INTERESTING PARTICULARS RESPECTING JAPAN.

Western Star, Issue 51, 31 October 1874, Page 6

INTERESTING PARTICULARS RESPECTING JAPAN.

(From. t.lie Ball Mall Gazette.)

I The census of Japan for the year 1872 haa just been published, and contains many interesting and some curious items of information.. From it we learn that the total population of : the islands is 33,110,820, of whom 16',£96,158 are males a»d 16,314,687 are fey:a!es.. Of this number 14 are princes, 15 princesses, and 2.666 of noble birth ; while of Buddhist priests,, priestesses, ana nuns there are no fewer than 221.467. The Shinto, peiests and priestesses number- 102,477. and the “ common people” are put down at 30,837,271. Among these *• common people” it is, curious to notice the very large proportion of women who are engaged in various trades and occupations.. For- instance,, out of. the total number of 14,870 426 farmers, 6 866,412 are females; and 489,409 merchant, offices are presided over by women, as compared wi'h 819.782 which have men as masters.. It is plain, therefore, that women in, Japan are not suppressed as they are in most Extern countries : and the criminal statistics show that, compared with the men they are as honourably free from crime as they are exigent in the pursuit of lawful occupations. The criminals in., prison.are sai l to number 2 430, of whom only 119-are females ; while the numbers at the penal settlements are 962 and 26; and at h»rd labour2 736 and 320, It is impossible to suppose that these figures even approximately represent the-number of criminals in Japan. M they did, they would yield the truly astonishing result that out of a population of more than 33 millions only 1 ip 5,5-OQ. is. an offender against tb» law.