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Japan is a highly developed industrial country. In large cities, rows of piers, warehouses, plants and factories stretch for tens of kilometers. For many of them there is not enough space on land, and they are built on artificially filled soil reclaimed from the sea. Multimillion-dollar cities - Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, growing, merge with each other, forming continuous belts of urban development. You can drive for hours on high-speed roads and railways and not notice where one city ends and another begins. You also won’t immediately notice where the city ends and the village begins. Rice fields and tea plantations have to make room to make way for more and more factory buildings. At http://www.transfertaxi.com.ua minibus Rent a minivan taxi.

Thanks to hard work, the use of large amounts of chemical fertilizers, and the introduction of new, highly productive varieties, Japanese farmers receive high yields from their tiny plots. Previously, it was impossible to find an uncultivated piece of land on the plains, but now it is increasingly possible to see abandoned fields. Young people leave the countryside for cities, factories, where more than 4/s of the population lives and works.

The capitalist private ownership economy is not able to solve the problems of agriculture. In small, fragmented areas it is impossible to apply extensive mechanization, and agriculture in many areas is gradually declining.

The new in Japan is closely intertwined with the old, the foreign with the national. The main thoroughfares of Tokyo and other large cities look quite European, but if you go up to the observation deck of the Tokyo Tower (an almost exact copy of the famous Parisian Eiffel Tower), you will see that the blocks of multi-story concrete buildings of ministries, banks, offices, department stores are just islands in a boundless sea of ​​one- and two-story houses. Almost identical in architecture both in the city and in the countryside, these houses still make up the majority of the country’s housing stock.

Japanese home life is in many ways unlike European ones. When entering the house, shoes are left on the threshold: clean yellowish straw mats are spread on the floor, on which people walk only in socks. There is little furniture here; utensils are stored in closets, from where mattresses and sheets are taken out at night and laid on the floor, on mats, and put back for the day. The Japanese most often also sit on the floor, on flat cushions, at a low dining table. However, in the houses of wealthy people, some of the rooms, especially the living room, are furnished in European style.

Although there are many canteens and restaurants serving European cuisine in the cities, at home the Japanese eat mainly traditional food. This is unleavened boiled rice, which is eaten from cups with chopsticks, spicy and salty seasonings for it, mainly vegetable (from radish, cabbage, cucumbers), as well as fish. In terms of fish catch (about 10 million tons per year), the country ranks among the first in the world. The Japanese consume little meat and dairy products, and they have become common in everyday life only in recent decades.

According to the government system, Japan is a constitutional monarchy, but the emperor plays only a symbolic role. The government is formed by parliament, in which the majority of seats belong to the Liberal Democratic Party, which defends the interests of large capitalists. According to the constitution adopted after the Second World War, Japan should not have a regular army, but in order to circumvent this prohibition, the so-called “self-defense forces” were created. There are still American troops in the country, stationed at numerous military bases. These bases were used to supply American troops during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Japanese workers are persistently fighting for the elimination of American bases located on their territory.

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Introduction

An amazing state, a country of the coming centuries, a new scientific and technical phenomenon - these are the epithets that are awarded to Japan. Extraordinary fortitude, rare hard work, commitment to traditions - how all this is combined in one nation. The experience of the neighboring country is worthy of study. And although much of Japanese industrial policy is determined by its unique national specifics and cannot be fully reproduced in other conditions, a significant part of what has been tested and confirmed by the practice of this country can be perceived as useful and instructive experience.

“Economic miracle” is the term used to describe the breakthrough in Japan’s economic development that occurred during 1955-1973, when the average annual rate of its economic growth was 9.5%. The unparalleled “Japanese phenomenon” allowed the country to go from an almost zero cycle to the phase of the information-industrial society. However, over the past decades, the Japanese economy has experienced not only times of “economic boom”, but also periods of economic recession. These facts are of interest for the study of these nuances, and determine the relevance of the problem raised.

The object of study in this work is Japan.

The subject is the specifics of the national economy and the peculiarities of the economic development of Japan.

The purpose of the work is to examine the characteristics of Japan's economic development for the period from 2005 to 2009.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following interrelated tasks:

Consider the geographical location of Japan and the country's endowment with natural resources;

Study the issues of Japan's participation in integration economic associations;

Analyze Japan's economic development indicators;

Consider the features of the Japanese economic model.

The structure of the abstract consists of an introduction, two chapters divided into paragraphs, a conclusion and a list of references.

In conclusion, conclusions are drawn on the research topic.

Japan as a highly developed industrial-agrarian state

Geographical location, industry, agriculture and natural resources of Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia, located on a large stratovolcanic archipelago off the Pacific coast of Asia.

The country is located northeast of China and Taiwan and due east of Korea (separated by the Sea of ​​Japan). To the north of Japan lies Siberia, a geographical region of Russia. In general, the area of ​​Japan is 377,915 km?, of which 374,744 km? is land, and 3,091 km? -- body of water.

Japan's natural resources are very limited, which is primarily due to its geographical location and landscape. There are minor reserves of coal, oil, and iron; fish and mineral resources; large sulfur deposits.

Due to the scarcity of natural resources, Japanese industry is very dependent on foreign supplies, especially oil.

When looking at the economic map of Japan, what is striking is the concentration of industry in a relatively small area. This “industrial belt”, covering the southern coast of Honshu and the northern coasts of Shikoku and Kyushu, contains the country's largest industrial regions - Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Yavat, as well as a large number of individual industrial centers.

This location of industry is explained primarily by the fact that it arose and developed primarily in those areas where there was an abundance of cheap labor and convenient ports that provided good connections with global sources of raw materials and markets for finished products.

At the same time, in connection with the beginning of the development of certain types of mineral resources, new industrial areas located outside the “industrial belt” are emerging in a number of regions of the country (Hokkaido Island, the western coast of Honshu Island). There is a process of industrialization of the previously agricultural coast of the island. Honshu, adjacent to the Inland Sea of ​​Japan, and a number of other territories of the state.

The most economically developed area of ​​Japan is the Tokyo Industrial Area (Kantō), which accounts for about one-fourth of the country's population and industrial output.

The Tokyo region does not have its own mineral resource base (with the exception of the Asio copper ore deposits north of Tokyo), and its industry operates on imported raw materials and fuel. The region is provided with energy reserves mainly through hydroelectric power plants in mountainous areas and thermal power plants.

The country is poor in mineral resources, but coal, lead and zinc ores, oil, sulfur, and limestone are mined. The resources of its own deposits are small, so Japan is the largest importer of raw materials.

Japan has many rivers, deep, fast and rapids, unsuitable for navigation, but a source for hydropower and irrigation. The abundance of rivers, lakes and groundwater have a beneficial effect on the development of industry and agriculture.

