2220 • COMMERCIAL JAPAT^T. [December, 



multiplied, and business men from other countries welcomed to participate in the commercial and business development of the country 

 As a consequence the foreign commerce of Japan, which in 1878 amounted to less than 60,000,000 yen, in 1898 was over 484,234,480 yen 

 while the development of railroads, manufactures, and internal industries liad been equally great. 



The projjressive spirit of the Japanese and the rapidity with which they are adapting themselves to modem methods is shown in the 

 increasing proportion in the trade of Japan conducted by Japanese. In 1890 the relative share of the exports from Japan by Japanese 

 and foreigners, respectively, was, Japanese, 6,123,961 yen; foreigners, 48,767,635 yen. In 1900 the relative share was, Japanese, 

 73,381,634 yen; foreigners, 124,681,912 yen. Of the imports in 1890, the value of 19,521,764 was by Japanese, and 61,033,109 by 

 foreigners; in 1900, the value of 112,737,050 was by Japanese and 173,433,883 by foreigners. Taking the total of imports and exports, 

 the share of the Japanese in 1890 was 25,645,726 yen, or 18.9 percent of the total; that of foreigners, 109,800,745 yen, or 81.1 per cent of 

 the total; while in 1900 the share of the Japanese was 186,118,684, or 33.4 jjer cent of the total, and that of foreigners 371,497,429 yen, 

 or 66.6 per cent of the total. Commenting upon this subject, the Austrian consul at Yokohama called attention to the fact that the number 

 of European and American firms established in Japan is decreasing. At Yokohama in 1899, he says, the number was 303, while in 

 1900 it was but 248. The number of Japanese merchants in China and Korea is increasing, and it is expected that as soon as things in 

 China return to their normal state a large contingent of Japanese merchants will ])roceed thither to compete with foreigners in that 

 trade. The consul adds that in Korea Japanese merchants have already made competition impossible, and states that Japan is becoming 

 more and more an iiiii)ortant commercial factor in Asiatic and generally in international commerce. A table showing the share in the 

 commerce of Japan conducted by Japanese and foreigners, respectively, will be found on another page. 



SHARE OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE COMMERCE OF .JAPAN. 



The United States, which has been constantly and actively associated with the development of Japan, has participated largely in 

 the growth of her commerce. Thousands of young men from Japan have visited the United States as students, and thousands of mer- 

 chants and business men from the United States have visited Japan as instructors in educational and commercial lines. As teachers and 

 professors in schools and colleges, as editors and i)ublishers, as merchants who engage in both importing and exporting, as manufac- 

 turers, as constructors of railways and telegraphs, and in establishing modern electrical aids to commerce, citizens of the United States 

 have been active in Japan. As a consequence, the trade relations between the two countries have grown with greater rapidity than 

 between Japan and any other nation. In 1881 the imports from the United States formed less than 6 per cent of the total importations 

 into Japan, while in 1900 th(!y formed 21.93 per cent of the total importations. Meantime, Great Britain's share in the imports of Japan 

 fell from 52.57 per cent in 1881 to 25.03 per cent in 1900. The United States is also Japan's largest customer, by reason of the fact that the 

 chief export products of Japan are articles required by the manufacturers of the United States, and which can not be produced in this 

 cotmtry. The total exports from Japan in 1900 amounted to 198,063,547 yen in value, and of this amount 52,566,395 yen went to the 

 United" States; 39,177,455 to Hongkong; 31,871,576 to China; 19,150,423 to France, and 11,262,997 to the United Kingdom. 



The exports of Japan to the United States, as already indicated, are chiefly of articles which are not produced in this country, and 

 in a majority of cases are those required by our manufacturers. Of the 52,566,395 yen in value exported to the United States in 1900, 

 tlie value of 2(1,710,050 yen consisted of raw silk, 5,972,012 manufactures of silk, 6,930,475 of tea, 3,002,519 mats for floors, 1,011,923 rice, 

 1,743,671 chemicals, drugs, etc., while manufactures of bamboo, lacquered ware, and other products peculiar to the Japanese have also 

 flgured largely in the list. Exports from Japan to the United States have steadily grown, especially since the development of the silk- 

 manufacturing industry in this country. In 1893 the value of her raw-silk exports to the United States was 11,078,748 yen; in 1894, 

