Japan

Japan
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"Nippon" redirects here. For other uses, see Japan (disambiguation) and Nippon
(disambiguation).
Japan
日本国
Nippon-koku
Nihon-koku
Centered red circle on a white rectangle.
Golden circle subdivided by golden
wedges with rounded outer edges and thin black outlines.
Flag

Imperial Seal

Anthem:
"Kimigayo"
"君が代"

MENU0:00
Government Seal of Japan
Seal of the Office of the Prime Minister and the Government of Japan
五七桐 (Go-Shichi no Kiri?)

Capital

Tokyo

35°41′N 139°46′E
Official languages None[1]
Recognised regional languages
Aynu itak

Ryukyuan languages
Eastern Japanese
Western Japanese
several other Japanese dialects
National language Japanese
Ethnic groups (2011[2])
98.5% Japanese
0.5% Korean
0.4% Chinese
0.6% other
Demonym

Japanese

Government Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
-

Emperor

-

Prime Minister

-

Deputy Prime Minister

Legislature

Akihito
Shinzō Abe
Tarō Asō

National Diet

-

Upper house House of Councillors

-

Lower house House of Representatives

Formation
-

National Foundation Day February 11, 660 BC[3]

-

Meiji Constitution

-

Current constitution

-

San Francisco

November 29, 1890
May 3, 1947

Peace Treaty April 28, 1952
Area
-

Total 377,944 km2[4] (62nd)

145,925 sq mi
-

Water (%)

0.8

Population
-

2012 estimate

126,659,683[5] (10th)

-

2010 census 128,056,026[6]

-

Density

337.1/km2 (36th)

873.1/sq mi
GDP (PPP)

2014 estimate

-

Total $4.835 trillion[7] (4th)

-

Per capita

GDP (nominal)

$38,053[7] (22nd)
2014 estimate

-

Total $4.846 trillion[7] (3rd)

-

Per capita

$38,142[7] (25th)

Gini (2008) 37.6[8]
medium · 76th
HDI (2013)

Decrease 0.890[9]

very high · 17th
Currency

Yen (¥) / En 円 (JPY)

Time zone

JST (UTC+9)

-

Summer (DST)

not observed (UTC+9)

Date format
yyyy-mm-dd
yyyy 年 m 月 d 日
Era yy 年 m 月 d 日 (AD−1988)
Drives on the
Calling code +81

left

ISO 3166 code

JP

Internet TLD .jp
You may need rendering support to display the Japanese text in this article
correctly.
Japan Listeni/dʒəˈpæn/ (Japanese: 日本 Nippon or Nihon; formally 日本国 About this
sound Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally "[the] State of Japan") is an island nation
in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan,
China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in
the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make
up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is often referred to as the
"Land of the Rising Sun".

Japan is a stratovolcanic archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are
Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku, which together comprise about ninetyseven percent of Japan's land area. Due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire,
Japan is substantially prone to earthquakes and tsunami, having the highest natural
disaster risk in the developed world.[10] Japan has the world's tenth-largest
population, with over 126 million people. Honshū's Greater Tokyo Area, which
includes the de facto capital of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the
largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.

Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper
Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from
the 1st century AD. Influence from other nations followed by long periods of
isolation has characterized Japan's history. From the 12th century until 1868, Japan
was ruled by successive feudal military shoguns in the name of the Emperor. Japan
entered into a long period of isolation in the early 17th century, which was only
ended in 1853 when a United States fleet pressured Japan to open to the West.
Nearly two decades of internal conflict and insurrection followed before the Meiji
Emperor was restored as head of state in 1868 and the Empire of Japan was
proclaimed, with the Emperor as a divine symbol of the nation. In the late 19th and
early 20th centuries, victories in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese
War and World War I allowed Japan to expand its empire during a period of
increasing militarism. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of
World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the atomic bombings
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since adopting its revised constitution in 1947, Japan
has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected
legislature called the Diet.

Japan is a member of the UN, the G7, the G8, the G20. A major economic great
power,[2] Japan is a developed country and has the world's third-largest economy
by nominal GDP and the world's fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity.
It is also the world's fourth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer. Although
Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern military
with the world's eighth largest military budget,[11] used for self-defense and
peacekeeping roles. Japan ranks high in metrics of prosperity such as the Human
Development Index, with Japanese women enjoying the highest life expectancy of
any country in the world and the infant mortality rate being the third lowest globally.
[12][13][14]

Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Prehistory and ancient history
2.2 Feudal era
2.3 Modern era
3 Government and politics
4 Foreign relations and military
5 Administrative divisions
6 Geography
6.1 Climate
6.2 Biodiversity
6.3 Environment
7 Economy
7.1 Economic history
7.2 Exports
7.3 Imports
7.4 Science and technology

7.5 Infrastructure
8 Demographics
8.1 Religion
8.2 Languages
8.3 Education
8.4 Health
9 Culture
9.1 Art
9.2 Music
9.3 Literature
9.4 Cuisine
9.5 Sports
10 See also
11 References
12 Further reading
13 External links
Etymology
Main article: Names of Japan
The English word Japan derives from the Chinese pronunciation of the Japanese
name, 日本 , which in Japanese is pronounced Nippon About this sound listen
(help·info) or Nihon About this sound listen (help·info).

From the Meiji Restoration until the end of World War II, the full title of Japan was Dai
Nippon Teikoku (大日本帝國?), meaning "the Empire of Great Japan". Today the name
Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku (日本国?) is used as a formal modern-day equivalent;
countries like Japan whose long form does not contain a descriptive designation are
generally given a name appended by the character koku (国?), meaning "country",
"nation" or "state".

