Of recent years enormous progress has been made in combating disease.  I have spoken of how a silk-worm district may be recognised by the structure of the farmhouses and the prosperity of the farmers, but another striking sign of sericulture is the trays and mats lying in the sun in front of farmers’ dwellings or on the hot stones of the river banks in order to get thoroughly purified from germs.  It is illustrative of the progress that has been made under scientific influence, that whereas twenty years ago a sericulturist would reckon on losing his silk-worm harvest completely once in five years, such a loss is now rare.  Scientific instructors have their difficulties in Japan as in the rural districts of other countries, but the people respect authority, and they are accustomed to accept instruction given in the form of directions.  Also the Japanese have an unending interest in the new thing.  Further, there is a continual desire to excel for the national advantage and in emulation of the foreigner.  The advance in scientific knowledge in the rural districts is remarkable, because it is in such contrast with the primitive lives of the country people.  Picture the surprise of British or American farmers were they brought face to face with thermometers, electric light and a working knowledge of bacteriology in the houses of peasants in breech clouts.

It was while I was trying to learn something of the sericultural industry that I had the opportunity of visiting a noteworthy institution.  It is noteworthy, among other reasons, because I seldom met a foreigner in Japan who knew of its existence.  It is the great Ueda Sericultural College in the prefecture of Nagano.  I was struck not only by its extent but by its systematised efficiency.  On a level with the director’s eyes was a motto in large lettering, “Be diligent.  Develop your virtues.”

[Illustration:  TEACHERS OF A VILLAGE SCHOOL, p. 124.]

[Illustration:  GIRLS CARRYING BALES OF RICE, p. 136]

[Illustration:  SERICULTURAL SCHOOL STUDENTS, p. 158]

The Institute devotes itself to mulberries, silk-worms and silk manufacture.  There are 200 students, as many as it will hold.  The young men become teachers of sericulture, advisers in mills and experts of co-operative sericultural societies.  The institution, in addition to the fees it receives and its earnings from its own products, some 33,000 yen in all, has an annual Government subsidy of about 114,000 yen.  There are other sericultural colleges doing similar work in Tokyo and Kyoto, and there is also in the capital the Imperial Sericultural Experiment Station (with a staff of 87), where I saw all sorts of research work in progress.  This experiment station has half a dozen branches scattered up and down the silk districts.

[Illustration:  SOME OF THE SILK FACTORIES IN KAMISUWA. p. 161]

[Illustration:  VILLAGE ASSEMBLY-ROOM. p. 133]