Japan
Small Lizard

Additional Pendants Originating from Japan

Of all the leading industrial countries in the world today, Japan is perhaps the one that underwent modernization most rapidly. Between 1850 and 1900 this East Asian island nation discontinued an isolationist politico-economic system founded in medieval times and replaced it with a new system modeled after Western industrial countries. As a result, Japan went from being one of the least developed countries in Asia to becoming its industrial leader. Today it has one of the three largest economies in the world.

With very limited natural resources of its own, Japans economy depends on importation of raw materials and energy to support manufacturing. This system produces the Japanese export products we see in many parts of the world, chiefly electronics and automobiles. Although it is one of the most efficient users of its energy, it also is one of the top ten producers of greenhouse gas emissions because of its heavy energy use.

Air pollution is one of Japan’s more serious environmental problems, one that has seen some improvement in recent decades due to stricter air quality regulations. Acid rain has led to degradation of lakes and other aquatic ecosystems. Another major issue in Japan is marine degradation caused by a mixture of over fishing and pollution of coastal waters. In order to meet its great demand for seafood products, Japan has developed the largest commercial fishing industry in the world. And Japan is by far the worlds leading importer on forest products, a fact that has serious ecological consequences overseas as forests are cut there to meet domestic demands for wood and paper products.

Japan’s landscape is dominated by mountainous terrain, and its land area remains about seventy percent forested with mixed forests of deciduous and conifer species interspersed with stands of bamboo. In most regions the population is densely concentrated in areas where terrain is not prohibitive, especially on the Eastern coast of the main island Honshu. Although this country is often viewed as the epitome of high density, modern industrial civilization, it also possesses distinctive natural beauty that provides respite from modern life to those who seek it out. Japan has an active bioregional movement, and modern conservation efforts there began as early as the 1950s. To learn more about conservation issues in Japan, contact the Japan Conservation Society.

Nature Conservation Society of Japan

Yamaji-sanbancho Bldg 3F

5-24 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku

Tokyo 102 Japan

Email: nature@nacsj.or.jp

http://www.nacsj.or.jp/introduction-e/1-profile.html

Map of the Japan Region

Click to enlarge map.