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Plan:

Natural resources. Agriculture. Economy of Japan. Industry of Japan. Automotive industry in Japan.

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Natural resources

Japan is a country rich in forests and taking care of its ecological state, therefore their forests look well-groomed and are cut down very carefully and in volumes controlled by science. Over 2/3 of the territory of Japan is occupied by forests and shrubs; a significant part of the forests, more than 1/3 - artificial plantations. Coniferous species account for 50% of the total timber resources and 37% of the total forest area. In total, there are over 700 species of trees and shrubs and about 300 species of herbs in the flora of Japan. Numerous representatives of the ancient pre-Quaternary flora have survived - ferns, horsetails, etc. On the island of Hokkaido, coniferous forests of spruce and fir predominate. In the southern regions of Japan, coniferous forests are gradually being replaced by deciduous broad-leaved forests of oak, maple, ash, linden, chestnut, and others.

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Cultivated land 13% of the total area of ​​the country, mainly given over to rice and some crops - from potatoes in the north to sugarcane in the south. The natural conditions of Japan are generally favorable for agriculture. The soil cover of Japan is very diverse: red and yellow soils prevail in the south, on the island of Honshu the slopes of local low mountains are covered with developed podzolic and brown forest soils, with sufficient fertilizer, the coastal plains with their fertile alluvial soils have long been mastered by farmers. Marsh soils in the lowlands.

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Japan's soil resources are very limited, with more than one-third of the soils classified as poor. Nevertheless, the total area of ​​cultivated land is 16% of the entire territory. Japan is one of the few countries in the world that has fully developed its land resources. Virgin land remains only on the island of Hokkaido; on the rest of the islands, the Japanese are expanding the territories of cities and suburban farms, draining swampy shores and river deltas, filling up lagoons and shallow sections of the seas, for example, the Tokyo airport was built. Over 3/4 of the territory is occupied by hills and mountains; The Kanto and Tokyo lowlands are located in separate areas along the coast. On the island of Hokkaido, the main ranges are a continuation of the mountain ranges of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, stretching from north to south and northeast to southwest.

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The country has a dense network of short, full-flowing predominantly mountain rivers (large ones: Shinano, Tone, Ishikori). The rivers of the Sea of ​​Japan basin have a winter-spring flood, and the rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin have a summer flood; There are floods, especially as a result of the passage of typhoons. The waters of many rivers are used for irrigation; there are thousands of small and large reservoirs in the country. Flat sections of large rivers are accessible to small-draft vessels, the largest lake Biwa, whose area is 716 sq. km. Japan is characterized by a coastal landscape with bays and islets, beautiful shores covered with vegetation.

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The fauna of Japan is characterized by some interesting features, caused primarily by island isolation. The southern Ryukyu Islands - the tropical fauna is relatively poor in mammals, animals leading an arboreal lifestyle dominate. There are many monkeys: macaques, gibbons, thin-bodied. An unusually large number of bats. Martens are common, there are many squirrels and flying squirrels, six-winged, Japanese deer, black hare, blue bird. The central islands of the Japanese archipelago are much richer in fauna. Mainland animals are found here: a wolf, a fox, a raccoon dog, a badger, a squirrel, a deer, a gigantic salamander, Japanese macaques, a Japanese black bear ... But I note that the central islands are poor in rodents, there are few songbirds and there are no representatives of the cat family. The northern island of Hokkaido - northern forms prevail here: brown bear, ermine, weasel, Siberian sable, various insects. The country has 270 species of mammals, about 800 species of birds, 110 species of reptiles; in the seas washing Japan - more than 600 species of fish, more than 1000 species of mollusks, among the birds in Japan, there are storks, woodpeckers, owls, thrushes, tits, swallows, Japanese crane, starling hawk ... There are many sea birds near the sea coast: cormorant, murre , skua

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As one of the main importers of raw materials, Japan has its own minerals, they are quite diverse, but the deposits are mostly small and difficult to mine. Despite the fact that the deposits of coal, sulfur and natural gas are relatively large, the high capital intensity of development makes imports quite cheap, much more profitable, as evidenced by the gradual closure of mines in the country.

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Achievements of Japanese engineers robot chef.

The Japanese have long been known for their desire to robotize literally everything and everything. In the country, no one can be surprised by a robot-nurse, a robot-teacher, or even a robot-driver. Now there is a replenishment - the robot chef Fua-Men

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Agriculture.

In terms of agricultural specialization, Japan differs markedly from other developed countries: the share of crop production exceeds the share of animal husbandry twice. But despite this, the country does not have enough grain of its own, Japan is forced to import grain crops from its closest neighbors: China, Korea. The Japanese organization of agriculture is known all over the world as rather backward, this is due to a number of reasons: the predominance of dwarf small-scale peasant farms, limited capital investments directed to land improvement, the weakness of the agrotechnical base, and the enslaving debt of the peasants. In recent years, land productivity has declined slightly.

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The fishing fleet of Japan has tens of thousands of vessels, and the number of fishing ports is hundreds and even thousands. Among the exotic trades, I would like to mention pearl mining on the southern coast of Honshu; more than 500 million pearl shells are mined here annually. Previously, shells extracted from the bottom were used to search for natural pearls, which, of course, were very rare. Now they are used for artificial cultivation of pearls on special plantations. Over time, there have been trends towards the impoverishment of national fish resources; therefore, the artificial breeding of marine animals has become widespread (in 1980, 32 species of fish, 15 species of crustaceans, 21 species of mollusks, etc., etc.) were grown here. Japan occupies the first place in world on aquaculture technology that originated in the VIII century. The most diverse types of aquaculture are developed here, artificial spawning grounds and fish pastures have been created.

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Coastal fishing is carried out by residents of coastal villages; distant - large monopolies with a technically advanced fishing fleet. The northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean is the main area of ​​world fisheries; Japan, China, Russia, the Republic of Korea, and some other countries are engaged in the extraction of fish and seafood here.

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Industry of Japan.

Recently, a course has been taken for the predominant development of science-intensive industries with some containment of energy-intensive and material-intensive industries. New industries include electronic, precision and complex instrumentation, optics, the production of cameras, medicines, and scientific and laboratory equipment. For quite a long time, the basis of the country's energy industry was coal, water, and wood. Fuel imports played an additional role. Thermal power plants are the basis of the Japanese electric power industry.

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Japan's fuel and energy base is very limited. Own coal resources provide no more than 1/2 of its needs, there are very few good coking coals. Oil is extracted in a year as much as in the USA in half a day; there are few iron and manganese ores, and there are no bauxites and many other types of mineral raw materials at all. Despite the fact that 4/5 of energy is produced from imported raw materials, the country has a highly developed energy economy. The oil refining and petrochemical industry grew up on oil production, the enterprises of which are located in many cities of the urbanized strip of the islands of Honshu and Kyushu. output, from the headquarters of the occupation forces. And although in 1949 they were removed, and the enterprises of the automotive industry were removed from the list of those to be dismantled and exported under reparations, nevertheless, the end of the 40s. regarded as a period of struggle for the survival of the automotive industry in Japan. In addition, the import of foreign cars caused considerable damage to the industry at that time. Officially, it was banned until 1949, but cars were imported by the Americans.

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During the first six months of 2009, 273 companies in Japan that are related to the automotive industry, such as those involved in the supply of parts or the sale of cars, went bankrupt. This is 50% more than in the same period of 2009. The volume of debts of bankrupt Japanese companies has doubled and amounted to 1.1 billion dollars. In almost half of the cases it was about firms that worked in the market of retail and wholesale of cars. They were unable to obtain loans to finance further activities. Most bankruptcies - 52 - were registered in those prefectures where the factories of Toyota Motor, Suzuki and large manufacturers of auto parts are located. At the same time, the Japanese car market began to gradually recover from the crisis, but has not yet fully recovered.

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Industry.

In recent decades, Japan has emerged as one of the leading economic powers and is the second largest national economic power in the world. The population of Japan is approximately 2.3% of the world's population, but creates about 16% of the gross world product (GMP) calculated at current exchange rates, and 7.7% in terms of the purchasing power of the yen. Its economic potential is equal to 61% of the US, but in terms of production per capita, it exceeds the US level. Japan accounts for 70% of the total product of East Asia, its gross domestic product (GDP), calculated on the basis of current exchange rates, is four times that of China. It has achieved high technical excellence, especially in certain areas of advanced technology. The current position of Japan in the world economy is the result of its economic development in the second half of the last century. In 1938, it accounted for only 3% of the VMP.

Japan has developed ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemical and food industries. Although Japan is the largest importer of raw materials for most of these industries, nevertheless, the country often ranks 1-2 in the world in the output of many industries. Moreover, industry is concentrated mainly within the Pacific industrial belt (almost 80% of industrial products are produced in 13% of the country's territory).

