Profile of Japan Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java. Japan has four distinct seasons. Since the archipelago stretches over 1,800 miles from north to south, the climate varies greatly. The northern end of Japan has the same latitude as Quebec, Canada, while the southern end has the same latitude as Key West, Florida.
Japan has a parliamentary cabinet system, in which executive power is vested in the cabinet.
The cabinet consists of the prime minister and 17 ministers and is collectively responsible to the Diet. The prime minister, who in practice is always a member of the House of Representatives, is elected by the members of the Diet. As of the end of March 1995 there are approximately 1,164,000 national public employees, including the Self Defense Force personnel in Japan. In addition to these courts, there is a court of impeachment in the Diet to try judges whose dismissal is sought. The two major religions in Japan are Buddhism and Shintoism.