Japan

 

Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs                                      
July 2007                                                                     
                                                                       
  Background Note: Japan                                                      
                                                 
  Mount Fuji is Japan's tallest                                               
  mountain. Fujiyoshida, Japan,                                               
  February 2, 2001. [© AP Images]                                             
                                                                       
  Flag of Japan is white with a large red disk (representing the sun without  
  rays) in the center.                                                        
                                                                       
  PROFILE                                                                     
                                                                       
  OFFICIAL NAME:                                                              
  Japan                                                                       
                                                                       
  Geography                                                                   
  Area: 377,864 sq. km. (145,902 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than California.  
  Cities: Capital--Tokyo. Other cities--Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kobe,
  Kyoto, Fukuoka.                                                             
  Terrain: Rugged, mountainous islands.                                       
  Climate: Varies from subtropical to temperate.                              
                                                                       
  People                                                                      
  Nationality: Noun and adjective--Japanese.                                  
  Population (2007 est.): 127.5 million.                                      
  Population growth rate (2007 est.): -0.088%.                                
  Ethnic groups: Japanese; Korean (0.5%).                                     
  Religions: Shinto and Buddhist; Christian (about 0.7%).                     
  Language: Japanese.                                                         
  Education: Literacy--99%.                                                   
  Health (2007 est.): Infant mortality rate--2.8/1,000. Life expectancy--males
  78 yrs., females 85 yrs.                                                    
  Work force (67 million, 2003): services--42%; trade, manufacturing, mining, 
  and construction--46%; agriculture, forestry, fisheries--5%; government--3%.
                                                                       
  Government                                                                  
  Type: Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government.              
  Constitution: May 3, 1947.                                                  
  Branches: Executive--prime minister (head of government).                   
  Legislative--bicameral Diet (House of Representatives and House of          
  Councillors). Judicial--civil law system based on the model of Roman law.   
  Administrative subdivisions: 47 prefectures.                                
  Political parties: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Democratic Party of Japan
  (DPJ), New Clean Government Party (Komeito), Japan Communist Party (JCP),   
  Social Democratic Party (SDP).                                              
  Suffrage: Universal at 20.                                                  
                                                                       
  Economy                                                                     
  GDP (2006 est.): $4.883 trillion (official exchange rate); $3.902 trillion  
  (PPP).                                                                      
  Real growth rate (2006): 2.2%.                                              
  Per capita GDP (2006 est. PPP): $34,155.                                    
  Natural resources: Fish and few mineral resources.                          
  Agriculture: Products--rice, vegetables, fruit, milk, meat, silk.           
  Industry: Types--machinery and equipment, metals and metal products,        
  textiles, autos, chemicals, electrical and electronic equipment.            
                                                                       
  GEOGRAPHY                                                                   
  Japan, a country of islands, extends along the eastern or Pacific coast of  
  Asia. The four main islands, running from north to south, are Hokkaido,     
  Honshu (or the mainland), Shikoku, and Kyushu. Okinawa Island is about 380  
  miles southwest of Kyushu. About 3,000 smaller islands are included in the  
  archipelago. In total land area, Japan is slightly smaller than California. 
  About 73% of the country is mountainous, with a chain running through each of
  the main islands. Japan's highest mountain is the world famous Mt. Fuji     
  (12,385 feet). Since so little flat area exists, many hills and mountainsides
  are cultivated all the way to the summits. As Japan is situated in a volcanic
  zone along the Pacific depth, frequent low intensity earth tremors and      
  occasional volcanic activity are felt throughout the islands. Destructive   
  earthquakes occur several times a century. Hot springs are numerous and have
  been developed as resorts.                                                  
                                                                       
  Temperature extremes are less pronounced than in the United States, but the 
  climate varies considerably. Sapporo, on the northernmost main island, has  
  warm summers and long, cold winters with heavy snowfall. Tokyo, Nagoya,     
  Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe, in central and western parts of the largest island of
  Honshu, experience relatively mild winters with little or no snowfall and   
  hot, humid summers. Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu, has a climate similar 
  to that of Washington, DC, with mild winters and short summers. Okinawa is  
  subtropical.                                                                
                                                                       
