Capital: Tokyo

Population: 127,463,611 (July 2006 est.)

Languages: Japanese

Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)

Currency: yen (JPY)

Timezone: GMT+9

Japan is an archipelago consisting of four main islands and more than 4,000 smaller islands in north-east Asia, to the east of Korea. On the west of the country is the sea of Japan and on the east the North Pacific Ocean. The four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu.

The interior of the country mostly consists of volcanic mountains and deep winding valleys. Japan is prone to frequent seismic activity, with around 1000 earthquakes being recorded each year, mostly minor. The country also experiences frequent typhoons and tsunamis.

Although Japan is a major world economic power, its society is still very traditional, male-dominated and hierarchical. Traditions are slowly changing, but it is still usual for men to work for the same employer for their whole working life. Their great loyalty to their employers and respect for authority is shown, for example, in the extremely long hours of unpaid overtime that are commonly worked. Although there are now many Japanese women in business, women are still expected to play a subservient role in society and in the family.

Japan is a very safe place to live, with one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

There are concentrations of foreign businesses and large expatriate communities in Tokyo and other main cities, but very few foreigners live outside Japan's cities.

Customs and etiquette are very important in every area of Japanese social and business life, and there are a multitude of norms and traditions. Westerners are not generally expected to be familiar with the customs and will generally be excused for what the Japanese might perceive as inappropriate behaviour.

There are some major cultural differences between Japan and many Western countries which some expatriates may initially find confusing. These include for example, the custom of putting the group before the individual, which often influences the way in which business negotiations are conducted. At the highest level, the group consists of all Japanese people - no matter how much they try to fit in, foreigners will always be regarded as outsiders.

Gift giving is another tradition which is extremely important in business and social life in Japan. It is appropriate to give small gifts, for example, to someone with whom you have successfully completed a business negotiation, to a landlord on signing a tenancy agreement, and to your new neighbours as a gesture of friendship.