http://www.humantruth.info/japan.html
By Vexen Crabtree 2013
Japan | ![]() |
---|---|
Status | Independent State |
Social and Moral Index | 13rd best |
Capital | Tokyo |
Land Area | 364 500km21 |
Location | Asia |
Population | 127.2m2 |
Life Expectancy | 84.78yrs (2017)3 |
GNI | $42 274 (2017)4 |
ISO3166-1 Codes | JP, JPN, 3925 |
Internet Domain | .jp6 |
Currency | Yen (JPY)7 |
Telephone | +818 |
#china #japan #russia #taiwan #USA
“In 1603, after decades of civil warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports after signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and an ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians hold actual decision-making power. Following three decades of unprecedented growth, Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, but the country remains a major economic power. In March 2011, Japan's strongest-ever earthquake, and an accompanying tsunami, devastated the northeast part of Honshu island, killing thousands and damaging several nuclear power plants. The catastrophe hobbled the country's economy and its energy infrastructure, and tested its ability to deal with humanitarian disasters.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9
“Japan is a world apart - a cultural Galápagos where a unique civilisation blossomed, and thrives today in delicious contrasts of traditional and modern. Japan hits the travel sweet spot. It´s unique enough to give you regular doses of `Wow!´ without any downside. Indeed, travelling in Japan is remarkably comfortable, even with the language barrier thrown in - but it´s never familiar. Staying in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) is marvellously different from staying in a chain hotel. Soaking naked in an onsen (hot spring) with a bunch of strangers might be a little odd at first, but it is beyond relaxing. Sitting in a robe on tatami mats eating raw fish and mountain vegetables may not be how you dine back home, but it is unforgettably delicious.
Perhaps more than any country on earth, Japan makes you think. It was never extensively missionised or colonised. It practises an ancient animist/pantheist religion while pushing the boundaries of modern technology. It is a country where tens of millions of people can cram into crowded cities without ever losing their temper. And while you explore Japan, you will regularly find yourself awed by how the Japanese do things.”
#economics #human_development #wealth
UN HDI (2021)11 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better Value11 | |
1 | Switzerland | 0.962 |
2 | Norway | 0.961 |
3 | Iceland | 0.959 |
4 | Hong Kong | 0.952 |
5 | Australia | 0.951 |
... | ||
16 | Liechtenstein | 0.935 |
17 | Luxembourg | 0.930 |
18 | UK | 0.929 |
19 | Japan | 0.925 |
20 | S. Korea | 0.925 |
21 | USA | 0.921 |
Asia Avg | 0.75 | |
World Avg | 0.72 | |
q=191. |
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better PPP $11 | |
1 | Liechtenstein | $146 830 |
2 | Singapore | $90 919 |
3 | Qatar | $87 134 |
4 | Luxembourg | $84 649 |
5 | Ireland | $76 169 |
... | ||
28 | S. Korea | $44 501 |
29 | New Zealand | $44 057 |
30 | Italy | $42 840 |
31 | Japan | $42 274 |
32 | Israel | $41 524 |
33 | Slovenia | $39 746 |
Asia Avg | $22 215 | |
World Avg | $20 136 | |
q=193. |
Social & Moral Development Index12,13 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank12,13 | |
1 | Taiwan | 28.6 |
2 | Norway | 29.4 |
3 | Denmark | 31.2 |
4 | Sweden | 32.2 |
5 | Finland | 32.6 |
... | ||
10 | Canada | 37.3 |
11 | Switzerland | 37.7 |
12 | Iceland | 39.1 |
13 | Japan | 39.9 |
14 | Luxembourg | 40.0 |
15 | UK | 40.2 |
Asia Avg | 87.1 | |
World Avg | 86.1 | |
q=195. |
The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..
The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.
