This is information that shows how important the research and development needed is for Japan to continuously grow as a country in its economy. As early as 1980, the Science and Technology Agency, a component of the Kantei (the office of Prime Minister Masayoshi Ōhira), announced the beginning of the "era of technological independence of Japan." Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Japan "Japan" in Japanese in Nihhon meaning "Land of the Rising Sun", as Japan is believed to have been the first country in the East to see the sun rise. Japan is made up of over 6,800 islands. Japan has more than 3,000 McDonald's restaurants, the most of any country outside the United States of America. 21% of the Japanese population is elderly (over 65 years old), the highest percentage in the world. Today in Japan there are more elderly people than children. The Japanese consume more fish than any other people in the world, approximately 17 million tons per year. Japan is the world's largest importer of seafood, with shrimp accounting for about a third of the total, around four million tonnes per year. Over 20% of Japanese protein is obtained through fish and seafood products. Japanese Technology The Japanese invented canned coffee, instant noodles, karaoke, blue light-emitting diodes, and the Walkman. Japan was a pioneer of MP3 technology. Sony and Phillips co-developed the compact disc. In recent years, however, the Japanese have had difficulty finding the next offering. After all, it was Apple that invented the iPod and iPhone, not Sony. The Japanese are addicted to the latest and greatest technology. They have things like air conditioning that you can control with a remote control, smart televisions that speak English and Japanese, cars with automated voices that can tell you where to go. Natural disasters: earthquakes In the last six days, 10 earthquakes have occurred, of which the penultimate most recent was a magnitude 5.4, the highest this week. On April 15, 2016, a strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 hit southern Japan just 24 hours after a smaller earthquake hit the area, killing nine people. Police were informed on Saturday that at least six people had been killed. Officials said hundreds of calls have come in from residents reporting people trapped inside homes and structures on Kyushu island. The fire and disaster management agency said 66 people were trapped in a nursing home in Mashiki, the worst-hit city, and that rescue efforts had begun. Natural Disasters: Tsunami On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake shook northeast Japan, triggering a violent tsunami. The effects of the great earthquake were felt throughout the world, from the Norwegian fjords to the Antarctic ice cap. Tsunami wreckage continues to wash up on North American beaches two years later. The 2011 Tohoku earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, along a subduction zone where two of the Earth's tectonic plates collide. In a subduction zone, one plate slides beneath another in the mantle, the hottest layer beneath the crust. Large plates stick together and slide, causing earthquakes. East of Japan, the Pacific Plate dips beneath the Eurasian Plate. The earthquake completely released centuries of stress built up between the two tectonic plates, according to a recent study.