I. Metallurgy has recently undergone major changes. Instead of many obsolete factories, powerful plants equipped with the latest technology. Lacking its own raw material base, Japan focuses on the import of iron ore and coking coal. Malaysia and Canada have been and remain major suppliers of iron ore. The main suppliers of coal are the USA, Australia; to a lesser extent, India and Canada. Japan is the world's second largest producer of refined copper, after the United States. Deposits of polymetallic ores form the basis for the development of zinc and lead production.

II. Japan's energy industry is oriented primarily to imported raw materials (mainly oil and oil products). Oil imports amount to more than 200 million tons (own production of 0.5 million tons in 1997). The share of coal in consumption is decreasing, the share of natural gas in consumption is growing (it is imported in a reduced form). The role of hydropower and nuclear energy is growing. Japan has a powerful electric power industry. Over 60% of the capacity falls on thermal power plants (the largest of 4 million kW). A nuclear power plant has been under construction since the mid-1960s. Currently, more than 20 nuclear power plants operate on imported raw materials (more than 40 power units). They provide about 30% of electricity. The country has built the most powerful nuclear power plants in the world (including Fukushima - 10 power units).

III. Japan's shipbuilding is very diverse: the world's largest supertankers and other ships are leaving the stocks of the shipyards of Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe, Nagasaki and many other shipbuilding centers. Shipbuilding specializes in the construction of large-capacity tankers and bulk carriers. The total tonnage of ships built in Japan is 40% of the world's tonnage. In shipbuilding, the country firmly ranks first in the world (2nd place - the Republic of Korea). Shipbuilding and ship repair enterprises are located throughout the country. The main centers are located in the largest ports (Yokohama, Nagasaki).

IV. The production of non-ferrous metals is material and energy intensive. They belong to the “environmentally dirty” industries, therefore, a significant reorganization of the industry has been carried out. In the last decade alone, the smelting of non-ferrous metals has decreased by 20 times. Converting plants are located in almost all major industrial centers.

V. Mechanical engineering in Japan includes many industries (shipbuilding, automotive, general engineering, instrumentation, radio electronics, aerospace industry). There are a number of large factories of heavy engineering, machine-tool building, production of equipment for the light and food industries. But the main industries were electronics, the radio industry and transport engineering.

1) For the production of cars (13 million units per year) in last years Japan also ranks first in the world (industry products account for 20% of Japanese exports). The most important centers of the industry are Toyota (Nagasaki region), Yokohama, Hiroshima.

2) The main enterprises of general engineering are located within the Pacific industrial belt: in the Tokyo region - complex machine tool building, industrial robots; in Osaka - metal-intensive equipment (near the centers of ferrous metallurgy); in the Nagoya region - machine tool building, production of equipment for other industries.

3) The enterprises of the radio-electronic and electrical industry are oriented towards centers with a skilled labor force, with a well-developed transport system, with a developed scientific and technical base. In the early 90s, Japan accounted for over 60% of the production of industrial robots, ½ of CNC machines and pure ceramic products, from 60 to 90% of the production of certain types of microprocessors in the world. Japan maintains a leading position in the production of consumer electronics and electronic equipment. The share of the country in the world production of color TV sets (taking into account the production at foreign enterprises of Japanese companies is more than 60%, video recorders - 90%, etc.). The products of science-intensive industries account for about 15% of the total industrial production in Japan. And in general, for engineering products - about 40%.

Table 3.1

12 largest conglomerates (industrial-financial groups) of Japan (1999 data)

4) Enterprises of the oil refining, as well as the chemical industry, gravitate towards the main centers of the Pacific industrial belt - in the Tokyo agglomeration of the Alan industrial belt. In the Tokyo agglomeration (Kawasaki, Chiba, Yokohama), in the Osaka and Nagoya regions, enterprises use imported raw materials. In terms of the level of development of the chemical industry, Japan occupies one of the first places in the world.

5) Japan also has a developed pulp and paper industry.

6) It retains no less importance for the light and food industries. However, competition from developing countries is growing in many types of labor-intensive light industry (due to the cheapness of work force in other countries).

VI. Another important traditional branch of Japanese industry is fishing. In terms of fish catch, Japan occupies one of the first places in the world. There are more than 3 thousand fishing ports in the country. The rich and diverse fauna of the coastal seas contributed to the development of not only fishing, but also Mari culture. Fish and seafood occupy a very large place in the diet of the Japanese. Pearl fishing is also developed.

Very important feature industry of Japan is its exceptionally strong involvement in international economic relations.

Agriculture.

Japan's agriculture employs about 3% of the economically active population, and its share in the country's GNP is about 2%. Japanese agriculture is characterized by a high level of labor and land productivity, crop yields and animal productivity.

Agricultural production has a pronounced food orientation

Crop production provides the main part of the production (about 70%), but its share is decreasing. The country has to import fodder and industrial crops from abroad. Pasture land makes up only 1.6% of the total area. But even these plots are getting out of agricultural circulation as imports of cheap meat and dairy products increase. New intensive branches of animal husbandry are developing. Cultivated land accounts for 13% of the country's territory. However, in some areas of Japan, you can get 2-3 crops per year, so the sown area is larger than the cultivated area. Despite the fact that cultivated lands occupy a small share in the land fund, and their per capita value is very small (24 times less than the USA, 9 times less than France), Japan provides its food needs mainly due to own production (about 70%). The demand for rice, vegetables, poultry meat, pork, fruits is practically satisfied. However, the country is forced to import sugar, corn, cotton and wool.

Japanese agriculture is characterized by small-scale farming. Most of the farms are small-scale. The largest farms are engaged in animal husbandry. In addition to individual farms, there are firms and productive cooperatives. These are significant agricultural units.

The coastal lowlands of all the islands, including those in the Pacific industrial belt, are large agricultural areas where rice, vegetables, tea, tobacco are grown, and animal husbandry is also intensively developed. On all large plains and in natural areas of large agglomerations there are poultry and pig farms, vegetable gardens.

Transport

Transport. In the post-war period, road transport quickly moved into first place in terms of freight and passenger traffic in Japan (52% and 60%, respectively). The rest is mostly accounted for by coastal shipping, the share of which is gradually decreasing. The importance of rail transport is declining even faster, especially after its privatization in the mid-1980s. The volumes of air transportation are also growing, but their share is still small. Japan ranks second in the world in terms of merchant fleet tonnage (nearly 87 million reg. tons in 1999), but 73% of this tonnage sails under flags of convenience. The size of the car park is 43 million cars and 22 million trucks and buses (1998, the second largest in the world). Since the mid-90s, the main direction in the development of the technical base of transport has been the qualitative improvement of the transport infrastructure. Japan has created a dense network of highways, the main element of which was expressways connecting all cities with a population of more than 500,000 people. A system of railway lines has been built with an average train speed of over 200 km/h. The country has several dozen large seaports (the largest is Chiba), a number of airports capable of receiving large airliners. In the 80s, all four main Japanese islands were connected by continuous transport routes (through a system of tunnels and bridges). The many times increased volumes and intensity of transportation in Japan, especially in the zone of the main transport axis of the country, passing through the Pacific industrial belt, required an increase in the reliability and security of the communications system. Its improvement is achieved through the widespread introduction of electronic computing and information technology both in the transport management systems and in the vehicles themselves.

Foreign economic relations

Japan is one of the world's largest trading powers. The economy is very dependent on imported fuel and industrial raw materials. But the structure of imports is changing significantly: the share of commodities is decreasing and the share of finished products. The share of finished products from the NIS of Asia is especially growing (including color TVs, video cassettes, video recorders, spare parts). The country also imports some types of the latest machinery and equipment from economically developed countries.

In the export of finished industrial products (by value), 64% falls on machinery and equipment. Japan's international specialization in the world market is the trade in products of science-intensive high-tech industries, such as the production of ultra-large integrated circuits and microprocessors, CNC machine tools and industrial robots.

Volume foreign trade Japan is constantly growing (760 billion dollars, 1997 - third place after the USA and Germany). Japan's main trading partners are economically developed countries, primarily the United States (30% of exports, 25% of imports), Germany, Australia, and Canada. Major partners are the Republic of Korea and China.

The volume of trade with the countries of Southeast Asia (29% of external turnover) and Europe is increasing. The largest suppliers of oil to Japan are the countries of the Persian Gulf.

