73

Japan

126.5 million
377,829 km2
English, Chinese,
None
Yen ≈ $0.0066
Unaffiliated Religions

The Land of the Rising Sun (Nippon, Nihon) in East Asia, without land borders, located in the Pacific Ocean on 6,850 islands. Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku and Hokkaido are large in area and of continental origin, and together occupy 97% of the territory.

The archipelago stretches from the north of the Sea of Okhotsk to the south to the semi-enclosed East China Sea. The shores are washed by the waters of the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. Due to the location on the edges of lithospheric plates within the boundaries of the Pacific Ring of Fire, frequent earthquakes occur. In terms of area, the densely populated territory is ranked 61st in the world (377, 945. km²). It borders with Russia, China and Korea, and has territorial claims against them.

Happiness level
64
Happiness level
64

In terms of happiness, Japan ranks 46 out of 136 countries in the World Happiness Report 2024. The indicator takes into account GDP per capita, life expectancy, sense of security, and public opinion survey results from residents of the countries.

Health index
98
Health index
98

Based on the Numbeo Health Index derived from user experience. In the 2024 ranking, Japan is in 3 place according to this indicator among 94 countries. The index evaluates the quality, cost, accessibility of medical services, and the level of staff qualifications.

The cleanest air
77
The cleanest air
77

Air cleanliness reflects the environmental situation in the region. This factor is crucial. Japan is ranked 29 among 125 countries based on the results of 2024.

Security of countries
94
Security of countries
94

The indicator is calculated based on the country safety rating from the Numbeo service. Japan ranks 9 out of 146 in terms of safety according to a survey of real travelers who visited the country in 2024.

Life expectancy 84.8 years
85
Life expectancy
85

Japan ranks 4 out of 235 countries in the world for life expectancy. This is a crucial indicator that has been evaluated by the United Nations since 1980.

Level of human freedom
91
Level of human freedom
91

Japan ranks 16 out of 164 countries in the Human Freedom Index 2024 by the American Cato Institute and the Canadian Fraser Institute. The ranking evaluates personal, civil, and economic freedom in different countries based on 86 indicators.

The cost of living 50.9 USD
32
The cost of living
32

The cost of living assessment in Japan, according to the Numbeo Index 2024, includes not only the cost of groceries, restaurants, and housing rent but also the purchasing power index. The indicator is conditional, as it is most often directly related to the income level of the population.

Unemployment rate 2.6 percent
90
Unemployment rate
90

The unemployment rate and the assessment of Japan according to this indicator are based on data from the International Labour Organization from 2024. According to this indicator, the country ranks 20 out of 186 countries in the world.

Level of social progress
95
Level of social progress
95

The Social Progress Index assesses countries' achievements across 50 different indicators, and Japan ranks 9 out of 168 countries in this rating for the year 2024.

Quality of citizenship
58
Quality of citizenship
58

The Citizenship Quality Ranking considers freedom of movement, human development index, GDP indicators, and openness to residency. Japan ranks 33 out of 201 countries based on these criteria as of 2024.

Literacy rate
99
Literacy rate
99

Literacy rate directly influences the development of any country. Therefore, this indicator provides an understanding of the average level of education among citizens. Japan ranks 22 out of 178 in terms of literacy rate.

Internet speed 48 Mbps
62
Internet speed
62

Internet speed indicates the level of technological development in the country, accessibility of information, and service quality. Japan ranks 60 in the list of countries based on this indicator.

Mobile data price 3.48 USD
15
Mobile data price
15

The cost of mobile internet reflects its accessibility. When considering this indicator alongside internet speed, we can judge the quality of access to information. In 2024, Japan ranks 200 out of 236 in this regard.

English proficiency level
23
English proficiency level
23

An indicator that gives an understanding of how comfortable you will feel in a country if you are unfamiliar with the local language but proficient in English. According to this indicator, Japan ranks 90 in the world.

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.

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