A Strategic Position of Japan - Term Paper Example

?Country Report: Japan Introduction and History The country of Japan is in a strategic position in the northeast of Asia, as it is the closest Asian country to the United States of America. Throughout its history, Japan has always been suspicious of foreigners entering its lands. The shogun system prohibited all trade with foreign countries between 1603 and 1867 (“Japan”). It was not until Emperor Meiji came to the throne in 1868 that this anti-trade policy was eradicated. In the 1930’s and early 1940’s, Japan did not have a good relationship with the West due to World War II. After the end of the War, Japan resumed trade negotiations with the West and became one of the world’s greatest economic superpowers. Since the last couple of decades, Japan’s economic dominance has waned in East Asia due to the rise of China. However, Japan still has influence on the world stage due to its strong but stable economy and its hard-working people. Government Japan’s governmental system is through a parliament along with a constitutional monarchy (“East & Southeast Asia: Japan”). Japan is governed by its Meiji constitution, which was first introduced in 1890. The current constitution was an amendment to that first constitution and was adopted on the 3rd of May, 1947. In terms of its legal system, Japan has a civil law system that is largely based on the German legal system (“East & Southeast Asia: Japan”). The judicial branch has a Supreme Court, which is controlled by a chief justice who is chosen by the ruling monarch after the cabinet has offered their nomination. The current head of government is Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who has only been in power since the end of August this year. In fact, Prime Minister Noda is the sixth leader of Japan in the last five years (“Japan”). This seems to suggest that Japan is not very politically stable. The government is located in Tokyo, the capital and largest city in Japan. In terms of voting power, every man and woman aged over 20 is eligible to vote. Because of its political freedom, many Western countries consider Japan to be a good example of a functional democracy in Asia. Geography Japan is made up of four main islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku (“Japan”). The total mass area of Japan is roughly around the size of the U.S. state of California. As Japan is made up of islands, there is a large coastline that makes up a large chunk of the Japanese economy. This is because the terrain of Japan is mostly rugged and mountainous, which is not ideal for industries such as farming. Because Japan takes up a large amount of land mass, the climate can vary depending on the particular island. Generally, the southern islands are more tropical, while the northern part of Japan is quite cold. Because Japan is located on the Ring of Fire, there are a number of large earthquakes that occur annually. The most recent of these was on March 11, 2011. Population As of July 2011, Japan was estimated to be the 10th most populous country on the planet with a population of 126, 475, 664 (“East & Southeast Asia: Japan”). Even though Japan has a large population, this number is decreasing year on year. For the year 2011, the Japanese population was expected to contract by 0.278%. This can easily be explained by Japan’s low birth rate, which is one of the lowest in the world. For the year 2011, the number of births per 1,000 people was predicted to be 7.31, while the number of deaths was estimated to be 10.09 (“East & Southeast Asia: Japan”). Because of these numbers, Japan’s population is aging faster than most societies simply because there are not enough young people being born to support the older generations. This may lead to economic problems later when the number of retired people outweighs the number of working people. The majority of Japanese people are ethically Japanese. There are a few small minorities such as Koreans, Chinese, and, of late, Brazilians. Culture and Religion Japanese is the official language of Japan. The writing style is based on Kanji script, which originated from China. The majority of Japanese people consider themselves to be Shinto and Buddhist. There is a small number of Japanese who are Christian or Muslim, but these are not the dominant religions. Many Japanese are into arts and crafts. As such, calligraphy is quite popular among more traditional people. In terms of dress, the most common traditional Japanese dress is known as a Kimono (Japan Guide). The national sport of Japan is sumo wrestling, which formed out of the Shinto religion. Although not very popular today, tea drinking used to be a common way of getting to know one another. Many modern Japanese take tea ceremony classes in order to learn more about their country’s history (Japan Guide). Economy The main currency used in