An important area of ​​Japan's foreign economic activity is capital export. In terms of foreign investment, the country has become one of the leaders along with the United States and Great Britain. Moreover, the share of capital investment in the development of the country is growing. Japan invests its capital in trade, banking, loans and other services (about 50%), in manufacturing and mining different countries peace. Acute foreign economic conflicts between Japan and the United States and the countries of Western Europe lead to a struggle for sources of raw materials, markets and areas for capital investment. The scale of foreign entrepreneurship of Japanese firms is expanding. Moreover, along with the export of environmentally hazardous, energy- and material-intensive industries (by building enterprises in developing countries), there is also a transfer to these countries of some machine-building industries - those whose development in Japan is becoming less respectable (transferred to places where costs are lower). for the labor force).

Japanese firms are especially active in the NIS of Asia - in the Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. Textile, food, clothing, metallurgical, chemical industries, electronic and precision engineering enterprises created there with the participation of Japanese capital are becoming serious competitors to Japanese firms (especially small and medium ones) in the world and even in the domestic market of Japan.

All of Japan's largest industrial companies are transnational corporations, one of the largest in the world. In the list of the 500 largest TNCs in the world, very high positions are occupied by: Toyota motor, Honda motor - in the automotive industry; Hitachi, Sony, NEC - in electronics; Toshiba, Fujitsu, Canon - in the production of computer equipment, etc.

One of critical factors Japan's economic development is to widely participate in international technology trade. Technology exports are dominated by licenses in the field of electrical and transport engineering, chemistry, and construction. Geographically, Japanese technology exports in the 1980s were dominated by developing countries. Particularly active is the exchange of licenses technological processes in the field of electrical engineering, chemical industry, etc.

Internal differences

The peculiar natural-geographical and historical conditions of development led to the formation of a complex territorial structure of Japan, to the emergence of significant differences between its regions. On the territory of Japan, morphologically heterogeneous parts stand out sharply. This is a developed Pacific industrial belt, located on the largest lowlands of Honshu and Northern Kyushu, and peripheral, relatively poorly developed areas occupying the western coast and northeast of Honshu, Hokkaido and Southern Japan- Shikoku, southern Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands.

The grid of economic regions that has developed in Japan mainly reflects these disproportions (Fig. 111.76). The most common is the concept of distinguishing ten economic regions - Kanto, Kinki, Tokai, Kyushu, Chugoku, Hokuriku. Tohoku, Hokkaido, Shikoku and Okinawa. The first four traditionally belong to areas of a high level of development, the next three - to an average level, and the rest - to underdeveloped areas. The allocation of regions is carried out along the boundaries of the main administrative units of Japan - prefectures (there are 47 prefectures, including the governorate of Hokkaido).

Kanto - the leading economic region, occupying the country's largest lowland, where less than 10% of Japan's territory is home to more than 30% of its population and produces more than 35% of national income. The socio-economic image of the district is determined primarily by the presence of the capital Tokyo and the largest urban agglomeration Keihin, which has formed around it, which has a powerful production, management, research, and cultural potential. Almost all sectors of the economy are developed in Kanto, but it is distinguished by an increased concentration of mechanical engineering, especially science-intensive (radioelectronic, instrumentation, aerospace), as well as industries that focus on the large market of the capital region (printing, light industry). Agriculture of the region, occupying an insignificant place in the structure of its economy, provides Kanto with a leading position in Japan in food production. It is specialized mainly in suburban forms. Great is the importance of Kanto as the focus of the entire transport system of Japan, where major highways converge, connecting the capital with coastal and inland regions.

The second most important economic region in Japan is Kinki, which combines the features of the historical and cultural core of "old" Japan and a large industrial region. It concentrates enterprises of both traditional (textile, woodworking, shipbuilding) and the newest industries (radioelectronic, modern chemistry, etc.). Against the background of other developed regions, Kinki is distinguished by an increased share of metal-intensive general engineering, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. Osaka, the second economic and cultural center of the country after Tokyo, plays the most important role in the region, around which the powerful urban agglomeration of Hanshin has developed. The agglomeration includes several more notable industrial cities - Kobe, Amagasaki, Himeji, Sakai. The city of Kyoto is peculiar, the only one of the Japanese cities-"millionaires", located outside the sea coast. For a long time, the residence of the Japanese emperors, the political, cultural and religious center of the country, it attracts a large number of tourists and pilgrims. The industry of Kyoto is characterized by a diverse structure with a predominance of non-material-intensive industries using skilled labor (traditional light, woodworking, modern electronic, precision engineering).

The Tokai region, located on the Pacific coast between Kanto and Kinki, occupies the third position in terms of economic importance. The branches of industrial specialization of the region include transport engineering, petrochemistry, textile and pulp and paper. The industrial zone is located around Ise Bay, on the coast of which are the center of the district - Nagoya and other industrial cities. Tokaj has long been a predominantly agricultural area, industrial enterprises textile and woodworking industries were widespread. In the prewar years in Nagoya and some other cities, military factories were built, mainly aviation, on the basis of which transport engineering developed after the war. Among the cities of the region, there are several centers of national importance, highly specialized in certain types of industrial production - Yokkaichi (oil refining and petrochemistry), Toyota (automotive industry). Tokaj retains its importance as an important agricultural area, distinguished by the production of some specific crops, in particular tea and citrus fruits.

Kyushu is characterized by uneven development of the northern and southern parts of the region. Northern Kyushu is the oldest Japanese industrial region, where the structure of production is still dominated by ferrous metallurgy, heavy industrial engineering, as well as some other "basic" industries - oil refining, cement production. A major center of shipbuilding is Nagasaki with Japan's largest shipbuilding plant. At the same time, Northern Kyushu remains an important agricultural region (in particular, the country's second most important rice-growing region). In the south, which is still characterized by a certain isolation and traditionalism, the basis of the economy is agriculture, local industry, and recreational functions. In order to modernize the economic structure of Kyushu, regional programs of recent years are aimed at developing the most advanced industries (radioelectronics, biotechnology, fine chemistry) in several actively created technopolises. The functions of the administrative center of the district are concentrated in its largest city - Fukuoka.

The Chugoku region occupies the southwestern part of Honshu and is divided by a mountain range in a northeast-southwest direction into two regions, historically named San'yo and San'in. More developed has always been the southern one, Sanyo, which occupies the coast of the Inland Sea. Due to the favorable economic and geographical position, many industrial enterprises were built there after the Second World War. Currently, Chugoku stands out for the country's highest share of products in material and energy-intensive industries - ferrous metallurgy, oil refining, chemical industry, as well as developed general, shipbuilding and automotive industries. A characteristic feature is the absence of a clearly defined center in the area, as well as a certain specialization of large industrial centers: mechanical engineering is predominantly developed in Hiroshima, oil refining and chemistry in Kurashiki, and ferrous metallurgy in Fukuyama. In the south of Chugoku (in Ube, Tokuyama, and others), one of the most powerful complexes of the chemical industry in Japan was formed. The Sanyo area is an important tourism area. San'in, which faces the Sea of ​​Japan, is still relatively isolated, sparsely populated, and less developed.

Hokuriku occupies the central part of the western coast of Honshu and some of the interior mountainous areas of this island. Adverse natural conditions(marshy coastal lowlands, lack of convenient bays for port construction, etc.) led to much less intensive development of the area compared to the eastern part of Honshu. The share of industry in the structure of the economy of Hokuriku is noticeably lower than the national average, the most developed are general and electrical engineering, metalworking, traditional woodworking and the textile industry. A number of nuclear power plants were built in the south of the region, transmitting energy to the Kinki region, in the mountains - cascades of hydroelectric power plants, which also transmit energy to the central regions of the country. Hokuriku is famous for its important rice producing area (Echigo Plain) as well as Japan's most significant oil and gas fields. The most important city of the district is Niigata.

The Tohoku region, which occupies the northeast of Honshu, is distinguished in the national division of labor by agriculture, fishing, logging, mining and relatively underdeveloped industry, aimed mainly at processing local resources. The population of the district is relatively small and largely concentrated in the interior. Tohoku is regarded as an important area perspective development Japan, its main city Sendai is already one of the fastest growing major cities in the country.

Hokkaido, which officially became part of Japan only in 1868, is the only region in the country that was developed in a planned way, on the basis of organized colonization. The structure of the economy resembles Tohoku, with forestry and agriculture, fishing, woodworking, pulp and paper, and mining being even more prominent. Deprived of the largest industrial enterprises, but performing important administrative functions, the main city of the district, Sapporo, is developing intensively.

Shikoku is a mountainous, sparsely populated area. IN economic terms the northern part of the island is more developed, where enterprises of basic industries are located in several industrial cities. However, in general, the industrial appearance of the region is formed by the food, pulp and paper and textile industries. Subtropical agriculture and mountain animal husbandry are developed. The most important cities are the prefectural centers of Matsuyama and Takamatsu.

