Page 26 - Japanese marks and seals on pottery, paper and other objects.

VI PREFACE.

difficulty, which has only been surmounted by the
assistance of my Japanese friends, Mr. Kawakami and
Mr. yamanobe. To the former my especial thanks

are due for his careful revision of the whole of the
translations, and I have the more thankfftlly accepted

his system of transliteration of the Chinese characters
into Japanese and Rnglish, as much difperence of

opinion exists tipon this subject amongst European
scholars who have sttidied it. Little progress has so
far been made in the formation of a tmiform system,

and even in the proceedings of the Asiatic Society of
Japan the na7ne of the Eastern capital is rendered m

the following ways:—Tokiyo, Tokiyo, Toukiyau, Tokio,
T6ki6, and lastly, Tokio, the form ttsed in this Work.

Great latitude also exists in Japan in the rendermg
of proper names, which may often be read in two

ways; for instance, the Chmese characters for the
name of one of the chief potters in Hize^i may be read
as Eukugawa or Shinsen, the Jonner bemg the Japanese

style for the family name of the potter, a^id the latter
the Chinese mode of expressing his professional name.

I have therefore beeji exceedingly forhmate in having
had the assistance of so able and acco^nplished a

Chinese scholar as Mr. Kawakami in red^lcing the
transliteratio7ts to tmiformity. I must also express
my thanks to him for havmg drawn for this Work

the characters given in connection with the Zodiacal
Cycle and Year Periods.