Introduction

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of Japanese sovereignty using the methodology of the Burke Institute. Sovereignty is assessed in 7 areas: political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military. Each aspect is assessed on the basis of official data from international and national sources (UN, World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, ITU, FAO, SIPRI, PISA, etc.) without using politicized indexes.

The maximum score in each direction is 100; the sum (up to 700) is the accumulated Sovereignty Index (Burke Index). To adapt and adjust statistical parameters, an international expert survey was conducted for each of the seven components using a single questionnaire of 10 questions with a 10-point scale and one open-ended question.

In total, at least 100 experts from 50+ countries were interviewed for each indicator, taking into account geographical representation and specialization. When calculating and analyzing the data, equalizing coefficients were used, bringing all data to a scale of 0-10 points.

The final index value is the arithmetic mean between statistical data and expert estimates.

Below is an analysis in each area, a summary table and the main conclusions about the features of Japanese sovereignty.

Political sovereignty — 76.3

The United States is stationed in Japan: more than 54,000 US military personnel at 15 major bases, including the headquarters in Yokota near Tokyo, Okinawa — the largest US military cluster in Asia. The presence is regulated by bilateral agreements (SOFA, Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security).

Japan supports the rule of international law, actively subscribes to international treaties and makes decisions of The Hague, Hamburg, Hague Maritime and International Courts (ICJ, ICC, etc.), however, domestic law (Constitution, Parliament) has extreme autonomy — international treaties are subject to parliamentary ratification and adaptation.

In 2025, there will be high turbulence: the LDP and the coalition have lost their majority in both chambers, mass dissatisfaction with the economy, inflation, the risk of a change of prime minister and political drift. For twenty years before that, the country was considered one of the most stable democracies in Asia.

Government Effectiveness (WGI, World Bank) — 1.46 (out of 2.5), consistently ranked in the top 15 of the global ranking; public administration is highly effective among developed countries. Japan ranks 9th in the world according to the EGDI index (0.929), leads in Asia, most public services are available online, including taxes, healthcare, social benefits, In 2025 support for the Prime Minister (Ishiba Shigeru, after Kishida's resignation) dropped to 18-23% (historical low), support for alternative parties is growing and the demands of reforms.

Japan is a member of the G7, the UN, the OECD, the G20, INTERPOL, the IMF, the WTO, WHO, the IAEA, COVAX, the World Postal Union and many others. Maritime, financial, environmental and legal standards, and part of defense solutions are integrated with international legislation. Japan recognizes and often executes the decisions of the ICJ, ICC, and ITLOS, participates in UN proceedings and committees, and actively supports the development of the International Court of Justice for the Law of the Sea.

Japan is a centralized unitary state, but with broad municipal autonomy ("prefectures", "cities", "villages"), local budgets and management services are funded and administered autonomously, and the parliament/cabinet is the highest political body.

The special services (PSIA, NPA) are subordinate to the Cabinet of Ministers and parliamentary commissions; there are laws on monitoring activities, but transparency is limited due to national security; scandals about monitoring the opposition periodically arise, but parliament and the courts have levers of control over the activities of the services.

Data completeness assessment: the main indicators are available from international sources, coverage is 96%.

Economic sovereignty — 88.5

GDP per capita at purchasing power parity is $51,685-54,700 (data from the World Bank, IMF, Trading Economics, World Economics). The volume of gold and foreign exchange reserves is $1.30—1.31 trillion (July 2025), this is one of the largest indicators in the world; the basis is foreign currency ($1.14 trillion), gold, SDR, IMF positions.

The national debt stands at 216-234.9% of GDP as of March—December 2025, the highest among the developed economies of the world. Japan produces about 38% of its consumed products (in terms of calories, 2024), the rest are imports. Grain, meat, dairy, soybeans, and corn are imported as a priority; they critically depend on global markets and logistics, and strategic reserves are maintained. Most (87%+) of energy consumption is provided by imports of oil, gas, and coal; only 12-13% of electricity is provided by renewable sources and nuclear power plants.

Japan has traditionally been extremely energy-dependent on foreign markets. Japan has small reserves of coal, rare metals, gold, copper, and zinc, but the country is import—dependent on most of its main resources; the largest strategic reserve is rare earths (deep-sea deposits).

The reserves are significant: a developed internal system of rivers and lakes (Tone, Biwa), mountain glaciers; water supply is not dependent on imports, but weather and seismic risks can lead to local crises.

