as never come into favour, at least to any extent,
elsewhere than in Japan I have never been able to understand.
Certainly jinrickshas can be hired at Shanghai, and they are to be
seen at one or two other places in the Far East, but it may be
regarded as a distinctly Japanese vehicle, although, as I have said,
there is nothing Japanese about it excepting its adaptation in the
country.

I remarked at the commencement of this chapter that we may properly
gauge the progress of a nation by the facilities it possesses or has
developed for inter-communication personally and otherwise. I hope the
few remarks I have made on this head may enable my readers to form
some idea as to the position of Japan in this matter. I have not
wearied them with statistics, but I have, I think, said enough to show
that in everything relating to communication, whether it be the
locomotion of the individual or the facilities given to him to
communicate his wishes, desires, aspirations, sentiments, Japan is now
well in line with all the other great civilised Powers, and has reason
to be proud of the progress she has made and the manner in which she
has adapted to the requirements of her people the ideas and inventions
she has obtained from Europe and America.

CHAPTER XV

LAW AND ORDER

In every nation which aspires to be regarded as civilised the
supremacy of the law and the maintenance of order are matters of
supreme importance. The most perfect code of law ever devised is quite
evidently of no importance unless adequate means exist for enforcing
its provisions, and although justice may be lauded as a most admirable
object of attainment, yet, unless the courts of the country are
independent, hold the scales evenly and use the sword with
impartiality, justice will remain merely a sentiment, and there will
be no practical exemplification of it. I have considered in this book
as tersely as possible most of the factors of civilisation in Japan.
Let me briefly deal with this matter of law and order.

When the Revolution was effected in 1868 the whole legal procedure of
the country was thrown more or less into a condition of
disorganisation. Prior to 1868, as my readers will have seen, feudal
principles prevailed in Japan. The feudal lords, or Daimios,
administered justice, or what passed for it, within their own
territories, and they were answerable to the central authority. In
theory the feudal lords were commissioners of the ruling so