Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature known as the National Diet. Widely considered a great power and the only Asian member of the G7, it maintains one of the world's strongest militaries but has constitutionally renounced its right to declare war.
Japan is an island country lying off the east coast of Asia. It consists of a string of islands in a northeast-southwest arc that stretches for approximately 1,500 miles (2,400 km) through the western North Pacific Ocean. Tokyo is Japan’s national capital.
Japan facts and figures: Official web sites of Japan, links and information on Japan's art, culture, geography, history, travel and tourism, cities, the capital of Japan, airlines, embassies, tourist boards and newspapers