Japan

D

Local Government

Including Okinawa, which was returned to Japan by the United States in 1972, the country is divided into 47 prefectures or their equivalent; each is administered by an elected governor and assembly. Each municipality in the prefectures has a legislature composed of popularly elected representatives. The municipalities have fairly broad powers; they control public education and may levy taxes.

E

Health and Welfare

In 1994 about 6.45 per cent of the annual national budget was allocated for health purposes. A medical insurance system has been in effect in Japan since 1927. Self-employed people and employees in the private and public sectors are included under the medical plan.

Social welfare services have greatly expanded since World War II; legislation enacted or amended in the post-war years includes the Livelihood Security Law for Needy Persons, the Law for the Welfare of Disabled Persons, the National Health Insurance Law, the Welfare Pension Insurance Law, Old Age Welfare Law, and the Maternal and Child Welfare Law. The entire population is covered by various insurance systems. Most working people retire at the age of 55 and receive retirement pensions amounting to about 40 per cent of their salary. Health conditions are generally excellent. In 2007 life expectancy at birth was 78 years for men and 85 years for women; the infant mortality rate was a very low 3 per 1,000 live births. Japan in 1994 had about 228,640 doctors (1 per 547 people), 79,900 dentists, and 1,681,000 hospital beds.

F

Defence

The National Police Reserve, created under the direction of the Allied occupation authorities in 1950, formed the nucleus of the defence forces subsequently organized when the Japanese regained national sovereignty. In 2004 the Japanese Self-Defence Forces consisted of about 239,900 people. These comprised an army (148,200 service personnel), a navy (44,400), and an air force (45,600).

G

International Organizations

Japan is a member of the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Colombo Plan, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Japan has long campaigned for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

VI

History

The earliest surviving records of Japanese history, aside from Chinese accounts, are contained in two semi-mythical chronicles, the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and the Nihon shoki or Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan), the former compiled in ad 712 and the latter in ad 720. These chronicles purport to concern events from about the 7th century bc to the 7th century ad. The chronicles and other collections of legends were the basis of the traditional accounts of the history of Japan. The Nihon shoki gives 660 bc as the year in which Jinmu, descendant of the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu and the first Emperor of Japan, ascended the throne, thereby founding the Japanese Empire.