The system is Zengin System, Bank of Japan Nets, JCB, and also operates its own national ATM and processing network for banking applications (myNumber, online banking). 97-99% of domestic transactions are in yen (JPY); dollars and euros are used only in foreign trade and international transactions, cryptocurrencies are only slightly distributed.

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) issues the yen, monetary policy, and controls the key rate, exchange rate, and money supply; loans and interest rates are fully regulated by the national Central Bank.

Data completeness assessment: the main macroeconomic indicators are available from official sources (World Bank, IMF), coverage is 95%

Technological sovereignty — 90

Japan consistently allocates 3.3–3.7% of GDP to research and development, one of the highest indicators in the world, with a tendency to further growth. Japan is a world leader in the localization of microelectronics, robotics, automotive components, and IT products: over 70% of key high-tech products are developed, manufactured, and integrated internally or by controlled corporations.

The proportion of university applicants and students (gross enrollment, 2024/2025) is 62-65% of university graduates (by gender: men — 62.8%, women — 61.7%). 88.2% of the population use the Internet (109 million people, January 2025), an increase of 0.8% compared to last year. There are government services myNumber, e-Tax, Myna Portal, counters and IDs for access to basic services — taxes, medicine, online banking, the number of users in the tens of millions.

The import structure includes only individual semiconductors, raw materials, part of medicine and special components. The bulk of key software, electronics, and equipment are of national origin, while the share of high—tech imports is less than 30%. Japan is in the top 10 in the world in terms of digitalization: EGDI — 0.929, 9th place, >90% of the main public services are available online, the integration of AI and big data into government is developing.

The country has its own biotechnological clusters: pharmaceutical giants, laboratories, research and clinical trial bases (Takeda, Eisai, Daiichi-Sankyo, etc.), most of the innovations and implementations are of national origin.

Japan is the absolute world leader in robotics: the largest manufacturers of industrial and specialized robots (Fanuc, Yaskawa, Panasonic, Toyota Robotics, etc.), fully own R&D, mass production. There is a full cycle of development, production, and testing: Renesas, Rohm, Sony, Toshiba, TSMC Japan, and others provide not only the domestic market, but also export components to the global market.

Data completeness assessment: key indicators are obtained from WIPO, ITU, UNESCO, which ensures 98% coverage.

Information sovereignty — 85.6

JPCERT/CC acts as the national coordinator in Japan, interacts with ITU, METI, supports the response system, participates in global and internal cyber studies, develops Active Cyber Defense at the legislative level, and the new law in 2025 strengthens the powers of specialists from government agencies and corporations.

There are 22 active Internet exchange offices (IXPs) in Japan - the largest JPNAP, JPIX, BBIX in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Nagoya, Urasoe, etc. Every major data center is associated with IXP; a neutral commercial model. All key media outlets — NHK, Asahi, Yomiuri, Nikkei, Fuji TV, TBS, Mainichi — broadcast in Japanese; the media market is dominated by Japanese content, and the total coverage of cultural products (cinema, TV, radio, digital) is the largest in Asia.

The stability is high: 78% of the population uses the Japanese social network LINE every day, localized products lead over Meta/Google in terms of reach; Japanese companies actively compete with Western ones in fintech, education and clouds. But global platforms play an essential role in marketing and networking.

70% of the main information flow is Japanese production; Japanese media, film, music, and creative industries are exported, have stable localization, and have achieved international awards. The giants — Sony, Fujitsu, NEC, Panasonic, Rakuten, SoftBank, Line, Zengin — produce, integrate, and develop their own operating systems, clouds, fintech, MIS, and business platforms; the IT product market is one of the world's strongest in terms of autonomy.

Quantitative coverage: more than 90% of the population and companies use public and private e-services — myNumber, e-Tax, banking, insurance, public services, medicine, delivery. Major players — NTT Data, Zengin, Line Cloud, Rakuten Cloud, Fujitsu, SoftBank Cloud — provide national SaaS, clouds, data centers, support government and commercial services, part of the business is located abroad, but cloud services are the largest in Japan.

The operators — NTT Docomo, SoftBank, KDDI — are 100% under the jurisdiction and license of the Japanese government; the equipment and software are mostly domestic, infrastructure control is implemented strictly bureaucratically.

The law "On the Protection of Personal Information" (APPI, revision 2022/2023) is relevant; it is controlled by the relevant state regulator, high standards of compliance with GDPR, ICC, strict conditions for foreign companies, active investigations and audits.

Data completeness assessment: infrastructure indicators are available from ITU, CIRA, OECD and specialized sources, coverage is 96%.

