JAPAN.
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Previous to the last change of Government, which restored the ancient Imperial régime, the administrative authority rested with the Shogun (Military Commander) whom foreigners were at first led to recognise as the temporal sovereign, and with whom they negotiated treaties of peace and commerce. The Shogunate was founded in 1184 by Yoritomo, a general of great valour and ability, and was continued through several dynasties until 1869, when the Tokugawa family were dispossessed of the usurped authority. Under the Shogun two hundred aud fifty Daimios (feudal princes) shared the administrative power, being practically supreme in their respective domains, conditionally upon their loyalty to the Shogun; but their rank and power disappeared with the Shogunate. On the 7th July, 1884, however, His Majesty issued an Imperial Notification and Rescript rehabilitating the nobility, and admitting to its ranks the most distinguished civil and military officials who took part in the work of the Restoration. The old titles were abolished, and have been replaced by those of Prince (Ko), Marquis (Kô), Count (Haku), Viscount (Shi), and Baron (Dan).
REVENUE AND EXPENDiture.
The total revenue of Japan for the year 1887-88 was given in official returns at $79,936,870, and the total expenditure at $79,935,552. The increase in revenue in due to the sale of Navy Loan Bonds; in the regular sources of supply there is a decrease.
The domestic debt of Japan in 1887 was $239,837,890. The Foreign debt amounted to $7,522,032.
ARMY AND NAVY,
The armed force of Japan is divided into the Standing Army, the Reserve, and the Militia, and the troops into five classes. The Standing Army comprises 42 battalions of Infantry and one of Cavalry, 30 batteries Artillery, 14 companies Engineers, 6 companies of Transport Corps, and 9 companies Marine Artillery. When on a peace footing the Army numbers about 32,300 men, and on a war footing 85,000 men. They are stationed in various parts of the Empire, which is divided into six military districts, having headquarters at Tokyo, Nagoya, Sendai, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Kumamoto. Camps are established in 37 places. Not included in the above are the Imperial Guard composed of about 3,700 picked troops, which bring up the strength of the regular army, in time of peace, to some 44,426. The army has been organised on the French system by officers specially selected by the French Government.
The navy of Japan consists of one ironclad frigate, four composite corvettes, three steel cruisers, one ironclad turret ship, four wooden corvettes, three sloops, eight gunboats, one despatch vessel, and three training ships, all steamers, besides three torpedo boats. The largest of these ships, the ironclad frigate Fu-80, has a displacement of 3,700 tons with engines of 3,500 horse-power. The armour is from 7 inches to 9 inches in thickness, while the armament consists of four 15-ton and two 5-ton steel breechloaders by Krupp, so arranged as to command every point of the horizon. The second largest ship of the navy is an ironclad corvette, called the Kon-go, which has a displacement of 2,800 tons, with engines of 2,500 horse-power, and has a belt of armour 4 inches thick. The armament consists of 12 Krupp guns, capable of throwing steel shells of 124 pounds. The Hi-yei is a sister ship to the Kon-go. The steel cruiser Tsukushi-kan steams 16 knots an hour, and carries two 25-ton breechloading guns, one in the bow and stern respectively. Two more fast and powerful armed cruisers, the Naniwa Kan and Takachiho Kan, built by Messrs. Armstrong & Co. in England, arrived in Japan in 1886. They steam 18 knots an hour and carry two 25-ton breechloading guns besides machine guns. Three others of longer tonnage and heavier armament are also in course of construction in Europe, and smaller vessels are being built in Japan.
POPULATION, TRADE, AND INDUSTRY.
The total area of Japan is estimated at 156,604 square miles, and the population, according to census returns taken in December, 1888, was 39,607,234 namely, 20,008,445 males and 19,598,789 females. The empire is geogra phically divided into the four islands: Hondo, the central and most important territory; Kiushiu, "nine provinces," the south-western island; Sikoku, "the four