626
JAPAN
The total Shipping, including junks, from and to Foreign Countries for the year 1909 was:-
Entered Tonnage Cleared
Steamers
9,960
Sailing Vessels
2,370
19,670,790 123,661
10,012
2,412
Tonnage 19,761,327 127,175
Total Tonnage. 19,972 30,432.117
4,782
250,836
Totals, 12,330 19,794,451
12,424 19,888,502 24,754 39,082,953 The merchant vessels entered from Foreign Countries in 1909 were divided among the different nationalities as under :-
Strs.
Japanese
6,559
9,497,611 2,290
Tonnage Sailing Tonnage Total Tonnage
89,611
8,849 9,587,222
British
1,906
5,809,235
6
14,141
1,912
5,823,376
German
573
1,629,284
2
3,656
575 1,632,940
America
184
1,349,044
5
5,957
189
1,355,001
French...
112
310,813
5
9,246
117
320,059
Norwegian
235
314,300
!
235
314,300
Russian
146
281,574
R
91
148
281,665
Dutch
55
152,018
1
55
152,018
Austrian
36
139,258
36
139,258
Chinese
61
60,631
61
60,631
Swedish
25
58,717
25
58,717
Other Countries
65
68,305
60
959
125
69,264
•
Totals, 99,60 19,670,790 2,370
123,661 12,330 19,794,451 The total Customs Revenue for the year 1909 was yen 36,131,827. Extension of the Japanese railway systems has proceeded uninterruptedly since the first line was laid in 1872. The mileage open to traffic, according to the latest returns, is 4,542 miles of State railway, and 477 miles of private railway. The Government in 1906 decided on the State ownership of all railways which are used for general traffic, the object being to improve the facilities for direct traffic over long distances, to accelerate transportation, and to cheapen the cost. The Government proposed to purchase the lines belonging to thirty-two private companies within a period extending from 1906 to 1911, but the House of Peers, when the Bills came before them, reduced the number of companies to be bought out to seventeen, and extended the period of purchase to 1915. The aggregate length of the lines it was decided to purchase is 2,812 miles, the cost of construction being about yen 229,000,0N0. Public loan bonds to the value of yen 476,318,000 have been issued for the purchase of the railways, and it is intended to redeem by means of the net profit accruing from the railways purchased. This profit amounts to about eight million yen a year. The purchases included the line of railway in Corea, running between Fusan and Seoul. As a result of the war with Russia, the South Manchurian Railway was taken over by Japan. There are about 272 miles of electric tramway in Japan, and 128 miles more under construction.
By treaties made with a number of foreign Governments the Japanese ports of Kanagawa (Yokohama), Nagasaki, Kobe, Hakodate, Niigata, and the cities of Tokyo (formerly called Yedo) and Osaka were thrown open to foreign commerce.
In 1894 new treaties were signed with the Powers by which extra-territoriality was abolished and the whole country opened to foreign trade and residence, the treaty to come into force in July, 1899, provided similar treaties were effected with the other Powers. This was done and extra-territoriality ceased to exist on August 4th, 1899.
CURRENCY
From October, 1897, Japan placed her currency on a gold basis. The unit of value is a gold dollar weighing .8333 grammes and containing .75 grammes of fine gold. The conversion from silver to gold was effected at the ratio of 1 to 32.348.
EDUCATION
Education is national and very general in Japan, and is making great progress. There are numerous Highr Schools, Middle Schools, Normal Schools, and Colleges for special studies, such as Law, Science, Medicine, Mining, Agriculture, and Foreign Languages, and several Female High Schools have been established, and are carefully fostered by the Government. In order to facilitate the prosecution of foreign studies the Government employs many European professors, and also sends, at the public expense, a large number of students every year to America and Europe.