seitz surface japan 1911 colour photogravures

7/30/2019 Seitz Surface Japan 1911 Colour Photogravures

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SURFACE JAPANSHORT NOTES OF A SWIFT SURVEY

BYDON C. SEITZAUTHOR OF

'WRITINGS BY AND ABOUT JAMES ABBOTT MCNEILL WHISTLER"" DISCOVERIES IN EVERY-DAV EUROPE ""ELBA AND ELSEWHERE"

ILLUSTRATED IN COLOR BY PHOTOGRAVUREAND MARGINAL SKETCHES AFTER HOKUSAI

HARPER bf BROTHERS PUBLISHERSNEW YORK AND LONDONM C M X I31^ 3E 3& 3E: :3E

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COPYRIGHT, 1911. BY HARPER & BROTHERSPRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER. 1911

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GOOD COMRADE


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'T^HE approach to the island empire of Nip-*^ pon comes as a soft surprise. For days the

yacht-hke steamer has been plowing the NorthPacific in fog and sprinkle, with now and then abit of sea brisk enough to moisten the decks.There is little distraction and small desire for it.As the steamer turns more and more toward thepolar star the traveler learns that a straight line isnot the shortest between two points when cross-ing the Western sea, but can be comforted bythe thought that no one else knew it until aboutforty years ago, when an unscientific navigatorfigured out that a ship logged less by going upand then down.

So, seeming to seek the pole, the ship skirts theAleuts, giving, when the day is fair, a glimpse of

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Mount Cleveland, shining in silver-white abovethe sea. Land is in frequent sight and all of itis American. Whales frolic about in families,and specimens of Nereocistis, the gigantic arcticseaweed, buoyed like a fisher's net, with frondssometimes hundreds of feet in length, sprawlacross the sea. The days are misty and thenights are dark.But on the thirteenth day the sea settles into

an azure calm, with twinkling ripples topped bysilver tips. The gray sky of the north hasceased to leaden its mirrorthe sea. Featherybeds of seaweed blossom on the surface in tints ofgold and green. Flying-fish scurry to get out ofthe vessel's way. Buccaneering sharks circleevilly about with blue dorsal fins sharply cuttingthe smooth surface. Schools of big fish huntinglittle ones splash and leap in pursuit of prey,while scolding sea-birds flutter over their course,grateful for any morsels that may escape.Then out of nowhere a single sampan shows

as if set purposely into the foreground to deckwhat is to come. The ribbed sails lift duskilyand the outlines of the boat are dim. Next theheadland point of Chosi shows itself, a low

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single rock. Later it elongates, and a line ofcoast appears, marked with the slender columnof a light. Like all things Japanese, it intrudesshyly into the scene. But above, behind, andall about is a strange meeting of sky and sea,gray upon gray, silver upon silver, as Whistlerloved to paint. There are no harsh lines, noloud colors. Even the Orient sun goes modestlydown to light the Western world, leaving onlythe pinkness of the apple-blossom about his trail.Then all is gray, not of ashes, but of pearl.More fisher-boats flit into the view without signof coming. They just appear. The picture iscomplete! Japan is here!By this time it is evening and the harbor iseighty miles away, so the ship loafs through the

night to make port at Yokohama in the earlydawn. Here all is new, vivid, and strange,this first-opened door to the distant, differentEast.Sampans drift about manned by crews, half

clad to the Western eye, but compact in physiqueand skilled in water ways.The sampan, which is everybody's boat in

Japan, is shaped like a toothpick shoe, drawn3

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SURFACE JAPANto a shallow point at the toe and wideningflatly at the heel. It is propelled by squaresails, set well aft and stayed with bamboo ribs,which take the place of reef-points. Sometimesthe sails are hung in sections from the yard, withan inch or two between the strips through whichthe air can blow. This type has no stays forreefing. When the wind cannot be used, thesculling oar takes its place, operating directlyover the stern and from the side. This oar is oftwo pieces, handle and blade, joined at anobtuse angle, and swung on a ball-bearing, sothat the sculling operation is a continuous andeasy sway of the oar. Sometimes half a dozenscullers drive a boat and get up as much speedas a gasoline motor might. The fishing-boatsare taking slowly to "kickers," so some day,perhaps, the crooked oar will go and the com-bustion engine move the sampan across thebays, replacing the picturesque with the prac-tical and skill with smell.

