Owing to the irregular conformation of the surface of the country,
good roads in Japan can scarcely be said to exist. But 20,000 miles of
roads have been built, of which the state maintains about one fourth.
There are also 2505 miles of railway, of which the state owns and
maintains about one fourth also. There are 11,720 miles of telegraph
routes, with 37,000 miles of wire; 520 miles of telephone routes, with
6347 miles of wire; and 387 miles of submarine cable routes, with 1481
miles of wire. The country also has a merchant navy of 827 steam
vessels of modern type and 702 sailing-vessels of modern type, besides
668 native craft. Owing to the irregular and rocky nature of the
coast-line and the great number of small islands which exist, numerous
lighthouses are needed; but Japan's lighthouse system is one of the
best in the world.