Japanese mechanical engineering. The most important industrial and financial centers of Japan, the largest corporations. Which industries are the leading in Japan?

Like an immortal phoenix, after the defeat in World War II, the Land of the Rising Sun was reborn from the ashes. This mainly concerns the Japanese economy and industry. After the defeat of 1945, the government of the country was faced with two tasks: to eliminate hyperinflation or to devote all resources to restoring industry. Naturally, the second option was chosen, and after 10 years the country’s industrial production recovered by 80%. This leap in development began to be called the “Japanese economic miracle.”

Today, Japanese industry is considered one of the most advanced in the world market. Despite the high level of dependence on imported resources, the Land of the Rising Sun can boast of many achievements in various industrial segments.

Short review

Modern Japanese industry is largely dependent on imports of scarce resources. Out of necessity, the country has reduced energy- and metal-intensive production, focusing on the development of a knowledge-intensive industry. Despite this, Japan has well-developed metallurgy, machine, ship and automotive industries, energy, chemical, food and light industries.

While briefly discussing Japanese industry, it is worth paying attention to the economic industry. One of its most important segments is agriculture, which produces 2% of gross domestic product and satisfies 70% of the food needs of residents. The main role in it is given to crop production, mainly rice cultivation. Livestock farming (pig, poultry, cattle) is also developing intensively. Thanks to the favorable location of the Japanese islands, fishing is active in the country. For this purpose, the country acquired one of the largest fishing fleets, its number exceeds 400 thousand vessels.

Although the development of Japan's economy and industry is affected by frequent earthquakes and tsunamis, this is not a reason to stop being the best. Until the 50s of the last century, heavy industry was at the center of industrial potential. Today, all its segments are actively developing, and the share of Japanese industry in global production is 14%.

Metallurgy

Few people know, but Japan has been producing ferrous and non-ferrous metals for a long time. Perhaps this is one of the most important branches of international communication. In the 70s of the last century, Japan's metallurgical industry reached its apogee - the country overtook the United States in steel production. This became possible thanks to the capital construction of metallurgical plants. In just 10 years, 20 new enterprises have grown in the country.

Since the 80s, there has been a decline in production in the metallurgy industry due to the energy crisis; the number of products produced has not returned to previous levels, but has remained stable. Today Japan supplies 15% of the world's steel demand. The technological equipment of the enterprises is much higher than similar factories in advanced countries. Of the 14 largest metallurgical enterprises in the world, 8 belong to Japan, which in itself is a high figure.

Energy

Energy plays an important role in Japanese industry. The development of this industry can be divided into 5 stages:

1950s. The main suppliers of electricity are hydroelectric power stations. There were 600 stations throughout the country. But by the end of the decade, their productivity began to decline; the constant use of river cross-sections had a strong impact. Thermal power plants are becoming leading energy producers
1960s. Japan began to import cheap oil, which made it possible to build thermal power plants throughout the country. After all, they used to be built in close proximity to coal mines. By the mid-70s, thermal power plants provided 80% of the electricity.
1970s. Japan's energy industry is facing a crisis. Oil prices rose sharply, which is why energy concepts were revised. Oil was replaced by imported coal, and natural gas was widely used. The first geothermal power plant was built. But the government placed its main bet on the rapid development of nuclear energy.
1980s. Development of electric power capacity. Energy comes not only from thermal power plants, hydroelectric power plants and nuclear power plants, but also from alternative sources.
1990s. The last, promising stage of energy development. At this time, the government decided to use the full power and capabilities of the nuclear power plant to the maximum. At the same time, develop alternative energy sources in parallel.

Japan's energy consumption now accounts for 5% of global production. There are 39 nuclear power units operating in the country. Non-traditional energy sources, on which so much hope was placed in the 80s-90s, now supply only 1% of total energy consumption.

Cars

This specialization of Japanese industry is considered one of the most developed in the world. Due to the energy crisis of the 70s, the demand for Japanese cars, which consumed less fuel, increased. Scientists developed small cars with the energy consumption of gasoline for the domestic market, but they soon became in demand on the world market. By the end of the 80s, the country produced 10 million cars and by the beginning of the 90s it became the leader among countries that produce cars. Japan held the honorable 1st place for 15 years. Then the yen rose and production decreased slightly, but even today Japanese automobile factories operate in different parts of the world.

