Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 8.djvu/377

 JAPAN

319

JAPAK

There was then no navigation except along the coast and on the waters in the interior of the country. In 1S6S liberty was granted the Japanese to have ves- sels and to navigate as they jilcased. The formation of three companies: the iMitsuhishi Kisen Kwaisha (steam navigation) in 1S77. the Kyoilii riiyii Kwaisha (united transports), and the Osaka Shosen Kwaisha (commercial navigation) in 1S82, marks the beginning of the Japanese merchant service of Japan. In 1885, after a distressing occurrence, the Mitsubishi and the Kyodo Kwaisha united to form one company, Nippon Yusen Kwaisha (Japanese Mail Packet Company) and started a new era in the merchant service. In the be- ginning of 1896 the Government decided to grant privileges for the construction and navigation of ves- sels. Twenty j;en per ton capacity and five yen per horse-power unit are allowed to each ship of 700 tons and upward, built in Japanese yards and constructed of native materials. The navigation premiums vary according to the life and the capacity of the vessels. The total value of grants and subsidies paid annu- ally by the treasury to the companies and native shipowners is not less than 12,000,000 yen. At the end of 1903 there were 205 ship-yards and 32 docks. On 31 March, 1908, there were 216 ship-yards and 42 docks, building small war vessels and large merchant ships. During the war with Russia the companies furnished the Government 71 ships weighing 250,000 tons. Japan being a maritime country, it is natural that its merchant service and international trade should develop simultaneously and in proportion; nevertheless, the rapidity and importance of the progress made in the past fifteen years are truly ex- traordinary.

Value of merchandise exported and imported ac- cording to flag: —

Flag

Exports

Imports

Japanese

English

Cierman

United States

French

182,677.000 yen 120,550,000 ■• 40,745,000 •' 38,251,000 " 32,008,000 ••

181,817,000 yen 189.640.000 " ,56,403,000 '■ 25,454,000 ■•

11,004.000 ■■

Japan has a great many important navigation com- panies. The Nippon Yusen Kwaisha has had regular service since 1896 for Europe, America, Australia, and the chief ports on the Sea of Japan. The Osaka Shosen serves the ports of China and Corea. The Toyo Kisen has a rapid service between Japan and San Francisco, the Oya Shosen between Tsuruga and Vladivostok. The chief docks and coaling stations are those of Hakodate, Uraga, Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe, and Nag- asaki. Not including Formosa, there are twenty-eight ports of commerce, of which the most important are Yokohama, Kobe, Osaka, Moji, Nagasaki, Yokkaichi, Shimonoseki, Otaru, Kuchinotsu, Wakamatsu, and Hakodate. For Yokohama and Kobe, the two chief ports of Japan, the maritime trade for 1895 equalled 242,293,844 yen; in 1907, 652.713,183 yen. Light- houses, 140; signal lights, 19; buoys, 406; post indi-

cators, 77; bell buoys, 4; boats, 624,728. Lawsuits, 433; ships lost, 196; salvages, 728; persons shipwrecked, 461; died at sea, 277; disappeared, 154.

EcoNOMU's. — Agriculture. — The total area of Japan (not including Formo.sa and Sakhalin) is 38,5.55,229 cho, divided as follows: (1) land belonging to the Crown, the Slate, the commons, etc., 21,394,805 cho; (2) to private owners, 14,272,339 cho; (3) main roads, parks, swamps, etc., 2,888,085 cho. The total area of arable land is only 6,120,519 cho, classified as fol- lows: rice fields, 2,748,575; drained lands, 2,296,698

.Shotoku T.mshi and His Sons (XVII-cent. Painting)

cho; various crops, 1,075,246 cho; in all 15-7% of the total area of the country. The area of taxed lands is 13,981,687 cho; estimated on survey as worth 1,406,- 267,827 yen. But at present their real value is far in excess of this estimate. According to the most recent census the total number of families is S,725,.544. Of these 3,776,416 are occupied solely with agriculture; 1,638,216 families join agriculture with other work. The nature of the soil is unfavourable for tillage, but the Japanese have improved it by careful cultiva- tion. In the valleys there is not a grain of earth which has not been made use of, and even the mountain-sides have, by the exercise of patience, been cleared, often to a great height. Rice, which is the basis of Japanese diet, naturally

CHIEF AGRKULTUR.AL PRODUCTS— 1907

Product

Amount

Product

Amount

Rice

49,052,065 koku

7,529,668 "

363,950 "

896.534 "

1,202,990 "

135,650,090 kwan

1,602,447 "

7,100,511 "

7.046,193 "

2,917,509 "

4,784,899 "

10,158,092 koku

Wheat

4,479,726 koku

Rye

Millet

Italian millet {setaria Jtalica)

2,313,040 ■•

2,671.906 kwan 147,616,576 ■• 2,970,727 " 80,514 " 12,225,252 " 96,781.913 "

Unpinned cotton.

Tea

Tobacco

Barley