JAPAN". 



367 



The heir apparent, Yoshihito. was born of one of 

 the ladies of the harem. Aug. 31. is??. The Em- 

 peror is sole executive, but is advised by a Cabinet 

 made up of t lie heads <>f the 10 departments, presided 

 i>v a Minister President of State, and consults 

 with t'lie Privy Council, composed of 2o statesmen 

 of rank and experience. Though both gold and sil- 

 ver are coined and paper money is circulated, the 

 unit of value is the silver yen (value 50 cents), in 

 which all statements concerning money, except 

 those otherwise specified, in this article are ex- 

 pre-sfd. One hundred sen make 1 yen. 



In theory the Emperor voluntarily limited his 

 prerogative of absolute authority, and on Feb. 11, 

 isxjt. -;ave the nation a written Constitution. This 

 instrument was adopted after four month's scrutiny 

 and debate by the Emperor's leading advisers. 

 Count (now Marquis) Ito Hirobumi. often called 

 "the Father of the Constitution," was one of its 

 chief composers and wrote a volume of commenta- 

 ries on it, which is an authority of great value. 

 The Diet consists of an upper house, composed 

 chiefly of nobles and imperial nominees, and a 

 lower house elected by voters who pay 15 yen of 

 national taxes. Ten regular sessions have been 

 held. Only a fraction of the national expenses is 

 under the control of the two houses, most of the 

 items in the budget being fixed by law. The min- 

 isters are responsible to the Emperor, but not to 

 the Diet. The trend of the Japanese politics is 

 steadily forward toward democracy. The tenth 

 regular session of the Diet began Dec. 25, 1896. 



Population. According to the census returns 

 made up by the Home Department and published 

 in the "Official Gazette." the population of Japan 

 Dec. 31, 1895, numbered 42.270,628, of whom 21,- 

 345.750 were males and 20.934.878 females, living 

 in 9.935.969 houses. Of these, 4.162 belonged to 

 the nobility, of whom 644 were heads and 3,518 

 members of families ; 2,050,144 to the gentry, of 

 whom 432.458- were heads and 1.617.686 were mem- 

 bers of families; 40.216.314 to the common people, 

 of whom 7.948.026 were heads of families. There 

 were 4.242 unadopted foundlings, and 1.319 pris- 

 oners unregistered. During 1895 there were 1,246.- 

 457 births. Of 852.422 deaths, 448.873 were of 

 males and 403.549 of females. 117.215 being still- 

 born. There were 365,633 marriages and 110.838 

 divorces. The Government imposes a tax on the 

 registration of marriages and divorces. 



The old artificial checks upon human increase 

 having been removed. Japan gains over half a mil- 

 lion souls yearly. The acquisition of Formosa and 

 its adjacent islands has added 3.500,000 or more 

 souls, making the population of the empire over 

 4."). 700.000. The cities in. old Japan having over 

 5i 1.1 MM) number 18. and the 5 having over 100.000 

 are Kobe. 161.406: Yokohama, 17O.577: Kioto, 

 339.896: Osaka, 490,009 ; Tokio. 1.342.153. 



Resources The chairman of the Budget Com- 

 mittee in 1895. Hon. T. Taketomi. estimates the en- 

 tire capital of the emtrire to be at least 5.000.000,000 

 yen. computed as follows : Capital upon which the 

 occupation tax is imposed, 644.000,000: invested 

 in the wholesale trade (and used thrice yearly). 196,- 

 000,000 ; invested in retail trade (and used five times 

 yearly). 202.000.000: invested in buildings (rents 

 reckoned as 8 per cent, of the capital). 429.000.000; 

 total of the entire capital of the 24 occupations spe- 

 cified in the new national tax bill, 1.471,000.000 yen. 

