Japan

https://www.humantruth.info/japan.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Japan
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	8th 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

1. Overview

#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.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Japan National and Social Development

#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
	...
17	Luxembourg	0.930
18	UK	0.929
19=	S. Korea	0.925
19=	Japan	0.925
21	USA	0.921
22	Israel	0.919
23=	Slovenia	0.918
23=	Malta	0.918
	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
	...
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
34	Bahrain	$39 497
35	Malta	$38 884
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	27.3
2	Norway	30.5
3	Switzerland	32.2
4	Sweden	32.6
5	Netherlands	32.9
6	Finland	34.4
7	Austria	37.4
8	Japan	38.6
9	Germany	38.9
10	Ireland	39.3
11	Belgium	39.6
12	Australia	40.0
	Asia Avg	92.0
	World Avg	88.8
q=199.

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.

3. Japan's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

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 1.26. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - 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 (two new children for each set of parents who die), 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. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
7	Nigeria	195.9m
8	Bangladesh	161.4m
9	Russia	145.7m
10	Japan	127.2m
11	Mexico	126.2m
12	Ethiopia	109.2m
13	Philippines	106.7m
14	Egypt	98.4m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 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 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
127	Lithuania	1.27
128	Ukraine	1.27
129	Poland	1.26
130	Japan	1.26
131	Botswana	2.75
132	Djibouti	2.76
133	Italy	1.24
134	Haiti	2.77
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
178	Netherlands	41.9
179	Slovenia	42.7
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 Datasets:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
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%
136	Pakistan	1.7%
137	Nepal	1.7%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
185	Qatar	0.7%
186	Nigeria	0.6%
187	Maldives	0.6%
188	China	0.6%
189	Japan	0.6%
190	Oman	0.5%
191	Madagascar	0.4%
192	Montenegro	0.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #japan #japan_freedom #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	5.9
2	Norway	8.0
3	Denmark	8.1
	...
21	Portugal	31.0
22	Italy	32.6
23	Uruguay	34.3
24	Japan	34.7
25	Estonia	35.0
26	USA	38.1
	Asia Avg	103.00
	World Avg	86.35
q=198.

Japan performs very well in ensuring human rights and freedom compared to most other countries. Japan does the best in its average Freedom in the World rating. It comes in the best 20 in terms of combatting modern slavery₁₉ and in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₀ (the best in Asia). It does better than average in opposing gender inequality₂₁, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₂ (amongst the highest in Asia), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₃ (one of the best in Asia), its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₄, freethought₂₅, LGBT equality₂₆ (amongst the best in Asia) and in supporting press freedom₂₇. But, there's bad news too. Japan does worse than average when it comes to its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₈. 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 2016₂₉ and allowing substandard and abusive behaviour towards imported workers₂₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Japan

5. Japan's Health

#alcohol #andorra #birth_control #demographics #health #japan #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #south_korea #suicide #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2025)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Japan	34.5
2	Singapore	40.8
3	Hong Kong	47.0
4	S. Korea	48.0
5	Sri Lanka	55.1
6	Malaysia	59.7
7	Brunei	61.6
8	N. Korea	63.0
9	China	64.8
10	Israel	67.0
11	Cyprus	68.2
12	Thailand	71.3
13	Vietnam	71.8
	Asia Avg	80.90
q=50.

