JAPAN
317
JAPAN
Companies
Number
FONDS
Life
Xi
21)
!)
,s 1
2 1
350,188.000 ven
Fire.
1,462.303,000 "
64,278.000 "
2,678,000 "
555,000 ••
9.421.000 "
13.800 "
Electric Light Cnmpanie.i (SI Dec, 1907). — Number
of companies, 84; stockholders, 14,10-5; length of lines,
1016 ri (24(3S miles) : length of wires, 87.50 ri; private
houses lighted with electricity, 204,587; electric
lamps, 836,640; public lamps in cities, 18,650; receipts,
8,,mS,361 yen; expenses, 4,928,383 yen; net profit,
3,894,200 yen. In 1897 there were 41 companies;
29,701 private houses lighted; public lamps, 2335; net
profit, 614,999 yen.
CIcdring-liiiH.'ie.'i. — In 1.S96 there were two clearing- hou.-ics organized according to the system operating in the United States, one at Tokio, the other at Osiika. During that year (1896), the two establishments liq- uidated 647,239 notes, representing a value of ooS,- 834,000 yen. In 1907, four new clearing-liouses were in operation at Kyoto, Yokohama, Kolie, and Naga- saki. The liquidation operations dealt with 6,948,- 485 notes, representing a value of 7.124,0.")!!. 761 yen. On 31 March, 190S, number of exchanges, 50; stock- holders, 8448; lirokers, 971; authorized capital, 12,- 851,456 yen; paid-up capital, 10,291,000 yen. Re- ceipts, 7,015,388 yen; expenses, 4,448,531 yen. Net profit, 2,566,857 yen.
Commerce. — Foreign. — The export and import fig- ures will afford an idea of commercial activity and the development of native production: —
Ye.\r
Exports
Imports
1875
1885
1.S95
1905
1907
18.611,000 ven
37.147.000 ■ "
136.112.000 "
321.261.000 "
455,152,349 "
29.976.000 yen
29,357.000 •■
129.261.000 •■
488.538.000 ••
511.717.360 "
British India, England, and Germany have profited
most by the new order of things in Japan. Within
thirty-four years, that is since 1873, Japan's export
trade has increased 23 times.
Chief Exports and Imports with their Value in Yen. — Exports: raw silks, silk waste, handkerchiefs, pongees, 158,876,000 yen; cottons, cloth, napkins, 48,986,000 yen; chemical matches, 9,446,000 yen; fancy floor mattings, 5,743,000 yen; porcelains and crockery, 7,216,000 yen; lacquered articles, 1,643,000 yen; plaited work, 5,001,000 yen; umbrellas (Euro- pean shape), 1,613,000 yen; cigarettes, 2,055,000 yen; tea, 12,618,000 yen; rice, 3,664,000 yen; dried cuttle fish, 2,401,000 yen; sea-weed, 709,000 yen; fish-oil, 2,975,000 yen; camphor, 5,026,000 yen; crude and re- fined copper, 29,262,000 yen; oil, 19,0.52,000 yen; veg- etable wax, 1,070,000 yen. Imports: raw and spun cotton, prints, velvets, i:!l, 718,001) ven; wnolleiis, mus- lin, cloth, 24,878,000 yen; IxMup, 3,5(;!),(I(I0 yen; ma- chines, 27,699,000 yen; locomotives and wagons, 2,- 933,000 yen; iron bars, 26,445,000 yen; rails, 3,828,000
That is to say, in 1 907 the foreign commerce of Japan
was twenty times greater than in 1875, and since the
Russo-Japanese war, three years ago, it has increased
one-third. Average per person: in 1875, 1-43 yen; in
1907, 18 yen.
Japanese commerce with the chief countries of the world: —
Countries
J.^PANESE Exports
Japanese Imports
1895
1907
1895
1907
China
Brit. India. Hong-Kong
Corea
England . . .
France
Germany..
Italy
Belgium . . .
U. §
Australia...
Yen
9,135,000
4,339.000
18.363.Ono
3.,s:ii,iiriii 7.si:;.
22.l)ll|-. Mini
3.3411,111111
3. 551.01 )ll
132.000
54,029,000 1,281,000
Yen
106,119.(11111
13,088.111111
24.384. 1
J_\ 1 l.ijniil
1 l,L^^.^,llllM i:i. 7711.111 111 2.054.000 131.101,000 4,793,000
2_>.'I^."..I100
l.'.J7_'!iiliu r, 1 Ml, III 111
"'l4,s!llllO 2,066,000 9,276,000 1,031,000
Yen
67,991,000
74,593,000
820,000
16.371.000
116,245.000
7.024.0llt)
47.667,000
942.000
13.398.000
80.697.000
7.318.000
Japan also maintains commercial relations with the
following countries: the French colonies of India, the
Russian colonies of Asia, Siam, Switzerland, Russia,
Austria-Hungary, Dutch Indies, Sweden, Norway,
Spain, Turkey, Denmark, Portugal, Mexico, Peru,
Egypt, the Philippines, Hawaii, etc.
The greatest amount of Japane.se merchandise has been exported to China and the United States, while
yen; iron nails, iron, and steel. 11.172.1)00 yi-ii; dry in-
digo, 5,876,000 yen; paper, 7,436.000 yen: .^olc leather,
3,933,000 yen; brown and white sugar, 19.,st;4.000 yen;
rice, 30,931.000 yen; beans, lentils, 10,405,000 yen;
meal, 6.212,00(1 yen; petroleum, 14,324,000 yen; tor-
toise .shell. 21.042,000 yen._
The chief markets for silk are the United States, France, and Italy; for cotton and copper, China. Tea is exported almost wholly to the United States. In 1907, there entered the Japanese ports 10,932 steamships, tonnage, 19,801, 425 tons; Japanese steam- ships, 6734 (8,770,491 tons); Chinese steamers, 52 (57,659 tons) ; English steamers, 2269 (6,267,638 tons) ; German steamers, 673 (1,840,000 tons) ; United States, 377 steamers (1,618,462 tons); Norwegian steamers, 348 (386.311 tons); Russian steamers, 172 (324,050 tons): .\ustrian steamers, 140 (1.54,425 tons); Danish steamers. 24 (64,753 tons); other. nationalities, 143 (.■',17.636 tons).
Domestic Commerce. — Museums. — Japan possesses 1 1 commercial museums, two of which (those of the Government and the industrial association) are at Tokio; the others are at Sapporo. Osaka, Kobe. Naga- saki, Miye, Nagoya, Gifu. Kanazawa, and Toyama. At the end of March, 1906, the Government Museum at Tokio contained 61,670 specimens, 31,674 of which were of foreign origin. Visitors in 1907, 57,111, of whom 1625 were foreigners.
Chambers of Commerce. — On 31 March, 1908, there were 386 chambers of commerce. Ordinary council- lors, 1589; special councillors, 250; number of matters