The Japanese efforts to create a good im-pression upon foreigners begin at the custom-house. Here the celebrated smile makes itself

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officially visible. The Welcome Society's pam-phlet observes that visitors will be treated withall possible consideration consistent with theobservance of the law. This is true. Tobaccois barred by high duties, something like threehundred per cent., to protect the governmentmonopoly. But within the limit the declaredamount is carefully stamped and canceled, sothat no one may think the stray box of ciga-rettes has been smuggled and thereby causeannoyance.The same idea prevails on the travel routes.

In September, 1910, as the result of an unseemlyrow raised by a European who was excludedfrom the porter's closet, with the single idea onthe part of the train guard of preserving thetraveler's dignity, which was painfully misunder-stood, Baron Goto, Minister of Communica-tions, circulated a most polite caution to railwayauthorities and employees to the effect that inperforming their duties strict care should betaken in their method of treating foreign tourists."Although," he observed, "there is no necessityof discriminating between Japanese and foreign-ers or to give the latter special treatment, it

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should be remembered that they have to undergovarious inconveniences, resulting from the differ-ence of habits, customs, language, etc., and rail-way employees should endeavor to treat for-eigners cordially and sympathetically in so far asit does not interfere with the comfort of otherpassengers. Some foreign passengers may vio-late railway rules, owing to ignorance, and rail-way employees should check their conduct bycourteously explaining the regulations. If tour-ists will not listen to explanations and continueto violate the regulations intentionally, propersteps should be taken to restrain them, or theymay be compelled to leave the train, so as toextend equal comfort and convenience to otherpassengers."Tokyo, the capital and first city of Japan,

covers one hundred square miles and housestwo million souls. Because Yokohama is itsport the impression prevails that it lies inland.This is not so. Tokyo is on the sea, eighteenmiles north of Yokohama, at the head of theBay of Yedo, that formerly gave the city itsname. So shallow, however, are the watersand so great is the tidal recession that only

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SURFACE JAPANr 3]p- _ 3(E avessels of the lightest draught can make harbor.It is one of the dreams that some time whenJapan is rich the reaches will be dredged andYedo made a second London and the greatestseaport of the Eastern world. But public in-come is small, and the railroad leads in alldirections from Yokohama, where the harbor isreinforced with a stout breakwater and equippedwith splendid docks. Meanwhile, Tokyo doesthe best it can to improve itself internally. Therailroads leading to the north, south, and inlanddo not start from a common center, but fromwidely separated terminals. To remedy this anambitious scheme of an all-embracing viaducthas been planned and much of it built, but lackof funds has held up the completion. Thescheme includes also a great central station, andthat, too, will come some day when the govern-ment shakes off its load of war. Recently theviaduct has been put to some use as an elevatedtrolley line. Advantage has been taken of thefrequent fires to widen streets, and there are nowsome splendid thoroughfares, though as yet thecity lacks a center, abounding in numerous in-teresting districts, linked together with the

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a car. The management assumes that whatgoes up must come down. The cars are good,speedy, and crowded. Occasionally some one iskilled, and to read the newspaper "kicks" it iseasy to imagine that Tokyo is Brooklyn and thatthe good old Brooklyn Rapid Transit Companyis getting its dues. It is astonishing that theslaughter is not large, as many of the populaceadhere to their ancient habit of walking in themiddle of the road, though there are sidewalkson the trolley streets. The conductors andmotormen wear the conventional uniform, butdo not say "step lively" or "move up front."Neither do they insist that there is plenty ofroom in the middle. They just run the car andcollect, leaving the traveler to himself. Seldomdoes any one get up to give a woman a seat.There is an overhead rack for bundles. TheTokyo youths jump on and off the moving carswearing their clogs, an amazing accomplish-ment. The straps are a foot longer than inAmerica, to accommodate the shortened reachof the little women. The passengers ride mostlyin silent dignity.The Asakusa is the Midway ofTokyo. Here,

