Editing Japan (section)

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Japan}}
[[File:Nakanoshima Skyscrapers in 201504 001.jpg|thumb|Skyscrapers in [[Nakanoshima]], [[Osaka]]; a major [[financial center]] in Japan]]
Japan has the world's [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP]], after that of the United States, China, Germany and India; and the [[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|fifth-largest economy by PPP-adjusted GDP]].<ref>{{cite web |date=April 22, 2025 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, April 2025 |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2025/April/weo-report?c=512,914,612,171,614,311,213,911,314,193,122,912,313,419,513,316,913,124,339,638,514,218,963,616,223,516,918,748,618,624,522,622,156,626,628,228,924,233,632,636,634,238,662,960,423,935,128,611,321,243,248,469,253,642,643,939,734,644,819,172,132,646,648,915,134,652,174,328,258,656,654,336,263,268,532,944,176,534,536,429,433,178,436,136,343,158,439,916,664,826,542,967,443,917,544,941,446,666,668,672,946,137,546,674,676,548,556,678,181,867,682,684,273,868,921,948,943,686,688,518,728,836,558,138,196,278,692,694,962,142,449,564,565,283,853,288,293,566,964,182,359,453,968,922,714,862,135,716,456,722,942,718,724,576,936,961,813,726,199,733,184,524,361,362,364,732,366,144,146,463,528,923,738,578,537,742,866,369,744,186,925,869,746,926,466,112,111,298,927,846,299,582,487,474,754,698,&s=NGDPD,&sy=2021&ey=2028&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]]}}</ref> {{As of|2023}}, [[Labor market of Japan|Japan's labor force]] is the world's [[List of countries by labour force|tenth-largest]], consisting of over 69.2&nbsp;million workers.<ref name="cia" /> {{As of|2024}}, Japan has a [[List of countries by unemployment rate|low unemployment rate]] of around 2.6%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS?locations=JP|title=Unemployment, total (% of the total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate): Japan|publisher=[[World Bank]]|accessdate=July 31, 2022|archive-date=July 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731125918/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS?locations=JP|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Poverty in Japan|Its poverty rate]] is the second highest among the G7 countries,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Komiya|first1=Kantaro|last2=Kihara|first2=Leiha|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-confronts-rising-inequality-after-abenomics-2021-10-12/|title=Japan confronts rising inequality after Abenomics|publisher=[[Reuters]]|date=October 31, 2021|archive-date=July 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731125918/https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-confronts-rising-inequality-after-abenomics-2021-10-12/|url-status=live}}</ref> and exceeds 15.7% of the population.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/03/japans-middle-class-is-disappearing-as-poverty-rises-warns-economist.html|title=Japan's middle class is 'disappearing' as poverty rises, warns economist|date=July 2, 2020|publisher=[[CNBC]]|last=Huang|first=Eustance|archive-date=July 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220731125917/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/03/japans-middle-class-is-disappearing-as-poverty-rises-warns-economist.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan has the highest ratio of public debt to GDP among advanced economies,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ímrohoroğlu|first1=Selahattin|last2=Kitao|first2=Sagiri|last3=Yamada|first3=Tomoaki|title=Achieving fiscal balance in Japan|volume=57|number=1|pages=117–154|journal=[[International Economic Review]]|date=February 2016|doi=10.1111/iere.12150|jstor=44075341}}</ref> with [[National debt of Japan|a national debt]] estimated at 248% relative to GDP {{as of|2022|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fitchratings.com/research/sovereigns/monetary-tightening-poses-medium-term-risks-to-japans-debt-dynamics-06-05-2022|publisher=[[Fitch Ratings]]|title=Monetary Tightening Poses Medium-Term Risks to Japan's Debt Dynamics|date=May 6, 2022|archive-date=May 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519084011/https://www.fitchratings.com/research/sovereigns/monetary-tightening-poses-medium-term-risks-to-japans-debt-dynamics-06-05-2022|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Japanese yen]] is the world's third-largest [[reserve currency]] after the US dollar and the euro.<ref>{{cite web|title=Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserve|publisher=IMF|url=https://data.imf.org/regular.aspx?key=41175|accessdate=October 10, 2021|archive-date=May 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512202858/https://data.imf.org/regular.aspx?key=41175|url-status=live}}</ref>