  PEOPLE                                                                      
  Japan's population, currently some 128 million, has experienced a phenomenal
  growth rate during the past 100 years as a result of scientific, industrial,
  and sociological changes, but this has recently slowed because of falling   
  birth rates. In 2005, Japan's population declined for the first time, two   
  years earlier than predicted. High sanitary and health standards produce a  
  life expectancy exceeding that of the United States.                        
                                                                       
  Japan is an urban society with only about 4% of the labor force engaged in  
  agriculture. Many farmers supplement their income with part-time jobs in    
  nearby towns and cities. About 80 million of the urban population is heavily
  concentrated on the Pacific shore of Honshu and in northern Kyushu. Major   
  population centers include: Metropolitan Tokyo with approximately 14 million;
  Yokohama with 3.3 million; Osaka with 2.6 million; Nagoya with 2.1 million; 
  Sapporo with 1.6 million; Kyoto with 1.5 million; Kobe with 1.4 million; and
  Kitakyushu, Kawasaki, and Fukuoka with 1.2 million each. Japan faces the same
  problems that confront urban industrialized societies throughout the world: 
  overcrowded cities, congested roads, air pollution, and rising juvenile     
  delinquency.                                                                
                                                                       
  Shintoism and Buddhism are Japan's two principal religions. Shintoism is    
  founded on myths and legends emanating from the early animistic worship of  
  natural phenomena. Since it was unconcerned with problems of afterlife which
  dominate Buddhist thought, and since Buddhism easily accommodated itself to 
  local faiths, the two religions comfortably coexisted, and Shinto shrines and
  Buddhist temples often became administratively linked. Today many Japanese  
  are adherents of both faiths. From the 16th to the 19th century Shintoism   
  flourished.                                                                 
                                                                       
  Adopted by the leaders of the Meiji restoration, Shintoism received state   
  support and was cultivated as a spur to patriotic and nationalistic feelings.
  Following World War II, state support was discontinued, and the emperor     
  disavowed divinity. Today Shintoism plays a more peripheral role in the life
  of the Japanese people. The numerous shrines are visited regularly by a few 
  believers and, if they are historically famous or known for natural beauty, 
  by many sightseers. Many marriages are held in the shrines, and children are
  brought there after birth and on certain anniversary dates; special shrine  
  days are celebrated for certain occasions, and numerous festivals are held  
  throughout the year. Many homes have "god shelves" where offerings can be   
  made to Shinto deities.                                                     
                                                                       
  Buddhism first came to Japan in the 6th century and for the next 10 centuries
  exerted profound influence on its intellectual, artistic, social, and       
  political life. Most funerals are conducted by Buddhist priests, and many   
  Japanese visit family graves and Buddhist temples to pay respects to        
  ancestors.                                                                  
                                                                       
  Confucianism arrived with the first great wave of Chinese influence into    
  Japan between the 6th and 9th centuries. Overshadowed by Buddhism, it       
  survived as an organized philosophy into the late 19th century and remains  
  today as an important influence on Japanese thought and values.             
                                                                       
  Christianity, first introduced into Japan in 1549, was virtually stamped out
  by the government a century later; it was reintroduced in the late 1800s and
  has spread slowly. Today it has 1.4 million adherents, including a relatively
  high percentage of important figures in education and public affairs.       
                                                                       
  Beyond the three traditional religions, many Japanese today are turning to a
  great variety of popular religious movements normally lumped together under 
  the name "new religions." These religions draw on the concept of Shinto,    
  Buddhism, and folk superstition and have developed in part to meet the social
  needs of elements of the population. The officially recognized new religions
  number in the hundreds, and total membership is reportedly in the tens of   
  millions.                                                                   
                                                                       
  HISTORY                                                                     
  Japanese legend maintains that Japan was founded in 600 BC by the Emperor   
  Jimmu, a direct descendant of the sun goddess and ancestor of the present   
  ruling imperial family. About AD 405, the Japanese court officially adopted 
  the Chinese writing system. Together with the introduction of Buddhism in the
  sixth century, these two events revolutionized Japanese culture and marked  
  the beginning of a long period of Chinese cultural influence. From the      
  establishment of the first fixed capital at Nara in 710 until 1867, the     
  emperors of the Yamato dynasty were the nominal rulers, but actual power was
  usually held by powerful court nobles, regents, or "shoguns" (military      
  governors).                                                                 
                                                                       
