HONDO, hen'di.,, or HON-SHIU. IItr'shy(7_7' (Chino-Japanese, chief island). The name of the chief island of the Empire of Japan, often, but incorrectly, callej Nippon or Nip1ton (Nlap: Japan, E (o). Nippon is not the name of any one island. but of the entire Japanese Empire. The application of the erroneous name Nippon to the chief island originated kith 1:aenipfer (q.v.), the Jesuits who-wrote previously to him know ing Japanese geeegraphy too well to Ilse the misleading term. of late years the Japanese, studying geography in the AN'estern fashion, and seeing the necessity of a name for their chief island, have called it Hondo. Hondo lies between latitude 24' 14' and 41° 33' N., and longitude 130' 44' and 142' 14' E., and has an area ( with its isles) officially computed in 1894 at 87,771 square miles, with a population (December 31, 1898) of 33,327.918. it comprises the circuits of Tokaido, tor the five home prov inces). Tozanito, 110km-it:too, Satiindo, Sanyodo, and one province of Nankaido (the other four provinces of this circuit forming the island of Shikoku). For adininistrative purposes Hondo
is divided into 3 fu and 3.1 ken for prefectures). and contains 417 districts. 34 large cities, 10,618 villages. Of its taxable area in acres. 7.•50.000 are in riev-fields, 3,898,550 in arable land. 752. 787 in !Wilding lots, and 15,490.807 in forest, be side. 774.713 acres of untaxed land. Its shape is a crescent, with horns toward Asia. .1 re markable ditfererwe in climate is noted between the eastern and the western halves of Hondo, the former, tinder the influence of the Kuro Shiwo, or gulf stream of the Pacific, being mild and warm; the latter, receiving the cold wields and under the influence of cold currents, leaving a more severe climate. The promontories of Monde are now with well-equipped light houses, and the island is well supplied with rail way- and telegraphs.