Japan was the world's [[List of countries by exports|fifth-largest exporter]] and [[List of countries by imports|fourth-largest importer]] in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=List of importing markets for the product exported by Japan in 2022 |url=https://www.trademap.org/Country_SelProductCountry.aspx?nvpm=1%7c392%7c%7c%7c%7cTOTAL%7c%7c%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c2%7c1%7c%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c1 |accessdate=August 11, 2023 |publisher=[[International Trade Centre]] |archive-date=April 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410225438/https://www.trademap.org/Country_SelProductCountry.aspx?nvpm=1%7C392%7C%7C%7C%7CTOTAL%7C%7C%7C2%7C1%7C1%7C2%7C1%7C%7C2%7C1%7C1%7C1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=List of supplying markets for the product imported by Japan in 2022 |url=https://www.trademap.org/Country_SelProductCountry.aspx?nvpm=1%7c392%7c%7c%7c%7cTOTAL%7c%7c%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c1%7c1%7c%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c1 |accessdate=August 11, 2023 |publisher=[[International Trade Centre]] |archive-date=April 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410225448/https://www.trademap.org/Country_SelProductCountry.aspx?nvpm=1%7C392%7C%7C%7C%7CTOTAL%7C%7C%7C2%7C1%7C1%7C1%7C1%7C%7C2%7C1%7C1%7C1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Its exports amounted to 18.2% of its total GDP in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.EXP.GNFS.ZS?locations=JP|publisher=World Bank|title=Exports of goods and services (% of GDP): Japan|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=November 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130064945/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.EXP.GNFS.ZS?locations=JP|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2022, [[List of the largest trading partners of Japan|Japan's main export markets]] were China (23.9 percent, including Hong Kong) and the United States (18.5 percent).<ref name="STATJETRO">{{cite web |title=Japanese Trade and Investment Statistics |url=https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/reports/statistics/ |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301094344/https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/reports/statistics/ |archivedate=March 1, 2021 |accessdate=March 3, 2021 |publisher=[[Japan External Trade Organization]]}}</ref> [[List of exports of Japan|Its main exports]] are motor vehicles, iron and steel products, semiconductors, and auto parts.<ref name="cia">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/japan/|title=World Factbook: Japan|publisher=CIA|accessdate=September 24, 2022|archive-date=January 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105105736/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/japan/|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan's main import markets in 2022 were China (21.1 percent), the United States (9.9 percent), and Australia (9.8 percent).<ref name="STATJETRO" /> Japan's main imports are machinery and equipment, fossil fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, and raw materials for its industries.<ref name="STATJETRO" />

The Japanese variant of capitalism has many distinct features: [[keiretsu]] enterprises are influential, and [[lifetime employment]] and seniority-based career advancement are common in the [[Japanese work environment]].<ref name="oecd2008">{{cite web|url=http://www.oecd.org/document/17/0,3343,en_2649_34111_40353553_1_1_1_1,00.html|title=Economic survey of Japan 2008|publisher=[[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]]|accessdate=August 25, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101109122744/http://www.oecd.org/document/17/0%2C3343%2Cen_2649_34111_40353553_1_1_1_1%2C00.html|archivedate=November 9, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/7193984?story_id=7193984|title=Japan's Economy: Free at last|newspaper=The Economist|date=July 20, 2006|archive-date=April 30, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430001614/http://www.economist.com/node/7193984?story_id=7193984|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan has a large [[cooperative]] sector, with three of the world's ten largest cooperatives, including the largest [[consumer cooperative]] and the largest [[agricultural cooperative]] {{as of|2018|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ica.coop/sites/default/files/publication-files/wcm2018-printx50-227290600.pdf|title=The 2018 World Cooperative Monitor: Exploring the Cooperative Economy|date=October 2018|publisher=[[International Co-operative Alliance]]|archive-date=February 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202042643/https://www.ica.coop/sites/default/files/publication-files/wcm2018-printx50-227290600.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> It [[International rankings of Japan#Economy|ranks highly]] for [[Competition (companies)|competitiveness]] and [[economic freedom]]. Japan ranked sixth in the [[Global Competitiveness Report]] in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2019.pdf|title=The Global Competitiveness Report|publisher=[[World Economic Forum]]|last=Schwab|first=Klaus|author-link=Klaus Schwab|year=2019|archive-date=July 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730051309/https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2019.