About Japan
Population: 127,078,679 people, making Japan the world's tenth largest nation.
Area: 374,744 square kilometers.
Four major islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu.
Total of nearly 3000 islands forming an archipelago that is 1800 kilometers long.
Japan is approximately the size of California, but with five times the population.
Capital: Tokyo, with a population of 12,989,000 people in the metropolitan area.
Economy: The third largest economy in the world after the US and China. One of the world's most powerful export oriented economies despite lack of oil and raw materials.
Topography: Quite mountainous, with only 12% of the land useful for farming.
Religion: Freedom of religion is guaranteed to all.
83.9% Shinto
71.4% Buddhist
7.1% Other
2.0% Christian
Evangelical Christians are estimated to be less than 0.5% of the population.
(Numbers total more than 100% because many Japanese consider themselves both Shinto and Buddhist.)
Area: 374,744 square kilometers.
Four major islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu.
Total of nearly 3000 islands forming an archipelago that is 1800 kilometers long.
Japan is approximately the size of California, but with five times the population.
Capital: Tokyo, with a population of 12,989,000 people in the metropolitan area.
Economy: The third largest economy in the world after the US and China. One of the world's most powerful export oriented economies despite lack of oil and raw materials.
Topography: Quite mountainous, with only 12% of the land useful for farming.
Religion: Freedom of religion is guaranteed to all.
83.9% Shinto
71.4% Buddhist
7.1% Other
2.0% Christian
Evangelical Christians are estimated to be less than 0.5% of the population.
(Numbers total more than 100% because many Japanese consider themselves both Shinto and Buddhist.)
Religion in Japan
According to Japanese legend, the Japanese empire was founded about 660BC by Jimmu Tenno, an ancestor of the present emperor who claimed to be a descendant of the sun goddess. Emperor Hirohito, who ascended to the throne in 1926, mantained his position in spite of World War II and his confession to the people that he was not a god, but only a mortal man. His son, Akihito, is the present emperor.
Buddhism was first introduced to Japan around the 6th century AD and has been widely accepted. Shintoism, a form of animism which includes worship of the emperor, has roots as old as Japan itself. Today many Japanese claim to be both Buddhist and Shintoist with weddings performed in Shito shrines and funerals performed in Buddhist temples.
Buddhism was first introduced to Japan around the 6th century AD and has been widely accepted. Shintoism, a form of animism which includes worship of the emperor, has roots as old as Japan itself. Today many Japanese claim to be both Buddhist and Shintoist with weddings performed in Shito shrines and funerals performed in Buddhist temples.
