342
JAPAN.
Each of the great territorial magnates above enumerated is absolute lord within his own territory, and has power of life and death over all his subjects and dependents. Cer tain districts only are under the immediate control of the central Government, and their revenues are assigned to the maintenance of the first dignitaries of the state, the Mikado and the Tycoon. The real authority of the realm, however, is in the bands of the Daimios, who form a federal aristocracy not dissimilar to that of Europe in the early middle ages.
Trade and Commerce.
The commercial intercourse of Japan with the United Kingdom is shown in the subjoined table, which gives the value of the total imports from Japan into the United Kingdom, and of the total exports of British and Irish produce and manufactures to Japan in each of the five years 1859-63.
Years.
Japan into the United Kingdom.
Imports from
Exports of Home produce from the United Kingdom
to Japan.
£
£
1859
97,078
2,917
1860
167,511
1861
538,687
43,100
1862
591,885
21
1863
1,283,631
108,897
The following table shows the various articles imported from Japan into the United Kingdom, in each of the years 1861-63.
Imports from Japan into the United Kingdom.
1861.
1862.
1863.
CH
£
£
£
Camphor,
Cotton, Raw,
Galls,.
58
8,133
16
58,608
3,315
1,316
1,512
Japanned or lacquered ware,...
Oil, train or blubber,
"
• U •
• • ·
Rags and other materials for Paper,
unenumerated,.
Seeds, Rape,.
Silk, Raw,.
Soy,...
•
Tea,.
1,832
1,366
3,224
6,399
5,704
10,836
8,964
3,281
8,316
777
162
369,999
350,835
893,035
2
96,649
194,942
253,502
Tobacco, unmanufactured,
Wax, vegetable,....
All other articles, ..
Total,...
Б
•
10,178
20,088
22,784
7,909
26,358
29,428
6,745
13,025
538,687
591,885
1,283,631
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