First published in 1889, this facsimile edition makes available an important historical work on Japanese industry. It is a comprehensive survey of the state of Japanese industry at the end of the nineteenth century, covering agriculture and forestry, mining, the arts, textiles, paper, trade and commerce, including the foreign trade of Japan since the opening of the country by Commodore Perry in 1854.

First published in 1884, this remains a compelling and authoritative overview of Japan at the turn of the century. Encompassing physical geography, flora and fauna, history, social conditions, ethnography, and topography, many of the observations in this classic study hold true in modern Japan.

Professor Rein's travels and researches, undertaken at the cost of the Prussian government, took place during the crucial period of rediscovery by Japan and the West of each other. What makes Rein's work so interesting and classic is his extraordinary organization and attention to detail: no other survey has covered so much ground with such depth of analysis. The facsimile reissue of Rein's work attempts to do justice to the quality of the original illustrations at a realistic price. These illustrations demonstrate the richness and variety of techniques in use in Japanese industry at the time.

Professor J.J. Rein, a geographer from Marburgh University, was commissioned to write this research project by the Prussian government in the early 1870s. It presents an overview of Japan at the turn of the century. Topics covered include: physical geography, flora and fauna, history, social conditions, ethnography, and topography.