Health (2025)₃₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
4	Japan	34.5
5	Singapore	40.8
6	Norway	42.0
7	Iceland	43.0
8	Denmark	44.2
9	Sweden	45.5
10	Switzerland	45.8
11	Hong Kong	47.0
12	Netherlands	47.5
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₁.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on 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, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₁.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Japan does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Japan comes in the best 20 when it comes to its average life expectancy₁₁ (one of the highest in Asia), childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₂ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₃. It does better than average for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄, its immunizations take-up₃₅, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₆ and in its smoking rate₃₇. Japan does not succeed in everything, however. Japan does worse than average in its alcohol consumption rate₃₈ and in its fertility rate₁₄. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its suicide rate₃₉ (one of the worst in Asia). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Japan throughout the 1990s was the highest in the world, starting at 79yrs, except a few years where Andorra took the top spot. It improved this by another +5.4yrs in the 30 years from 1990, although less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Japan has had a long-term consistent fertility rate, and is one of only 22 countries to vary by less than 1.0 each decade since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 2.23 in 1967.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 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 Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₈
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
115=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	7.8
115=	Brazil	7.8
117	Panama	7.9
118=	Japan	8.0
118=	Montenegro	8.0
120=	Malta	8.1
120=	Macedonia	8.1
122=	Burkina Faso	8.2
	Asia Avg	3.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
127	Lithuania	1.27
128	Ukraine	1.27
129	Poland	1.26
130	Japan	1.26
131	Botswana	2.75
132	Djibouti	2.76
133	Italy	1.24
134	Haiti	2.77
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		Total %₃₇
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
76=	Bhutan	18.8%
77	Pakistan	19.0%
78	Thailand	19.2%
79	Japan	19.2%
80	Iraq	19.2%
81	Ireland	19.3%
82	Sri Lanka	19.5%
83	Azerbaijan	19.6%
	Asia Avg	22.8%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Suicide Rate₃₉
Pos.		2013 Per 100k₃₉
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
81	Slovenia	44
82	Ukraine	44.8
83	Latvia	48.2
84	Japan	49.4
85	Hungary	50.6
86=	Kazakhstan	52.4
86=	Guyana	52.4
88	Belarus	57.5
	Asia Avg	19.50
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
18	Jordan	18
19	S. Korea	19
20	Kuwait	20
21	Japan	21
22	Spain	22
23	France	23
24	Italy	24
25	Qatar	25
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		1976 %₃₆
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
57=	Zambia	12.3
58	Gabon	12.9
59	Botswana	13.6
60	Japan	15.2
61	Lesotho	15.4
62	Namibia	15.7
63	Swaziland	15.8
64	Zimbabwe	16.3
	Asia Avg	23.1
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₄₀
Pos.		2022 %₄₀
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
4	Madagascar	3.8%
5	Eritrea	4.2%
6	Cambodia	4.4%
7	Burundi	4.5%
8	Rwanda	4.6%
9	Japan	4.9%
10	Bangladesh	5.3%
11	Niger	5.3%
12	Chad	5.7%
	Asia Avg	21.1%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Here's an example of what this can look like, from an author who is clearly in awe with Japanese longevity:

“In April 2016 I visited a Japanese abstract artist, Toko Shinoda, who had her first public exhibition in 1940 and is still producing art every day at the age of 103. In 2015 she had a book published jointly with a journalist who interviewed her which sold more than 500,000 copies, an indication that the Japanese public is now fascinated by such centenarianism. She lives alone at her apartment and studio in central Tokyo, and is looked after by a maid who commutes one hour each way, six days a week, for the task. The maid is 78.”
"The Fate of the West" by Bill Emmott (2017)₄₁

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₃
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
4	Norway	2.2
5	Switzerland	2.2
6	N. Korea	2.4
7	Singapore	2.5
8	Netherlands	2.7
9	Japan	2.8
10	UAE	2.8
11	Liechtenstein	3.0
12	Sweden	3.3
	Asia Avg	25.9
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₅
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₅
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
51	Croatia	95.9
52	Nicaragua	95.9
53	Tunisia	95.7
54	Japan	95.7
55	Portugal	95.7
56=	Qatar	95.6
56=	Armenia	95.6
58	Uruguay	95.6
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃₂
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
4	Iceland	2.64
5	Singapore	2.68
6	Slovenia	2.72
7	Norway	2.78
8=	Sweden	2.87
8=	Japan	2.87
10	Cyprus	3.03
11	Czechia	3.18
12	Estonia	3.39
	Asia Avg	23.58
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Japan had the 2nd-lowest adolescent birth rate in the world (after South Korea).