Japan is a highly developed industrial-agrarian country. In terms of total industrial production, Japan ranks among the first in the world. Along with giant enterprises, there are numerous small ones, especially in the light and food industries. Japan's economy is heavily dependent on imports of raw materials and fuel. On the world market, Japan is a supplier of products from complex high-tech industries and modern construction materials. Metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemistry, light (in particular, textile) and woodworking industries are highly developed. Crafts (including artistic ones) are widespread. Japan occupies one of the leading places in the world in the production of industrial electronic equipment, consumer electronic appliances, robots and flexible production systems, steel smelting, production of cars and trucks, ships launched (33.6 million gross registered tons in 1995 g.), electricity generation (990 billion kWh in 1995), oil refining, production of cement, plastics and synthetic fibers Great Encyclopedia of Cyril and Methodius (Modern Universal Russian Encyclopedia), 2009.

16% of the land fund is used in agriculture, the largest plains - Kanto, or Tokyo, in Honshu, Ishikari in Hokkaido - are almost entirely cultivated. Small land ownership predominates (plots mainly up to 1.5 hectares). The bulk of production comes from crop production. The leading crop is rice (harvest 17.3 million tons in 2005). Vegetable growing, fruit growing. Sericulture is developed. Japan ranks among the world's leading fish catchers and seafood producers (10.5 million tons in 2004). The length of railways is 20.1 thousand km (1/2 of them are electrified), roads are 1.2 million km (1996). Between the islands there are ferries, bridges, underwater tunnels. Merchant marine fleet 33.6 million gross register tons (1995). The main ports are Kobe, Chiba, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, Kawasaki, Tokyo, Hakodate. Export: machinery and equipment (over 68% of value), metals, chemical products, textiles. Main foreign trade partners: USA and countries of East and Southeast Asia. Foreign tourism. The currency of Japan is the yen.

High technologies (electronics and robotics) are developed. Transport engineering is also developed, including automotive and shipbuilding, and machine tool manufacturing. The fishing fleet makes up 15% of the world's. Agriculture is subsidized by the state, but 55% of food (calorie equivalent) is imported. There is a network of Shinkansen and expressways.

With the release of the Sakhalin-2 project "Sakhalimn-2"-- an oil and gas project implemented on Sakhalin Island under the terms of a production sharing agreement. The project involves the development of two offshore fields. At full capacity, Japan will import more than 8% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) consumption from it, Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Board of Gazprom, once said http://www.marchmont.ru/story.php?story_id=7647 .

Recoverable reserves of raw materials within the project are estimated at 150 million tons of oil and 500 billion cubic meters of gas.

The shareholders of Sakhalin Energy, the project operator, are Gazprom (50%), Royal Dutch/Shell (27.5%) and the Japanese Mitsui (12.5%) and Mitsubishi (10%).

Relatively recently, an agreement was signed to finance a project on Sakhalin with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation in the amount of more than $5 billion.

According to the report, about 65% of the project's total gas will be supplied to Japan's four largest electricity generating and five gas companies under long-term contracts over 25 years.

Details Category: East Asian countries Published 02/28/2014 15:03 Views: 7453

Japan is recognized throughout the world as a great economic power.

The country has one of the highest life expectancies and one of the lowest infant mortality rates.

Japan is located on the Japanese Archipelago, which consists of 6,852 islands, not all of them inhabited. 97% of the archipelago's area is occupied by the four largest islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku.
The state is located in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Sea of ​​Japan, China, North and South Korea and Russia.

State symbols

Flag– is a white panel with an aspect ratio of 2:3 with a large red circle in the middle, representing the rising sun.Approved August 13, 1999

Coat of arms- Imperial Seal of Japan. The symbol is a yellow or orange 16-petal chrysanthemum. From the 12th century considered the emblem of Japanese emperors and members of the Japanese imperial family.

The imperial seal is sometimes used as a national emblem, although there is no official national emblem in Japan.
The image of the imperial seal consists of a central circle surrounded by sixteen petals, with a second row of petals surrounding them outside.

Chrysanthemum- symbol of Japan. The chrysanthemum is depicted on coins and the state emblem of Japan; one of the country's highest awards is the Order of the Chrysanthemum. The Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum is the most senior of the Japanese orders.

The Chrysanthemum Festival in Japan is a special ritual: while performing it, one must admire every shade of the inflorescences, while one must think deeply about the path traveled and the meaning of life. Ancient Japanese poets praised the chrysanthemum in their poems.

Government structure of modern Japan

Form of government- a constitutional monarchy.
Head of State- Emperor.
Head of Government a – Prime Minister. Appointed by the emperor.
Capital- Tokyo.
Largest cities– Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Sapporo.
Official language– Japanese. In most private and public schools, students learn Japanese and English.
Territory– 377,944 km².
Population– 127,253,075 people. About 90% of Japanese live in cities. About 98% of the population are Japanese.
Currency– yen.
Climate– conditionally divided into six climatic zones: Hokkaido– zone of low temperatures (long frosty winters and cool summers). IN Sea of ​​Japan the northeast seasonal wind brings heavy snowfall in winter. Summers are less warm than in the Pacific Ocean, but sometimes extremely high temperatures are observed due to the foehn phenomenon (a strong, gusty, warm and dry local wind blowing from the mountains to the valleys).
Climate Central Upland– typical island with a wide range of temperatures in winter and summer, night and day.
Inland Sea of ​​Japan– The climate is temperate: mountains in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions block seasonal winds.
Pacific zone– cold winters with rare snowfalls; Summers are usually hot and humid during the south-easterly seasonal wind.
Southwestern Islands– zone with a subtropical climate. Winter is warm, summer is hot. Typhoons are frequent.

Typhoon Melor in Japan
Religion– the country is characterized by religious syncretism when believers profess several religions at once. The overwhelming number of Japanese profess Shintoism (83.9%) - based on the animistic beliefs of the ancient Japanese, the objects of worship are numerous deities and spirits of the dead. In its development it experienced a significant influence of Buddhism (83.9%); and Buddhism (71.4%). Confucianism, Zen Buddhism and Amidism are also practiced. Christians 2% of the population.
Economy– Japan has large production capacities, it is the largest producer of motor vehicles, electronics, machine tools, steel, ships, chemicals, textiles and food products. Japanese workers earn the highest hourly wages in the world. The country has a low unemployment rate.

Major companies: Toyota, Nintendo, NTT DoCoMo, Canon, Honda, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Soy, Nippon Steel, Tepco, Mitsubishi and 711.Export: motor vehicles, electronics and chemicals.Import: machinery and equipment, fossil fuels, food (especially beef), chemicals, textiles and industrial raw materials.

