Japan is an especially attractive country, where ultra-modern technology exists side by side with ancient traditions. Some of the most common images associated with Japan are its historic and cultural treasures, bustling cityscapes, beautiful forests and mountains and various gourmet foods.

In historical cities like Kyoto and Nara, travelers can deepen their understanding of traditional culture. And in big cities like Tokyo (the capital) and Osaka, interesting sightseeing spots, shopping, and entertainment lure visitors from around the world.
In addition to the sakura (cherry blossom), well known as the symbol of Japan's natural beauty, the marked changes in the natural landscape throughout the four seasons are breathtaking to behold. Truly, Japan is a land of great natural beauty. Due to the extensive latitudinal range of the country, the climate varies from the northern end to the southern end of the archipelago. In the northern Hokkaido, sightseeing options include snow festivals in winter and lavender farms in summer; and in the southern Okinawa visitors can enjoy marine activities or relax on sun-drenched beaches in a tropical atmosphere. 

Said to be one of the Japan's greatest attractions, Japanese cuisine offers a large variety of dishes including local specialties. The three pillars of Japanese cuisine are skillful cooking technique, careful visual presentation and the use of the freshest seasonal ingredients.
The beautiful country of Japan will greet you with warm hospitality.

Until ten or twenty thousand years ago, Japan was still connected to the Asian continent by land. Its complete separation was the result of movements of the earth's crust and a rise in sea level. The history of Japan begins with the migration of people from the Asian continent during this period. When the sea rose and the land bridges washed away, these first inhabitants of ancient Japan were left to settle the islands. At the same time, this period of global warming produced more abundant sea life and a thriving forest. Some of the oldest pottery found in the world comes from this period in Japanese history, which lasted from about 10,000 BC to roughly 300 BC. During this time, Japan was mostly a fishing and hunter/gatherer society.

The next period, called the Yayoi Period, began around 300 BC with the introduction of rice from the Korean Peninsula. Rice became central to the Japanese lifestyle, and the spread of rice farms led to a closer-knit social structure. A large number of small independent states developed and then began to unite in this period.

In the following Kofun Period (300 AD to 710 AD), successive emperors strengthened the foundations of the country by introducing, with the help of a number of powerful families, various cultural imports from the continent, including the Chinese writing system, religion (Buddhism), ideology (Confucianism) and various arts and crafts. In the seventh century, a constitutional form of government based on that of China (T'ang) was introduced, placing the land and the people under the direct control of the state, rather than under that of powerful families.

However, this system crumbled in the eighth century as the nobility began taking private possession of the land and manors. With the people and land under their control, the aristocrats of the period amassed huge fortunes and established a unique culture. This period, in which the capital of Kyoto thrived, is called the Heian Period (794- 1185). Kyoto remained the imperial capital until 1868, and has been the cultural capital throughout the history of Japan.

Warriors employed by the nobility to keep the farmers under control took the advantage of their position of direct control over the farmers. In the wars with the Kyoto nobility, the warrior Minamoto Yoritomo emerged victorious and was proclaimed the shogun of Japan. Minamoto wasted no time creating a capital in Kamakura, far from Kyoto, solidifying his rule with an army of samurai warriors.

The next major period in Japan's history involved a power struggle among several samurai warlords from different regions, and is known as the Warring States Period. The victor, Ieyasu Tokugawa, consolidated his rule over the whole country. He established his Shogunate Government (Bakufu) in Edo (present-day Tokyo). A series of Tokugawa shoguns passed in succession during what is called the Edo Period (1600-1868), a time of isolation and peace which oversaw the rise of the merchant class. By the early 1700's an estimated 1.4 million people lived in Edo, making it the largest city in the world at the time. In this long and peaceful period, the position of the samurai as the ruling class was greatly undermined by the increasing power of the merchant class.
In 1853, Commodore Perry arrived from the US and called for an end to Japan's isolation and for its resumption of overseas trade. This put the bakufu in a difficult position, and bolstered anti-bakufu forces who sought to restore power to the Emperor.

Finally, in 1868, a new government headed by the Emperor Meiji was established, an event known as the Meiji Restoration. As the country once again came under imperial rule, the last shogun retired and the samurai were disbanded with relatively little bloodshed. As if awakening to the rest of the world, Japan began a period or rapid modernization unequaled in its history.

Japan's domestic development progressed at a rapid pace. By the end of the nineteenth century, Japan's industrial revolution was well under way and the groundwork for a capitalist economy had been laid. When the Great Depression occurred in 1929, the military gained increasing control over domestic and international policy and began to pursue an imperialistic agenda. This agenda brought Japan into World War II, during which it significantly expanded its power throughout Asia. Japan surrendered after American forces dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Yet in the face of its crippling defeat, Japan has proven resilient and resourceful. Modern, post-war Japanese history has been a model of successful government-coordinated industrialization.