#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population
Population:
Japan's population is predicted to fall to 120 218 000 by 2030. Developed countries with falling populations face a pension's crises, whereby an increasingly ageing population must be cared for by fewer and fewer workers. Economic stability can be maintained by increasing foreign workers from younger countries. This country has a fertility rate of 1.40. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.Population (2018)2 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Population2 | |
1 | China | 1.4b |
2 | India | 1.4b |
3 | USA | 327.1m |
4 | Indonesia | 267.7m |
5 | Pakistan | 212.2m |
6 | Brazil | 209.5m |
7 | Nigeria | 195.9m |
8 | Bangladesh | 161.4m |
9 | Russia | 145.7m |
10 | Japan | 127.2m |
11 | Mexico | 126.2m |
12 | Ethiopia | 109.2m |
World Avg | 39.0m | |
q=195. |
Life Expectancy (2021)11 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better Years11 | |
1 | Monaco | 85.9 |
2 | Hong Kong | 85.5 |
3 | Japan | 84.8 |
4 | Australia | 84.5 |
5 | Switzerland | 84.0 |
6 | Malta | 83.8 |
7 | S. Korea | 83.7 |
8 | Liechtenstein | 83.3 |
9 | Norway | 83.2 |
10 | Spain | 83.0 |
11 | Sweden | 83.0 |
12 | Italy | 82.9 |
World Avg | 71.28 | |
q=195. |
Fertility Rate (2013)14 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2.0 is best14 | |
1 | N. Korea | 2.00 |
2 | Brunei | 1.99 |
3 | St Vincent & Grenadines | 2.01 |
4 | France | 1.99 |
5 | Turkey | 2.04 |
... | ||
96 | Malaysia | 2.58 |
97 | Hungary | 1.42 |
98 | Romania | 1.42 |
99 | Japan | 1.40 |
100 | Poland | 1.40 |
101 | Nepal | 2.60 |
World Avg | 2.81 | |
q=180. |
Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)15 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Per 10015 | |
1 | Uganda | 04.3 |
2 | Mali | 04.5 |
3 | Chad | 04.7 |
4 | Burkina Faso | 04.7 |
5 | Sierra Leone | 04.8 |
... | ||
180 | Finland | 43.3 |
181 | Hong Kong | 43.7 |
182 | Portugal | 44.7 |
183 | Germany | 47.7 |
184 | Italy | 48.6 |
185 | Japan | 53.1 |
World Avg | 18.3 | |
q=185. |
Migration:
Immigrants (2017)16 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | %16 | |
1 | UAE | 88.4% |
2 | Kuwait | 75.5% |
3 | Qatar | 65.2% |
4 | Liechtenstein | 65.1% |
5 | Monaco | 54.9% |
... | ||
130 | Guyana | 2.0% |
131 | Central African Rep. | 1.9% |
132 | Romania | 1.9% |
133 | Japan | 1.8% |
134 | Sudan | 1.8% |
135 | Albania | 1.8% |
World Avg | 9.4% | |
q=195. |
Emigrants (2010)17 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | %17 | |
1 | Dominica | 104.8% |
2 | Palestine | 68.4% |
3 | Samoa | 67.3% |
4 | Grenada | 65.5% |
5 | St Kitts & Nevis | 61.1% |
... | ||
186 | Nigeria | 0.6% |
187 | Maldives | 0.6% |
188 | China | 0.6% |
189 | Japan | 0.6% |
190 | Oman | 0.5% |
191 | Madagascar | 0.4% |
World Avg | 11.5% | |
q=192. |
#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #japan #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)18,19 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank18,19 | |
1 | Sweden | 9.2 |
2 | Norway | 14.7 |
3 | Denmark | 14.7 |
4 | Netherlands | 15.8 |
5 | New Zealand | 17.5 |
... | ||
23 | Czechia | 37.9 |
24 | Ireland | 38.5 |
25 | Chile | 40.1 |
26 | Japan | 42.1 |
27 | Slovakia | 42.7 |
28 | Estonia | 42.9 |
Asia Avg | 99.8 | |
World Avg | 87.7 | |
q=199. |
Japan performs very well in ensuring human rights and freedom compared to most other countries. Japan comes in the best 20 in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)20 (the best in Asia). It does better than average for opposing gender inequality21, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports22 (one of the best in Asia), its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice23, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms24 (amongst the lowest in Asia), freethought25, LGBT equality26, supporting press freedom27 and in speed of uptake of HR treaties28. Japan allows extensive religious freedom and has one of the lowest rates of religious persecution worldwide29. In 2017, it strengthened laws against sexual violence, further increasing protections for women's rights30. But, things still need to improve in Japan. Japan does worse than average when it comes to its nominal commitment to Human Rights31. Japan is famed for being insular, and likewise its attitude towards asylum seekers is needlessly uncooperative - granting just 28 out of 10,901 applicants in 201630 and allowing substandard and abusive behaviour towards imported workers30.