Sumo tournament
Sport – sumo It is considered the national sport of Japan and the third most popular professional sport. Some martial arts, judo, kendo and karate, are popular. The most popular professional sport is baseball. Football is gaining popularity. Other popular sports include golf, boxing, motor sports and wrestling.
Japan hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics and the 1998 and 1972 Winter Olympics.

Education– Since 1947, compulsory education in Japan consists of primary school and middle school – 9 years, age from 6 to 15 years. Almost all children continue their education at a 3-year high school (after passing an entrance exam), tuition is paid, although not very expensive. About 75.9% of secondary school graduates continue their studies at universities, colleges, and vocational schools. The two best universities in Japan are considered to be the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University.

Tokyo University
Universities (mostly private and with high tuition fees) are open to high school graduates. Vocational education is carried out in state technical colleges or specialized training schools owned by large companies, after completion of which graduates are provided with employment.
Administrative division– 47 prefectures. Each prefecture is governed by a prefect (in Hokkaido, by a governor), and has its own legislative and administrative apparatus. Prefectures are often grouped into regions, which are not administrative units. Prefectures are divided into districts, special cities, counties, towns and villages. Special cities include cities whose population exceeds 500 thousand people.
Armed forces– The Japanese Constitution prohibits the country from having its own army and participating in wars. Japan's modern armed forces are called the Self-Defense Forces. The Self-Defense Forces consist of land, sea and air forces. The Japan Self-Defense Forces are staffed on a voluntary basis.

Hyuga is one of two types of helicopter carriers of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force

Nature

Japan is located on a large stratovolcanic archipelago off the Pacific coast of Asia and is part of the Pacific volcanic Ring of Fire system. The country experiences up to 1,500 earthquakes of magnitude 4 to 6 every year. Small earthquakes occur daily in different parts of the country, causing buildings to shake. Japan also experienced several major earthquakes: September 1, 1923 – the Great Kanto Earthquake (magnitude 8.3); January 17, 1995 – Kobe earthquake (magnitude 7.3); March 11, 2011 – earthquake off the northeastern coast, one of the largest (magnitude 9). The earthquake caused a devastating tsunami.

The Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant was hit by waves, and an accident occurred there, which became the most serious after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Another natural hazard is Pacific typhoons.
Highlands and low and medium-high mountains make up over 75% of the country's territory. Japan has virtually no mineral resources, with the exception of small reserves of coal, iron ore, sulfur and a few others.

Flora

More than 66% of the country is covered with forests. Japan has more than 700 species of trees and shrubs and about 3,000 species of herbs.
Hokkaido is dominated by coniferous forests of spruce and fir with dense thickets of bamboo. Above are thickets of dwarf cedar and birch forests. Deciduous broad-leaved forests predominate in the southern regions of the island.

Deciduous broad-leaved forests also grow on Honshu: oak, beech, maple, chestnut, ash, linden. They rise to a height of 1800 m, and coniferous forests end at an altitude of 1800-2000 m.
The lower parts of the slopes of the Honshu Mountains and the mountain slopes on the islands of Shikoku and Kyushu up to an altitude of 800 m are covered with evergreen subtropical forests with an abundance of lianas.

In the extreme south of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands, monsoon forests are common up to an altitude of 300 m: palm trees, ficus trees, tree ferns, bamboo, and orchids.

Fauna

There are 270 species of mammals, about 800 species of birds and 110 species of reptiles in the country. The seas are home to over 600 species of fish and more than 1000 species of shellfish.
On the island of Hokkaido there are brown bear, sable, ermine, and weasel. Wolves, foxes, the Asian badger, raccoon dogs, otters and hares live here, as well as on the island of Honshu.

To the south of the Sangar Strait live white-breasted bears, Japanese macaques, antelopes, and gigantic salamanders. To the south of the Togara Strait there is tropical fauna.

Birds of Japan: woodpecker, thrush, tit, swallow, starling, black grouse, cranes, stork, hawk, eagle, owls, and there are many seabirds off the coast.

Of the freshwater fish, the most numerous are carp, catfish, eel, and lamprey; Eels and salmon, including trout, are artificially bred. Commercial fish of coastal waters: Pacific herring, squid, tuna, cod, flounder, as well as crabs, shrimp, oysters.

Culture

In the Jomon era (from 13,000 BC to 300 BC, corresponding to the Mesolithic and Neolithic), the migration of the ancestors of the Japanese people from the mainland to the Japanese archipelago began. At this time, Japanese culture was born. Modern Japanese culture was strongly influenced by Asian countries (especially China and Korea), Europe and North America.
A peculiarity of Japanese culture is its long development during the period of complete isolation of the country from the rest of the world during the reign of the Tokugawa shogunate, which lasted until the mid-19th century - early 20th century. The period of Emperor Meiji that followed was marked by Japan's refusal of self-isolation and its emergence as a world power.
The isolated territorial position of the country also influenced the culture and mentality of the Japanese. Natural phenomena (frequent earthquakes and typhoons) have shaped the Japanese’s unique attitude towards nature as a living creature. A feature of the Japanese national character is the ability to admire the momentary beauty of nature. This is reflected in many forms of art.

Literature

The first Japanese written monuments are considered to be the collection of Japanese myths and legends “Kojiki” (“Records of Ancient Acts”) and the historical chronicle “Nihon Shoki”, created in the 7th-8th centuries. Both works were written in Chinese, but with modifications to convey Japanese names of gods and other words.
The types of poetic forms are also widely known outside Japan. haiku (hoku). One of the most famous representatives of the genre was and still remains Matsuo Basho. Japanese haiku consists of 17 syllables that make up one column of characters. When translated into modern languages, haiku is written as a tercet. The central place is occupied by a natural image, explicitly or implicitly correlated with human life. The art of writing haiku is the ability to describe a moment in three lines. Saying a lot using only a few words is the main principle of haiku.

On a bare branch
The raven sits alone.
Autumn evening. (M. Basho)

Popular waka(Japanese song) and its variety tank(short song).
Famous Japanese writers: Kobo Abe, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Kenzaburo Oe, Haruki Murakami, Ryu Murakami, Issa Kobayashi.

Kobo Abe (1924-1993)

An outstanding Japanese writer, playwright and screenwriter, one of the leaders of the Japanese post-war avant-garde in art. The main theme of his work is a person’s search for his own identity in the modern world. The novels “The Woman in the Sand,” “Alien Face,” and “The Burnt Map” were made into films in the 1960s by director Hiroshi Teshigahara.

