Conventional Long Form of Name: none Capital City(ies): Tokyo Type of Government: Parliamentary Government with Constitutional Monarchy Date of Independence: May 3rd, 1947; 660 B.C.; November 29th, 1890 National Holiday: Birthday of Emperor Akihito, December 23rd Chief of State: Emperor Akihito (since January 7th, 1989) Head of Government: Prime Minister Shinzo ABE (since December 26th, 2012); Deputy Prime Minister Taro ASO (since December 26th, 2012) Executive Branch/Powers: Cabinet is appointed by prime minister; diet, the bicameral legislature, designates the prime minister; constitution requires that the prime minister commands parliamentary majority; following legislative elections, the leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition in House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister; the monarchy is hereditary. Legislative Branch/Powers: bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in (242 seats- members elected for fixed six-year terms; 146 members in multi-seat constituencies and 96 by proportional representation) half elected every three years; and the House of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for maximum four-years terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by proportional representation in 11 regional blocs); the prime minister has the right to dissolve the house of Representatives at any time with the concurrence of the cabinet Judicial Branch/Powers: Supreme Court or Saiko saibansho (consists of the chief justice and associate justices) note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in constitutional issues. Supreme Court chief justice designated by the Cabinet and appointed by the monarch; associate justices appointed by the Cabinet and confirmed by the monarch; all justices are reviewed in a popular referendum at the first general election of the House of Representatives following each judge's appointment and every 10 years afterward. 8 high courts (Koto-saiban-sho), each with a Family Court (Katei-saiban-sho); 50 district courts (Chiho-saiban-sho), with 203 additional branches; 438 Summary Courts (Kani-saiban-sho). Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal Japan's Ambassador to the U.S.: Ambassador Kenichiro SASAE Location of Japan's Embassy in the U.S.: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 Location of Consulates in the U.S.: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Agana (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville (TN), New York, Portland (OR), San Francisco, Seattle, Anchorage (AK), Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands) U.S. Ambassador to Japan: Ambassaador Caroline Bouvier Location of U.S. embassy in Japan: 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420 Location of U.S. Consulates in Japan: Fukuoka, Nagoya, Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo Japan's Representative to the UN: H.E. Mr. Motohide Yoshikawa Symbolism of Flag: The red disc represents the rising sun National Symbol(s): Red sun disc, chrysanthemum International Disputes: the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; Japan and South Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) occupied by South Korea since 1954; China and Taiwan dispute both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Daiyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting. Quantity of Refugees inside Japan and Countries of Origin of Refugees: 1,100 people (origin not available) Current Human Trafficking Issues relating to Japan: N/A Illicit Drug Trafficking/Use: N/A