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JAPAN BY THE JAPANESE

having quadrupled during one decade. In 1902 it reached 530,044,324 yen. There have been fluctuations according to the kinds of articles dealt with, yet as a whole the foreign trade has been extending and increasing every year. The excess of imports over exports since 1896 has been caused by the overexpansion of undertakings of all kinds at once. Prior to 1899 the value of imported goods was given at the original price at the place of purchase, but since that year the cost of insurance, transportation, and other expenses incurred up to the time of the arrival are added to it.

Value of Foreign Trade.

Year.	Articles.			Specie.
Year.	Exports.	Imports.	Excess of Imports over Exports, or Exports over Imports.	Exports.	Imports.	Excess of Imports over Exports, or Exports over Imports.
	Yen.	Yen.	Yen.	Yen.	Yen.	Yen.
1890	056,603,506	081,728,580	125,125,074	13,778,531	01,200,607	12,577,924
1891	079,527,272	062,297,268	116,600,003	01,452,963	13,888,526	12,435,563
1892	091,102,753	071,326,079	119,776,674	09,729,753	22,883,756	13,054,003
1893	089,712,864	088,257,171	101,455,692	12,289,188	11,186,486	01,102,701
1894	113,246,086	117,481,955	14,235,869	34,379,111	26,783,652	07,595,458

1895	136,112,177	129,260,578	106,851,599	27,301,698	05,874,164	21,427,534
1896	177,842,760	171,674,474	106,168,286	11,598,883	39,142,208	27,543,325
1897	163,135,077	219,300,474	156,165,694	19,219,163	81,466,712	62,247,549
1898	165,753,752	277,502,156	111,748,404	86,987,480	42,563,781	44,423,699
1899	214,929,894	220,401,925	105,472,031	11,178,247	20,163,500	08,985,253
1900	204,429,993	287,261,845	182,831,852	56,707,063	11,517,835	45,189,228
1901	252,349,543	255,816,645	103,467,102	14,049,099	10,960,750	03,088,349
1902	258,303,065	271,731,259	113,428,194	02,028,982	32,161,358	30,132,376

The Tea Industry.

During the last ten or more years the tea industry has varied very much, sometimes decreasing, and the state of variation has never been similar. Generally speaking, however, from 1890 up to 1895 there was a yearly increase, but since 1895 the industry has declined. This is due to the change in the American Tariff System. In former years tea was exempt from taxation, but now there is a duty on tea. Thus the tea trade could not be carried on, and there are many who have been obliged to give up the industry.