INTRODUCTION. 15 



rights of the governing family, in case of rebellion or treason. This penalty of forfeiture was 

 incurred by many of the reigning princes, and advantage was taken of the circumstance, as 

 often as it occurred, to split the forfeited principalities into fragments ; so that, instead of the 

 original number, there are now no less than six hundred and four distinct administrations, in- 

 cluding therein principalities, lordships, imperial provinces, and imperial towns, of which last 

 the Ziogoon himself is the ruling head. 



1. There is under the Emperor, {Ziogoon,) a grand council of state, consisting of thirteen, 

 which governs in the Emperor's name. Of these thirteen, five councillors are taken from the 

 first class we have named, the hereditary princes and vassals of the Empire ; the remainino- 

 eight are taken from the second class, the old nobility, below the rank of princes. There seems 

 to be among these a head councillor of state^ whose powers and functions are not unlike those of 

 a grand vizier in Turkey. He is called " Governor of the Empire," and all the other council- 

 lors are subordinate to him. He decides upon all afiairs of moment ; has the universal appoint- 

 ing power ; receives returns from all the authorities of the Empire ; may, on appeal, sanction 

 or reverse every sentence of death passed ; and, in short, acts for the lay Emperor in all these 

 and some other exercises of sovereignty. To this grand council, too, belongs the very important 

 power of dethroning the Ziogoon. Important resolutions of the council are always laid before 

 the Emperor, who generally assents without delay or investigation. Should he, however, dis- 

 sent, a mode of proceeding is pursued, which we will describe presently. It is doubtful whether 

 all these high offices are not hereditary ; and under these are — 



2. Inferior state functionaries, in regular and interminable gradation, consisting of lords, 

 guardians of the temples, commissioners of foreign affairs, governors, ministers of jjolice, 

 superintendents of agriculture, &c. No relative of the spiritual sovereign, however, is ever jiut 

 into any of these offices. 



3. The vassal princes still govern the principalities or such fragments of them as may be 

 left to them, with an outward show of their former sovereignty ; but it is show only. The 

 princes themselves can do nothing without the consent of the Ziogoon and council. And here 

 we find in full development that system of espionage of which we have spoken. The prince 

 himself, beside being surrounded with a multitude of private sjjies, unknown to him, who 

 watch his domestic as well as public business and doings^ has also tioo official spies ajjpointed 

 by the chief of the grand council, and these, in truth, conduct the administration of the prin- 

 cipality. These are known as secretaries, and both are never permitted to reside in the pro- 

 vince at the same time. They alternate yearly. The families of both secretaries reside con- 

 stantly in Yeddo. The secretary who is in the principality therefore leaves his family behind 

 him in the capital as a hostage for his fidelity. When his year expires he may rejoin them, 

 and his colleague then, bidding adieu to his household for a year, takes his place. Each sec- 

 retary, therefore, is a check upon the doings of the other ; it is the interest of each to report 

 any misfeasance in the official conduct of the other ; in short, they are spies on each other. But 

 the jealous suspicion of the government is not satisfied with even these ^precautions. The 

 family of the prince himself is made to reside at Yeddo, and he must spgnd each alternate year 

 there near the Ziogoon. 



And this feature of making officials serve in pairs, as spies ujjon each other, we may here 

 remark, once for all, pervades the entire polity of Japan. Every body is watched. No man 

 knows who are the secret spies around him, even though he may be, and is, acquainted witli 