Haruki Murakami (b.1949)

Contemporary popular Japanese writer and translator. Author of the books “The Rat Trilogy” (“Listen to the Song of the Wind”, “Pinball 1973”, “Sheep Hunt”), “Norwegian Wood”, “Dance, Dance, Dance”, etc. He has lived in various countries of the world. “I went to the States for almost five years, and suddenly, while living there, I completely unexpectedly wanted to write about Japan and the Japanese. Sometimes about the past, sometimes about how things are now. It's easier to write about your country when you're far away. From a distance you can see your country as it is. Before that, I somehow didn’t really want to write about Japan. I just wanted to write about myself and my world."

Painting

Japanese painting is one of the most ancient and sophisticated Japanese art forms with a wide variety of genres and styles.
As in literature, the leading place belongs to the depiction of nature.

Katsushika Hokusai "The Great Wave off Kanagawa"
In the XIV century. Monochrome watercolor developed, and in the first half of the 17th century. Woodblock prints of geishas, ​​popular Kabuki actors, and landscapes began to be produced.

Suzuki Harunobu "Two Women on the Veranda"
In Japan calligraphy considered one of the arts. Along with drawing, calligraphy is taught in schools.

Sculpture

The oldest art form in Japan. The history of sculpture is connected with the emergence of Buddhism in the country. Traditional Japanese sculpture is most often statues of Buddhist religious concepts. One of the oldest sculptures in Japan is the wooden statue of Amitabha Buddha at Zenko-ji Temple.
Wood was used as the main material for the sculptures. Statues were often varnished, gilded, or brightly painted. Bronze or other metals were used as material for the statues.

Arts and crafts

Traditional Japanese dolls(kokeshi, daruma (tumbler doll), etc.

Netsuke(miniature sculpture)

(folding paper figures)

(creating compositions from cut flowers, shoots)

(the art of growing an exact replica of a real (sometimes dwarf) tree in miniature)

Blooming rhododendron

Hand painted fabrics
(Japanese national ball embroidery technique)

Cinema

It received recognition and authority only in the late 30s of the 20th century. In the 50-60s, the active development of Japanese cinema began. These years are considered the “golden age” of Japanese cinema. During this period, the genres of historical, political cinema, action films and science fiction appeared; in terms of the number of films released, Japan occupied one of the first places in the world. Famous film directors of this period: Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi, Shohei Imamura. Actor Toshiro Mifune, who played in almost all of Kurosawa's films, became famous outside the country.

Akira Kurosawa
In the 1990s, actor and director Takeshi Kitano becomes widely known both in Japan and abroad. Famous directors: Hayao Miyazaki, Makoto Shinkai.
Japanese are very popular anime And manga(Japanese comics).
Clothing in Japan is popular both European and national (yukata, or kimono), hakama (long wide pleated pants), geta (sandals), obi (belt).

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan

There are 17 titles in total, so we will only talk about a few.
All objects: Buddhist monuments in the Horyu-ji area, Himeji Castle, Yaku Island, Forests in the Shirakami-Santi Mountains, Historical monuments of ancient Kyoto, Historic villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama, Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Itsukushima Shrine, Historical monuments of the ancient city of Nara, Shrines and temples of the city and national park of Nikko, Gusuku and other architectural monuments of the Ryukyu Kingdom, Sacred places and pilgrimage routes in the mountains of the Kii Peninsula, National Park on the Shiretoko Peninsula, Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, Historical monuments of the city of Hiraizumi, Bonin Islands, Mount Fuji.

Himeji Castle (1333-1346)

White Heron Castle
One of the oldest surviving castles in Japan, and the most popular among tourists. In total, the castle complex includes 83 buildings, almost all of them are built of wood. At the foot of the castle lies the city of the same name.
Construction of the castle began in the middle of the 14th century. It received its name for its special precision of shape and elegance, reminiscent of a beautiful snow-white bird. A high stone foundation, whitewashed walls, loopholes, and embrasures became part of the arsenal of Japanese architecture techniques.

Peace Memorial in Hiroshima

The Genbaku Dome was the Exhibition Center of the Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce and Industry before World War II. As a result of the atomic bombing of 1945, it was severely damaged, but survived, despite the fact that it was only 160 m from the epicenter. The building partially collapsed from the shock wave and burned out from the fire; all people who were in the building at the time of the explosion died. After the war, the Dome was strengthened and became the most famous exhibit associated with the atomic explosion.
The building was designed in 1915 by the architect Jan Letzel, a Czech by nationality, in a European style that was unusual for the Japanese at that time.
Next to the Atomic Dome is the Peace Memorial Park, located on an island that was practically at the epicenter of the explosion. The park contains the Memorial Museum, several monuments, a ritual bell and a cenotaph - a collective tombstone for those killed by the atomic bomb.

- a funerary monument in a place that does not contain the remains of the deceased, a kind of symbolic grave.

An active stratovolcano on the island of Honshu, 90 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. The height of the mountain is 3776 m, it is the highest mountain in Japan. The volcano is considered weakly active; its last eruption was in 1707-1708.
The mountain has an almost perfect conical outline and is considered sacred, serves as an object of tourism, as well as religious pilgrimage of the Buddhist and Shinto cults. Fuji has been a popular theme in Japanese art for centuries.
At the top of Fuji there is a Shinto shrine, a post office and a weather station. The surrounding area of ​​the mountain is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

Other attractions in Japan

Tokyo Disneyland

An amusement park with an area of ​​465,000 m², located near Tokyo. Opened in 1983, Disneyland also includes a park, hotels and a shopping complex. This is the first Disney park built outside the United States.

Tokyo Imperial Palace

Palace of the Emperor of Japan in a special area of ​​Tokyo. Located on the grounds of the former Edo Castle. Used since the second half of the 19th century. as the residence of the Emperors and the Imperial Court.
The total area including gardens is 7.41 square meters. km. The architecture of the buildings in the complex is mixed: some buildings are built in European style, while others are in traditional style.

Ueno Zoo

The oldest zoo in Japan, one of the most famous and visited. Opened in 1882. Now there are over 2,600 animals.

Rainbow Bridge (Tokyo)

A suspension bridge across northern Tokyo Bay connecting the Shibaura shipyard with Odaiba Island. The bridge was opened in 1993. Its length is 570 m.
The pylons supporting the bridge are painted white. The cables holding the bridge have lamps that illuminate the bridge in red, white and green every night.
The Rainbow Bridge has two tiers: one provides for the movement of vehicles, and the other for the movement of subway cars. The bridge also has pedestrian walkways and viewing platforms.