Japanese people refer to themselves as Nihonjin (日本人?) and to their language as
Nihongo (日本語?). Both Nippon and Nihon mean "sun-origin" and are often
translated as Land of the Rising Sun. This nomenclature comes from Japanese
missions to Imperial China and refers to Japan's eastward position relative to China.
Before Nihon came into official use, Japan was known as Wa (倭?) or Wakoku (倭国?).
[15]

The English word for Japan came to the West via early trade routes. The Old
Mandarin or possibly early Wu Chinese (吳語) pronunciation of Japan was recorded
by Marco Polo as Cipangu. In modern Shanghainese, a Wu dialect, the pronunciation
of characters 日本 'Japan' is Zeppen [zəʔpən]. The old Malay word for Japan, Jepang,
was borrowed from a southern coastal Chinese dialect, probably Fukienese or
Ningpo,[16] and this Malay word was encountered by Portuguese traders in Malacca
in the 16th century. Portuguese traders were the first to bring the word to Europe.
[17] An early record of the word in English is in a 1565 letter, spelled Giapan.[18]

History
Main article: History of Japan
Prehistory and ancient history

The Golden Hall and five-storey pagoda of Hōryū-ji, among the oldest wooden
buildings in the world, National Treasures, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
A Paleolithic culture around 30,000 BC constitutes the first known habitation of the
Japanese archipelago. This was followed from around 14,000 BC (the start of the
Jōmon period) by a Mesolithic to Neolithic semi-sedentary hunter-gatherer culture,
who include ancestors of both the contemporary Ainu people and Yamato people,
[19][20] characterized by pit dwelling and rudimentary agriculture.[21] Decorated
clay vessels from this period are some of the oldest surviving examples of pottery in
the world. Around 300 BC, the Yayoi people began to enter the Japanese islands,
intermingling with the Jōmon.[22] The Yayoi period, starting around 500 BC, saw the
introduction of practices like wet-rice farming,[23] a new style of pottery,[24] and
metallurgy, introduced from China and Korea.[25]

Japan first appears in written history in the Chinese Book of Han.[26] According to
the Records of the Three Kingdoms, the most powerful kingdom on the archipelago

during the 3rd century was called Yamataikoku. Buddhism was first introduced to
Japan from Baekje of Korea, but the subsequent development of Japanese Buddhism
was primarily influenced by China.[27] Despite early resistance, Buddhism was
promoted by the ruling class and gained widespread acceptance beginning in the
Asuka period (592–710).[28]

The Nara period (710–784) of the 8th century marked the emergence of a strong
Japanese state, centered on an imperial court in Heijō-kyō (modern Nara). The Nara
period is characterized by the appearance of a nascent literature as well as the
development of Buddhist-inspired art and architecture.[29] The smallpox epidemic
of 735–737 is believed to have killed as much as one-third of Japan's population.[30]
In 784, Emperor Kammu moved the capital from Nara to Nagaoka-kyō before
relocating it to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto) in 794.

Samurai warriors face Mongols, during the Mongol invasions of Japan. The
Kamikaze, two storms, are said to have saved Japan from Mongol fleets.
This marked the beginning of the Heian period (794–1185), during which a distinctly
indigenous Japanese culture emerged, noted for its art, poetry and prose. Lady
Murasaki's The Tale of Genji and the lyrics of Japan's national anthem Kimigayo were
written during this time.[31]

Buddhism began to spread during the Heian era chiefly through two major sects,
Tendai by Saichō, and Shingon by Kūkai. Pure Land Buddhism (Jōdo-shū, Jōdo
Shinshū) greatly becomes popular in the latter half of the 11th century.

Feudal era
Japan's feudal era was characterized by the emergence and dominance of a ruling
class of warriors, the samurai. In 1185, following the defeat of the Taira clan in the
Genpei war, sung in the epic Tale of Heike, samurai Minamoto no Yoritomo was
appointed shogun and established a base of power in Kamakura. After his death, the
Hōjō clan came to power as regents for the shoguns. The Zen school of Buddhism
was introduced from China in the Kamakura period (1185–1333) and became
popular among the samurai class.[32] The Kamakura shogunate repelled Mongol

invasions in 1274 and 1281, but was eventually overthrown by Emperor Go-Daigo.
Go-Daigo was himself defeated by Ashikaga Takauji in 1336.

Samurai could kill a commoner for the slightest insult and were widely feared by the
Japanese population. Edo period, 1798
Ashikaga Takauji established the shogunate in Muromachi, Kyoto. This was the start
of the Muromachi Period (1336–1573). The Ashikaga shogunate achieved glory in
the age of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and the culture based on Zen Buddhism (art of
Miyabi) prospered. This evolved to Higashiyama Culture, and prospered until the
16th century. On the other hand, the succeeding Ashikaga shogunate failed to
control the feudal warlords (daimyo), and a civil war (the Ōnin War) began in 1467,
opening the century-long Sengoku period ("Warring States").[33]

During the 16th century, traders and Jesuit missionaries from Portugal reached
Japan for the first time, initiating direct commercial and cultural exchange between
Japan and the West. Oda Nobunaga conquered many other daimyo using European
technology and firearms; after he was assassinated in 1582, his successor Toyotomi
Hideyoshi unified the nation in 1590. Hideyoshi invaded Korea twice, but following
defeats by Korean and Ming Chinese forces and Hideyoshi's death, Japanese troops
were withdrawn in 1598.[34] This age is called Azuchi–Momoyama period (1573–
1603).

Re-engraved map of Japan
Tokugawa Ieyasu served as regent for Hideyoshi's son and used his position 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 shogun in 1603 and
established the Tokugawa shogunate at Edo (modern Tokyo).[35] The Tokugawa
shogunate enacted measures including buke shohatto, as a code of conduct to
control the autonomous daimyo;[36] and in 1639, the isolationist sakoku ("closed
country") policy that spanned the two and a half centuries of tenuous political unity
known as the Edo period (1603–1868).[37] The study of Western sciences, known as
rangaku, continued through contact with the Dutch enclave at Dejima in Nagasaki.