Okinawa - a prefecture located in the Ryukyu Islands is only loosely classified as a district. It became part of Japan again in 1972 after the US occupation, but even now 12% of its territory is under American military bases. Infrastructural facilities for servicing bases, as well as tropical farming, are developed.

Agriculture in Japan According to its structure, Japanese agriculture should be classified as diversified. Its basis is agriculture, mainly the cultivation of rice and other grain crops, industrial crops and tea. A significant role is played by horticulture, horticulture, sericulture and animal husbandry. In Japan, agriculture also includes forestry, fishing and marine fishing. The cultivated area of ​​the country is 5.4 million hectares, and the sown area exceeds it due to the fact that in a number of regions 2-3 crops are harvested per year. More than half of the sown area is occupied by cereals, about 25% by vegetables, the rest is occupied by fodder grasses, industrial crops and mulberries. Rice dominates in agriculture. At the same time, there is a decrease in wheat and barley yields (low profitability and import competition). Vegetable growing is mainly developed in the suburbs. As a rule, year-round in greenhouse soil. Sugar beets are cultivated in Hokkaido, and sugar cane is cultivated in the south. Tea, citrus fruits, apples, pears, plums, peaches, persimmons (endemic to Japan), grapes, chestnuts, watermelons, melons, and pineapples are also grown in greenhouses. In the southwest of Honshu, large areas are devoted to strawberries. Animal husbandry began to develop actively only after World War II. The herd of cattle reaches 5 million heads (half are dairy cows). Pig breeding is developing in the southern regions (about 7 million heads). The center of animal husbandry is the north of the country - the island of Hokkaido, where special farms and cooperatives are being created. A feature of Japanese animal husbandry is that it is based on imported feed (a lot of corn is imported). Own production provides no more than 1/3 of feed. The forest area of ​​the country is about 25 million hectares. Historically, more than half of the forests are privately owned (including bamboo plantations). In general, forest owners are small farmers with up to 1 hectare. forests. Among the major owners of forests are members of the imperial family, monasteries, temples, which own the highest quality forests. Fishing is characterized by the dominance of large monopoly companies. The main objects of fishing are herring, cod, salmon, flounder, tuna, halibut, shark, saury, sardine, etc. They also get seaweed and shellfish. The fishing fleet of Japan has several hundred thousand vessels (mostly small). About 1/3 of the catch comes from the waters in the Hokkaido region. An important fishing area is the northeastern coast of Honshu. Aquaculture has become widespread: artificial breeding of fish in lagoons, mountain lakes and rice fields and cultivation of pearl mussels.

Although the national economy is primarily based on industry, agriculture occupies an important place in it, providing the country with most of the food consumed. Mainly due to limited land resources and post-war agrarian reform the village is dominated by small landowners. The average farm size is less than 1.1 ha. The importance of agricultural production as a potential place of work declined sharply after the Second World War.

Japan is one of the largest agricultural importing countries in the world. With only 15% of the country's total area available for agriculture and a population of 130 million, Japan is highly dependent on agricultural and food exports. The country imports large volumes of soybeans, wheat, corn, meat and meat products, other food products, vegetables, fruits. It fully satisfies its own needs only in seafood, some of which it exports.

On average, one farm has 1.47 hectares or 14,700 m2. Japanese farms are relatively small, but Japanese farmers work hard to make the most of their limited space, and therefore the land is cultivated very efficiently.

Japanese farmers use tractors, pickup trucks, electric cultivators, rice planters and combines to help them increase their productivity. Using intensive farming methods, fertilizers, sophisticated machinery and well-established technology, farmers are able to produce half of all the fruits and vegetables consumed in Japan, while still devoting some of the farmland to livestock. So Japan's agriculture provides a significant portion of the food consumed.

Modern technology has made new ways of farming possible. Part of the harvest in Japan is grown hydroponically, that is, without soil - just in water. The use of genetic engineering makes it possible to obtain richer and safer crops for human health.

Japanese farmers grow various crops, as well as livestock and poultry. These are cereals - rice and wheat; vegetables - potatoes, radish and cabbage; fruits - tangerines, oranges, melons and pears; livestock products - beef, poultry, pork, milk and eggs.

Most of the non-arable land is covered with forest - about 68%. So, forestry is an important part of the Japanese economy. Japan is an island country and must carefully use its natural resources: 41% of its forests are new forest plantations.

For many centuries logging has been important view entrepreneurial activity in Japan. Since the 8th century, wooden palaces and temples have been built in Kyoto and other cities. But today the demand for wood is so great, not only for construction, but also for the production of paper, furniture and other consumer goods, that Japan imports 76.4% of wood.

Rice is grown throughout Japan, with the exception of the north of Hokkaido, mainly on irrigated lands. Rice yield reaches 50 centners/hectare. The gross harvest of rice reaches 10 million tons. In addition to rice, wheat, barley, and corn are grown from grain crops, but in small quantities. Vegetable growing, especially suburban, has become widespread in Japan. Of the industrial crops, tea, tobacco, sugar beets are common, in the south - sugar cane.

Animal husbandry is poorly developed because the Japanese consume little meat and dairy products. Recently, the structure of the diet of the Japanese has changed, which leads to an increase in demand for livestock products. Animal husbandry is actively developing. Meat production is about 4 million tons, and milk - 8 million tons. A characteristic feature of Japan's animal husbandry is the lack of its own fodder base. A significant part of the feed is imported. Own production provides no more than 1/3 of the needs of animal husbandry in feed. Agriculture in Japan provides the country with food only 3/4.

Japan firmly occupies the first place in the world in the production of seafood. This became possible thanks to the balanced management of ocean, sea and coastal fisheries, intensive fish farming in fresh waters.

Ocean and marine fish catch in Japan is kept at the level of 8 million tons. Coastal fisheries produce 2 million tons of fish annually. More than 200 thousand tons. annually obtained from fish farming in inland waters.

Seafood is the main product that meets the needs of the population for proteins, although their share in the diet has decreased due to an increase in the share of meat. Japanese imports of fish and seafood in recent years range from 2.0 to 2.4 million tons. The bulk of imports are valuable, with high taste, fish species.

Coastal fishing is carried out by residents of coastal villages; distant - large monopolies with a technically advanced fishing fleet. The northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean is the main area of ​​world fisheries; Japan, China, Russia, the Republic of Korea, and some other countries are engaged in the extraction of fish and seafood here.

Climate features

The geographic location of the country has a decisive influence on the way of life of the population. Japan is an island state. Nature disposed in such a way that three climatic zones are arranged in a very limited area: the sea coast, flat areas and mountainous regions. Agriculture in Japan was formed and developed in these conditions. The country is located in the temperate zone, which is characterized by high humidity, due to the proximity of the ocean. Due to this, there is an intensive growth of vegetation. Or - as biologists put it - biomass.

Landscape specifics

There are no natural pastures on the territory of the country, which are typical for many continental regions. All territories suitable for these purposes are quickly overgrown with shrubs, and then with trees. It is very difficult to artificially maintain pastures and pastures in working order. Such activities require significant labor costs. This explains the fact that Japanese agriculture does not have a developed animal husbandry. Over a long historical period, the people living here have developed a special diet. The need for protein is met by seafood.

Agriculture in Japan is based on small-scale farming. It has long been calculated that the country's total agricultural area is quite modest when compared with Argentina or China. So, in 2000 it was six million hectares. A typical peasant farm cultivates (approximately) 1 ha. The focus is on rice cultivation. Almost three-quarters of farms are engaged in the production of this product. It is grown in irrigated fields. It should be noted that its yield is very high and reaches fifty centners per hectare.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the country finally entered the world community of developed countries. And Japan's agriculture began to intensively absorb the experience of developed countries. A variety of plants began to be imported here - from fruit trees to vegetables. All effective techniques and technologies were used in strict accordance with the instructions. There are new professions in agriculture. However, the vast majority of innovations did not take root in local conditions. Fruit trees either began to rot or were completely destroyed by insects. At the same time, there have been significant changes in the methods of tillage and seed selection.

Integration into the global market

For many centuries, the selection of the most productive varieties of rice took place here. Modern information technologies in agriculture have put this process on a systematic basis. Today, every farmer has the opportunity to use the seeds that are most suitable for his plot. The level of mechanization of tillage is very high. Experts note that the widespread use of mechanisms significantly increases the cost of agricultural products. At the same time, the country provides itself with food only by 75%. The missing volumes are supplied from abroad.

Being an island state (its territory is slightly larger than the Arkhangelsk region), the country does not have significant mineral reserves. Ore, coal, gas and oil are imported from abroad. The state is very interested in the construction of a gas pipeline from Sakhalin and the supply of Russian gas.

