Japan Statistics Scraper (e-Stat)

Extract official Japanese government statistics from e-Stat, Japan's national portal for ALL government statistics. Search 6,000+ statistical datasets covering population, GDP, trade, employment, agriculture, health, education, crime, transport, and more -- across every Japanese ministry. Download data with English labels, automatic dimension code resolution, and built-in pagination. Uses the official e-Stat API v3.0 operated by the Statistics Bureau of Japan (MIC).

What is e-Stat and why use this scraper?

e-Stat is Japan's official portal for government statistics, aggregating data from all Japanese ministries and agencies. It is comparable to the US Census Bureau + Bureau of Labor Statistics + Bureau of Economic Analysis combined into one portal. Over 6,000 statistical tables are available covering every aspect of Japanese society and economy.

The e-Stat API is powerful but complex:

• 6,000+ datasets -- Finding the right dataset requires navigating a complex catalog of statistics codes, field categories, and survey names. This actor lets you search by simple keywords in English or Japanese.
• Cryptic dimension codes -- Raw API data uses internal codes like @cat01: "001". This actor resolves all codes to human-readable labels like "Total population".
• Pagination required -- Large datasets have millions of rows across multiple pages. This actor handles pagination automatically up to your specified limit.

e-Stat vs US statistics comparison

Feature	e-Stat (Japan)	US Census / BLS / BEA
Operated by	Statistics Bureau (MIC)	Census Bureau, BLS, BEA
Country	Japan	United States
Datasets	6,000+ tables	Varies by agency
API cost	Free (registration required)	Free
Language	Japanese + partial English	English
Data scope	All ministries combined	Split across agencies
License	Government Standard Terms (CC BY 4.0 compatible)	Public domain

How to extract Japanese government statistics

1. Get a free e-Stat Application ID at e-stat.go.jp (register, then issue appId from My Page)
2. Enter your Application ID in the input form
3. Search for datasets by keyword (e.g., population, GDP, trade)
4. Find a dataset ID from search results, then switch to Get Data mode
5. Click Start -- the actor downloads data with resolved dimension labels

The prefilled example searches for population-related datasets. Just add your Application ID and run.

Three search modes

1. Search Datasets

Find statistical datasets by keyword. Returns dataset IDs, titles, ministries, survey dates, and record counts. Use this first to discover what data is available.

2. Get Statistical Data

Download actual data rows from a specific dataset ID. Each row includes resolved dimension labels (e.g., area_name: "Tokyo" instead of area_code: "13000"). Automatic pagination handles large datasets.

3. Get Metadata

Explore a dataset's dimensions and category codes. Useful for building precise filters before downloading data.

What data can you extract from e-Stat?

• Population: Census, demographics, migration, household surveys
• Economy: GDP, national accounts, consumer spending, CPI, price indices
• Labor: Employment, unemployment, wages, working hours, labor force
• Trade: Import/export, trade partners, commodity breakdown
• Industry: Manufacturing, construction, services, retail, wholesale
• Agriculture: Farm production, livestock, fisheries, forestry
• Health: Medical facilities, diseases, mortality, insurance
• Education: Schools, students, teachers, enrollment rates
• Crime: Offenses, arrests, court cases, prison population
• Housing: Housing starts, vacancy rates, construction costs
• Transport: Railways, roads, aviation, shipping, vehicle registration
• Government finance: National/local budgets, tax revenue, public debt
• Environment: Emissions, waste, energy consumption

All data comes from official Japanese government sources across every ministry.

Input parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
appId	string	Yes	e-Stat Application ID (free).
searchMode	string	No	"searchDatasets" (default), "getStatsData", or "getMetaInfo".
searchWord	string	When searchDatasets	Search keyword (e.g., "population", "GDP").
statsDataId	string	When getStatsData/getMetaInfo	Dataset ID (e.g., "0003445099").
language	string	No	"E" (English, default) or "J" (Japanese).
surveyYears	string	No	Filter by survey year (search mode).
statsField	string	No	Statistics field code (search mode).
statsCode	string	No	Statistics code (search mode).
cdArea	string	No	Area code filter (data mode).
cdCat01	string	No	Category dimension filter (data mode).
cdTime	string	No	Time period filter (data mode).
maxResults	integer	No	Max results (1-1,000,000). Default: 1000.

Example: Search for population datasets

{
    "appId": "your-app-id",
    "searchMode": "searchDatasets",
    "searchWord": "population",
    "language": "E"
}

Example: Download GDP data

{
    "appId": "your-app-id",
    "searchMode": "getStatsData",
    "statsDataId": "0003109741",
    "language": "E",
    "maxResults": 5000
}

Example: Explore dataset dimensions

{
    "appId": "your-app-id",
    "searchMode": "getMetaInfo",
    "statsDataId": "0003445099",
    "language": "E"
}

Sample output: Dataset search

The following is an illustrative example of a dataset search result.

{
    "datasetId": "0003445099",
    "statisticsName": "Population Census",
    "governmentOrg": "Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications",
    "title": "Population by Age (Five-Year Groups) and Sex",
    "surveyDate": "2020",
    "openDate": "2021-11-30",
    "overallTotalNumber": "1920",
    "updatedDate": "2022-02-15",
    "dataSource": "Source: Created by processing data from e-Stat ..."
}

Sample output: Statistical data

The following is an illustrative example of a data row from a population dataset.

