Japan is a land of contrasts and contradictions, aggressively modern yet retaining an Oriental reticence. The second largest economy in the world, the country has all the amenities for travelers seeking modern comforts. But Japan is also a land steeped in tradition and rich in history. Whether in a temple or a Zen rock garden, the landscape and architecture of Japan are bound to delight the sense with their characteristic simplicity and elegance.

Tokyo
The initial impression of Tokyo is of lofty skyscrapers, freeways on stilts, screaming neon, overhead cables and people, people, people. The major boulevards may be lined with fashionable boutiques, but venture down a quiet side street and you will still find old wood-frame houses with flimsy verandahs and well-tended miniature bonsai trees, old-fashioned food shops, tiny parks little bigger than a pocket handkerchief, and Buddhist temples. Head for the roof of a smart department store and you will find not only a beer garden but also a Shinto shrine. At a traditional festival, the youngsters carrying the portable mikoshi shrine through the streets might have pierced noses and punk hair-dos.

In its rush to embrace the 21st century, Tokyo has not forgotten its past. However, it is a city whose past often needs to be sought out. After all, it was rebuilt almost entirely not once but twice in the 20th century: after the great earthquake of 1923 and again after the bombing raids of World War Two. This past lives on in the historic plebeian districts of Ueno and Asakusa, in the haven of aristocratic calm that is the Imperial Palace; and in the name Tokyo itself, meaning "Eastern Capital," the name it assumed when the Emperor moved here in the late 19th century.

Hokkaido
Hokkaido is "the other Japan." This northernmost of the archipelago's four main islands was a vast, nearly pristine wilderness until about 150 years ago. Even today there is a frontier feel to its more remote regions. City and countryside alike breathe a new air. Ancient tradition, like summer humidity, is less oppressive here. You travel elsewhere in Japan to relive the past. You come to Hokkaido to escape it.

Honshu: Mainland Japan
Where does one start an adventure into some of the least-touched, most spectacular northern parts of the main island of Japan? You could go straight to the barren, far-northern tip to find "Terror Mountain." Or to the west coast to explore the World Heritage beech forests of the Shirakami Mountains. Try the east coast and tour the craggy coastlines. Then go to the fantastic Lake Towada at the center. The three prefectures that make up the far north of Japan's main island have some of the country's most outstanding mountain and coastal scenery. But there is culture to be found, too, in such places as Kakunodate, known for its samurai mansions, the castle town of Hirosaki with its genuine castle keep, and Hiraizumi, where a culture like Kyoto's once shone.

In southern Tohoku, the winter snow is deep; in the warm months the green is vibrant. When the sages and poets of old walked these northern regions, they were inspired by the beauty of the land and the warmth of the people. In spite of its harsh climate, this land has also been coveted and fought over by some of Japan's most daring and flamboyant warlords, and its old ports and castle towns are redolent of the contrasting cultures of samurai and merchant.

Close to the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, the Fuji-Hakone-Izu region offers a variety of natural landscapes including mountains, ocean, lakes, as well as hot spring resorts. Mt. Fuji, a well-known symbol of Japan, is located in this region and attracts many visitors from around the world. The Fuji-Hakone-Izu region comprises the three prefectures of Kanagawa, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi. The Kanagawa Prefecture, adjacent to Tokyo, offers scenic mountain destinations. Facing the Pacific Ocean and blessed with a mild climate, Shizuoka Prefecture has numerous hot spring resorts, oceans, mountains, and delicious seafood. Some of the region's best-known historical towns belong to the inland Yamanashi Prefecture. Yamanashi is also noted for its wine production. Mt. Fuji lies between Shizuoka and Yamanashi, and views of majestic Mt. Fuji and the beautiful lakes can be enjoyed from the surrounding towns.

The Tokai District, located west of central Japan, is known not only for its automobile and musical instrument manufacturing, but also for its rich historical and cultural heritage and superb coastal and mountain scenery. The Tokai District consists of four prefectures. Gifu is an inland prefecture, famous for the Hida Mountains and charming old houses that have existed for centuries. Facing the Pacific Ocean, Shizuoka is a prefecture with a mild climate and is well known for growing tea. Mie is another coastal prefecture and boasts a 2,000-year-old shrine, the Ise Shrine. Aichi is home of the world-famous Toyota Motor Corporation and is surrounded by many industrial cities. Nagoya, the capital of Aichi, is one of Japan's major international cities, and plays an important role in the industrial, historical, and cultural aspects of the Tokai District.

