1901.] COMMERCIAL JAPAN. 



Importations of wool and woolen fabrics into Japan during 1897 were as follows: 



ARTICLES. 



Wool catties (U pounds) . 



Woolen eloths yards. 



Woolen mixtures do.. . 



Quantity. 



2, 702, 480 



1,013,232 



401,70-1 



Value. 



Yen. 

 1,337,424 

 1,943, .031 



2*J0, .043 



Dollar g. 



eoo,o:}7 



%7, 878 

 144, 090 



Total Value of Textile and Fiber Imiorts into Japan during 1897. 



2293 



A much more general use of woolen products is requisite for the comfort of the people, and all clas.ses are constantly becoming 

 more able to purchase them; hence, there is no doubt that the demand for them will increase. 



Japanese rugs have deteriorated in quality to such an extent as to greatly check the American demand. The materials uijeti are 

 hemp, jute, cotton, wool, and silk, the two latter separately and in combination. They are made on upright hand loom.*?, which vary 

 from 3 to 24 feet in width. The pattern is worked from the front. This is largely a "home industiy." There are no large factories. 

 Only one or two employ more than 100 hands each. Kobe is the center of the rug-making district. 



Mr. Brennan states in his report that in the neighborhood of Osaka and Hiogo there are some 2,000 establishments, employuig in 

 1896 about 13,000 females and 5,000 males, producing some 3,000,000 square yards of rugs, at prices ranging from 6i to 20 sen (3i to 10 

 cents) per square foot. 



Countries from which Japan imports hemp and flax for making rugs, and the value of such imports, are as follows: 



COUNTRY. 



Philippine Islands 



British India 



China 



Great Britain 



Value. 



Yen. 



202,758 



90,202 



390, 748 



2,807 



Dollars. 



100, 973 



44, 921 



194, 592 



1,428 



Hemp and flax yarns were also imported to the value of 197,105 yen ($98,058). 



knitting machinery. 



The first knitting machinery used in Japan was brought from England; some has since come from other countries, and the Japanese 

 have copied all, thus deteriorating it. The machines are of hand power, and operated in private houses, from one to five being found in 

 a house. The knitting business is not scattered through the country like weaving, but is concentrated in manufacturing centers, a groat 

 deal being done in Osaka. 



Large quantities of cheap underwear are made here, ail from cotton yarn spun in Japan. Cotton and woolen yarns use<i in making 

 the better grades are imported. Not much woolen underwear is used, the demand being confined to tlie better classes of the Japanese 

 people, who also wear light-Aveight all wool with open meshes in summer. This light weight referred to has been made here for some 

 time for the Indian market. The Japanese children have lately begun wearing mixed knitted singlets in the central part of Japan, and, 

 on account of the comfort derived, they should be extensively used in the northern part of this country. They might be if furnished 

 at low prices; coarse quality would not hinder their sale. 



spinning machinery. 



As stated in my annual report for 1898, nearly all the spiiniing machinery still comes from England. American manufacturers of 

 machinery have obtained large orders for other kinds, but ^they seem to have utterly ignored the constant demand for spiiming 

 machinery and for all the other spinning-mill requirements, including engines and boilers. This may also be s;ud in regard to almost 

 all the weaving machinery in the country. The first spinning machines used in Japan w ere sent from England, vhei"e a single firm has 

 supplied more than half the spindles. Another English firm supplies a complete mill equipment, including boilers and engines. 

 Weaving machinery is largely furnished by a third. French and German makers have supplied a considerable quantity of the silk and 

 W'oolen weaving machinery, and I learn that some woolen machinery for an Osaka mill came from the United States; but our country is 

 practically sending almost none of the large quantity of spinning and similar machinery constantly in demand. 



There are 52 spinning and 16 weaving establishments here using imported machinery. The neaving establishments with machinery 

 are located as follows: Five at Tokyo, four oacli at Osaka and Kyoto, and one at Nishinoniiya, Sidzuoka, and "Wakayama. Tneiv are 

 four flax (jute) mills making canvas and twine, located in Shimotsuke, Sapporo, Otsu, and Osaka. 



No. 6 21 



