THE MINT AT OSAKA.--FROM OSAKA TO NARA AND KIOTO.
Through the assistance of a gentleman to whom Doctor Bronson had a
letter of introduction, our friends were enabled to pay a visit to the
imperial mint at Osaka.
They found a large establishment, like a foundry, on the bank of the
river, and just outside the thickly settled portion of the city. A tall
chimney was smoking vigorously, and gave signs of activity; and there
was an air of neatness about the surroundings quite in keeping with what
they had observed thus far in their journey through Japan. They were met
at the entrance by the director of the mint, a Japanese gentleman who
had spent a considerable time in Europe and America, and spoke English
with fluency and precision. They were invited to seats in the office,
and, after a brief delay, were escorted through the establishment.
The mint at Osaka is one of the most noted enterprises which the
government of Japan has undertaken, and likewise one of the most
successful. When it was founded it was under foreign supervision, and
the most of the employés were from Europe; but year by year the Japanese
have learned how to conduct its machinery, and have relieved the
foreigners of the labor of managing it. The direction is Japanese, and
so are the heads of the departments, and the employés from highest to
lowest. When the mint was established, the machinery for it was imported
from Europe, but at present it is all made by the Japanese, in their own
factory attached to the mint.
"Just to think," said Frank, "that people persist in calling these
Japanese 'barbarians!' Here are machines for stamping coin and
performing all the work of a mint, and it bears the mark of the
Japanese. Here are delicate balances for weighing gold and silver and
getting the weight down to the fraction of a grain, and they are just as
sensitive and as well made as the best specimens from the French or
German makers. If the Japanese can do all this, and they certainly have
done it, they deserve to be considered just as good as any other people
in the world."
The Doctor took from his pocket some of the coin which was in
circulation, and with which the boys had by this time become thoroughly
familiar. They had remarked that it was as neatly made as any coin of
Europe or America, and, as a matter of curiosity, they were desirous of
seeing the machine by which each of the different pieces was stamped.
The director kindly pointed out the various machines, and the boys
observed that, with a single exception, they were all of Japanese make.
Then they were shown through a factory for the manufacture of sulphuric
acid that is attached to the mint, and is run on government account.
They were somewhat astonished to learn that all the sulphuric acid used
in the mint was made there, and that in the previous year thirteen
thousand cases were exported to China. For the benefit of his professor
of chemistry, Fred made the following memorandum concerning the branch
of business he was investigating:
"The sulphur comes from the provinces of Satsuma and Bungo--the most
from the latter, and the best from the former; and the product is partly
for the use of the mint, and partly for general commerce. The acid is
packed in earthen jars which are glazed on the inside, and not in the
carboys that are in use with us. Two jars, holding about eight quarts
each, are packed in a wooden case; they rest on a bed of lime about
three inches thick, and the remainder of the space is filled with coarse
ashes and coal cinders. This manner of packing is considered preferable
to the old one, and, besides, it enables the Japanese to make their own
jars, instead of importing the carboys. The director tells me that thus
far the factory has not been able to supply the Chinese demand for acid,
and therefore no shipments have been made to other countries. With an
increased production, it is quite possible that shipments may be made to
America at no very distant day.
[Illustration: VIGNETTE FROM THE NATIONAL BANK-NOTES.]
"Japan abounds in sulphur, and the supply is said to be inexhaustible.
The copper used at the mint for making the Japanese small coins is of
native production, and so is most of the silver; but occasionally the
supply of the latter metal runs short, and then American silver comes
into play. Last year nearly half a million trade-dollars were melted at
the mint at Osaka, to be made into Japanese yens, and this year a large
number have met a similar fate. The American trade-dollar has not yet
become a popular coin for circulation in Japan and China, but is in good
demand for the melting-pot. But I suppose we do not care what they do
with our silver money so long as they pay for it; and the more they melt
up, the better we shall be pleased."
[Illustration: IMPERIAL CREST FOR PALACE AFFAIRS.]
Having finished their inspection of the mint, our friends thanked the
polite director for his kindness and attention, and bade him good-day.
