Japan
hideJapan (日本, Nihon or Nippon?, officially 日本国 Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters which make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes identified as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Japan comprises 6,852 islands making it an archipelago. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for 97% of Japan's land area. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world's tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Archaeological research indicates that people were living on the islands of Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan begins with brief appearances in Chinese history texts from the first century A.D. Influence from the outside world followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. Since adopting its constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament, the Diet.
A major economic power, Japan has the world's second largest economy by nominal GDP and the third largest in purchasing power parity. Japan has a significant military equipped with modern defense systems, such as AEGIS, and boasts a large fleet of destroyers. It is also the world's fourth largest exporter and sixth largest importer. It is additionally a member of the G-8 and is the sole Asian power in that organization. It is a developed country with high living standards (8th highest HDI). Japan has the highest life expectancy of any country in the world and the third lowest infant mortality rate (according to both UN and WHO estimates).
For more information about Japan, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with japan
Microsoft CEO: Windows 7 Japan sales 'fantastic'
Nov 05, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Sales of Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows 7 operating system have been "fantastic" in Japan since its launch last month, CEO Steve Ballmer said Thursday.
Japan aims to bury greenhouse gas emissions
Nov 01, 2009 |
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Swathes of dirty clouds brood over a coal plant in rural Japan, but scientists are now hoping to send the pollutants the other way, deep into the bowels of Mother Earth.
Zero-emission scooter to debut in Japan
Oct 29, 2009 |
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A Japanese zero-emission "hybrid" scooter to be released next year runs 10 times as economically as a petrol engine bike and can be assisted by human pedal power, its maker said Thursday.
New Japanese glasses bring tears to the eyes
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Oct 27, 2009 |
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The Japanese eyewear company behind Sarah Palin's designer glasses has come up with a high-tech solution for obsessive video-gamers and bookworms whose eyes dry out from lack of blinking.
Bad breath fights monsters at Japan whacky tech fair
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Oct 22, 2009 |
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A monster-slaying bad breath blow gun, a rain-simulating "funbrella" and a navigation-aid helmet that steers users by pulling their ears: welcome to Japan's latest whacky inventions.
Blue roses to debut in Japan
Oct 20, 2009 |
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Which colour would you like your roses? Red, white, yellow... or perhaps blue?
Typhoon Melor and Tropical Storm Parma mean double trouble in the western Pacific
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 07, 2009 |
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There's double-trouble in the Western Pacific with one typhoon and one tropical storm bringing soaking rains, dangerous surf and gusty winds to two different locations. Typhoon Melor is affecting the east ...
Cars may one day mimic fish to avoid collisions
Oct 01, 2009 |
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Engineers in Japan say they are a step closer to developing technology they hope will cut the risk of car crashes -- by mimicking the behaviour of fish.
Sony's PS3 outsells Wii fivefold in Japan: survey
Sep 25, 2009 |
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Sony's PlayStation 3 video game console outsold Nintendo's Wii nearly fivefold in Japan in the three weeks to September 20, helped by the launch of a new cheaper, slim version, a survey said Friday.
NEC, Casio, Hitachi to merge handset businesses
Sep 14, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Japanese electronics makers NEC Corp., Casio Computer Co. and Hitachi said Monday they will combine their mobile phone handset-manufacturing operations by April next year in a bid to boost their competitiveness at ...
Japan sends first cargo spacecraft to ISS
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Sep 10, 2009 |
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Japan early Friday launched its first cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station, aiming for a share of space transport after the retirement of the US space shuttle fleet next year.
Internet campaigning arrives cautiously in Japan
Aug 27, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Japan is one of the world's most Internet-savvy nations - except when it comes to politics. Decades-old rules have effectively banned campaigning on the Web.
Japan robotics experts unveil sci-fi wheelchair
Aug 26, 2009 |
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Robotics and medical experts in Japan on Wednesday unveiled the prototype of a new hi-tech electric wheelchair that resembles a scooter and promises greater mobility.
Tokyo taxis to trial battery switch system
Aug 26, 2009 |
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Tokyo taxis will be the first in the world to test new electric-car batteries that can be replaced in less time than it takes to fill up the petrol tank, the firm behind the system said Wednesday.
US ranks 28th in Internet connection speed: report
Aug 25, 2009 |
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The United States ranks 28th in the world in average Internet connection speed and is not making significant progress in building a faster network, according to a report released on Tuesday.