For tables, charts and commentary, see:
#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #Japan #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines
Compared to Asia (2020)32,33 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank32,33 | |
1 | Hong Kong | 18.3 |
2 | Maldives | 41.0 |
3 | Singapore | 42.6 |
4 | Japan | 51.0 |
5 | S. Korea | 51.3 |
6 | Sri Lanka | 52.9 |
7 | Bhutan | 55.1 |
8 | China | 60.4 |
9 | Brunei | 62.6 |
10 | Malaysia | 62.8 |
11 | Oman | 62.9 |
12 | N. Korea | 65.0 |
13 | Thailand | 65.3 |
Asia Avg | 80.1 | |
q=50. |
Health (2020)32,33 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank32,33 | |
1 | Monaco | 13.0 |
2 | Hong Kong | 18.3 |
3 | Maldives | 41.0 |
4 | Singapore | 42.6 |
5 | Japan | 51.0 |
6 | S. Korea | 51.3 |
7 | Sri Lanka | 52.9 |
8 | Bhutan | 55.1 |
9 | China | 60.4 |
10 | Norway | 61.0 |
11 | Brunei | 62.6 |
12 | Malaysia | 62.8 |
13 | Oman | 62.9 |
World Avg | 93.5 | |
q=196. |
The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives32. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau32.
The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean32, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa32.
For more, see:
Health:
Japan does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Japan comes in the best 20 in terms of its average life expectancy11 (amongst the best in Asia), its adolescent birth rate21 and in its fertility rate14. It does better than average in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance34 and in its immunizations take-up35. But, things still need to improve in Japan. Japan does worse than average for its alcohol consumption rate36 and in its smoking rate37. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its suicide rate38 (one of the worst in Asia). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years.Life Expectancy (2021)11 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better Years11 | |
1 | Monaco | 85.9 |
2 | Hong Kong | 85.5 |
3 | Japan | 84.8 |
4 | Australia | 84.5 |
5 | Switzerland | 84.0 |
6 | Malta | 83.8 |
7 | S. Korea | 83.7 |
8 | Liechtenstein | 83.3 |
9 | Norway | 83.2 |
10 | Spain | 83.0 |
11 | Sweden | 83.0 |
12 | Italy | 82.9 |
Asia Avg | 73.48 | |
World Avg | 71.28 | |
q=195. |
Alcohol Consumption (2016)36 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Per Capita36 | |
1 | Bangladesh | 0.0 |
2 | Kuwait | 0.0 |
3 | Libya | 0.0 |
4 | Mauritania | 0.0 |
5 | Somalia | 0.0 |
... | ||
115 | Congo, (Brazzaville) | 7.8 |
116 | Brazil | 7.8 |
117 | Panama | 7.9 |
118 | Japan | 8.0 |
119 | Montenegro | 8.0 |
120 | Malta | 8.1 |
Asia Avg | 3.9 | |
World Avg | 6.2 | |
q=189. |
Fertility Rate (2013)14 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2.0 is best14 | |
1 | N. Korea | 2.00 |
2 | Brunei | 1.99 |
3 | St Vincent & Grenadines | 2.01 |
4 | France | 1.99 |
5 | Turkey | 2.04 |
... | ||
96 | Malaysia | 2.58 |
97 | Hungary | 1.42 |
98 | Romania | 1.42 |
99 | Japan | 1.40 |
100 | Poland | 1.40 |
101 | Nepal | 2.60 |
Asia Avg | 2.46 | |
World Avg | 2.81 | |
q=180. |
Smoking Rates (2014)37 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is worse37 | |
182 | Montenegro | 4 125 |
181 | Belarus | 3 831 |
180 | Lebanon | 3 023 |
179 | Macedonia | 2 732 |
