Page:Japan by the Japanese (1904).djvu/509

The history of Japanese maritime enterprise dates back only some forty years. The policy of isolation from foreign intercourse, adopted by the Tokugawa regents during nearly three centuries in order to prevent the spreading of Christianity, which was supposed to have some political designs, and therefore to be dangerous to the safety of the State, checked the natural development of our maritime enterprise. Before these restrictions were imposed Japan possessed large ships, suitable for ocean-going trade. In fact, she carried on commerce by means of her own vessels with some twenty countries and provinces beyond the seas. But, in order to enforce effectually the policy of isolation, a strict veto was officially imposed on the building of large vessels, and the result, necessarily, proved disastrous to the growth of maritime enterprise. Thenceforth Japan had to confine herself to a mere coasting trade, which she conducted with small sailing boats. Things remained thus until visits from foreign steamers and demands from foreign Powers for the commercial opening of the country made our Government realize the necessity, not only of cancelling the prohibitory measures which had been in force for nearly 220 years, but also of encouraging the construction of large ships. This abandonment of that old system of restriction was quickly followed by conspicuous results. Within ten years of the repeal of the veto the Japanese acquired no less than 138 vessels of foreign type.

Naturally, the unsettled condition of the country, both on the eve of the great political revolution of 1868 and in its immediate