Now the country is in second place in car production. The largest concerns are: Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda and Mitsubishi.

Mechanical engineering

As for other branches of mechanical engineering, at the beginning of the 1990s they made a shift towards high-tech manufacturing, which did not require a large amount of raw materials. An example of such a direction is robotics. In the late 1980s, scientists made the first attempts to create a humanoid robot. Every year they improve their work. As a result, they created a modern android robot ASIMO, which has the rudiments of the world's first artificial intelligence.

Much effort has been made to improve the production of metal-cutting machines, which have been leaders in the world market since 1982. Japan also occupies the first position in the issue consumer electronics. It is worth noting that in the early 60s practically no products of this kind were produced here, but already in 1993 the share of microelectronics and household appliances on the market was 46%.

The traditional specializations of Japanese industry have not faded into the background. Thus, shipbuilding still remains a segment of international specialization. The supply of vessels to the world market is more than 28%.

Aircraft industry

It was only in the 1960s that this segment began to receive sufficient attention in Japan. Experts consider the development of industry in the field of aviation and rocketry, despite the small output, to be the main basis of the economy in the near future.

At the end of the 60s, specialists in the field of aircraft construction began to develop their own model of the aircraft. The year 1973 was marked by the creation of the first domestic ultrasonic aircraft T-2. This model became the prototype for the construction of the F-1 fighter.

In many respects, this segment is inferior to aircraft missile production in Europe and the United States. However, it is the main component of the country's military potential. Half of the aircraft industry factories are engaged in the manufacture of products intended for military purposes.

Electronics

It is important to pay attention to such a branch of the Japanese manufacturing industry as electronics. The government expresses great support to factories producing electronic products. Since the production of any devices is based on experimental and scientific work, this requires huge material costs. However, they pay off.

Products such as aerial photography instruments, microscopes, microcircuits, video cameras, cameras, navigators, and medical equipment are highly valued on the international market. It is of high quality and is mostly equipped with human-readable control (CNC).

Chemical industry

One of the main industries of Japan. Some of its productions ( cosmetical tools, paint and varnish, technical oils and medications) have been around for a long time. Chemical production received a new round of development when they began to actively process waste from forestry and metallurgy.

Petrochemical production began in the 1960s. This made it possible to create synthetic products. They could be used as the new kind raw materials with low prices. Japan is considered one of the largest producers of soda, sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate, synthetic resins, plastics and rubber, and artificial fiber.

The area of biochemical research is also not deprived of the attention of experts: medicines, agricultural plant protection products, vitamins and acids make up a good part of export products.

Light industry

The light and food industries were the first to be affected by the industrialization of the 20th century. The technical reconstruction of large enterprises has had a noticeable impact on textile production, which annually surpasses Europe and the United States in terms of trade turnover. For work, domestic chemical fibers are used, as well as imported cotton and wool.

The production of ceramics plays an important role. IN modern realities This is not only a tribute to cultural traditions, but also quite a profitable business, because 170 kaolin deposits have been discovered in Japan. Woodworking is also developing rapidly and effectively in the country. As of 2015, there are more than 30,000 sawmills and plywood mills operating in Japan.

Agriculture and forestry

Agriculture occupies an important position in the economy, which provides the bulk of food demands. In general, it rests on small landowners, most of whom are women or pensioners.

55% of all cultivated areas are devoted to rice, which forms the basis of the daily diet. Gardening develops according to established traditions: citrus fruits, tea and mulberries are grown in subtropical regions; in the north and elevated areas - apples.

Production of animal products still lags behind demand, although production has increased by more than 70% since the 1960s.

The forest area in the country is 5 times higher than the area of land allocated for agricultural needs. Therefore, many peasants are engaged not only in agriculture, but also in forestry, which satisfies 50% of market demand.

Fishing

Fishing also plays an important role in industry. After all, Japan is, first of all, a fishing state. They actively fish for seafood in deep waters. Closer to the shore, fish are caught from longboats. The country ranks first in the world in terms of fish catch, and seafood forms the basis of the diet. Mariculture is actively developing in Japan. Back in the 8th century, the Japanese learned to create artificial reefs, spawning grounds and fish pastures.