Story

The first signs of settlement of the Japanese archipelago date back to the 40th millennium BC. e. The Japanese as a nation were first mentioned in the Chinese historical chronicle Hanshu. The Chinese called the Japanese archipelago “the land of Wa.” In 538, Buddhism came to Japan (from the Korean state of Baekje, with which comprehensive ties were developing at that time.
In the 8th century A strong, centralized Japanese state emerges, centered in the imperial capital of Heijō-kyō on the territory of modern Nara (a city in Japan). This period is characterized by the creation of the first historical chronicles and the flourishing of culture.
Japanese feudalism is characterized by the emergence of a ruling warrior class, the "samurai department". Samurai are secular feudal lords, ranging from large sovereign princes to small nobles; in the narrow and most frequently used meaning - the military-feudal class of small nobles, i.e. a samurai is a service man.

Samurai. Photo
Japan's interaction with Western countries began in 1543, when Portuguese sailors, and later Jesuit missionaries and Dutch traders, reached the shores of Japan.
In 1854, American Commodore Matthew Perry, who arrived on the Black Ships (the name given to European and American ships that arrived in Japan between the 15th and 19th centuries), forced Japan to end its policy of isolation. With these events, Japan enters the era of modernization.
At the beginning of the 20th century. militarism and expansionism began to grow in the country. Japan took part in the First World War on the side of the Entente, expanding its political influence and territory. In 1931, Japan occupied Manchuria and created the puppet state of Manchukuo. In 1933, the League of Nations condemned her actions, and Japan defiantly left the League. In 1936, Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi Germany, and in 1941 it joined the Axis countries (an aggressive military alliance of Germany, Italy, Japan and other states, which was opposed by the anti-Hitler coalition during World War II). At the same time, Japan signed the Neutrality Pact between the USSR and Japan, pledging to respect the territorial integrity and inviolability of the Mongolian People's Republic and Manchukuo.
In 1937, Japan invades other parts of China, starting the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), after which the United States imposes an oil embargo on it. In 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (Hawaii) and declared war on the United States and Great Britain. This led to US involvement in World War II. The Japanese Empire conquered Hong Kong, the Philippines and Mallacca, but in 1942 defeat at the Coral Sea ended its naval advantage. After the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945 by US aircraft, as well as after the USSR joined military operations against Japan, it signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender on September 2, 1945.

Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 6 and 9, 1945) are the only examples in the history of mankind of the combat use of nuclear weapons. The officially declared goal is to speed up Japan's surrender.
On the morning of August 6, 1945, the American B-29 Enola Gay bomber, named after the mother of the crew commander, Colonel Paul Tibbetts, dropped the “Baby” atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima with the equivalent of 13 to 18 kilotons of TNT. Three days later, on August 9, 1945, the Fat Man atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki by a pilot Charles Sweeney, commander of a B-29 bomber. The total number of deaths ranged from 90 to 166 thousand people in Hiroshima and from 60 to 80 thousand people in Nagasaki.
The role of the atomic bombings in Japan's surrender and the ethical justification of the bombings themselves are still hotly debated: proponents of the bombings argue that they caused Japan's surrender and prevented massive casualties on both sides during the invasion of Japan. Opponents of the bombing argue that it was simply an addition to the brutal conventional bombing already underway, there was no military necessity, and, unlike other methods of warfare, it was inherently immoral and constituted a war crime or a form of state terrorism.

Black obelisk at the epicenter of the explosion in Nagasaki

P.S.

Tibbetts had no regrets about the decision to drop the bomb. In a 1975 interview, he said: “I am proud that I was able, starting from nothing, to plan an operation and execute it as flawlessly as I did... I sleep peacefully every night.” In March 2005, he said: "If you put me in the same situation, then hell yeah, I'll do it again."
All of my life Sweeney passionately advocated the need for the atomic bombing of Japan to students at American colleges and universities.
In 1947, Japan adopted a new pacifist constitution and set a course for liberal democracy. Pacifism is an anti-war social movement that opposes war and violence through peaceful means, mainly by condemning their immorality. In 1956, Japan joined the UN. The country later achieved record economic growth.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko

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Japan is a state in East Asia, located on 4 large islands - , and Koshu - and numerous small islands adjacent to them. Territory - 372.2 thousand sq. km. Population - 122.2 million (1987); over 99% are Japanese. Capital - (about 12 million people, 1987). Official. Major religions and.

The unfinished bourgeois revolution of 1867-68. opened a new capitalist era in Japanese history. The implementation of a series of bourgeois reforms over the course of several years cleared the ground for the development of capitalism. The 1889 constitution established Japan as a monarchy headed by an emperor., but legislative power in the country was exercised from then on jointly with parliament. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Japan entered the stage of monopoly capitalism, the process of transforming it into an imperialist power was proceeding at an accelerated pace. The increased militarization of the country and the preservation of a number of feudal remnants in various spheres of life and social relations gave Japanese imperialism a military-feudal character. In 1940, Japan entered into a military alliance with Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, directed against the USSR, as well as against the USA and England, and in 1941 entered the Second World War.

After the defeat of militaristic Japan in 1945, in which the Soviet Army played a decisive role, some democratic reforms were carried out in the country.

Japan chose a reform model that was characterized by the following features:

1. The primacy of the tasks of production development over other tasks, including financial stabilization, as well as the refusal to blindly follow the laws of the so-called. Thus, immediately after the end of the war, Japan was faced with a dilemma: either concentrate entirely on overcoming the then hyperinflation, or initially concentrate efforts on restoring production destroyed by the war. The Japanese ruling circles chose the second path. The restoration of production was carried out by providing the latter with cheap and targeted loans. As a result, by 1949, the year of “shock therapy,” various peaceful sectors had been restored by 80 to 100 percent. In subsequent years, the Japanese state played a huge role in carrying out such an investment and structural policy, which contributed to the formation of the entire range of industries inherent in industrialized countries, with an increasing emphasis on the priority development of knowledge-intensive industries.

2. Long-term maintenance of strict government control over foreign economic and foreign exchange activities. Only in the 1970s, having become convinced of the competitiveness of its industry and the strength of its industry, did Japan gradually move away from such strict controls.

3. Carrying out an uncompromising course to protect national capital in production, banking and other areas. In this regard, preference was given not so much to the import of foreign capital as to the import of advanced foreign technology.

4. Powerful protection of its own agriculture with the help of subsidies, protectionist protection, etc. However, in this regard, Japan was not original, although it was in the forefront of states that defended its agricultural sector. (All developed countries and most developing countries have created systems that promote the preservation and development of their own agriculture, as a strategically important industry for the destinies of these countries. Regardless of the market and commercial profitability of such a course). For example, Japan subsidizes its own at a level above the average level of OECD countries. The protectionist protection of agriculture is evidenced by the following fact: Japan only lifted the ban on rice imports in 1994 (despite the fact that Japanese rice is 2.5 times more expensive than American rice and 5 times more expensive than Thai rice).