The territory of Japan is a powerful subduction zone (the strongest earthquakes). Here, at the Japanese tectonic trench, three lithospheric plates collide: the Pacific, Philippine and Eurasian. This causes high seismic activity in the Japanese and Kuril Islands, which also does not contribute to the development of the economy.

However, the land of the rising sun occupies a leading position among the developed economies of the world in the production of steel, automobiles, electronics and shipbuilding. Fishing and seafood production are developed. On a high-tech basis, biofuel is produced from rice straw. The gross domestic product is approaching $4.5 trillion (about $30,000 per capita). The Japanese yen is included among the five reserve currencies of the IMF. The country's economy is at the forefront of the 6th technological order. The modernization of its economy was carried out here in (1960-1970).

Japan has one of the highest population densities in the world. Almost all of it is concentrated on the coastal lowlands and in river valleys. Formed around the largest cities - Tokyo, Osaka, Nogoya - agglomerations form a huge metropolis of Tokaido with an average population density of 800-1000 people / km 2.

The fishing fleet is 15% of the world. Agriculture is subsidized by the state, but 55% of food (calorie equivalent) is imported. There is a network of high speed railways Shinkansen and expressways.

Export structure: transport vehicles, cars, motorcycles, electronics, electrical engineering, chemicals. Import structure: machinery and equipment, fuel, food, chemicals, raw materials.

At the end of the 20th century, foreign exchange reserves grew rapidly in Japan. The government introduced a system of measures to liberalize the export of Japanese capital abroad. Now it is the most powerful banking center and international creditor. Its share of international loans rose from 5% in 1980 to 20.6% in 1990. The export of capital is main form foreign economic activity. Most of the Japanese capital works in the USA (42.2%), in Asia (24.2%), Western Europe (15.3%), Latin America (9,3%).

As of 2007, Japan ranked 19th in terms of GDP to hours worked. According to the Big Mac Index, Japanese workers earn the highest hourly wages in the world. Japan has a low unemployment rate, but in 2009 it began to rise and amounted to 5.1%. Leading companies are Toyota, Nintendo, NTT DoCoMo, Canon, Honda, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Sony, Nippon Steel, Tepco, Mitsubishi. In addition, the country is home to several of the largest banks, as well as the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which ranks second in the world in terms of market capitalization. In 2012, 326 Japanese companies were on the Forbes 3000, accounting for 16.3% of the list.

Recently Japan's relations with Russia have been improving. At the end of February this year, an impressive delegation of Russian businessmen headed by Minister of Industry and Trade D. Manturov arrived in Tokyo for a joint forum. The event featured 300 domestic companies and 70 Japanese companies. In connection with the weakening of the ruble, having pushed aside the "excessive caution" inherent in the entrepreneurs of the Land of the Rising Sun, they were keenly interested in acquiring cheaper Russian assets.

Moreover, not only gas, oil and metals are of interest, but also value-added products. In addition to enterprises with Japanese capital already operating in the Russian Federation, businessmen are ready to build new ones in the sectors of electronics, pharmaceuticals, waste processing and machine tool building. The advanced industrial technologies of this highly developed country will certainly help the progress of our economy.

The modernization of the entire economy was carried out here in 1960-1970. The organizer of the Japanese miracle was the Ministry international trade and industry in Japan. The specialists of this ministry, after analyzing the international economic situation and domestic potential, singled out the “industries of the future”. This term was used to designate sectors of the economy and enterprises that had prospects for growth and competitiveness. Development plans were created for all these enterprises, and their implementation was accompanied by credit and tax preferences. This Ministry created favorable conditions for the development of scientific research. The emerging new industries were protected from international competition and had access to government subsidies. The growth of education of the population and the development of industrial training were stimulated.

However, even now, being the fourth industrial power in the world, Japan remains one of the most economically closed developed countries. Nobel laureate J. Galbraith wrote that "all the countries that have industrialized in recent times: Japan, Taiwan, Brazil, Iran - could not have done this without intensive intervention and support from the state."

With the transformation of Japan into an economic superpower, the fate of agriculture, despite favorable agro-climatic conditions, was in jeopardy. The rural population, thinned after the war, has dwindled to three million families, of which fewer than two are rice growers. Half of the peasants are over 65 years old. As the people say, "farming has become the occupation of grandparents."

The traditionally respectful attitude to the work of the farmer, and above all the rice grower, is not accidental. Rice from time immemorial has been not only the basis of the diet, but also a key factor in the formation of the national character. Japanese civilization practically did not know hunting or cattle breeding. Its origin is irrigated agriculture, the cultivation of rice on hillsides turned into terraced terraces.

It is not possible for one family to create and maintain such an irrigation system in order. This requires the joint work of the rural community. It is in the extremely labor-intensive rice growing that the spirit of collectivism inherent in the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun, the willingness to put the common good above personal gain (which gave rise to a system of lifetime employment unique to this country) is rooted. Rice cultivation in Japan is equated with a cult and is regarded as heroism.

Despite the low wages, the farmers managed to stabilize the harvest of rice at the level of 8 million tons. Less than two million peasant farms not only fully provide the 127 million inhabitants of the country with the main food crop - rice, but also produce almost two thirds of the vegetables, meat, and eggs consumed by the people. Japan's gross agricultural output is $80 billion. But the country produces only 39 percent of the food it needs. This stunned figure was discussed after the transition to the internationally accepted method: to compare domestic and imported food products not by cost, but by the number of calories.

In the 60s, the same indicator was almost 80 percent, and now for the first time it has fallen below 40. In terms of food security, Japan is at the tail of the list of developed countries. For comparison: Australia - 237%, Canada - 145%, USA - 128%, France - 122%, Russia - 80%.

For an archipelago country surrounded by seas, the problem of food security is of vital importance. Therefore, the Japanese government formulated strategic goal: Raise food self-sufficiency to 50 percent by 2020.

Japan is a country of centenarians, and this is due to the presence in the diet of a large number of fish with Q3 fatty acids. But in the post-war years, the consumption of animal fats and products increased. fast food from the McDonald's that have proliferated throughout the country. As a result, in terms of average life expectancy, the country moved from 1st to a place in the second ten of the list. Fatty "hamburgers" turned out to be especially harmful to the people who created the most exquisite, truly healing cuisine.

The current situation is the result of a radical change in the traditional diet of the Japanese. Previously, the basis of nutrition was rice, vegetables, seafood, fish. Now the consumption of meat has increased 9 times. There was milk in the diet. At the same time, rice consumption has been halved - from 120 to 60 kilograms per person per year.

Bread also appeared in the traditional diet. And now, in addition to 8 million tons of domestic rice, up to 5 million tons of wheat have to be imported annually. And for the needs of animal husbandry and poultry farming, we still need to import about 20 million tons of corn and soybeans for fodder.

In terms of rice yield (65 centners per hectare), the Land of the Rising Sun ranks third in the world. But at its cost it cannot compete with the large grain production of American, Australian or Canadian farmers. The land plots of the majority of peasants are slightly more than one and a half hectares. Therefore, it is advisable to move from rice to more profitable crops. Following the example of Israel, grow melons, strawberries or kiwis under a film. And buy grain low prices on the world market.

However, in this matter, Tokyo is guided not by commercial gain, but by the interests of food security. The government contracts the entire harvest at a cost-effective price for the peasants. And then sells the rice to domestic consumers for much less than what was paid for it. The authorities proceed from the premise that the production of a staple food crop cannot be stopped and resumed at the push of a button. Let's remember our reforms of the 90s. If a whole generation of rice growers goes bankrupt, in the event of an international crisis and a naval blockade, the country will no longer be able to feed itself.

The Basic Law on Food, Agriculture and the Countryside (1999 law) obliges the government to regularly adopt basic plans for the development of food, agriculture and rural areas. The first such plan was adopted in 2000. The total area of ​​agricultural land is small - 6 million hectares (13% of the territory), however, a significant part of the sown area produces two, and in some areas - three crops per year. The sectoral structure of agriculture is dominated by crop production, the main crop is rice. But they also cultivate wheat, soybeans, and vegetables.

About 78% of farms grow only rice without the use of pesticides, using organic farming methods. This is due to the system of state measures that stimulate the cultivation of this crop, often at the expense of others. The cost of rice in Japan is much higher than the price. The reason for this is small farming, oversaturation with technology and its irrational use. In terms of the number and power of tractors per unit area, Japan ranks first in the world.

Only on the island of Hokkaido is labor productivity in agriculture approaching the European level, which is largely due to the spread of large land ownership there (up to 15 hectares). The fishing industry is of paramount importance for providing the population with food, and for a number of industries with raw materials.

