About the Country - Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia and is located in the Pacific Ocean, lying to the east of China, Korea and Russia. Japan consists over 3000 islands, making it an archipelago. Most of the islands are mountainous and many are volcanic. Japan’s highest peak is Mount Fuji and is a volcano. Archaeological research indicates that people were living on the islands of Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. Since adopting its constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament, the Diet.

Japan stands as the world’s second largest economy by nominal GDP second only to the US. Major industries in Japan include banking, insurance, real estate, telecommunications, retailing and transportation. Construction has also been one of Japan's largest industries, with the help of multi-billion dollar government contracts in the civil sector. Japan is a low-tax overwhelmingly private enterprise economy. Overall tax burden is smaller than in any major Western country. Transportation in Japan is well-developed and has good road, rail and air connectivity. There is an efficient public transportation network, especially within metropolitan areas and between the large cities. Japanese public transportation is characterized by its punctuality, excellent service, and the large crowds of people using it. In Japan, railways are a major means of passenger transportation, especially for mass and high-speed transport between major cities and for commuter transport in metropolitan areas.

Japan is one of the leading nations in the fields of scientific research, specifically technology, machinery and biomedical research. In fact, some of Japan's more prominent technological contributions are found in the fields of electronics, automobiles, machinery, industrial robotics, optics, chemicals, semiconductors and metals. Japan is also the world's largest producer of automobiles.

Japan is situated in the temperate zone where are four distinct seasons. However, the climate varies from cool temperate in the north to subtropical in the south. Seasonal winds which blow from the continent to the ocean in winter and vice versa in summer affect the climate as well. Japan experiences rain and high humidity. The climate also varies with altitude and with location on the Pacific Ocean or on the Sea of Japan. June to September is marked by a hot and wet climate arising from tropical airflows from the Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia. Early June sees rain which lasts for about a month. Thereafter, it is hot and sticky in Japan. Nonetheless, any time is a good time to visit Japan and soak in the Asian culture.