Source:Standard Japanese History, Imidas, The Nippon

Location
Japan is an island country lying off the east coast of the Eurasian continent. Its four main islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu) and 6,852 smaller islands form a long crescent surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, the Okhotsk, and the East China Sea. The capital, Tokyo, lies at 140° east longitude and 36° north latitude.

Land Area
Japan's land area is approximately 378,000km². It is often said that Japan is a small country, but the archipelago stretches about 3,500km from the northernmost end to the southernmost end. Due to this fact, the climate and scenery differ greatly from region to region. About 70% of Japan's entire land surface is covered with mountains.

Climate
Most of Japan has a temperate, oceanic type of climate with four seasons influenced by monsoons. The northern part of the country falls in the sub-frigid zone and southern part falls in the subtropical zone. Spring: Spring is the best season in Japan. People enjoy the cherry blossoms which bloom in sequence from the southern part to the northern part of the country. Summer: The summers are hot and humid, especially on the Pacific side of the country. Recently, the hot temperatures have lingered at over 35 degrees Celsius due to global warming.

Autumn: Famed for the so-called "autumn eating" and "autumn studying", autumn is another great season in Japan. The air is stimulating as the temperature gets cooler. The leaves turn red and yellow, creating remarkably beautiful foliage.
Winter: It snows in the northern regions because of the north-westerly monsoon and the Siberian High. On the coast of the Pacific Ocean, the air is dry with clear days.
There is a rainy season from June to mid-July, as well as many typhoons in September.

Population
The population is about 128 million. Most people live in urban areas, and the countryside is witnessing an excessively declining population. About 12.9 million live in Tokyo which is the political and economic center of the country.

Religion
"Shinto" and "Buddhism" are the main religions in Japan. But most Japanese don't have strong religious beliefs or exclusively identify with any specific religion.

Language
Japanese. The literacy rate is almost 100% by virtue of Japan's system of compulsory education. Various dialects are spoken in each region.

Politics
The present Japanese constitution is based on the separation of the three branches of government - legislative, administrative and judicial, which was promulgated in the year 1946 during the occupation of the Allied powers.
Its three broad principles are the sovereignty of the people, respect for basic human rights, and pacifism.
The head of the Japanese parliament (the Diet) is the Prime Minister, who is nominated by the members of the Diet and appointed by the emperor. The emperor is the symbol of the state, but does not have any actual power. The present emperor is Akihito, the 125th emperor of Japan.

Executive branch
Chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
Head of government: Prime Minister Naoto KAN (since 8 June 2010)
Cabinet: Cabinet is appointed by the prime minister
Elections: Diet designates the prime minister; constitution requires that the prime minister commands parliamentary majority; following legislative elections, the leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition in House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister; the monarchy is hereditary

Political parties & leaders
Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Naoto KAN];
Japan Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII];
Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Sadakazu TANIGAKI];
New Komeito or NK [Natsuo YAMAGUCHI];
People's New Party or PNP [Shizuka KAMEI];
Social Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho FUKUSHIMA];
Your Party or YP [Yoshimi WATANABE]

Source of information: The World Fact Book (Japan) 2011

In the years following World War II, government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of GDP) helped Japan develop a technologically advanced economy.

Two notable characteristics of the post-war economy were the close interlocking structures of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, known as keiretsu, and the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force.

Both features are now eroding under the dual pressures of global competition and domestic demographic change. Japan's industrial sector is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. A tiny agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the world. Usually self sufficient in rice, Japan imports about 60% of its food on a caloric basis.

Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch. For three decades, overall real economic growth had been spectacular - a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely because of the after effects of inefficient investment and an asset price bubble in the late 1980s that required a protracted period of time for firms to reduce excess debt, capital, and labor.

Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price differences, Japan in 2010 stood as the third-largest economy in the world after China, which surpassed Japan in 2001. Japan's huge government debt, which exceeds 200% of GDP, persistent deflation, reliance on exports to drive growth, and an aging and shrinking population are major long-term challenges for the economy.

In order to stabilize financial markets and retard appreciation of the yen, the Bank of Japan injected more than $325 billion in yen into the economy. Estimates of the direct costs of the damage - rebuilding homes and factories - range from $235 billion to $310 billion. Some economic forecasters, who previously had anticipated slower growth for Japan in 2011, now believe GDP may decline as much as 1% for the year.

GDP (Purchasing power parity): $4,338 trillion (2010 est.)
GDP (Real growth rate): 3% (2010 est.)
GDP – per capita (PPP): $34,200 (2010 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.1% (2010 est.)