They returned to the hotel, where their lunch was waiting for them, and
sat down on the balcony, where they had feasted and studied the river
scenery the day before. Their morning's excursion naturally led them to
talk about the money of Japan, and on this subject the Doctor was ready
with his usual fund of information.
[Illustration: IMPERIAL CREST ON THE NEW COINS.]
[Illustration: OLD KINSAT, OR MONEY-CARD.]
"The Japanese currency," said Doctor Bronson, "has had a somewhat
checkered career. Previous to the coming of the foreigners, the currency
consisted of gold, silver, copper, and bronze coins. The Daimios had
money of their own, and some of them had issued paper kinsats, or
money-cards. These were on thick paper, like card-board, and they
circulated freely, though sometimes at a discount, owing to the
difficulty of redemption or the wasteful ways of the prince by whom they
were put forth. The old coins were oval or oblong, and the lower
denominations had a square hole in the centre, so that they could be
strung on a wire or on a cord. The gold coins were known as 'kobans,'
while the silver ones had the general name of 'boos.' There were
fractions of each, and they had their names, just as our half and
quarter dollars have their distinctive names. The unit of the silver
coin was a 'boo,' and it was always called 'ichiboo,' or one boo. The
word _ichi_ means _one_, but the early visitors supposed it was a part
of the name of the coin. Thus we read in books of twenty years ago that
the writer paid 'one ichiboo' or 'two ichiboos' for certain purchases.
It is the same as if some one writing of America should say that he paid
'one one-dollar' or 'two one-dollars' for what he had bought.
[Illustration: ICHI-BOO.]
"All that old currency has been set aside," continued the Doctor, "and
the country is now in possession of a decimal system of money. The coins
are round, and the general stamp on them is the same, apart from the
words and figures showing the denomination and value. The unit is the
'yen,' which is equal to our dollar. In fact, the Japanese currency is
assimilated to our own in weight, fineness, and decimal divisions. Here
is the table of the values:
"10 rin make 1 sen, equal to 1 cent.
100 sen make 1 yen, equal to 1 dollar.
"The coins are stamped with the devices of the coiled dragons and the
rising sun (both Japanese symbols), and not with the portrait of the
Mikado. Japanese prejudice is opposed to the adoption of the picture of
the imperial ruler on the coin of the country, but it will probably be
overcome in time. It is less severe than with the Moslems (among whom a
true believer is forbidden to make a picture of anything that has life),
and consequently will be more easy to do away with.
[Illustration: VIGNETTE FROM BANK-NOTE.]
"The Japanese have ventured upon that feature of Western civilization
known as a national debt, and how they will get out of it time alone
will determine. At present they are increasing their indebtedness every
year, and their paper does not show any signs of redemption. They have
also, as you have seen, a paper currency like our national issue in
America, and so much like ours is it that it is known as the Japanese
greenbacks. They have notes of the same denominations as ours; and they
also have a fractional currency, such as we had during the war of 1861
and the years that followed. The premium on coin has gone steadily
upwards, partly in consequence of the large issue, and partly owing to
the hostility of foreign bankers and others, who have done all they
could to bring the Japanese credit into discredit."
[Illustration: VIGNETTE FROM BANK-NOTE.]
The dissertation on Japanese money came to an end with the meal they
were eating, and soon after the party proceeded to take a stroll through
the streets. The afternoon was spent in this way and in letter-writing,
and on the following morning the trio started for Kioto, by way of Kara.
The ride was a pleasant one--in jin-riki-shas--partly along the banks of
the river, where they saw a goodly number of boats, some descending the
stream with the aid of the current, and others making a laborious
ascent. The difference of up-stream and down-stream travel was never
better illustrated than in the present instance. The Japs who floated
with the current were taking things easily and smoking their pipes, as
though all the world were their debtor; while the men on the towpath
were bending to their toil, evidently giving their whole minds to it,
and their bodies as well. Some of the towmen had on their grass coats,
while others were without them. Every head was carefully protected from
the heat of the sun by the broad hats already described.
[Illustration: MEN TOWING BOATS NEAR OSAKA.]
[Illustration: MODE OF HOLDING THE TOW-ROPES.]
