Directory_and_Chronicle_1897 — Page 51

10

JAPAN

formerly of four 304 c.m. Krupp guns, two 15 c.m. Krupp guns, and eight machine guns. The steel coastguard ships Itsukushima and Matsushima, built in France, and Hashidate, built in Japan, are sister vessels; they have a displacement of 4,278 tons with engines of 5,400 horse-power, and their armament consists of one powerful gun (65 tons) and twenty-nine quick-firing guns in the case of the Itsukushima and twenty- seven in the others. The next largest vessel, the ironclad frigate Fuso, has a displacement of 3,779 tons with engines of 3,932 horse-power. The armour is from 7 inches to 9 inches in thickness, while the armament consists of four 15-ton and two 53-ton steel breechloaders by Krupp, so arranged as to command every point of the horizon, and five machine guns. The ironclad corvette called the Kongo has a displacement of 2,800 tons, with engines of 2,500 horse- power, and a belt of armour 43 inches thick. The armament consists of 11 Krupp guns, capable of throwing steel shells of 124 pounds. The Hiye is a sister ship to the Kongo. The protected cruiser Haiyen, of 2,108 tons and carrying three Krupp, six quick-firing, and six machine guns, was captured from China in 1895. The steel cruiser Tsukushi steams 16 knots an hour, and carries two 25-ton breechloading guns, one in the bow and stern respectively. The Naniwa and Takachiho, having each a displacement of 3,709 tons, built by Messrs. Armstrong & Co. in England in 1896 are fast and powerfully armed cruisers. They steam 18 knots an hour and carry two 25-ton breechloading guns besides machine guns. Another steel cruiser, the Chiyoda, built on the Clyde, arrived in Japan in 1890. She is a vessel of 2,450 tons, and carries 25 guns and three torpedo tubes. The first class steel cruiser Yoshino, built in England, is of 4,200 tons displacement, with engines of 5,500 horse power, and steams 22 knots.

POPULATION, TRADE, AND INdustry.

The total area of Japan is estimated at 156,604 square miles, and the population, according to census returns taken in December, 1891, was 40,718,677, namely, 20,563,416 males and 20,155,261 females. The increase during the last ten years has slightly ex- ceeded one per cent. per annum. The empire is geographically divided into the four islands: Honshiu, the central and most important territory; Kiushiu, "nine provinces," the south-western island; Shikoku, "the four provinces," the southern island; and Yezo, the most northerly and least developed. The former three islands are sub-divided into eight large roads, containing sixty-six provinces, and the latter (Yezo or Hokkaido) is divided into eleven provinces. Administratively, as before mentioned, the Empire is divided into fu and ken, each ken containing more than one province.

The total value of the foreign trade for the last six years was :-

1890

1891 79,527,272

62,927,268

1892

1893

1894

1896 91,102,754 89,712,864 113,246,086 136,112,178 71,326,079 88,257,172 117,481,955 129,260,578

Exports, Yen 56,603,506 Imports, 81,728,580

Total ,,138,332,086 142,454,540 162,428,833 177,970,036 230,728,041 265,372,756 The export of Raw Silk increased from 2,110,315 catties in 1890 to 3,712,213 catties in 1893 and to 5,810,046 in 1895. There has been a very large increase in the export of Silk Piece Goods. The export of Tea varied little during the last four years and amounted to 38,826,661 catties in 1995. The export of Coal and Coal Dust in 1895 was 1,376,068 tons and 468,747 tons for ships' use, against 1,265,504 tons and 435,626 for ships' use in 1894, an increase of 8 per cent. in quantity and 13 per cent. in value over that of 1894, which was about the same in amount and value as for the two previous years. The export of Matches steadily increased till 1894 when there was a slight check by the war with China. It was 16,914,027 gross in 1895, against 13,843,022 in 1894, 13,541,287 in 1893, 9,242,035 in 1892, 8,029,932 in 1891, and 6,724,585 in 1890.

Of Imports, Raw Cotton increased from 52,141,752 catties in 1890 to 119,931,185 catties in 1894 and to 155,152,728 in 1895; showing the rapid progress the country is making in supplying herself with the manufactured goods she requires; the erection of mills being of course greatly stimulated by the appreciation of gold. 24,308,491 catties of Cotton Yarn were imported in 1892, 19,405,152 in 1893, 15,942,797 in 1894, and 14,591,083 in 1895. There has been a continuous increase in the importation of Cotton Piece Goods, the values being yen 3,502,127 in 1891, yen 4,789,240 in 1892, yen 5,795,015 in 1893, yen 7,069,694 in 1894, and yen 7,224,288 in 1895. Woollen Goods were imported to the value of yen 5,481,938 in 1891, yen 6,988,164 in 1892, yen 8,304,240 in 1893, yen 7,982,882 in 1894, and yen 12,780,326 in 1895, the value in the latter year being an increase of 60 per cent. over that of its predecessor. Metals increased from