PREFACE.  In preparing this volume neither labour nor expense has been spared; and I send it out to the public feeling confident that no such gallery of photographs, giving the exact picture of every day life of the Japanese, has ever been presented before in one volume. Being printed by the collotype process, which has of late become very popular, the pictures herein contained are true to nature and free from any retouches by the artist. Moreover, unlike ordinary photographs, these collotype pictures are really permanent, in the sense that they will not fade in any length of time.  I have to acknowledge my indebtedness to Messrs. K. Tamamura and S. Kajima, as well as to Prof. Burton, for several of the plates in this volume. K. OGAWA		CARPENTERS AT WORK.  Japanese carpenters are deft workmen and display a marvellous skill in the use of fingers. Their topsy-turvy ways of handling tools often cause much merriment to strangers. No work-table being employed every thing is done on the ground. Exact insertion of parts, absence of nail marks, &c, are some of the nice points in Japanese carpentry. The wood being kept in its native state, a Japanese house building demands the greatest niceties of workmanship.
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