OSAKA.
Osaka is the second city in Japan in point of size and commercial importance, and has not inaptly been termed the Venice of the Far East, owing to the manner in which it is intersected by canals. The city is compact and well laid out, the streets being regular, clean, and animated. Osaka is essentially Japanese, though a go-ahead and progressive city, and possesses much of interest to the foreign visitor. It is situated in the province of Setisu, and is built on the banks of the river Ajikawa, about five miles from the sea. The river is only navigable for small vessels, and on the opening of the railway to Hyogo the foreign trade of Osaka commenced to decline. Almost all the foreign firms in the latter city have removed to Hyogo. The most imposing and at the same time the most interesting object to be seen in Osaka is the Castle, erected in 1583 by one of the Shoguns, the famous Tai-ko-Sama. Though less extensive than that of Tokyo, it is a much grander and more striking edifice, and is indeed, on the whole, the first among the ancient castles of Japan. It is now occupied by the Osaka garrison, and forms the headquarters of one of the six great military districts. The city is the seat of the provincial gov- ernment, which is called Fucho, in contradistinction to the other provincial governments, which are termed Kencho. Osaka is the seat of numerous industries, including a cotton spinuing mill, shipbuildiag yards, and iron works, and the Imperial Mint is located there. In 1876 coins to the value of $6,613,405 were struck at this Mint, in 1877 of $5,701,555, in 1878 of $4,615,676, in 1880 of $6,899,084, in 1881 of $4,695,402, in 1882 of $6,853,703, in 1883 of $5,252,485, and in 1884 of $5,156,576, and a continuous supply of yen (dollars) is issued from the establishment, which are of similar weight and fineness to the Mexican dollar. The population of the city is given as 300,662; the number of foreign residents in 1881 was 195, of whom 97 were Chinese, 61 American, and 21 British, nearly all of the two latter nationalities being missionaries. The value of the imports for 1884 was $1,224,651, compared with $1,328,867 in 1883, and that of the exports $863,021 as against $629,416 in 1883.
DIRECTORY.
Government Departments.
OSAKA FUCHO.
Tateno Gôzô, Chiji
Yendo Torû, Dai-shoki-kwan
Kosaka Masakûni, Sho-shoki-kwan
Koshiba Kageoki, Commissioner of the
Foreign Office
Owura Kanetaka, chief inspector of police
OSAKA CASTLE.
General Visct. Takashima, commandant
OSAKA KOSO SAIBANSHO.
(Court of Appeal).
Kojima Korekata, Chief Judge, President
OSAKA SHISHIN SAIBANSHO. (Court of First Instance).
Imai Gon-ichi, Chief Judge, President
IMPERIAL ARSENAL.
Colonel Makino, director
Colonel Tajima
Major P. Asa
Major P. Grillo
M. Bisso
M. Forniers
IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT MINT. Kawasaki.
K. S. Endo, commissioner
Wm. Gowland, F.C.S., technical adviser,
chemist and assayer
R. MacLagan, M.I.M.E., engineer