The Edo period also gave rise to kokugaku ("national studies"), the study of Japan by
the Japanese.[38]

Modern era
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 Western countries in the Bakumatsu
period brought economic and political crises. The resignation of the shogun led to
the Boshin War and the establishment of a centralized state nominally unified under
the Emperor (the Meiji Restoration).[39]

Chinese generals surrendering to the Japanese in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–
1895
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 pursued military conflict to expand its 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.[40] Japan's population grew from 35 million in 1873 to 70 million in 1935.
[41]

Emperor Meiji (1868–1912), in whose name imperial rule was restored at the end of
the Tokugawa shogunate
The early 20th century saw a brief period of "Taishō democracy" overshadowed by
increasing expansionism and militarization. World War I enabled Japan, on the side
of the victorious Allies, to widen its influence and territorial holdings. It continued its
expansionist policy by occupying Manchuria in 1931; as a result of international
condemnation of this occupation, Japan resigned from the League of Nations two
years later. In 1936, Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi Germany, and

the 1940 Tripartite Pact made it one of the Axis Powers.[42] In 1941, Japan
negotiated the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact.[43]

The Empire of Japan invaded other parts of China in 1937, precipitating the Second
Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945). The Imperial Japanese Army swiftly captured the
capital Nanjing and conducted the Nanking Massacre.[44] In 1940, the Empire then
invaded French Indochina, after which the United States placed an oil embargo on
Japan.[45] On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor
and declared war, bringing the US into World War II.[46][47] After the Soviet
invasion of Manchuria and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945,
Japan agreed to an unconditional surrender on August 15.[48] The war cost Japan
and the rest of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere millions of lives and left
much of the nation's industry and infrastructure destroyed. The Allies (led by the
US) repatriated millions of ethnic Japanese from colonies and military camps
throughout Asia, largely eliminating the Japanese empire and restoring the
independence of its conquered territories.[49] The Allies also convened the
International Military Tribunal for the Far East on May 3, 1946 to prosecute some
Japanese leaders for war crimes. However, the bacteriological research units and
members of the imperial family involved in the war were exonerated from criminal
prosecutions by the Supreme Allied Commander despite calls for trials for both
groups.[50]

In 1947, Japan adopted a new constitution emphasizing liberal democratic practices.
The Allied occupation ended with the Treaty of San Francisco in 1952[51] and Japan
was granted membership in the United Nations in 1956. Japan later achieved rapid
growth to become the second-largest economy in the world, until surpassed by
China in 2010. This ended in the mid-1990s when Japan suffered a major recession.
In the beginning of the 21st century, positive growth has signaled a gradual
economic recovery.[52] On March 11, 2011, Japan suffered the strongest earthquake
in its recorded history; this triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, one of
the worst disasters in the history of nuclear power.[53]

Government and politics
Main articles: Government of Japan and Politics of Japan

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko

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 and
other elected members of the Diet, while sovereignty is vested in the Japanese
people.[54] 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 with 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,[2] with a secret ballot for all elected offices.[54] The
Diet is dominated by the social liberal Democratic Party of Japan and the
conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The LDP has enjoyed near continuous
electoral success since 1955, except for a brief 11 month period between 1993 and
1994, and from 2009 to 2012. It holds 294 seats in the lower house and 83 seats in
the upper house.

The Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government and is appointed by the
Emperor after being designated by the Diet from among its members. The Prime
Minister is the head of the Cabinet, and he appoints and dismisses the Ministers of
State. Following the LDP's landslide victory in the 2012 general election, Shinzō Abe
replaced Yoshihiko Noda as the Prime Minister on December 26, 2012.[55] Although
the Prime Minister is formally appointed by the Emperor, the Constitution of Japan
explicitly requires the Emperor to appoint whoever is designated by the Diet.[54]

Historically influenced by Chinese law, the Japanese legal system developed
independently during the Edo period through texts such as Kujikata Osadamegaki.
[56] However, since the late 19th century the judicial system has been largely
based on the civil law of Europe, notably Germany. For example, in 1896, the
Japanese government established a civil code based on a draft of the German
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch; with post–World War II modifications, the code remains in
effect.[57] Statutory law originates in Japan's legislature and has the rubber stamp
of the Emperor. The Constitution requires that the Emperor promulgate legislation
passed by the Diet, without specifically giving him the power to oppose legislation.
[54] Japan's court system is divided into four basic tiers: the Supreme Court and
three levels of lower courts.[58] The main body of Japanese statutory law is called
the Six Codes.[59]

Foreign relations and military
Main articles: Foreign relations of Japan and Japan Self-Defense Forces

JDS Kongō (DDG-173) guided missile destroyer launching a Standard Missile 3 antiballistic missile
Japan is a member of the G8, APEC, and "ASEAN Plus Three", and is a participant in
the East Asia Summit. Japan signed a security pact with Australia in March 2007[60]
and with India in October 2008.[61] It is the world's third largest donor of official
development assistance after the United States and France, donating US$9.48
billion in 2009.[62]

Japan has close economic and military relations with the United States; the USJapan security alliance acts as the cornerstone of the nation's foreign policy.[63] A
member state of the United Nations since 1956, Japan has served as a nonpermanent Security Council member for a total of 20 years, most recently for 2009
and 2010. It is one of the G4 nations seeking permanent membership in the
Security Council.[64]

Japan is engaged in several territorial disputes with its neighbors: with Russia over
the South Kuril Islands, with South Korea over the Liancourt Rocks, with China and
Taiwan over the Senkaku Islands, and with China over the EEZ around
Okinotorishima.[65] Japan also faces an ongoing dispute with North Korea over the
latter's abduction of Japanese citizens and its nuclear weapons and missile program
(see also Six-party talks).[66]

Japan maintains one of the largest military budgets of any country in the world.[67]
Japan contributed non-combatant troops to the Iraq War but subsequently withdrew
its forces.[68] The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is a regular participant in
RIMPAC maritime exercises.[69]