  Contact With the West                                                       
  The first recorded contact with the West occurred about 1542, when a        
  Portuguese ship, blown off its course to China, landed in Japan. During the 
  next century, traders from Portugal, the Netherlands, England, and Spain    
  arrived, as did Jesuit, Dominican, and Franciscan missionaries. During the  
  early part of the 17th century, Japan's shogunate suspected that the traders
  and missionaries were actually forerunners of a military conquest by European
  powers. This caused the shogunate to place foreigners under progressively   
  tighter restrictions. Ultimately, Japan forced all foreigners to leave and  
  barred all relations with the outside world except for severely restricted  
  commercial contacts with Dutch and Chinese merchants at Nagasaki. This      
  isolation lasted for 200 years, until Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S.   
  Navy negotiated the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of     
  Kanagawa in 1854.                                                           
                                                                       
  Within several years, renewed contact with the West profoundly altered      
  Japanese society. The shogunate resigned, and the emperor was restored to   
  power. The "Meiji restoration" of 1868 initiated many reforms. The feudal   
  system was abolished, and numerous Western institutions were adopted,       
  including a Western legal and educational system and constitutional         
  government along parliamentary lines.                                       
                                                                       
  In 1898, the last of the "unequal treaties" with Western powers was removed,
  signaling Japan's new status among the nations of the world. In a few       
  decades, by creating modern social, educational, economic, military, and    
  industrial systems, the Emperor Meiji's "controlled revolution" had         
  transformed a feudal and isolated state into a world power.                 
                                                                       
  Wars With China and Russia                                                  
  Japanese leaders of the late 19th century regarded the Korean Peninsula as a
  potential threat to Japan. It was over Korea that Japan became involved in  
  war with the Chinese Empire in 1894-95 and with Russia in 1904-05. The war  
  with China established Japan's domination of Korea, while also giving it the
  Pescadores Islands and Formosa (now Taiwan). After Japan defeated Russia in 
  1905, the resulting Treaty of Portsmouth awarded Japan certain rights in    
  Manchuria and in southern Sakhalin, which Russia had received in 1875 in    
  exchange for the Kurile Islands. Both wars gave Japan a free hand in Korea, 
  which it formally annexed in 1910.                                          
                                                                       
  World War I to 1952                                                         
  World War I permitted Japan, which fought on the side of the victorious     
  Allies, to expand its influence in Asia and its territorial holdings in the 
  Pacific. The postwar era brought Japan unprecedented prosperity. Japan went 
  to the peace conference at Versailles in 1919 as one of the great military  
  and industrial powers of the world and received official recognition as one 
  of the "Big Five" of the new international order. It joined the League of   
  Nations and received a mandate over Pacific islands north of the Equator    
  formerly held by Germany.                                                   
                                                                       
  During the 1920s, Japan progressed toward a democratic system of government.
  However, parliamentary government was not rooted deeply enough to withstand 
  the economic and political pressures of the 1930s, during which military    
  leaders became increasingly influential.                                    
                                                                       
  Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 and set up the puppet state of Manchukuo. In
  1933, Japan resigned from the League of Nations. The Japanese invasion of   
  China in 1937 followed Japan's signing of the "anti-Comintern pact" with Nazi
  Germany the previous year and was part of a chain of developments culminating
  in the Japanese attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on     
  December 7, 1941.                                                           
                                                                       
  After years of war, resulting in the loss of 3 million Japanese lives and the
  atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan signed an instrument of    
  surrender on the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Harbor on September 2, 1945. As a 
  result of World War II, Japan lost all of its overseas possessions and      
  retained only the home islands. Manchukuo was dissolved, and Manchuria was  
  returned to China; Japan renounced all claims to Formosa; Korea was occupied
  and divided by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.; southern Sakhalin and the Kuriles 
  were occupied by the U.S.S.R.; and the U.S. became the sole administering   
  authority of the Ryukyu, Bonin, and Volcano Islands. The 1972 reversion of  
  Okinawa completed the U.S. return of control of these islands to Japan.     
                                                                       
