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INTRODUCTION
Often referred to as the land of the rising sun,
Japan is a perfect example of where history
meets technology. The third largest economy
in the world, Japan has transformed as the
epicenter of reliable and outstanding
technology in the second half of the 20th
Century. Sprawling cities and heavily wooded
countrysides are a feature of the four islands
that make up this countrys landmass.
Modern architecture and traditional wooden
houses transfers one from the present to the
yester years. Japan has also been credited
with the highest degree of loyalty with
examples of employees working their whole
lives for one company itself. This goes to show
the very strong principles and social code to
which Japanese people adhere to. Even
though Japan remains a traditional society
with very strong societal and employment hierarchies; but such traditions are facing
the heat as the younger generations are becoming more inclined towards the
Western culture and ideas.
Post the Second World War Japans economy was propelled by their excellence and
prowess in automobile and consumer electronics sector. Most Japanese
multinationals are domestic names today. However, this economic bull run lost
steam in the 1990s with growing debt burdens on the country which successive
governments have not been able to address.
Another major demographic issue that the country faces is that like their neighbors
China, it too has an ageing population and social security costs are mounting.
Moreover, politically there are still tensions prevalent between Japan and its
neighbors China and South Korea, who have not yet gotten over the atrocities that
Japanese military inflicted on its prisoners of war.
Geographically, the country is sitting on a figurative time bomb. Set right over the
meeting point of three tectonic plates, the country is ravaged by regular
earthquakes and seismic activities. This is also evident through the light-weight
architecture that Japan is famous for. Over twenty percent of the worlds
earthquakes take place in Japan. Schools and offices regularly undergo fire and
disaster management drills with the threat of a disaster always there over their
heads.
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COUNTRY ANALYSIS
Economic Profile
Economic Structure
Japan has a population of 127.25 million in 2013, with a labor force of 65.02 million.
Japans unemployment rate for 2012 was 3.3 percent. One of the biggest challenges
for the Japanese government is its negative population growth rate. At about 24.8
percent Japan has the highest proportion of population over the age of 60 years in
the world. Much of this problem is due to their low birth rate and very high life
expectancy.
The country has a land area
of 364,485 square
kilometers. 70 percent of
Japanese land is forested
and unsuitable for
agricultural, industrial or
residential purposes. As
such, much of Japans
economic activity is
concentrated in major cities
such as Tokyo, Yokohama
and Osaka.
With only about 15 percent
of its land arable, Japan imports about 60 percent of grain and fodder crops from
other countries, and relies on imports for most of its meat products. Japan is also
the largest market for EU and third largest market for US agricultural exports.
With its lack of natural resources, Japan relies on the imports of commodities such
as fuel, foodstuff, chemicals, textiles and raw materials from various countries for its
industrial sectors. Japan is the worlds third largest oil importer, with 5.033 million
barrels per day to meet 45 percent of its energy needs in 2009. Japan boasts the
largest fishing fleets In the world, accounting for almost 15 percent of the global
catch.
Industry Sectors
Despite an overall stagnation of the economy for nearly two decades, Japans
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GDP per
Capita (US
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015 (e)
5,905.63
5,937.86
4,898.53e
4,769.80e
4,881.91
-0.5
1.5
1.5e
0.9e
0.8
46,175
46,531
38e
37,540e
38,522
-8.3
-7.6e
-7.6e
-6.7e
-5.5
229.8
237.3e
243.2e
245.1e
245.5
-0.3
-0.0
0.4e
2.7e
2.0
4.6
4.3
4.0
3.7
3.8
126.47
58.68
33.63e
45.42e
54.92
2.1
1.0
0.7e
1.0e
1.1
D)
General
Governme
nt
Balance (in
% of GDP)
General
Governme
nt Gross
Debt(in %
of GDP)
Inflation
Rate (%)
Unemploy
ment
Rate (% of
the Labor
Force)
Current
Account (bi
llions USD)
Current
Political Profile
At the end of World War II, Japan was required by the terms of its surrender to build
a new political system. With Allied forces occupying and helping to rebuild the
country, Japan adopted a democratic government for the first time in 1947. The
nation is now governed by the two houses of parliament, known as the Diet, with a
prime minister elected by the majority party. The two houses of the Diet are the
House of Councillors, or Sangi-in, which has 242 members; and the House of
Representatives, or Shugi-in, with 480 members. In the past, Japanese voters cast
their ballots for specific candidates, but since 1982 voters select a party, which then
receives proportional representation in the legislature.
Japan's main political
parties are the Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP)
and the Democratic
Party of Japan (DPJ).
Several smaller parties
also maintain a presence
in the legislature. The
LDP, generally
considered the more
conservative of the two
major parties, held
power from 1955 until
1993. Since 1994, the
total: 377,915 km
land: 364,485 km
water: 13,430 km
notes: Includes the Bonin Islands, Dait Islands, Minami-Torishima, Okinotorishima, the Ryukyu Islands, and the Volcano Islands. Ownership
of theSenkaku Islands and Liancourt Rocks (Japanese:Takeshima, Korean:Dokdo)
is in dispute.
Area comparative: 11% smaller than California; slightly larger than Newfoundland
and Labrador
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 29,751 km (18,486 mi)
Maritime claims:
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The 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan; successively leading to the Fukushima
nuclear plant disaster
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Bibliography
-
http://www.indexmundi.com/japan/#Transportation
http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/japan/?page=full
http://www.pbs.org/pov/campaign/campaign_background.php
http://www.suddefrance-developpement.com/en/countryprofiles/japan/political-outline.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Japan
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