[1] The koku, or “stone,” contains 5.13 bushels; is the measure by which revenue is estimated; is the standard value of the country; and is generally considered equivalent to one gold kobang. The only invariable standard of value in the world is the average amount of food that will suffice to keep a man in health—a pound varies, the other does not.

[2] This was the title of the young man living in Paris in 1867. Commonly called brother of the Tycoon.

[3] Ko, coming after a name, has the meaning of “a high personage,” a title of honor.

[4] These four are the highest of the official or Fudai class of Daimio, and are commonly known as the Si Ten wo, or “four heavenly emperors”—a Buddhist title.

[5] Saywa made the laws as to the Shinwo and royal families. His sixth son was Sadadzumi Sinwo. On Momidji yama (a little hill within the grounds of the Yedo castle) is a small temple. On the altar are tablets with the names of men of six generations: 1, Sadadzumi; 2, of his son Tsune moto (who first took the name of Minna moto); 3, of his son Mitz naka (a soldier of note); 4, of his son Yori nobu; 5, of his son Yori Yoshi; 6, of his son Yoshiyay (otherwise called Hatchimang taro), and of his son Yoshi Kooni (whose descendants divided into the Nitta and Ashikanga lines). The temple was erected for the reception of those tablets, to which worship is offered every morning.

[6] There are two keng, one used at Miako, known as Miako no keng, or Kioma, or Homma, the longer of the two. The other is the Inaka keng, or Inakama, shorter by three or four inches. Taikosama introduced the second.

[7] A gambling game analogous to the “white-pigeon card” of China (Pak kop piu), at which much money is lost by families. A head office issues papers upon which the eighty first characters of the “Thousand Characters Classic” are printed in rows. These may be purchased for any price the purchaser chooses to lay upon them. During the night ten characters are marked by the office. The purchaser marks ten, and speculates upon his hitting some or all of the same as were marked at the office.

[8] The dynasty having been recently set aside, the country is in a transition state, and the position of these Daimios in the future remains to be worked out.

[9] Whose retainers and secretary the Regent had arrested and brought to Yedo.

[10] The mode of suicide common in Japan may be noticed here. It is called by the natives literally to “cut the belly.” The name “happy dispatch” seems to have been a felicitous suggestion of some foreigner. It is said to be done by a cut across the abdomen, and sometimes another cut is said to be made in the form of a cross. But any one who knows anything of the subject will think this nearly an impossibility, from the extreme difficulty of making the two other cuts necessary to make a cross. This would be a very butchering and trying job, and would bring on only a lingering death. So far as can be judged from the way it is performed in theaters, the knife, a short well-sharpened instrument, is inserted into the abdomen, and then drawn across the backbone, so as to sever the great blood-vessels, the aorta and ascending vein, which are there of such a size as to allow of death from their division in a few seconds. There seems to be no drawing across the abdomen. What is called swallowing gold leaf in China is in reality inhaling it when rubbed to a sort of flaky powder. It seems to choke the air-vessels, and so produce suffocation.

[11] Afterward assassinated by his servant, an emissary of Mito, who had got into the office as clerk, and kept Mito informed of all that transpired.

[12] It is a custom in Japan that the territory of a man who has been killed by assassins is taken from his family, and the family and retainers of the Regent were afraid of this law being put in operation against them.

[13] These are men at the palace gate who look out for Daimios approaching, and give notice to the guard, that they may know how to salute them, according to their rank. They make money by bribes to give the Daimios higher salutes than they are entitled to.

[14] The sleeve peerage, as it is called, a little abridgment of the Bookang, with the crests, names, and offices of Daimios, often used by strangers to recognize Daimios passing.

[15] Mito is said to have traveled over the empire incog. at this time, to study the feelings of the people.

[16] The Gorochiu would not allow this to be granted, and never published it.

[17] The custom in Japan is to bring the left of the dress over the right side in front, “migi yeri”; and it is a common saying that foreigners will soon oblige them to change even this custom, and “hidari yeri,” cross it over the left side.