Japan (日本国) as every one knows is an island state located in East Asia.
Situated between the Pacific Ocean and the famous Sea of Japan, it stretches out to the east of Republic of China, Koreas and Russian Federation, stretching out from the Okhotsk See in the China Sea.
The hieroglyphs that collectively bring in up Japan country name maybe translated as 'sun origin', which perhaps is why Japan also is sometimes described as the 'Land of the Rising Sun'.
The English Language word for Japan went to the West from first trade routes. The first Mandarin Chinese or maybe Wu Chinese expression for Japan was picked up by Marco Polo as Cipangu.
The ancient Malay name for Japan, Jepang (new spelling Jepun, although Indonesian retains ancient spelling), was taken from traditional Chinese language, and this Malay was encountered by several Portuguese merchants in southern Malacca in the sixteenth century. It is believed the Portuguese merchants were the initiative to get this term to Europe. It was originally written down in English Language in 1577 as Giapan.
The Japan beside of its major island is Honshu, includes 3 other big ones - Hokkaido on the north, Shikoku and southern Kyushu. More than four thousand other islands surround these four.
Japan really is a constitutional monarchy where the great power of the Emperor is extremely restricted. As a traditional figurehead, he is classified by the Japan constitution as 'the symbolic representation of the country and of the harmony of the nation'. Power is controlled principally by the Prime Minister of Japan and elected members of the Parliament. The Emperor efficiently acts as the person in charge of country on political occasions. Akihito is the current emperor of Japan kingdom.
There is no more than one language spoken in Japan - Japanese language. However, a lot of Japanese are able to keep a conversation in English, since it is the foreign language that everyone must be study as part of school learning.
Japan's people currently are more than 120 million. Most Japanese live in heavily settled metropolitan regions. Japan's main largest city is Tokyo. The residential population of the Japanese Capital Metropolitan Area consisting of the Tokyo itself, number of its inner suburbs and the surrounding region is about twelve million.
More information can be found:
Japan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Japan i (formally 日本国 Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally, the State of Japan) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the ...
japan-guide.com - Japan Travel and Living Guide
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Japan
Facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, foreign relations of Japan.
Japan travel guide - Wikitravel
Japan, known as Nihon or Nippon in Japanese, is an island nation in East Asia. The "Land of the Rising Sun" is a country where the past meets the future. Japanese ...
Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
Japan breaking news. Japanese national, crime, entertainment, politics, business, technology, sports news in English. Plus, features and analysis. 国内、海外 ...
Japan Post-Fukushima Reactor Checks 'Insufficient,' Advisers Say - BusinessWeek
 Christian Science Monitor | Japan Post-Fukushima Reactor Checks 'Insufficient,' Advisers Say BusinessWeek 27 (Bloomberg) -- Japan's safety review of nuclear reactors after the Fukushima disaster is based on faulty criteria and many people involved have conflicts of interest, two government advisers on the checks said. âThe whole process being undertaken is ... Japan says can avoid summer power cuts even if nuclear Japan's nuclear nightmare Experts cast doubt on Japan nuclear power plant stress tests |
Japanese town's dependence on nuclear plant hushes criticism - Reuters
 The Associated Press | Japanese town's dependence on nuclear plant hushes criticism Reuters By Yoko Kubota | OHI, Japan (Reuters) - Japan's nuclear disaster has eroded trust in utilities and shown residents of the rural, mountainous region of Fukui the risk of radiation, but a dependence on atomic plants for jobs and funds means speaking out ... Japan's 'Nuclear Alley' conflicted over reactors Japan warned of mass rescue in nuclear crisis Japan Reactor To Undergo Safety Approval |
Japan, Russia agree to boost economic, security ties, but make no progress on ... - Washington Post
 Kansas City Star | Japan, Russia agree to boost economic, security ties, but make no progress on ... Washington Post TOKYO â The foreign ministers of Japan and Russia have agreed to strengthen economic and security cooperation but made no progress on resolving a long-standing territorial dispute over islands off northeastern Japan. Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba ... Japan, Russia to discuss economic cooperation, despite territorial row |
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake shakes Japan - Washington Post
 CTV.ca | Magnitude 5.5 earthquake shakes Japan Washington Post TOKYO â A magnitude-5.5 earthquake rattled Yamanashi prefecture in central Japan on Saturday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, and no tsunami warning was issued. Strong quake jolts eastern Japan, no tsunami warning BREAKING: Japan Earthquake Rocks Yamanashi, Measuring 7.1 |
REFILE-UPDATE 2-Japan's NEC to slash 10000 jobs, sees huge net loss - Reuters
 Wall Street Journal | REFILE-UPDATE 2-Japan's NEC to slash 10000 jobs, sees huge net loss Reuters To cut 10000 jobs by Sept * Job losses concentrated in Japan mobile phone unit * Sees annual net loss of 100 bln yen * Smartphone sales hurt by iPhone competition * Foreign rivals squeezing IT business in Japan By Tim Kelly and Reiji Murai TOKYO, ... Japan's NEC Slashing 10000 Jobs Worldwide Elpida, KDDI, NEC, Nintendo, Sekisui House: Japan Stocks Preview Japan's NEC slashes 10000 jobs worldwide, projects net loss for fiscal year |
Japan prices fall, mild deflation to persist TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's core consumer prices fell for the third consecutive month in the year to December, and mild deflation is expected to persist this year as energy prices stabilize and worries about Europe's debt crisis suppress wage growth and economic activity. Core consumer prices declined an annual 0.1 percent, matching the median estimate, and a narrower measure that excludes both ...
Experts cast doubt on Japan nuclear power plant stress tests Advisers to Japan's nuclear safety agency have condemned stress tests being conducted at nuclear power plants around the country as the government seeks international support for the early resumption of dozens of idle reactors.
Japan losing hope for its pricey “dream reactor” TSURUGA, Japan — Japan’s long and expensive pursuit of a super-efficient nuclear reactor — a model once touted as the key to its energy future — now teeters on the brink of failure amid new government concerns about its runaway costs. Read full article >>
Japan making progress on U.S. trade concerns: USTR WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday that Japan has improved market access for a broad range of U.S. goods and services, as Washington continues to consider Tokyo's application to join a proposed free trade pact in the Asia Pacific. "I welcome the progress we have made," U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in a statement. "Addressing issues of concern and working closely ...
Japan Consumer Spending Revives Even as Exports Slide: Economy Japan’s retail sales grew at the fastest pace in more than a year as a rebound in consumer spending propped up an economy reeling from the March earthquake and a deepening export slump.