{
    "tab_code": "020",
    "tab_name": "Population",
    "cat01_code": "001",
    "cat01_name": "Total population",
    "area_code": "00000",
    "area_name": "All Japan",
    "time_code": "2020000000",
    "time_name": "2020",
    "value": "126146099",
    "unit": "person",
    "dataSource": "Source: Created by processing data from e-Stat ..."
}

Output fields

Search Datasets mode

Field	Type	Description
datasetId	string	e-Stat dataset ID
statisticsName	string	Name of the statistical survey
governmentOrg	string	Ministry or agency
title	string	Dataset/table title
surveyDate	string	Survey date or period
openDate	string	Publication date
overallTotalNumber	string	Total records in dataset
updatedDate	string	Last update date
statisticsNameSpec	string	Tabulation category
description	string	Dataset description
dataSource	string	Attribution

Get Data mode

Fields vary by dataset. Each row includes dimension codes and resolved names (e.g., area_code + area_name, cat01_code + cat01_name), plus value, unit, and dataSource.

Get Metadata mode

Field	Type	Description
dimensionId	string	Dimension identifier (e.g., cat01, area, time)
dimensionName	string	Human-readable dimension name
code	string	Category code
name	string	Human-readable name for the code
dataSource	string	Attribution

Python API usage example

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")

# Search for population datasets
run = client.actor("rationalistic_counsel/estat-japan-statistics").call(
    run_input={
        "appId": "YOUR_ESTAT_APP_ID",
        "searchMode": "searchDatasets",
        "searchWord": "population",
        "language": "E",
    }
)

for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(f"{item['datasetId']} - {item['title']} ({item['governmentOrg']})")

How to get a free e-Stat Application ID

1. Go to e-Stat and create an account
2. Log in and go to My Page (マイページ)
3. Click "API" in the sidebar
4. Fill in the application form (app name, URL, description)
5. Click "Issue" -- your Application ID is generated instantly
6. The API is completely free with no usage fees

How much does it cost to run?

• Dataset search: 1 API call per 100 datasets, very fast (~$0.01 Apify compute)
• Data download (1,000 rows): 1 API call, 5 seconds ($0.01 Apify compute)
• Data download (100,000 rows): 1 API call, 30 seconds ($0.02 Apify compute)
• Large dataset (1M+ rows): Multiple paginated calls, several minutes (~$0.10 Apify compute)
• Self-imposed rate limit: 1 second between API calls (respectful usage)

Statistics field codes for filtering

Code	Field
01	Land and Climate
02	Population and Households
03	Labor and Wages
04	Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries
05	Mining and Manufacturing
07	Business and Enterprise
08	Energy and Water
09	Construction and Housing
10	Transport and Communication
11	Commerce and Trade
12	Finance and Insurance
13	Services
14	Government and Elections

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is Japan's official statistics portal? e-Stat (https://www.e-stat.go.jp/) is Japan's official portal for all government statistics, operated by the Statistics Bureau of Japan under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC).

Q: Is the e-Stat API free? Yes. Registration and API usage are completely free. No credit card required.

Q: Are English datasets available? Yes. Many major datasets have English translations. Use language: "E" to get English output. Not all datasets are translated -- use language: "J" for complete coverage.

Q: How do I find the right dataset ID? Use the searchDatasets mode with keywords. The returned datasetId field can then be used with getStatsData or getMetaInfo modes.

Q: What if I get too much data? Use dimension filters (cdArea, cdCat01, cdTime) to narrow results. Run getMetaInfo first to see available filter codes for your dataset.

Q: How far back does the data go? It varies by dataset. Population Census data goes back to 1920. Most economic indicators are available from 2000 onward.

Q: Can I use this data commercially? Yes. e-Stat data is published under Japan's Government Standard Terms of Use, which is compatible with CC BY 4.0. Commercial use is explicitly permitted with attribution.

Q: What is the difference between e-Stat and RESAS? RESAS (Regional Economy Society Analyzing System) was a separate visualization tool for regional economic data. Its API was discontinued in March 2025. e-Stat remains the primary source for Japanese government statistics.

Q: How do I get population data for Tokyo? Use getStatsData with a Population Census dataset ID and filter by cdArea: "13000" (Tokyo prefecture code).

Q: Why are some values missing or showing '-'? Some statistical cells are suppressed for confidentiality or have no data. The value field may show -, ..., x, or be empty in these cases.

Who uses Japanese government statistics?

• Market researchers: Analyzing Japanese demographics, consumer behavior, and economic trends
• Academic researchers: Studying Japanese society, economy, and public policy
• Financial analysts: Tracking Japanese economic indicators (GDP, CPI, employment)
• Foreign companies: Evaluating Japan market entry (population density, labor costs, consumer spending)
• Consulting firms: Building market reports with official Japanese macro data
• Data journalists: Covering Japan's economy and society with official statistics
• AI/ML developers: Training models on Japanese demographic and economic data

Integrations

This actor works with all Apify platform features:

• Schedule runs to check for updated statistics periodically
• API access to trigger runs programmatically (Python, Node.js, REST API)
• Webhooks for notifications when data is ready
• Export to Google Sheets, CSV, JSON, or databases
• Integrate with LangChain, LlamaIndex, and other AI/LLM frameworks

Legal

This actor accesses publicly available data from e-Stat, Japan's official statistics portal operated by the Statistics Bureau of Japan. e-Stat data is published under Japan's Government Standard Terms of Use, which is compatible with CC BY 4.0. Commercial use, redistribution, and modification are permitted with attribution. Each output record includes a dataSource field for compliance.

Required disclaimer: This service uses the API function of the Government Statistics Portal (e-Stat), but the content of the service is not guaranteed by the government.

This actor is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Statistics Bureau of Japan or any Japanese government ministry.