JAPAN.
501
Romaji Kai, for promoting the adoption of the Roman alphabet in Japan, was formed in 1885, and is making progress.
The total value of the foreign trade of Japan was, according to consular reports, as follows in each of the ten years 1875 to 1884:-
YEARS.
IMPORTS.
1875
1876
...
1877
1878
*
***
1879
1880
...
1881
...
1882
1883
...
1884
•
...
T
***
...
***
$29,467,067 24,087,515 25,900,54 L
EXPORTS.
$18,014,890 27,669,466 21,692,121
"
26, 9.419 27,372,976
$3,334,392
32,603,838
36,622,243
•
30,942,442
29,300,724
27,848,992
29,381,678
27,419,629
20,328,607
37,246,029
35,709,066
33,076,839
The following table shows the imports and exports of each port for the years 1883 and 1884:-
1883.
1884.
PORTS.
IMPORTS.
EXPORTS.
IMPORTS.
EXPORTS.
Kanagawa
$18,618,612
$25,691,215
$19,433,362
$21,458,084
Hyogo...
7,000,825
5,844,341
7,780,836
Osaka
1,328,867
629,416
1,224,651
6,479,866 £63,021
Nagasaki
896,310
3,107,344
855.742
3,772,513
Hakodate
4,378
435,750
5,004
378,915
All other ports
82,083
124,440
$27,848,992
$35,709,066
29,381,678
33,076,839
The two staple articles of import into Japan in the year 1884 were cotton and woollen and mixed woollen fabrics, the former of the value of $7,685,215, and the latter of the value of $3,431,904. The two staple articles of export in the year 1884 were raw silk, of the value of $12,983,261, and tea, of the value of $5,817,779. The eommercial 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.
By treaties made with a number of foreign Governments-with the United States in March, 1854; with Great Britain in October, 1854; with Russia and the Netherlands in 1855; with France, in 1858; with Portugal, in 1860; with Prussia and the German Zollverein, in 1861; with Switzerland, in 1864; with Italy and Belgium, in 1866; with Denmark in 1867; with Sweden and Norway and Spain in 1868; with Austria in 1867; and with China in 1871-the Japanese ports of Kanagawa (Yokohama), Nagasaki, Hyogo, Hakodate, Niigata, and the cities of Tokyo (formerly called Yedo) and Osaka were thrown open to foreign commerce. A revision of the treaties is desired by the Japanese Government, and negotiations to that end are proceeding.
Railways in Japan are now being rapidly pushed forward. The first railway constructed was the one connecting Yokohama with Tokyo; it is 18 miles long and was opened for the traffic as a single road on the 12th June, 1872, and was completed as a double line throughout on the 8th May, 1880. The gauge, like that of all other railways in Japan, is 3 ft. 6 in. The Kobe and Osaka section, 22 miles long, was com- pleted and opened to passenger traffic on the 11th May, 1874; the extension of the same from Osaka to Kioto, 27 miles in length, was opened to traffic on the 5th Sept., 1876; and the extension from Kioto to Otsu, 114 miles in length, was formally opened by the Mikado on the 14th July, 1880. The Tsuruga and Ogaki Railway, 49 miles in length, connects the northern end of Lake Biwa with the Japan Sea, was com- menced on the 6th April, 1880, and opened for traffic throughout on the 25th May,
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