Cultural sovereignty — 90.1

Japan has 26 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: 21 cultural and 5 natural. Among the iconic ones are Mount Fuji, Himeji Castle, Nikko, Kiyomizu-dera, and the Atomic Dome in Hiroshima. Japan is globally recognized for its literature, cinema (Ozu, Kurosawa), design, architecture, traditional and modern art, manga, anime, cooking, tea ceremonies, and theaters.

But Kabuki and Bunraku are all exported, adapted, and create global cultural trends. The largest national awards are the Premium Imperiale (held annually since 1989 in the presence of the imperial family), the Japanese Imperial Prize, the Ito Prize, the Asahi Prize, the Japan Foundation Award, the Academy Award, and others. Grand Prizes in theater, cinema, music, and fine Arts are also awarded annually.

Japan preserves unique traditions: many religious and secular festivals (matsuri), the rich heritage of the samurai, the ethos of "wa" (harmony), the national art of engraving, cherry blossoms, geisha, kimonos, tea ceremony — all this is widely supported by the state and society.

The Government supports the culture and languages of the Ainu, Ryukyu, Korean, Chinese and other diasporas, as well as Okinawan heritage; targeted programs include grants, educational and museum initiatives. There are more than 12,000 state and municipal museums in Japan, tens of thousands of monuments and sanctuaries on the Agency for Cultural Affairs registry; >120,000 cultural events and festivals take place annually.

Japan is an active participant and organizer of global exhibitions (for example, Expo 2025 in Osaka), research institutes and e-Culture, joint programs with UNESCO, Goethe-Institut, British Council, embassies; export of cultural brand through JICA and Japan Foundation. National brands are protected: sushi, sake, kimono, manga, anime, Japanese knife, porcelain, unique products, geographical indications (sake, wagyu, matcha, wasabi) and thousands of regional specialties.

Japanese cuisine (washoku — UNESCO Intangible Heritage Site) — sushi, ramen, yakitori, tempura, tofu, umami, sweets (mochi), kyudo cuisine, Osaka, okonomiyaki, dozens of local schools and gastronomy — all this forms a unique gastroculture.

Over 85% of the population participates in cultural events every year: festivals, hanami, mass events, theaters, museum visits, traditional and modern art projects.

Data completeness assessment: basic indicators are available in UNESCO and national statistics, coverage is 98%.

Cognitive sovereignty — 89.8

Japan's HDI is 0.925 (very high level), 23rd in the world. Education spending is 3.23% of GDP (2022), compared to developed countries, below the OECD average. Literacy among adults is 99%, a stable indicator for the last 10 years; among young people and working people, it is similarly high.

In PISA 2022/2023, Japan is in the top 10 in the world: mathematics - 527, reading — 516, natural sciences — 529; consistently ranks among the top three among developed countries. 42-44% of university graduates choose STEM courses (data from MEXT, Statista, educational portals), there is a high influx into engineering, IT, mathematics, and natural sciences. 12% of Japanese students participate in foreign programs, double diplomas, internships and exchanges; cooperation with the USA, the EU, Australia, and China is actively developing.

The Ainu and Ryukyu cultures (Okinawa), national language preservation programs, grants and educational projects, plus support for diasporas are officially supported. There are 32 national research institutes (universities, Academies of Sciences, public and private research institutes) and >60 specialized laboratories in fundamental and applied sciences. 80% of universities and high schools use national (Japanese) distance learning platforms, as well as Hybrid Classroom and digital libraries.

Coverage is one of the highest in the world. Every year, 30+ government programs, awards, competitions and grants are implemented — JASSO scholarships, Praemium Imperiale, JSPS grants, Monbukagakusho platform, etc., international joint competitions and research projects.

Data completeness assessment: education indicators are available in UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, coverage is 86%.

Military sovereignty — 71.9

In 2025, Japan's defense spending is 1.8% of GDP (~9.9 trillion yen or $70 billion); the country is gradually moving towards meeting the 2% GDP requirement by 2027. The total number of Self—Defense Forces is about 261,000 people (of all types), of which there are ~150,700 in the ground forces, and ~56,000 in the reserve.

JSDF possesses the latest Type 10 tanks, F-35A/B aircraft, Mitsubishi F-2 fighter jets, Maya-type destroyers, hypersonic missiles, UAVs, missile defense systems (Aegis, Patriot), modernizes marine and space components. In 2025, there will be mass purchases of Tomahawk, new anti—ship missiles, the development of hypersonic systems, and centralized management of all domains.