6. Japan's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #food #internationalism #japan #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2025)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Nepal	47.9
3	India	49.5
4	Philippines	49.6
5	Japan	57.4
6	Thailand	59.5
7	Vietnam	60.6
8	Indonesia	61.9
9	Jordan	63.1
10	Hong Kong	64.6
11	Cyprus	64.8
12	Bangladesh	69.7
13	Maldives	70.5
	Asia Avg	86.44
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
16	Chile	56.4
17	Peru	56.7
18	Liechtenstein	56.8
19	Japan	57.4
20	Uganda	57.8
21	Kenya	57.9
22	Portugal	58.0
23	Mauritius	58.1
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₃. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

" Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

In terms of its responsibility towards the environment, Japan ranks 19th-best in the world. This is computed using 21 data sets. Japan comes in the best 20 when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₄. It does better than average in terms of its environmental performance₄₅ (amongst the best in Asia), its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, its score on the Green Future Index₄₆ (one of the best in Asia) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₇. But, things could still be better. Japan does worse than average for energy to GDP efficiency₄₈ (still good for Asia) and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₉.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		Total₄₇
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
82	New Zealand	0.4%
83	Slovenia	0.4%
84	Wallis & Futuna	0.3%
85	Japan	0.2%
86	Niue	0.2%
87	Cook Islands	0.1%
88	New Caledonia	0.0%
89=	Qatar	0.0%
	Asia Avg	3.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₅
Pos.		2018₄₅
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
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
23	Taiwan	72.8
24	Cyprus	72.6
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₄₈
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₈
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
80	Mauritius	1.03
81	Macedonia	1.04
82	Austria	1.04
83	Japan	1.05
84	Benin	1.06
85	Namibia	1.07
86	Cambodia	1.07
87	Albania	1.08
	Asia Avg	1.50
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
25	Chile	71%
26	S. Africa	71%
27	Cyprus	71%
28	Japan	70%
29	UK	70%
30	Tunisia	70%
31	Austria	70%
32	Venezuela	70%
	Asia Avg	55.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Japan was one of the 30 who signed the Convention on Biological Diversity on its first day and was amongst the first batch of countries who signed the Montreal Protocol on protecting the Ozone layer in 1988, whilst most others delayed until subsequent years. But some of this activity masks more nefarious campaigns, especially regarding whaling. In 1987, the International Whaling Commission moved to pause whaling, to give whale populations space to recover. From then until the 2000s, Japan spent no less than $320 million bribing countries to vote against it₅₀.

“Its strategy is to buy the votes of developing countries such as Guinea and Panama who then join the IWC and vote with Japan for a return to fullscale commercial whaling. The Fisheries Agency of Japan gives these payments in the form of 'fisheries aid grants', but its cover was blown by the prime minister of [...] Antigua & Barbuda, who admitted that the money was in return for voting with Japan on whaling issues. Japanese officials have also publicly admitted that the country is using tax payers´ money to buy votes.”
Greenpeace Annual Report (2002)

Japan for decades abused the concept of 'scientific research' to continue large-scale whaling; the meat was still sold in schools and elsewhere, subsidized by the governmentGreenpeace Annual Report (2002). After constant battle with the International Whaling Commission, Japan left it, in 2019, and continued commercial whaling wherever it can. This move reinforced the world's knowledge that whaling wasn't for scientific research, after all - not that anyone was fooled.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₄
Pos.		2011 %₄₄
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
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%
20	Chile	63.8%
21	Ivory Coast	63.7%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₉
Pos.		2021 kg₄₉
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
97	Saudi Arabia	55.1
98	Zimbabwe	56.0
99	Belize	56.6
100	Japan	57.2
101	Turkmenistan	57.4
102	Papua New Guinea	58.5
103	Trinidad & Tobago	58.5
104	Armenia	60.0
	Asia Avg	46.7
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Green Future Index Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		2023 Score₄₆
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
25	S. Africa	5.2
26	Uruguay	5.1
27	China	5.1
28	Japan	5.1
29	Hungary	5.1
30	Chile	5.1
31	Czechia	5.0
32	Singapore	5.0
	Asia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