Japan's military (the Japan Self-Defense Forces) is restricted by Article 9 of the
Japanese Constitution, which renounces Japan's right to declare war or use military
force in international disputes. Accordingly Japan's Self-Defence force is a usual
military that has never fired shots outside Japan.[70] It 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; the
deployment of troops to Iraq marked the first overseas use of Japan's military since
World War II.[68] Nippon Keidanren has called on the government to lift the ban on
arms exports so that Japan can join multinational projects such as the Joint Strike
Fighter.[71]

In May 2014 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan wanted to shed the passiveness it
has maintained since the end of World War II and take more responsibility for
regional security. He said Japan wanted to play a key role and offered neighboring
countries Japan's support.[72]

Administrative divisions
Further information: Prefectures of Japan, Regions of Japan, Cities of Japan, Towns of
Japan and Villages of Japan
Japan consists of forty-seven prefectures, each overseen by an elected governor,
legislature and administrative bureaucracy. Each prefecture is further divided into
cities, towns and villages.[73] 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.[74]

Regions and Prefectures of Japan 2.svg
About this image
Geography
Main articles: Geography of Japan and Geology of Japan

Topographic map of the Japanese archipelago
Japan has a total of 6,852 islands extending along the Pacific coast of East Asia. The
country, including all of the islands it controls, lies between latitudes 24° and 46°N,
and longitudes 122° and 146°E. The main islands, from north to south, are
Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. The Ryukyu Islands, which includes

Okinawa, are a chain to the south of Kyushu. Together they are often known as the
Japanese Archipelago.[75]

About 73 percent of Japan is forested, mountainous, and unsuitable for agricultural,
industrial, or residential use.[2][76] As a result, the habitable zones, mainly located
in coastal areas, have extremely high population densities. Japan is one of the most
densely populated countries in the world.[77]

The islands of Japan are located in a volcanic zone on the Pacific Ring of Fire. They
are primarily the result of large oceanic movements occurring over hundreds of
millions of years from the mid-Silurian to the Pleistocene as a result of the
subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the continental Amurian Plate and
Okinawa Plate to the south, and subduction of the Pacific Plate under the Okhotsk
Plate to the north. Japan was originally attached to the eastern coast of the Eurasian
continent. The subducting plates pulled Japan eastward, opening the Sea of Japan
around 15 million years ago.[78]

Japan has 108 active volcanoes. Destructive earthquakes, often resulting in
tsunami, occur several times each century.[79] The 1923 Tokyo earthquake killed
over 140,000 people.[80] More recent major quakes are the 1995 Great Hanshin
earthquake and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, a 9.0-magnitude[81] quake which hit
Japan on March 11, 2011, and triggered a large tsunami.[53] Due to its location in
the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan is substantially prone to earthquakes and tsunami,
having the highest natural disaster risk in the developed world.[10]

Climate
Main article: Climate of Japan

Cherry blossoms of Mount Yoshino has been the subject of many plays and waka
poetry.

Autumn maple leaves (momiji) at Kongōbu-ji on Mount Kōya, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site
The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate, but varies greatly from north to
south. Japan's geographical features divide it into six principal climatic zones:
Hokkaido, Sea of Japan, Central Highland, Seto Inland Sea, Pacific Ocean, and
Ryūkyū Islands. The northernmost zone, Hokkaido, has a humid continental climate
with long, cold winters and very warm to cool summers. Precipitation is not heavy,
but the islands usually develop deep snowbanks in the winter.[82]

In the Sea of Japan zone on Honshu's west coast, northwest winter winds bring
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. The
Central Highland has a typical inland humid continental climate, with large
temperature differences between summer and winter, and between day and night;
precipitation is light, though winters are usually snowy. The mountains of the
Chūgoku and Shikoku regions shelter the Seto Inland Sea from seasonal winds,
bringing mild weather year-round.[82]

The Pacific coast features a humid subtropical climate that experiences milder
winters with occasional snowfall and hot, humid summers because of the southeast
seasonal wind. The Ryukyu Islands have a subtropical climate, with warm winters
and hot summers. Precipitation is very heavy, especially during the rainy season.
The generally humid, temperate climate exhibits marked seasonal variation such as
the blooming of the spring cherry blossoms, the calls of the summer cicada and fall
foliage colors that are celebrated in art and literature.[82]

The average winter temperature in Japan is 5.1 °C (41.2 °F) and the average
summer temperature is 25.2 °C (77.4 °F).[83] The highest temperature ever
measured in Japan—40.9 °C (105.6 °F)—was recorded on August 16, 2007.[84] The
main rainy season begins in early May in Okinawa, and the rain front gradually
moves north until reaching Hokkaido in late July. In most of Honshu, 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.[85]

Biodiversity

The Japanese macaques at Jigokudani hot spring are notable for visiting the spa in
the winter.
Japan has 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.[86] Japan has over 90,000 species of wildlife, including the
brown bear, the Japanese macaque, the Japanese raccoon dog, and the Japanese
giant salamander.[87] A large network of national parks has been established to
protect important areas of flora and fauna as well as thirty-seven Ramsar wetland
sites.[88][89] Four sites have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for
their outstanding natural value.[90]

Environment
Main article: Environmental issues in Japan
In the period of rapid economic growth after World War II, environmental policies
were downplayed by the government and industrial corporations; as a result,
environmental pollution was widespread in the 1950s and 1960s. Responding to
rising concern about the problem, the government introduced several
environmental protection laws in 1970.[91] The oil crisis in 1973 also encouraged
the efficient use of energy because of Japan's lack of natural resources.[92] Current
environmental issues include urban air pollution (NOx, suspended particulate
matter, and toxics), waste management, water eutrophication, nature conservation,
climate change, chemical management and international co-operation for
conservation.[93]

Japan is a world leader in developing and implementing new environmentallyfriendly technologies, subsequently ranking 26th in the 2014 Environmental
Performance Index, which measures a nation's commitment to environmental
sustainability.[94] As a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol, and host of the 1997
conference that created it, Japan is under treaty obligation to reduce its carbon
dioxide emissions and to take other steps to curb climate change.[95]