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SURFACE JAPAN(a: 3(E 3!E 3oddly enough, clustered about great templesare the amusement places of the common folkof the town. At the portal of the first templeencountered the Gods of Thunder and Wind,each with a red face and a singular dental resem-blance to Theodore Roosevelt, stand guard, theoccasion for a curious custom. Whoever has awish chews a spit-ball and hurls it at the hugeface of the idol. If it sticks the wish is sure tobe granted ; if it falls, it goes the way of all wish-ing. The prudent temple authorities cover theshrine with a wire net of one-inch mesh, whichinterferes considerably with the ability to land asticker. Whether this is to keep down thesupply of successful wishes or to preserve thefigure from being unduly beslobbered has notbeen revealed. It is done at such shrinesthroughout the country.Once past the idols, the streets run wild with

colors and blazing lights. Everything that canamuse is for sale. There are streets full oftheaters, from the old-fashioned Japanese kind,where a curtain over the front is lifted to give thestreet a taste of the show in invitation to pay upand come in, to the more modern "ten, twenty,

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thirty" sortexcept that the highest-pricedseat is ten cents and the lowest three centswhere Japanese versions of East Lynne andsimilar agonies are portrayed.Tokyo is a city of shops. There is scarce a

single block of residences pure and simple in thecity proper. The artisan, the merchant, and thegrocer dwell in their stores, except among themodernized ones of the Ginza, the Broadway ofTokyo. The stock of wares is small, and thestorekeeper with goods worth two hundred yenis doing a big business. Some one estimates thevalue of the average shop stock in Japan at IS25.Over the gateway of the Yoshiwara, the City

of the Sinful Night, in Tokyo, there shinesa cross of fire: not a sign of hope and warning,but the product of the blaze of an electric lightagainst the cross-trees of a telephone pole, anaccident, but none the less striking, as it standsout amid its black surroundings and in suchsingular proximity! Within are to be found thebest buildings in the city, ifnot in Japan, outsideof those of European pattern. All are three orfour stories high, roofed, galleried, and parti-tioned Japanese fashion, but on a far grander

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SURFACE JAPANc ae: 3(H 31scale than elsewhere. The ground-floors areopen to the street, except for wide lattice barriersbehind which the women sit in rows, richlydressed, elaborately coifFured, and painted fromchin to brow, bearing every affectation of ele-gance, and usually conducting themselves withdecorum. Now and then a wonton will uttera thin, squealing cry like the note of a peacock,but for the most part they are still and com-posedly await a bidder. Entrance to each houseis at a low gate, where a man sells admissionticketssomething like the brass-check systemin New York's former red-light district. Trav-elers' stories often intimate that respectabilitydoes not suffer by a residence in the Yoshiwara,and many popular Japanese tales concerndevoted daughters who sell themselves to saveparents from distress. Some do marry out ofthe place. But, rude romance aside, Tokyois not proud of the Yoshiwara and would bevery glad to get rid of the section if it coulddo so without spreading demoralization. Thename has become the accepted designationfor similar resorts all over Japan, though liter-ally without significance, meaning merely a

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SURFACE JAPANE 3E 3S 3place where the reeds grow, an undesirable bit ofreal estate being selected for the proscribed whenthe system was established three centuries ago.The women number but a tenth of the hundredthousand who dwell here, though they aloneare forbidden liberty to go where they please.The streets surge with peddlers, food-sellers, andtheir wives and families who elect to live on thecrumbs that fall from the hands of the scarletwomen who have no "A" embroidered on theirgarments, but who wear the bow of the obiturned in front instead of back, in mute ad-vertisement of their calling! The obi takes theplace of the corset in Japan and wraps its nine-foot folds of fabric closely about the femininewaist. It is hot and heavy and a very expensivearticle of dress, often costing a thousand yen ifembroidered with threads of gold.

Once away from the confusion of the capital,Japan becomes itself in the every-day affairs oflife and industry. Old Japan is gone, say theobservers. This may be so in the vanishing ofthe military class called Samurai and the comingof the trolley car, but foreign intrusion does notH

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SURFACE JAPANf^ ^r> i;g^ ^1seem deep to the visitor from afar. Aside fromthe Standard Oil Company's cases oflamp petroland the Singer Sewing Machine concern's ener-getic invasion, the mark of the foreigner lieslightly the instant one steps away from the Bundin Yokohama or the European quarter in Kobe.True, there are stores selling American clocks,watches, hats, and leather shoes, but these arerare. The multitude clings to its kimonos andits clogs, sleeps upon mats with a wooden saw-buck for a pillow and remains true to its customsand simplicities.The house of Count Okuma sits on the crest

of the cliff at Kodzu facing the smiling sea.Far away in the foreground rises a mountainhuge in outline but so dimly distant as notto affront the view. Instead it flits like a blueshadow into the scene, high and long, completein detail and yet not distracting. It satisfies theeye. Below, across the gabled roofs of thevillage, that are just visible between the palmsand dark trees of the Japanese orange, the baywrinkles and twinkles in the breeze. Far awayon either hand, beyond the mountain on thesouth and to the northward, the headlands show,

