On the other hand, the tertiary industry's share of them have risen consistently. In , the primary industry accounted for In , the corresponding shares of these three sectors were 4. As for GDP by type of economic activity, in , the primary, secondary and tertiary industries accounted for 5.
In , these figures were 1. According to the " Economic Census for Business Activity", there were 5. The average number of persons engaged per establishment was With regard to the number of establishments by the major groupings of the Japan Standard Industrial Classification, the most numerous category was the "wholesale and retail trade", numbering 1.
In terms of the number of persons engaged, establishments in the "wholesale and retail trade" ranked first as they employed The domestic manufacturing industry has progressed in the relocation of production bases overseas, for the cutback on production costs, the production in consumption areas, and the evasion of fluctuations in exchange rates. The number of overseas affiliates in the manufacturing industry was 11, companies at the end of fiscal , and the overseas production ratio was This was on the same level as the previous fiscal year, when the ratio was the highest ever recorded.
In the future, it is anticipated that companies in the manufacturing industry in Japan will expand their overseas business. There are many companies that are planning on expanding their business to China, India, Vietnam and Thailand. Japan's fiscal year starts in April, and ends in March of the following year. In setting the national budget, the government submits a proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year to the Ordinary Session of the Diet, which begins in January.
The proposal is then discussed, and approved usually before the fiscal year begins in April initial budget. In the event that the Diet does not approve the budget by the end of March, an interim budget comes into effect. The interim budget is effective from the beginning of April until such time when the proposed budget is approved. If it becomes necessary to amend the budget in the course of a fiscal year, the government submits a supplementary budget for Diet approval. As with the fiscal supplementary budget, the initial budget for fiscal also includes a contingency fund for COVID Japan's national budget consists of the general account budget, special account budgets, and the budgets of government-affiliated agencies.
Using revenues from general sources such as taxes, the general account covers core national expenditures such as social security, public works, education and science, and national defense.
Special accounts are accounts established for the national government to carry out projects with specific objectives, and their management and administration are independent of the general account. The number and particulars of special accounts change from year to year; for fiscal , there are a total of 13 special accounts, including the National debt consolidation fund, the Local allocation tax and local transfer tax, and the Reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Government-affiliated agencies are entities established by special laws and are entirely funded by the government. In the national government finance, expenditure has continued to surpass revenue. Since fiscal in particular, the worsening economy has decreased tax revenue, contributing to an increasing gap between revenue and expenditure.
From fiscal to fiscal , bond issues exceeded tax revenue in most years, but starting in fiscal , tax revenue began to exceed borrowing. However, in fiscal , the supplementary budget for the contingency fund for COVID was covered solely by government bonds, leading to bond issues exceeding tax revenue.
The size of the general account budget for fiscal was trillion yen, an increase of 5. This is equivalent to In fiscal , major expenditures from the initial general account budget include social security With regard to revenue sources for the fiscal initial general account budget, consumption tax, income tax and corporation tax account for Even with the addition of other taxes and stamp revenues, these revenue sources only amount to There are two budget categories in local government finance: the ordinary accounts and the public business accounts.
The former covers all kinds of expenses related to ordinary activities of the prefectural and municipal governments. The latter covers the budgets of independently accounted enterprises such as public enterprises water supply and sewerage systems, hospitals, etc. While expenditures such as defense expenses are administered solely by the national government, a large portion of expenditures that directly relate to the people's daily lives are disbursed chiefly through local governments.
The revenue composition of local governments usually remains almost the same each fiscal year, while their budget scale and structure vary from year to year. The largest portion of fiscal net revenues came from local taxes, accounting for The second-largest source, Finance refers to revenue and expenditure of administrative services from national and local governments.
In the initial budget for fiscal , the gross total of national government expenditure was trillion yen, the net total was trillion yen after eliminating duplications between both accounts.
Furthermore, the local public finance plan, which consists of the estimated sum of ordinary accounts for the following fiscal year for all local governments, amounted to 92 trillion yen. Therefore, after eliminating duplications between national and local accounts 36 trillion yen , the net total of both national and local government expenditures combined was trillion yen. The settlement amount for fiscal , the net total of national and local government expenditures was trillion yen.