5. The formation in Japan of an essentially special model of economic development, called the “planned market economy”. The country has created its own model of state regulation based on the interaction of the administrative apparatus and the economic system of private entrepreneurship. With the help of this system, various methods are developed to influence the economic decisions of private enterprises related to investments, scientific and technical policy, pricing of the most important products and resources, etc. These methods do not replace the market mechanism, but support, complement and correct its functioning.

Japan is a constitutional monarchy. According to the constitution, the emperor is “a symbol of the state and the unity of the people.” Legislative power is exercised by the parliament (consists of the House of Representatives - 512 deputies and the House of Councilors - 252 deputies with a term of office of 4 and 6 years, respectively). Executive power belongs to the Cabinet of Ministers, which is formed by the Prime Minister.

Japan is a highly developed country. With 2.5% of the world's population and 0.3% of its area, it is currently firmly entrenched in second place in the capitalist world in terms of its economic potential after the United States. The country's GNP (approx. $2.4 trillion in 1987) exceeds 11% of world GNP; Japan is ahead of the United States in terms of GNP per capita. Japan accounts for about 12% of global industrial production. The country ranks first in the production of ships, tractors, metalworking equipment, household appliances. In 1987, the following was produced: steel - 98.5 million tons, cars - 12.4 million units, electricity - 580.2 billion kWh, industrial robots - 12.6 thousand units, electronic and electronic computing equipment - 124 .6 billion $. Production volume increased by 4% compared to 1986.

Almost ended with the “dear yen”. Basically, a transition has been made to a new model of economic development of the country, which removes the emphasis on export orientation and puts the task of primarily domestic consumption at the forefront. (Something about world markets, exchanges, currencies and banks can be found on the page http://minfin.com.ua/company/vtb-bank, where the Ministry of Finance maintains economic news columns.)

Did Japan's economic growth slow down sharply in 2011?

Japanese government expected economic growth to slow by more than half in fiscal 2011 due to the end of economic stimulus programs and the strong yen, which negatively affects export earnings.

“We need to closely monitor possible economic slowdowns overseas and currency fluctuations. We will continue to take decisive action, including foreign exchange interventions where necessary, given that continued excessive appreciation threatens economic and financial sustainability."- noted in the statement of the Japanese government. © globfin.ru

After World War II, government cooperation with industrialists, a work ethic, high technology, and relatively low defense spending (1% of GDP) helped Japan become an industrialized country. The two main driving factors for Japan's post-war economy were the close relationships between manufacturers, suppliers and distributors, known as keiretsu, and the guarantee of lifelong employment for a large part of the urban population. Both of these drivers are currently being undermined by intense competition from global markets and domestic demographic change. Japan's industrial sector is heavily dependent on imported raw materials, supplies and fuel. Industrial areas: Tokyo - Yokohama, Osaka - Kobe and Nagoya, which account for more than 50% of manufacturing industry revenues; Kitakyushu in the north of the island. Kyushu. The most industrially backward are Hokkaido, northern Honshu and southern Kyushu, where ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy is developed.

The main structural factor is science and education, so special attention is paid to them. According to the state program for the development of the national system of research and development (R&D), a transition was made from the import of technical advances to the development of its own R&D system. Drastic measures have been taken to improve personnel training and further develop international scientific cooperation. Large scientific centers were created, engaged in developments in the field of solid state physics, nuclear energy, plasma physics, the latest structural materials, space robots, etc. The leaders of the world economy include such Japanese companies as Toyota Motors, Matsushita Electric, Sony Corporation, Honda Motors, Toshiba, Fujitsu, etc. Medium and small businesses operate effectively in all areas. It is the most active and most stable element of the market in developing competition and increasing the competitiveness of goods. Almost 99% of Japanese companies are small and medium-sized businesses. Their role is especially great in the automotive, electronics and electrical industries.

The tiny agricultural sector is heavily subsidized and protected, so Japan's yields are the highest in the world. Japan is self-sufficient in rice, but imports approximately 60% of its food (measured by calorie intake). Japan's agricultural land makes up about 13% of its territory. More than half of these lands are flooded fields used for rice growing. On average, one farm has 1.8 hectares of arable land. For Hokkaido, this figure is 18 hectares, and for the remaining 46 prefectures - 1.3 hectares. Japan is characterized by intensive agriculture, as agricultural land is predominantly small. They are processed by many farmers, usually without the use of large agricultural machinery, using natural or chemical fertilizers. Since the country lacks flat land, many lands are located on terraces on mountain slopes, which also makes it difficult to use machinery.

Japan has one of the world's largest fishing fleets, accounting for almost 15% of the world's catch. For three decades, the country's real economic growth was impressive - 10% on average in the 1960s, 5% in the 1970s and 4% in the 1980s. GDP growth slowed noticeably in the 1990s, averaging only 1.7%. This was largely due to poor investment and a price bubble in the late 1980s, which meant it took companies a long time to reduce excess debt, capital, and labor. Based on purchasing power parity, Japan ranked third in 2010. largest economy in the world after the US and China, which surpassed Japan in 2001. Before 2008, the Japanese financial sector was largely exposed to mortgages and their derivatives and weathered the initial effects of the global credit crisis. However, then the country's economy was affected by a decrease in industrial investment and demand for Japanese goods on world markets.

Government spending boosted the economy and helped Japan recover from the crisis in late 2009 and into 2010. The government proposed opening up the agricultural and service sectors to more foreign competition and encouraged exports through free trade agreements. At the same time, discussions continue in Japanese society on the issue of restructuring the economy and financing new programs to stimulate the economy in the face of the country's difficult financial situation. Japan's huge public debt, which exceeds 200% of GDP, persistent deflation, instability of exports to stimulate economic growth, and an aging and declining population are the main long-term problems for the Japanese economy.

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami devastated the northeastern coast of Honshu, washing away buildings and infrastructure 6 miles off the coast, killing thousands of people, severely damaging several nuclear power plants, and leaving more than 320,000 people homeless. , and a million households without drinking water.

Radiation leaks at the Fukushima Daiichai nuclear power plant prompted mass evacuations and the creation of a no-fly zone - for aircraft within 12.5 miles of the plant, and later within 19 miles. Within 100 miles of the nuclear power plant, radioactive iodine-131 was found in samples of water, milk, fish, beef and certain vegetables in quantities that render these foods unfit for consumption and pose a risk of long-term contamination of the area. Decreased power generation and destruction of infrastructure led to a decline in business activity on the Island of Honshu, and also caused the stock market to fall by 10% in one day.

To stabilize financial markets, the Bank of Japan subsidized more than $325 billion into the country's economy. Estimates of damage from the earthquake range from 235 to 310 billion dollars. Experts believe that as a result of the earthquake and tsunami, Japan's GDP could lose up to 1% of its growth during 2011.