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extending their wide arms into the waves andvanishing in a horizon of silver and blue. Noth-ing comes suddenly into Japanese scenery. Itreveals itself shyly, half timidly, like a slowly dis-solving view, one picture fading before anothercomes.When one visits Count Okuma at his country

home he goes by train winding over the meadowbetween the hills and the sea, an hour or so fromYokohama. Two rickshaw men tug and pushthe guest up the steep hillside through a narrowlane. The house is new, but Japanese to the lastdetail. There is not a scar on the woodwork atthe portal, where brutal leather shoes with theirdust and nails are removed. The stockingedfeet step with relief on cool, soft matting. Alittle room to the left holds a commode on whichrest two braziers full of cool water, and besideeach is a covered bowl of hot. Brushes andtoilet articles are there. When refreshed, thehouse is before. It may be all one room or manyrooms, as convenience or the occasion requires.The paper panels in pine-wood frames shift theinterior into many forms, gliding noiselessly intheir grooves. Golden sprays of rice in head

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SURFACE JAPANE 3^ 3e 3and straw delicately decorate the panels. Thepaper is white, the frames are natural wood, andthere is a lacquered finger-hold for ease in shift-ing. It moved an American housewife to note,that although constantly handled, not a finger-mark showed anywhere, in shining contrast tothe doors at home!Here the democratic sage of Japan loves to

linger during the heated term and welcomevisitors, to profit by their talk and to endow inturn from his great store of wit and wisdom.When luncheon-hour arrives the panels slip asideand the front of the house opens to the sea,whence the breeze comes coolingly and fans theguests at the feast. Grave servitors bring thedishes, which to-day are American, plus bettercooking than can ordinarily be found in house-holds. They bow to the floor with each coursein the refinement of courtesy that dwelt in OldJapan. Out of the world in life and deeply in itin intellect is this day on the cliff at Kodzu!Some fifteen years ago a Japanese citizen dis-

approving of Count Okuma's advanced ideasstarted out to " remove " him with a bomb. Theeffort only removed one of the Count's legs. The

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conservative gentleman committed hari-kari onthe spot, and so concluded the affair neatly. Onthe anniversary of the double event the relativesand friends of the deceased assemble at his tombto do honor to his memory. Count Okumaalways sends a representative to attend theceremony. Whether he does this as a delicatereminder that the laugh is on the other fellow ormerely to be polite is a profound puzzle. ButCount Okuma is a true philosopher and bears noill-will. Also the annual event calls publicattention to the leg in a dignified and respectableway. Readers of Mexican history will recall thefuneral Santa Anna gave his leg, lost at VeraCruz, taking it to the tomb in a hearse drawn bytwenty white horses, escorted by the remainingthree-quarters of its former possessor in an openbarouche, a brass band, a division of soldiers, andthe entire populace!Another explanation is that high Japanese

politeness is responsible for such a course.Arguing that friends and relatives suffer keenlyenough from the disaster brought about by thedesperate acts involved, it is considered onlyright to show that no hard feelings exist and by

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SURFACE JAPANthe attentions noted to indicate a delicate sym-pathy for those who in a way are loaded withmisfortune.

In i860 the Regent li Kamon-no-Kami, whotook the full personal responsibility for makingthe treaties that opened Japan to the world, wasassassinated by a band of Ronin, or unattachedSamurai, dreading the passing of the old order,who fell upon him on a wintry day when he wascramped up in his sedan chair and had nochance to defend himself. His guard rallied andassailed the reactionaries, who were slain on thespot or rounded up in due time and rendered upto justice, which was unsparingly meted out.Yet every year on the anniversary of the affray amemorial service is held in honor of the assassins,which is numerously attended, and the ImperialHousehold always sends a member. There ismuch ceremony of mourning and respect. Noone seems to shed any tears or incense over thetomb of li Kamon-no-Kami.