They saw a native ferry-boat at one point, which was heavily laden with
a mixed cargo. According to Fred's inventory, the craft contained a
horse and half a dozen men, together with a lot of boxes and bundles,
which were, as the auctioneers say, too numerous to mention. The head of
the horse was firmly held by the groom who had him in charge, as it
would have been a serious matter if the beast had broken away and jumped
into the stream with all his load about him. A Japanese ferry-boat does
not appear the safest thing in the world, but, somehow, one never hears
of accidents with it. If any occur, they must be carefully kept out of
the papers.
[Illustration: THE FERRY-BOAT.]
After riding about three hours through a succession of villages and
across fields, they reached a hotel, where John suggested they had
better halt for lunch. It was a Japanese inn, without the slightest
pretence of adapting itself to foreign ideas. There were the usual
fish-stew and boiled rice ready, and with these and their own provisions
our travellers made a hearty meal, well seasoned with that best of
sauces, hunger. There was a stout maid-of-all-work, who bustled about in
a manner not altogether characteristic of the Japanese. At the
suggestion from the Doctor that he would like to bathe his head in some
cool water, she hurried away, and soon returned, bearing a bucket so
large and so full that she was forced to bend her body far to one side
to maintain her equilibrium. Her powerful limbs and general ruddiness of
feature were indicative of the very best condition of robust health, and
the boys agreed that she would make a most excellent model for an artist
who was endeavoring to represent the best types of the Japanese
peasantry.
[Illustration: THE HOTEL-MAID.]
Nara is about thirty miles from Osaka, and is famous for some ancient
temples and fine groves of trees. The park containing the latter is
quite extensive, and supports a considerable number of deer, so tame
that they will feed from the hand of a stranger. As they are the stock
sights of the place, there are plenty of opportunities to spend a few
pennies for cakes to be given to the deer. The cakes are sold by some
old women, who call the pets from the shelter of the trees, and bring
them bounding to your side. The trees in the park are very old, and
among the finest in Japan. There are few lovelier spots in the country
than this; and as our friends reclined on the veranda of the little
hotel to which John had led the way, and looked upon the smiling valley
that spread before them, they pronounced the picture one of the
prettiest they had ever seen.
[Illustration: A JAPANESE LANDSCAPE.]
The following morning they devoted to the sights of Nara, and were
surprised at the number and extent of the temples and tombs. During the
eighth century Nara was the capital of Japan, and it had the honor of
being the residence of seven different sovereigns. The most famous of
its monuments is the statue of Buddha, which was originally cast at the
time Nara was the capital, and was afterwards destroyed during an
insurrection. It was recast about seven hundred years ago, and has since
remained uninjured. Frank applied himself to discovering the dimensions
of this statue, and ended by making the following table of figures:
Total height of statue, 53 feet 6 inches; width across shoulders, 29
feet; length of face, 16 feet; width of face, 9 feet 6 inches. It is
said to weigh four hundred and fifty tons, and to be made of a bronze
composed of gold, mercury, tin, and copper. The head is covered with
curls, also of bronze, and there are said to be 966 of them; then there
is a halo around the head 78 feet in diameter, and supporting 16 images,
each one 8 feet long. The statue is in a squatting posture, like the one
at Kamakura, and is covered with a building so small that it is
impossible to obtain a good view in consequence of being too near the
figure. The expression of the features is not at all equal to that of
the great Dai-Boots at Kamakura, and the whole design is far less
artistic. But it is the second in the empire in size, and for that
reason is worthy of notice as well as for its antiquity.
[Illustration: DIKES ALONG THE RIVER.]
From Nara the party continued to Kioto, halting for dinner at Uji, which
is the centre of an important tea district. Men and women were at work
in the fields gathering the leaves from the plants, and other men and
women were attending to the drying process which the gathered leaves
were undergoing. They were spread out on matting, on paper, or on cloth,
where they had the full force of the rays of the sun, and were
frequently turned and stirred so as to have every part equally exposed
to the solar heat. While the party was at Uji a shower came on, and then
there was some very lively hurrying to and fro to save the tea from a
wetting. During the afternoon the rain continued, and the rest of the
ride to Kioto was not especially cheerful. Part of the route led along
the banks of the river, which forms a navigable way for small boats
between the tea district and Osaka; and at one place, where the bank
was broken, Frank had a narrow escape from an overturn into the water.
