ephone:
(202) 939-6700
consulates general: Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas
City (Missouri), Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Seattle,
and Portland (Oregon)
consulates:
Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Michael H. ARMACOST
embassy:
10-5, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo
mailing address:
APO AP 96337-0001
telephone:
[81] (3) 3224-5000
FAX:
[81] (3) 3505-1862
consulates general:
Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
consulate:
Fukuoka
Flag:
white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the
center

*Japan, Economy

Overview:
Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, and a comparatively
small defense allocation have helped Japan advance with extraordinary
rapidity, notably in high-technology fields. Industry, the most important
sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and
fuels. Self-sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 50% of its
requirements of other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains one of the
world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global
catch. Overall economic growth has been spectacular: a 10% average in the
1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s and 1980s. Economic growth slowed markedly
in 1992 largely because of contractionary domestic policies intended to
wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. At the
same time, the stronger yen and slower global growth are containing export
growth. Unemployment and inflation remain low at 2%. Japan continues to run
a huge trade surplus - $107 billion in 1992, up nearly 40% from the year
earlier - which supports extensive investment in foreign assets. The
crowding of its habitable land area and the aging of its population are two
major long-run problems.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.468 trillion (1992)
National product real growth rate:
1.5% (1992)
National product per capita:
$19,800 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.1% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
2.2% (1992)
Budget:
revenues $490 billion; expenditures $579 billion, including capital
expenditures (public works only) of about $68 billion (FY93)
Exports:
$339.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
manufactures 97% (including machinery 40%, m