  After the war, Japan was placed under international control of the Allies   
  through the Supreme Commander, Gen. Douglas MacArthur. U.S. objectives were 
  to ensure that Japan would become a peaceful nation and to establish        
  democratic self-government supported by the freely expressed will of the    
  people. Political, economic, and social reforms were introduced, such as a  
  freely elected Japanese Diet (legislature) and universal adult suffrage. The
  country's constitution took effect on May 3, 1947. The United States and 45 
  other Allied nations signed the Treaty of Peace with Japan in September 1951.
  The U.S. Senate ratified the treaty in March 1952, and under the terms of the
  treaty, Japan regained full sovereignty on April 28, 1952.                  
                                                                       
  GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS                                         
  Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government. There is
  universal adult suffrage with a secret ballot for all elective offices.     
  Sovereignty, previously embodied in the emperor, is vested in the Japanese  
  people, and the Emperor is defined as the symbol of the state.              
                                                                       
  Japan's Government is a parliamentary democracy, with a House of            
  Representatives and a House of Councillors. Executive power is vested in a  
  cabinet composed of a prime minister and ministers of state, all of whom must
  be civilians. The prime minister must be a member of the Diet and is        
  designated by his colleagues. The prime minister has the power to appoint and
  remove ministers, a majority of whom must be Diet members. The judiciary is 
  independent.                                                                
                                                                       
  The five major political parties represented in the National Diet are the   
  Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the New
  Clean Government Party (Komeito), the Japan Communist Party (JCP), and the  
  Social Democratic Party (SDP).                                              
                                                                       
  Japan's judicial system, drawn from customary law, civil law, and           
  Anglo-American common law, consists of several levels of courts, with the   
  Supreme Court as the final judicial authority. The Japanese constitution    
  includes a bill of rights similar to the U.S. Bill of Rights, and the Supreme
  Court has the right of judicial review. Japanese courts do not use a jury   
  system, and there are no administrative courts or claims courts. Because of 
  the judicial system's basis, court decisions are made in accordance with    
  legal statutes. Only Supreme Court decisions have any direct effect on later
  interpretation of the law.                                                  
                                                                       
  Japan does not have a federal system, and its 47 prefectures are not        
  sovereign entities in the sense that U.S. states are. Most depend on the    
  central government for subsidies. Governors of prefectures, mayors of       
  municipalities, and prefectural and municipal assembly members are popularly
  elected to 4-year terms.                                                    
                                                                       
  Recent Political Developments                                               
  The post-World War II years saw tremendous economic growth in Japan, with the
  political system dominated by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). That total
  domination lasted until the Diet Lower House elections on July 18, 1993, in 
  which the LDP failed for the first time to win a majority. The LDP returned 
  to power in 1994.                                                           
                                                                       
  Shinzo Abe was elected Prime Minister in a Diet vote in September 2006. Abe 
  is the first Prime Minister to be born after World War II and the youngest  
  Prime Minister since the war. Abe comes from one of Japan's political       
  families. His grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, was elected Prime Minister in 1957
  and his father, Shintaro Abe, was a former foreign minister. Abe took over  
  his father's parliamentary seat after his death in 1993 and gained national 
  popularity for his firm stance against North Korea for its abductions of    
  Japanese citizens. Despite a reputation as a conservative nationalist, Shinzo
  Abe has taken positive steps to improve relations with South Korea and China.
  He visited Beijing and Seoul during his first trip overseas as Prime        
  Minister. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Tokyo in April 2007.           
                                                                       
  Principal Government Officials                                              
  Head of State--Emperor Akihito                                              
  Prime Minister (Head of Government)--Shinzo Abe                             
  Minister of Foreign Affairs--Taro Aso                                       
  Ambassador to the U.S.--Ryozo Kato                                          
  Permanent Representative to the UN--Kenzo Oshima                            
                                                                       
  Japan maintains an embassy in the United States at 2520 Massachusetts Avenue
  NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel: 202-238-6700; fax: 202-328-2187).            
                                                                       
