Basic Facts about Japan

Japan is an island lying off the east coast of Asia. Japan has 4 main islands (Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku) and numerous smaller islands.

Official Name: Nihon or Nippon (Japan)- Land of the Rising Sun
Capital: Tokyo
Official Language: Japanese
Government: National Diet consisting of two legislative houses
Chief of State: Emperor
Head of Government: Prime Minister
Monetary Unit: Yen
Population: 126,398,000 in 1998
Area: 145,883 square miles (377,835 square kilometers)
Term for Citizens: Japanese
Religion: Shinto, various sects of Buddhism, and Christianity coexist.