Economy
Main article: Economy of Japan

The Tokyo Stock Exchange, the largest stock exchange in Asia[96]
Economic history
Some of the structural features for Japan's economic growth developed in the Edo
period, such as the network of transport routes, by road and water, and the futures
contracts, banking and insurance of the Osaka rice brokers.[97] During the Meiji
period from 1868, Japan expanded economically with the embrace of the market
economy.[98] Many of today's enterprises were founded at the time, and Japan
emerged as the most developed nation in Asia.[99] The period of overall real
economic growth from the 1960s to the 1980s has been called the Japanese postwar economic miracle: it averaged 7.5 percent in the 1960s and 1970s, and 3.2
percent in the 1980s and early 1990s.[100]

Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s during what the Japanese call the Lost
Decade, largely because of the after-effects of the Japanese asset price bubble 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 by the global slowdown in 2000.[2] The
economy showed strong signs of recovery after 2005; GDP growth for that year was
2.8 percent, surpassing the growth rates of the US and European Union during the
same period.[101]

As of 2012, Japan is the third largest national economy in the world, after the United
States and China, in terms of nominal GDP,[102] and the fourth largest national
economy in the world, after the United States, China and India, in terms of
purchasing power parity.[7] As of December 2013, Japan's public debt was more
than 200 percent of its annual gross domestic product, the second largest of any
nation in the world. In August 2011, Moody's rating has cut Japan's long-term
sovereign debt rating one notch from Aa3 to Aa2 inline with the size of the country's
deficit and borrowing level. The large budget deficits and government debt since
the 2009 global recession and followed by earthquake and tsunami in March 2011
made the rating downgrade.[103] The service sector accounts for three quarters of
the gross domestic product.[104]

Exports

Japan has a large industrial capacity, and is home to some of the largest and most
technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronics, machine tools,
steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemical substances, textiles, and processed
foods. Agricultural businesses in Japan cultivate 13 percent of Japan's land, and
Japan accounts for nearly 15 percent of the global fish catch, second only to China.
[2] As of 2010, Japan's labor force consisted of some 65.9 million workers.[105]
Japan has a low unemployment rate of around four percent. Some 20 million people,
around 17 per cent of the population, were below the poverty line in 2007.[106]
Housing in Japan is characterized by limited land supply in urban areas.[107]

A plug-in hybrid car manufactured by Toyota, one of the world's largest carmakers.
Japan is the second-largest producer of automobiles in the world.[108]
Japan's exports amounted to US$4,210 per capita in 2005. As of 2012, Japan's main
export markets were China (18.1 percent), the United States (17.8 percent), South
Korea (7.7 percent), Thailand (5.5 percent) and Hong Kong (5.1 percent). Its main
exports are transportation equipment, motor vehicles, electronics, electrical
machinery and chemicals.[2] Japan's main import markets as of 2012 were China
(21.3 percent), the US (8.8 percent), Australia (6.4 percent), Saudi Arabia (6.2
percent), United Arab Emirates (5.0 percent), South Korea (4.6 percent) and Qatar
(4.0 percent).[2]

Imports
Japan's main imports are machinery and equipment, fossil fuels, foodstuffs (in
particular beef), chemicals, textiles and raw materials for its industries. By market
share measures, domestic markets are the least open of any OECD country.[109]
Junichiro Koizumi's administration began some pro-competition reforms, and foreign
investment in Japan has soared.[110]

Japan ranks 27th of 189 countries in the 2014 Ease of doing business index and has
one of the smallest tax revenues of the developed world. The Japanese variant of
capitalism has many distinct features: keiretsu enterprises are influential, and
lifetime employment and seniority-based career advancement are relatively
common in the Japanese work environment.[109][111] Japanese companies are
known for management methods like "The Toyota Way", and shareholder activism is
rare.[112]

Some of the largest enterprises in Japan include Toyota, Nintendo, NTT DoCoMo,
Canon, Honda, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Sharp, Nippon
Steel, Nippon Oil, and Seven & I Holdings Co..[113] It has some of the world's
largest banks, and the Tokyo Stock Exchange (known for its Nikkei 225 and TOPIX
indices) stands as the second largest in the world by market capitalization.[114] As
of 2006, Japan was home to 326 companies from the Forbes Global 2000 or 16.3
percent.[115] In 2013, it was announced that Japan would be importing shale
natural gas.[116]

Science and technology
Main article: Science and technology in Japan

The Japanese Experiment Module (Kibo) at the International Space Station
Japan is a leading nation in scientific research, particularly technology, machinery
and biomedical research. Nearly 700,000 researchers share a US$130 billion
research and development budget, the third largest in the world.[117] Japan is a
world leader in fundamental scientific research, having produced sixteen Nobel
laureates in either physics, chemistry or medicine,[118] three Fields medalists,[119]
and one Gauss Prize laureate.[120] Some of Japan's more prominent technological
contributions are in the fields of electronics, automobiles, machinery, earthquake
engineering, industrial robotics, optics, chemicals, semiconductors and metals.
Japan leads the world in robotics production and use, possessing more than half
(402,200 of 742,500) of the world's industrial robots.[121]

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is Japan's space agency; it conducts
space, planetary, and aviation research, and leads development of rockets and
satellites. It is a participant in the International Space Station: the Japanese
Experiment Module (Kibo) was added to the station during Space Shuttle assembly
flights in 2008.[122] Japan's plans in space exploration include: launching a space
probe to Venus, Akatsuki;[123][124] developing the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter
to be launched in 2016;[125] and building a moon base by 2030.[126]

On September 14, 2007, it launched lunar explorer "SELENE" (Selenological and
Engineering Explorer) on an H-IIA (Model H2A2022) carrier rocket from Tanegashima

Space Center. SELENE is also known as Kaguya, after the lunar princess of The Tale
of the Bamboo Cutter.[127] Kaguya is the largest lunar mission since the Apollo
program. Its purpose is to gather data on the moon's origin and evolution. It entered
a lunar orbit on October 4,[128][129] flying at an altitude of about 100 km (62 mi).
[130] The probe's mission was ended when it was deliberately crashed by JAXA into
the Moon on June 11, 2009.[131]

