Japan



This article refers to the East Asian island nation of Japan. For other meanings of the word Japan, see Japan (disambiguation).

Japan (Nippon/Nihon 日本 (the characters mean sun, and root/origin), literally "the origin of the sun") is a country in East Asia situated between the Pacific Ocean and east of the Korean peninsula. Its name, often translated as "The Land of the Rising Sun," comes from China and refers to Japan's eastward position relative to the Asian continent. Before Japan had relations with China, it was known as Yamato (大和). Wa (倭) was a name early China used to refer to Japan, around the time of the Three Kingdoms Period.
Japan comprises a chain of islands, the largest of which are, from south to north, Kyushu (九州), Shikoku (四国), Honshu (本州, the largest island), and Hokkaido (北海道).
Nippon (Nihon-koku)
日本国
(In Detail) (Imperial Seal)
National motto: None
Official language Japanese
Capital Tokyo1
Largest City Tokyo
Emperor Akihito
Prime minister Junichirō Koizumi;
Area
 - Total
 - % water 		Ranked 60th
377,835 km²
0.8%
Population
 - Total (2003)
 - Density 		Ranked 10th
127,214,499
335/km²
GDP (base exchange rates)
 - Total (2002)
 - GDP/head 		Ranked 2nd (among countries)
Ranked 3rd (among economies)
$4.52 trillion
$28,000(ppp)
GNP
 - Total (2000)
 - GNP/head 		Ranked 2nd
$4.85 trillion
$38,000
Currency Yen
Time zone UTC +9
National anthem Kimigayo
Internet TLD .Jp
Calling Code 81
1 Some argue that Kyoto has this status: see Capital of Japan debate.