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more about japan
japan |
5 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Japan \Ja*pan"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Japanned}; p. pr & vb n. {Japanning}.] 1. To cover with a coat of hard, brilliant varnish, in the manner of the Japanese; to lacquer. 2. To give a glossy black to as shoes. [R.] --Gay. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Japan \Ja*pan"\, n. [From Japan, the country.] Work varnished and figured in the Japanese manner; also the varnish or lacquer used in japanning. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Japan \Ja*pan"\, a. Of or pertaining to Japan, or to the lacquered work of that country; as Japan ware. {Japan allspice} (Bot.), a spiny shrub from Japan ({Chimonanthus fragrans}), related to the Carolina allspice. {Japan black} (Chem.), a quickly drying black lacquer or varnish, consisting essentially of asphaltum dissolved in naphtha or turpentine, and used for coating ironwork; -- called also {Brunswick black}, {Japan lacquer}, or simply {Japan}. {Japan camphor}, ordinary camphor brought from China or Japan, as distinguished from the rare variety called borneol or Borneo camphor. {Japan clover}, or {Japan pea} (Bot.), a cloverlike plant ({Lespedeza striata}) from Eastern Asia, useful for fodder, first noticed in the Southern United States about 1860, but now become very common. During the Civil War it was called variously {Yankee clover} and {Rebel clover}. {Japan earth}. See {Catechu}. {Japan ink}, a kind of writing ink, of a deep, glossy black when dry. {Japan varnish}, a varnish prepared from the milky juice of the {Rhus vernix}, a small Japanese tree related to the poison sumac. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: Japan n 1: a string of islands east of Asia [syn: {Japan}, {Japanese Islands}, {Japanese Archipelago}] 2: a constitutional monarchy occupying a string of islands east of Asia; a world leader in electronics and automobile manufacture and ship building [syn: {Japan}, {Nippon}, {Nihon}] 3: work decorated and varnished in the Japanese manner with a glossy durable black lacquer 4: a durable glossy black finish, originally from the orient v : lacquer with japan From The CIA World Factbook (1995) [world95]: Japan Japan:Geography Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean peninsula Map references: Asia Area: total area: 377,835 sq km land area: 374,744 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than California note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto) Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 29,751 km Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm 3 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru Osumi and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait International disputes: islands of Etorofu Kunashiri Shikotan and the Habomai group occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, claimed by Japan; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea; Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish Land use: arable land: 13% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 67% other: 18% Irrigated land: 28,680 sq km (1989) Environment: current issues: air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan's appetite for fish and tropical timber is contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere natural hazards: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification Law of the Sea Note: strategic location in northeast Asia Japan:People Population: 125,506,492 (July 1995 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 16% (female 9,955,603; male 10,542,973) 15-64 years: 69% (female 43,377,425; male 43,843,645) 65 years and over: 15% (female 10,514,017; male 7,272,829) (July 1995 est.) Population growth rate: 0.32% (1995 est.) Birth rate: 10.66 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) Death rate: 7.46 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) Infant mortality rate: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.44 years male: 76.6 years female: 82.42 years (1995 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.56 children born/woman (1995 est.) Nationality: noun: Japanese (singular and plural) adjective: Japanese Ethnic divisions: Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean) Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including 0.7% Christian) Languages: Japanese Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.) total population: 99% Labor force: 65.87 million (December 1994) by occupation: trade and services 54%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 33%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 7%, government 3% (1988) Japan:Government Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Japan Digraph: JA Type: constitutional monarchy Capital: Tokyo Administrative divisions: 47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori Chiba, Ehime, Fukui Fukuoka, Fukushima Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki Ishikawa Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima Kanagawa Kochi, Kumamoto Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi Miyazaki Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata Oita, Okayama Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama Shiga, Shimane Shizuoka Tochigi Tokushima Tokyo, Tottori Toyama, Wakayama Yamagata Yamaguchi Yamanashi Independence: 660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu) National holiday: Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933) Constitution: 3 May 1947 Legal system: modeled after European civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989) head of government: Prime Minister Tomiichi MURAYAMA (since 30 June 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Yohei KONO (since 30 June 1994) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the prime minister Legislative branch: bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consists of an upper house or House of Councillors and a lower house or House of Representatives House of Councillors (Sangi-in): half of the members elected every three years to six-year terms; elections last held on 26 July 1992 (next set to be held 23 July 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA seats - (252 total) LDP 106, SDPJ 73, Komeito 24, DSP 12, JCP 11, JNP 4, others 16, independents 6; note - the distribution of seats as of 1 April 1995 is as follows - LDP 94, SDPJ 68, Heisei-kai 47, Shin Ryokufu-kai 16, JCP 11, others 15, vacant 1 House of Representatives (Shugi-in): all members elected every four years to four-year terms; elections last held on 18 July 1993 (next to be held by 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA seats - (511 total) LDP 223, SDPJ 70, Shinseito 55, Komeito 51, JNP 35, JCP 15, DSP 15, Sakigake 13, others 4, independents 30; note - the distribution of seats as of 1 April 1995 is as follows - LDP 207, Shinshinto 173, SDPJ 70, Sakigake 21, JCP 15, others 19, vacant 6 Judicial branch: Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Yohei KONO, president and Yoshiro MORI, secretary general; Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ), Tomiichi MURAYAMA Japan Communist Party (JCP), Tetsuzo FUWA, Presidium chairman; Sakigake (Harbinger), Masayoshi TAKEMURA chairman; Shinshinto (New Frontier Party, NFP), Toshiki KAIFU chairman and Ichiro OZAWA, secretary general note: Shinshinto was formed in December 1994 by the merger of Shinseito (Japan Renewal Party, JRP), Komeito (Clean Government Party, CGP), Japan