The 2023 edition of the Green Futures Index noted that Japan's nuclear energy production growth has recently been higher than any of the 76-countries it reviewed, helping its transition towards sustainability.₅₁

7. Japan's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #it_security #maths #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)₅₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₂
1	S. Korea	22.2
2	Japan	24.7
3	Israel	29.5
4	Hong Kong	31.2
5	Singapore	34.1
6	Russia	44.3
7	Cyprus	55.6
8	Turkey	55.9
9	Malaysia	59.4
10	Kazakhstan	59.8
11=	Saudi Arabia	62.0
12	UAE	64.3
13	Georgia	65.6
	Asia Avg	78.26
q=49.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₅₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₂
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
17=	Canada	21.8
18	S. Korea	22.2
19	Slovenia	22.5
20	Japan	24.7
21	USA	26.4
22	France	26.8
23	Hungary	29.0
24	Israel	29.5
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₅₃. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₅₃. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₄.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₅₅

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₃, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₃.

For more, see:

"Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education Datasets:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₅₆
2	Israel	4.11₅₆
3	Japan	3.58₅₆
4	Finland	3.17₅₆
5	Sweden	3.16₅₆
6	Denmark	3.05₅₆
7	Taiwan	3.01₅₆
8	Austria	3.00₅₇
9	Switzerland	2.96₅₈
10	Germany	2.84₅₆
11	USA	2.74₅₉
12	Belgium	2.46₅₆
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₆₀
Pos.		2018₆₀
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	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%
35	Albania	92.9%
36	Belarus	92.2%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₆₁
Pos.		2021 Years₆₁
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
52	Tunisia	15.4
53	Peru	15.4
54	Kuwait	15.3
55	Japan	15.2
56	Liechtenstein	15.2
57	Mauritius	15.2
58	Belarus	15.2
59	Croatia	15.1
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
58	Central African Rep.	58
59	Kenya	59
60	Egypt	60
61	Japan	61
62	Malta	62
63	Ghana	63
64	Samoa	64
65	Jordan	65
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better₆₂
Pos.		2015 Score₆₂
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
4	Macau	1582
5	Estonia	1573
6=	Taiwan	1571
6=	Canada	1571
8	Finland	1568
9	S. Korea	1557
10	China	1543₆₃
11=	Ireland	1528
11=	Slovenia	1528
	Asia Avg	1398
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better₆₄
Pos.		2018 %₆₄
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4=	Switzerland	9
4=	Denmark	9
6=	Germany	10
6=	UK	10
6=	Sweden	10
6=	Japan	10
6=	Finland	10
11=	Latvia	11
11=	France	11
	Asia Avg	55.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better₆₅
Pos.		2006₆₅
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
4=	Japan	105
4=	Taiwan	105
4=	China	105
7	Italy	102
8=	Iceland	101
8=	Switzerland	101
8=	Mongolia	101
11=	Netherlands	100
11=	Norway	100
	Asia Avg	90.4
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better₆₆
Pos.		2016₆₆
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
15	UAE	92%
16	Bahrain	92%
17	Estonia	91%
18	Japan	91%
19	New Zealand	89%
20=	USA	89%
20=	Canada	89%
20=	Belgium	89%
	Asia Avg	48.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security Lower is better₆₇
Pos.		2013₆₇
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	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
8=	Japan	0.22
10	Philippines	0.24
11	Czechia	0.24
12	Argentina	0.27
	Asia Avg	1.08
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₆₈
Pos.		2017 Ratio₆₈
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
8	Portugal	26.6
9	Ireland	26.1
10	UK	24.7
11	Japan	22.1
12	France	18.8
13	Canada	18.3
14	Peru	18.3
15	Ecuador	18.2
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better₆₉
Pos.		2024₆₉
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
10	Estonia	69.3%
11	Switzerland	69.0%
12	Sweden	68.7%
13	Japan	68.3%
14	Singapore	67.9%
15	Lithuania	67.8%
16	Romania	67.8%
17	USA	67.5%
	Asia Avg	46.4%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Japan's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #finland #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #japan #life_expectancy #morals #norway #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #sweden #terrorism

