JAPAN 



3120 



JAPAN 



which are carried on in the homes of the work- 

 men, and the modern industries which have 

 been introduced from the Western countries. 

 The former are the more interesting and char- 

 acteristic. Their products include the lacquer 

 work, pottery, embroideries and carvings men- 

 tioned above, as well as paper of very special 

 quality, silken and brocaded fabrics, and metal 

 objects. 



The introduced industries, which are mostly 

 carried on in quite the modern way, in large 

 factories with mechanical power, include tex- 

 tile-making, cotton taking first rank; the 

 manufacture of paper, matting, glass, bricks 

 and matches; and shipbuilding and machinery- 

 making. The operatives in factories receive 

 lower wages than those of Europe or America, 

 but the scale t>f living is much lower also, and 

 the amount of skill required is less, as the 

 articles do not for the most part compare in 

 quality with the best output of European and 

 American factories. 



Transportation and Commerce. Of railways, 

 considering its island character and its brief 

 existence as a modern nation, Japan has a 

 very considerable mileage no less than 7,067 

 miles, including the South Manchuria Rail- 

 way, on the continent. Since 1907 almost all 

 the railroads have belonged to the govern- 

 ment, which will within a few years control 

 them all. Beginning with the road from Tokyo 

 to Yokohama, opened in 1872, lines have been 

 extended until to-day all the chief cities on 

 the large islands are connected with each other. 

 There are also nearly a thousand miles of 

 electric railway in operation, and attempts 

 are being made to improve the ordinary roads, 

 which are generally in very poor condition. 

 The common vehicle in which passengers are 

 jolted over these roads is the 'riksha (see 

 JINRIKISHA), a light, two-wheeled carriage 

 somewhat like a sulky, but drawn by a man 

 instead of a horse. 



Japan's facilities for communication by sea 

 are excellent, for its harbors are good and its 



coast line extensive. It has developed a large 

 merchant marine, which includes no fewer 

 than 2,000 steamers and 7,000 sailing vessels,! 

 and its ships may be seen ifTmost of the great 

 ports of the Pacific. Over fifty ships ply be-, 

 tween Japan and the western coast of America. 

 The commerce of Japan had a comparatively 

 recent origin, but has grown rapidly and is 

 now extensive, the foreign trade amounting i 

 a year to almost $700,000,000. The imports 

 exceed the exports, but while the difference 



15 days 

 New YorK 



San Francisco. 

 16 days 



Honolulu 

 10 days 



King 



12 days 



COMMERCIAL DISTANCES FROM TOKYoB 



a few years ago was considerable it is to-day 

 slight, for Japan is producing more and more 

 of its own raw materials. The chief imports 

 are raw cotton, rice, oil cake, sugar, machin- 

 ery, iron and steel and wool, while the exports 

 are largely raw silk, tea, cotton yarn, silk, 

 copper and coal. The United States receives 

 more of Japan's exports than any other coun- 

 try, China, France and England ranking next; 

 but British India and Great Britain surpass 

 the United States in the amount they send 

 to Japan. Nearly all of Formosa's tea is sent 

 to the United States. 



Government and Defense 



Government. The constitution of 1889, pat- 

 terned on that of Germany, makes of Japan a 

 constitutional monarchy, with the hereditary 

 emperor, or mikado, as the head. He must 

 approve every legislative measure before it 

 becomes a law; he appoints all civil and mili- 

 tary officers and is commander-in-chief of the 

 army and navy. There is an Imperial Cabinet, 



made up of the ministers of the nine depart- 

 ments, and a Diet, or legislature, of two houses. 

 The upper of these, the House of Peers, ad- 

 mits as members not only princes, marquis 

 and a certain number of the lower nobles, but 

 various "commoners" who are chosen by the 

 emperor for special service rendered, or who 

 pay very high taxes. This house has between 