Japan is the Japanese Yen. The sign for this currency is ?, while its code is JPY. The Japanese Yen is often used as reserve currency along with the U.S. dollar and the Euro. In terms of GDP, the Japanese economy is the fourth largest in the world with $4.31 trillion (“East & Southeast Asia: Japan”). In contrast, GDP per capita does not rate very high by world standards. The average Japanese income is $34,000 per year. After a couple of years of negative growth, the Japanese economy recorded growth of almost 4% in 2010. Due to the earthquake in March of 2011, this positive growth rate is expected to fall for 2011. Many experts expect the Japanese economy to contract for 2011 due to the above mentioned problems (“East & Southeast Asia: Japan”). A 2010 estimate showed that there are almost 63 million people in the Japanese labor force. The majority of these people are involved in the service sector (69.8%), followed by the industrial sector (26.2%) and the agriculture sector (3.9). Even though the Japanese economy is not as strong as it used to be, the unemployment rate has remained relatively stable at 5%. Industries Japan is famous for its companies such as Toyota and Honda. The automobile industry is a huge part of the Japanese economy. Other key industries are electronics, machine tools, ships, and textiles (“East & Southeast Asia: Japan”). Due to the poor global economy and Japanese earthquake, these industries will struggle to break even for 2011. Imports and Exports For the year 2010, Japan exports goods and services worth $765.2 billion, while only importing $630.1 billion worth of goods and services (“East & Southeast Asia: Japan”). This shows that Japan is an exporter rather than an importer. This will help reduce any national debt because the country is making a profit from its international trade. The main Japanese exports are transport equipment, automobiles, and electronics. On the other hand, Japanese imports comprise machinery, oil and gas, textiles, and raw materials (“East & Southeast Asia: Japan”). International Trade The main trade organizations that Japan is a part of are APEC, the G-20, and ASEAN. Due to these agreements, particularly the latter one, Japan is able to export and import throughout most of East Asia without the need for tariffs. In terms of export partners, China is the largest, followed by the United States, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand (“East & Southeast Asia: Japan”). Similarly, Japan’s major import partner is China, followed by the United States, Australia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Korea, and Indonesia (“East & Southeast Asia: Japan”). Infrastructure For infrastructure, Japan can be considered to be one of the most advanced countries in Asia. The country has 176 airports nationwide, with Tokyo’s Narita Airport being the most widely used international airport, followed by Osaka’s and Nagoya’s airports. In terms of land travel, Japan is well-known for its high speed bullet trains. There is 26,435 kilometers of railway in Japan, making it the second largest rail user in Asia behind China. Public transport in Japan is generally better than most European countries due to its high technological expertise. Business Etiquette For business situations, casual dress is not considered appropriate at all. As such, formal dress is common and is required in almost every business situation. When in a business meeting, the most important person will sit at the head of the table, with those close to him also holding importance. When introducing yourself to a business associate, it is considered polite to hand him your business card. This must be done in a respectful manner rather than just tossing him your card. Both hands must be used to place the card in the other person’s hands. Many business meetings will take place in restaurants, as it is considered impolite to invite someone to a home. If you happen to be invited to a Japanese person’s house, then do not wear your shoes inside. In Japanese culture shoes are always replaced by slippers, known as ryokan, when entering a house (Japan Guide). For being allowed to work in Japan, a work visa is required. This must be applied for at a Japanese embassy or consulate. Residence can be given for one or three-year periods and can be extended as needed. For a successful work visa application, a letter from a prospective employer is essential (Japan Guide). If you change jobs, then you are required to inform Japanese immigration authorities so that your work status can be changed. If business requires travel outside of Japan then re-entry permits can be easy enough to obtain. Works Cited “East & Southeast Asia: Japan.” Central Intelligence Agency, 2011. Web. 4 Nov. 2011. “Japan.” Infoplease.com. Highbeam Research, LLC, 2005. Web. 4 Nov. 2011. JapanGuide. Japan-Guide.com, 2011. Web. 4 Nov. 2011. Read More