Outline of Japan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Flag of Japan
The Imperial Seal of Japan
Japan (orthographic projection).svg
An enlargeable map of Japan

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Japan:

Japan – an island nation in East Asia, located in the Pacific Ocean. It lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin" (because it lies to the east of nearby countries), which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun". Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku, which together comprise about ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area.

General reference[]

  • Pronunciation: /dʒəˈpæn/ (About this soundlisten)
  • Common endonyms: 日本 (Nippon, Nihon)
  • Official endonym: 日本国 (Nippon-koku)
  • Adjectival: Japanese
  • Etymology: Name of Japan
  • International rankings of Japan
  • ISO country codes: JP, JPN, 392
  • ISO region codes: ISO 3166-2:JP
  • Internet country code top-level domain: .jp

Geography of Japan[]

An enlargeable topographic/hydrographic map of Japan
An enlargeable map of the extreme points of Japan

Geography of Japan

Environment of Japan[]

An enlargeable satellite image of Japan
Mount Ontake seen from Kurakake Pass

Environment of Japan

Geographic features of Japan[]

An enlargeable map of the World Heritage Sites of Japan

Regions of Japan[]

Tsunami wall at Tsu, Mie
Main articles: Islands of Japan and Regions of Japan

The four main islands of Japan are:

  • Hokkaido
  • Honshu
  • Kyushu
  • Shikoku

Major regions of Japan include:

  • Hokkaido (the island of Hokkaido and nearby islands, largest city Sapporo)
  • Tōhoku region (northern Honshu, largest city Sendai)
  • Kantō region (eastern Honshu, largest cities Tokyo and Yokohama)
  • Chūbu region (central Honshu, including Mount Fuji), sometimes divided into:
    • Hokuriku region (northwestern Chūbu)
    • Kōshin'etsu region (northeastern Chūbu, largest city Nagano)
    • Tōkai region (southern Chūbu, largest city Nagoya, Hamamatsu, and Shizuoka)
  • Kansai or Kinki region (west-central Honshu, largest cities Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto)
  • Chūgoku region (western Honshu, largest city Hiroshima, and Okayama)
  • Shikoku (island, largest city Matsuyama, and Takamatsu)
  • Kyushu (island, largest city Fukuoka) which includes:
    • Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa

Ecoregions of Japan[]

Ecoregions of Japan

Administrative divisions of Japan[]

Prefectures of Japan

Prefectures of Japan[]
Map of the prefectures of Japan in ISO 3166-2:JP order and the regions of Japan

From north to south (numbering in ISO 3166-2:JP order), the prefectures of Japan and their commonly associated regions are:

Hokkaido

1. Hokkaido

Tōhoku

2. Aomori
3. Iwate
4. Miyagi
5. Akita
6. Yamagata
7. Fukushima

Kantō

8. Ibaraki
9. Tochigi
10. Gunma
11. Saitama
12. Chiba
13. Tokyo
14. Kanagawa
Chūbu

15. Niigata
16. Toyama
17. Ishikawa
18. Fukui
19. Yamanashi
20. Nagano
21. Gifu
22. Shizuoka
23. Aichi

Kansai

24. Mie
25. Shiga
26. Kyoto
27. Osaka
28. Hyōgo
29. Nara
30. Wakayama
Chūgoku

31. Tottori
32. Shimane
33. Okayama
34. Hiroshima
35. Yamaguchi

Shikoku

36. Tokushima
37. Kagawa
38. Ehime
39. Kōchi

Kyushu & Okinawa

40. Fukuoka
41. Saga
42. Nagasaki
43. Kumamoto
44. Ōita
45. Miyazaki
46. Kagoshima
47. Okinawa

Karafuto, a portion of the island of Sakhalin north of Hokkaido (not shown on the map), was part of Japan from 1907 until World War II. The entire island is now governed by Russia.

