In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Read more
Category: Basic Facts (page 3 of 3)
Japan has a population of 127 million as of July 2009. It is the 11th-largest country in the world in terms of number of people.
Country name:
local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-kokulocal
short form: Nihon/Nippon
Capital: Tokyo
Geographic coordinates: 35 41 N, 139 45 E
Time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Japan’s location is very strategic — it is between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula. Read more