Compared to Asia (2020)₇₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₇₀
1	Singapore	19.0
2	Japan	40.0
3	Hong Kong	40.1
4	Cyprus	40.1
5	S. Korea	42.1
6	UAE	46.5
7	Malaysia	47.3
8	Taiwan	50.7
9	Qatar	55.5
10	Israel	59.8
11	Oman	61.8
12	Thailand	66.9
13	Bhutan	70.0
	Asia Avg	79.59
q=50.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)₇₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₇₀
1	Denmark	11.3
2	Netherlands	13.7
3	Finland	13.7
	...
22	Hungary	38.2
23	Poland	38.4
24	Spain	39.3
25	Japan	40.0
26	Hong Kong	40.1
27	Cyprus	40.1
28	Portugal	41.7
29	Estonia	41.8
	World Avg	80.34
q=186.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 32 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, passport utility in the 2020s (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty in the 2020s (so far), Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

"Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better₇₁
Pos.		2022 %₇₁
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
118	Portugal	26.0
119	Lebanon	24.0
120	Egypt	23.0
121	S. Korea	22.0
122=	Afghanistan	21.0
122=	Belgium	21.0
124	Japan	20.0
125	Cambodia	19.0
	Asia Avg	37.9
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

The World Giving Index is produced annually by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). It produces statistical counts of individual charitable acts in three categories: the helping of strangers, donations to charity and volunteer work. The system is biased towards grassroots-charitability and because of this, it is not wise to draw moral conclusions from the data. Some countries have a top-down approach to social aid. For example, in highly socialist countries such as Finland, Norway and Sweden, including Japan, the government itself is paid by citizens (through very high taxes) to engage in a lot of social work. Therefore, there is a culture in which individuals feel they already contribute to charity through a centralized and well-funded charitable social safety net: but this kind of contribution isn't reflected in the WGI. Some of those countries do score highest in measurements of how much aid is given to developing countries. Conversely, some of the lowest-ranking countries are clearly suffering from extreme poverty, and may lack the infrastructure that lets people volunteer time or give to charity.

For more, see:

" Charity Across the World" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Corruption Higher is better₇₂
Pos.		2022 Points₇₂
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
16=	Iceland	74.0
16=	Canada	74.0
18=	UK	73.0
18=	Japan	73.0
18=	Belgium	73.0
21	France	72.0
22	Austria	71.0
23	Seychelles	70.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Throughout the 2000s, Japan made serious improvements to its Corruption Perception Index score and sat amongst the top-10 best-improvers that decade.

