Directory_and_Chronicle_1883 — Page 448

YOKOHAMA.

Yokobama is the principal Treaty port of Japan, and was opened to foreign trade in July, 1859. It is situated on the Bay of Yokohama, a small bay on the Western side of the Gulf of Yedo, in lat. 35 deg. 26 min. 11 sec. N., and long. 139 deg. 39 min, 20 sec., in the island of Hondo, and is distant al out eigl.teen miles from the capital, with which it is connected by a line of railway. The settlement stands on wh at was originally a swamp, and--the town having sprung up only since the site wasselcct-, ed for a treaty port instead of the little town of Kanagawa-possesses few attrac- tions for the visitor. The scenery around, however, is hilly and pleasing, and on a clear day the snow-crowned summit of Fusiyama, a volcanic mountain 13,000 feet high-celebrated in Japanese literature and depicted on so many native works of art -is clearly visible. Yokohama is compactly built of low houses with tiled roofs. The town is divided into two nearly equal parts, the western half being occupied by the foreign settlement. Beyond the plain on which the town is built rises a sort of semicircle of low hills called "The Bluff," which is thickly dotted with handsome villas and dwelling-houses in various styles of architecture, all standing in pretty gardens. From these dwellings charming prospects are obtainable. Along the water-front of the foreign s ttlement runs a fine broad street called the Bund, on which, facing the water, stand many of the principal houses and hotels. The streets in the foreign settlement are well paved, kerbed, and drained. There are Anglican, French Catholic, Union Protestant, and native Mission Churches in the settlement. Yokohama has greatly increased in importance of late years, but the export trade does not make satisfactory progress. There are three English daily papers published in the port, namely, the Japan Gazelte, the Japan Herald, and the Japan Daily Mail; the latter has also a weekly edition. In addition to these there are two French papers, L'Echo du Japon and the Courrier du Japon.

The entire population of Yokohama was, according to a census taken in 1879, 67,499. The number of foreign residents in 1881 was 3,743, of whom 2,245 were Chinese, 594 British, 275 American, 190 German, 164 French, 46 Dutch, 36 Portu- guese, 72 Russian, and the remainder of various nationalities.

The imports into Yokohama consist chiefly of cotton and woollen goods. In 1881, according to the British Consul's report, the value of the different classes of imports was as follows:-Cotton manufactures, $9,724,904; woollen manufactures, $1,641,246; mixed cotton and woollen, $788,325; metals, $1,066,815; arms and ammunition, $50,659; miscellaneous foreign, $4,944,567; miscellaneous local, $3,255,510; total $21,472,026, a falling off of nearly five million dollars. The total value of the exports was $21,154,664, very nearly balancing the account. Silk is the most valuable of the exports, being set down at $12,667,121, showing an increase of nearly two and quarter million dollars on that of the preceding year, The value of the tea exported was $4,491,140. The total export of raw silk during the season from 1st July, 1881, to same date 1882, only half of which period is covered by the Consular returns, was, according to the returns of the Chamber of Commerce, 21,776 bales, of which 3,647 were for England, 10,973 for France, 7,022 for America, and 134 for other countries. The export of tea during the season 1st May, 1881, to same date 1882, was 22,106,542lbs., all for America, with the exception of 603,148lbs. for England.