Japan firmly ranks first in the world in terms of seafood production. This became possible thanks to the balanced management of ocean, sea and coastal fisheries, intensive fish farming in fresh waters. Ocean and marine fish catch in Japan is kept at the level of 8 million tons. Coastal fisheries produce 2 million tons of fish annually. More than 200 thousand tons are obtained annually from fish farming in inland waters. The country has a large network of ports that receive and process fish, including from Russia. The largest of them are Kushiro, Hachinohe, Teshi, Wakkanai and others.

Fishing and seafood processing has been a traditional branch of the Japanese economy since the Neolithic. On average, a resident of Japan consumes 168 kg of fish annually, which is the highest among the countries of the world. The coastal waters of the Japanese archipelago are rich in fish, edible algae and other marine resources. For a long time, the most profitable place for fishing was the Sanriku Sea in the northeast of the island of Honshu, where the cold Kuril Current meets the warm Kuroshio Current. However, due to the accident at the nearby Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011, fishing and seafood in this area was temporarily stopped. Another place rich in fish is the northern and southern parts of the Western Pacific.

The basis of the catch is fish of the mackerel family (14%), tuna (8%), anchovies (8%), seaside scallops (7%), saury (5%), fish of the salmon family (5%), squid (5%), pollock (4%) and horse mackerel (4%). Among other species, they catch crabs, flounders, pagr, etc. The catch is carried out in coastal and remote waters. Under international law, Japanese fishermen have the right to fish only in Japanese territorial waters and the Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone with a radius of 370 km in the Pacific Ocean.

Japan is the world's leading importer of fish and seafood. It imports 20% of the world's fish exported by other countries. The volume of Japanese fish and seafood imports began to grow after the establishment of international restrictions on territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. These restrictions made it impossible for Japanese fishermen to fish in the distant waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Since 1995, Japan has imported more fishery products from abroad than it has harvested or cultivated itself. Most of the money the Japanese spend on importing shrimp, and most of all they buy foreign tuna. The main international suppliers of fish and seafood to Japan are the world leaders in the field of fishing - China, Peru, Chile, USA, Indonesia.

Poultry farming is also developed in Japan. In the post-war years, large industrial-type dairy complexes appeared in the country, but most of the hay and other feed are imported.

World trade Organization relentlessly criticizes the Tokyo authorities for subsidizing farmers and opposing rice imports with tariffs that are seven times the world price for it. In addition, the Japanese like domestic, round-grain rice. But 86% of wheat and almost all of the soybeans consumed in the country, Japan, under pressure from the WTO, is forced to import from abroad.

Nevertheless, the focus of the Japanese government on strengthening food security, vigorous measures state support domestic agriculture, in our opinion, can serve as an instructive example for Russia.

Zaltsman V.A., Ph.D.

Chelyabinsk region

Japan is one of the most developed economies in the world. In terms of GDP and industrial output, Japan ranks third among the countries of the world, second only to the United States and China.

High technologies (electronics and robotics) are developed. Transport engineering is also developed, including automotive and shipbuilding, machine tool building. The fishing fleet is 15% of the world. Agriculture is subsidized by the state, but 55% of food (calorie equivalent) is imported. There is a network of Shinkansen high-speed railways and expressways.

banking, insurance, real estate, retail, transportation and telecommunications are the main industries of the Japanese economy. Japan has great manufacturing potential and is home to some of the largest and most technologically advanced manufacturers of automobiles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and non-ferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles and food. Construction has long been one of Japan's largest industries, thanks to multi-billion dollar government contracts in the private sector. japan industrial economy

In Japan, there is high economic freedom, close cooperation between the government and manufacturers in order to economic growth, an emphasis on science and technology, and a strong work ethic. All this contributes to the development of the Japanese economy. The Japanese economy is characterized by the grouping of manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and banks into tight groups called "keiretsu" and a relatively weak international competition in domestic markets. There are also many social rather than industrial arrangements, such as a lifetime job guarantee in large corporations. Not so long ago, Japanese politicians approved reforms that allowed companies to deviate from some norms in an attempt to increase profits.

Japan is a country dominated by private enterprise and low taxes. The total amount of taxes is lower than in other large Western countries, in 2007 it amounted to 26.4% of GDP. Only some Japanese employers pay income taxes, VAT is very low at 5%, while corporate taxes are high.

The largest Japanese companies include Toyota Motor (“Toyota Motor”), NTT DoCoMo (“Entity DoCoMo”), Canon (“Canon”), Honda (“Honda”), Takeda Pharmaceutical (“Takeda Pharmaceutical”), Sony (“ Sony), Nippon Steel, Tepco, Mitsubishi Estate, and Seven & I Holding. It is home to the world's largest bank by assets, Japan Post Bank (US$3.2 trillion), as well as other banks, such as Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group) (1 $2 trillion), Mizuho Financial Group (Mizuho Financial Group) ($1.4 trillion) and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group) ($1.3 trillion). As of December 2006, the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with a market capitalization of over 549.7 trillion yen, is the second largest in the world.

Tiny agricultural sector is heavily subsidized and heavily protected, which is why Japan's harvests are the highest in the world. Japan is fully self-sufficient in rice, but imports approximately 60% of its food (as measured by calories consumed). Agricultural land in Japan makes up about 13% of its territory. More than half of these lands are flood fields used for rice cultivation.

Japan has one of the largest fishing fleets in the world, accounting for nearly 15% of the world's catch.

Government spending stimulated the economy and helped Japan recover from the crisis in late 2009 and 2010. The government has offered to open up the agricultural and service sectors to more foreign competition and has encouraged exports through free trade agreements. At the same time, discussions continue in Japanese society on the issue of restructuring the economy and financing new economic stimulus programs in the face of the country's difficult financial situation. Japan's huge public debt that exceeds 200% of GDP, persistent deflation, instability of exports to stimulate economic growth, and an aging and declining population are the main long-term problems for the Japanese economy.

Although the national economy is primarily based on industry, agriculture occupies an important place in it, providing the country with most of the food consumed. Mainly due to limited land resources and post-war agrarian reform, the village is dominated by small landowners. The average farm size is less than 1.1 ha. The importance of agricultural production as a potential place of work declined sharply after the Second World War.

Japan is one of the largest agricultural importing countries in the world. With only 15% of the country's total area available for agriculture and a population of 130 million, Japan is highly dependent on agricultural and food exports. The country imports large volumes of soybeans, wheat, corn, meat and meat products, other food products, vegetables, fruits. It fully satisfies its own needs only in seafood, some of which it exports.

On average, one farm has 1.47 hectares or 14,700 m2. Japanese farms are relatively small, but Japanese farmers work hard to make the most of their limited space, and therefore the land is cultivated very efficiently.

Japanese farmers use tractors, pickup trucks, electric cultivators, rice planters and combines to help them increase their productivity. Using intensive farming methods, fertilizers, sophisticated machinery and well-established technology, farmers are able to produce half of all the fruits and vegetables consumed in Japan, while still devoting some of the farmland to livestock. So Japan's agriculture provides a significant portion of the food consumed.

Modern technology has made new ways of farming possible. Part of the harvest in Japan is grown hydroponically, that is, without soil - just in water. The use of genetic engineering makes it possible to obtain richer and safer crops for human health.

Japanese farmers grow various crops, as well as livestock and poultry. These are cereals - rice and wheat; vegetables - potatoes, radish and cabbage; fruits - tangerines, oranges, melons and pears; livestock products - beef, poultry, pork, milk and eggs.

Most of the non-arable land is covered with forest - about 68%. So, forestry is an important part of the Japanese economy. Japan is an island country and must carefully use its natural resources: 41% of its forests are new forest plantations.

For centuries, logging has been an important business activity in Japan. Since the 8th century, wooden palaces and temples have been built in Kyoto and other cities. But today the demand for wood is so great, not only for construction, but also for the production of paper, furniture and other consumer goods, that Japan imports 76.4% of wood.

Rice is grown throughout Japan, with the exception of the north of Hokkaido, mainly on irrigated lands. Rice yield reaches 50 centners/hectare. The gross harvest of rice reaches 10 million tons. In addition to rice, wheat, barley, and corn are grown from grain crops, but in small quantities. Vegetable growing, especially suburban, has become widespread in Japan. Of the industrial crops, tea, tobacco, sugar beets are common, in the south - sugar cane.

Animal husbandry is poorly developed because the Japanese consume little meat and dairy products. Recently, the structure of the diet of the Japanese has changed, which leads to an increase in demand for livestock products. Animal husbandry is actively developing. Meat production is about 4 million tons, and milk - 8 million tons. A characteristic feature of Japan's animal husbandry is the lack of its own fodder base. A significant part of the feed is imported. Own production provides no more than 1/3 of the needs of animal husbandry in feed. Agriculture in Japan provides the country with food only 3/4.