Infrastructure
Main articles: Energy in Japan and Transport in Japan

A high-speed Shinkansen train ("Bullet train")
As of 2011, 46.1 percent of energy in Japan was produced from petroleum, 21.3
percent from coal, 21.4 percent from natural gas, 4.0 percent from nuclear power,
and 3.3 percent from hydropower. Nuclear power produced 9.2 percent of Japan's
electricity, as of 2011, down from 24.9 percent the previous year.[132] However, as
of May 5, 2012, all of the country's nuclear power plants had been taken offline
because of ongoing public opposition following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear
disaster, though government officials have been continuing to try to sway public
opinion in favor of returning at least some of Japan's 50 nuclear reactors to service.
[133] Given its heavy dependence on imported energy,[134] Japan has aimed to
diversify its sources and maintain high levels of energy efficiency.[135]

Japan's road spending has been extensive.[136] Its 1.2 million kilometers of paved
road are the main means of transportation.[137] A single network of high-speed,
divided, limited-access toll roads connects major cities and is operated by tollcollecting enterprises. New and used cars are inexpensive; car ownership fees and
fuel levies are used to promote energy efficiency. However, at just 50 percent of all
distance traveled, car usage is the lowest of all G8 countries.[138]

Dozens of Japanese railway companies compete in regional and local passenger
transportation markets; major companies include seven JR enterprises, Kintetsu
Corporation, Seibu Railway and Keio Corporation. Some 250 high-speed Shinkansen
trains connect major cities and Japanese trains are known for their safety and
punctuality.[139][140] Proposals for a new Maglev route between Tokyo and Osaka
are at an advanced stage.[141] There are 173 airports in Japan; the largest

domestic airport, Haneda Airport, is Asia's second-busiest airport.[142] The largest
international gateways are Narita International Airport, Kansai International Airport
and Chūbu Centrair International Airport.[143] Nagoya Port is the country's largest
and busiest port, accounting for 10 percent of Japan's trade value.[144]

Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of Japan, Japanese people and Ethnic issues in Japan

Ainu, an ethnic minority people from Japan

A Japanese wedding at the Meiji Shrine
Japan's population is estimated at around 127.3 million,[2] with 80% of the
population living on Honshū. Japanese society is linguistically and culturally
homogeneous,[145] composed of 98.5% ethnic Japanese,[146] with small
populations of foreign workers.[145] Zainichi Koreans,[147] Zainichi Chinese,
Filipinos, Brazilians mostly of Japanese descent,[148] and Peruvians mostly of
Japanese descent are among the small minority groups in Japan.[149] In 2003, there
were about 134,700 non-Latin American Western and 345,500 Latin American
expatriates, 274,700 of whom were Brazilians (said to be primarily Japanese
descendants, or nikkeijin, along with their spouses),[148] the largest community of
Westerners.[150]

The most dominant native ethnic group is the Yamato people; primary minority
groups include the indigenous Ainu[151] and Ryukyuan peoples, as well as social
minority groups like the burakumin.[152] There are persons of mixed ancestry
incorporated among the 'ethnic Japanese' or Yamato, such as those from Ogasawara
Archipelago where roughly one-tenth of the Japanese population can have
European, American, Micronesian and/or Polynesian backgrounds, with some
families going back up to seven generations.[153] In spite of the widespread belief
that Japan is ethnically homogeneous (in 2009, foreign-born non-naturalized
workers made up only 1.7% of the total population),[154] also because of the
absence of ethnicity and/or race statistics for Japanese nationals, at least one
analysis describes Japan as a multiethnic society, for example, John Lie.[155]
However, this statement is refused by many sectors of Japanese society, who still

tend to preserve the idea of Japan being a monocultural society and with this
ideology of homogeneity, has traditionally rejected any need to recognize ethnic
differences in Japan, even as such claims have been rejected by such ethnic
minorities as the Ainu and Ryukyuan people. Former Japanese Prime Minister Tarō
Asō has once described Japan as being a nation of "one race, one civilization, one
language and one culture".[156]

Japan has the second longest overall life expectancy at birth of any country in the
world: 83.5 years for persons born in the period 2010–2015.[13][14] The Japanese
population is rapidly aging as a result of a post–World War II baby boom followed by
a decrease in birth rates. In 2012, about 24.1 percent of the population was over 65,
and the proportion is projected to rise to almost 40 percent by 2050.[157]

The changes in demographic structure have created a number of social issues,
particularly a potential decline in workforce population and increase in the cost of
social security benefits like the public pension plan.[158] A growing number of
younger Japanese are preferring not to marry or have families.[159] In 2011, Japan's
population dropped for a fifth year, falling by 204,000 people to 126.24 million
people. This was the greatest decline since at least 1947, when comparable figures
were first compiled.[160] This decline was made worse by the March 11 earthquake
and tsunami which killed nearly 16,000 people with approximately another 3,000
still listed as missing.[161]

Japan's population is expected to drop to 95 million by 2050,[157][162]
demographers and government planners are currently in a heated debate over how
to cope with this problem.[159] Immigration and birth incentives are sometimes
suggested as a solution to provide younger workers to support the nation's aging
population.[163][164] Japan accepts a steady flow of 15,000 new Japanese citizens
by naturalization (帰化) per year.[165] According to the UNHCR, in 2012 Japan
accepted just 18 refugees for resettlement,[166] while the US took in 76,000.[167]

Japan suffers from a high suicide rate.[168][169] In 2009, the number of suicides
exceeded 30,000 for the twelfth straight year.[170] Suicide is the leading cause of
death for people under 30.[171]

vte
Largest cities or towns of Japan
2010 Census
Rank Name Prefecture

Pop.

Rank Name Prefecture

Pop.