In addition to fishing, Japanese residents are involved in the pearl industry. Every year, 500 shells are pulled from the ocean floor. But if earlier they tried to find real pearls in them, now the shells are needed for their artificial cultivation.

And no matter where progress goes, only Japan can harmoniously combine the new and the traditional. Industry and agriculture were able to get back on their feet only thanks to this feature of the Japanese people.

In recent decades, Japan has emerged as one of the leading economic powers and is the second largest national economic force in the world. Japan's population accounts for approximately 2.3% of the world's total, but generates about 16% of the gross world product (GWP) measured at current exchange rates and 7.7% based on the purchasing power of the yen. Its economic potential is equal to 61% of the American one, but in terms of production per capita it exceeds the American level. Japan accounts for 70% of East Asia's total output, and its gross domestic product (GDP), calculated at current exchange rates, is four times that of China. It has achieved high technical excellence, especially in certain areas of advanced technology. Japan's current position 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, the country often ranks 1-2 in the world in terms of output of many industries. Moreover, industry is concentrated mainly within the Pacific industrial belt (almost 80% of industrial products are produced on 13% of the country's territory).

At first, Japanese industry developed mainly along an evolutionary path. Using imported raw materials, such basic industries as energy, metallurgy, automobile and shipbuilding, chemical and petrochemical, and construction industries were created almost anew. After the energy and raw materials crises of the mid-70s, the revolutionary path of development began to prevail in industry. The country began to increasingly limit the growth of energy-intensive and metal-intensive industries that depend on imports of fuel and raw materials and focus on the latest knowledge-intensive industries. It became a leader in the field of electronics, biotechnology, and began to use non-traditional energy sources.

I. Metallurgy suffered for Lately strong changes. Instead of many outdated factories, powerful plants equipped with the latest technology have been built. Lacking its own raw material base, Japan relies 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 ranks second in the world in the production of refined copper, after the United States. Polymetallic ore deposits form the basis for the development of zinc and lead production.

II. Japan's energy sector is focused primarily on imported raw materials (mainly oil and petroleum products). Oil imports amount to more than 200 million tons (own production 0.5 million tons in 1997). The share of coal in consumption is decreasing, the share of natural gas in consumption is growing (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 comes from thermal power plants (the largest are 4 million kW). A nuclear power plant has been under construction since the mid-60s. Currently, over 20 nuclear power plants operate using imported raw materials (more than 40 power units). They provide about 30% of the electricity. The country has built the most powerful nuclear power plants in the world (including Fukushima - 10 power units).

III. Japan's shipbuilding industry is very diverse: the world's largest supertankers and other vessels leave the slipways of the shipyards of Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe, Nagasaki and many other shipbuilding centers. Shipbuilding specializes in the construction of large-tonnage tankers and dry cargo ships. The total tonnage of ships built in Japan is 40% of the world's tonnage. The country firmly ranks first in the world in shipbuilding (2nd place - 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 “ecologically dirty” industries, therefore a significant reorganization of the industry has been carried out. Over the last decade alone, the smelting of non-ferrous metals has decreased by 20 times. Conversion plants are located in almost all large industrial centers.

V. Mechanical engineering in Japan includes many industries (shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing, general mechanical engineering, instrument engineering, radio electronics, aerospace industry). There are a number of large factories for heavy engineering, machine tools, and the production of equipment for the light and food industries. But the main industries were electronics, 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, and Hiroshima.
2) The main enterprises of general mechanical engineering are located within the Pacific industrial belt: in the Tokyo region - complex machine tool building, industrial robots; in Osaka - metal-intensive equipment (near ferrous metallurgy centers); in the Nagoya region - machine tool building, production of equipment for other industries.
3) Enterprises of the radio-electronic and electrical industry are guided by centers with a qualified workforce, a well-developed transport system, and a developed scientific and technical base. In the early 90s, Japan accounted for over 60% of the production of industrial robots, ? 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 country's share in the world production of color televisions (taking into account production at foreign enterprises of Japanese companies is more than 60%, video recorders - 90%, etc.). The products of knowledge-intensive industries account for about 15% of Japan's total industrial production. But in general, about 40% for mechanical engineering products.
4) Oil refining and chemical industry enterprises 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 areas, enterprises use imported raw materials. Japan ranks one of the first in the world in terms of development of the chemical industry.
5) Japan also has a developed pulp and paper industry.
6) Retains significant importance for the light and food industries. However, competition from developing countries is growing in many types of labor-intensive light industry production (due to the low cost of labor in other countries).

