PREFACE. 
1636, when the experiment was last tried ; for 
it is well known that, ever since foreigners were 
expelled from Japan, “ the land has had peace.” 
This change of policy on the part of the 
Japanese Government gave me an opportunity 
which I had long desired of visiting the country. 
I was well aware that Japan was remarkable for 
the beauty of its scenery, and that it was rich 
in many species of trees, and other vegetable 
productions of an ornamental and useful kind, 
unknown in Europe. With the view of making 
collections of these and other objects of natural 
history and works of art, I took my departure 
for the “far East” in the summer of 1860, and 
reached Japan in the month of October of that 
year. 
The story of my wanderings is now presented 
to the reader, with the hope that it may add 
somewhat to the knowledge already acquired 
concerning this strange people and their very 
beautiful land. I have confined my descriptions 
in a great measure to what came under my own 
observation. The manners and customs of the 
people are painted as they appeared to me in 
their everyday life. The natural productions of 
the country, whether of commercial importance 
to other nations, or “ pleasant to the eye, and 
good for food,” I have very fully described; and 