  ECONOMY                                                                     
  Japan's industrialized, free market economy is the second-largest in the    
  world Its economy is highly efficient and competitive in areas linked to    
  international trade, but productivity is far lower in protected areas such as
  agriculture, distribution, and services. After achieving one of the highest 
  economic growth rates in the world from the 1960s through the 1980s, the    
  Japanese economy slowed dramatically in the early 1990s, when the "bubble   
  economy" collapsed, marked by plummeting stock and real estate prices.      
                                                                       
  Japan's reservoir of industrial leadership and technicians, well-educated and
  industrious work force, high savings and investment rates, and intensive    
  promotion of industrial development and foreign trade produced a mature     
  industrial economy. Japan has few natural resources, and trade helps it earn
  the foreign exchange needed to purchase raw materials for its economy.      
                                                                       
  Japan's long-term economic prospects are considered good, and it has largely
  recovered from its worst period of economic stagnation since World War II.  
  Real GDP in Japan grew at an average of roughly 1% yearly in the 1990s,     
  compared to growth in the 1980s of about 4% per year. The Japanese economy is
  now in its longest postwar expansion after more than a decade of stagnation.
  Real growth in 2005 was 2.7% and was 2.2% in 2006.                          
                                                                       
  Agriculture, Energy, and Minerals                                           
  Only 15% of Japan's land is arable. The agricultural economy is highly      
  subsidized and protected. With per hectare crop yields among the highest in 
  the world, Japan maintains an overall agricultural self-sufficiency rate of 
  about 40% on fewer than 5.6 million cultivated hectares (14 million acres). 
  Japan normally produces a slight surplus of rice but imports large quantities
  of wheat, corn, sorghum, and soybeans, primarily from the United States.    
  Japan is the largest market for U.S. agricultural exports.                  
                                                                       
  Given its heavy dependence on imported energy, Japan has aimed to diversify 
  its sources. Since the oil shocks of the 1970s, Japan has reduced dependence
  on petroleum as a source of energy from more than 75% in 1973 to about 57% at
  present. Other important energy sources are coal, liquefied natural gas,    
  nuclear power, and hydropower.                                              
                                                                       
  Deposits of gold, magnesium, and silver meet current industrial demands, but
  Japan is dependent on foreign sources for many of the minerals essential to 
  modern industry. Iron ore, coke, copper, and bauxite must be imported, as   
  must many forest products.                                                  
                                                                       
  Labor                                                                       
  Japan's labor force consists of some 67 million workers, 40% of whom are    
  women. Labor union membership is about 12 million.                          
                                                                       
  FOREIGN RELATIONS                                                           
  Japan is the world's second-largest economy and a major economic power both 
  in Asia and globally. Japan has diplomatic relations with nearly all        
  independent nations and has been an active member of the United Nations since
  1956. Japanese foreign policy has aimed to promote peace and prosperity for 
  the Japanese people by working closely with the West and supporting the     
  United Nations.                                                             
                                                                       
  In recent years, the Japanese public has shown a substantially greater      
  awareness of security issues and increasing support for the Self Defense    
  Forces. This is in part due to the Self Defense Forces' success in disaster 
  relief efforts at home, and its participation in peacekeeping operations such
  as in Cambodia in the early 1990s and Iraq in 2005-2006. However, there are 
  still significant political and psychological constraints on strengthening  
  Japan's security profile. Although a military role for Japan in international
  affairs is highly constrained by its constitution and government policy,    
  Japanese cooperation with the United States through the 1960 U.S.-Japan     
  Security Treaty has been important to the peace and stability of East Asia. 
  Currently, there are domestic discussions about possible reinterpretation or
  revision of Article 9 of the Japanese constitution. Prime Minister Abe has  
  made revising or reinterpreting the Japanese constitution a priority of his 
  administration. All postwar Japanese governments have relied on a close     
  relationship with the United States as the foundation of their foreign policy
  and have depended on the Mutual Security Treaty for strategic protection.   
                                                                       
