From a Print by Hiroshige

STREET SCENE ON NEW YEAR'S DAY 72
From a Print by Hiroshige

RICE PLANTING, PROVINCE OF HOKI 89
From a Print by Hiroshige

AMATEUR CONCHOLOGISTS 110
From a Print by Hiroshige

VIEW OF FUSI-YAMA FROM A TEA HOUSE 138
From a Print by Hiroshige

KUTANI EARTHENWARE, DECORATED WITH POLYCHROME }
ENAMELS. EARLY EIGHTEENTH CENTURY } 146
}
INCENSE-BURNER, AWATA FAYENCE. EIGHTEENTH CENTURY }
From "The Arts of Japan," by Edward Dillon

BRONZE INCENSE-BURNER AND SMALL FLOWER-VASE. EIGHTEENTH
CENTURY 154
From "The Arts of Japan," by Edward Dillon

KAKEMONO ON PAPER. ATTRIBUTED TO MATAHEI }
}
KAKEMONO ON PAPER. ATTRIBUTED TO SHIMMAN, UKIYO } 160
SCHOOL. EIGHTEENTH CENTURY }
From "The Arts of Japan," by Edward Dillon

TEA HOUSE, NEAR TOKIO 170
From a Print by Hiroshige

AERIAL TRANSPORT: BASKET SLUNG ON ROPES, PROVINCE OF HIDA 182
From a Print by Hiroshige

A LABOUR OF LOVE 198
From a Print by Toshikata

THE ETERNAL FEMININE 218
From a Print by Toshikata

A MINISTERING ANGEL 242
From a Print by Toshikata

FIREWORKS IN TOKIO (SUMMER) 264
From a Print by Hiroshige

A SIGN OF THE TIMES 278

THE EMPIRE OF THE EAST

CHAPTER I

A GLIMPSE AT THE PAST

I have seen it stated in a popular handbook that Japan possesses a
written history extending over two thousand five hundred years, while
its sovereigns have formed an unbroken dynasty since 660 B.C., but
that the "authentic history begins about 400 A.D." "Authentic history"
is, I consider, not a very apt phrase in this connection. Most
Japanese history is legendary, and authenticity in history, Japanese
or European, even much later than 400 A.D., is hopeles