Facts & Statistics
Location: Eastern Asia; island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan
Coordinates: 36° north latitude, 138° east longitude
Area: 144,688 square miles; slightly smaller than the size of California
Climate: varies; tropical in south, temperate in the north
Highest Elevation: Mount Fuji, 12,388 feet
Population: 127,288,419 people
Capital City: Tokyo
Religion: 86% of the people observe both Shinto and Buddhism
Language: Japanese is the 6th most spoken language in the world. The language is hardly spoken in any other region in the world outside of Japan though.
Food: The staples that make up the Japanese diet are shoyu (soy sauce), miso, tofu, mame (beans), fish, and above all, rice.
Government: Japan’s government is made up of three branches plus the emperor. The emperor does not have any effective power but is only the symbol of the state. The minimum voting age is 20 years.
Legislature:
The Japanese parliament is called the Diet. It consists of the House of Representatives (480 members) and the House of Councillors (242 members). The members of the Diet are elected by the Japanese people.
Executive:
The cabinet is headed by the Prime Minister. The cabinet further consists of the ministers which are appointed by the prime minister and are usually members of the Diet. The prime minister is elected by the Diet.
Judiciary:
The highest court is the Supreme Court. Other courts are district courts, high courts, family courts, and summary courts. Judges are appointed by the cabinet.
