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National name: Nippon
Emperor: Akihito (1989)
Prime Minister: Shinzo Abe (2006)
Current government officials
Land area: 144,689 sq mi (374,744 sq km); total area: 145,883 sq mi (377,835 sq km)
Population (2006 est.): 127,463,611 (growth rate: 0.0%); birth rate: 9.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 3.2/1000; life expectancy: 81.2; density per sq mi: 836
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Tokyo, 35,327,000 (metro. area), 8,483,050 (city proper)
Other large cities: Yokohama, 3,494,900 (part of Tokyo metro. area); Osaka, 11,286,000 (metro. area), 2,597,000 (city proper); Nagoya, 2,189,700; Sapporo, 1,848,000; Kobe, 1,529,900 (part of Osaka metro. area); Kyoto, 1,470,600 (part of Osaka metro. area); Fukuoka, 1,368,900; Kawasaki, 1,276,200 (part of Tokyo metro. area); Hiroshima, 1,132,700
Monetary unit: Yen
Language: Japanese
Ethnicity/race: Japanese 99%; Korean, Chinese, Brazillian, Filipino, other 1% (2004)
Religions: Shintoist and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)
Literacy rate: 99% (1995 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $3.914 trillion; per capita $30,700. Real growth rate: 2.4%. Inflation: –0.2%. Unemployment: 4.3%. Arable land: 12%. Agriculture: rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish. Labor force: 66.4 million; agriculture 4.6%, industry 27.8%, services 67.7% (2004). Industries: among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods. Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish. Exports: $550.5 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical machinery, chemicals. Imports: $451.1 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, raw materials (2001). Major trading partners: U.S., China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, UAE (2004).
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 71.149 million (2002); mobile cellular: 86,658,600 (2003). Radio broadcast stations: AM 215 plus 370 repeaters, FM 89 plus 485 repeaters, shortwave 21 (2001). Television broadcast stations: 211 plus 7,341 repeaters; note: in addition, U.S. Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV cable services (1999). Internet hosts: 12,962,065 (2003). Internet users: 57.2 million (2002).
Transportation: Railways: total: 23,577 km (16,519 km electrified) (2004).

Highways: total: 1,171,647 km; paved: 903,340 km (including 6,851 km of expressways); unpaved: 268,307 km (2001). Waterways: 1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2004). Ports and harbors: Chiba, Kawasaki, Kiire, Kisarazu, Kobe, Mizushima, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Yohohama. Airports: 174 (2004 est.).
International disputes: the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands", occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; Japan and South Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do), occupied by South Korea since 1954; China and Taiwan dispute both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting.

An archipelago in the Pacific, Japan is separated from the east coast of Asia by the Sea of Japan. It is approximately the size of Montana. Japan's four main islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. The Ryukyu chain to the southwest was U.S.-occupied from 1945 to 1972, when it reverted to Japanese control, and the Kurils to the northeast are Russian-occupied.

A modern country with a rich heritage, Japan has long been popular with travellers. While is it one of the most expensive places to live, it is possible for the budget traveller to have a good time as well.

There are four main islands which make up Japan: From the north to the south: Hokkaido, Honshu the main island, Shikoku, and Kyushu. More than 4,000 smaller islands surround these four main islands. Japan is divided into 47 Prefectures.

Japan will leave a lasting impression in your mind. From city based attractions in Tokyo, all the way to the natural wonders like Mount Fuji and the hot springs of Beppu, this country has something for everyone.

Japan also combines the most traditional of societies with the most modern of techniques. Technology lovers will love Japan, being the heart of all techological development, tourists greatly enjoy the diversity of shopping in Japan. In Tokyo the districts of Roppongi, Akihabara, and Shinjuku all offer all you could dream of in this respect. Between the neon signs and the skyscrapers you will also find pagodas and shrines where saints are venered according to century old customs.