Japan firmly occupies the first place in the world in the production of seafood. This became possible thanks to the balanced management of ocean, sea and coastal fisheries, intensive fish farming in fresh waters.

Ocean and marine fish catch in Japan is kept at the level of 8 million tons. Coastal fisheries produce 2 million tons of fish annually. More than 200 thousand tons. annually obtained from fish farming in inland waters.

Seafood is the main product that meets the needs of the population for proteins, although their share in the diet has decreased due to an increase in the share of meat. Japanese imports of fish and seafood in recent years range from 2.0 to 2.4 million tons. The bulk of imports are valuable, with high taste, fish species.

Coastal fishing is carried out by residents of coastal villages; distant - large monopolies with a technically advanced fishing fleet. The northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean is the main area of ​​world fisheries; Japan, China, Russia, the Republic of Korea, and some other countries are engaged in the extraction of fish and seafood here.

Agriculture in Japan is one of the main sectors of the economy. This area employs 6.6% of the working population. The most developed is agriculture and fishing, while animal husbandry is considered to be a more underdeveloped industry.

Agriculture

Agriculture is the backbone of Japan's agriculture. The Japanese have been growing rice for a very long time and in large quantities, but they also pay attention to other grains, as well as legumes and tea.

The cultivated area of ​​the country is 5.4 million hectares, and the sown area exceeds it due to the fact that in a number of regions 2-3 crops are harvested per year.

More than half of the entire area is allocated for grain crops, about 25% - for vegetables, the rest of the land is occupied by fodder grasses, industrial crops and mulberry trees. However, the main cultivated crop is still rice. Rice cultivation is one of the key areas of Japanese agriculture.

Vegetables are grown, as a rule, in the suburbs, in large greenhouses, which allows the inhabitants of the country to have them on their table all year round.

TOP 4 articles who read along with this

In Hokkaido, sugar beet is cultivated, in the south - sugar cane.

More than half of the agricultural land is occupied by flood fields, which are used for rice cultivation.

Rice. 1. Rice fields in Japan.

animal husbandry

The center of animal husbandry is the north of the country - the island of Hokkaido, where special farms and cooperatives have been created.

Rice. 2. Hokkaido Island.

Most of the feed has to be purchased from other countries. Especially a lot of corn is imported. Animal husbandry in Japan is not as well developed as agriculture, but in the second half of the 20th century it received an impetus for development. This was driven by the increasing demand for meat and dairy products. If earlier the main food products of the Japanese were rice and fish, then gradually the country gradually switched to the western way of consumption, when the content of cereals, potatoes and meat products increased in the human diet. Pig breeding is developed in the southern regions of the country, and poultry farming plays an important role in the suburbs.

Meat production is 4 million tons per year, and milk - 8 million tons.

Fishing

Fish for the inhabitants of Japan is in second place after rice. These two products have always been included in the daily diet of an ordinary Japanese. This fact, in turn, contributed to the development of fisheries.

At the moment, large companies are engaged in growing and catching fish. Seaweed, mollusks are also mined here, and they are engaged in pearl fishing. The fishing fleet of Japan has several hundred thousand vessels, but basically they are all very small.

Aquaculture has become widespread - artificial breeding of fish in lagoons, mountain lakes and rice fields. In addition, there are farms in Japan that breed pearl mussels.

Rice. 3. Aquaculture in Japan.

What have we learned?

Agriculture in Japan is diversified. Agriculture is developed here, in which the main cultivated crop is rice. In the field of animal husbandry, pig breeding, cattle breeding and poultry farming are developed. Fishing is an important part of agriculture.

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Japan (Nihon, or Nippon) is one of the leading economic powers. It is one of the leaders along with the United States and China. It accounts for 70% of the total product of East Asia.

Japan's industry has reached a high level of development, especially in the fields of science and education. Among the leaders of the world economy are Toyota Motors, Sony Corporation, Fujitsu, Honda Motors, Toshiba and others.

Current state

Japan is poor in minerals - only reserves of coal, copper and lead-zinc ores matter. Recently, the processing of the resources of the World Ocean has also become relevant - the extraction of uranium from sea ​​water, mining of manganese nodules.

In terms of the global economy, the Land of the Rising Sun accounts for approximately 12% of total production. Leading Japan - black and engineering (especially automotive, robotics and electronics), chemical and food industries.

Industrial zoning

There are three major regions within the state:

• Tokyo-Yokohama, which includes Keihin, Eastern Japan, the prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa, the Kanto region.
• Nagoisky, Tyuke belongs to him.
• Osaka-Kobsky (Han-sin).

In addition to the above, there are also smaller areas:

• Northern Kyushu (Kita-Kyushu).
• Kanto.
• Eastern Marine Industrial Region (Tokai).
• Tokyo-Tibe (it includes Kei-yo, Eastern Japan, the Kanto region and Chiba Prefecture).
• Inland Japanese Sea Area (Seto Naikai).
• Industrial area of ​​northern lands (Hokuriku).
• Kashima region (this includes the same Eastern Japan, Kashima, the Kanto region and Ibaraki prefecture).

More than 50% of manufacturing income comes from Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe and Nagoya, as well as Kitakyushu in northern Kyushu.

The most active and stable element of the market in this country is the small and medium business. 99% of all Japanese companies belong to this area. However, this is not true for the textile industry. Light industry Japan (of which this industry is the leading element) is based on large, well-equipped enterprises.

Agroindustry

Agricultural lands of the country occupy approximately 13% of its territory. Moreover, half of these lands are flood fields used for growing rice. At its core, agriculture here is diversified, and it is based on agriculture, and more precisely, the cultivation of rice, technical and tea.

However, this is not all that Japan can boast of. Industry and agriculture in this country are actively developed and supported by the government, which pays a lot of attention to them and invests a lot of money in their development. A significant role is also played by horticulture and vegetable growing, sericulture, animal husbandry, forestry and sea crafts.

Rice plays an important role in the agricultural sector. Vegetable growing is developed mainly in the suburbs, about a quarter of agricultural land is allocated for it. The rest of the area is occupied by industrial crops, fodder grasses and mulberry trees.

About 25 million hectares are covered by forests, in most cases the owners are peasants. Small owners own plots of about 1 ha. Among the major owners are members of the imperial family, monasteries and temples.

livestock breeding

Animal husbandry in the Land of the Rising Sun began to develop actively only after the Second World War. It has one feature - it is based on imported, imported feed (corn). Own Japanese economy is able to provide no more than a third of the total demand.

The center of animal husbandry is Fr. Hokkaido. Pig breeding is developed in the northern regions. In general, the livestock reaches 5 million individuals, and about half of them are dairy cows.

fishing industry

The sea is one of those advantages that Japan can enjoy. Industry and agriculture receive multiple benefits from the country's island location: it is an additional route for the delivery of goods, and a help to the tourism sector, and a variety of food products.

However, despite the sea, the country has to import a certain amount of products (according to international law, the extraction of marine life is allowed only within the boundaries of territorial waters).

The main objects of fishing are herring, flounder, cod, salmon, halibut, saury, etc. Approximately a third of the catch comes from the waters in the area. Japan has not bypassed the achievements of modern scientific thought: aquaculture is actively developing here (pearl mussels, fish are grown in lagoons and on

Transport

In 1924, the fleet of passenger cars in the country totaled only about 17.9 thousand units. At the same time, there were an impressive number of rickshaws, cyclists and carts that were propelled by oxen or horses.

20 years later, the demand for trucks increased, mainly due to the growing needs of the army. In 1941, 46,706 cars were produced in the country, of which only 1,065 were cars.

The automotive industry in Japan began to develop only after the Second World War, which was the impetus for the war in Korea. More favorable conditions were provided by the Americans to those companies that undertook to fulfill military orders.

In the second half of the 1950s, the demand for passenger cars also grew rapidly. By 1980, Japan overtook the US to become the world's top exporter. In 2008, this country was recognized as the largest automaker in the world.

Shipbuilding

This is one of the leading industries, which employs more than 400 thousand people, including those working directly at factories and at auxiliary enterprises.

The available capacities allow building ships of all types and purposes, while as many as 8 docks are designed for the production of supertankers with a displacement of 400 thousand tons. shipbuilding companies, producing in total about 80% of the total volume of ships produced in Japan.

The development of Japan's industry in this area began after World War II, when in 1947 a planned shipbuilding program began to operate. In accordance with it, companies received very favorable concessional loans from the government, which grew every year as the budget increased.

