548
JAPAN
The total Shipping from and to foreign countries for the year 1915 is given as 19,634,782 tons and is divided among the different nationalities as under :-
Japanese
British
American
Russian.....
French
Dutch
Swedish.
Danish
Norwegian
Chinese
Totals.
Strs.
Tonnage Sailing Tonnage Total
Tonnage
6,850 13,348,558
296
38,152
7,146 13,386,710
1,055
3,881,922
1
748
1,056
3,882;670-
147
959,105
4
11,241
151
970,346
506
748,286
5
512
511
748,798.
62
225,704
1,976
63
227,680
68
195,843
68
195,843
48
132,497
48
132,497
19
56,753
19
56,733.
10
29,246
3,609
11
32,855.
2
630
2
630-
8,767
19,578,544
308
56,238
9,075 19,634,782
The Customs Revenue for the year 1915 was Y31,335,674. 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 5,473 miles of State railway, and 1,121 miles of private railway. (This does not include the South Manchurian Co.'s lines, which measure 697 miles.) 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 was 2,812 miles, the cost of construction being about Yen 229,000,000. Public loan bonds to the value of Yen 476,318,000 were 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 811 miles of electric tramway in Japan, and 290 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 High 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.