1. POPULATION
At the end of March 1992 Japan's population stood at 123.6 million, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. In terms of population Japan now ranks seventh in the world after the People's Republic of China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, and Russia, in that order.

As in other industrial countries, Japan's population growth has slowed in recent years despite a steady decrease in the death rate. After peaking at 1.27% in 1974, annual population growth declined gradually to 0.35% in 1992. This drop can attributed to a sharp decline in the birthrate from 18.6 per 1,000 in 1974 to 9.3 per 1,000 in March 1992. It is expected that Japan's population will reach a peak of 129.5 million in 2010, after which it will gradually decrease.

2. GEOGRAPHY AND LAND AREA
The Japanese archipelago, lying off the eastern coast of the Asian continent, stretches in a narrow arc 3,800 kilometers long, ranging from 20-25' to 45-33' north latitude. Japan's total area of 377,815 square kilometers slightly larger than the United Kingdom but only about one-ninth the size of India and one twenty-fifth that of the United States - represents less than 0.3% of the world's land area.

The archipelago consists of four main islands - Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku (from largest to smallest) - a number of island chains, and about 3,900 smaller islands. Honshu accounts for over 60% of the total area.

Japan's complex topography presents a contrast to its relatively benign climate. The Japanese islands form part of a long chain of mountains running from Southeast Asia all the way to Alaska. This has given the country a long and rocky coastline with many small but excellent harbors. It has also created a large number of mountainous areas with numerous valleys, swift- flowing rivers, and clear lakes. Mountains account for about 71% of Japan's total land area, according to a survey by the Ministry of Construction's Geographical Survey Institute in 1972. More than 532 of these mountains are over 2,000 meters high; Mount Fiji, the tallest, rises 3,776 meters.

Japan's complex topography provides the land with beautiful and at times dramatic scenery - snowfed mountain lakes, rocky gorges and turbulent rivers, rugged peaks, and graceful waterfalls. They are a constant source of inspiration and pleasure to Japanese and foreign visitors alike.

3. CLIMATE
The islands of Japan lie in the temperate zone and at the northeastern end of the monsoon area that reaches from Japan through the Korean Peninsula, China, and Southeast Asia to as far as India. The climate is generally mild, though it varies considerably from place to place, largely due to the continental air currents from the northwest that dominate the winter weather and the oceanic air currents from the southeast that prevail in the summer months.

There are four distinct seasons in most parts of Japan. Summer, which is warm and humid, begins around the middle of July. It is preceded by a rainy season that usually lasts for about a month, except in Hokkaido, the north- hernmost major island, where there is no rainy season at all.

Winters tend to be mild on the pacific side, with many sunny days, while the Japan Sea side tends to be overcast. The mountainous interior area is one of the snowiest regions in the world. Hokkaido is also characterized by fairly severe winters. Both of these regions provide superb sites for winter sports.

Spring and autumn are the best seasons of the year, with balmy days and sunshine across the country, although September brings typhoons, which may strike inland with their torrential rains and violent winds. Rainfall is abundant, ranging from 1,000 millimeters to 2,500 millimeters a year.

Tokyo, the capital city, is located at almost the same latitude as Athens, Los Angeles, and Tehran. The city enjoys a relatively mild winter with low humidity and occasional snow, in contrast to the high temperatures and humidity of the summer months.

The combination of plentiful rainfall and a temperate climate in most parts of the archipelago produces rich forests and luxurious vegetation throughout the countryside.

4. LANGUAGE
Japanese is the native language of the overwhelming majority of the more than 100 million inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago. The only other indigenous language of the Japanese islands is the apparently unrelated Ainu language. The Ryukyu dialects are closely related to Japanese, though mutually unintelligible.

5. UNIT OF CURRENCY: YEN
In 1993 the yen rate rose from approximately 125 yen to 100 yen per dollar between January to August.

After this rapid appreciation, the yen rate started to fall, reaching about 110 yen per dollar.