JAPAN

Flag Imperial Seal

Anthem: Kimi ga Yo (君が代)
Imperial Reign

Capital
(and largest conurbation (population)) Tokyo1
35°41′N 139°46′E
Official languages Japanese
Government Constitutional monarchy
- Emperor HIM Emperor Akihito
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (LDP)
Formation
- National Foundation Day Feb 11, 660 BC2
- Meiji Constitution November 29, 1890
- Current constitution May 3, 1947
- Treaty of San Francisco April 28, 1952
Area
- Total 377,873 km² (62nd)
145,883 sq mi
- Water (%) 0.8%
Population
- 2005 estimate 128,085,000 (10th)
- 2004 census 127,333,002
- Density 337 /km² (30th)
873 /sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2006 estimate
- Total $4.220 trillion[1] (3rd)
- Per capita $33,100[1] (12th)
GDP (nominal) 2006 estimate
- Total $4.911 trillion[1] (2nd)
- Per capita $38,341 (14th)
HDI (2004) 0.949 (high) (7th)
Currency Yen (¥) (JPY)
Time zone JST (UTC+9)
Internet TLD .jp
Calling code +81
1 Yokohama is the largest incorporated city.
2 Japan was founded on this date by the legendary Emperor Jimmu, first emperor of Japan; it is seen as largely symbolic.
Japan (help·info) (日本 Nihon or Nippon?, officially 日本国 Nihon-koku or Nippon-koku) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. The kanji characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes identified as the "Land of the Rising Sun". Its capital[2] and largest city is Tokyo.

Japan comprises over 3,000 islands, the largest of which are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku. Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic, including Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji. Japan has the world's tenth largest population, with about 128 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.