| Area Total | 377,915 sq km |
| Climate | varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north |
| Natural Resources | negligible mineral resources, fish, note, with virtually no natural energy resources, Japan is the world’s largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as the second largest importer of oil |
| Imports | China 24.5%, US 11%, Australia 5.8%, South Korea 4.2%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2017) – petroleum, liquid natural gas, clothing, semiconductors, coal, audio and visual apparatus (2014 est.) |
| Government | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Capital | Tokyo |
| Population | 126.2 million (July 2018 est.) |
| Ethnicity | Japanese 98.1%, Chinese 0.5%, Korean 0.4%, other 1% (includes Filipino, Vietnamese, and Brazilian) (2016 est.) |
| Language | Japanese |
| Exports | US 19.4%, China 19%, South Korea 7.6%, Hong Kong 5.1%, Thailand 4.2% (2017) – motor vehicles, iron and steel products, semiconductors, auto parts, power generating machinery, plastic materials (2014 est.) |
News about Japan
- Krispy Kreme to sell Japan business to Unison Capital
on December 20, 2025The sale is expected to be completed during the January-March quarter of 2026. Krispy Kreme will use the proceeds to repay debt.
- U.S. appears to pour cold water on idea of Japan acquiring nukes
on December 20, 2025The State Department called Japan “a global leader” and “valuable partner” on nuclear nonproliferation and advancing nuclear arms control.
- Record $350 billion deals boom fuels upbeat M&A outlook in Japan
on December 20, 2025Corporate governance reforms aimed at improving shareholder returns are helping to transform Japan into a hive of activity.
- Joshua knocks out Paul to win Netflix boxing bout
on December 20, 2025Two-time world champion Joshua made hard work of defeating his vastly less experienced opponent, but finally made his superior size and power count.
- Japan sets $19 billion business target in Central Asia
on December 20, 2025Japan unveiled a five-year goal on Saturday for business projects totaling $19 billion in Central Asia as Tokyo vies for influence in the resource-rich region.
- Butoh fit itself into odd spaces in 2025
on December 20, 2025Though it has no permanent “home,” butoh’s creativity saw it stretch out to unlikely venues and collaborators this year.
- Four major Japanese banks to hike ordinary deposit interest rates
on December 20, 2025The four banks are MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking, Mizuho Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank.
- Naomi Osaka cuts ties with agency she co-founded
on December 20, 2025The former world No. 1 announced her move on Friday while leaving her next destination unclear.
- Nine drugmakers strike deals with Trump, with more to come
on December 20, 2025The agreements are the latest in a series of pacts designed to lower drug prices for some Americans in exchange for a three-year reprieve from threatened tariffs.
- Morgan Stanley seen as front-runner for SpaceX IPO
on December 20, 2025Elon Musk's ties to Morgan Stanley run deep, dating back at least 15 years, leaving it widely viewed as the leading contender to run the syndicate of underwriters.
- U.S. probes Brown University shooter's failed past in academia
on December 20, 2025A quarter of a century ago, Claudio Neves Valente was briefly enrolled as a promising young doctoral student in the physics department at the school before dropping out.
- Nidec chairman quits board after spate of accounting issues
on December 20, 2025The move follows the discovery of accounting issues that damaged the reputation of the Japanese maker of electric motors.
- U.S. halts green card lottery after MIT professor and Brown University killings
on December 20, 2025The U.S. green card lottery grants up to 55,000 permanent resident visas annually to people "from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States."
- Musk 2018 Tesla pay plan reinstated after seven-year legal fight
on December 20, 2025The Delaware high court concluded the world’s richest person is entitled to a stock-based compensation plan now valued at about $140 billion.
- U.S. hits Islamic State targets in Syria with large retaliatory strikes
on December 20, 2025U.S. Central Command said the strikes hit more than 70 targets across central Syria, adding that Jordanian fighter jets supported the operation.
- CEO of 7-Eleven USA retires as company undergoes broader revamp
on December 20, 2025Joe DePinto, who was CEO for two decades and orchestrated its expansion through the acquisition of Speedway and Sunoco gasoline stations, will retire at the end of this month.
- Rubio calls Japan-China tensions ‘preexisting,’ vows to work with both sides
on December 20, 2025U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Asian powerhouses’ row over Taiwan “one of the dynamics that has to be balanced in that region.”
- Sri Lanka tea workers struggle in poverty. Flooding cost many their lives
by Krishan Francis and Sibi Arasu on December 20, 2025After Sri Lanka struggled through one of the worst storms in its history, tea plantation workers are taking temporary refuge in government schools and temples as entire villages were buried in mud in the central highlands
- Japanese proficiency eyed as permanent residency requirement
on December 20, 2025To obtain the status, foreign nationals will also be mandated to take a program aimed at helping them smoothly integrate into local communities.
- U.S. intelligence indicates Putin's war aims in Ukraine are unchanged
on December 20, 2025The reports present a starkly different picture from that painted by U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukraine peace negotiators.
