JAPAN, an island empire in the North Pacific Ocean, off the Asiatic coast. Area and Population.—The total area, including Japan proper, Korea, Formosa, Karafuto, Kwantung, and Pescadores, is 260,738 square miles. The population of Japan proper in 1918 was 57,784,935, ex clusive of Korea, Formosa, and the army. The population of Korea is about 17,000, 000, and of Formosa about 3,700,000. The total population of Japan is about 77,000,000. Japan proper consists of four large and many smaller islands, with an area of 148,756 square miles.
Physical Features.—The islands of Ja pan appear to be the highest portions of a huge chain of mountains which rises from a deep ocean bed; they are the ad vanced frontier of the Asiatic continent. This chain, though dotted with volcanoes, is not therefore itself of volcanic origin. Earthquakes occur very frequently in Japan, though the W. slope, facing the Asiatic continent, is exempt. Its plains and valleys, with their foliage surpass ing in richness that of any other extra tropical region, its arcadian hillslopes and forest-clad heights, give it a claim to be considered one of the fairest por tions of the earth. The sublime cone of the sacred Fuji-san (Fusiyama, Aino, "Fire-goddess Mountain"), an extinct or rather dormant volcano, rises from the sea to a height of 12,365 feet.
Clima,te.—The late autumn is the dri est and most agreeable season. The ocean current known as the Kuroshiwo ("Black Stream") considerably modifies the climate of the S. E. coast; thus, while snow seldom lies more than five inches deep at Tokyo, in the upper valleys of Raga, near the W. coast, 18 and 20 feet are common. The E. coast of Yezo is visited by a cold current from the Ku riles, which renders the climate foggy in summer and retards cultivation. The rainfall, which varies much in different years, is on an average 62 inches. No month passes without rain; but it is most plentiful in summer.
Mineralogy.—The mineral resources of Japan are considerable. Gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, antimony, tin, sulphur, coal, basalt, felspar, greenstones, gran ites (red and gray), rock crystal, agate, carnelian, amber, scori and pumice stone, talc, alum, etc., are found in
greater or less quantities. Coalbeds ex tend from Nagasaki to Yezo, near Sap poro, in Yezo.
Production and Industry.—About three-fifths of the land is cultivated by peasant proprietors, and the remaining portion by tenants. In 1919 about 30, 000,000 acres were owned by private per sons, of which about 10,000,000 were un der cultivation. The leading agricul tural crops are rice, wheat, barley, rye, tobacco, and tea. The production of rice in 1918 was 34,187,000 quarters; of wheat, 4,053,420 quarters; of barley, about 5,000,000 quarters; of rye, about 5,000,000 quarters; of tobacco, about 850,000 quarters; and of tea, about 765, 000 hundredweight. The total number of horses was about 1,300,000, and of eattle about 1,600,000. The chief miner al products in 1918, with their values, were as follows: gold, 10,240,591 yen; copper, 90,390,232 yen; steel, 113,619, 943 yen; pig iron, 38,091,576 yen. Other products of importance are coal, 286, 032,425 yen; petroleum, 30,479,097 yen; sulphur, antimony, and iron pyrites. There were about 250,000 men employed in collieries, and about 170,000 in metal mines.
Goveninient and Adniinistration.— The government is a hereditary monar chy, the succession being now exclusively in the male line. The cabinet consists of 9 ministers of state, presided over by a minister president, their departments being Foreign Affairs, Home Af fairs, Interior, Finance, War, Navy, Jus tice, Education, Agriculture and Com merce, Communications (post and tele graph, etc.). There is also a privy council, mostly composed of former min isters of state. The constitution, laid out on German lines, is jealously careful of the supremacy of the throne. The imperial diet consists of two Houses, and its approval is necessary for the passing of every law, debates being held in pub lic. The first general election took place in 1890; provincial assemblies were in stituted in 1879. For administrative purposes Japan, is divided into ken or prefectures and fu or city governments.