 Reckoning also the property of those who evade the 

 national tax 1 1.730.000) and who pay prefectural 

 taxes (2,300.000) on occupations, there is an esti- 

 mated capital of 2.207.000,000 yen taxable, making 

 the capital invested in the nonagricultural occupa- 

 tions 3.678,000.000 yen. The value of the cultivated 

 land of the whole country is 1.353,000,000 yen. Add- 



ing to this the values of the crops (rice. 320.000- 

 ooii: wheat and barley. 120.000.000) and subtract- 

 ing the land tax (88,000,000) and rent (6 per cent., 

 .'lou.oooi and dividing by 1-05 will give 800,- 

 0(10.0(1(1 yen as the amount of circulating capital, or 

 1,658,000,000 yen as the total capital employed in 

 agriculture. Adding the totals of all occupations, 

 ' a grand total of 5,833.000,000 yen as the en- 

 tire capital of the whole country (old Japan) as the 

 basis for taxation. 



Coinage. At the imperial mint at Osaka the 

 total coinage during the year ending March 21, 

 1896. of gold, silver, and nickel, amounted to 37,- 

 823.400 pieces, of the value of 20,462,935 yen: the 

 pieces and values being as follows : Gold, 282,000 

 5-ven pieces, valued at $1,410,000 ; silver, 1-yen 

 pieces, 16.500.000 (value, 16.500.000 yen); 20-sen 

 pieces, 5.003.010 ; 10-sen pieces. 15.008~.270 ; nickel, 

 5-sen. 1.030,120. Compared with the previous year, 

 this shows a decrease in value of $270,000 in gold. 

 10.800.290 yen in silver, and 298.530 yen in nickel. 

 Since December. 1870. when the mint was founded, 

 a total value of 12,418.055,740 yen has been coined. 

 During the year 155.639 copper. 70.385 silver, and 

 5 gold medals were struck, and 2,622 puncheons for 

 the stamping of weights and measures required by 

 the Department of Agriculture and Commerce were 

 struck. The war medals were made from 53 cap- 

 tured Chinese guns. The mint employs 250 persons. 



Railways. The railway system, which began in 

 1870 with 200 Englishmen to superintend affairs, is 

 now managed exclusively by natives, who employ 

 only 5 foreigners as advisers. Except the first 

 short road between Yokohama and Tokio, the work 

 has been accomplished by Japanese capital and 

 mostly by native talent and toil. On March 1, 

 1895, there were 2.118 miles of railway In opera- 

 tion, of which 580 were owned by the Government 

 and 1,538 by private companies. In Yezo the 

 equipment is American; in Kiushiu, German ; in 

 Hondo, English. The American engines cost 10 

 per cent. more, and burn 14 per cent, more fuel 

 than the English. The Japanese, with English as- 

 sistance, now build excellent locomotives in their 

 own shops, saving over S2.000 on each engine. At 

 the great shops in Tokio and Kobe over 3.000 

 skilled native mechanics are employed, who turn 

 out yearly 120 passenger and 480 freight cars. The 

 coach used is apparently of the American style, 

 with platforms at ends, but having 3 compart- 

 ments, each holding 6 persons. Almost all the rail- 

 ways are single-track and narrow-gauge of 3 feet. 6 

 inches. Slow trains and moderate fares are the 

 rule, as best suiting the people. Only 6 per cent. 

 of the passengers travel first or second class, and 

 the fare for 100 miles is but 16 cents. There are 

 no sleeping or dining ears, but refreshments of the 

 native sort are provided at every important station. 

 For baggage the checking system is in use. the 

 checks being large and heavy. Comparatively lit- 

 tle business is done in freight, for Japan's relatively 

 large coast line and numerous steamers do not 

 allow profitable competition on rails. 



The whole matter of railway charters, building, 

 etc., is under the control of a Government board of 

 22 members, consisting mostly of military and naval 

 men and members of the Diet, with but 2 railway 

 officers. The average earning of private lines is 

 about 9 per cent. The whole system is of vast 

 strategic value, the various lines connecting the 

 military headquarters of army divisions, such as 

 Tokio. Sendai. and Xagoya. etc.. with the important. 

 seaports. At the end of 18!<6 2.700 miles of rail 

 were in operation, and nearly as much mileage is 

 under construction. In Formosa the railway ex- 

 tends from Kelung to Taipeh and 50 miles beyond, 

 and has been surveyed to Taiwan. 



