The mineral wealth of the region under consideration is consider able, but it has as yet been only partially exploited, and its full extent is unknown. Gold and silver occur chiefly in the sedimentary and eruptive rocks of the country, but the total production is not great, and the value of the annual output of the two combined does not reach £1,000,000. Copper is much more important and is obtained from nearly every geological formation ; it is found chiefly in veins in the inner mountain zone, and embedded in sedimentary rocks in the outer zone. The production is now over 50,000 tons, and is between 5 and 6 per cent. of the world's output. Iron ore, including both magnetite and haematite, is fairly well distributed throughout the country. The former is extensively mined at the Kamaishi mines in the province of Iwati, in northern Honshiu, and the latter in Echigo and Rikuchiu. The total production is still small.
The most important mineral in Japan is coal. Its distribution is widespread, but it occurs chiefly in the Mesozoic and older Tertiary rocks, while it is not found in those of Carboniferous age. The coal in the Mesozoic strata is mostly semi-anthracitic in character ; in the older Tertiary rocks it ranges from lignitic to bituminous ; and in the younger Tertiary formations it is generally lignite of poor quality. The coal-bearing Mesozoic strata occur in patches in various districts, but it is among the older Tertiary rocks that the chief coal mines of the region have been located. The most important are those in the north and west of Kiushiu, which produced in 1910 over 11,000,000 tons, or more than 75 per cent. of the entire Japanese output. In Honshiu, the most productive mines lie along the Pacific seaboard to the north-east of Tokio, and in the same year they produced about 5 per cent. of the total output. Petroleum is found in various places, but practically the whole amount obtained at present comes from Echigo.
INDUSTRY.—In no respect is the recent development of Japan more marked than it is in regard to the industrial changes which have taken place. Old Japan, it is true, had its arts and handicrafts, many of which, such as the manufacture of porcelain and lacquer ware, had reached a high state of perfection. But the growth of industry on modern lines is typical of the great changes which were brought about by the renewal of intercourse between Japan and the West. If the old industries have not perished they have at least suffered, while, if the new have passed beyond the purely experi mental stage, it is yet too early to predict with confidence the economic future of the country.
Of the more important industries the manufacture of silk has perhaps been least affected. Reeling, as already stated, is now mainly performed by machinery, but in the weaving of silk fabrics the hand-loom more than holds its own. Power-looms have been introduced, but they number less than 10 per cent. of the whole, and must be regarded as in the nature of an experiment. The chief centres of production of habutae ( Japanese manufactured silk) are at Fukui, Kanazawa, and Kawamata, in the prefectures of Fukui, Ishikawa, and Fukushima respectively.
i Cotton-spinning and weaving have been influenced to a much greater extent by Western methods. The industry is favoured by the cheapness of labour, the proximity of coal, the comparative ease with which raw material can be obtained from India, China, and the United States, and the neighbourhood of the vast Chinese market for the manufactured commodity. There are now over 2,000,000 spindles in the country, and both yarn and piece goods are made for export. The bulk of the yarn produced consists of lower counts spun from Indian cotton, but there is a growing demand for American cotton. The chief manufacturing districts are in and around Osaka, Kobe, Okayama, Tokio, and Miye.
The production of iron and steel within the country itself is making much slower progress. At Wakamatsu, in the north of Kiushiu, the government has established large iron and steel works, but, although coal is at hand and iron ore can easily be imported from China, the venture does not yet appear to have been a commercial success. Engineering establishments have sprung up in many towns, and the Japanese are now able to do much of their own work of this kind, although they still import the more com plicated and delicate machinery which they require. Shipbuilding is carried on at Nagasaki, Kobe, Osaka; and Tokio, and within recent years a number of iron and steel ships have been built at these ports. The large vessels for both the navy and the mercantile marine are still imported, but Japan is making rapid progress in this direction.
Among the native industries in which the Japanese excel are the manufacture of cloisonné ware, porcelain, matting, and other articles of a similar nature made in the home or the small workshop.