The national government disbursed A function-by-function breakdown of these expenditures showed that social security expenditure accounted for the largest portion Public bonds are issued to compensate for shortages of national and local revenues. Their issue volumes have increased mainly due to, for example, economic stimulus measures and decreasing tax revenues after the bubble economy ended at the beginning of The bankruptcy of the major American securities firm Lehman Brothers in and the Great East Japan Earthquake of led to a major economic downturn, and for 4 years from fiscal , bond issues continued to exceed tax revenue, but from fiscal to , tax revenue picked up and exceeded bond issues.
However, the spread of COVID in caused a sudden contraction of the economy, and a huge supplementary budget for fiscal was financed by an additional issue of government bonds. Japan's ratio of outstanding general government debt to GDP, a stock measure in a fiscal context, is particularly high even compared to other major industrialized countries. Taxes consist of national tax income tax, corporation tax, etc.
The ratio of taxation burden, which is the ratio of national and local taxes to national income, was This ratio gradually increased thereafter, reaching The ratio subsequently decreased due to the decline in tax revenue arising from the recession that ensued after the bubble economy ended, reaching In fiscal , it was Japan's ratio is lower in comparison with other major industrial countries. However, the consumption tax rate was raised from 8 to 10 percent on October 1, due to the need to transition Japan's social security system, which is currently focused on benefits for the elderly, to an "all-generation type" usable by anyone, from children and youth to the elderly.
As the central bank, the Bank of Japan i issues banknotes; ii manages and stores treasury funds and provides loans to the government; iii provides deposit and loan services to general financial institutions; and iv implements monetary policies by adjusting the level of money stock to promote the sound development of the economy. At the end of , currency in circulation totaled The Bank of Japan compiles and publishes statistics on the following indices of money stock: i M1, or currency in circulation plus deposit money deposited at depository institutions; ii M2, or currency in circulation plus deposits deposited at domestically licensed banks, etc.
The average amounts outstanding of money stock in was trillion yen in M1 and 1, trillion yen in M2. In January , the government and the Bank of Japan decided to strengthen policy coordination in order to overcome deflation and achieve sustainable economic growth with stable prices. In April , the Bank of Japan changed the operating target for money market operations from the uncollateralized overnight call rate to a monetary base to facilitate quantitative easing.
In September , it was decided to introduce "QQE with Yield Curve Control" by strengthening these two policy frameworks, in order to achieve as early as possible the "price stability target" of a 2 percent year-on-year increase in consumer prices. Japan's monetary base is the amount of currency supplied by the Bank of Japan.
It is the combined total of banknotes in circulation, coins in circulation, and current account deposit in the Bank of Japan. It was In addition to the Bank of Japan, Japan's financial system is comprised of private and public financial institutions. Private financial institutions include those that accept deposits banks, credit depositories, agricultural cooperatives, etc.
In the course of the financial system reform, mergers and restructuring progressed among major banks, resulting in their being reorganized into three major financial groups.
The number of regional banks and credit depositories has also declined significantly due to the progress of corporate mergers. This number is expected to decline further in the future. As of the end of September , in the number of offices operated domestically, including the branches of financial institutions, post offices had the largest network with 23, offices.
Domestically licensed banks, including city banks and regional banks, had a combined total of 13, offices and branches. The fundamental role of the bank sector is to adjust the surplus and deficiency of funds. The corporate sector has been in a fund surplus throughout the year, and thus the percentage of loans to bank assets has generally been on a consistent downward trend.
The Flow of Funds Accounts Statistics, which is a comprehensive set of records of financial transactions, assets and liabilities, indicates that financial assets in the domestic sectors totaled 7, trillion yen at the end of March Of these assets, those of the domestic nonfinancial sector were 3, trillion yen. Of this sector, the household sector including the business funds of individual proprietorships had assets of 1, trillion yen, in the forms of deposits, stocks and other financial assets.
In Japan, the household sector holds more than 50 percent of its financial assets in cash and deposits. Stock prices in Japan rose sharply in the second half of the s, spearheading the bubble economy. However, it started to fall in ahead of land prices. At the end of , the total market capitalization in the Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section was trillion yen, but only 3 years later, it had dropped by more than 50 percent to trillion yen.
Even after recovering to trillion yen at the end of , the stock market repeatedly fell and rose afterwards. The bankruptcy of the major American secrities firm Lehman Brothers in September led to a fall in total market capitalization, which amounted to trillion yen at the end of From to , there has been major upturn as a result of the effects of various measures, including a comprehensive economic policy package called "Abenomics".
In , the high yen in Japanese economy was corrected due to expectations toward anti-deflationary economic and fiscal policies by the new government, and share prices soared.
In April , changes in policies of the Bank of Japan were regarded as affecting stocks and markets, and the Nikkei Stock Average at the end of was 16, Afterwards, the Nikkei Stock Average in April recovered to the 20, yen level for the first time in 15 years.
The closing value at the end of was 27, In terms of value, the ratio of stocks they possessed was The ratio of Japanese stocks held by foreign investors total of corporations and individuals was Internet trading thus accounted for Over the course of Japan's economic growth, its agricultural, forestry and fishing industries have employed fewer and fewer workers every year, and their nominal GDP share has also dropped.
The number of employed persons decreased from 5. Japan's total agricultural output in was 8. Among this, crops yielded 5. Livestock yielded 3. In , the number of farm households engaged in commercial farming which refers to households with of cultivated land under management 0.
Of these commercial farm households, Of the commercial farm household members, 2. In , agricultural gross income per management unit was 6.
On the other hand, agricultural expenditures increased 4. As a result, agricultural income declined by 8. Japan's cultivated acreage shrank year after year from 6. After , the cultivated acreage has continued to decrease due to diversion into residential land, ruined land continuously resulting from devastated land, etc.
As of , Japan's forest land area is Among Japan's forests, natural forests account for Japan's forest growing stock is 5, million cubic meters as of , 3, million cubic meters of which are from planted forests. The stock rose mainly with the increase of that from planted forests on deforested sites right after World War II and during the period of rapid economic growth.
Such forests are in a period of full-scale use as resources. There is a need to further promote use of domestic timber as lumber in housing, public buildings, etc. After reaching a low of Although the number of workers engaged in forestry is declining due to a slowdown in domestic lumber production activities, the pace of decline has slackened in recent years. In , there were 63, workers engaged in forestry, approximately one out of five workers was aged 65 and over.
Japan is facing a problem in that its fishery production is in a declining trend over the long term. This is likely due to a variety of factors, such as changes in the marine environment and more intensive operations by foreign fishing boats in waters surrounding Japan. There are thought to be many fishery resources whose decline could have been prevented or mitigated with more appropriate resource management.
After peaking in , Japan's fishery output decreased rapidly until around , and has continued to decrease gradually afterwards. Its fishery production totaled 4. The number of fishery workers those aged 15 years old and over who have worked at sea for 30 days or more in the past year continues to decline. In , the number of such workers was , workers, down 4. While the aging of workers and fishing vessels progresses fisheries have been gaining attention as a place for employment, based on the diversification of values regarding work and life, and support is being provided for new fishery workers.
With regard to Japan's food self-sufficiency ratio on a calorie supply basis, although there is a downward trend over the long term, it has been fluctuating at a level of around 40 percent since fiscal Whereas the ratio was 53 percent in fiscal , it was 38 percent in fiscal The major reason behind the decrease in the food self-sufficiency ratio is that while declining in consumption of rice, for which demand can be met with domestic production, diversification of the Japanese dietary life has led to increased consumption of livestock products and oils and fats, for which overseas dependence for feed and raw materials is inevitable.
In fiscal , the self-sufficiency ratio per item on weight basis was 97 percent for rice, 16 percent for wheat, 7 percent for beans, 79 percent for vegetables, 38 percent for fruits, 52 percent for meat, and 52 percent for seafood. While almost completely self-sufficient in rice, the staple food of its people, Japan rely almost entirely on imports for the supply of wheat and beans.
Japan's present food self-sufficiency ratio is the lowest among major industrialized countries, and Japan is thus the world's leading net importer of agricultural products. The proportion of added value produced in Japan's manufacturing sector to its nominal GDP has been around 20 percent recently, and the sector has a large ripple effect on other sectors. In years past, Japan's manufacturing industry has faced a variety of unforeseeable circumstances and drastic changes in the business environment.
These include the Nixon Shock and two oil crises in the s, the strong yen recession following the Plaza Accord in the s, the bursting of the bubble economy and the Asian currency crisis in the s, and the bankruptcy of the major American securities firm Lehman Brothers, the European debt crisis, and the Great East Japan Earthquake in the 21st century. Each time that Japan's manufacturing industry has faced these kinds of unforeseeable circumstances and drastic changes in the business environment, it has been able to overcome them and evolve.
However, to overcome the recent crisis caused by COVID will require even more substantial reforms than before. In , there were , establishments with 4 or more persons engaged in the manufacturing sector.
By industry, "fabricated metal products" had the most, with 25, establishments component ratio of In , there were 7. The value of manufactured goods shipments in was This section describes the major industries in the manufacturing sector. These decreases in both production and shipments were due to a decrease in "passenger cars", "car body and automobile parts", etc. These decreases in both production and shipments were due to a decrease in "metal forming machinery", "construction and mining machinery", etc.
These decreases in both production and shipments were due to a decrease in "switching devices", "electrical rotating machinery", etc. This marked the first increase in production in 2 years, and the second consecutive year of decrease in shipments.
The increase in production was due to an increase in "integrated circuits", "electronic parts", etc. The decrease in shipments was due to a decrease in "electronic devices", etc. These decreases in both production and shipments were due to a decrease in "parts of general-purpose machinery", "pumps and compressors", etc. This marked the second consecutive year of decrease in production, and the third consecutive year of decrease in shipments.
The decrease in production was due to a decrease in "consumer electronics", "information terminal device", etc. The decrease in shipments was due to a decrease in "consumer electronics", "radio communication equipment", etc.
The decrease in production was due to a decrease in "cosmetics" and "plastic", etc. The decrease in shipments was due to a decrease in "plastic", "petrochemical base products", etc.
The decrease in production was due to a decrease in "hot rolled steel", "iron and steel crude products", etc. The decrease in shipments was due to a decrease in "hot rolled steel", "cold finished steel", etc. These decreases in both production and shipments were due to a decrease in "cans", "metal products of building", etc.
The construction industry is indispensable in supporting the development of social capital, and fulfills a large role in building a vibrant future for Japan, such as through urban regeneration and regional revitalization. Construction investments at nominal prices was on a declining trend after reaching a peak of 84 trillion yen in fiscal , and fell to half of this peak 42 trillion yen in fiscal Since then, they have been on a recovery trend due to such factors as the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Construction investments in fiscal amounted to A breakdown of construction investment nominal prices shows that building construction totaled In terms of public and private construction investment nominal prices in fiscal , public investment amounted to Public investment accounted for In , the number of new construction starts for dwelling in the case of apartment buildings, the number of apartment units declined 9. The floor space public and private of the entire building whose construction started in was Japan is dependent on imports for Since experiencing the two oil crises of the s, Japan has taken measures to promote energy conservation, introduce alternatives to petroleum such as nuclear power, natural gas, coal, etc.
As a result, its dependence on petroleum declined from However, since the Great East Japan Earthquake, the percentage of fossil fuels has been increasing, as a substitute for nuclear power as fuel for power generation. The level of dependence on petroleum, which had been on a declining trend, increased to However, it is once again on a declining trend as the switch to LNG power and renewable energy progresses. In fiscal , the domestic supply of primary energy in Japan was 19, petajoules, down 3.
Its breakdown was: Other sources were also used, including energy from waste, geothermal, and natural energy photovoltaic, wind power, biomass energy, etc. Joule J is employed as a common unit International System of Units: SI for energy across all energy sources in presenting international statistical information.
The unit Petajoule PJ: 10 15 or quadrillion joules , etc. The energy of one kiloliter of petroleum is calculated using the following formulae:. Petroleum is traded internationally using the volume unit of barrels. One barrel equals approximately The government has been working to construct a new energy supply-demand structure oriented toward stable supply of energy and lowering energy costs. In this process, energy-saving and renewable energy that takes global warming into consideration has been introduced, and aims are being made toward reducing dependency on nuclear power.
Energy consumption per GDP is lower in Japan than in other industrialized countries. This indicates that Japan is one of the most energy-efficient countries in the world. Energy consumption in Japan was suppressed due to greater energy conservation brought on by two oil shocks in the s. After that, consumption increased until the s due to a decrease in crude oil prices.
However, in the s, as crude oil prices rose again, final energy consumption peaked in fiscal , and then started decreasing. In fiscal , real GDP was lower than in fiscal , which added to a decrease in final energy consumption. Final energy consumption in fiscal decreased 2. Approximately half of Japan's primary energy supply of petroleum, coal and other energy sources is converted into electric power. Electricity output including in-house power generation in Japan totaled billion kWh in fiscal , down 3.
Of this total, thermal power accounted for Gas production was 1, petajoules in fiscal , down 3. Of this total, natural gas plus vaporized liquefied natural gas accounted for Gas purchases for fiscal totaled petajoules. Gas sales for fiscal totaled 1, petajoules, or a year-on-year drop of 2.
Of this total, Researchers in the fields of science and technology including social sciences and humanities as of the end of March totaled , As of the end of March , the number of researchers amounted to , persons in business enterprises, 38, persons in non-profit institutions and public organizations, and , persons in universities and colleges.
Approximately 87 percent of the , researchers at business enterprises at the end of March , or , persons, were in the manufacturing industries; the largest number was in the motor vehicles, parts and accessories industry, followed by the information and communication electronics equipment industry, then by the business oriented machinery industry.
The motor vehicles, parts and accessories industry spent the most, followed by the medicines industry, then by the electrical machinery, equipment and supplies industry.
Technology trade is defined as the export or import of technology by business enterprises with other countries, such as patents, expertise, and technical guidance. In fiscal , Japan earned 3, This was the second consecutive decrease. Of the total receipts, Meanwhile, payments to technology imports stood at It decreased for 2 consecutive years.
Of this figure, In fiscal , Japan exported 3, On the other hand, Japan imported The total number of patent applications remained robust in and after as more than , applications were filed every year, but a gradual drop has been seen since Applications fell significantly in , and had remained at a flat level since However, the number of applications in was ,, down 1. In , the number of international patent applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty PCT was ,, of which 52, were from Japan, accounting for The United States Patent and Trademark Office ranked first among major patent offices for applications filed by Japanese applicants in , with 85, applications.
The number of patent applications filed by Japanese applicants at the China National Intellectual Property Administration was 48, The ratio of individuals using the Internet, of which commercial usage started in , exceeded 80 percent in At the end of August , the ratio of individuals who had used the Internet in the past year individuals who are 6 years of age and older was According to the individual Internet usage rate by age group, the usage rate exceeded 90 percent in each age group between 13 and 59 years old.
According to the status of Internet use by device by age group as of the end of August , the usage rate of smartphones was the highest Figures for the rate of Internet use by device by age group show that more than 70 percent use smartphones in each age group between 13 and 59 years old.
As of the end of August , This was more than double from The most frequent telework pattern was working from home, As of the end of March , those with subscriptions for 3. Those with BWA Broadband Wireless Access service access service connecting to networks via broadband wireless access systems using the 2.
Meanwhile, IP phone services voice phone services that use Internet Protocol technology across part or all of the communication network , which use broadband circuits as access lines, entered full-scale use between and As of the end of March , the total number of IP phone subscribers was 44 million. In , the number of fixed-broadband subscribers in Japan was 43 million, the third-largest after China, million and the U.
The number of fixed phone service subscription contracts has continued to decrease in recent years. As of the end of March , the number of fixed phone subscribers was 16 million down 7. Meanwhile, the number of mobile phone subscribers cell phones and personal handyphone systems totaled million at the end of March , marking a rise by 3.
As of the end of March , Japan Post Co. In fiscal , post offices handled Furthermore, the total quantity of international mail letters, Express Mail Services [EMS], and parcels sent in fiscal amounted to Various modes of domestic transport are used in Japan; almost all passenger transport is by railway, while nearly all freight transport is by motor vehicle and cargo ship.
No major changes have been observed in recent years in the volume of domestic passenger transport. Under these circumstances, a shift from private automobiles to public transportation should be promoted as a measure against global warming, along with promotion of the development and distribution of environment-friendly vehicles and measures for traffic flow improvement.
Therefore, in addition to the promotion of computerization, such as adoption of IC cards multiple-use IC [integrated circuit] cards and increased convenience in public transportation through the improvement of transfers, workplace "eco-commuting" measures have been promoted. In fiscal , the number of domestic transport passengers was The total volume of passenger transport was In fiscal , the Japan Railways JR group reported 9. Railways other than JR reported To promote the use of buses, approaches to improve punctuality and speed using bus lanes and to make buses more convenient, such as by introducing a bus location system that provides locational information of buses as well as an IC card system that enables smooth bus rides, are being carried out.
Commercial buses transported 4. In recent years, the development of aviation networks has been underway, such as through enhancing the functions of metropolitan airports and promoting the entry of LCCs, in order to strengthen Japan's international competitiveness in both business and tourism. In promoting the entry of LCCs, there are expectations for creation of new demand, such as through the expansion of foreign tourists visiting Japan as well as of domestic tourism.
Fiscal air transport records show that there were million passengers down 2. In fiscal , passenger ships reported 80 million passengers down 8. In the area of domestic freight, a total of 4. As for transport tonnage volume in fiscal , motor vehicle transport accounted for more than 90 percent of the total. The global economic downturn after September , the spread of a new influenza in early , and the effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake in reduced international air passenger transport on Japanese airlines.
In , this trend reversed to an increase, and in , Japanese airlines transported Both recorded their eighth consecutive year of increase. The number of Japanese overseas travelers in was 3. The number of foreign visitors to Japan totaled 4. According to reports on arrivals by tourist offices in countries around the world, the U. Among Asian countries, the number of visitors from China was highest, amounting to 1. The figure accounted for This led to a sharp decline in the number of foreign visitors to Japan.
In , of the total number of foreign visitors to Japan, tourists numbered 3. The highest number of tourists came from China, with 0.
The volume of seaborne foreign transport in was million tons, down 7. Of this figure, total exports decreased by Air-shipped international freight in totaled 1.
The " Economic Census for Business Activity" showed that 1. Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work.
Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed.
This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets.
In Japan, workers face an expected 1. High-school graduates in Japan traditionally get on-the-job vocational training. These placements are organised by schools and the public employment service, Hello Work.
This is particularly helpful for young people with higher education who are not eligible for the vocational training programme. The Chiba Vocational Training Support Center — Polytechnic Center Chiba PPC is a public vocational training institution that protects elderly employment, promotes vocational independence of persons with disabilities, and promotes assistant services and training courses. The PCC operates in four areas: training courses for jobseekers available for jobseekers in general ; training courses for workers; consultation and assistance for employers; and jobseekers support training targeted to non-EI recipients.
The employment rate of jobseekers following training was Humans are social creatures. The frequency of our contact with others and the quality of our personal relationships are thus crucial determinants of our well-being. A strong social network, or community, can provide emotional support during both good and bad times as well as provide access to jobs, services and other material opportunities.
A weak social network can result in limited economic opportunities, a lack of contact with others, and eventually, feelings of isolation. Socially isolated individuals face difficulties integrating into society as a contributing member and fulfilling personal aspirations.
A well-educated and well-trained population is essential for a country's social and economic well-being. Education plays a key role in providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed to participate effectively in society and in the economy. Having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money. The Japanese can expect to go through Graduating from upper secondary education has become increasingly important in all countries, as the skills needed in the labour market are becoming more knowledge-based.