  While maintaining its relationship with the United States, Japan has        
  diversified and expanded its ties with other nations. Good relations with its
  neighbors continue to be of vital interest. After the signing of a peace and
  friendship treaty with China in 1978, ties between the two countries        
  developed rapidly. Japan extended significant economic assistance to the    
  Chinese in various modernization projects and supported Chinese membership in
  the World Trade Organization (WTO). Japan's economic assistance to China is 
  now declining. In recent years, however, Chinese exploitation of gas fields 
  in the East China sea has raised Japanese concerns given disagreement over  
  the demarcation of their maritime boundary. Prime Minister Abe's October 2006
  visits to Beijing and Seoul helped improve relations with China and South   
  Korea that had been strained following Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to   
  Yasukuni Shrine. At the same time, Japan maintains economic and cultural but
  not diplomatic relations with Taiwan, with which a strong bilateral trade   
  relationship thrives.                                                       
                                                                       
  Territorial disputes and historical animosities continue to strain Japan's  
  political relations with South Korea despite growing economic and cultural  
  ties. Japan has limited economic and commercial ties with North Korea. A    
  surprise visit by Prime Minister Koizumi to Pyongyang on September 17, 2002,
  resulted in renewed discussions on contentious bilateral issues--especially 
  that of abductions to North Korea of Japanese citizens--and Japan's agreement
  to resume normalization talks in the near future. In October 2002, five     
  abductees returned to Japan, but soon after negotiations reached a stalemate
  over the fate of abductees' families in North Korea. Japan strongly supported
  the United States in its efforts to encourage Pyongyang to abide by the     
  nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its agreements with the International  
  Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Japan responded to North Korea's missile       
  launches and nuclear tests by imposing sanctions and working with the United
  Nations Security Council. The U.S., Japan, and South Korea closely coordinate
  and consult trilaterally on policy toward North Korea, and Japan participates
  in the Six-Party Talks to end North Korea's nuclear arms ambitions.         
                                                                       
  Japan's relations with Russia are hampered by the two sides' inability to   
  resolve their territorial dispute over the islands that make up the Northern
  Territories (Southern Kuriles) seized by the U.S.S.R. at the end of World War
  II. In August 2006, a Russian patrol shot at a Japanese fishing vessel,     
  claiming the vessel was in Russian waters, killing one crewmember and taking
  three seamen into custody. The stalemate over territorial issues has        
  prevented conclusion of a peace treaty formally ending the war between Japan
  and Russia. The United States supports Japan on the Northern Territories    
  issue and recognizes Japanese sovereignty over the islands. Despite the lack
  of progress in resolving the Northern Territories dispute, however, Japan and
  Russia have made progress in developing other aspects of the relationship.  
                                                                       
  Japan has pursued a more active foreign policy in recent years, recognizing 
  the responsibility that accompanies its economic strength. It has expanded  
  ties with the Middle East, which provides most of its oil, and has been the 
  second-largest assistance donor (behind the U.S.) to Iraq and Afghanistan.  
  Japan's Ground Self Defense Force completed a successful two-year mission in
  Iraq in 2006 and the Diet in October extended the Anti-Terrorism Special    
  Measures Law which allowed for Japan's Maritime Self Defense Force refueling
  activities in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Indian Ocean. On 
  July 10, 2007 the Japanese Government decided to extend the Air Self-Defense
  Force's (ASDF) airlift support mission in Iraq to July 31, 2008. Under the  
  Iraq Special Measures Law a wing of the ASDF's C-130 transport planes, based
  in Kuwait, will continue to carry personnel and supplies for the U.S.-led   
  multinational forces and the United Nations in Iraq. The law has been       
  extended to July 31, 2009 and will be voted on again in 2008.               
                                                                       
  Japan increasingly is active in Africa and Latin America--recently concluding
  negotiations with Mexico and Chile on an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
  --and has extended significant support to development projects in both      
  regions. A Japanese-conceived peace plan became the foundation for nationwide
  elections in Cambodia in 1998. Japan's economic engagement with its neighbors
  is increasing, as evidenced by the conclusion of an EPA with Singapore and  
  the Philippines, and its ongoing negotiations for EPAs with Thailand and    
  Malaysia.                                                                   
                                                                       