The wheel of his little carriage sank into the soft earth and spilled
him out, but, luckily, a friendly tree was in his grasp and saved him
from falling down the steep slope of twenty feet or so. "A miss is as
good as a mile," he remarked, as he brushed the mud from his clothes,
and took his seat again in his vehicle.
"And I know a miss," said Fred, "that is better than any mile we have
had to-day."
Frank asked what he meant, and was told--
"Miss Effie."
He quite agreed with Fred, and said he would gladly exchange that last
mile, overturn and all, for one minute of her society. But he had the
consolation of knowing he could have her society for a good many
consecutive minutes when he got home again, and could keep as long as he
liked the recollection of the miles between Nara and Kioto.
[Illustration: NIGHT SCENE NEAR FUSHIMI.]
They left the river at Fushimi, and followed what seemed to be an almost
continuous street for six miles or more. Formerly the great route for
travellers and commerce between Osaka and Kioto was by way of the river
as far as Fushimi, and thence by the road. The result of this state of
affairs for centuries was to build up a long village largely composed of
hotels and tea-houses. Their business has somewhat fallen off since the
completion of the railway from Kioto to Osaka and Kobe; but there is
still enough to maintain a considerable number of them. There is one
large hotel, at the foot of the Inari hill, about two miles from the
centre of Kioto, where the jin-riki-sha coolies invariably stop for a
short rest, and to take tea at the expense of their employers. The
custom was carefully observed in the present instance, and our friends
were shown to the rear of the hotel, where there was a pretty garden
with a little fountain supplied from the hill above. They sipped their
tea, and gave side-glances at the black-eyed maids that were moving
around the house; and when John announced that the coolies were rested,
the journey was resumed.
They passed by several temples, and, after a time, their way led through
some narrow streets and up a gently sloping hill. Suddenly they halted
and were told that they had reached their stopping-place. There are
several hotels at Kioto in the foreign style, but all kept and managed
by Japanese. John declared that the one to which he had brought them was
the best, but he added, in a quiet whisper, that it was not so good as
the hotels at Kobe and Yokohama. After a day's experience of the
establishment, Frank suggested that he could make an improvement in
John's English.
Fred asked what he had to propose.
"Why," said Frank, "he spoke of this hotel as the best in the place;
_best_ implies goodness somewhere, and I don't find any goodness in it."
"But, for all that," Fred responded, "the others may be worse than
this."
"Quite true," was the answer, "and then let him say so. Instead of
calling this the best hotel in Kioto, he should say that it is the least
bad. Then he would be making a proper use of language."
[Illustration: WOMEN OF KIOTO.]
Fred retorted that Frank was demanding too much of a boy to whom they
only paid fifty cents a day, and his expenses, and said he was reminded
of the excuse of a soldier who was being censured for drunkenness.
"What was that?" queried Frank.
"His captain asked him what he had to say for himself to escape
punishment, and the man replied that it was unreasonable to expect all
the cardinal virtues for thirteen dollars a month. The captain told him
the excuse was sufficient for that time, but would not do for a
repetition of the offence."
They had not been five minutes in the hotel before they were visited by
a delegation of peddlers, who had all sorts of wares to offer. Among
them were some beautiful embroideries on silk, of a kind they had not
seen in Tokio or Yokohama, and there were some exquisite paintings that
gave practical evidence of the superiority of the artists of Kioto. The
dealers were not at all importunate, and did not seem to care whether
the strangers purchased their wares or declined all negotiations. Two or
three of them had brought photographs of the scenery around Kioto which
they offered to leave for inspection until the next day. This proposal
was received with favor, and on a hint that the travellers were tired
and wished to be by themselves, each of the itinerant merchants retired,
but not till after bowing low and pronouncing a respectful "Sayonara."
Two of the hotels which the foreigners patronize are close to some of
the famous temples of Kioto, and thus the process of sight-seeing is
greatly facilitated. A third hotel is a considerable distance up the
hill-side, and commands a fine view over nearly all the city. The ascent
to it is somewhat fatiguing, but the visitor is well paid for the
exertion by the remarkable and charming landscape that spreads before
his eyes.