ABSTRACT
JAPAN presents a strong contrast to most of the countries with which we have been previously dealing, both as regards its geographical nature and the physique of the people. The Japanese Empire consists of a long string of islands which, if we include the southern extremity of Formosa, and the north end of the Chishima group, extends between 21°-51°N. The largest islands are known to the Japanese as Kiushiu, Shikoku, Honshu, and Hokkaido; the last named is usually marked on foreign maps as Yezo. Japan proper includes an area of about 150,000 square miles, of which the main island, Honshu, forms a very considerable portion, being about equal in area to Great Britain.
