| 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
- Japan and allies look to hold ‘Quad’ foreign minister talks in Februaryon January 26, 2022
Among likely agenda items for the meeting are members' cooperation in such fields as security and the economy toward realizing a "free and open Indo-Pacific."
- Japan will not cover preimplantation fertility screening with insuranceon January 26, 2022
Public health insurance coverage for fertility treatment, including artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, will begin in Japan in April.
- Japan’s daily COVID-19 case tally tops 70,000 for first timeon January 26, 2022
Tokyo confirmed 14,086 new cases, setting a new record high as the seven-day average of daily new infections rose above 10,000.
- Japan to vaccinate children against COVID-19 for freeon January 26, 2022
A health ministry panel, however, failed to reach a conclusion on whether to impose on guardians an obligation to make an effort to vaccinate children ...
- Japanese company joins march back to the moon in 2022by Joey Roulette on January 26, 2022
This year is packed with other moonshot ambitions and rehearsals that could foretell how soon humans get back to the lunar surface.
- Ukraine envoy to Japan warns of ‘butterfly effect’ on global security amid Russia tensionsby Jesse Johnson on January 26, 2022
“What is going on in Europe ... is not just about Ukraine," Kyiv's envoy to Japan said Wednesday in Tokyo. "It will definitely affect the ...
- Japan set to miss booster target as omicron muddles rollout planby Kanoko Matsuyama on January 26, 2022
About 2.6 million people had received their third dose as of Tuesday, about 18% of the target for January, according to government figures.
- Breaking point: Japan’s outpatient clinics overstretched amid omicron surgeon January 26, 2022
The rapid spread of the COVID-19 variant is causing apprehension at the clinics, generally the first stop for individuals to check if they have the ...
- Asian shares mixed ahead of Fed policy statementsby Via AP news wire on January 26, 2022
Asian shares are mixed, with many investors staying on the sidelines ahead of an update on how aggressively the Federal Reserve will tackle inflation
- Japan children infected during delta surge hospitalized more often than in earlier waveson January 26, 2022
The hospitalization rate of children during the delta wave between August and October of 2021 was 14 times higher than during previous waves.
- Former PM Naoto Kan under fire for comparing Nippon Ishin to Hitleron January 26, 2022
On Wednesday, Fumitake Fujita, secretary-general of Nippon Ishin, visited the CDP headquarters and submitted a written protest over the tweet by Kan.
- Japan university entrance exam question may have leaked during testingon January 26, 2022
A photographed image of a unified university entrance exam question may have been leaked via a video calling app during testing earlier this month, prompting ...
- China 2008 vs 2022: Richer, stronger, more confrontationalby Via AP news wire on January 26, 2022
Richer, more heavily armed and openly confrontational, China has undergone history-making changes since the last time it hosted the Olympics, in 2008
- JR East may provide staff with wearable camerason January 26, 2022
The railway firm is considering providing station staff employees with wearable cameras as early as April to help them quickly deal with problems involving customers.
- Japan leads pack as Twitter sees record number of government demands to remove contentby Elizabeth Culliford on January 26, 2022
The platform said governments made 43,387 legal demands for the removal of content from 196,878 accounts over a six-month period.
- Pfizer launches Omicron vaccine trial; UK reports highest daily deaths since February – as it happenedby Samantha Lock (now); Georgina Quach and Martin Belam (earlier) on January 26, 2022
Company hopes vaccine will be ready for approval by March; UK reports 439 deaths and more than nearly 95,000 casesBoris Johnson braces for release of Sue Gray’s report Scotland to relax strict work-from-home guidance from MondayLong Covid: doctors find ‘antibody signature’ for patients most at riskMet police investigating Downing Street parties, says […]
- Rare eagle seen in Maine, wowing birders, might stay a bitby Via AP news wire on January 25, 2022
A rare species of eagle that has thrilled bird lovers and baffled scientists since arriving in Maine last month might not be in a hurry to leave
- IMF cuts world growth forecast due to omicron, other woesby Via AP news wire on January 25, 2022
The International Monetary Fund is downgrading its forecast for the world economy this year
- Symbol of Japan’s #MeToo movement again awarded damages in rape caseon January 25, 2022
The high court ruled in favor of Ito, saying Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a former senior television reporter, had sexual intercourse with her without consent in 2015.
- Japan moves to focus resources on severe COVID-19 patientsby Kanako Takahara on January 25, 2022
Young, low-risk patients will no longer need a doctor's diagnosis to confirm an infection as fears grow over the strain the omicron variant is putting ...