  In May 2007, just prior to the G8 Summit in Heiligendamm, Prime Minister Abe
  announced an initiative to address greenhouse gas emissions and seek to     
  mitigate the impact of energy consumption on climate. Japan will host the G8
  Summit in 2008.                                                             
                                                                       
  U.S.-JAPAN RELATIONS                                                        
  The U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of U.S. security interests in Asia
  and is fundamental to regional stability and prosperity. Despite the changes
  in the post-Cold War strategic landscape, the U.S.-Japan alliance continues 
  to be based on shared vital interests and values. These include stability in
  the Asia-Pacific region, the preservation and promotion of political and    
  economic freedoms, support for human rights and democratic institutions, and
  securing of prosperity for the people of both countries and the international
  community as a whole.                                                       
                                                                       
  Japan provides bases and financial and material support to U.S.             
  forward-deployed forces, which are essential for maintaining stability in the
  region. Under the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, Japan
  hosts a carrier battle group, the III Marine Expeditionary Force, the 5th Air
  Force, and elements of the Army's I Corps. The United States currently      
  maintains approximately 50,000 troops in Japan, about half of whom are      
  stationed in Okinawa.                                                       
                                                                       
  Over the past decade the alliance has been strengthened through revised     
  Defense Guidelines, which expand Japan's noncombatant role in a regional    
  contingency, the renewal of our agreement on Host Nation Support of U.S.    
  forces stationed in Japan, and an ongoing process called the Defense Policy 
  Review Initiative (DPRI). The DPRI redefines roles, missions, and           
  capabilities of alliance forces and outlines key realignment and            
  transformation initiatives, including reducing the number of troops stationed
  in Okinawa, enhancing interoperability and communication between our        
  respective commands, and broadening our cooperation in the area of ballistic
  missile defense.                                                            
                                                                       
  Implementation of these agreements will strengthen our capabilities and make
  our alliance more sustainable. After the tragic events of September 11, 2001,
  Japan has participated significantly with the global war on terrorism by    
  providing major logistical support for U.S. and coalition forces in the     
  Indian Ocean.                                                               
                                                                       
  Because of the two countries' combined economic and technological impact on 
  the world, the U.S.-Japan relationship has become global in scope. The United
  States and Japan cooperate on a broad range of global issues, including     
  development assistance, combating communicable disease such as the spread of
  HIV/AIDS and avian influenza, and protecting the environment and natural    
  resources. Both countries also collaborate in science and technology in such
  areas as mapping the human genome, research on aging, and international space
  exploration. As one of Asia's most successful democracies and its largest   
  economy, Japan contributes irreplaceable political, financial, and moral    
  support to U.S.-Japan diplomatic efforts. The United States consults closely
  with Japan and the Republic of Korea on policy regarding North Korea. In    
  Southeast Asia, U.S.-Japan cooperation is vital for stability and for       
  political and economic reform. Outside Asia, Japanese political and financial
  support has substantially strengthened the U.S. position on a variety of    
  global geopolitical problems, including the Gulf, Middle East peace efforts,
  and the Balkans. Japan is an indispensable partner on UN reform and the     
  second largest contributor to the UN budget. Japan broadly supports the     
  United States on nonproliferation and nuclear issues. The U.S. supports     
  Japan's aspiration to become a permanent member of the United Nations       
  Security Council.                                                           
                                                                       
  Economic Relations                                                          
  U.S. economic policy toward Japan is aimed at increasing access to Japan's  
  markets and two-way investment, stimulating domestic demand-led economic    
  growth, promoting economic restructuring, improving the climate for U.S.    
  investors, and raising the standard of living in both the United States and 
  Japan. The U.S.-Japan bilateral economic relationship--based on enormous    
  flows of trade, investment, and finance--is strong, mature, and increasingly
  interdependent. Further, it is firmly rooted in the shared interest and     
  responsibility of the United States and Japan to promote global growth, open
  markets, and a vital world trading system. In addition to bilateral economic
  ties, the U.S. and Japan cooperate closely in multilateral fora such as the 
  WTO, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Bank, 
  and the International Monetary Fund, and regionally in the Asia-Pacific     
  Economic Cooperation forum (APEC).                                          
                                                                       
