Page:The Awakening of Japan, by Okakura Kakuzō; 1905.djvu/57

 in the early days of the Tokugawas will show the feudatory provinces so distributed that all political combination between them was rendered impossible. On such a map we will find the daimiates of Tokugawa creation, which were constantly being augmented in size and strength, wedged in between the earlier daimiates. Gradually all strategical points on the main roads of communication throughout the country were taken from the Tozama daimios, and either held by the shogun himself or put into the hands of his minions. The practice of assembling the daimios at Yedo to sit in conference over questions of territorial rights soon led to the inauguration of a system by which each daimio was obliged to leave his territory every alternate year and pay personal homage to the shogun, while his