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JAPAN
The merchant vessels entered from Foreign Countries in 1911 were divided among the different nationalities as under :—
Japanese
Chinese
British
French
German
Austrian
Dutch
Swedish
Norwegian
Russian Danish
American
Tonnage 9,393,351
45,831 6,157,930
Strs. 5,172
Tonnage Sailing Tonnage
Total
9,338,669
427 54,682
5,599
48
1,934
45,831 6,152,446
48
5
5,484
1,939
- 112
338,328
112
338,328
384
1,337,871
384
1,337,871
38
147,706
38
147,706
74
214,669
74
214,669
31
72,093
31
72,093
181
273,037
181
273,037
388
666,090
I
6
389
666,096
35
96,740
35
96,740
179
1,309,917
179
1,309,917
433 60,172
9,009 20,053,569
Totals, 8,576 19,993,397
The total Customs Revenue for the year 1911 was Y. 43,169,200. Extension of the Japanese railway systems has proceeded uninterruptedly since the first line was laid in 1872. The mileage open to traffic, according to the latest returns, is 4,870 miles of State railway, and 484 miles of private railway. (This does not include the South Manchurian Co.'s lines, which measure 706 miles). The Government in 1996 decided on the State ownership of all railways which are used for general traffic, the object being to improve the facilities for direct traffic over long distances, to accelerate transportation, and to cheapen the cost. The Government proposed to purchase the lines belonging to thirty-two private companies within a period extending from 1996 to 1911, but the House of Peers, when the Bills came before them, reduced the number of companies to be bought out to seventeen, and extended the period of purchase to 1915. The aggregate length of the lines it was decided to purchase was 2,812 miles, the cost of construction being about yen 229,000,000. Public loan bonds to the value of yen 476,318,000 have been issued for the purchase of the railways, and it is intended to redeem by means of the net profit accruing from the railways purchased. This profit amounts to about eight million yen a year. The purchases included the line of railway in Corea, running between Fusan and Seoul. As a result of the war with Russia, the South Manchurian Railway was taken over by Japan. There are about 450 miles of electric tramway in Japan, and 220 miles more under construction.
By treaties made with a number of foreign Governments the Japanese ports of Kanagawa (Yokohama), Nagasaki, Kobe, Hakodate, Niigata, and the cities of Tokyo (formerly called Yedo) and Osaka were thrown open to foreign commerce. In 1894 new treaties were signed with the Powers by which extra-territoriality was abolished and the whole country opened to foreign trade and residence, the treaty to come into force in July, 1899, provided similar treaties were effected with the other Powers. This was done and extra-territoriality ceased to exist on August 4th, 1899.
CURRENCY
From October, 1897, Japan placed her currency on a gold basis. The unit of value is a gold dollar weighing .8333 grammes and containing .75 grammes of fine gold. The conversion from silver to gold was effected at the ratio of 1 to 32.348.
EDUCATION
Education is national and very general in Japan, and is making great progress. There are numerous Higher Schools, Middle Schools, Normal Schools, and Colleges for special studies, such as Law, Science, Medicine, Mining, Agriculture, and Foreign Languages, and several Female High Schools have been established, and are carefully fostered by the Government. In order to facilitate the prosecution of foreign studies the Government employs many European professors, and also sends, at the public expense, a large number of students every year to America and Europe.
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