2240 



COMMERCIAL JAPA:N. 



[Decembeb, 



(2) The United States: (a) Occidental and Oriental, running between Hongkong and United States via Japan and Hawaii; (6) 

 Pacific Mail, running between Hongkong and United States via Japan and Hawaii; (c) Northern Pacific, running between Tacoma ana 

 Japan, and to Shanghai if necessary; (d) Great Northern, running between Portland and Japan, irregular. 



(3) France: Cornpagnie des Messageries Maritimes, running between Marseilles and Japan via Oriental ports, with aggregate tonnage 

 of 192,600, annex to London. 



Germany: Norddeutcher Lloyd, running between Hongkong and Japan, annex to Germany, with 199,000 tons aggregate. 

 Austria Lloyd Company, between Port Said and Japan via Oriental ports. 

 Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, Hongkong and Japan. 

 Thus, facilities on the ocean are increasing most favorably, and by their competition improving their accommodations, speed, and 

 all other details. 



(d) traffic power. 



Before the war (1894) the carrying trade was almost entirely in foreign hands, but after the war, with the improvement of 

 shipbuilding, the traffic power increased and came into Japan's vessels, and the traflSc that passed through Japanese ports in 1898 was 

 the largest in Iier liistory. Its relative power was as follows: 



Thus the traffic power is on a steady increase. 



(e) SHIPBUILDiyO. 



The shipbuilding of the country has made considerable progress, 5 large steamers, of 15,650 tons gross capacity, and 177 steamers 



and sailing vessels, of 16,822 tons gross, were built during the year 1898. The Mitsubishi, the largest of the shipyard^^, made 2 steamers, 

 of 6,000 tons each, although the materials were imported from abroad. There are at present 160 shipyards, both state and private 

 establishments, but their constructing power is only about 40,000 to 50,000 tons yearly. 



(f) docks. 



Tliere arc now about 20 docks in the country, all under private management, and all very prosperous. 



(g) tonnage dues. 



For the charges of ports and light-houses the custom-houses collect 5 sen per registered ton upon a ship's entry into a port. 



(n) COAST CONVEYANCE, LIGHT-HOUSES, AND BUOYS. 



The coast line of the country is about 15,185 miles, excluding Formosa, and the survey of it is all completed. The light-houses and 

 buoys were placed by the Government, the Government and private persons together, and by private persons. The figures show: 



One liglit-hi.use in every 111 mile.", most of their lights reaching only 10 to 20 miles, shows, roughly speaking, that coast steamers 

 and siiiling vc-scis were running every 90 miles without any directing light. It is not comparable with Luropean countries as can be 

 seen by the following table: 



