16 N. Yamasaki 



tioii lines. Iga is a small basin to the south of Omi. To the south- 

 west of Onii basin tliere are the basins of Yamashiro and Yainato. 

 There was, however, originally a single depression between Hiei- 

 Kasagi (Hira-san, 1174 m., Hiei-san, 848 m.), and the Kongo mountains, 

 1112 m., which has been divided into two basins by undulating 

 hills of insignificant height. These basins have played an important 

 role in tlie history of Japan. The basin of Yamato was the seat of 

 the capital of the Kara dynasty, ICOO years ago, and there still 

 remain many ancient buildings, especially Buddhist tem])les. In the 

 centre of the basin of Yamashiro is situated the city of Kyoto, which 

 was the capital of Japan for a thousand years until Tokyo was made 

 the new metropolis in 1868. The city, which is often called the 

 " Paris of Japan," is well known for its scenic beauties and its many 

 old magnificent palaces and temples, and it is also noted for its 

 artistic and industrial wares, esi:»ecially for various kinds of silk, 

 embroideries, porcelains and cloisonne ware. It is also a centre of 

 science with a large university. 



On the other side of Kongo Horst lies the plain of Settsu, which 

 sinks into Osaka Bay on tlie west. The lUver Yodo drains Lake 

 Biwa, and passing through both the plains of Yamashiro and Settsu, 

 it discharges into Osaka Bay. Lying at its mouth, Osaka has been 

 for centuries a comme)-cial centre in Japan and at present it is a 

 flourishing industrial city. It is the largest city in Jai)an, with a 

 population of over 2,000,000. Kobe is an excellent harbour on the 

 shore of the bay aud is the largest port for the cotton trade in the 

 country. 



On the south of this framework of block mountains and de[)ressed 

 troughs lies the large mountainous peninsula of Kii. On the eastern 

 side of Kumano-gawa, a deep transversal valley, the mountain system 

 attains a considerable height in many peaks of the Omine Group 

 (the culminating point is 1815 m.) and in the case of Odaiga-hara-san. 

 These mountains are nothing but an extension of the noted Akaishi 

 Mountains. The range dips down into the Sea of Ise at the peninsula 

 of Atsumi ; but, reappearing in Shima Peninsula on the opposite coast 

 of the sea, it extends westward with an increasing magnitude and 

 height. The continuity of this system may be well traced in the 

 island of Shikoku through Kii Channel. The mountains of the ])enin- 

 sula are famous for beautiful forests of cryptoraeria and the hills on 

 the coast afford an abundant production of oranges. Wakayama is 