  Japan is a major market for many U.S. products, including chemicals,        
  pharmaceuticals, films and music, commercial aircraft, nonferrous metals,   
  plastics, and medical and scientific supplies. Japan also is the largest    
  foreign market for U.S. agricultural products, with total agricultural      
  exports valued at $9.7 billion, excluding forestry products. Revenues from  
  Japanese tourism to the United States reached nearly $13 billion in 2005.   
                                                                       
  Trade between the United States and Japan remained strong in 2006. Total    
  trade grew about 7.3% year-on-year. U.S. exports to Japan reached $59.6     
  billion in 2006, up from $55.4 billion in 2005. U.S. imports from Japan     
  totaled $148.1 billion in 2006 ($138.1 billion in 2005).                    
                                                                       
  U.S. foreign direct investment in Japan reached $78 billion in 2004, up from
  $73 billion in 2003. New U.S. investment was especially significant in      
  financial services, Internet services, and software, generating new export  
  opportunities for U.S. firms and employment for U.S. workers.               
                                                                       
  Principal U.S. Embassy Officials                                            
  Ambassador--J. Thomas Schieffer                                             
  Deputy Chief of Mission--Joe Donovan                                        
  Political Minister-Counselor--Michael Meserve                               
  Economic Minister-Counselor--Robert Cekuta                                  
  Consul General--Raymond Baca                                                
  Management Affairs--David Davison                                           
  Commercial Minister--John Peters                                            
  Public Affairs--Ronald Post                                                 
  Defense Attache--Capt. James White, USN                                     
  The street address and the international mailing address of the U.S. Embassy
  in Japan is 10-5 Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo (107); tel.              
  81-3-3224-5000; fax 81-3-3505-1862. The APO mailing address is American     
  Embassy Tokyo, Unit 45004, Box 258, APO AP 96337-5004. U.S. Consulates      
  General are in Osaka, Sapporo, and Naha, and Consulates are in Fukuoka and  
  Nagoya. The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan is at 7th floor, Fukide No.
  2 Bldg., 1-21 Toranomon 4-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo (105). Additional         
  information is available on the U.S. Embassy's Internet home page: http://  
  tokyo.usembassy.gov.                                                        
                                                                       
  TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION                                             
  The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans
  traveling and residing abroad through Consular Information Sheets, Public   
  Announcements, and Travel Warnings. Consular Information Sheets exist for all
  countries and include information on entry and exit requirements, currency  
  regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political       
  disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.
  Public Announcements are issued to disseminate information quickly about    
  terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that  
  pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings
  are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel 
  to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable.        
                                                                       
  For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad  
  should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet
  web site at http://www.travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution,
  Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings can be found. Consular Affairs    
  Publications, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a
  safe trip abroad, are also available at http://www.travel.state.gov. For    
  additional information on international travel, see http://www.usa.gov/     
  Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.                                  
                                                                       
  The Department of State encourages all U.S citizens who traveling or residing
  abroad to register via the State Department's travel registration website or
  at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Registration will make your
  presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an 
  emergency and will enable you to receive up-to-date information on security 
  conditions.                                                                 
                                                                       
  Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained 
  by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or the regular   
  toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada.           
                                                                       
  The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of   
  State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport         
  information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer service   
  representatives and operators for TDD/TTY are available Monday-Friday, 7:00 
  a.m. to 12:00 midnight, Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.           
                                                                       
  Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for 
  Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP
  (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the
  most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements,
  and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. A   
  booklet entitled "Health Information for International Travel" (HHS         
  publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government       
  Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.                 
                                                                       
  Further Electronic Information                                              
  Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://          
  www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global     
  access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background    
  Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of 
  Foreign Service posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)
  provides security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies  
  working abroad through its website http://www.osac.gov                      
                                                                       
  Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market    
  information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads, free
  export counseling, help with the export process, and more.                  
  STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides   
  authoritative economic, business, and international trade information from  
  the Federal government. The site includes current and historical            
  trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, 
  and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank.   

 

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