Tokyo
Tokyo
Yokohama
Yokohama 1
1,174,209

Tokyo Tokyo 8,949,447
Osaka

11

Hiroshima

Hiroshima

Kanagawa

12

Sendai

Miyagi1,045,903

Fukuoka

977,288

Osaka
Nagoya
Nagoya
2

Yokohama

3

Osaka Osaka 2,666,371

4

Nagoya

Aichi 2,263,907

5

Sapporo

Hokkaidō

6

Kobe Hyōgo1,544,873

16

Niigata

7

Kyoto Kyōto 1,474,473

17

Hamamatsu Shizuoka

8

Fukuoka
734,294

Fukuoka

1,463,826

18

Kumamoto

9

Kawasaki
717,561

Kanagawa

1,425,678

19

Sagamihara Kanagawa

10

Saitama
716,328

Saitama

1,222,910

20

Shizuoka

Religion
Main article: Religion in Japan

3,689,603
13

Kitakyushu
14

1,914,434

Chiba Chiba 962,130
15

Sakai Osaka 842,134
Niigata

812,192
800,912
Kumamoto

Shizuoka

The Torii of Itsukushima Shrine near Hiroshima, one of the Three Views of Japan and
a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Japan enjoys full religious freedom based on Article 20 of its Constitution. Upper
estimates suggest that 84–96 percent of the Japanese population subscribe to
Buddhism or Shinto, including a large number of followers of a syncretism of both
religions.[2][172] However, these estimates are based on people affiliated with a
temple, rather than the number of true believers. Other studies have suggested
that only 30 percent of the population identify themselves as belonging to a
religion.[173] According to Edwin Reischauer and Marius Jansen, some 70–80% of
the Japanese regularly tell pollsters they do not consider themselves believers in
any religion.[174]

Nevertheless, the level of participation remains high, especially during festivals and
occasions such as the first shrine visit of the New Year. Taoism and Confucianism
from China have also influenced Japanese beliefs and customs.[175] Japanese
streets are decorated on Tanabata, Obon and Christmas. Fewer than one percent of
Japanese are Christian.[176] Other minority religions include Islam, Hinduism,
Sikhism, and Judaism, and since the mid-19th century numerous new religious
movements have emerged in Japan.[177]

Languages
Main articles: Languages of Japan and Japanese language
More than 99 percent of the population speaks Japanese as their first language.[2]
Japanese is an agglutinative language distinguished by a system of honorifics
reflecting the hierarchical nature of Japanese society, with verb forms and particular
vocabulary indicating the relative status of speaker and listener. Japanese writing
uses kanji (Chinese characters) and two sets of kana (syllabaries based on
simplified Chinese characters), as well as the Latin alphabet and Arabic numerals.
[178]

Besides Japanese, the Ryukyuan languages (Amami, Kunigami, Okinawan, Miyako,
Yaeyama, Yonaguni), also part of the Japonic language family, are spoken in the
Ryukyu Islands chain. Few children learn these languages,[179] but in recent years
the local governments have sought to increase awareness of the traditional
languages. The Okinawan Japanese dialect is also spoken in the region. The Ainu
language, which has no proven relationship to Japanese or any other language, is

moribund, with only a few elderly native speakers remaining in Hokkaido.[180] Most
public and private schools require students to take courses in both Japanese and
English.[181][182]

Education
Main article: Education in Japan

Announcement of the results of the entrance examinations to the University of
Tokyo
Primary schools, secondary schools and universities were introduced in 1872 as a
result of the Meiji Restoration.[183] Since 1947, compulsory education in Japan
comprises elementary and middle school, which together last for nine years (from
age 6 to age 15). Almost all children continue their education at a three-year senior
high school, and, according to the MEXT, as of 2005 about 75.9 percent of high
school graduates attended a university, junior college, trade school, or other higher
education institution.[184]

The two top-ranking universities in Japan are the University of Tokyo and Kyoto
University.[185][186] The Programme for International Student Assessment
coordinated by the OECD currently ranks the overall knowledge and skills of
Japanese 15-year-olds as sixth best in the world.[187]

Health
Main articles: Health in Japan and Health care system in Japan
In Japan, health care is provided by national and local governments. Payment for
personal medical services is offered through a universal health insurance system
that provides relative equality of access, with fees set by a government committee.
People without insurance through employers can participate in a national health
insurance program administered by local governments. Since 1973, all elderly
persons have been covered by government-sponsored insurance.[188] Patients are
free to select the physicians or facilities of their choice.[189]

Culture

Kinkaku-ji or 'The Temple of the Golden Pavilion' in Kyoto, Special Historic Site,
Special Place of Scenic Beauty, and UNESCO World Heritage Site; its torching by a
monk in 1950 is the subject of a novel by Mishima.
Main article: Culture of Japan
See also: Japanese popular culture
Japanese culture has evolved greatly from its origins. Contemporary culture
combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America. Traditional Japanese arts
include crafts such as ceramics, textiles, lacquerware, swords and dolls;
performances of bunraku, kabuki, noh, dance, and rakugo; and other practices, the
tea ceremony, ikebana, martial arts, calligraphy, origami, onsen, Geisha and games.
Japan has a developed system for the protection and promotion of both tangible and
intangible Cultural Properties and National Treasures.[190] Sixteen sites have been
inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, twelve of which are of cultural
significance.[90]

Art
Further information: Japanese art, Japanese architecture, Japanese garden and
Japanese aesthetics
The Shrines of Ise have been celebrated as the prototype of Japanese architecture.
[191] Largely of wood, traditional housing and many temple buildings see the use of
tatami mats and sliding doors that break down the distinction between rooms and
indoor and outdoor space.[192] Japanese sculpture, largely of wood, and Japanese
painting are among the oldest of the Japanese arts, with early figurative paintings
dating back to at least 300 BC. The history of Japanese painting exhibits synthesis
and competition between native Japanese aesthetics and adaptation of imported
ideas.[193]

