JAPAN Land of the Rising Sun World Passport Diversity Tour October 5, 2010

Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands with a land mass roughly equivalent to that of California. The four largest islands--Honshu, Kokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku-- account for 97% of Japan's land area. Japan is a constitutional monarchy where power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister and other elected members of the Diet. Emperor Akihito is a ceremonial figurehead, defined by the constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." Japan has the world's tenth-largest population with over 127 million people.

Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic. Japan’s highest peak, Mount Fuji, is a dormant volcano.

Only 11.64% of the land is arable

Fish is its greatest natural resource

Economic Facts With virtually no energy natural resources, Japan is the world’s largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as the second largest importer of oil. Despite negligible mineral resources, Japan is a major economic power and is also the world's fourth largest exporter.

The Greater Tokyo Area is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.

About 75% of the population self-identify as Buddhists and/or Shintoists

Japan is a hybrid of the traditional

and the modern

Past and present, the Japanese have always revered nature’s beauty.