Municipalities of Japan[]
Cities of Japan

Municipalities of Japan

  • Cities of Japan
    • Capital of Japan: Tokyo
    • Cities designated by government ordinance
    • Cities, by population
  • Towns of Japan
  • Villages of Japan

Demography of Japan[]

Demographics of Japan

  • Aging of Japan

Government and politics of Japan[]

Akihito, 125th Emperor of Japan

Politics of Japan

Branches of the government of Japan[]

Government of Japan

Executive branch of the government of Japan[]

Present Kantei, office and residence of the Prime Minister.
  • Symbol of state: Naruhito, Emperor of Japan
  • Head of state: de facto head of state of Japan is the head of government, the Prime Minister (see below)
  • Head of government: Shinzō Abe, Prime Minister of Japan
    • Kantei (Office and residence of the Prime Minister)
    • Prime Ministers of the past
  • Cabinet of Japan
  • Ministries of Japan
    • National Public Safety Commission
    • Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
    • Ministry of Justice
    • Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    • Ministry of Finance (Japan)
    • Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
    • Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
    • Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
    • Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
    • Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
    • Ministry of the Environment
    • Ministry of Defence

Legislative branch of the government of Japan[]

National Diet Building
  • Diet of Japan (bicameral legislature of Japan)
    • House of Councillors
    • House of Representatives of Japan
  • National Diet Building

Judicial branch of the government of Japan[]

Foreign relations of Japan[]

Dish of whale meat

Foreign relations of Japan

International organization membership of Japan[]

Japan is a member of:[3]

  • African Development Bank (AfDB) (nonregional member)
  • Asian Development Bank (ADB)
  • Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
  • Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT)
  • Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (dialogue partner)
  • Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF)
  • Australia Group
  • Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
  • Colombo Plan (CP)
  • Council of Europe (CE) (observer)
  • East Asia Summit (EAS)
  • European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
  • Energy Charter
  • European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) (observer)
  • Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
  • Group of Five (G5)
  • Group of Seven (G7)
  • Group of Eight (G8)
  • Group of Ten (G10)
  • Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (G20)
  • Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
  • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
  • International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
  • International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
  • International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
  • International Criminal Court (ICCt)
  • International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
  • International Development Association (IDA)
  • International Energy Agency (IEA)
  • International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS)
  • International Finance Corporation (IFC)
  • International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
  • International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
  • International Labour Organization (ILO)
  • International Maritime Organization (IMO)
  • International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO)
  • International Monetary Fund (IMF)
  • International Olympic Committee (IOC)
  • International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  • International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
  • International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM)
  • International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
  • International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO)
  • International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
  • Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
  • Latin American Integration Association (LAIA)
  • Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
  • Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)
  • Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
  • Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) (partner)
  • Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
  • Organization of American States (OAS) (observer)
  • Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) (partner)
  • Paris Club
  • Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
  • South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) (observer)
  • Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) (observer)
  • United Nations (UN)
  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
  • United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)
  • United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
  • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  • United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
  • United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
  • United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
  • Universal Postal Union (UPU)
  • World Confederation of Labour (WCL)
  • World Customs Organization (WCO)
  • World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
  • World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
  • World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
  • World Trade Organization (WTO)
  • World Veterans Federation
  • Zangger Committee (ZC)

Law and order of Japan[]

Motorcycle policeman questioning driver

Law of Japan

Military of Japan[]

Military of Japan

  • Japan's non-nuclear policy
  • Japan Self-Defense Forces
    • Army of Japan: Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
    • Navy of Japan: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
    • Air force Japan: Japan Air Self-Defense Force
  • Military history of Japan
  • National security of Japan

History of Japan[]

Japanese bushi in armour
Main articles: History of Japan, Timeline of Japanese history, and Current events of Japan
  • History of Japan by year
  • History of Tokyo
  • Japanese nationalism
  • Military history of Japan
    • Samurai
    • Shōgun
    • Ninja
    • Japanese militarism
    • Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
      • Attack on Pearl Harbor
      • Kamikaze
      • Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
      • Surrender of Japan
      • Aftermath of World War II: Occupation of Japan
    • Naval history

History of Japan by period[]

Culture of Japan[]

Japanese tea ceremony
Woman in kimono at Fukuoka City Hall.