178 | Russia | 2 690 |
... | ||
165 | Ukraine | 1 854 |
164 | Estonia | 1 775 |
163 | Hungary | 1 759 |
162 | Japan | 1 713 |
161 | Croatia | 1 709 |
160 | Cyprus | 1 688 |
Asia Avg | 1 035 | |
World Avg | 819 | |
q=182. |
Suicide Rate (2013)38 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Per 100k38 | |
1 | Haiti | 0 |
2 | Grenada | 0 |
3 | Egypt | 0.1 |
4 | Jordan | 0.2 |
5 | Maldives | 0.7 |
... | ||
81 | Slovenia | 44 |
82 | Ukraine | 44.8 |
83 | Latvia | 48.2 |
84 | Japan | 49.4 |
85 | Hungary | 50.6 |
86 | Kazakhstan | 52.4 |
Asia Avg | 19.50 | |
World Avg | 20.93 | |
q=91. |
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)34 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Rank34 | |
1 | Sweden | 1 |
2 | Ireland | 2 |
3 | Denmark | 3 |
4 | UK | 4 |
5 | Norway | 5 |
... | ||
18 | Jordan | 18 |
19 | S. Korea | 19 |
20 | Kuwait | 20 |
21 | Japan | 21 |
22 | Spain | 22 |
23 | France | 23 |
Asia Avg | 64.4 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Overweight Adults (2016)39 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better %39 | |
1 | Vietnam | 18.3 |
2 | India | 19.7 |
3 | Bangladesh | 20.0 |
4 | Ethiopia | 20.9 |
5 | Nepal | 21.0 |
... | ||
26 | Equatorial Guinea | 26.7 |
27 | Comoros | 27.1 |
28 | Bhutan | 27.1 |
29 | Japan | 27.2 |
30 | Angola | 27.5 |
31 | Philippines | 27.6 |
Asia Avg | 44.3 | |
World Avg | 49.0 | |
q=191. |
Children's Health:
Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)21 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Per 100021 | |
1 | N. Korea | 0.5 |
2 | S. Korea | 1.6 |
3 | Switzerland | 2.9 |
4 | Hong Kong | 3.2 |
5 | Slovenia | 3.8 |
6 | Singapore | 3.8 |
7 | Netherlands | 4.0 |
8 | Denmark | 4.0 |
9 | Japan | 4.1 |
10 | Cyprus | 5.0 |
11 | Sweden | 5.7 |
12 | Norway | 5.9 |
Asia Avg | 29.9 | |
World Avg | 47.9 | |
q=185. |
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)35 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better Avg %35 | |
1 | Hungary | 99.0 |
2 | China | 99.0 |
3 | Uzbekistan | 98.9 |
4 | Niue | 98.8 |
5 | Mongolia | 98.7 |
... | ||
51 | Croatia | 95.9 |
52 | Nicaragua | 95.9 |
53 | Tunisia | 95.7 |
54 | Japan | 95.7 |
55 | Portugal | 95.7 |
56 | Qatar | 95.6 |
Asia Avg | 90.5 | |
World Avg | 88.3 | |
q=194. |
#education #english #intelligence #it_security #maths #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet
Compared to Asia (2020)19 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank19 | |
1 | Taiwan | 10.0 |
2 | Japan | 21.9 |
3 | S. Korea | 24.0 |
4 | Singapore | 27.9 |
5 | Israel | 32.2 |
6 | Hong Kong | 32.6 |
7 | Russia | 40.6 |
8 | Turkey | 50.1 |
9 | Malaysia | 50.2 |
10 | Macau | 50.8 |
11 | Cyprus | 54.0 |
12 | UAE | 56.0 |
13 | Saudi Arabia | 60.4 |
Asia Avg | 79.0 | |
q=51. |
Modernity and Learning (2020)19 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank19 | |
1 | Finland | 8.4 |
2 | Taiwan | 10.0 |
3 | Switzerland | 15.1 |
4 | Estonia | 15.8 |
5 | Denmark | 16.0 |
... | ||
16 | UK | 21.5 |
17 | Canada | 21.6 |
18 | Ireland | 21.7 |
19 | Japan | 21.9 |
20 | S. Korea | 24.0 |
21 | Faroe Islands | 24.0 |
22 | Hungary | 24.2 |
World Avg | 83.2 | |
q=205. |
Modernity and Education:
Research and Development (2016) | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better % RDP PPP | |
