Havingbeenrecommendedtoleavehome，inApril1878，inordertorecruitmyhealthbymeanswhichhadprovedserviceablebefore，I
decidedtovisitJapan，attractedlessbythereputedexcellenceofitsclimatethanbythecertaintythatitpossessed，inanespecialdegree，thosesourcesofnovelandsustainedinterestwhichconducesoessentiallytotheenjoymentandrestorationofasolitaryhealth-seeker。Theclimatedisappointedme，but，thoughIfoundthecountryastudyratherthanarapture，itsinterestexceededmylargestexpectations。
Thisisnota“BookonJapan，“butanarrativeoftravelsinJapan，andanattempttocontributesomethingtothesumofknowledgeofthepresentconditionofthecountry，anditwasnottillIhadtravelledforsomemonthsintheinteriorofthemainislandandinYezothatIdecidedthatmymaterialswerenovelenoughtorenderthecontributionworthmaking。FromNikkonorthwardsmyroutewasaltogetheroffthebeatentrack，andhadneverbeentraversedinitsentiretybyanyEuropean。IlivedamongtheJapanese，andsawtheirmodeofliving，inregionsunaffectedbyEuropeancontact。
Asaladytravellingalone，andthefirstEuropeanladywhohadbeenseeninseveraldistrictsthroughwhichmyroutelay，myexperiencesdifferedmoreorlesswidelyfromthoseofprecedingtravellers；andIamabletoofferafulleraccountoftheaboriginesofYezo，obtainedbyactualacquaintancewiththem，thanhashithertobeengiven。Thesearemychiefreasonsforofferingthisvolumetothepublic。
ItwaswithsomereluctancethatIdecidedthatitshouldconsistmainlyofletterswrittenonthespottomysisterandacircleofpersonalfriends，forthisformofpublicationinvolvesthesacrificeofartisticarrangementandliterarytreatment，andnecessitatesacertainamountofegotism；but，ontheotherhand，itplacesthereaderinthepositionofthetraveller，andmakeshimsharethevicissitudesoftravel，discomfort，difficulty，andtedium，aswellasnoveltyandenjoyment。The“beatentracks，“
withtheexceptionofNikko，havebeendismissedinafewsentences，butwheretheirfeatureshaveundergonemarkedchangeswithinafewyears，asinthecaseofTokiyoYedo，theyhavebeensketchedmoreorlessslightly。Manyimportantsubjectsarenecessarilypassedover。
InNorthernJapan，intheabsenceofallothersourcesofinformation，Ihadtolearneverythingfromthepeoplethemselves，throughaninterpreter，andeveryfacthadtobedisinterredbycarefullabourfromamidstamassofrubbish。TheAinossuppliedtheinformationwhichisgivenconcerningtheircustoms，habits，andreligion；butIhadanopportunityofcomparingmynoteswithsometakenaboutthesametimebyMr。HeinrichVonSieboldoftheAustrianLegation，andoffindingamostsatisfactoryagreementonallpoints。
SomeoftheLettersgivealesspleasingpictureoftheconditionofthepeasantrythantheonepopularlypresented，anditispossiblethatsomereadersmaywishthatithadbeenlessrealisticallypainted；butasthescenesarestrictlyrepresentative，andIneithermadethemnorwentinsearchofthem，Iofferthemintheinterestsoftruth，fortheyillustratethenatureofalargeportionofthematerialwithwhichtheJapaneseGovernmenthastoworkinbuildinguptheNewCivilisation。
Accuracyhasbeenmyfirstaim，butthesourcesoferroraremany，anditisfromthosewhohavestudiedJapanthemostcarefully，andarethebestacquaintedwithitsdifficulties，thatIshallreceivethemostkindlyallowanceif，inspiteofcarefulness，Ihavefallenintomistakes。
TheTransactionsoftheEnglishandGermanAsiaticSocietiesofJapan，andpapersonspecialJapanesesubjects，including“ABudgetofJapaneseNotes，“intheJapanMailandTokiyoTimes，gavemevaluablehelp；andIgratefullyacknowledgetheassistanceaffordedmeinmanywaysbySirHarryS。Parkes，K。C。B。，andMr。SatowofH。B。M。’sLegation，PrincipalDyer，Mr。ChamberlainoftheImperialNavalCollege，Mr。F。V。Dickins，andothers，whosekindlyinterestinmyworkoftenencouragedmewhenIwasdisheartenedbymylackofskill；but，injusticetotheseandotherkindfriends，Iamanxioustoclaimandacceptthefullestmeasureofpersonalresponsibilityfortheopinionsexpressed，which，whetherrightorwrong，arewhollymyown。
Theillustrations，withtheexceptionofthree，whicharebyaJapaneseartist，havebeenengravedfromsketchesofmyownorJapanesephotographs。
Iampainfullyconsciousofthedefectsofthisvolume，butI
venturetopresentittothepublicinthehopethat，inspiteofitsdemerits，itmaybeacceptedasanhonestattempttodescribethingsasIsawtheminJapan，onlandjourneysofmorethan1400
miles。
Sincetheletterspassedthroughthepress，thebelovedandonlysistertowhom，inthefirstinstance，theywerewritten，towhoseableandcarefulcriticismtheyowemuch，andwhoselovinginterestwastheinspirationalikeofmytravelsandofmynarrativesofthem，haspassedaway。
FirstViewofJapan——AVisionofFujisan——JapaneseSampans——
“PullmanCars“——UndignifiedLocomotion——PaperMoney——TheDrawbacksofJapaneseTravelling。
Eighteendaysofunintermittedrollingover“desolaterainyseas“
broughtthe“CityofTokio“earlyyesterdaymorningtoCapeKing，andbynoonweweresteaminguptheGulfofYedo，quiteneartheshore。Thedaywassoftandgreywithalittlefaintbluesky，and，thoughthecoastofJapanismuchmoreprepossessingthanmostcoasts，therewerenostartlingsurpriseseitherofcolourorform。
Brokenwoodedridges，deeplycleft，risefromthewater’sedge，gray，deep-roofedvillagesclusteraboutthemouthsoftheravines，andterracesofricecultivation，brightwiththegreennessofEnglishlawns，runuptoagreatheightamongdarkmassesofuplandforest。Thepopulousnessofthecoastisveryimpressive，andthegulfeverywherewasequallypeopledwithfishing-boats，ofwhichwepassednotonlyhundreds，butthousands，infivehours。Thecoastandseawerepale，andtheboatswerepaletoo，theirhullsbeingunpaintedwood，andtheirsailspurewhiteduck。Nowandthenahigh-sternedjunkdriftedbylikeaphantomgalley，thenweslackenedspeedtoavoidexterminatingafleetoftriangular-
lookingfishing-boatswithwhitesquaresails，andsoonthroughthegraynessanddumbnesshourafterhour。
ForlongIlookedinvainforFujisan，andfailedtoseeit，thoughIheardecstasiesalloverthedeck，till，accidentallylookingheavenwardsinsteadofearthwards，Isawfaraboveanypossibilityofheight，asonewouldhavethought，ahuge，truncatedconeofpuresnow，13，080feetabovethesea，fromwhichitsweepsupwardsinagloriouscurve，verywan，againstaverypalebluesky，withitsbaseandtheinterveningcountryveiledinapalegreymist。
{1}Itwasawonderfulvision，andshortly，asavision，vanished。
ExcepttheconeofTristand’Acunha——alsoaconeofsnow——Ineversawamountainriseinsuchlonelymajesty，withnothingnearorfartodetractfromitsheightandgrandeur。Nowonderthatitisasacredmountain，andsodeartotheJapanesethattheirartisneverwearyofrepresentingit。Itwasnearlyfiftymilesoffwhenwefirstsawit。
Theairandwaterwerealikemotionless，themistwasstillandpale，greycloudslayrestfullyonabluishsky，thereflectionsofthewhitesailsofthefishing-boatsscarcelyquivered；itwasallsopale，wan，andghastly，thattheturbulenceofcrumpledfoamwhichweleftbehindus，andournoisy，throbbingprogress，seemedaboisterousintrusionuponsleepingAsia。
Thegulfnarrowed，theforest-crestedhills，theterracedravines，thepicturesquegreyvillages，thequietbeachlife，andthepalebluemassesofthemountainsoftheinterior，becamemorevisible。
Fujiretiredintothemistinwhichheenfoldshisgrandeurformostofthesummer；wepassedReceptionBay，PerryIsland，WebsterIsland，CapeSaratoga，andMississippiBay——AmericannomenclaturewhichperpetuatesthesuccessesofAmericandiplomacy——andnotfarfromTreatyPointcameuponaredlightshipwiththewords“TreatyPoint“inlargelettersuponher。Outsideofthisnoforeignvesselmayanchor。
Thebustleamongmyfellow-passengers，manyofwhomwerereturninghome，andallofwhomexpectedtobemetbyfriends，leftmeatleisure，asIlookedatunattractive，unfamiliarYokohamaandthepalegreylandstretchedoutbeforeme，tospeculatesomewhatsadlyonmydestinyonthesestrangeshores，onwhichIhavenotevenanacquaintance。Onmooringwewereatoncesurroundedbycrowdsofnativeboatscalledbyforeignerssampans，andDr。Gulick，anearrelationofmyHilofriends，cameonboardtomeethisdaughter，welcomedmecordially，andrelievedmeofallthetroubleofdisembarkation。Thesesampansareveryclumsy-looking，butaremanagedwithgreatdexteritybytheboatmen，whogaveandreceivedanynumberofbumpswithmuchgoodnature，andwithoutanyoftheshoutingandswearinginwhichcompetitiveboatmenusuallyindulge。
Thepartiallytriangularshapeoftheseboatsapproachesthatofasalmon-fisher’spuntusedoncertainBritishrivers。Beingflooredgivesthemtheappearanceofbeingabsolutelyflat-bottomed；but，thoughtheytiltreadily，theyareverysafe，beingheavilybuiltandfittedtogetherwithsingularprecisionwithwoodenboltsandafewcoppercleets。TheyareSCULLED，notwhatweshouldcallrowed，bytwoorfourmenwithveryheavyoarsmadeoftwopiecesofwoodworkingonpinsplacedonoutriggerbars。Themenscullstandingandusethethighasarestfortheoar。Theyallwearasingle，wide-sleeved，scanty，bluecottongarment，notfastenedorgirdledatthewaist，strawsandals，keptonbyathongpassingbetweenthegreattoeandtheothers，andiftheywearanyhead-
gear，itisonlyawispofbluecottontiedroundtheforehead。
Theonegarmentisonlyanapologyforclothing，anddisplaysleanconcavechestsandleanmuscularlimbs。Theskinisveryyellow，andoftenmuchtattooedwithmythicalbeasts。Thechargeforsampansisfixedbytariff，sothetravellerlandswithouthavinghistemperruffledbyextortionatedemands。
Thefirstthingthatimpressedmeonlandingwasthattherewerenoloafers，andthatallthesmall，ugly，kindly-looking，shrivelled，bandy-legged，round-shouldered，concave-chested，poor-lookingbeingsinthestreetshadsomeaffairsoftheirowntomind。Atthetopofthelanding-stepstherewasaportablerestaurant，aneatandmostcompactthing，withcharcoalstove，cookingandeatingutensilscomplete；butitlookedasifitweremadebyandfordolls，andthemannikinwhokeptitwasnotfivefeethigh。Atthecustom-housewewereattendedtobyminuteofficialsinblueuniformsofEuropeanpatternandleatherboots；verycivilcreatures，whoopenedandexaminedourtrunkscarefully，andstrappedthemupagain，contrastingpleasinglywiththeinsolentandrapaciousofficialswhoperformthesamedutiesatNewYork。
Outsidewereaboutfiftyofthenowwell-knownjin-ti-ki-shas，andtheairwasfullofabuzzproducedbytherapidreiterationofthisuncouthwordbyfiftytongues。Thisconveyance，asyouknow，isafeatureofJapan，growinginimportanceeveryday。Itwasonlyinventedsevenyearsago，andalreadytherearenearly23，000
inonecity，andmencanmakesomuchmorebydrawingthemthanbyalmostanykindofskilledlabour，thatthousandsoffineyoungmendesertagriculturalpursuitsandflockintothetownstomakedraught-animalsofthemselves，thoughitissaidthattheaveragedurationofaman’slifeafterhetakestorunningisonlyfiveyears，andthattherunnersfallvictimsinlargenumberstoaggravatedformsofheartandlungdisease。Overtolerablylevelgroundagoodrunnercantrotfortymilesaday，atarateofaboutfourmilesanhour。Theyareregisteredandtaxedat8s。ayearforonecarryingtwopersons，and4s。foronewhichcarriesoneonly，andthereisaregulartarifffortimeanddistance。