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| | '''Japan''' is a nation that consists of a group of islands off the eastern coast of [[Asia]]. Its capital, [[Tokyo]], is the largest metropolitan area in the world. Japan is divided into a total of 47 [[prefecture]]s.<ref>Demographia - 50 Largest World Metropolitan Areas Ranked: | | '''Japan''' is a nation that consists of a group of islands off the eastern coast of [[Asia]]. Its capital, [[Tokyo]], is the largest metropolitan area in the world. Japan is divided into a total of 47 [[prefecture]]s.<ref>Demographia - 50 Largest World Metropolitan Areas Ranked: |
| | 2000 Estimates,[http://www.demographia.com/db-world-metro2000.htm]</ref> | | 2000 Estimates,[http://www.demographia.com/db-world-metro2000.htm]</ref> |
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| | + | Japan has long suppressed [[Christianity]] and is now paying a hefty price for that, by suffering from a long-term population and economic decline. |
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| | In the August 2009 national elections, the [[Liberal Democratic Party]] (LDP) suffered a massive defeat as voters blamed it for the poor economy, numerous corruption scandals and Prime Minister [[Taro Aso]]'s uninspiring leadership. The LDP has ruled Japan for nearly all of the last 50 years and is generally conservative, but it lost two-thirds of its seats. | | In the August 2009 national elections, the [[Liberal Democratic Party]] (LDP) suffered a massive defeat as voters blamed it for the poor economy, numerous corruption scandals and Prime Minister [[Taro Aso]]'s uninspiring leadership. The LDP has ruled Japan for nearly all of the last 50 years and is generally conservative, but it lost two-thirds of its seats. |
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| − | The opposition [[Democratic Party of Japan]] (DPJ) swept the nation, winning 302 of the 480 seats in the powerful lower house, compared to only 112 seats before. DPJ leader [[Yukio Hatoyama]] was installed as prime minister but was replaced by [[Naoto Kan]] in June 2010. Kan was succeeded by [[Yoshihiko Noda]] in September 2011. | + | The opposition [[Democratic Party of Japan]] (DPJ) swept the nation, winning 302 of the 480 seats in the powerful lower house, compared to only 112 seats before. DPJ leader [[Yukio Hatoyama]] was installed as prime minister but was replaced by [[Naoto Kan]] in June 2010. Kan was succeeded by Yoshihiko Noda in September 2011. |
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| | The DPJ has promised massive spending programs will cost 16.8 trillion yen ($177 billion) annually when they are fully operational in 2013. That is a huge burden for a country that has a large and rapidly growing fiscal deficit caused by stimulus packages and bailouts that never seem to work. Japan's national debt has soared to nearly 190% of its annual GDP (gross domestic product). The nation was ranked #4 in the world in per capita income in 1989, just before its slump began; it is now down to #14. China, with ten times as many people, has almost the same total GDP and will soon surpass Japan. | | The DPJ has promised massive spending programs will cost 16.8 trillion yen ($177 billion) annually when they are fully operational in 2013. That is a huge burden for a country that has a large and rapidly growing fiscal deficit caused by stimulus packages and bailouts that never seem to work. Japan's national debt has soared to nearly 190% of its annual GDP (gross domestic product). The nation was ranked #4 in the world in per capita income in 1989, just before its slump began; it is now down to #14. China, with ten times as many people, has almost the same total GDP and will soon surpass Japan. |