1 | S. Korea | 4.2940 |
2 | Israel | 4.1140 |
3 | Japan | 3.5840 |
4 | Finland | 3.1740 |
5 | Sweden | 3.1640 |
6 | Denmark | 3.0540 |
7 | Taiwan | 3.0140 |
8 | Austria | 3.0041 |
9 | Switzerland | 2.9642 |
10 | Germany | 2.8440 |
11 | USA | 2.7443 |
12 | Belgium | 2.4640 |
Asia Avg | 0.75 | |
World Avg | 0.84 | |
q=126. |
Secondary Education (2018)44 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better44 | |
1 | Luxembourg | 100.0% |
2 | Estonia | 100.0% |
3 | Austria | 100.0% |
4 | Canada | 100.0% |
5 | Finland | 100.0% |
... | ||
29 | Lithuania | 94.9% |
30 | Ukraine | 94.6% |
31 | Tonga | 93.7% |
32 | Japan | 93.6% |
33 | Tajikistan | 93.1% |
34 | Barbados | 92.9% |
Asia Avg | 66.0% | |
World Avg | 63.0% | |
q=169. |
Length of Schooling (2021)45 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better Years45 | |
1 | Australia | 21.1 |
2 | New Zealand | 20.3 |
3 | Greece | 20.0 |
4 | Belgium | 19.6 |
5 | Sweden | 19.4 |
... | ||
52 | Tunisia | 15.4 |
53 | Peru | 15.4 |
54 | Kuwait | 15.3 |
55 | Japan | 15.2 |
56 | Liechtenstein | 15.2 |
57 | Mauritius | 15.2 |
Asia Avg | 13.5 | |
World Avg | 13.5 | |
q=193. |
Intellectual Endeavours (2017)34 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Rank34 | |
1 | Ukraine | 1 |
2 | Czechia | 2 |
3 | Hungary | 3 |
4 | Denmark | 4 |
5 | UK | 5 |
... | ||
58 | Central African Rep. | 58 |
59 | Kenya | 59 |
60 | Egypt | 60 |
61 | Japan | 61 |
62 | Malta | 62 |
63 | Ghana | 63 |
Asia Avg | 97.1 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Maths, Science & Reading (2015)46 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better Score46 | |
1 | Singapore | 1655 |
2 | Hong Kong | 1598 |
3 | Japan | 1586 |
4 | Macau | 1582 |
5 | Estonia | 1573 |
6 | Taiwan | 1571 |
7 | Canada | 1571 |
8 | Finland | 1568 |
9 | S. Korea | 1557 |
10 | China | 154347 |
11 | Ireland | 1528 |
12 | Slovenia | 1528 |
Asia Avg | 1398 | |
World Avg | 1389 | |
q=70. |
Religiosity (2018)48 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better %48 | |
1 | China | 3 |
2 | Estonia | 6 |
3 | Czechia | 7 |
4 | Switzerland | 9 |
5 | Denmark | 9 |
6 | Germany | 10 |
7 | UK | 10 |
8 | Sweden | 10 |
9 | Japan | 10 |
10 | Finland | 10 |
11 | Latvia | 11 |
12 | France | 11 |
Asia Avg | 55.8 | |
World Avg | 54.3 | |
q=106. |
IQ (2006)49 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better49 | |
1 | Hong Kong | 108 |
2 | Singapore | 108 |
3 | S. Korea | 106 |
4 | Japan | 105 |
5 | Taiwan | 105 |
6 | China | 105 |
7 | Italy | 102 |
8 | Iceland | 101 |
9 | Switzerland | 101 |
10 | Mongolia | 101 |
11 | Netherlands | 100 |
12 | Norway | 100 |
Asia Avg | 90.4 | |
World Avg | 85.6 | |
q=138. |
Technology and Information:
Internet Users (2016)50 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better50 | |
1 | Iceland | 100% |
2 | Faroe Islands | 99% |
3 | Norway | 98% |
4 | Bermuda | 97% |
5 | Andorra | 97% |
... | ||
15 | UAE | 92% |
16 | Bahrain | 92% |
17 | Estonia | 91% |
18 | Japan | 91% |
19 | New Zealand | 89% |
20 | USA | 89% |
Asia Avg | 48.7% | |
World Avg | 48.1% | |
q=201. |
IT Security (2013)51 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better51 | |
1 | Ireland | 0.11 |
2 | Luxembourg | 0.11 |
3 | Belize | 0.11 |