 22,457,348; in 1895, 27,826,245; in 1896, 14,080,981; in 1897, 32,262,900, and in 1900, as already indicated, 26,710,050. The United 

 States is the largest purchaser of raw silk from Japan, whose total exportations of raw silk exceed 50,000,000 yen annually. France is 

 the next largcsst customer in this line, her purchases of raw silk from Japan in 1900 amounting to 10,861,352 yen in value, against 

 26,710,050 yen by the United States, while Italy took raw silk to the value 0,092,140 yen; England, 374,927 yen; Russia, 429,.304yen.and 

 other countries 189,256 yen. The total exports from Japan to the United States in 1881 were 11,056,464 yen in value, being 36.5 per 

 cent of the total exports of that year, and in 1900 were 52,566,.395 yen, or 26.05 per cent of the total exports of that year. 



Japan's imj)i)rt.s from the United States have grown with even greater rapidity than her exports to the United States. In 1881 

 they amounted to but 1,781,108 yen, and in 1900 had reached 62,761,196 yen in value. They have grown with much greater rapidity 

 than the total importations of Japan, our share of her imi)ort trade having increased from 5.72 per cent in 1881 to 21.93 per cent in 

 1900, while the United Kingdom, our princii)al competitor in that market, which furnished, in 1881, 52.57 per cent of the total imixirts 

 of Jai)an, supplied, in 1900, 25.03 per cent. A detailed examination of the supplies furnished by the United States to Japan can j^erhaps 

 be better made from our own standpoint measured in dollars. In the fiscal year 1892 our total exports of domestic merchandise to 

 Japan amounted to 5^3,288,282, and in 1901 to §18,656,899. Of this total the largest item of export was illuminating oil, which aggregated 

 $4,78-1,350; the next largest item being manufactures of iron and steel, with a total of $4,649,287. Third in rank is raw cotton, with a 

 total of :?!, 086,317; other important items being breadstuffs, $1,107,235; provisions, $399,684; scientific instruments. $;576,0(>S; leather 

 and manufacture.", $285,551 ; tobacco and manufactures, $238,890; clocks and watches, $237,381 ; paper and manufacture.-* thereof. $2»V>..586; 

 lultricating oil, $197,1)42, and i)araHin, $167,118; while many other articles of less importance have found a place in the markets of 

 Japan. Taking up the great class of iron and steel and examining its details, it is found that the exports of locomotive engines in 15M)1 

 amounted to $.372,162 in value, l)uilders' hardware, $121,697; sewing machines, $30,979; firearms, $42,512; car wheels, $20,773; other 

 maciiincry, $1,481,796; and miscellaneous manufactures of iron and steel, $2,579,.368. 



A detailed study of the exports from the United States during the decade is presented on another page, the purix>i=e lx»ing to 

 determine the articles uwA in demand in that country and those in which the export trade has most rapidly gwwn. It will In* found 

 that the exports of raw cotton have grown from but $85,211 in 1890 to $4,086,317 in 1901. lUunnnating oil, the exports of which 

 amounted in 1890 to $3,559,395 in value, showed in 1901 a total of $4, 784, .350, de.-jpito the active competition of Russian and Snmatran 

 petroleum, and the further fact that Japan is now herself supplying a part of her consumption of illuminating oil. Exj>orts of flour 

 increa.«ed from $127,120 in 1890 to $1,035,893 in 1901. This increase is evidently due to a growing disposition among tlie Japanese to 

 coiipfume more of this cla.>^s of food rather than to rely ujion rice, as in former years, since the number of fon^igners in Jai\in otiicr than 

 Chinese and Koreans amounts to le.«s than 4,000, and has not materially increa.«ed during the period in which our exjxirts of flour to 

 that country have incrca.H'd .sevenfold. Injiaperand manufactures thereof our exjvut trade with Jajvan has grown very rapidly, tho 

 total exports in this cla.«s being, in 1890, $1,606; in 1896, $10,126, and in 1901, $206,586. Instruments for scientific purix>sos increased 