Happiness Higher is better₇₃
Pos.		2024 Score₇₃
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
52	Oman	6.2
53	Uzbekistan	6.2
54	Paraguay	6.2
55	Japan	6.1
56	Bosnia & Herzegovina	6.1
57	Philippines	6.1
58	S. Korea	6.0
59	Bahrain	6.0
	Asia Avg	5.41
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
42	Namibia	42
43	St Vincent & Grenadines	43
44	Cyprus	44
45	Japan	45
46	Moldova	46
47	Greece	47
48	Australia	48
49	Seychelles	49
	Asia Avg	99.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₇₄
Pos.		Total Q₇₄
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
4	Germany	190.3
5	Spain	189.8
6	Italy	189.7
7	Finland	189.5
8	Luxembourg	189.3
9=	Denmark	188.7
9=	Austria	188.7
11	France	188.5
12=	Netherlands	188.3
	Asia Avg	85.1
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
44	Fiji	44
45	Bosnia & Herzegovina	45
46	Poland	46
47	Japan	47
48	Armenia	48
49	UAE	49
50	Greece	50
51	Niger	51
	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.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better₇₅
Pos.		2023 Score₇₅
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
4	New Zealand	1.31
5	Austria	1.32
6	Singapore	1.33
7	Portugal	1.33
8	Slovenia	1.33
9	Japan	1.34
10	Switzerland	1.34
11	Canada	1.35
12	Czechia	1.38
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
15	Colombia	15
16	Costa Rica	16
17	Hungary	17
18	Japan	18
19	Chile	19
20	Kazakhstan	20
21	Thailand	21
22	Algeria	22
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₄
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
44	Kenya	44
45	Serbia	45
46	Bolivia	46
47	Japan	47
48	Czechia	48
49	Argentina	49
50	Brazil	50
51	Dominican Rep.	51
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₇₆
Pos.		2019 Score₇₆
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	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
76	Kuwait	2.49
77	Malaysia	2.50
	Asia Avg	3.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better₇₇
Pos.		Total %₇₇
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
46	Bulgaria	1.00%
47	Dominican Rep.	1.12%
48	Chile	1.12%
49	Japan	1.21%
50	Egypt	1.37%
51	Jamaica	1.39%
52	Argentina	1.40%
53	Vietnam	1.45%
	Asia Avg	3.54%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₇₈
Pos.		2019₇₈
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
4=	Sweden	2.90
4=	Slovenia	2.90
4=	Japan	2.90
7=	Finland	3.00
7=	Czechia	3.00
7=	Norway	3.00
7=	S. Korea	3.00
7=	Spain	3.00
12=	Netherlands	3.10
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₇₉
Pos.		2023 %₇₉
1	Slovakia	24.1%₈₀
2	Slovenia	24.3%₈₀
3	Belarus	24.4%₈₁
	...
56	India	32.8%₈₀
57=	Greece	32.9%₈₀
57=	Niger	32.9%₈₀
57=	Japan	32.9%₈₂
57=	S. Korea	32.9%₈₀
61	Bosnia & Herzegovina	33.0%₈₃
62	Serbia	33.1%₈₀
63=	Guinea-Bissau	33.4%₈₀
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Japan - only for 3 years between 1980 and 2019.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#afterlife #belief #buddhism #christianity #god #heaven #hell #hinduism #islam #japan #judaism #religion #religion_in_japan #religiosity #secularisation #universalism

From 2010 to 2020 in Japan, the numbers of Buddhists fell from 42% to 37% of the total population; a corresponding 5.3% fewer Japanese said they belonged to any religion.

Religiosity (2018)₆₄
Pos.		Lower is better %₆₄
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4=	Switzerland	9
4=	Denmark	9
6=	Germany	10
6=	UK	10
6=	Sweden	10
6=	Japan	10
6=	Finland	10
11=	Latvia	11
11=	France	11
11=	Belgium	11
14	Austria	12
15	Hungary	14
16	Albania	15
17=	Lithuania	16
17=	S. Korea	16
17=	Russia	16
20=	Australia	18
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)₈₄
Pos.		Higher is better %₈₄
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
9=	Germany	42
9=	UK	42
12	Cuba	40
13	Slovenia	35
14	Bulgaria	34
15	Hungary	32
16	Norway	31
17	S. Korea	30
18	Finland	28
19	Russia	27
20	Australia	25
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₅:

	2010	2020
Unaffiliated	52.2%	57.5%
Buddhist	41.8%	37.2%
Other	3.63%	2.89%
Christian	2.21%	2.25%
Muslim	0.159%	0.17%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

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 42.5% 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)₈₆.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Japan₈₇. 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.

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 worldwide₈₈. Its Constitution grants "strong protections of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as well as a clear separation of religion and state"₈₉.

The Soka Gakkai sect has 8 million members in Japan₉₀.

Links:

The End of the World is Nigh! The Dangers of Apocalyptism and End-Times Beliefs: 6.2. The Sarin Gas Attacks in Japan, by Aum

Links: