Japanese Economy

Economic System

Japan is a mixed economy featuring government intervention into an otherwise market economy. There is close interplay between the government and the economy, specifically the four great business conglomerates known at the big four Zaibatsus.  

Currency & Monetary Policy

Yen (¥): 1 Yen is equivalent to roughly $6.11 USD circa 2023. There are different types of Yen currencies from ¥1 coins up to ¥10,000 paper notes. The money supply is controlled by the Bank of Japan, a central bank created shortly after the Meiji Restoration to manage the money supply and to try to balance inflation and the selling of government bonds.  

Foreign Trade

Japan is a net importer because it is deficient in natural resources like oil, iron, rubber, etc.  

Imports

oil, rubber, steel, and other raw materials  

Exports

silk and other textiles comprise most of Japan's exports  

GDP and Taxes

Japan's large government infrastructure, military, and social programs necessitate a high tax rate to fuel. Japan proper comprises over half of the population of the entire empire, and enjoy an above average income compared to the average imperial citizen. Due to the high population of the empire as a whole, the GDP and tax revenue for the empire is very large.   GDP (Japan Proper) - ¥4,909,983,633 ($30,000,000,000 USD 2023)   Per Capita GDP (Japan Proper) - ¥654.66 ($4,000 USD 2023)  

Standard of Living

The standard of living for average Japanese in the midst of the industrial revolution has been a mixed bag. Urban migration has soared in the last 2 decades, going from only 10% of the population living in urban areas, up to its current amount of 40%. As far as ways their lives have improved:

• Due to improvements in medicine, life expectancy has gone from 35 years to 45 years
• Income has increased for the average person due to the fruits of industrialization
• Increasing work opportunities and income mobility for the average person
• New technologies make certain tasks like travel cheaper and easier than every for everyday people

  The costs of modern standard of living are:

• Crowded, cramped, and unsanitary living conditions in cities, leading to disease and fire outbreaks
• Long work hours for factory workers, and sometimes dangerous work conditions
• Urban development is unable to keep up with the rate of migration into cities
• The growing pains of industrialization are creating cultural schisms and moral/religious conflicts

Tokyo Stock Exchange

  Located in the commercial trading hub of @Tokyo, the stock exchange allows for the buying and selling of stock for various companies within the empire, as well as government bonds.