JAPAN (Continued)
Branches: Emperor is merely symbol of state; executive power is vested in Cabinet dominated by the Prime Minister, chosen by the lower house of the bicameral, elective legislature (Diet); judiciary is independent
Government leaders: Emperor HIROHITO; Prime Minister Zenko SUZUKI
Suffrage: universal over age 20
Elections: general elections held every four years or upon dissolution of lower house, triennially for one-half of upper house
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Z. Suzuki, president; Japan Socialist Party (JSP), I. Asukata, chairman; Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), R. Sasaki, chairman; Japan Communist Party (JCP), K. Miyamoto, Presidium chairman; Komeito (CGP), Y. Takeiri, chairman; New Liberal Club (NLC), S. Tagawa; Social Democratic Federation (SDF), H. Den
Voting strength (1980 elections): Lower House—47.9% LDP, 19.3% JSP, 9.8% JCP, 9.0% CGP, 6.6% DSP, 3.0% NLC, 0.7% SDF, 3.6% independents and minor parties; Upper House—43.3% LDP, 22.4% JSP, 11.7% JCP, 5.0% CGP, 5.1% DSP, 0.6% NLC, 0.0% SDF, 11.8% independents and minor parties
Communists: approximately 400,000 registered Communist Party members
Member of: ADB, ASPAC, Colombo Plan, DAC, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IMF, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC—International Whaling Commission, IWC—International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
ECONOMY
GNP: $1,038 billion (1980, at 226.8 yen=US$1); $8,889 per capita (1980); 58% personal consumption, 32% investment, 10% government current expenditure, 1% stocks, and—1% foreign balance; real growth rate 4.2% (1980); average annual growth rate (1976-80), 5.5%
Agriculture: land intensively cultivated—rice, sugar, vegetables, fruits; 73% self-sufficient in food (1978); food shortages—meat, wheat, feed grains, edible oil and fats; caloric intake, 2,502 calories per day per capita (1974)
Fishing: catch 10.6 million metric tons (1979)
Major industries: metallurgical and engineering industries, electrical and electronic industries, textiles, chemicals
Shortages: fossil fuels, most industrial raw materials
Crude steel: 111 million metric tons produced (1980)
Electric power: 153,000,000 kW capacity (1980); 520.0 billion kWh produced (1980), 4,435 kWh per capita
Exports: $130.7 billion (f.o.b., 1980); 88% manufactures (including 27% machinery, 23% motor vehicles, 14% iron and steel)
Imports: $122.9 billion (f.o.b., 1980); 50% fossil fuels, 17% manufactures, 13% foodstuffs, 8% machinery and equipment
Major trade partners: exports—24% US, 21% Southeast Asia, 11% Middle East, 7% Communist countries, 17% Western Europe; imports—31% Middle East, 13% Southeast Asia, 17% US, 7% Western Europe, 5% Communist countries
Aid: bilateral economic and committed (ODA and OOF), $22 billion (1970-79)
Budget: revenues $101 billion, expenditures $168 billion, deficit $67 billion (general account for fiscal year ending March 1980)
Monetary conversion rate: 219 yen=US$1 (mid-January 1982), floating since February 1973
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 29,711 km total (1979); 1,077 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 28,634 km predominantly narrow gauge (1.067 m), 7,539 km double track, 8,279 km or 28% of total route length electrified; 82% government owned
Highways: 1,106,138 km total (1976); 474,434 km paved, 631,704 km gravel, crushed stone, or unpaved
Inland waterways: approx. 1,770 km; seagoing craft ply all coastal "inland seas"
Pipelines: crude oil, 50 km; natural gas, 1,728 km
Ports: 53 major, over 2,000 minor
Civil air: 265 major transport aircraft
Airfields: 195 total, 170 usable; 125 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 24 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 46 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent domestic and international service; 55.4 million telephones (47.6 per 100 popl.); 167 AM stations, 48 FM stations plus 429 relay stations; 5,525 TV stations (192 major—1 kw or greater), and 2 ground satellite stations; submarine cables to US (via Guam), Philippines, China, and USSR
DEFENSE FORCES
Military manpower: males 15-49, 31,204,000; 26,059,000 fit for military service; about 884,000 reach military age (18) annually
Supply: defense industry potential is large, with capability of producing the most sophisticated equipment; manufactured equipment includes small arms artillery, armored vehicles, and other types of ground forces materiel, aircraft (jet and prop), naval vessels (submarines, guided missile and other destroyers, patrol craft, mine warfare ships, and other minor craft including amphibious, auxiliaries, service craft, and small support ships), small amounts of all types of army materiel; several missile systems are produced under US license and a vigorous domestic missile development program exists
Military budget: proposed for fiscal year ending 31 March 1983, $11.8 billion; about 5.2% of total budget