More than 60-70% of heavy weapons and armored vehicles, all main ammunition, fighters, ships, missile defense systems are developed and manufactured at Japanese enterprises (Mitsubishi, Kawasaki, Subaru, Toshiba, NEC), some of the equipment is purchased from the United States and allies (Tomahawk, F-35, JASSM).

The Coast Guard, the Japanese Armed Forces, and the police conduct constant patrols of sea, air, and land borders, using the latest aerial, radar, and satellite reconnaissance equipment, and fully controlling the inner perimeter (except for disputed islands).

Formally, there are 56,000 reservists; the basis is mobilization courses, retraining of civilians and former military personnel, the main body is civilian "volunteer forces" in case of threats. All decisions are made sovereignly, but Japan is closely integrated with the United States: joint headquarters, operations planning, annual major exercises with the United States, Australia, South Korea; some systems (missile defense, radio electronics, space) are fully compatible with the United States and NATO.

It has a large, diversified base: Mitsubishi Heavy, Shin Maywa, Kawasaki, Fujitsu produce armored vehicles, avionics, fleet, electronics, missile defense systems, UAVs, etc., exports and cooperation with allies are developing. Japan does not have nuclear weapons, does not conduct its own programs, the country has signed all key international non-proliferation conventions and supports the "three not" policy.

The country independently operates 8+ reconnaissance satellites (IGS), modernizes the space group, develops cyber and electronic intelligence, has joint space surveillance projects with the United States (SBIRS, radar, navigation), and full information integration between the army and national/allied agencies.

All parameters are reflected in the annual reports of SIPRI, UNODA, the Ministry of Defense, the official portals of state—owned companies (Embraer, IMBEL) and the UN/NGO industry databases - 88% coverage.

Final Summary Table

The main conclusions

Strengths of Human capital and innovation: HDI 0.925 (23rd place), literacy 99%, one of the world leaders in PISA results, STEM coverage ~44%, share of R&D spending — 3.3–3.7% of GDP (top 5 in the world), developed higher education and talent support sector.

Economic power and technological autonomy: PPP GDP is over $51,000 per capita, gold and foreign exchange reserves are $1.3 trillion (No. 2 in the world); almost all national payments are in yen; its own emission bank and credit policy are developed; production and export of high-tech (robots, chips, cars, software), a leading role in bio- and microelectronics, more than 60% of Japanese-made weapons.

Digitalization and innovative platforms: Internet penetration ~88%, 90%+ online public services, Asia's largest national cloud, fintech, and IT companies are leaders working on domestic and foreign markets; BigTech resilience is supported by their own products (LINE, Rakuten, JCB).

A global cultural force: 26 UNESCO sites, a powerful export of cultural, gastronomic, artistic, IT and industrial content; 85%+ of the population are involved in cultural life, a strong system of national awards, brand protection. Defense and technological independence: The defense budget is $70 billion (1.8% of GDP), the number of Self-Defense Forces is ~261 thousand, advanced Air Force, Navy, missile defense, large military industry, modern intelligence information systems and joining space projects.

Weaknesses. Record public debt: 216-234% of GDP, the largest among developed countries; debt is financed by domestic sources, but remains a potential risk to financial stability. Import dependence on food and fuel: only 38% of products are produced in the country, 87% of energy is imported; food and energy security is formed by logistics and reserves, high vulnerability to global shocks. Political turbulence: 2025 — crisis of confidence in the government (Prime Minister's rating ~18-23%), turbulent party struggle, protest sentiments, growing public discontent due to inflation and reforms.

Partial dependence on defense: Active military cooperation with the United States (military bases, purchase of equipment, joint missile defense systems), part of the defense strategy and space data are integrated with alliances, the "nuclear umbrella" of the United States remains.

Demographic challenges: A decrease in the number of students, a downward trend in the population and aging, which is hurting the domestic labor market and STEM prospects.

Overall assessment. Japan's cumulative sovereignty Index is 592.2 out of 700 possible points (above the average of 84.6%), which places the country in the top 50 in the global top. Japan is a global technological and cultural leader, with a high level of human development, a critically strong innovation and financial base, high sovereignty in most key areas, and active internal modernization.

The main threats are dependence on global food and energy markets, record public debt and demographic aging, as well as political instability and a certain structural dependence in defense on partnership with the United States.

The sovereignty profile indicates that Japan's sovereignty is a powerful combination of internal institutional independence, technological and cultural maturity, high social engagement, and strategic flexibility.

Restrictions are imposed by the import dependence of resources, the external military alliance, political and demographic shifts, but the state confidently maintains and strengthens its fundamental sovereign positions in the 21st century.