VII
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374
JAPAN.
the most northerly and least developed. The former three islauds are sub-divided into eight large roads, containing sixty-six provinces, a d the latter (Yesso) is divided into eleven provinces. Administratively, as before mentione, the Empire is divided into fu and ken, each ken containing more than one province.
Education is very general in Japan, and is making greater progress than before the revolution which made Japan a monarchy. In 1871, the Mikado appointed a Board of Public Instruction, which is reported to be very active. The number of elementary schools in 1877 was 24,225, of which 21,988 were public schools and 2,237 private schools. Of Middle Schools there are 11 public and 105 private establishments. There are 90 Normal Schools; and Colleges for special studies, such as Law, Medicine, Mining, Agriculture, and Foreign Languages, have been established, and are carefully fostered by the Government. In order to facilitate the acquirement of foreign languages, the Government of the Mikado engaged many European pro- fessors, and also sent, at the public expense, a large number of students to America and Europe.
The total value of the foreign trade of Japan was, according to consular reports, as follows in each of the six years 1872 to 1878:-
1872 18 3
8.4
18:5
1876
18.7
1878
YEARS.
+
:
IMPORTS.
EXPORTS.
$26,188,441
$24,294,532
27,444,068
20,660.994
24,223,629
20,001,637
...
29,467,067
18,014,890
24,087,515
27,669,466
25,900,54
21,692,121
26,259,419
: 3,334,392
The following table shows the imports and exports of cach port for the and 1878:-
years 1877
PORTS.
Kanagawa
Hiogo.
Osaka
Nagasaki
Niigata
Hakodate
1877.
1878.
IMPORTS.
EXPORTS.
IMPORTS.
EXPORTS.
$19,490.485
$15,628,337
$26,011,300
$16,092,921
4,313,641
4,518,570
518,246
175,340
5,386,624 452,527
6,355,988
19-,902
1,578,169
904,219
1,484,468
2,398,501
Nil.
24,000
Nil.
688,940
Nil.
441,655
Nil.
524,167
$25,900,541
$21,692,121 $33,334,392
$26 259,419
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The two staple articles of import into Japan, in the year 18:8, were cotton and woollen fabrics, and former of the value of $12,739,219, and the latter of the value of $4,636,752; the value of mixed cotton and woollen goods was $1,156,906. The two staple articles of export in the year 1878 were raw silk, of the value of $8,995,341, and tea, of the value of $4,412,457. he commercial intercourse of Japan is carried on mainly with two countries, namely, Gr at Britain and the United States of America, the former absorbing more than two thirds of the whole.
By treaties made with a number of fo eign Governments-with the United States in March, 1854; with Great Britain in October, 1854; with Russia and the Netherlands in 1855; with France, in 1859; with Portugal, in 1860; with Prussia and the German Zollver in, in 1861; with Switzerland, in 1864; with Italy and Belgium, in 1866; and with Denmark and Austria, in 1867-the Japanese ports of Kanagawa (Yokohama), Nagasaki, Hiogo, Hakodate, Niiga a, and the cities of Tokio (formerly called Yedo) and Osaka were thrown open to foreign commerce.
The first line of railway, from Yokohama to Tokio, 18 miles long, was opened for traffic on the 12th of June, 1872; a line was a'so opened from Hiogo to Osaka,
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