47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi

Independence:

660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)

National holiday:

Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)

Constitution:

3 May 1947

Legal system:

modeled after European civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:

20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state:

Emperor AKIHITO

head of government:

Prime Minister Keizo OBUCHI, (since 30 July 1998)

cabinet:

Cabinet; appointed by the prime minister

Legislative branch:

bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consists of an upper house or House of Councillors and a lower house or House of Representatives

House of Councillors (Sangi-in):

House of Representatives (Shugi-in):

Women's Share of Seats in Parliament:

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Yohei KONO, president and Yoshiro MORI, secretary general; Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ), Tomiichi MURAYAMA; Japan Communist Party (JCP), Tetsuzo FUWA, Presidium chairman; Sakigake (Harbinger), Masayoshi TAKEMURA, chairman; Shinshinto (New Frontier Party, NFP), Toshiki KAIFU, chairman and Ichiro OZAWA, secretary general

note:

Shinshinto was formed in December 1994 by the merger of Shinseito (Japan Renewal Party, JRP), Komeito (Clean Government Party, CGP), Japan New Party (JNP), Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), and several minor groups; Shin Ryokufu-kai is a parliamentary alliance which exists only in the upper house, it includes remnants of Shinseito, JNP, DSP, and a minor labor group; Heisei-kai is a joint bloc of Shinshinto and Komei members; Komei is a group formed from what remains of Komeito in the upper house

Member of:

AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G- 2, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOMOZ, UNRWA, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US:

chief of mission:

Ambassador Takakazu KURIYAMA

chancery:

2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 939-6700

FAX:

[1] (202) 328-2187

consulate(s) general:

Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, and Seattle

consulate(s):

Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)

US diplomatic representation:

chief of mission:

Ambassador Walter F. MONDALE

embassy:

10-5, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo

mailing address:

Unit 45004, Box 258, Tokyo; APO AP 96337-0001

telephone:

[81] (3) 3224-5000

FAX:

[81] (3) 3505-1862

consulate(s) general:

Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo

consulate(s):

Fukuoka, Nagoya

Flag:

white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center