Period 1940-60s. Conditions and factors of development

In the period after World War II, Japan stood out among all industrialized countries for its high rates of growth in production and labor productivity. During the 1950-80s, it exceeded them twice. Japanese GDP per capita increased 19.5 times. The average annual growth rate was 7.7%, or 4 times higher than in the United States and 7.7 times higher than in Britain. The Japanese economy collapsed only twice in 1975 and 1993. experienced a reduction in the production of gross product; usually in the lower phase of economic cycles there was only a decrease in the rate of its growth. An important reason for the stable rate of economic growth was the timely structural restructuring of the economy, which determined the leveling of the process of overaccumulation of capital. The long-term superiority in growth rates is associated with the large scale of renewal of the production apparatus. These processes were accompanied by profound shifts in the socio-economic structure.

After Japan's defeat in World War II, the Allied Supreme Headquarters set the course for economic reform. According to the line of Dodge (economic adviser to the American administration), in the first post-war years a system of priority productions necessary for economic recovery was established. These included basic and infrastructure industries, including iron and steel, coal, electricity, rail and maritime transport. For their development, methods of direct control were used, such as setting low prices, compensating for price differences, preferential lending, and quotas for imported goods.

In the first half of the 1950s, a policy of rationalization of production was pursued, within the framework of which the equipment of basic industries was updated. In the second half of the 1950s, new industries were added to them - the production of synthetic fibers, petrochemicals, and electrical engineering. The main instruments of this policy were loans from government financial institutions, as well as various tax incentives. During this period, measures were developed and consistently implemented to comprehensively stimulate export production, including the creation of special organizations to provide loans and insure foreign trade operations. The implementation of this policy strengthened the country's foreign trade position and then made it possible to liberalize foreign economic relations.

Important targeted reforms were carried out in the socio-economic and political spheres. The transformations of the post-war years legalized workers' organizations and put an end to feudal remnants in the relationship between labor and capital. Agrarian reform practically eliminated feudal land ownership. Anti-monopoly measures gave impetus to the restructuring of the old structure of Japanese concerns and the updating of production management methods. At the same time, during the deconcentration of economic power and demonopolization, the weakening of industrial potential was not allowed. In 1949, banks were not subject to the deconcentration law, and the number of companies dissolved was limited. The remaining large companies were supposed to participate in economic recovery.

Refusal of war, recorded in Art. 9 of the 1947 Constitution, predetermined that Japan had the smallest burden of military spending compared to other leading Western countries - less than 1% of GDP. These and other conditions specific to Japan accelerated the process of economic restructuring and development.

Ensuring rapid rates of economic growth required a high level of accumulation. It was supplied almost entirely by domestic savings, each component of which was large by international standards. In this regard, real discount rates were lower than in other countries, which created conditions for investment growth. The Japanese economy was characterized by a high level of capital investment, which increased over many years, reaching a huge value for industrialized countries of 39% in the first half of the 1970s (1985 - 28.5%, 1995 - 28.7%). The main investments were directed to active elements of fixed capital. Their rate was 1.5-2 times higher than the corresponding level of other leading industrial countries, amounting to 16-19.4% of GDP.

The high rate of accumulation reflected the gigantic scale of new construction and re-equipment of the existing production apparatus. The main funds were used to create new production facilities. This ensured a high degree of novelty of the equipment - its average age was maintained at the level of 5.5-6 years (USA - 9 years). The organization of serial production ensured high efficiency of capital investments. In a short time, developed complexes of manufacturing industries were created in the country.

Economic development in the first post-war decades took place in conditions of consistently low prices for mineral raw materials. This allowed Japan, based on imports, to create powerful energy- and resource-intensive and capital-intensive industries: ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, oil refining, shipbuilding, etc. For 1953-1971. production in the manufacturing industry increased 10.6 times, the highest rates of increase were in the output of mechanical engineering products (24.9 times), petroleum products and coal (19.3 times), chemicals (12 times), steel (10.6 times) times). Although the capital-intensive direction of development seemed to contradict the theory of competitive advantage, it created the potential for rapid technological formation, employment and improved living standards.

At the same time, labor-intensive industries developed, such as cotton, radio engineering, and automobile manufacturing. Until about the mid-1960s, the growth of the production apparatus was ensured by a massive influx of labor from agriculture. The use of cheap but sufficiently educated labor ensured the production of competitive products. In 1947, a system of universal 9-year education was introduced in the country, and in subsequent decades - the highest level of education. As a result, a high level of general educational and qualification training was ensured. Nowadays, over 95% of young people of the corresponding age graduate from high school and approximately 1/3 of graduates enter universities.

The economic development of Japan in the 1950-60s was marked by peculiarities in innovation policy, which was based on borrowing the scientific achievements of other countries and on the creation of goods containing minor technological improvements. This allowed it to create a wide range of production facilities in both traditional and modern industries, save significant financial and material resources and provide a large gain in time.

Period 1970-80s. Directions of development

In the 70s, a new stage in the development of the Japanese economy began. The sharp rise in prices for raw materials and energy resources on world markets created a new situation for resource-intensive industries, and the growth in real wages that began in the mid-60s began to undermine the competitiveness of labor-intensive industries. Until the 70s, Japan was practically the only country among industrialized countries with cheap labor. The action of previous factors contributing to high rates of economic growth revealed the structural lag of Japanese industry, and the national economy was forced to switch to energy- and material-saving technologies, to accelerated growth of knowledge-intensive industries. The turn to a new type of reproduction was also associated with an increased role of services.

The share of the manufacturing industry in the structure of gross domestic product increased until the early 70s (36.8% of GDP in 1970), after which it began to decrease and, in 1995, amounted to 24%. There have been major shifts within the manufacturing industry. The share of mechanical engineering increased from 30.7% in 1960 to 45% in 1990 and 56.5% in 1993, primarily due to electrical production. The share of the textile and wood processing industries has decreased significantly.

Throughout the entire period, there was a reduction in the share of agricultural production (1960 - 12.9%, 1995 - 2.1%). With significant changes, agriculture has remained labor-intensive, with relatively low productivity and higher costs compared to other developed countries. It retains an agricultural direction (rice cultivation) with a predominance of small-scale peasant farms.