Culture of Japan

Architecture of Japan[]

Himeji Castle (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Architecture of Japan

Art of Japan[]

Kabuki theatre
Nō mask, Bern Historical Museum
  • Art in Japan
  • Cinema of Japan
    • Anime
      • Studio Ghibli
    • Directors - Shōhei Imamura • Takeshi Kitano • Hirokazu Koreeda • Akira Kurosawa • Takashi Miike • Hayao Miyazaki • Kenji Mizoguchi • Mikio Naruse • Nagisa Oshima • Yasujirō Ozu • Isao Takahata
    • Films - Godzilla • In the Realm of the Senses • Kagemusha • Rashōmon • Ring • Seven Samurai
  • Japanese literature
  • Music of Japan
    • Koto
    • Shakuhachi
    • Shamisen
    • Taiko
    • Gagaku
    • Enka
    • J-pop
    • Karaoke
  • Theatre in Japan

Cuisine of Japan[]

A traditional Japanese breakfast
Kuzumochi, a dessert traditionally served chilled

Japanese cuisine

Cultural icons of Japan[]

Sōraku-en rhododendron garden
Sakura at Tsu Castle
See also: Cultural icon
  • Bonsai
  • Japanese dragon
  • Japanese gardens
  • Geisha
  • Karate
  • Kimono
  • Ninja
  • Rising Sun Flag
  • Sakura
  • Sumo
  • Sushi

Fashion in Japan[]

A woman wearing kimono

Holidays and festivals of Japan[]

Momijigari at Ryōan-ji in Kyoto
Main articles: Holidays of Japan and Japanese festivals

Homes in Japan[]

Byōbu, an eight-panel folding screen from the 19th century
Sōgetsu-ryū ikebana arrangement
Shōji

Housing in Japan

Language in Japan[]

Languages of Japan

  • Japanese language
    • Historical kana usage
    • Japanese grammar
    • Japanese phonology
    • Romanization of Japanese
  • Japanese dialects
  • Ryukyuan languages
  • Foreign Variations
    • Franponais
    • Engrish
  • Writing systems of Japan

People of Japan[]

Main articles: Japanese people and List of Japanese people

Ethnicity in Japan[]

  • Ethnic issues in Japan
  • Ainu people
  • Burakumin
  • Dekasegi
  • Ryukyuan people
  • Yamato people

Stereotypes in Japan[]

A geisha and a maiko dancing
  • Geisha
  • Freeter
  • Hikikomori
  • Kogaru
  • Otaku
  • Yakuza
  • Burakumin

Religion in Japan[]

Religion in Japan

Sports and gaming in Japan[]

Aikido, a modern Japanese martial art

Sports in Japan

  • Sports
    • Aikido
    • Baseball in Japan
    • Association football in Japan
    • Kendo
    • Puroresu (professional wrestling)
    • Sumo
  • Traditional Games
    • Go
    • Shogi
    • Mahjong
    • Hanafuda

Economy and infrastructure of Japan[]

Lexus LF-LC concept, a two-door coupé produced by Lexus
Tokyo Skytree, the tallest structure in Japan

Economy of Japan

Zaō Quasi-National Park
Shinkansen

Education in Japan[]

Japanese junior high school students in sailor outfit-style school uniforms
Main articles: Education in Japan and History of education in Japan

Structure of education in Japan[]

  • Elementary schools in Japan
  • Secondary education in Japan
  • Higher education in Japan

Health in Japan[]

Health in Japan

  • Smoking in Japan

Science and technology of Japan[]

JAXA Kibo, the largest module for the International Space Station

See also[]

Japan
Index (Alphabetical indices)
0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q–R S T U–V W–X Y–Z
Navigation
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References[]

  1. ^ "Facts and Figures of Japan 2007 01: Land" (PDF). Foreign Press Center Japan. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  2. ^ "Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications". United Nations Statistics Division. 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
  3. ^ "Japan". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. July 14, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2009.

External links[]

Wikimedia Atlas of Japan

Official[]

Media[]

Tourism[]

Other[]

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