Another important traditional branch of Japanese industry is fishing. Japan ranks among the first in the world in terms of fish catch. 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 diet Japanese. Pearl fishing is also developed.

A very important feature of Japanese industry is its extremely strong involvement in international economic relations.

The Japanese economy is one of the five largest economies in the world. And in terms of welfare, it is significantly ahead of China, occupying a position between the leading European countries. However, its share in global GDP is steadily declining. The financial system is experiencing serious difficulties. And there are practically no opportunities for growth. This article will talk about the state of the Japanese economy, the history of its formation modern structure and about the problems that hinder further development.

Economic structure. History of its formation

The Japanese economy received a powerful boost to growth in the second half of the 20th century. After the end of the war, the state actually found itself under a US protectorate. America has been dictating its political will to the Land of the Rising Sun for several decades. But in exchange for this, it was provided with Western technologies - especially in the automotive industry and microelectronics. Japan was able to manage this resource very skillfully. And in 20 years it has become one of the largest exporters of high-tech products.

In the first years after the war, the country was actively importing technology and knowledge. An effective R&D system (research and development work) is being built, and foreign experience is being adopted. We can say that the Americans taught the Japanese to create the first robots and various equipment for civilian purposes. However, after some time, Japan itself begins to export both robotics and VCRs, televisions, cameras, refrigerators and other equipment. Moreover, all products are of excellent quality. The country is gradually conquering more and more markets.

Such results were achieved due to cheap labor. And also thanks to building a special business model, which will subsequently play a cruel joke on the economy.

A special form of state capitalism with the presence of oligopolistic players has emerged in Japan. The government actively supported large companies that exported products. Export orientation has become the main idea of the national economy.

The oligopolistic market structure was characteristic of Japan back in the 19th century. It remained so even after the US occupation in the mid-20th century. But the key role began to be occupied not by family clans, but by large financial and industrial conglomerates formed on the basis of partnerships.

This model initially gave very good results and contributed to development. The state actively supported large export-oriented corporations. Stimulated them, provided various subsidies and protection.

In the 60-70-80s, Japan became one of the largest manufacturers of microelectronics, household appliances, equipment, cars, and marine vessels. Goods from the island state are of high quality and not very expensive.

In the 70-80s, as in the USA and in countries Western Europe, Japan begins the transition from an industrial economy to a post-industrial one. The service sector is actively developing. The financial segment is growing rapidly. The mortgage market is experiencing a real boom. On the stock exchange, quotes are also constantly trending upward. The peak of growth occurs in the 85-90s. Japan is called the country of an economic miracle.

However, rapid growth leads to the inflation of large bubbles. These bubbles form both in the real economy and in the financial sector. The mortgage segment is becoming a particular problem. A crisis of overproduction begins. At the same time, with increasing prosperity, labor becomes more expensive. This increases the cost of manufactured goods. The situation is greatly aggravated due to the oligopoly structure of the economy.

The rise of large government-backed corporations is weakening competition. It is becoming extremely difficult for small companies to break through. But large conglomerates are given special privileges, and their mistakes are ignored. This reduces production efficiency. So-called zombie companies are appearing - which exist only due to government support and are not able to survive in the free market. Problems are also ignored in the financial segment. Large blocks of shares are prohibited from being sold. The growth of stock exchange quotes is largely due to the fact that corporations resell securities each other.

Bubbles in the Japanese economy burst in the 90s. All problems that were previously hidden come to the surface. Large companies turn out to be ineffective. The oversaturated real estate market begins to decline. There is a collapse of stock indices on the stock exchange. Then the crisis gives way to stagnation, which drags on for 10 years. Experts talk about a lost decade.

In the 2000s, the situation improved slightly. But the global crisis that broke out in 2008 finally finished off the Japanese economy. There is a drop in GDP of 10-15% (comparable to growth in the 60-80s).

The second blow was the devastating tsunami in 2011, which interrupted the recovery growth of 2010.

At the moment, the Japanese economy is still one of the most developed. The industrial sector occupies 23%. Financial services – 18%. For health, education and social system accounts for 30%. Trade, communications, restaurant and hotel business – 20%. Agriculture – 1.5%. The country is fully post-industrial. Having accumulated fat in favorable years rapid growth, the state is gradually using up the resources it has left. Japan has extremely developed infrastructure (the roads are some of the best). The standard of living is quite high.

