Japan at a glance

Around three quarters of the land is mountainous or hilly, and people, farms and industry crowd into coastal plains such as the Kanto Plain around Tokyo, the Nobi Plain around Nagoya and the Osaka Plain. Mount Fuji, at 3,776 metres, is the highest peak; Lake Biwa is the largest lake. The climate ranges from snowy winters on the Sea of Japan coast to the subtropical warmth of Okinawa, and the country's position on four tectonic plates brings frequent earthquakes and more than a hundred active volcanoes.

For everyday purposes Japan is described in eight traditional regions – Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai (Kinki), Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu-Okinawa – which group the 47 prefectures.

Japan is one of the most populous countries in the world, but its population peaked in the late 2000s and has been shrinking since, while the share of people aged 65 and over is among the highest anywhere. Most people live in cities; the Greater Tokyo area is one of the most populous metropolitan regions on earth.

Japanese is the language of government, education and daily life, although no law formally declares it the official language. It is written in a combination of kanji and the two kana syllabaries. The indigenous Ainu of Hokkaido and the people of the Ryukyu Islands have their own languages, and a growing number of foreign residents add to the country's diversity.

Under the Constitution of 1947 the Emperor is 'the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people' without powers related to government. Legislative power lies with the National Diet, made up of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. The Diet elects the Prime Minister, who forms the cabinet; the courts, headed by the Supreme Court, are independent.

Below the national level, the 47 prefectures and some 1,700 municipalities have elected governors, mayors and assemblies. Japan's calendar also counts years by imperial era names: the Reiwa era began on 1 May 2019.

Japan is a highly developed market economy and one of the largest in the world, built on manufacturing strength in cars, machinery, electronics and materials and on a large services sector. Its companies range from global groups to millions of small and medium-sized firms, and the yen is one of the world's major reserve currencies.

The post-war boom turned a devastated country into an industrial power within a generation; since the bubble burst around 1990, the economy has grown slowly and faces the pressures of an ageing, shrinking workforce.

Japanese culture joins old traditions – Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, tea ceremony, Noh and kabuki, seasonal festivals – with a modern popular culture of manga, anime and design that is known worldwide. Washoku, traditional Japanese cuisine, is on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the country has more than two dozen World Heritage sites.

The national flag, the Hinomaru ('circle of the sun'), shows a red disc on a white field; its official name is Nisshōki. The national anthem, Kimigayo, sets a classical poem from the Kokin Wakashū anthology to music. Both were given legal status by the Act on National Flag and Anthem of 1999.

The chrysanthemum is the crest of the Imperial House, while the paulownia crest is used by the government and the Prime Minister's Office. The cherry blossom is widely seen as an unofficial national flower, and the green pheasant is the national bird.