New Party (JNP), Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), and several minor groups; Shin Ryokufu-kai is a parliamentary alliance which exists only in the upper house, it includes remnants of Shinseito JNP, DSP, and a minor labor group Heisei-kai is a joint bloc of Shinshinto and Komei members; Komei is a group formed from what remains of Komeito in the upper house Member of: AfDB AG (observer), APEC, AsDB Australia Group BIS, CCC, CP EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G- 2, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD PCA, UN UNCTAD UNESCO, UNHCR UNIDO UNITAR, UNOMOZ UNRWA UNU, UPU, WFTU WHO WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Takakazu KURIYAMA chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6700 FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187 consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, and Seattle consulate(s): Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands) US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Walter F. MONDALE embassy: 10-5, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo mailing address: Unit 45004, Box 258, Tokyo; APO AP 96337-0001 telephone: [81] (3) 3224-5000 FAX: [81] (3) 3505-1862 consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya Flag: white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center Economy Overview: Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (roughly 1% of GDP) have helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of second most powerful economy in the world. Industry, the most important sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. Usually self-sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 50% of its requirements of other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch. Overall economic growth has been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s and 1980s. Economic growth came to a halt in 1992-93 largely because of contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. Growth resumed at a 0.6% pace in 1994 largely because of consumer demand. As for foreign trade the stronger yen and slower global growth are containing export growth. Unemployment and inflation remain remarkably low in comparison with the other industrialized nations. Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus - $121 billion in 1994, roughly the same size as in 1993 - which supports extensive investment in foreign assets. Prime Minister MURAYAMA has yet to formalize his government's plans for administrative and economic reform, including reduction in the trade surplus. As leader of a coalition government, he has softened his own socialist positions. The crowding of the habitable land area and the aging of the population are two major long-run problems. National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $2.5274 trillion (1994 est.) National product real growth rate: 0.6% (1994 est.) National product per capita: $20,200 (1994 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.7% (1994) Unemployment rate: 2.9% (1994) Budget: revenues: $569 billion expenditures: $671 billion, including capital expenditures (public works only) of about $126 billion (1994 est.) Exports: $395.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: manufactures 97% (including machinery 46%, motor vehicles 20%, consumer electronics 10%) partners: Southeast Asia 33%, US 29%, Western Europe 18%, China 5% Imports: $274.3 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: manufactures 52%, fossil fuels 20%, foodstuffs and raw materials 28% partners: Southeast Asia 25%, US 23%, Western Europe 15%, China 9% External debt: $NA Industrial production: growth rate 1% (1994); accounts for 30% of GDP Electricity: capacity: 205,140,000 kW production: 840 billion kWh consumption per capita: 6,262 kWh (1993) Industries: steel and non-ferrous metallurgy, heavy electrical equipment, construction and mining equipment, motor vehicles and parts electronic and telecommunication equipment and components, machine tools and automated production systems, locomotives and railroad rolling stock, shipbuilding, chemicals, textiles, food processing Agriculture: accounts for only 2% of GDP; highly subsidized and protected sector, with crop yields among highest in world; principal crops - rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; animal products include pork, poultry, dairy and eggs; about 50% self-sufficient in food production; shortages of wheat, corn, soybeans; world's largest fish catch of 10 million metric tons in 1991 Economic aid: donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-94), $132 billion note: ODA outlay of $9.9 billion in 1994 (est.) Currency: yen Y Exchange rates: yen Y per US$1 - 99.75 (January 1995), 102.21 (1994), 111.20 (1993), 126.65 (1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Japan:Transportation Railroads: total: 27,327 km (5,724 km double track and multitrack sections) standard gauge: 2,012 km 1.435-m gauge (2,012 km electrified) narrow gauge: 25,315 km predominantly 1.067-m gauge (9,038 km electrified) (1987) Highways: total: 1,111,974 km paved: 754,102 km (including 4,869 km of national expressways) unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, or earth 357,872 km (1991) Inland waterways: about 1,770 km seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas Pipelines: crude oil 84 km petroleum products 322 km natural gas 1,800 km Ports: Akita, Amagasaki Chiba, Hachinohe Hakodate Higashi-Harima, Himeji Hiroshima, Kawasaki Kinuura Kobe, Kushiro Mizushima Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Sakai, Sakaide Shimizu Tokyo, Tomakomai Merchant marine: total: 851 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,195,386 GRT/27,292,044 DWT ships by type: bulk 210, cargo 63, chemical tanker 7, combination ore/oil 7, container 41, liquefied gas tanker 41, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 264, passenger 10, passenger-cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 48, roll-on/roll-off cargo 43, short-sea passenger 30, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 79 note: Japan owns an additional 1,537 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 45,490,202 DWT that operate under Panamanian, Liberian, Vanuatu, Bahamian, Singaporian, Cypriot, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Maltese registry Airports: total: 175 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 6 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 31 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 36 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 30 with paved runways under 914 m: 70 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2 Japan:Communications Telephone system: 64,000,000 telephones; excellent domestic and international service local: NA intercity: NA international: 5 INTELSAT (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations; submarine cables to US (via Guam), Philippines, China, and Russia Radio: broadcast stations: AM 318, FM 58, shortwave 0 radios: 95 million Television: broadcast stations: 12,350 (1 kW or greater 196) televisions: 100 million Japan:Defense Forces Branches: Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Navy), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force) Manpower availability: males age 15-49 31,947,532; males fit for military service 27,494,758; males reach military age (18) annually 910,970 (1995 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $47.2 billion, 1% of GDP (FY95/96)
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