Japan

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
  - Geologic framework
  - The major physiographic regions
- Drainage and soils
  - Drainage
  - Soils
- Climate
  - Temperature
  - Precipitation
- Plant and animal life
  - Flora
  - Fauna
  - The environment
People
- Ethnic groups
- Languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
  - Traditional regions
  - Rural settlement
  - Urban settlement
- Demographic trends
Economy
- General considerations
  - Background
  - The role of government
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
  - Agriculture
  - Forestry and fishing
- Resources and power
  - Minerals
  - Mining and quarrying
  - Power
- Manufacturing
- Finance
  - Banking
  - Securities
- Trade
  - External trade
    - Exports
    - Imports
  - Internal trade
- Labor and taxation
  - Trade unions and employers’ associations
  - Taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
  - Roads
  - Railways
  - Port facilities
  - Air transport
  - Telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
  - Elections
  - Political parties
- Security
  - Armed forces
  - Police
- Health and welfare
  - Health
  - Welfare
- Housing
- Education
  - Development of the modern system
  - System organization
    - Primary and secondary education
    - Higher education
    - Continuing education
Cultural life
- Cultural milieu
  - Influences
  - Aesthetics
- The arts
  - Traditional forms
  - Western forms
- Cultural institutions
- Daily life and social customs
  - Popular culture
  - Cuisine
  - Social customs
  - Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
  - Books and magazines
  - The press
  - Radio and television
History
- Ancient Japan to 1185
  - Prehistoric Japan
    - Pre-Ceramic culture
    - Jōmon culture (c. 10,500 to c. 300 bce)
    - The Yayoi period (c. 300 bce–c. 250 ce)
    - Chinese chronicles
  - The Tumulus (Tomb) period (c. 250–552)
    - The unification of the nation
    - The Yamato court
      Rise and expansion of Yamato
      The Yamato polity
      Yamato relations with Korean states
      Yamato decline and the introduction of Buddhism
  - The age of reform (552–710)
    - The idealized government of Prince Shōtoku
    - The Taika reforms
    - The ritsuryō system
  - The Nara period (710–784)
    - Beginning of the imperial state
    - Culture in the Nara period
  - The Heian period (794–1185)
    - Changes in ritsuryō government
    - Aristocratic government at its peak
    - Government by cloistered emperors
    - The rise of the warrior class
- Medieval Japan
  - The Kamakura period (1192–1333)
    - The establishment of warrior government
    - The Hōjō regency
    - The Mongol invasions
    - Samurai groups and farming villages
    - Kamakura culture: the new Buddhism and its influence
    - Decline of Kamakura society
  - The Muromachi (or Ashikaga) period (1338–1573)
    - The Kemmu Restoration and the dual dynasties
    - The establishment of the Muromachi bakufu
      Muromachi government structure
      The growth of local autonomy
    - Trade between China and Japan
    - The Ōnin War (1467–77)
    - The Sengoku (“Warring States”) period
      The emergence of new forces.
      The arrival of the Europeans
    - The establishment of warrior culture
- Early modern Japan (1550–1850)
  - Unification
    - The Oda regime
    - The Hideyoshi regime
    - Azuchi-Momoyama culture
  - The bakuhan system
    - The establishment of the system
    - The enforcement of national seclusion
    - The Tokugawa status system
    - Commerce, cities, and culture
  - The weakening of the bakuhan system
    - Political reform in the bakufu and the han
    - The growth of the northern problem
    - New learning and thought
      Heterodox Confucian schools
      Shintō and kokugaku
      Western studies
      Growth of popular knowledge
      Religious attitudes
    - The maturity of Edo culture
  - The last years of the bakuhan
    - The Tempō reforms
    - The opening of Japan
- Japan from 1850 to 1945
  - The Meiji restoration
    - The fall of the Tokugawa
    - From feudal to modern state
      Abolition of feudalism
      Constitutional movement
  - The emergence of imperial Japan
    - Foreign affairs
      The Sino-Japanese War
      The Russo-Japanese War
      Japanese expansionism
    - Constitutional government
    - Social change
  - The rise of the militarists
    - The weakening of party government
    - Aggression in Manchuria
    - The road to World War II
      Events in China
      Foreign relations
  - World War II and defeat
    - Prologue to war
    - Early successes
    - Japan on the defensive
    - The end of the war
- Japan since 1945
  - The early postwar decades
    - Occupation
      Political reform
      Economic and social changes
      Educational reforms
      Political trends
    - The era of rapid growth
      Economic transformation
      Social change
      Political developments
      International relations
  - The late 20th and early 21st centuries
    - Economic change
    - Political developments
    - Social change
    - International relations
Emperors and empresses regnant of Japan
Prime ministers of Japan

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

For Students

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Japan: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 26, 2025

News •

US stocks hover at record highs in quiet trading; gold, silver jump • Dec. 26, 2025, 11:02 AM ET (AP)

Japan's Cabinet OKs record defense budget that aims to deter China • Dec. 26, 2025, 7:46 AM ET (AP)

At least 15 injured in a knife and chemical attack at a factory in Japan • Dec. 26, 2025, 6:35 AM ET (AP)

Jumbo Ozaki dies of cancer at age 78. He had the most wins of any Japanese golfer • Dec. 23, 2025, 11:44 PM ET (AP)

US stocks rise at the start of a holiday-shortened week • Dec. 22, 2025, 5:57 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	Nippon • Nihon
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Sanae Takaichi
Capital	Tokyo
Population	(2025 est.) 123,105,000
Currency Exchange Rate	1 USD equals 155.925 Japanese yen
Form Of Government	constitutional monarchy with a national Diet consisting of two legislative houses (House of Councillors [242]; House of Representatives [475])
Official Language	none¹
Official Religion	none
Official Name	Nihon, or Nippon (Japan)
Total Area (Sq Km)	377,975
Total Area (Sq Mi)	145,937
Monetary Unit	yen (¥)
Population Rank	(2025) 11
Population Projection 2030	120,984,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2025) 843.6
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2025) 325.7
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2018) 91.6% • Rural: (2018) 8.4%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2022) 81.1 years • Female: (2022) 87.1 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: 100% • Female: 100%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 4,899,335
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 39,350
Symbol Of State	Emperor: Naruhito
¹Japanese is the national language.

Did You Know?

In Japan's early modern period, women would blacken their teeth with dye in a process called "ohaguro".
Japan and Russia have never signed a peace treaty to end their World War II conflict.
40% of publications sold in Japan are manga.
Consuming fugu, a poisonous blowfish delicacy, is illegal for Japanese royalty.
Japan consists of over 6,000 islands.

Photos and Videos

How snow monkeys survive winter in the Japanese Alps

Size and eating habits of Japan's giant salamanders

Survival of Japanese cranes in Kushiro Shitsugen National Park

A traditional Shintō wedding ceremony in Japan

High-tech urban farming: A new hope for Japan?

National anthem of Japan

See All Videos, Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

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