Japan is an island nation
slightly smaller than California. The population of
Japan in 2002 was approximately 127 million, less than
half that of the United States (Japan Information Network
2003). The four main islands and thousands of smaller
islands are dominated by mountains, many of which are
dormant volcanoes, including Mt. Fuji, Japan’s
highest mountain. Only about 12 percent of the land
is arable. The climate ranges from the cold and snowy
winters of the north in Hokkaido to the hot and moist
tropical seasons of the far south in Okinawa. Japan
has about 1,500 earthquakes each year. Most are minor
tremors, but a major earthquake in January 1995 killed
approximately 6,000 persons and wreaked extensive damage,
particularly in Kobe.
Economy—Japan is the second largest economy
in the world, surpassed only by the United States. Residents
of Japan maintain a high standard of living, with both
per capita GNP and average life expectancy among the highest
in the world.
After rapid economic growth in the 1980s, the Japanese
economy has been in a prolonged recession since the 1990s.
Despite current economic difficulties, Japan remains a
technological and economic power.
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Agriculture—Despite a shortage of cultivable
land, Japan maintains about 50 percent self-sufficiency
in food (U.S. Department of State 2003c). Intensive farming
on small farms produces very high yields. Traditionally,
rice has been the main cereal crop in Japan. The need
for irrigation water for rice production in wet paddies
has reinforced the role of the community in rural areas,
as "no farmer could own or control all of the essential
means of production himself" (Waswo and Nishida 2003:5).
Since the Meiji period (1868-1912), farmers in Japan have
played an essential role in the modernization of the country.
The farmers must now adjust to the rapid change and globalization
of agriculture and agricultural policies in Japan. Although
Japan's agriculture sector has been highly subsidized
and protected, farmers have faced increasing economic
pressures. Part-time farmers have become common, and off-farm
work has become the primary source of income for many
rural households. The agricultural labor population is
aging, as is the rest of Japan. In recent years, the farm
household population and labor force have decreased steadily.
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| Unloading dairy cattle in Towa-Cho,
Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan |
Additional Information—For
more general information on Japan’s geography,
population, government, economy, and trade, see the
U.S. Department of State Country Note on Japan (U.S.
Department of State 2003c), the World Factbook on Japan
(World Factbook 2003), the Library of Congress Country
Study on Japan (Library of Congress n.d. Japan), or
Japan Access (Japan Information Network 2003). Information
is also available at the Japanese Consulate in Kansas
City (http://www.kansascity.us.emb-japan.go.jp/).
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