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> It attracted 36.9&nbsp;million international tourists in 2024,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://statistics.jnto.go.jp/en/graph/#graph--inbound--travelers--transition|title=Trends in the Visitor Arrivals to Japan by Year|publisher=Japan National Tourism Organization|accessdate=December 11, 2020|archive-date=November 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126123636/https://statistics.jnto.go.jp/en/graph/#graph--inbound--travelers--transition|url-status=live}}</ref> and was [[World Tourism rankings|ranked eleventh]] in the world in 2019 for [[Inbound tourism (Japan)|inbound tourism]].<ref name="WTOB">{{cite journal|date=August–September 2020|title=Statistical Annex|journal=UNWTO World Tourism Barometer|volume=18|issue=5|page=18|doi=10.18111/wtobarometereng.2020.18.1.5|doi-access=free}}</ref> The 2021 ''[[Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report]]'' ranked Japan first in the world out of 117 countries.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021|date=May 2022|publisher=[[World Economic Forum]]|url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Travel_Tourism_Development_2021.pdf|accessdate=July 31, 2022|archive-date=July 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703090138/https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Travel_Tourism_Development_2021.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Its international tourism receipts in 2019 amounted to $46.1&nbsp;billion.<ref name="WTOB"/>

===Agriculture and fishery===
{{Main|Agriculture, forestry, and fishing in Japan}}
[[File:Rice Paddies In Aizu, Japan.JPG|thumb|A [[rice paddy]] in [[Aizu]], [[Fukushima Prefecture]]]]
The Japanese agricultural sector accounts for about 1.2% of the country's total GDP {{as of|2018|lc=yes}}.<ref name=sec/> Only 11.2% of Japan's land is suitable for cultivation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.ARBL.ZS|title=Arable land (% of land area)|publisher=World Bank|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=November 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107201125/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.ARBL.ZS|url-status=live}}</ref> Because of this lack of arable land, a system of [[Terrace (earthworks)|terraces]] is used to farm in small areas.<ref name="Urbanites Help Sustain Japan's Historic Rice Paddy Terraces">{{cite web|url=http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/the-people-who-sustain-japans-historic-terraced-rice-fields|title=Urbanites Help Sustain Japan's Historic Rice Paddy Terraces|website=Our World|date=May 22, 2012|author1=Nagata, Akira|author2=Chen, Bixia|archive-date=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924164244/http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/the-people-who-sustain-japans-historic-terraced-rice-fields|url-status=live}}</ref> This results in one of the world's highest levels of crop yields per unit area, with an agricultural self-sufficiency rate of about 50% {{as of|2018|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The spatial patterns in long-term temporal trends of three major crops' yields in Japan|doi=10.1080/1343943X.2018.1459752|year=2018|volume=21|last=Chen|first=Hungyen|journal=Plant Production Science|issue=3|pages=177–185|doi-access=free}}</ref> Japan's small agricultural sector is highly subsidized and [[Agricultural Protectionism in Japan|protected]].<ref>{{cite web|work=Agricultural Policy Monitoring and Evaluation|title=Japan: Support to agriculture|year=2020|publisher=OECD|accessdate=November 11, 2020|url=https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/751935f0-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/751935f0-en|archive-date=June 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620151745/https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/751935f0-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/751935f0-en|url-status=live}}</ref> There has been a growing concern about farming as farmers are aging with a difficult time finding successors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2019/12/31/grown-from-necessity-vertical-farming-takes-off-in-ageing-japan.html|title=Grown from necessity: Vertical farming takes off in aging Japan|last=Nishimura|first=Karyn|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=January 1, 2020|website=The Jakarta Post|archive-date=February 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205084025/https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2019/12/31/grown-from-necessity-vertical-farming-takes-off-in-ageing-japan.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Japan ranked seventh in the world in [[fishing industry by country|tonnage of fish caught]] and captured 3,167,610 metric tons of fish in 2016, down from an annual average of 4,000,000 tons over the previous decade.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/3/i9540en/i9540en.pdf|title=The state of world fisheries and aquaculture|publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization|date=2018|accessdate=May 25, 2020|archive-date=February 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211011147/http://www.fao.org/3/I9540EN/i9540en.