408 



JAPAN. 



American, 146 Dutch, 44 Portuguese, 43 Aus- 

 trian, and 43 Danish. 



The number of foreigners in the employ- 

 ment of the Japanese Government amounted 

 in 1875 to 705, and 280 others were found in 

 private service. This number is increasing 

 every day, showing that the nation recognizes 

 the foreign elements to the promotion of its 

 advancement. That necessity will continue to 

 exist for a long time, notwithstanding the ex- 

 tremely commendable efforts made to train 

 Japanese young men, either at home or abroad, 

 and to make them educated instructors, capa- 

 ble of teaching others. The development of 

 knowledge also receives great attention ; reg- 

 ular examinations are held, prizes are distrib- 

 uted, and during the last two years not less 

 than $1,000,000 has been given by private in- 

 dividuals for the establishment of public in- 

 struction. For the Philadelphia Exhibition in 

 1876 the Administration will, it appears, spend 

 a sum of $200,000. 



In the budget for 1874, the revenue is esti- 

 mated at 58,473,000 yen (1 yen = $1.00), and 

 the expenditures at 52,804,000 yen. Of the 

 surplus, amounting to 5,669,000 yen, 5,000,000 

 were to be used for redeeming paper, and the 

 remainder was to be transferred to the reserve 

 funds, which at the close of 1874 amounted to 

 21,030,000 yen. 



The imports and exports, in 1873 and 1874, 

 were as follows (value expressed in dollars): 



The most important articles of import were 

 as follows : 



The following are the principal articles of 

 export : 



The movement in shipping was, in 1874, as 

 follows : 



A new code of regulations for military levies 

 was promulgated in November, 1875. The ob- 

 ject of the Government is to render service com- 

 pulsory upon all classes, and train the entire 

 male population to the use of arms. 



The first railroad of Japan, from Tokio to 

 Yokohama, was opened in November, 1872 ; it 

 has a length of eighteen miles. It was at once 

 used so much that, early in 1873, a double track 

 had to be laid. A second railroad, from Hiogo 

 to Osaka, of about equal length, was opened on 

 May 11, 1874. 



The electric telegraph connects (since the 

 beginning of 1873) the towns of Nagasaki, Osa- 

 ka, Hiogo, Kioto, Yokohama, and Tokio, with 

 each other, and with other countries of Asia 

 and Europe. 



A general post-office was established in Feb- 

 ruary, 1873. The number of post-offices in 

 1872 was 1,174; in 1873, 1,500 ; in 1874, 3,244; 

 the number of letters for warded in 1872, 2,509,- 

 032; in 1873, 10,036,292; in 1874, 17,095,842. 

 The Government has issued stamped envelopes 

 and postal-cards. 



The number of newspapers in Japan is rapid- 

 ly increasing, and now amounts to about 200. 

 Ten years ago there was not one in all Japan. 

 Soon after the restoration of the Mikado, three 

 or four were established ; but as they were es- 

 tablished by the friends of the late Tycoon, the 

 Government suppressed them. The Japanese 

 newspapers are generally conducted on the 

 principle of having one leading editor, but the 

 prominent articles are often written by out- 

 siders, and invariably signed by the writers, 

 upon whom alone rests the responsibility of 

 their opinions. Very many of the articles 

 which appear in the native press of Japan are 

 regularly translated and copied by the English 

 newspapers printed in Yeddo, and constitute 

 one of their most interesting features. The 

 advertisements which appear in the Japanese 

 newspapers are numerous, and often illustrated 

 with woodcuts of steamships, and the attrac- 

 tions of a circus or public exhibition. Poetical 

 contributions are also frequent. There can be 

 little doubt that the press is becoming a re- 

 markable power in the country, that the Gov- 



