At the head of the unitary state with 47 prefectures is the emperor. According to the Constitution, the legal democratic system provides for collegiality of governance and freedom of opinion. Legislative power is concentrated in Tokyo's bicameral parliament. The implementation of the laws is overseen by the Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the Emperor. The level of economy and standard of living allowed Japan to enter the seven developed post-industrial countries, to take one of the leading places in the human development index.
Demography
According to the 2020 census, in a country with a thousand-year history, the population reached 126,225 million (11th place in the world). In this mono-national state live 98% of Japanese who descended from different ancient people. Most of them are the ancestors of the Jōmon, who stood at the origins of the culture on the archipelago. In the following Yayoi era, a small number of immigrants from China, Korea, and Brazil appeared on the territory of ancient Japan in search of work. They account for less than 2%. The Ainu, who had been oppressed for centuries, were also assimilated here. The Ryukyuan ethnic group from Okinawa Prefecture is a national minority (1.3 million). There is a small Jewish diaspora in Tokyo and Kobe.
The population density is 337 people/km². Most of them settled in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, the coast of the island of Honshu.
Life expectancy in men is 79 years. Women live 8 years longer. Japan has a high average age of 47.7 years. There are about the same number of people under and over the age of 50. The median age distribution is significantly different from China (37, 6) and India (28.1). Due to the decline in the birth rate at the end of the 20th century, the population is aging. The number of citizens 65 + is 20%. Approximately 90% of Japanese are considered followers of Shinto. The minority chooses Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism.
Climatic conditions
The archipelago state is located in different climatic zones with sharp temperature boundaries. Weather is affected by monsoon winds and underwater currents. The northern and southern islands have different climates. Warm Kuroshio determines the temperature in the southwestern and central parts. Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu are located in the subtropical belt.
In winter, the thermometer drops below 12 °C at night, during the day the air heats up to 19 ˚C. In summer, the south-easterly winds bring a heat of 30 °C, numerous downpours and typhoons. In this part of the archipelago, up to 2500 mm of precipitation falls during the season. In the area of the Sea of Japan – Chugoku and Shikoku, the climate is moderate.
In the subarctic zone, a sharp northeast wind blows from the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean, driving clouds. The cold Kuril Current of Oyashio is active here, increasing during the melting of ice in the Bering Sea, and on the northern island of Hokkaido it is comfortable even in the peak of summer. Since May, typhoons with a force of 40 m/s have been blowing, causing heavy rains. In snowy winters, the thermometer drops to 8 ˚C, and sometimes to 40 ˚C. There are also many small volcanoes of low activity on the islands.
Economy
Until last year, Japan is the second industrial power in the world, ranked 3rd in terms of exports, 4th in terms of PPP ($4.3 billion) and 24th in terms of GDP ($34.5 thousand). In 2023, the economy went into recession, losing ground in Germany's ranking. The problem is caused by a decrease in consumer spending, GDP by 0.8%, fertility for the 8th year in a row, a shortage of personnel, as well as monetary policy. The strategy of the "new capitalism" is designed to correct the situation. At the same time, the unemployment rate fell by 2.4%, and the conditions for business development became favorable.
All types of energy production are developed in the country. The key industry is mechanical engineering. The Japanese produce cars, electronics, robots, machine tools, ships of impeccable quality. High-tech industries are focused on foreign markets. In second place is ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, which depends on external sources. In the Pacific industrial region, oil refining, printing, chemical, food, textile enterprises are concentrated. Japan is proud to produce porcelain and toys.
In 2024, the salary for June in companies with up to 20 employees converted to rubles was 120,270, with up to 150 employees – 180,400, corporations - 220,500 rubles. Inflation for more than 2 years does not exceed 2%, although it increased by 2.8% during the spring.
Freedom of movement
In 2024, VisaGuide.World published a new passport rating with the Henley Passport Index. The study correlates the possibility of visa-free travel with the share of world GDP, signed immigration agreements. Together with Germany, France, Italy and Singapore, Japan shared the 1st place. Prior to that, the country was in the 3rd position in the ranking.
The Japanese with the power of passport at 7, can visit 191 countries out of 221, 116 of them without visas. To cross the borders of the rest, paper/ electronic visas are required. Of these, 47 are issued on arrival and 26 are issued in advance.