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch,<ref name=cia /> prompting critiques that Japan's fishing is leading to depletion in fish stocks such as [[tuna]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/24/japan-criticised-exceed-bluefin-tuna-fishing-quota|newspaper=The Guardian|last=McCurry|first=Justin|title=Japan to exceed bluefin tuna quota amid warnings of commercial extinction|date=April 24, 2017|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112024926/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/24/japan-criticised-exceed-bluefin-tuna-fishing-quota|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan has sparked controversy by supporting commercial [[whaling in Japan|whaling]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48821797|work=BBC News|title=Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years|date=July 1, 2019|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112020054/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48821797|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Industry and services ===
{{Main|Manufacturing in Japan|Trade and services in Japan|Electronics industry in Japan|Automotive industry in Japan}}
[[File:2018 Nissan GT-R Premium in Super Silver, Front Right, 10-11-2022.jpg|thumb|The [[Nissan GT-R]], a [[sports car]] manufactured by [[Nissan]]. Japan is the [[List of countries by motor vehicle production|third-largest producer of motor vehicles]] in the world.<ref name=":0" />]]
Japan has a large industrial capacity and is home to some of the "largest and most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, [[machine tool]]s, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, [[chemical substance]]s, textiles, and [[food processing|processed foods]]".<ref name="cia"/> Japan's industrial sector makes up approximately 27.5% of its GDP.<ref name=cia/> The country's manufacturing output is the [[List of countries by manufacturing output|fourth highest]] in the world {{as of|2023|lc=yes}}.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Manufacturing, value added (current US$)|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.IND.MANF.CD?most_recent_value_desc=true|accessdate=March 17, 2020|publisher=World Bank|archive-date=January 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107135049/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.IND.MANF.CD?most_recent_value_desc=true|url-status=live}}</ref>

Japan is in the top three globally for both automobile production<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=2022 Production Statistics |url=https://www.oica.net/category/production-statistics/2022-statistics/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408125523/https://www.oica.net/category/production-statistics/2022-statistics/ |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |accessdate=May 22, 2023 |website= |publisher=OICA}}</ref> and export,<ref>{{cite web |last1=He |first1=Laura |last2=Semans |first2=Himari |date=February 2, 2024 |title=Is China now the world's top car exporter? It's complicated |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/02/cars/japan-china-top-car-exporter-data-intl-hnk/index.html |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cars |url=https://oec.world/en/profile/hs/cars |accessdate=July 27, 2024 |website=[[The Observatory of Economic Complexity]]}}</ref> and is home to [[Toyota]], the world's [[List of manufacturers by motor vehicle production|largest automobile company by production]]. The Japanese shipbuilding industry faces increasing competition from its East Asian neighbors, South Korea and China; a 2020 government initiative identified this sector as a target for increasing exports.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://japan-forward.com/japan-targets-to-export-more-ships-revive-global-market-share/|website=Japan Forward|title=Japan Targets to Export More Ships, Revive Global Market Share|last=Okada|first=Mizuki|date=September 5, 2020|archive-date=January 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123140851/https://japan-forward.com/japan-targets-to-export-more-ships-revive-global-market-share/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Once considered the strongest in the world, the [[Japanese consumer electronics industry]] is in a state of decline as regional competition arises in neighboring East Asian countries such as South Korea and China.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pham |first=Sherisse |date=May 4, 2017 |title=How things got ugly for some of Japan's biggest brands |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/05/04/technology/japanese-companies-fall-toshiba-olympus-sanyo-sharp/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204154837/https://money.cnn.com/2017/05/04/technology/japanese-companies-fall-toshiba-olympus-sanyo-sharp/index.html |archive-date=December 4, 2020 |website=CNN Money}}</ref> However, [[Video games in Japan|Japan's video game sector]] remains a major industry. In 2014, Japan's consumer video game market grossed $9.6&nbsp;billion, with $5.8&nbsp;billion coming from mobile gaming.