By 1972, the 28th program provided (with government assistance) for the construction of ships with a total displacement of 3,304,000 gross tons. The oil crisis greatly reduced the scale, but the foundation laid by this program in the post-war years served as a stable and successful growth of the industry.

By the end of 2011, the order book for the Japanese was 61 million dwt. (36 million brt.). The market share remained stable at 17% dwt, with the bulk of the orders being for bulk carriers (specialized ships, a type of bulk carrier for transporting goods like grain, cement, coal in bulk) and a smaller portion for tankers.

At the moment, Japan is still number one in the construction of ships in the world, despite serious competition from South Korean companies. Industry specialization and support from the government have created a foundation that keeps serious companies afloat even in the current situation.

Metallurgy

The country has few resources, in connection with which a strategy for the development of the metallurgical complex was developed, aimed at energy and resource saving. Innovative solutions and technologies have allowed enterprises to reduce electricity consumption by more than a third, and innovations have been applied both at the level individual companies as well as in the entire industry.

Metallurgy, like other branches of Japanese industry specialization, received active development after the war. However, if other states sought to modernize and update the technologies that already existed with them, the government of this country took a different path. The main efforts (and money) were aimed at equipping enterprises with the most advanced technologies at that time.

The rapid development of the industry lasted for about two decades and peaked in 1973, when 17.27% of the world's steel production came from Japan alone. Moreover, in terms of quality, it claims to be the leader. This was stimulated, among other things, by the import of metallurgical raw materials. After all, more than 600 million tons of coke and 110 million tons of iron ore products are imported annually.

By the mid-90s, Chinese and Korean metallurgical enterprises competed with the Japanese, and the country began to lose its leadership position. In 2011, the situation worsened due to a natural disaster and the disaster at Fukushima-1, but according to approximate estimates, the overall decrease in production rates did not exceed 2%.

Chemical and petrochemical industry

The chemical industry in Japan in 2012 produced products worth 40.14 trillion yen. The country is one of the three world leaders together with the USA and China, having about 5.5 thousand enterprises of the corresponding direction and providing jobs for 880 thousand people.

Inside the country itself, the industry ranks second (its share is 14% of the total), second only to mechanical engineering. The government is developing it as one of the key areas, paying great attention to the development of environmentally friendly, energy and

Manufactured products are sold inside Japan and exported: 75% - to Asian countries, about 10.2% - to the EU, 9.8% - to North America, etc. The basis of exports is rubber, photo products and aromatic hydrocarbons, organic and inorganic compounds, etc.

The Land of the Rising Sun also imports products (the volume imported in 2012 was about 6.1 trillion yen), mainly from the EU, Asia and the USA.

Japan's chemical industry leads in the production of materials for the electronics industry, in particular, about 70% of the world market for semiconductor products and 65% for liquid crystal displays belongs to companies in this island country.

IN modern conditions much attention is paid to the development of production carbon fibers and composite materials for the nuclear and aviation industries.

Electronics

Much attention is paid to the development of information and telecommunication sphere. 3D image transmission technologies, robotics, next-generation fiber optic and wireless networks, intelligent networks, and "cloud computing" act as the "main locomotive of the industry".

In terms of the scale of infrastructure, Japan is catching up with China and the United States and is among the top three. In 2012, the total number of Internet users in the country reached 80% of the total population. Forces and means are directed to the creation of supercomputers, the development effective systems energy management and energy saving technologies.

Energy

Approximately 80% of Japan's energy needs had to be met through imports. Initially, this role was played by fuel, especially oil, from the countries of the Middle East. In order to reduce dependence on supplies in the Land of the Rising Sun, a number of measures were taken, in particular, in relation to the “peaceful atom”.

Japan began research programs in the field of nuclear energy in 1954. Several laws have been enacted and organizations established to carry out the government's goals in this area. The first commercial nuclear reactor was imported from the UK, starting operation in 1966.

A few years later, countries purchased the blueprints from the Americans and, together with local companies, built facilities based on them. Japanese companies Toshiba Co., Ltd., Hitachi Co., Ltd. and others began to design and build light water reactors themselves.

In 1975, due to problems with existing stations, an improvement program was launched. In accordance with it, the Japanese nuclear industry had to go through three stages by 1985: the first two involved changing existing structures in order to improve their operation and maintenance, while the third required increasing power to 1300-1400 MW and fundamental changes in reactors.

Such a policy led to the fact that in 2011 Japan had 53 operating reactors, which provided more than 30% of the country's electricity needs.

After Fukushima

In 2011, Japan's energy industry was hit hard. As a result of the strongest earthquake in the history of the country and the subsequent tsunami, an accident occurred at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. After a major leak of radioactive elements that followed, 3% of the country's territory was contaminated, and the population of the area around the station (about 80,000 people) became migrants.

This event forced many countries to think about how acceptable and safe the operation of the atom is.

In Japan, there was a wave of protests demanding to abandon nuclear energy. By 2012, most of the country's stations were switched off. The characteristic of Japan's industry in recent years fits into one sentence: "This country is striving to become" green "".

Now it actually no longer uses the atom, the main alternative is natural gas. Much attention is also paid to renewable energy: the sun, water and wind.

Japan is an archipelago country located in the center of the Asia-Pacific region, spread over the four large islands of Honshu, Hokaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. In addition to them, the territory of the state also includes about 4 thousand small islands, which stretch for three and a half thousand kilometers from the northeast to the southwest. The shores form bays and a large number of bays. All the seas and oceans that wash the archipelago play a huge role for Japan, as they are the main sources of its resources.

Population

In terms of population, the Land of the Rising Sun is in the top ten of the world. The Japanese can boast of the longest life expectancy in the world (76 years for men and 82 for women).

The national composition is characterized by relative homogeneity. The Japanese form almost ninety-nine percent of all the inhabitants of the country. Among other peoples living in Japan, there are quite a lot of Koreans, as well as Chinese. The vast majority practice Shinto or Buddhism. The most densely populated are the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Nearly eighty percent of Japanese live in large cities, eleven of which are cities with a population of one million.

Japanese industry

(On the assembly line, robots have practically replaced humans)

Japanese industry is almost entirely dependent on imported resources. Recently, the country has been forced to reduce the growth of energy-intensive and metal-intensive production, which depends on imported raw materials, focusing on the science-intensive industry. However, Japan has a well-developed ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, automobile and shipbuilding, construction industry, energy, chemical and petrochemical, food and pulp and paper industries.

And, of course, Japan is one of the few countries where people are trying to replace people with industrial robots almost everywhere on the assembly line.

(Industrial plant in Japan)

The largest metallurgical centers, almost completely working on imported raw materials, are plants located in Osaka, Tokyo and Fujiyama. The scale of the primary smelting of non-ferrous metals in Japan is gradually decreasing, but most of the plants located in the largest industrial centers are still functioning today.

The light and food industries play an important role. The electric power industry mainly uses imported raw materials. Oil and natural gas are the predominant components in the Japanese raw material base, while the share of coal is declining, the role of hydro and nuclear energy is increasing. In the field of energy, sixty percent of its capacity comes from thermal power plants, and twenty-eight percent comes from nuclear energy. Hydroelectric power plants are cascaded on mountain rivers.

(Robots assemble in a car factory)

Mechanical engineering is well developed in Japan. The leading sub-sectors are electrical engineering and electronics, the radio industry is very well developed, and transport engineering is growing intensively. The country leads in terms of construction of tankers and bulk carriers. The main shipyards are located in the ports - Yokohama, Nagasaki, Kobe. Japan is also a stable leader in the field of automotive construction. Annually from conveyors Japanese factories thirteen million cars are leaving.

(The city of Tokyo is partially powered by solar panels.)

In recent years, the country has begun to actively implement the so-called program " Sunshine”, which consists in the development of non-traditional energy sources. Among economically developed countries, Japan also ranks first in terms of the share of expenditures on the development of science and biotechnology.

Agriculture in Japan

(Unusual drawings in rice fields in Japan)

Agriculture provides approximately two percent of the country's gross national product and continues to be one of the most important sectors of its economy. This area employs six and a half percent of the population. Japanese agricultural production is mainly concentrated on food products. Japan provides seventy percent of its own food needs. Thirteen percent of the territory is allocated for agriculture. The leading role belongs to crop production, in particular the cultivation of rice and vegetables, and horticulture is widespread. Animal husbandry is also developing intensively. So, in Japan, cattle, poultry are bred, and pig breeding is developed.

(Fishing boat at the port of the Sea of ​​Japan)

An exceptionally good location determines the abundance of fish and seafood dishes in the diet of every Japanese. Fishing is carried out in almost all areas of the oceans. Japan has an extensive fishing fleet of over 400,000 vessels. In addition, the country owns over three thousand fishing ports.