Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima,
Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi

_#_Independence: 660 BC, traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu

_#_Constitution: 3 May 1947

_#_Legal system: civil law system with English-American influence;
judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

_#_National holiday: Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)

_#_Executive branch: emperor, prime minister, Cabinet

_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consists of an upper
house or House of Councillors (Sangi-in) and a lower house or House of
Representatives (Shugi-in)

_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State--Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Kiichi MIYAZAWA (since 5
November 1991)

_#_Political parties and leaders:
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Toshiki KAIFU, president; Keizo OBUCHI,
secretary general;
Japan Socialist Party (JSP), T. DOI, chairman;
Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), Keigo OUCHI, chairman;
Japan Communist Party (JCP), K. MIYAMOTO, Presidium chairman;
Komeito (Clean Government Party, CGP), Koshiro ISHIDA, chairman

_#_Suffrage: universal at age 20

_#_Elections:

House of Councillors--last held on 23 July 1989 (next to be held
23 July 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(252 total, 100 elected) LDP 109, JSP 67, CGP 21, JCP 14,
other 41;

House of Representatives--last held on 18 February 1990
(next to be held by February 1993);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(512 total) LDP 275, JSP 136, CGP 45, JCP 16, DSP 14,
other parties 5, independents 21; note--9 independents are expected
to join the LDP, 5 the JSP

_#_Communists: about 490,000 registered Communist party members

_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, COCOM, CP,
EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NEA, OAS (observer),
OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO

_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ryohei MURATA; Chancery at
2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
939-6700; there are Japanese Consulates General in Agana (Guam),
Anchorage, Atlanta, Bo