<ref>{{cite web |last=Nutt |first=Christian |date=June 19, 2015 |title=Japan's game market hits record high as consoles decline and mobile grows |url=http://gamasutra.com/view/news/246644/Japans_game_market_hits_record_high_as_consoles_decline_and_mobile_grows.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922173536/http://gamasutra.com/view/news/246644/Japans_game_market_hits_record_high_as_consoles_decline_and_mobile_grows.php |archive-date=September 22, 2018 |website=Gamasutra}}</ref> By 2015, Japan had become the world's [[List of video games markets by country|fourth-largest]] [[PC game]] market by revenue, behind only [[Video games in China|China]], the [[Video games in the United States|United States]], and [[Video games in South Korea|South Korea]].<ref>{{cite web |date=August 2, 2016 |title=PC games revenue to hit $42 billion in 2020 – DFC |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2016-08-02-pc-games-revenue-to-hit-usd42-billion-in-2020-dfc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210180401/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2016-08-02-pc-games-revenue-to-hit-usd42-billion-in-2020-dfc |archive-date=February 10, 2022 |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]]}}</ref>

Japan's service sector accounts for about 71.4% of its total economic output {{as of|2022|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Services, value added (% of GDP) |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.SRV.TOTL.ZS?locations=JP |accessdate=November 11, 2020 |publisher=World Bank |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516063109/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.SRV.TOTL.ZS?locations=JP |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Banking in Japan|Banking]], retail, [[transportation in Japan|transportation]], and [[Telecommunications in Japan|telecommunications]] are all major industries, with companies such as Toyota, [[Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group|Mitsubishi UFJ]], -[[Nippon Telegraph and Telephone|NTT]], [[Aeon (company)|Aeon]], [[SoftBank Group|SoftBank]], [[Hitachi]], and [[Itochu]] listed as among the largest in the world.<ref name="Fortune Global 500 ">{{cite news|url=https://fortune.com/global500/2020/search/?fg500_country=Japan&non-us-cos-y-n=true|title=Fortune Global 500|accessdate=November 11, 2020|website=Fortune|archive-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117130030/https://fortune.com/global500/2020/search/?fg500_country=Japan&non-us-cos-y-n=true|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/global2000/#2cb352db335d|title=The World's Largest Public Companies|work=Forbes|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=December 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221222151/http://www.forbes.com/global2000/#2cb352db335d|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Science and technology===
{{Main|Science and technology in Japan|History of science and technology in Japan|Research and development in Japan|List of Japanese inventions and discoveries}}
[[File:Kibo PM and ELM-PS.jpg|thumb|The [[Japanese Experiment Module]] (Kibō) at the [[International Space Station]]]]

Relative to gross domestic product, Japan's [[research and development]] budget is the [[List of sovereign states by research and development spending|sixth or seventh highest]] in the world,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uis.unesco.org/apps/visualisations/research-and-development-spending/|publisher=UNESCO|title=How much does your country invest in R&D?|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=January 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123180417/http://uis.unesco.org/apps/visualisations/research-and-development-spending/|url-status=live}}</ref> with 867,000 researchers sharing a 19-trillion-yen research and development budget {{as of|2017|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00388/japan%E2%80%99s-science-and-technology-research-spending-at-new-high.html|website=Nippon.com|date=February 19, 2019|title=Japan's Science and Technology Research Spending at New High|archive-date=March 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303221423/https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00388/japan%E2%80%99s-science-and-technology-research-spending-at-new-high.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan has the second highest number of researchers in science and technology per capita in the world with 14 per 1000 employees.