The industry still produces high-quality household appliances, cars, and marine vessels for various purposes. Microelectronics and digital equipment are of excellent quality. A good scientific base helps to conduct research and new developments. Much attention is paid to robotics (autonomous upright walking robots are being created). However, in general further development is in question. The Land of the Rising Sun is losing its share of global GDP. Its products are less competitive due to high costs. There are practically no growth points. However, there are a number of serious long-term problems. The first is a huge public debt, which exceeds the country's GDP by 2.5 times (250%). True, this debt is almost entirely internal.

Unlike the United States, where a third of the debt belongs to foreigners, in Japan 95% of loans are distributed among the citizens themselves. A significant part is in the hands of large companies. This gives the government room to manoeuvre. However, the size of the debt still poses a threat and puts pressure on the budget. Japan's second problem is in the area of demography. The number of old people is too large compared to the working-age population due to their life expectancy. All this makes the further development of the country quite difficult. The government is trying to solve the problem of high production costs by depreciating the currency. But so far the results are very modest. But the national debt continues to grow.

Import and export

The territory of Japan is poor in mineral resources. Therefore, the main import item is raw materials. This is especially true for energy resources. Almost the entire volume of consumed hydrocarbons is imported from other countries. Moreover, half of the oil comes from the Middle East. And gas comes from Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia. Coal is also imported from Australia, Indonesia and China. Fuel accounts for about 40% of the country's total imports. Moreover, its purchase is carried out at quite high prices. Another important import item is metals and rolled metal products. All this makes the state dependent on the supply of raw materials. A special risk factor here is the import of oil from the unstable Middle East region. To solve this problem, Japan for a long time built nuclear power plants, bringing their share in the country’s energy balance to 10%. But the Fukushima accident in 2011 slowed down this process.

The second largest import category (after raw materials) is computer equipment, simple microcircuits and various equipment.

Also, the import of food products exceeds the volume of sales abroad.

The main export item of the Land of the Rising Sun is cars and various components for them. Moreover, Japanese cars are famous for their quality and durability. This industry was extremely competitive until the 90s, which led to trade conflicts with America. And since the country is politically dependent on America, conflict resolution was often not in Japan's favor.

A large share of exports is occupied by various high-tech equipment (in addition to cars), Appliances, office equipment, complex microcircuits and computers.

The metallurgical industry and chemical industry also supply many products to foreign markets, including rolled metal and finished petroleum products.

Japan can be called a high value-added economy. That is, the country purchases raw materials and produces from them many products with high added value.

Japan's main trading partners: China (19% of Japanese exports and 22% of imports), USA (18% of exports and 9% of imports), South Korea(8% exports and 5% imports), Australia (2% exports and 6% imports), Saudi Arabia(1% of exports and 6% of imports), as well as the countries of the European Union (especially Germany) and the Middle East.

Advantages and disadvantages

Strengths:

high level of technological development;
export of high-quality high-tech products around the world;
high level of well-being, large margin of safety;
public debt is in the hands of residents.

Weak sides:

high wages and yen deflation deprive products of a competitive advantage;
oversaturation of the domestic consumption and lending market, no growth points;
high dependence on imports of raw materials, dependence of oil imports on the unstable Middle East region;
huge public debt in relation to GDP;
aging population.

Current status

Japan's economy is now in a kind of dead end. As already noted, it has a large margin of safety and has a high level of development. However, GDP growth is virtually non-existent. The Japanese economy's share of the world is shrinking. Manufactured products are experiencing increasing competition from Europe, the USA and especially China. The goods turn out to be expensive due to the high salaries of workers.

To reduce the cost of production, the government depreciates the national currency. A huge amount of money is pouring into the system. The yen is artificially depreciating. However, this does not bring the expected results in the long run. In Japan, deflationary processes are very strong (there is no inflation). During periods of crisis, they intensify. At the same time, the country is experiencing overproduction and commodity saturation. Therefore, citizens prefer to keep banknotes that are constantly rising in price. This has a negative impact on consumer activity.

