The Japanese people are the ethnic group that are identified as Japanese by culture and/or ancestry. The term is often used more broadly to refer to all people having Japanese nationality. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent. Of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. Japanese culture has evolved greatly over the years, from the country's original Jomon Culture to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe, and the Americas. It has likewise influenced the aesthetics of other countries, in areas ranging from impressionistic paintings to comic books and video games.
Tokyo ( literally "Eastern capital") is the de facto capital of Japan [1] , and most popular city in the country. Tokyo is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, the home of the Japanese Imperial Family. With a population of over 35 million people in the Greater Tokyo Area[2]. It has the largest metropolitan GPD in the world for a city, and for a decade has held the title of the world's most expensive city. (1)(2)Encylopedia Britannica
In the 1700’s 1800’s and until its defeat in the aftermath of the Second World War Japan had made numerous efforts to establish itself as a world force thru aggression. Over the course of a few hundred years Japanese forces had invaded and occupied Korea, China, Vietnam and other sovereign nations as it endeavored to establish its position as a power broker in the international community. With its defeat, at the end of WWII, there were a number of consequences. The surrender of Japanese forces brought with it a promise by the Japanese monarchy not to rebuild either its army or navy. Resultantly Japan had to face the world scene and move forward without its traditional military capability. How would this impact its ability to find a meaningful place on the world stage? Recognizing that there were no substantial natural resources indigenous to Japan that would allow it to have value at the world table the Japanese society looked inward and found that thru its intellect and ingenuity it could establish itself as a world power once again Starting in the 1950’s Japan developed and eventually became world market leaders in a number of industries including, electronics, automotive and finance. When you think of SONY, Panasonic, Kenwood etc. one will observe the instinct to stay ahead of the curve in developing consumer products and creating devices (chips, etc.) that transformed the entertainment and communications industries. Japan stands now on the threshold of becoming the entity with the #1 market share in automobile sales. From a financial perspective the Japanese have used its currency to create value that previously did not exist and develop financial mechanisms carry trade, etc.) and products that facilitate ways to effect transactions. In addition the financial where withal has allowed Japan to invest and become one of the largest holders of valuable real estate in the world (Rockefeller Center, other properties in New York City.)
Japan consists of over 3,000 islands stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk south all the way to Taiwan. These islands, located in the Pacific Ocean are mountainous, and many are volcanic. Japan boasts that it has the second-largest economy in the world and is a world leader in industry. It is a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament, (it is one of the oldest legislatures in Asia.) Despite its rugged terrain, it is one of the most populous and most densely populated countries in the world. Tokyo is the largest metropolitan area in the world with over thirty million residents. From the 12th century to the mid-1800s, Japan was a feudal country led by clans of warriors. After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japan adopted many European and American customs and institutions. It has also adopted many Chinese customs throughout the year. Its culture today is a mixture of these influences along with traditional Japanese culture. Japan's name in the kanji character writing system is translated as "Land of the Rising Sun", and comes from the country's location, off the eastern coast of Asia.
Parties in the Government: (DJP) Democratic Party of Japan, (JCP) Japan Communist Party, Komeioto, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The currency of Japan, the yen is established on a floating economy of about 119.81 ¥ per us $1.00. The Yen was established as the main currency by the New Currency Act of Meji in 1871. Originally the Yen was printed by the the central government and private mints. These mints reestablished themselves as National Banks until the Bank of Japan was established in 1885.
According to its charter the mission’s of the bank of Japan deal with issuance and management of the banknotes, implementations of monetary police, providing settlement services and ensuring the stability of the financial system, international activities, compilation of data, economic, analysis, and research activities. The Law sets the Bank's objectives "to issue banknotes and to carry out currency and monetary control" and "to ensure smooth settlement of funds among banks and other financial institutions, thereby contributing to the maintenance of an orderly financial system.“ The Law also stipulates the Bank's principle of currency and monetary control as follows: "currency and monetary control shall be aimed at, through the pursuit of price stability, contributing to the sound development of the national economy." (http://www.boj.or.jp/en/type/exp/about/expboj.htm)
36 00 N, 138 00 E -Japan is an “archipelago”, (group or chain of islands) it is a group located off of the east coast of Asia. It is separated from the coast by the Sea of Japan. Its main cities are Tokyo, Yokahama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kyoto, Kobe, Fukuoka, Kawasaki, and Hiroshima. -Japan, is a country of 4 main land masses that include Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. They extend along the east coast of Asia Located in the pacific. The main island is Honshu, and the country has three other large islands—Hokkaido to the north and Shikoku and Kyushu to the south. More than 4,000 smaller islands surround the four largest. About 73 % of Japan is mountainous, and all its major cities, except the ancient capital of Kyoto, sit on the narrow coastal plains. Only an estimated 18% of Japan's territory is suitable for settlement. So Japan has large cities are big and densely populated. Tokyo, the capital, is the planet's largest urbanized area at 12 million people. However, Tokyo has a worrisome environmental history of destructive earthquakes and tsunamis (seismic sea waves). A major earthquake in 1923 killed an estimated 143,000 people.
Agriculture makes up only about 2% of the GNP. Most important agricultural product is rice. Resources of raw materials are very limited and the mining industry rather small.
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