4 | Hong Kong | 0.12 |
5 | Mexico | 0.16 |
6 | Israel | 0.20 |
7 | Colombia | 0.22 |
8 | S. Africa | 0.22 |
9 | Japan | 0.22 |
10 | Philippines | 0.24 |
11 | Czechia | 0.24 |
12 | Argentina | 0.27 |
Asia Avg | 1.08 | |
World Avg | 0.98 | |
q=81. |
IPv6 Uptake (2017)52 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better Ratio52 | |
1 | Belgium | 55.4 |
2 | Germany | 41.8 |
3 | Switzerland | 35.1 |
4 | USA | 35.0 |
5 | Greece | 33.5 |
6 | Luxembourg | 32.4 |
7 | India | 26.8 |
8 | Portugal | 26.6 |
9 | Ireland | 26.1 |
10 | UK | 24.7 |
11 | Japan | 22.1 |
12 | France | 18.8 |
Asia Avg | 2.11 | |
World Avg | 3.82 | |
q=176. |
#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics
World Giving Index (2013-2021)53 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better53 | |
1 | Myanmar (Burma) | 2.7 |
2 | New Zealand | 4.0 |
3 | USA | 4.7 |
4 | Australia | 4.9 |
5 | Indonesia | 9.0 |
... | ||
133 | Chad | 109.2 |
134 | Cambodia | 109.4 |
135 | Benin | 109.4 |
136 | Japan | 109.8 |
137 | Montenegro | 110.3 |
138 | Latvia | 111.1 |
Asia Avg | 62.5 | |
World Avg | 67.9 | |
q=160. |
Corruption (2022)54 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better Points54 | |
1 | Denmark | 90.0 |
2 | Finland | 87.0 |
3 | New Zealand | 87.0 |
4 | Norway | 84.0 |
5 | Singapore | 83.0 |
... | ||
16 | Iceland | 74.0 |
17 | Canada | 74.0 |
18 | UK | 73.0 |
19 | Japan | 73.0 |
20 | Belgium | 73.0 |
21 | France | 72.0 |
Asia Avg | 39.98 | |
World Avg | 42.98 | |
q=180. |
Happiness (2018)55 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better55 | |
1 | Finland | 7.6 |
2 | Norway | 7.6 |
3 | Denmark | 7.6 |
4 | Iceland | 7.5 |
5 | Switzerland | 7.5 |
... | ||
51 | Slovenia | 5.9 |
52 | Romania | 5.9 |
53 | Latvia | 5.9 |
54 | Japan | 5.9 |
55 | Mauritius | 5.9 |
56 | Jamaica | 5.9 |
Asia Avg | 5.29 | |
World Avg | 5.38 | |
q=156. |
Creativity and Culture (2017)34 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Rank34 | |
1 | Belgium | 1 |
2 | Netherlands | 2 |
3 | Estonia | 3 |
4 | Switzerland | 4 |
5 | Sweden | 5 |
... | ||
42 | Namibia | 42 |
43 | St Vincent & Grenadines | 43 |
44 | Cyprus | 44 |
45 | Japan | 45 |
46 | Moldova | 46 |
47 | Greece | 47 |
Asia Avg | 99.0 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)34 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Rank34 | |
1 | Ireland | 1 |
2 | Denmark | 2 |
3 | Sweden | 3 |
4 | Netherlands | 4 |
5 | Switzerland | 5 |
... | ||
44 | Fiji | 44 |
45 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 45 |
46 | Poland | 46 |
47 | Japan | 47 |
48 | Armenia | 48 |
49 | UAE | 49 |
Asia Avg | 86.3 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
The Charities Aid Foundation has offered some commentary on why the culture of Japan doesn't involve much direct social help between citizens, and hence why it has consistently scored towards the bottom of the World Giving Index:
“Japan has historically had an unusually limited civil society for an advanced industrialised nation - the rules around charitable giving are complex, expectations of state provision are high, and organised nonprofits are a relatively new phenomena.”
Charities Aid Foundation (2021)
Japan also has an excellent long-term record on keeping corruption low.
