Junichiro Koizumi
Prime Minister

(pronounced "koh-ee-ZU-mee")

"In the current severe economic situation, the only path that will lead to revitalization of the Japanese economy is structural reform to enhance the potential for sustainable economic growth."

Japan is an East Asian nation consisting of four main islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Its neighbors consist of Russia, the People's Republic of China, South Korea, and North Korea. Japan is a mountainous country where most of its 127 million residents (2002 estimate) live along the eastern coastline on the island of Honshu. Severe winters are common for residents on the western coastline, especially in northern Honshu. Japan's population density is 343 people per sq km (890 sq mi). Tokyo, the political and financial capital, is centrally located on the western coast of Honshu.

Japan is a highly secular and advanced industrial nation with a rich cultural and religious...