The following selection provided by a Japanese official is a brief summary of the phenomenal economic and industrial progress that Japan had achieved by the turn of the 20th century. The leap from a feudal to modern society in the space of less than a half century won the admiration and acclaim of the Western world.
The first line of railway was constructed between Tokyo and Yokohama, eighteen miles, in 1872. Since that time the government railroads have been yearly extended at a varying rate of increase. The first private line was built in 1883, and covered sixty-three miles.... In 1890 we had 551 miles of government lines and 896 miles of private lines—total 1447 miles. Since the war with China marked development has been made, and in 1901 there were 1059 miles of government lines and 2966 miles of private lines—a total of 4025 miles____
In 1890 or 1891 the weaving industry did not show any marked development, and the value of goods woven was about 30,000,000 or 40,000,000 yen. But recently, aided by the progress of applied chemistry, and also of technology, the industry has made considerable progress, and in 1899 its product was valued at 150,000,000 yen. During ten years the increase has been more than fourfold. Now, with the manufacture of cotton-yarn, it has become one of the principal industries of the empire.
The cotton-spinning industry had its origin in 1880 or 1881, and developed gradually until, in 1890, the total number of spindles reached 277,895, producing 5,132,588 kwan (about 42,000,000 pounds) of cotton yarn. But since, in 1894, the duty on exports of cotton yarn, and in April, 1896, that on the import of raw cotton, were removed, the industry made marked progress, and in 1901 the number of spindles in use daily reached 1,181,762, and the productive capacity had increased to 33,323,770 kwan (nearly 275,000,000 pounds). To-day cotton spinning has become the chief industry of the country.
Source: Stead (ed.), Japan by the Japanese (New York, 1904), as quoted in Robinson & Beard, Readings in Modern European History, Vol. II (New York: Ginn & Company, 1909), 430-431.
World History
