Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Japan - Essay Example Japan is among the world’s most populated countries in the 21st century. The population of Japan is estimated to be approximately 125,000,000 according the recent population data available. Japan is a country that is made of several islands, which, are spread out in the Pacific Ocean. The main islands that make up Japan are, Kyushu, Hokkaido, Honshu and Shikoku. Japan is located in the Asian continent neighboring Korea, China and Russia. Japan has its southern most islands lying relatively at the same as Bahamas whereas its northern most islands geographically lies in similar latitude as Portland. Japan is preeminently an industrious country with a booming economy that has underwent numerous challenges over the decades. The major industries in Japan are reputably, electronics and automobile industries whose success has put Japan on the green light at the international economic stance. The Japanese products made their way to the international market after the Second World War with a high quality reputation and relatively low prices. The most significant industries that feature on the export of Japan are metal industry, aerospace industry, shipbuilding and biotechnology. The major problem facing the industries is the huge dependence on of raw materials from foreign countries. Japan is relatively inadequate supply of natural resources. The economy of Japan is inevitably influenced by its exports and imports. However, Japan has a good performance in economic freedoms among them business freedom, property rights as well as, freedom from corruption. Japan has a well-established modern financial sector. The economics of Japan has one shortcoming, huge public debt, which is considered to pose a challenge in reviving its stagnant economy. In addition, the disparities between various segments of the Japanese economy have widened continuously (countrystudies.us). Japan relies on its main export products are electronics, cars and computer devices for foreign exchange. Mostly, Japan exports its products to Taiwan, Hongkong, Singapore, Germany and Thailand. Japan obtains most of its raw materials imports from Australia, USA, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. The average annual income of Japan is approximately $ 60, 600 USD according to the survey by Japan labor ministry. The annual average inc ome of Japan decreases every year. This has been attributed to the fact that lifetime jobs are becoming less popular in the economy of Japan. The young people in Japan have a hard time securing a full time employment. The political instability of Japan and natural calamities such as the nuclear disaster are among factors that affect the Japanese economy tremendously. The economic meltdown caused by the nuclear disaster and the earthquake tragedy has rendered most Japanese companies financially unstable (kwintessential.co.uk). Japan is among the countries that boast of a diverse cultural setting with various religions and beliefs. The major religions in Japan are Buddhism and Shintoism. The Japanese population has customs and beliefs, which they hold on closely to day in day out. The most popular Japanese rituals originated from the rituals of Shintoism symbolizing hope and spiritual health for the members of the community. The origin of the Shintoism religion is not clearly traceabl e although there is archaeological evidence that suggests the Yayoi people first practiced it in the period (400B.C-250 A.D). The Yayoi people were made up of various clans with a god being associated to each. The gods represented nature objects such as rivers, mountains, rocks and storms. The Buddhism religion became established in Japan unimpeded in 587 A.D after the defeat of the â€Å" monohobe† clan that was opposing of Buddhism (afe.easia.columbia.edu). Japanese people have a major cultural belief, which involves an annual visitation of the dead by the members of their family. The festival is known as Bon Festival in which Buddhists visit temples