Japan is located in the Pacific Ocean; it lies to the east of China, Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. Japan is the second largest economy in the world after the United States, at around US$4.5 trillion in terms of nominal GDP. Few of Japan’s main industries are banking, insurance, real estate, retailing, transportation and telecommunications.

Japan has a large industrial capacity and is home to some of the largest, leading and most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles and processed foods. Construction has long been one of Japan's largest industries, with the help of multi-billion dollar government contracts in the civil sector. Japan has high economic freedom, close government-industry cooperation for economic growth, emphasis on science and technology and strong work ethic. Japan is the world's fourth largest  exporter and sixth largest  importer. It is also the world’s leader in technology and machinery.