Simple Facts
| Geography: 377,835 sq. km |
| Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula |
| Population: 126.9 million |
| Capital: Tokyo |
| Ethnic Make-up: Japanese 99%, others 1% |
| Language: Japanese |
| Currency: Yen |
Economic Snapshot
Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, and mastery of high technology have helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of second most powerful economy in the world after the US and third largest economy in the world after the US and China. One notable characteristic of the economy is the working together of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in closely-knit groups called keiretsu.
A second basic feature has been the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both features are now eroding. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s largely because of the aftereffects of over investment during the late 1980s. In 2005 and 2006, the economy has shown expansion. Since 2000 the economy had seen gradual expansion but similar to many countries from late 2008 shrank due to global economic effects.
Cost of Living (in Tokyo - in US Dollars)
| One bedroom apartment: $500 - $2,100 |
| Monthly train ticket: $40 - $180 |
| Cost of meal in a restaurant: $5 - $100 |
| Glass of beer: $3 - $10 |
| Coffee: $2 - $10 |
| Big Mac: $2 |
| Cinema Ticket: $15 - $25 |
Recent History
| 1854 | Commodore Perry makes contact with the government in Edo. Japan opens begins to open to outside influences. |
| 1868 | Meiji Restoration begins and the emperor is restored as leader of the nation. |
| WWI | Japan fights with the victorious Allies and expands its influence and territorial holdings in the Pacific. |
| 1919 | Peace Conference of Versailles - Japan recognized as one of the "Big Five" of the new international order. |
| 1923 | Earthquake in Tokyo kills 140,000 people. |
| 1933 | Japan resigns from the League of Nations. |
| 1941 | Japan attacks U.S. Naval forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. |
| 1945 | U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. |
| 1947 | New constitution adopted under U.S. direction. |
| 1952 | Peace Treaty with Japan goes into effect and full sovereignty is restored. |
| 1955 | Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is founded. |
| 1956 | Japan becomes a member of the United Nations. |
| 1972 | Japan signs a peace and friendship treaty with China; U.S. returns control of former Japanese territory to Japan. |
| 1980s | Japan becomes a global economic power. |
| 1992 | Japanese soldiers participate in UN peacekeeping operations for the first time since World War II. |
| 1994 | Moriyama Tomiichi, a Socialist, becomes Prime Minister. |
| 1995 | One of the worst earthquakes in Japanese history occurs in the city of Kobe. |
| 1996 | Ryutaro Hashimoto restored power to the Liberal Democratic Party. |
| 1998 | Japan hosts the winter Olympics An economic recession caused the currency to nearly collapse Hashimoto resigned to allow another LDP leader become Prime Minister. |
| 1999 | Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi suffers stroke and is replaced by Yoshiro Mori. |
| 2001 | Junichiro Koizumi becomes new LDP leader and prime minister. Trade dispute with China after Japan imposes import tariffs on Chinese agricultural products. China retaliates with import taxes on Japanese vehicles and other manufactured goods. |
| 2002 | Koizumi visits North Korea, the first Japanese leader to do so. He meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-il who apologizes for the abductions of about a dozen Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s. |
| 2009 | The DPJ and it's political allies win landslide Lower House victory over LDP for only the second time since 1955. Yukio Hatoyama becomes Prime Minister. |
Culture Tips
- The traditional form of greeting in Japan is bowing; when meeting a Westerner, a Japanese man will probably shake hands if you have initiated. Japanese women will bow; they do not generally shake hands.
- A person's age, gender, and status make a difference in how one is treated. Be respectful to those who are your seniors (i.e. let them go first, introduce them first, etc.).
- The Japanese are not very outspoken, so it may be up to you to start a conversation. Once they are at ease, you will probably be asked a lot of questions, including some personal ones.
- Do not be frustrated if you are talking to a Japanese person and there are long periods of silence before they respond. This is part of their language pattern and indicates that they are thinking.
- It is necessary to be punctual for a social visit as well as a business visit.
- When you enter a Japanese home, you must remove your shoes in the entrance way (genkan) and put on slippers if they are offered to you. Place your shoes together, pointing toward the door. Try not to turn your back to your hosts when removing your shoes. It is advisable to wear shoes that can be easily slipped on or off.
- When eating with chopsticks and a bowl, you should bring the bowl to your mouth; do not bend over the bowl on the table.
- Slurping is acceptable and common, especially when eating soup or noodles. In fact, these noises indicate that you are enjoying your meal.
When using chopsticks never
- stand chopsticks up in the bowl. Use a chopstick "rest".
- hold your bowl and chopsticks in the same hand.
- lick or bite the chopsticks.
- pull plates toward you with them.
- use them to point.
- jab your food.
- pass food from your chopsticks directly to someone else's.
- An open mouth is considered rude; therefore, women usually cover their mouths when laughing.
- Tipping is not practiced in Japan. Sometimes, a gratuity will be added to your bill.
- Always be neat and well groomed. For social occasions, slacks and casual shirts are appropriate for men; casual skirts or dresses are appropriate for women. Shirts should be tucked in.
Links
The following sites provide additional information about Japan:
http://www.japantravelinfo.com
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_japan.html
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/link/links_e.html
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/jptoc.html
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