To solve the problems of the high cost of goods and the lack of consumer demand, constant devaluations are carried out, and the key rate is kept at zero. With each new round of quantitative easing (stimulus programs), these devaluations are becoming stronger. But their effect is temporary. At the same time, public debt is growing at a high rate. We can say that the situation is only getting worse over the years. Back in the 90s, Japan had a positive trade balance (exports were greater than imports).

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 in the world. The Japanese boast the world's longest life expectancy (76 years for men and 82 for women).

For national composition characterized by relative homogeneity. The Japanese form almost ninety-nine percent of the country's total population. Among other peoples living in Japan there are quite a lot of Koreans, as well as Chinese. The vast majority profess Shintoism or Buddhism. The most densely populated are the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Almost eighty percent of the Japanese live in large cities, eleven of which are cities with over a million people.

Industry of Japan

(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 knowledge-intensive industry. However, both ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, automobile and shipbuilding, construction industry, energy, chemical and petrochemical, food and pulp and paper industries are well developed in Japan.

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

(Industrial plant in Japan)

The largest metallurgical centers, operating almost entirely on imported raw materials, are plants located in Osaka, Tokyo and Fuji. The scale of primary smelting of non-ferrous metals in Japan is gradually declining, but most of the plants located in the largest industrial centers still operate today.

The light and food industries play an important role. The electric power industry predominantly uses imported raw materials. The predominant components in the Japanese raw material base are oil and natural gas; with the share of coal decreasing, 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 stations are located in cascades on mountain rivers.

(Robots are busy assembling at 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 rapidly. The country is a leader in the volume of construction of tankers and dry cargo ships. The main shipyards are located in the ports of Yokohama, Nagasaki, Kobe. Japan is also a consistent leader in automotive construction. Thirteen million cars roll off the assembly lines of Japanese factories every year.

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

In recent years, the country has begun to actively implement the so-called “Sunlight” program, which consists of 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 on rice fields in Japan)

Agriculture contributes approximately two percent of the country's gross national product and remains one of the most important sectors of its economy. Six and a half percent of the population works in this area. 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; gardening is widespread. Livestock farming is also developing at an intensive pace. So, in Japan they breed large cattle, poultry, pig breeding is developed.

(Fishing boat near the port of the Sea of Japan)

The exceptionally favorable 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 World Ocean. Japan has an extensive fishing fleet of more than four hundred thousand vessels. In addition, the country owns over three thousand fishing ports.

Much of the world community is surprised by the way Japan's industry is organized. Many cannot understand how a medium-sized state, occupying an archipelago without any mineral deposits, has been among the leaders of the world economy for many decades.

Japan accounts for 12% of global industrial production.

But literally 70–80 years ago, Japanese goods were not in demand, since the quality of their production left much to be desired.

Industry

Since the second half of the twentieth century, the economic doctrine of Japanese industry was radically revised by the state. In addition to supporting the flagship of the economy, which was light industry, priority was given to heavy industry. A special niche has been allocated for high-tech developments.

Already by the 70s, the Land of the Rising Sun surprised the whole world with its rapid pace of development in such industries as electronics, instrument making, mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, medicine and science.

Japan is a country with a very highly developed industry.

Automotive industry

For more than 45 years, Japan's automotive industry has been one of the most developed in the world. The largest centers have been formed in such industrial areas as Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe. Today, this industry rightfully defines the face of Japan.

Despite the automation of processes, the industry employs about six million people worldwide and approximately 700 thousand in the country itself. The automotive industry provides 1/10 of the state's GDP.

Active development Machine production began in the mid-1920s. The trigger for the automobile industry was the 1923 earthquake. A natural disaster destroyed railway and tram tracks.

The country needed trucks, buses and cars. Initially, the American companies Ford and General Motors built their factories near Tokyo. During World War II, production facilities were destroyed by bombing.

By the 50s most The enterprises were restored, and the first production of cars amounted to 30,000 units per year. The Korean War (between North and South) had a global impact on the Japanese automobile industry. The US Army ordered huge quantities of cargo and passenger cars"Toyota", "Nissan", "Isuzu".

This video talks about the origin, development and formation of mechanical engineering in the Japanese automobile industry.

Along with the volume, the quality of the products also increased. After the end of hostilities, the “Japanese machine” could not be stopped. By 1980, Nihon Koku had overtaken America in the number of cars produced, taking first place in the world.

