1)
15. [Source](https://www.opcw.org/about-opcw/member-states/)
16. [Source](https://www.opcw.org/about-us/member-states/japan)
17. [International Hydrographic Organization](https://www.iho.int/srv1/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=452&lang=en)
18. [International Energy Agency](https://www.iea.org/countries/membercountries/)
19. [Source](http://www.unesco.org/eri/cp/ListeMS_Indicators.asp)
20. [Source](http://www.upu.int/en/the-upu/member-countries.html)
21. [Source](https://www.upu.int/en/Universal-Postal-Union/About-UPU/Member-Countries?csid=-1&cid=17)
22. [Source](https://www.itu.int/online/mm/scripts/gensel8)
23. [Source](https://www.dhs.gov/visa-waiver-program-requirements)
24. [Source](https://public.wmo.int/en/members/japan)
25. [Source](https://www.who.int/choice/demography/by_country/en/)
26. [Source](https://www.ats.aq/devAS/Parties?lang=e)
27. [Source](https://www.wcoomd.org/-/media/wco/public/global/pdf/about-us/wco-members/list-of-members-with-membership-date.pdf)
28. [Qu'est ce que le G7 ?. 2019](https://www.elysee.fr/g7/2019/01/01/qu-est-ce-que-le-g7)
29. [Source](https://www.cfr.org/regions)
30. Japanese imperial year
31. [Source](https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/)
32. FIPS 10-4
33. MusicBrainz
34. [Human Development Report. 2022](https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/human-development-index#/indicies/HDI)
35. 2000年日本國勢調查
36. Japan 2005 Census
37. [Source](https://www.stat.go.jp/data/jinsui/pdf/202008.pdf)
38. [Source](https://www.stat.go.jp/data/kokusei/2020/kekka/pdf/summary_01.pdf)
39. Japan 2020 Census
40. [World Bank Open Data](https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL)
41. [e-Stat](https://www.e-stat.go.jp/en/stat-search/files?page=1&layout=dataset&data=1&metadata=1&year=20210&query=population&stat_infid=000032152839)
42. [e-Stat](https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/tsuki/index.html)
43. [Source](https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/tsuki/index.html)
44. [Source](https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI)
45. [Source](http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS)
46. [Source](http://www.gsi.go.jp/KOKUJYOHO/center.htm)
47. [Source](https://www.gsi.go.jp/KOKUJYOHO/center.htm)
48. [Source](https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=4NuLpVGSdwEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22the+land+of+the+rising+sun%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0vbqdlKzjAhUJL6YKHaIFBQgQ6AEITjAH#v=onepage&q=%22the%20land%20of%20the%20rising%20sun%22&f=false)
49. [Source](https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/2022np/index.html)
50. [Source](http://cnig.gouv.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CNT-PVM_r%C3%A9vis%C3%A9_2020-01-27-1.pdf)