The distance from Osaka to Nara is quite long, and the roads traveled are all rural dirt paths, surrounded by dilapidated houses.
Osaka is Japan's most presentable city, and also the only city that resembles a proper city—the other areas are not much different from the countryside of the Qing court.
Through the window of the carriage, one can see Japan's backwardness and poverty in its true form. Who could have imagined that in two or three decades, this country would grow so strong?
"No wonder England hasn't invested much in Japan!" Louis remarked.
"Actually, that's understandable! The poorer a place is, the more prominent the word 'cheap' becomes—cheap resources, cheap labor, cheap… lives.
The Anglo-French focus lies on the Qing court; they can't be bothered to compete with America in the Japanese market. Everyone prioritizes maximizing their own interests, and Japan simply can't satisfy their appetite.