High-school graduation rates therefore provide a good indication of whether a country is preparing its students to meet the minimum requirements of the job market. In , PISA focused on examining students' reading ability, skills in maths and level in sciences, as research shows that these skills are more reliable predictors of economic and social well-being than the number of years spent in school.
Japan is the top-performing OECD country in reading literacy, maths and sciences with the average student scoring , well above the OECD average The best-performing school systems manage to provide high-quality education to all students. Following the March earthquake in the Tohoku region, in northern Japan, the national, regional and local governments, together with the OECD, launched the OECD-Tohoku School project, to help students and teachers in the region strengthen 21st century skills, internationalisation and bottom-up innovation.
The Tohoku School project has resulted in an open "innovation framework" characterised by distributed leadership, encouragement of internal diversity in local initiatives, voluntary experimentation with new pedagogies, and a strengthened sense of ownership among the participants.
For example, in northern Fukushima, the project has begun to inspire changes involving external partners, such as business leaders and international partners, and encouraged co-operation between schools and the communities around them. Teachers work with their students and their communities on a problem threatening the livelihood of local farmers, as rumours about pollution have made it have to sell food grown there. Students and farmers worked together towards a solution, finally coming up with a fruit jelly, which has been selling well throughout Japan.
For the farmers, this has meant a new future and hope, and for the students it has facilitated a shift from exam-focused academic study towards entrepreneurship, critical thinking, creativity and engaging with the community.
The quality of our local living environment has a direct impact on our health and well-being. Outdoor air pollution is one important environmental issue that directly affects the quality of people's lives. Despite national and international interventions and decreases in major pollutant emissions, the health impacts of urban air pollution continue to worsen , with air pollution set to become the top environmental cause of premature mortality globally by Air pollution in urban centres, often caused by transport and the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, is linked to a range of health problems, from minor eye irritation to upper respiratory symptoms in the short-term and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer in the long-term.
Children and the elderly may be particularly vulnerable. In Japan, PM2. Access to clean water is fundamental to human well-being. Despite significant progress in OECD countries in reducing water pollution, improvements in freshwater quality are not always easy to discern. Fukuoka city created an extensive water infrastructure network to meet growing demand for water.
The Water Distribution Control Centre monitors and controls water pressure gauges, flow meters and electric valves in the 21 blocks that make up the water service area. The system has been modified repeatedly over the years to address ageing facilities and adapt to demographic changes. The centre can now adjust water pressure based on the level of demand in the relevant block.
This improvement has lowered water pressure in the entire system and saved an estimated 4 m 3 -5 m 3 of water leakage every day. If any part of the system experiences damage, the water supply can be cut off immediately, further minimising water loss. The Business Standards Act, which eases floor-area restrictions, and subsidies for buildings that implement these systems support this initiative.
Reliance on surface water has since been reduced and the public is more aware of the importance of saving water. By , facilities had installed in-building recycling systems, had industrial water systems and 1 had rainwater systems. The main objective of the measures was to promote the utilisation of biomass, reduce the consumption of fossil resources and to mitigate global warming through the use of biotechnology.
This initiative has stimulated some major Japanese corporations into sourcing bioplastics for their products e. But that system is also gone. Young women, he notes, tend to leave for the city. Still he says, he marries about ten couples a year. A pretty solid success rate. While the federal government is keen to see residents moving to the countryside, local officials say the city has been losing between one to two thousand residents a year.
But it also means that Japan is stuck — fighting against itself. And what is the choice? Our mission at Marketplace is to raise the economic intelligence of the country.
Marketplace helps you understand it all, will fact-based, approachable, and unbiased reporting. Generous support from listeners and readers is what powers our nonprofit news—and your donation today will help provide this essential service. Skip to content. Sally Herships Apr 20, Listen Now. Share Now on:. Kumi Matsumoto and her second child in Tokyo. Sally Herships. The school used to have three classes per grade, but now it has only two. What if we shortened the workweek? The financial toll of caring for aging parents as an only child.
How We Shop: Frugality as a way of life. In many homes, housework falls disproportionately to young women.
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