Number of cars produced in the USA and Japan (thousands, 1960–2005)

A country	1960	1970	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000	2005
Japan	760	5290	11 045	12 300	13 490	10 195	9480	11 500
USA	7870	7830	8010	11 430	9780	12 065	12 775	11 300

After the fuel crisis of 1973–1974. fuel-efficient Japanese cars captured the American market and continue to dominate it to this day. Flagship automakers Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mazda have a network of production facilities in the USA and other parts of the world. The cars are of high quality and enjoy well-deserved respect among car owners in any country.

Electronics

The general development of heavy industry and science since the 1950s directly influenced the rapid development of electronics in Japan. Along with cars, the country began to export technically sophisticated goods. In the late 60s, Japanese radios and televisions became better than American ones.

By the mid-80s, Western markets were filled with VCRs and video cameras from the Land of the Rising Sun. Japan has made incredible technological breakthroughs in this industry. The development and production of more complex equipment - computers - began.

Companies from Japan have been occupying leading positions in the global electronic devices market for quite some time now.

Currently, about 1.6 million Japanese work in the electronics industry. More than half of them are working on new types of communications.

The aircraft industry in Japan began to really develop only in the 1970s, thanks to agreements with Western countries.

To date, 146 enterprises engaged in the development and production of aviation equipment are registered in the country. Existing capacities are capable of satisfying 96% of domestic needs.

The largest aircraft manufacturers:

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
Fuji Heavy Industries.
IHI is a leader in Japanese aircraft engine manufacturing.

*For the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (“Dream Plane”), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries produces the center section with wing consoles and some fuselage modules.

Shipbuilding

Japan's oldest industry, shipbuilding, remained leading for many centuries. Modern production facilities of the shipbuilding industry make it possible to build ships of all types and purposes.

The center of the industrial and industrial region of Kanto is spread between Kawasaki, Tokyo and Yokohama. There are a total of 75 shipbuilding companies registered in Japan. The leading enterprises are Universal Shipbuilding (USA), Mitsubishi, Kawasaki and Sasebo.

SHIPBUILDING is one of the leading branches of Japanese industry.

During this period, the demand for civilian ships is falling due to a decrease in ship traffic. Growing competition is also contributing to the decline in sales. But the industry is doing well, as orders from the military have increased significantly.

Many companies have equipped shipyards for the construction of aircraft, helicopter carriers and other ships for the Japanese and US Navy.

Robotics

Along with the development of electronics, the robotics industry began to develop rapidly. The first robot in the world was created in Japan in the mid-60s. Now this industry is one of the leading in the country and has practically no competitors in the world.

The government accepts Active participation in the development of the industry, providing inventors with preferential working conditions.

Currently, Japan produces about 45% of the world's total industrial robots. The leading organizations in the development of robotics are national universities Aizu, Iwasaki, Tohoku, Tsukuba, Hokkaido, Ritsumeikan, Kagawa, as well as the polytechnic institute in the city of Shibaura. The military of Japan and the United States are showing particular interest in remotely controlled robotics.

Find out what abilities robots are endowed with in the video below.

Robots are no less in demand in everyday life. Caring for the disabled and elderly is already practiced automatically. Human-like robots are being created that can perform the functions of social workers.

Innovation has also come in handy in the medical industry. The main developers and manufacturers of robots are Sony, Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic, Kawasaki and Yamaha.

*Mitsubishi Research Institute made a report in 2019 according to which by 2030 robots will take 7.4 million human jobs in the country.

Chemical industry

The chemical industry felt its main impetus in the 60s. with an increased demand for energy, which was generated from gas and oil products. It is waste oil products that have become an excellent raw material for the chemical industry.

At this time, the Japanese chemical industry is a favorite in the Asian market and ranks second in the world. The main producers of goods in this segment are the following corporations:

Asahi Chemical;
Asahi Glass;
Fuji Photo Film;
Sekisui Chemical;
Mitsubishi Chemical.

Almost all companies are involved in petrochemicals. Depending on their specialization, enterprises produce synthetic rubber, polymers, chemical fibers and more. In addition to petrochemicals, corporations are engaged in the production of biochemicals, which include medicines and fertilizers.

The largest diversified areas of the chemical industry

It is also worth mentioning the ecology of the country. Find out more about ecology.