<ref>{{cite web |title=Science, technology, and innovation: Researchers by sex, per million inhabitants, per thousand labour force, per thousand total employment (FTE and HC) |url=http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=64 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205173957/http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=64 |archive-date=December 5, 2020 |accessdate=November 11, 2020 |publisher=UNESCO}}</ref> The country has produced twenty-two [[Nobel Prize|Nobel laureates]] in either physics, chemistry or medicine,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/lists/all-nobel-prizes/|publisher=Nobel Foundation|title=All Nobel Prizes|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=August 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813202249/https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/lists/all/|url-status=live}}</ref> and three [[Fields Medal|Fields medalists]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mathunion.org/imu-awards/fields-medal|publisher=International Mathematical Union|title=Fields Medal|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=December 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226015744/https://www.mathunion.org/imu-awards/fields-medal|url-status=live}}</ref>

Japan leads the world in [[Japanese robotics|robotics]] production and use, supplying 45% of the world's 2020 total;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wessling |first=Brianna |date=December 15, 2021 |title=10 most automated countries worldwide |url=https://www.therobotreport.com/10-most-automated-countries-wordlwide-in-2020/ |website=The Robot Report|archive-date=August 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818213733/https://www.therobotreport.com/10-most-automated-countries-wordlwide-in-2020/ |url-status=live }}</ref> down from 55% in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ifr.org/post/why-japan-leads-industrial-robot-production|title=Why Japan leads industrial robot production|publisher=International Federation of Robotics|date=December 17, 2018|last=Fujiwara|first=Hiroshi|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112002714/https://ifr.org/post/why-japan-leads-industrial-robot-production|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency]] is Japan's national [[space agency]]; it conducts space, planetary, and aviation research, and leads development of rockets and satellites.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.space.com/22672-japan-aerospace-exploration-agency.html|website=Space|first=Elizabeth|last=Howell|date=May 19, 2016|title=JAXA: Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111105102/https://www.space.com/22672-japan-aerospace-exploration-agency.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It is a participant in the [[International Space Station]]: the [[Japanese Experiment Module]] (Kibō) was added to the station during [[Space Shuttle]] assembly flights in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Homepage|publisher=Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency|date=August 3, 2006|url=http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070321160909/http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html|archivedate=March 21, 2007}}</ref> The [[space probe]] ''[[Akatsuki (spacecraft)|Akatsuki]]'' was launched in 2010 and achieved orbit around Venus in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/akatsuki/in-depth/|publisher=NASA|title=Akatsuki|accessdate=November 11, 2020|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112195838/https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/akatsuki/in-depth/|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan's plans in [[space exploration]] include building a [[colonization of the Moon|Moon base]] and landing astronauts by 2030.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.space.com/japan-robots-build-moon-base.html|first=Elizabeth|last=Howell|date=April 7, 2019|website=Space|title=Can Robots Build a Moon Base for Astronauts? Japan Hopes to Find Out|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107232039/https://www.space.com/japan-robots-build-moon-base.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2007, it launched lunar explorer [[SELENE]] (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) from [[Tanegashima Space Center]]. The largest lunar mission since the [[Apollo program]], its purpose was to gather data on the [[Moon#Formation|Moon's origin and evolution]]. The explorer entered a lunar orbit on October 4, 2007,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=15429|title=Japan Successfully Launches Lunar Explorer 'Kaguya'|publisher=Japan Corporate News Network|date=September 14, 2007|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430010519/http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=15429|archivedate=April 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6994272.stm|title=Japan launches first lunar probe|work=BBC News|date=September 14, 2007|archive-date=May 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511101523/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6994272.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> and was deliberately crashed into the Moon on June 11, 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8094863.stm|title=Japanese probe crashes into Moon|work=BBC News|date=June 11, 2009|archive-date=September 30, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930160652/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8094863.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>