What natural resources are owned by the nation of Japan?

Shiningstar7

A mountainous, volcanic island country, Japan has inadequate natural resources to support its growing economy and large population. Although many kinds of minerals were extracted throughout the country, most mineral resources had to be imported in the postwar era. Local deposits of metal-bearing ores were difficult to process because they were low grade. The nation's large and varied forest resources, which covered 70 percent of the country in the late 1980s, were not utilized extensively. Because of political decisions on local, prefectural, and nation levels, Japan decided not to exploit its forest resources for economic gain. Domestic sources only supplied between 25 and 30 percent of the nation's timber needs. Agriculture and fishing were the best developed resources, but only through years of painstaking investment and toil. The nation therefore built up the manufacturing and processing industries to convert raw materials imported from abroad. This strategy of economic development necessitated the establishment of a strong economic infrastructure to provide the needed energy, transportation, communications, and technological know-how. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Japan May 28 11, 1:00 AM

Shiningstar7

Japan has very few natural resources, and only about a quarter of the land is suitable for agricultural purposes. Forestry is important, and about 65% of the land area is used for forestry. However, the country uses as much as it produces, with high demand for wood and wood products. Prior to the war, it was a significant producer of rice, but that changed after the war, with the shift towards manufacturing. Japan has no significant mineral resources. Because of its proximity to the ocean, and the fact that it is an island, fish is regarded as one of its natural resources. A significant natural resource would be Japan's education system and labour force. These are one of the reasons for Japan's economic success. Most of Japan's supplies are imported due to the lack of natural resources on the island. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_natural_resources_of_Japan May 28 11, 1:08 AM