The transition to a new type of reproduction was accompanied by the development of independent research work. The efforts of the state and companies have increased significantly not only in applied, but also in fundamental research in such areas as the use of atomic energy, space exploration, and the development of information systems. Japan's R&D expenditures increased from 2.1% in 1975 to 6.1% in 1985 and to 2.8% of the national product in 1994. They are especially significant in the electronics industry and precision instrument making, reaching 6 and 5% of the sales of these industries. In terms of R&D volume, Japan has narrowed the gap with the United States. If in 1980 Japanese expenses reached only 1/3, then in 1994 they reached 4/5 of the American level. As a result of the shifts in productive forces, Japan has become one of the world's largest producers of robots (over 50% of world production), semiconductors (over 40%), cars, ships, machine tools, rubber, steel, refrigerators, and washing machines. While maintaining a leading position in the production of traditional goods, it is second only to the United States in the development of high-tech industries.

For a long time, GDP was the only criterion for the development of the Japanese economy. It was believed that economic growth automatically leads to increased prosperity, so special measures in this area were postponed until the country reached the level of other countries. In the 60s, about 60% of government investments went to the development of industrial infrastructure and only a small part was invested in the social sphere.

Period 1990s and 2000s. Causes of the economic model crisis

The global cyclical crisis hit Japan hard in the early and mid-1990s. At the end of the 1990s. Japan was in a severe recession, i.e., unlike the United States, an unfavorable economic situation emerged in Japan with all the signs of a protracted recession. For 1998-1999 GDP fell by 2.8%, and this turned out to be the largest drop in the entire post-war period. At the same time, private industrial investment decreased by 11.7%.

According to Western economists, after several decades of intensive development of Japan, its economic model was greatly shaken back in 1992-1993. In 1992 alone, industrial production fell by more than 8%. There was a stronger decline only in the mid-70s, which was associated with a sharp increase in world oil prices. And Japan, more than any industrial country, depends on imports of oil and energy products. The Japanese government was forced in August 1992 to enact the largest economic emergency program in the country's history.

Unemployment in Japan is at a record high. According to official data, it was 3.2% (1996), although unemployment rates in the United States are approximately the same. The unemployment rate in 2000 reached 4.7% - this is the highest figure since 1953. The number of completely unemployed is 3.2 million people, almost half of them are young people no older than 34 years. Real wages decreased by 2%; accordingly, the volume of consumer demand decreased by 2.2% (especially for durable goods: housing, cars, etc.).

The fall in industrial production by 6.9% was the largest since the oil crisis of 1974. Capacity utilization fell by 8.2%, which leads to a decrease in investment demand, a reduction in lending volumes and a deterioration in the financial condition of enterprises.

The depressed state of the Japanese economy does not have a significant impact on the global market, since the country remains quite closed: only 10% of its domestic demand is covered by imports versus 20% in the United States. Despite the depression, the appreciation of the yen stimulated a significant increase in real imports - by 8.3% in 1994 and 10.8% in 1995. A serious blow to exports was caused by the strengthening of the yen against the dollar in 2000 (102.6 yen per dollar versus 120.9 in 1999). Because of this, the value of exports (in prices) decreased over the year by 6.1%, including in the USA by 10%.

According to analysts, the demographic situation in the country will create a certain tension in the future. Here, life expectancy is the longest - on average in the country 75 years for men and up to 80 years for women. This is a great achievement in the history of civilization, leading, however, to a huge increase in the number of old people. Features of the degradation of the traditional system of caring for the elderly and large families are already becoming noticeable.

The new government that came in July 1998 sharply changed the priorities of the anti-crisis program. The new government plans, starting in 1999 (January), to make adjustments to the tax system, that is, to reduce taxes by a total of 6 trillion. yen The tax rate on corporate profits is expected to be reduced from 34.5% to 30% (national) and from 11% to 9.6% (local). This means that the national rate of 30% will be the lowest among developed countries. The maximum income tax rate will decrease from 50 to 37%, for residents - from 15% to 13%.

The program included projects such as transforming Japan into an advanced electronic state, developing transport systems for large urban agglomerations, transferring social infrastructure to a qualitatively new level: telecommunications, science and technology, environment, social security, competition; rural regions and large urban agglomerations, the formation of a sustainable employment system based on advanced technologies.

To revive and stimulate consumer demand, the Japanese government used such unconventional measures as selling discount coupons to low-income families for purchasing goods in stores. Coupons worth 20 thousand yen have already been introduced, valid for six months - with them you can buy goods with a discount of 10% to 20%.

In 2007, Japan's GDP growth was 2%. However, in the second half of 2008, due to the global economic crisis, the Japanese economy entered a recession. In particular, car sales in November 2008 fell by more than 27% to the lowest level since 1969. Japan's GDP fell by 14.4% in the 4th quarter of 2008. Overall, Japan's GDP fell by 1.2% in 2008.

Current economic situation in Japan

At the end of the 2009 fiscal year, Japan ranked second in the world (after the United States) in terms of nominal GDP, which is more than 5 trillion US dollars, however, according to experts, in August 2010, the Chinese economy overtook the Japanese economy in this indicator; and third place in terms of purchasing power parity (after the United States and China).

Banking, insurance, real estate, transport, retail, telecommunications and construction play a significant role in the country's economy. Japan has large manufacturing capabilities and is home to several of the largest manufacturers of motor vehicles, electronics, machine tools, steel, ships, chemicals, textiles and food products. The services sector accounts for three-quarters of gross domestic product.

As of 2007, Japan ranked 19th in terms of GDP to hours worked. According to the Big Mac Index, Japanese workers earn the highest hourly wages in the world. Japan has a low unemployment rate, but in 2009 it began to rise and amounted to 5.1%. Major companies include Toyota, Nintendo, NTT DoCoMo, Canon, Honda, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Sony, Nippon Steel, Tepco, Mitsubishi and 711. It is also home to several major banks and the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which is the world's second largest market capitalization. In 2006, 326 Japanese companies were on the Forbes 2000, representing 16.3% of the list.

In 2009, Japan ranked 13th in the Ease of Doing Business Index and 19th in the Economic Freedom Index (fifth among thirty Asian countries). Capitalism in Japan has many features, for example, keiretsu play a significant role in the country's economy. It is also common for an employee to be employed for life in the same company. Japanese companies are known for such company management methods as the “Toyota Principles”. Recently, Japan has moved somewhat away from these norms.

In 2007, Japan's main export partners were the USA (20.4%), China (15.3%), South Korea (7.6%), Taiwan (6.3%), Hong Kong (5.4%), and for imports - China (20.5%), USA (11.6%), Saudi Arabia (5.7%), UAE (5.2%), Australia (5%), South Korea (4.4% ) and Indonesia (4.2%). Japan exports motor vehicles, electronics and chemicals. The country imports machinery and equipment, fossil fuels, food (especially beef), chemicals, textiles and industrial raw materials. Junichiro Koizumi's government introduced a series of reforms to encourage market competition, and foreign investment increased as a result.

Japan's GDP grew by 4.0% in 2010 after falling by 6.3% the previous year.