At the southwest end of mainland Honshu, facing the Seto Inland Sea, is a region whose mild southern clime and seaward outlook have fostered progressive people for centuries. Yamaguchi, in fact, became the breeding ground for revolutionaries who brought Japan into the modern era. There is a great deal of beauty and history to be found in Hagi (Yamaguchi), Hiroshima, a tranquil city that unwillingly gained a place in modern world history, and the floating shrine at Miyajima, revered for a thousand years. From spots such as Imabari on the island of Shikoku, take in breathtaking views of the Inland Sea or venture inland to explore the former castle town of Matsuyama.

Shikoku and Kyushu are lowest of the four main Japanese Islands.

Okinawa
The Okinawa Prefecture is located southwest of mainland Japan, between mainland Japan and Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean.

From an airplane window, Okinawa is a breathtaking spectacle of coral islands on an emerald sea. But you won't want to remain in the air for long: sun-drenched and soulful, Okinawa is a delight. Imagine an exquisite setting in a tropical ocean, filled with the serenity and simple, natural style of Japan. Throw in the vibrant colors of China and the crumbling stone walls of the Mediterranean. That's Okinawa. It's just above the Tropic of Cancer, and warm all year round. The cherry blossoms flower as early as January, and you can swim from April to October.

Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula

Area-comparative: slightly smaller than California.

Coastline: 29,751 km

Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous

Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish

Geography—note: strategic location in northeast Asia

Population: 126,182,077 (July 1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Japanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Japanese

Ethnic groups: Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean)

Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)

Languages: Japanese

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Japan

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Flag description: white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center

Economy—overview: Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of GDP) have helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of second most powerful economy in the world. One notable characteristic of the economy is the working together of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in closely knit groups called keiretsu. A second basic feature has been the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force; this guarantee is eroding. Industry, the most important sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. The much smaller agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the world. Usually self-sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 50% of its requirements of other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch.

For three decades overall real economic growth had been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s. Growth slowed markedly in 1992-95 largely because of the aftereffects of overinvestment during the late 1980s and contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. Growth picked up to 3.9% in 1996, largely a reflection of stimulative fiscal and monetary policies as well as low rates of inflation. But in 1997-98 Japan experienced a wrenching recession, centered about financial difficulties in the banking system and real estate markets and exacerbated by rigidities in corporate structures and labor markets. In early 1999 output has started to stabilize as emergency government spending begins to take hold. The crowding of habitable land area and the aging of the population are two major long-run problems.

Labor force—by occupation: trade and services 50%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 33%, utilities and communication 7%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 6%, government 3% (1994)

Unemployment rate: 4.4% (November 1998)

Industries: among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of steel and nonferrous metallurgy, heavy electrical equipment, construction and mining equipment, motor vehicles and parts, electronic and telecommunication equipment, machine tools, automated production systems, locomotives and railroad rolling stock, ships, chemicals; textiles, processed foods

Agriculture—products: rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish

Exports—commodities: manufactures 96% (including machinery 50%, motor vehicles 19%, consumer electronics 3%)

Imports—commodities: manufactures 54%, foodstuffs and raw materials 28%, fossil fuels 16%

Currency: yen (¥)

Telephone system: excellent domestic and international service
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations-5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); submarine cables to China, Philippines, Russia, and US (via Guam)

Railways:
total: 23,670.7 km
broad gauge: 2,893.1 km 1.435-m gauge (entirely electrified)
narrow gauge: 89.8 km 1.372-m gauge (89.8 km electrified); 20,656.8 km 1.067-m gauge (10,383.6 km electrified); 31 km 0.762-m gauge (3.6 km electrified) (1994)

Highways:
total: 1.16 million km
paved: 859,560 km (including 6,070 km of expressways)
unpaved: 300,440 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: about 1,770 km; seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas

Ports and harbors: Akita, Amagasaki, Chiba, Hachinohe, Hakodate, Higashi-Harima, Himeji, Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Kinuura, Kobe, Kushiro, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Sakai, Sakaide, Shimizu, Tokyo, Tomakomai

Airports: 170 (1998 est.)

Military branches: Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (Navy), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force)