440 



JAPAN. 



AEMT AND NAVY. Universal and obligatory 

 military service was introduced by an edict of 

 1875 ; but exemptions for various causes or 

 for a money price, which is fixed at $270, are 

 allowed. By the reorganization of the army 

 in 1879 the military forces are divided into 

 four classes, corresponding to the military 

 organization of the German Empire : 1. The 

 active army, recruited by lot from all able- 

 bodied young men as they reach the age of 

 twenty, the time of service being three years. 

 The active army comprises the army of the 

 line and the Imperial Guard, which is com- 

 posed of picked men from the line regiments 

 who have served six months, and who remain 

 three years longer in active service. 2. The 

 active army reserve, formed of the soldiers 

 who have served their time in the active army ; 

 they remain three years in the reserve, and are 

 called out to drill a short time every year. 3. 

 The Landwehr, which is trained in military 

 exercises annually. 4. The Landsturm, com- 

 posed of all between seventeen and forty years 

 of age who are not in the active army or the 

 reserve ; they are to be called out in the case 

 of invasion when the active army and reserves 

 are already in the field. According to the 

 new law, advancement to the grade of officers 

 depends on merit and intelligence. The Guard 

 consists of 2 regiments of infantry, a squadron 

 of cavalry, and a division of artillery. The 

 army of the line is composed of 14 regiments 

 containing 3 battalions of 4 companies each of 

 infantry, 2 squadrons of cavalry; 9 divisions 

 of artillery, each containing 2 batteries of 6 

 cannon ; 9 companies of heavy artillery, and 

 9 of engineers. The effective in 1880 was as 

 follows : 



The navy consists of 31 vessels with 196 

 guns, including five ironclads, one of which is 

 a frigate with casemates, one a turret-ship, and 

 three corvettes. 



FINANCE. The budget for 1879-'80 places 

 the total revenue at 55,651,379 yen, or dollars, 

 and the total expenditures at the same amount. 

 (The gold yen, which is the unit of account, 

 is almost identical in value with the American 

 gold dollar. The silver yen is the same in 

 weight and fineness with the Mexican dollar, 

 and is exactly equal in value to the American 

 trade-dollar. The paper yen, of which there 

 is a large quantity in circulation, is at a dis- 

 count usually ranging from 25 to 30 per cent.) 

 The total revenue and expenditure in the pre- 

 ceding three years were as follow : 



The revenue and expenditure for the year 

 ending June 30, 1881, is taken in the budget 

 estimate as $59,933,507. The estimates for 

 1882-'83 place the total at $66,814,122. Of 

 the estimated receipts $42,945,853 come from 

 the land-tax, and $10,512,806 from the tax on 

 the manufacture of sake" and other alcoholic 

 liquors. Only $2,600,330 are derived from cus- 

 toms duties. The net profits of the railroads, 

 mines, mint, and other public undertakings, 

 are estimated at $2,001,166. Of the expendi- 

 tures $23,293,204 are on account of the public 

 debt, $15,055,592 for interest, and $8,237,612 

 for liquidation. The civil list and appanages 

 amount to $1,398,785. The sum of $1,200,- 

 000 is set aside as a reserve against famines. 

 The expenditures for the military are $8,605,- 

 872; for the navy, $3.161,692; for justice, 

 $2,070,556 ; for provincial administration, $4,- 

 185,081 ; for police, $2,838,032. The Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture and Commerce receives 

 $1,000,300. Among the extraordinary expen- 

 ditures are $5,260,000 reserved as a fund for 

 the encouragement of industry, and $703,100 

 for industrial undertakings. 



There is a large domestic debt and a small 

 foreign debt. The latter was raised in Eng- 

 land, and consisted originally of a 9 per cent 

 loan issued in 1870, of 1,000,000, and a loan 

 of 2,400,000, bearing 7 per cent interest, 

 which was placed in 1875, at the price of 92. 

 By the operation of a sinking fund the entire 

 foreign debt had been reduced at the begin- 

 ning of 1882 to 2,134,700. The home debt 

 stood in July, 1880, as follows : 



LOANS AT Amount. 



Four per cent $11.152,650 



Five per cent 46,412,555 



Six per cent 42,104,420 



Seven percent 108.131,090 



Eight per cent 32.245,275 



Ten per cent 9,093,625 



Without interest 



$229,139,615 

 . 9,211,776 



Total $288,351,391 



Paper money in circulation 108,683,204 



Total home debt $847,034,595 



The mountainous character of the Japanese 

 islands is strikingly shown by the fact that 

 the tillable plains, inclusive of the cultivated 

 mountain- vales, form only about 12 per cent 

 of the total area. Mountain and valley alter- 

 nate constantly, the only considerable plains 

 being the alluvial bottom-lands at the mouths 

 of the larger rivers. 



The volcanic phenomena of these islands 

 have not yet been examined to any extent. 

 There are eighteen active and a much greater 

 number of extinct volcanoes. Earthquakes are 

 of continual occurrence, but destructive con- 

 vulsions do not happen oftener than once in 



