Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/715

 MONEY, WEIGHTS, AND MEASURES. 67$

Nevertheless, by the treaties made with several European Govern- ments — with the United States in March 1854; with Great Britain in October 1854: ; with Russia and the Netherlands in 1855 ; with France in 1859 ; with Portugal in 1860 ; with Prussia and the Zollverein in 1861 ; with Switzerland in 1864 ; with Italy in 1866 ; and with Denmark in 1867 — the six Japanese ports of Nagasaki, Kanagawa, Niegata, rliogo, Osaka, and Hakodadi were thrown open to foreign commerce.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The money, weights, and measures in common use at the three open ports of Japan, and the British equivalents, are : —

Money.

The Ichibu (silver), average rate of exchange. . Is. 4^d. ,, Piiu, or Tad ,,. . 5s. I0d.

„ Koban (gold) „. £l 9s. 2d.

The Chinese system of taking money only for its strict metal value, and rising it indiscriminately, either whole or in pieces, obtains also in Japan ; but, unlike the Chinese, the Japanese have national coins. These coins were made out of the country until the latter part of 1870, when the government purchased at Hong Kong the complete machinery of a mint, manufactured in England, and set it up at Osaka, in a building constructed for the purpose. The new coinage issued for this mint consists of gold 10, 5, and 2^ dollar pieces, equal to Mexican dollars in shape, weight, and fineness ; of silver dollars, and 50, 20, and 5 cents ; besides copper 1 and -5- cents and 1 mil, the latter said to be the smallest modern coin. They are made of iron, copper, silver and gold, and an alloy of gold and silver, and are of different shapes — rectangular, square, circular, and oval. There is also a paper currency, consisting of banknotes of one-quarter, one-half, and one Koban.

Weights and Measures.

The Picul, or ton. . . . = 133 lbs. avoirdupois.

„ King = 160 nomme. . . = 1^- ,, „

„ Shaku = 10 sung. . . = 11 1 inches.

„ Ei = 36 ehoo. . . . = 24_ miles.

Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Japan.

1. Official Publications.

Report by Mr. Sidney Locock, H. M.'s Secretary of Legation, on the Weights, Measures, and Currency of Japan, dated Yokohama, Jan. 10, 1867; in ' Eeports by H. M.'s Secretaries of Embassy and Legation.' No. V. 1867. London, 1867.

Commercial Eeports from H. M.'s Consuls in China and Japan. 1864. 8. London, 1865.