The interaction between Japanese and European art has been significant: for
example ukiyo-e prints, which began to be exported in the 19th century in the
movement known as Japonism, had a significant influence on the development of
modern art in the West, most notably on post-Impressionism.[193] Famous ukiyo-e
artists include Hokusai and Hiroshige. The fusion of traditional woodblock printing
and Western art led to the creation of manga, a comic book format that is now
popular within and outside Japan.[194] Manga-influenced animation for television

and film is called anime. Japanese-made video game consoles have been popular
since the 1980s.[195]

Music
Main article: Music of Japan
Japanese music is eclectic and diverse. Many instruments, such as the koto, were
introduced in the 9th and 10th centuries. The accompanied recitative of the Noh
drama dates from the 14th century and the popular folk music, with the guitar-like
shamisen, from the sixteenth.[196] Western classical music, introduced in the late
19th century, now forms an integral part of Japanese culture. The imperial court
ensemble Gagaku has influenced the work of some modern Western composers.
[197]

Notable classical composers from Japan include Toru Takemitsu and Rentarō Taki.
Popular music in post-war Japan has been heavily influenced by American and
European trends, which has led to the evolution of J-pop, or Japanese popular music.
[198] Karaoke is the most widely practiced cultural activity in Japan. A 1993 survey
by the Cultural Affairs Agency found that more Japanese had sung karaoke that year
than had participated in traditional pursuits such as flower arranging (ikebana) or
tea ceremonies.[199]

Literature
Main articles: Japanese literature and Japanese poetry

12th-century illustrated handscroll of The Tale of Genji, a National Treasure
The earliest works of Japanese literature include the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki
chronicles and the Man'yōshū poetry anthology, all from the 8th century and written
in Chinese characters.[200][201] In the early Heian period, the system of
phonograms known as kana (Hiragana and Katakana) was developed. The Tale of
the Bamboo Cutter is considered the oldest Japanese narrative.[202] An account of
Heian court life is given in The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon, while The Tale of Genji
by Murasaki Shikibu is often described as the world's first novel.[203][204]

During the Edo period, the chōnin ("townspeople") overtook the samurai aristocracy
as producers and consumers of literature. The popularity of the works of Saikaku,
for example, reveals this change in readership and authorship, while Bashō
revivified the poetic tradition of the Kokinshū with his haikai (haiku) and wrote the
poetic travelogue Oku no Hosomichi.[205] The Meiji era saw the decline of
traditional literary forms as Japanese literature integrated Western influences.
Natsume Sōseki and Mori Ōgai were the first "modern" novelists of Japan, followed
by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Yukio Mishima and, more recently,
Haruki Murakami. Japan has two Nobel Prize-winning authors—Yasunari Kawabata
(1968) and Kenzaburō Ōe (1994).[202]

Cuisine

Breakfast at a ryokan or inn
Main article: Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine is based on combining staple foods, typically Japanese rice or
noodles, with a soup and okazu — dishes made from fish, vegetable, tofu and the
like – to add flavor to the staple food. In the early modern era ingredients such as
red meats that had previously not been widely used in Japan were introduced.
Japanese cuisine is known for its emphasis on seasonality of food,[206] quality of
ingredients and presentation. Japanese cuisine offers a vast array of regional
specialties that use traditional recipes and local ingredients. The Michelin Guide has
awarded restaurants in Japan more Michelin stars than the rest of the world
combined.[207]

Sports
Main article: Sport in Japan

Sumo wrestlers form around the referee during the ring-entering ceremony
Traditionally, sumo is considered Japan's national sport.[208] Japanese martial arts
such as judo, karate and kendo are also widely practiced and enjoyed by spectators
in the country. After the Meiji Restoration, many Western sports were introduced in

Japan and began to spread through the education system.[209] Japan hosted the
Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964. Japan has hosted the Winter Olympics twice:
Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.[210] Tokyo will host the 2020 Summer
Olympics, making Tokyo the first Asian city to host the Olympics twice.[211] Japan is
the most successful Asian Rugby Union country, winning the Asian Five Nations a
record 6 times and winning the newly formed IRB Pacific Nations Cup in 2011. Japan
will host the 2019 IRB Rugby World Cup.[212]

Baseball is currently the most popular spectator sport in the country. Japan's top
professional league, Nippon Professional Baseball, was established in 1936.[213]
Since the establishment of the Japan Professional Football League in 1992,
association football has also gained a wide following.[214] Japan was a venue of the
Intercontinental Cup from 1981 to 2004 and co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with
South Korea.[215] Japan has one of the most successful football teams in Asia,
winning the Asian Cup four times.[216] Also, Japan recently won the FIFA Women's
World Cup in 2011.[217] Golf is also popular in Japan,[218] as are forms of auto
racing like the Super GT series and Formula Nippon.[219] The country has produced
one NBA player, Yuta Tabuse.[220]

See also
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Tourism in Japan
Outline of Japan
Index of Japan-related articles
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Further reading
Flath, The Japanese Economy, Oxford University Press, 2000 (ISBN 0-19-877503-2)
Henshall, A History of Japan, Palgrave Macmillan, 2001 (ISBN 0-312-23370-1)
Iwabuchi, Recentering Globalization: Popular Culture and Japanese Transnationalism,
Duke University Press, 2002 (ISBN 0-8223-2891-7)
Jansen, The Making of Modern Japan, Belknap, 2000 (ISBN 0-674-00334-9)
Kato et al., A History of Japanese Literature: From the Man'Yoshu to Modern Times,
Japan Library, 1997 (ISBN 1-873410-48-4)
Samuels, Securing Japan: Tokyo's Grand Strategy and the Future of East Asia,
Cornell University Press, 2008 (ISBN 0-8014-7490-6)
Silverberg, Erotic Grotesque Nonsense: The Mass Culture of Japanese Modern Times,
University of California Press, 2007 (ISBN 0-520-22273-3)

Sugimoto et al., An Introduction to Japanese Society, Cambridge University Press,
2003 (ISBN 0-521-52925-5)
Varley, Japanese Culture, University of Hawaii Press, 2000 (ISBN 0-8248-2152-1)
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