#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism
Global Peace Index (2021)56 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better56 | |
1 | Iceland | 1.10 |
2 | New Zealand | 1.25 |
3 | Denmark | 1.26 |
4 | Portugal | 1.27 |
5 | Slovenia | 1.32 |
... | ||
9 | Czechia | 1.33 |
10 | Canada | 1.33 |
11 | Singapore | 1.35 |
12 | Japan | 1.37 |
13 | Finland | 1.40 |
14 | Norway | 1.44 |
Asia Avg | 2.22 | |
World Avg | 2.08 | |
q=163. |
Peacekeeping and Security (2017)34 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Rank34 | |
1 | Samoa | 1 |
2 | S. Africa | 2 |
3 | Tunisia | 3 |
4 | Egypt | 4 |
5 | Nigeria | 5 |
... | ||
15 | Colombia | 15 |
16 | Costa Rica | 16 |
17 | Hungary | 17 |
18 | Japan | 18 |
19 | Chile | 19 |
20 | Kazakhstan | 20 |
Asia Avg | 76.0 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)34 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Rank34 | |
1 | Austria | 1 |
2 | Germany | 2 |
3 | Netherlands | 3 |
4 | Sweden | 4 |
5 | Malta | 5 |
... | ||
44 | Kenya | 44 |
45 | Serbia | 45 |
46 | Bolivia | 46 |
47 | Japan | 47 |
48 | Czechia | 48 |
49 | Argentina | 49 |
Asia Avg | 92.2 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Impact of Terrorism (2019)57 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Score57 | |
1 | Togo | 0.00 |
2 | Mongolia | 0.00 |
3 | Swaziland | 0.00 |
4 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.00 |
5 | Cambodia | 0.00 |
... | ||
70 | Finland | 2.03 |
71 | Haiti | 2.18 |
72 | Kosovo | 2.26 |
73 | Japan | 2.29 |
74 | Netherlands | 2.35 |
75 | Ecuador | 2.46 |
Asia Avg | 3.60 | |
World Avg | 2.78 | |
q=150. |
#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #over-exploitation #the_environment
Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)58 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better %58 | |
1 | Iceland | +205.6 |
2 | Bahrain | +144.4 |
3 | Uruguay | +131.3 |
4 | Kuwait | +81.2 |
5 | Dominican Rep. | +79.5 |
... | ||
77 | Russia | +00.8 |
78 | Sweden | +00.8 |
79 | Mongolia | +00.1 |
80 | Japan | 00.0 |
81 | Afghanistan | 00.0 |
82 | Yemen | 00.0 |
Asia Avg | +07.0 | |
World Avg | +02.8 | |
q=184. |
Environmental Performance (2018)59 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better59 | |
1 | Switzerland | 87.4 |
2 | France | 84.0 |
3 | Denmark | 81.6 |
4 | Malta | 80.9 |
5 | Sweden | 80.5 |
... | ||
17 | New Zealand | 76.0 |
18 | Netherlands | 75.5 |
19 | Israel | 75.0 |
20 | Japan | 74.7 |
21 | Australia | 74.1 |
22 | Greece | 73.6 |
Asia Avg | 54.5 | |
World Avg | 56.4 | |
q=180. |
Energy to GDP Efficiency (2014)60 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better60 | |
1 | Hong Kong | 26.32 |
2 | Sri Lanka | 20.00 |
3 | Panama | 17.86 |
4 | Colombia | 17.54 |
5 | Ireland | 17.54 |
... | ||
43 | Chile | 10.42 |
44 | Lithuania | 10.42 |
45 | Norway | 10.42 |
46 | Japan | 10.20 |
47 | Brazil | 10.10 |
48 | Algeria | 10.00 |
Asia Avg | 09.14 | |
World Avg | 09.29 | |
q=119. |
Convention on Biological Diversity | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Earlier is better Signed | |
1 | China | 1993 Dec 29 |
2 | Guinea | 1993 Dec 29 |
3 | Cook Islands | 1993 Dec 29 |
4 | Vanuatu | 1993 Dec 29 |
5 | Papua New Guinea | 1993 Dec 29 |
... | ||
17 | Mongolia | 1993 Dec 29 |
18 | St Kitts & Nevis | 1993 Dec 29 |
19 | New Zealand | 1993 Dec 29 |
20 | Japan | 1993 Dec 29 |
21 | Uganda | 1993 Dec 29 |
22 | Belarus | 1993 Dec 29 |
Asia Avg | 1899 Dec 30 | |
World Avg | 1899 Dec 30 | |
q=197. |
Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)61 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better %61 | |
1 | Argentina | 78.3% |
2 | Greece | 77.6% |
3 | Brazil | 77.1% |
4 | Trinidad & Tobago | 74.5% |
5 | Costa Rica | 74.2% |
... | ||
14 | Nicaragua | 67.0% |
15 | El Salvador | 66.8% |
16 | Indonesia | 66.5% |
17 | Japan | 64.7% |
18 | Panama | 64.6% |
19 | Peru | 63.9% |
Asia Avg | 37.9% | |
World Avg | 39.9% | |
q=145. |
Many rich countries. including Japan, are increasing their forest cover whilst they import foods and goods that result from deforestation elsewhere. Tracing supply chains is difficult and supply firms obfuscate the chain of production so it's difficult to tell what products are to blame, and, some governments are particularly reluctant to fund investigations into the deforestation footprint of imports.