Source: CIA The World Fact Book (May 17' 2011)

Japan Corporate income taxes and tax rates
The taxes levied in Japan on income generated by the activities of a corporation include corporate tax (national tax), corporate inhabitant tax (local tax), enterprise tax (local tax), and special local corporate tax (local tax) (hereinafter collectively referred to as "corporate taxes"). Except in instances requiring exceptional treatment, the scope of income subject to corporate inhabitant tax and enterprise tax is (including special local corporate tax; the same applies below) determined, and the taxable income calculated, in accordance with the provisions for corporate tax.

Corporate inhabitant taxes are levied not only on income but also on a per capita basis using the corporation's capital and the number of its employees as the tax base. Corporations having paid-in capital of more than 100 million yen are subject to enterprise tax on a pro forma basis (see 3.3.11).

The income calculated for each business year is used as the tax base for determining these corporate taxes to be levied on a corporation's income. Other corporate taxes include corporate taxes on liquidation income (not applicable if dissolved on or after October 1, 2010) and corporate taxes on reserves for retirement pensions, etc. (suspended in the case of business years commencing by March 31, 2011).

The tax rates for corporate tax, corporate inhabitant tax and enterprise tax on income (tax burden on corporate income) and per capita levy on corporate inhabitant tax for each taxable year are shown below (a small company in Tokyo is used as an example). The rates for local taxes may vary somewhat depending on the scale of the business and the local government under whose jurisdiction it is located.

Table 3-1 Tax burden on corporate income

(Note) The applicable period for the 18% corporate income tax rate is for business years ending between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2011.

The rates for corporate inhabitant tax and corporate enterprise tax are shown using Tokyo as an example. The following conditions apply:

• The capital of the corporation is 100 million yen or less. (This table does not apply to wholly-owned subsidiaries of large corporations with capital of 500 million yen or more.)
• Corporate tax amount is 10,000,000 yen or less and taxable income is 25,000,000 yen or less.
• Offices or factories located in up to two prefectures.

(Apply only to corporations meeting the above conditions.)

Quick Facts for Visitors
Since 2000, the domestic economy has experienced an upturn due to increased foreign demand from emerging countries like the BRICs along with recovery of financial institutions supported by public funds. Additionally, as excessive investment, employment, and private sector debt were addressed, Japan's business has recovered. However, on the heels of the US sub-prime loan collapse, Japan has also suffered from the financial crisis and the current economic boom, called the "Izanami Boom", has finally ended.

Access (by plane)
Japan has several international airports including the Tokyo International Airport (otherwise known as Narita - from the location of the airport), Kansai International Airport and Chubu International Airport. There are other 22 airports in such cities as Sapporo, Fukuoka and Naha which serve mostly domestic traffic.
From Narita Airport to the center of Tokyo, it takes about 1 -1.5 hours by train or bus.
Tokyo's second airport, at Haneda, is a conveniently located domestic hub. It also serves some Asian airlines which travel to Shanghai, Seoul, and Hong Kong.

Currency Currency/Exchange rate:
The Japanese currency is YEN.
The exchange rate: 1 USD = 90.3 JPY (updated as of 30 December 2008)

Electricity
100V/50Hz (eastern Japan) or 60Hz (western Japan)
Plug: American type

Time Zone
GMT +9 (No daylight saving time system)

Country dialing code
81

Visas
As of Feb. 2008, Japan has taken measures concerning the waiver of visa requirements with 62 countries/regions. Passport holders from these nations can apply for landing permission without obtaining a visa for short-term stays for purposes such as sightseeing and business trips. However, the waiver is not applicable for purposes involving paid activities in Japan, and also if the stay exceeds the period of time agreed upon in each arrangement. In such cases, foreigners need to obtain a visa.
(cf: Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs: www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa )

Application for a visa:
The applicant must apply to a Japanese Embassy or a consulate in his/her home country. The necessary documents to submit for this purpose are as follows:

1. A valid passport;
2. Two passport photos taken within the six months prior to the date of application;
3. Two official visa application forms, available at the embassy or consulate;
4. Documents certifying the purpose of the visit.

Customs and Immigrations
When entering Japan, visitors are requested to hand in the "Customs Declaration" form for both his/her accompanied and unaccompanied baggage at the Customs Clearance. "Customs Declaration" forms are available on the plane/ship or at the Customs office. (as of February 2008)

Foreign Currencies
If visitors are carrying cash or other means of payment exceeding 1 million yen, they are required to declare them at Customs under tariff laws.(as of June 1, 2008)

Restricted and prohibited items to bring into Japan
Please check the details on the Japan Customs website(English)
The Singapore Department of Statistics - www.customs.go.jp/english/index.htm

Source: Website of Japan Customs