The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-07-30
THE EMPIRE oE JAPAN.
An Interesting Talk Abou. chat Country.
Neirs aud GitIier,

Au AhteEcbttuB Auih nuOut tntsG country
Netes and Cbuir.
On Wednesday last @ representative OF
the Ners aud Courier had very pleasant
interview with Mr. Jokichi TaEamine,
the Japanese Commissioner to the N ew
Orleans Exposition, who has been in
Charleston for several days, and who has
been inspecting the phosphate industries
Of South Carolina. Mr.. Takamine was
found at the New Brighton Hotel, and
the Reporter and the Commissioner had
quita q long talk, during which many
things were said which will doubtless be
Of interest to the public.
Mr.. Takamine seated himself at the
table in the reading room of the hotel,
and took from his pocket queer.looking
little book which contained the statistics
of the Empire of japan, but which was
totally unlike any book that has ever
been printed in this country. It had
two backs and one leaf, the QUE leaf being
folded like o fan. The printing was in
Japanese characters, and was unintelli.
gible, of courte, to anybody but q Japa.
nese or q graduate Of Vassar College.
The convenience of its arrangement was
proved by the rapidity With which the
Commissioner answered the questions
that were addressed TO him after referring
to the book. :
Mr.. Takamine said that he is q gradu.
ate of the Imperial College of Engineer.
ing at Toxic.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN JAPAN.
"Freee college3" inquired the Re.
porter.
"Oh, yes, it Is supported by the Gov.
ernment and is under the direction OF
the public works department.. learned
to speak English OF college, as tho pro.
fessors are all English. Afler graduating
l spent two years in England, and on
my way home to Japan crossed the
American Continent, thus, like Mr.. Phin-
eas togg, making complete tour of the
world. There aTe about GG, 900 schools
in japan, public and private. The pub.
lie schools are supported by the local
government from the proceeds of taxa.
ton just as the public schools in this
State are supported"
HOW THE COUNTRY Is GOVERNED.
Elections? No, We don't have any
elections to speak of. The various towns
and cities are governed by Chill, or
local governor, who is appointed By the
Emperor. There is o representative body
elected by the people, corresponding to
your board of aldermen, but their acts
are subject to the approval Of the Chit.
In Toxic the council consists of seventy.
five representatives-quite large body"
"Our Emperor is named Mutsuhito.
he has reigned for eighteen years, and is
still under 40 years of age. He can
trace his descent back two thousand five
hundred years, during all of which time
his family have been on the throne.
There are three classes of the people
The Ru,casoku, or nobility, the titles
being hereditary the Mizoku, or soldier
class, and the Hain,in, or common peo.
pie.
"The population of the Empire is ST.
000, 900, of which about seven thoussnd d
are foreigners. The stsudiug army nur,.
bers about 100,0 900 men, and the Imperial
navy consists of thirty men .of.war aud
seven thousand men. The three princi.
pal cities are: Toxic formerly Jeddo !
with q population of 100000; Osaka,
with population of 500, 900, and Kiota'
with population of 2tO,OO0.
"No, there is no Legislature or Con.
6kSoos AL hSo yCato t1liO tutIS Will U6 u
House of Representatives to be elected
from the different parts Of the Empire
and which will be, suppose, In its char.
acter something like the English House
Of Commons. The Emperor has said 1t
ahall BIZ so. None but those who own
property will be allowed to vote. No
there are no slaves or serfs In Japan.
don't think there ever was. We are all
freemen. The agricultural lands are
pretty well divided up and there are no
large holdings worth mentioning. A
great many Of the common people own
their own farms, others rent them"
tn" RELIGION OF JAPAN.
"What is the religion of the Empire
That is q subject upon which have
some hesitation in speaking. Buddhism
is the State religion. I should say It il
the religion of the uneducated. The
educated classes ere generally followers
Of the philosophy of Confucius. There
nre some Christians In the Empire"
"What do the Buddhists worship?
don't know as they worship any particular
deity with some hesitation1. I think
they 60 by the moral law to do no wrong
TO any man, and to live out your life the
best you can according to your lights.
am confident that your Seven Command
mentE.-,
vTen," suggested the Reporter.
~ Yea, i mean your Ten Command
Fments are embodied in substance in the
moral Jaw Ehich prevails In Japan and
Which ts insllcated as part of the ia
fpansss religion"
The Commissioner did not seem Il
have very clear convictions on this sub.
|ject, although he answered very pleasant
Iy and courteously she somewhat persona
questions that were addressed to him.
TIE POSTAL sYsTEM.
Mr.. Tekamine went on 10 give yas
fund Of information about Japan. The
postel system, he said, is very complete
There arc six thousand poitoffices in thu
Empire, the rates Of postage being abou
the same as in this country. The post
masters are appointed by the Emperor
their tenure of Office being at the Empe
ror's pleasure.
Would offensive partisauship be con
sidered cause for removal" asked the
Reporter.
II understand" replied the Commits
sioner, with smile which evinced hil
appreciation of the joke. 1--WE have nc
such offence In Japan.
'Telegraphs? Oh, yes the telegraph
wires extend all through the Empire
and railroads are being constructed II
every direction. Lighthouses, too, arr
kept up around the entire coast"
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.
"Onr exports are annually $50, ,00O, 900
or nearly 81 for each person on III,
Island. Our imports are 5000, 900 an
nunlly, Newspapers Oh. yes. ther,