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 JAPAN 419 JAPAN

Economic Status. — ^About three-fifths of the districts and are entitled to return one member, arable land is cultivated by peasant proprietors while cities containing more than 100,000 inhabi- and the remaining portion of it by tenants. The tants elect one mem^r for every 130,000 people, forest area in 1918 was about 46,000,000 acres, one- The rural districts are to send one member for eighth of which belonged to 'the Imperial House- every 130,000 inhabitants approximately. Each hold. The chief crops with their acreage (in 1917) prefecture was formerly regaroed as one electoral were: rice, 7,761,527 acres; wheat, 1,371,267 acres; district, but in the new law the one member for barley, 1,335,697 acres; rye, 1,615,906 acres; tobacco, one constituency system has been adopted. Eleo* 61,097 acres; tea, 122,107 acres. The mineral pro- tion is carried on by secret ballot, one vote for one duction for the year was valued at 710,520,488 yen man, and a general election takes place every four (1 yen=$0.4985 nomial exchange)^ the number of years. Every Japanese subject over thirty years of mine workers was 464,724. The mdustrial census age is eligible, except the mentally imfit or those on 31 December, 1918, revealed 22,391 factories with who have been deprived of civil rights. The mem- 1,409,196 employees. The principal manufactures in bership of the House is increased thereby, the same year were : woven goods valued at 1,189,- At present the members are divided into four 275,699 yen; Japanese paper, 53,932,699 yen; parties: (1) the Government party (Seisoikwai; matches, 39,272,285 yen. In 1920 the majority of (2) Kansei-kai, formed in 1916, formerly of seceders the exports went to China, Great Britain, and the from the Nationalist party and members of the United States. Central Club (dissolved) ; (3) Kokumin^o (Nation-

CoMMUNiCATioN.— The railway mileage of Japan alists), organiaed in 1910 by members identified with in 1919 was 8014, including 1941 miles of railways Progressives, historicaUy the remnants of the Pro- owned by private companies. The decision of the gr^veparty of 1882; (4) Independents. The most government to make the standard gauge 4^ feet noteworthy features of Japanese pditics are the will cost the government about 1,408,000,000 yen absence of Conservative, Labor, and Sociahstic ele- before it is completed in 1943. Japan has also the ^^^^ ^ orgam«ed power. The new election law right to build five railway Imes in Manchuria and Jjcreases the number of members from 381 to 464. Mongolia. A railway tunnel under the Moji- Number of membera m the different partly: Seiy^^ Shimonoseki Straits was commenced in 1920 and ^^^' 162; Kensei-kai, 122; Kokummto, 36; Inde- will be completed in about eijjht years. Its length Pendents, 61.

is seven miles, one mile of which will be completely Education. — Education in Japan is compulsory imder the sea. There are 1659 miles of electnc and non-religious. There were (1917) 325 secondary tramway in Japan. schools for Doys with 6702 teachers and 147,467

Government.— The present emperor is Yoshihito, pupils, 247 private schools. There were 378 second- who was bom 31 August, 1879, and succeeded his ary schools for girls with 475(3 instructors and 101,- father, Mutsuhito, 30 July, 1912. Hiro-Hito, his 965 pupils; 295 were public and 83 private schools, son, b. 26 April, 1901, was proclaimed heir apparent The number of pubhc primary schools was 25.445 9 September, 1912. The law of December, 1910, with 165,190 teachers and 7,621,951 pupils. The divides the emperor's lands into hereditary and per- average number of children receiving instruction sonal property, and provides that for all the judicial was 98.61. There were 164 private primary schools proceedings affecting the property, the Minister of and 635 infant schools. The government plans to the Imperial Housenold is responsible. The ordi- devote 44,000,(X)0 yen to extend higher education, this nary civil or commercial law can be applicable to sum to be a continuing expenditure extending over 6 the property only when it does not conflict with years from 1919-20 to 1924-25. Of the total 39,500,- the Imperial House Law and the present law. No 000 yen were spent on the training of teachers, espe- hereditanr landed estate can be newly used for pur- daily abroad. The emperor has contributed 10,000,- poses other than those of public utility or imder- 000 yen toward the necessary funds; balance is to be takings sanctioned by the emperor. The court owns met bv public bonds or loans. There are eight higher about 5.425,000 acres of dwelling land, forests, and schools which prepare for the university and are plains, shares of different banks and industrial enter- located at Tokio, Sendai, Kyoto, Kanazawa, prises, also 20,000,000 yen transferred out of the Okayama, Kumamoto, Nagoya, and Kagoshima. Chinese Indemnitv Fimd, 20,000,000 yen in war The imperial universities are located at Tokyo, bonds subscribed bjj the court in 1905. The civil Kyoto, Sendai (Tohoku), Fukuoka (Kyushu Uni- list was increased in 1910 to 4,500,000 yen. All versity), and Hokkaido (formerly the Agricultural these properties are estimated at 500 million yen. Department of Tohoku University). The eighteen The Minister of the Imperial Household is assisted technical schools comprise institutions that give by 24 councillors; the cnief of these are the cham- necessary instruction to those desiring to pursue berlain, the keeper of the seal, the empress's steward, practical business such as industry, agriculture, the master of rituals, the director of the Peer's trade, etc. The special schools include the five School, and the director of the treasury bureau, schools of medicine, Tokio School of Foreign Lan- The emperor shares the legislative power with two guages, Fine Art Academy, Academy of Music.

Solitical bodies, the Chamber of Peers and the For the blind, deaf, and dumb there are 71 schools, [ouse of Representatives. In 1918 the Chamber Educational Work in Formosa, — The administra- of Peers was composed as follows: members of the tion of the schools in the island of Formosa by imperial family, 14; princes, 13; marquises, 37; the Japanese Department of Education has con- coimts, 20; viscounts, 73; barons, 72; appointed for stitutea throughout a remarkable record of progress life by the emperor, 124; chosen amongst the citi- in the face of serious obstacles. Formosa passed zens paying the largest taxes, 46; total, 399. to Japan by cession from China in 1895 and im-

According to new Election Law, passed in the mediately racial and religious problems asserted 1918-19 diet and put into force in the general elec- themselves, taking shape in uprisings and foravs tion (1921), the House is composed of members on the part of rebellious natives. After two months elected by male Japanese subjects of not less than of military activities the condition of the island twenty-five years of age and paying a direct tax of was sufficiently settled to allow the initiation of a not less tlum 3 yen as against the previous limit svstem of education. The provisional office of the of 10. The incorporated cities containing not less department was opened in the city of Taihoku than 30,000 inhabitants form independent electoral and schools established in temples, generally the