890
JAPAN.
Population, Trade, and Industry.
The total area of Japan is estimated at 156,604 square miles, with a population of 32,794,897, namely, 16,733,698 males, and 16,061,199 females, according to official reports of the year 1875. The empire is geographically divided into the three islands of Nippon, the central and most important territory; Kiushiu, "the nine provinces," the south-western island; and Shikoku, "the four states," the southern island. Administratively, there exists a division into seven large districts, called “Dô,” or roads, which are subdivided into twenty-five provinces.
Education is very general in Japan, and is making greater progress than before since the recent change, which made Japan a monarchy. In 1871, the Mikado appointed a Board of Public Instruction, which is reported to be very active. Public primary schools are increasing rapidly, especially in towns; butthe movement is far more marked in the western provinces and on the coast than in the interior. Private schools are more abundant still; and any person being at liberty to establish them- subject to a permission which is always given-they spring up with facility wherever they are wanted. In order to facilitate the acquirement of foreign languages, the government of the Mikado engaged many European professors, 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 three years 1872 to 1874:---
1872 1873 1874
Years.
...
Imports.
$26,188,441 27,444 068 24,223,629
Exports.
$24,294.532
20,660,991
20,001,637
The following ports of Japan divided between them the imports and exports of the year 1874:-
Ports.
Kanagawa H1ogo-Osaka
Nagasaki
**
Hakodate
Total
1874.
Imports.
Exports.
$16,716,298
$12,578,579
5,649,521
4,962,897
1,840,019
2,179,154
17,791
281,013
24,223,629
20,001,637
The two staple articles of import into Japan, in the year 1874, were cotton and woollen fabrics, the former of the value of $9,793,488, and the latter of the value of of $4,879,140. The two staple articles of export in the year 1874 were raw silk, of the value of $7,165,481, and tea, of the value of $4,398,711.
The commercial intercourse of Japan is carried on mainly with two countries, namely, Great Britain and the United States of America, the former absorbing more than two-thirds of the whole. The extent of trade with the United Kingdom is shown in the subjoined table, which gives the value of the total exports from Japan to Great Britain and Ireland, and of the total imports of British and Irish produce and manu- factures into Japan in each of the five years 1870 to 1874:-
1870 1871... 1872 1873... 1874
Years.
...
...
Exports from Japan to Great Britain.
Imports of
British Home Produce into Japan.
£96,173
£1,609,367
109,224
1,584,517
184,342
1,961,327
561,390
1.680,017
537,136
1,282,899
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