“Keiichiro Kanemoto and Nguyen Tien Hoang, of the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature in Japan, combined data on global forest loss with that on international trade between 2001 and 2015. They calculated that rich-country demand [...] contributed to a net loss of 20,000 square kilometres of forest in the rest of the world in 2015 alone.”
The Economist (2021)62
Japan is one of the better countries, but, its imports of cotton and sesame seeds fund the destruction of forests in coastal Tanzania63. The USA should take deforestation more seriously and engage in the international efforts, as the negative effects of deforestation will affect us all, but cannot be handled well by countries working alone.
#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #social_development
Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)64 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is worse64 | |
184 | Chad | 40.90 |
183 | Central African Rep. | 40.10 |
182 | Sierra Leone | 39.00 |
181 | Somalia | 38.90 |
180 | Nigeria | 37.10 |
... | ||
9 | Norway | 3.00 |
8 | Czechia | 3.00 |
7 | Finland | 3.00 |
6 | Japan | 2.90 |
5 | Slovenia | 2.90 |
4 | Sweden | 2.90 |
Asia Avg | 11.80 | |
World Avg | 14.59 | |
q=184. |
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)65 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better %65 | |
1 | Ukraine | 25.0 |
2 | Belarus | 25.4 |
3 | Slovenia | 25.4 |
4 | Czechia | 25.9 |
5 | Moldova | 25.9 |
... | ||
30 | Ireland | 31.8 |
31 | Lebanon | 31.8 |
32 | Montenegro | 31.9 |
33 | Japan | 32.1 |
34 | Mongolia | 32.3 |
35 | Switzerland | 32.3 |
Asia Avg | 35.2 | |
World Avg | 38.1 | |
q=152. |
#afterlife #belief #buddhism #christianity #god #heaven #hell #hinduism #islam #japan #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation #universalism
Religiosity (2018)48 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better %48 | |
1 | China | 3 |
2 | Estonia | 6 |
3 | Czechia | 7 |
4 | Switzerland | 9 |
5 | Denmark | 9 |
6 | Germany | 10 |
7 | UK | 10 |
8 | Sweden | 10 |
9 | Japan | 10 |
10 | Finland | 10 |
11 | Latvia | 11 |
12 | France | 11 |
World Avg | 54.3 | |
q=106. |
Disbelief In God (2007)66 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better %66 | |
1 | Vietnam | 81 |
2 | Japan | 65 |
3 | Sweden | 64 |
4 | Czechia | 61 |
5 | Estonia | 49 |
6 | Denmark | 48 |
7 | France | 44 |
8 | Belgium | 43 |
9 | Netherlands | 42 |
10 | Germany | 42 |
11 | UK | 42 |
12 | Cuba | 40 |
World Avg | 9.9 | |
q=137. |
Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below67:
Christian | 1.6% |
Muslim | 0.2% |
Hindu | 0.1% |
Buddhist | 36.2% |
Folk Religion | 0.4% |
Jew | 0.1% |
Unaffiliated | 57% |
It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 38.6% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 10% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".
For more on this phenomenon, see:
"Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)
The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Shintoism 83.9%, Buddhism 71.4%, Christianity 2%, other 7.8%. note: total adherents exceeds 100% because many people belong to both Shintoism and Buddhism (2005)68.
The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Japan69. Belief in heaven and hell is at just 4%. More people don't know what to believe (37%). Some believe that upon death, you simply cease to exist (37%). Also, 3% specifically believe in heaven but not in hell (which is nice - making them possible "universalists"). 10% believe in reincarnation, which seems very low compared to the numbers of Buddhists.
The Soka Gakkai sect has 8 million members in Japan70.
Links:
Freedom of Religion and Belief: From the 1950s Japan reformed itself, granting extensive religious freedom to its citizens and attaining one of the lowest rates of violent religious persecution worldwide29. Its Constitution grants "strong protections of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as well as a clear separation of religion and state"71.
Links: