Japan and the Japanese

CHAPTER XXXI.
BIOIIWATS. RIVERS. FOIIDS. FERRIES. BRIDGES. WATER PART OF THE
JOURNEY. COAST AND ISLANDS. FRAIL STRUCTURE OF JAPANESE VES-
SELS. DESCRIPTION OF THEM. BUILDINGS ON THE ROUTE. DW1.LLING-
UOUSES. CASTLES. TOWNS. VILLAGES. COTTAGES. PROCLAMATION
PLACES. PLACES OF EXECUTION. TIUAS OR BUDDHIST TEMPLES. MIA3
OR SINTO TEMPLES. IDOLS AND AMULETS.
" THE empire of Japan," says Kampfer, "is divided into seven
great tracts,* every one of which is bounded by ;i highway, and, as
these tracts are subdivided into provinces, so there are particular
ways leading to and from every one of these provinces, all ending
in the great highways, as small rivers lose themselves in great ones.
These highways are so broad that two companies, though never
so great, can, without hindrance, pass by one another. That com-
pany, which, according to their way of speaking, goes up, that is,
to Miako, takes the left side of the way, and that which comes from
Miako the
right.
All the highways are divided into measured
miles, which are all marked, and begin from the great bridge at
Jedo as the common centre. This bridge is by way of preeminence,
called Niponbas, that is, the bridge of Japan. By this means, a
traveller, in whatever part of the empire he be. may know at any
time how many Japanese miles it is from thence to Jedo. The
miles are marked by two small hills thrown up, one on each side of
the way, opposite each other, and planted at the top with one or
more trees. At the end of every tract, province, or smaller district,
a wooden or stone pillar is set up in the highway, with characters
upon it, showing what provinces or lands they
bound upon each other, and to whom they belong.
are which here
Like pillars are
erected at the entry of the side-ways which turn off from the great
* This is exclusive of the central tract or imperial domain (consisting of
five provinces), and also of the two island provinces of Iki and Tsu-sima.