All this seems strange and inexplicable to theWesterner; but possibly it is only regarded aspaying just tribute to men who gave up their livesfor an idea, while as for li Kamon-no-Kami he is

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secure in his fame. Besides, is not the headlessbody of Charles Stuart revered in its royal tombat Windsor, while Oliver Cromwell, whose dustwas scattered to feed a King's revenge, stands inbronze at Westminster, and still rules England!

When the Yokohama Chamber of Commerceholds an election it does not trouble to call ameeting. The sealed ballot-box is sent aroundto members by an attendant, and the votes arethus collected, to be counted by the tellersat their leisure. It gets a full vote by thisprocess."Our soldiers are not demigods, nor are

they beasts," said a Japanese merchant. "Theyare just men of sense and reason." He says itpretty correctly, for, be it understood, there isneither desperation nor fatalism in a Japaneseregiment. It is very human and very exactingtoward its commanders. It must be wisely ledand well cared for or there is trouble. The menmust know not only what is wanted of them,but why it is wanted. If the reason does notappear good there is no blind obedience; thematter must be made clear and reasonable.

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Otherwise the command will do nothing. AJapanese regiment obeys and disobeys the sameway. The officers have to be men of tact andcivility to succeed in leadership. They are thereto help the men and to expand their understand-ing of what is required. They are not to leavethem to the mercies and management of the non-commissioned staff, which is the tendency every-where in armies, except, perhaps, in France.The American officer of a transport during thewar liked to relate how at the embarking fromUjina a lieutenant stood at the foot of the gang-way and took the gun from each private as hestepped from the rocking boat and held it un-til the soldier was firmly on the stage, while themajors guided the men on deck to their num-bered berths amidships, where the captains sawthat each man lay down and so kept out of theway of others until anchor was weighed and theship in motion : Result, eighteen hundred menand four hundred horses put aboard betweeneight and eleven, to be neatly landed in Koreatwenty-four hours later!On the top of Misenzan (or Tortoise) Moun-

tain, on the Island of Itsukushima, is a sort21

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of soldiers' Valhalla. Here three hundredyears ago the Shogun Hideyosi celebrated histriumph in Korea by building of unhewn logs agreat pavilion called the "Room of the Thou-sand Mats" though it measures less thanhalf that number. It was a temple of theBuddhists, until they were expelled from thesacred island, but it still contains a shrine toHideyosi, and here many soldiers were quar-tered en route to fight Russia. Following cus-tom, each wrote his name for memory's sakeupon a rice paddle and nailed it to a post orbeam. So the supports of the temple arecovered with these mute memorials of theJapanese lads who went to lay their bodies inthe Manchurian trenches. Any visitor can signa paddle and have it nailed up for ten sen, or abig one for twenty sen. It was with a thrillthat the eye rested upon the name of that gallantgentleman and brave soldier Col. A. A. Augur,U. S. A., dated but a little while before his un-timely death.Dogs are not plentiful in Japan, though in

evidence. The delicate lap-dog which muchresembles the King Charles spaniel is the choic-22

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est variety, but there is another breed quite unlikeany Western pup that is cultivated by dog lovers.This is a heavy animal, large as a collie, butthicker set and shorter in body, with heavyshoulders, sharply pointed muzzle, and wolfishears, light brown or yellowish white in color,with fur that sticks out like that of the Eskimocanine. Little terriers suggesting the fox strainare rather common. No barks were heard fromany sort of a cur.Mental arithmetic does not exist in Japan, nor,

for that matter, neither does mathematics in theforms familiar in the West. All computing isdone with the Chinese counting frame called theabacus, holding a series of buttons strung onbamboo rods, the sliding of which from one sideto the other makes the count. The machine pro-vides no way for checking results, and the count-ing often has to be done over and over again untilthe counter thinks the result is correct. In buy-ing a number of articles the bill has to be totaledup in this cumbersome way. The American eas-ily bewilders the shopkeeper by a swift mentalcomputation completed before the first string ofbuttons has been shifted.

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SURFACEr^" nf- JAPANThe theory that Chinese bookkeepers are

employed in banks and business offices becausethey are superior in honesty to other Easternraces is only partly true. It is mainly becausethey have mathematical powers denied theothers. While it is complicated, the Chinesestill have an arithmetical sense and can keepbooks so they are intelligible, while the Japaneseas a rule cannot.Japanese travelers tote air-cushions for pillows

and snooze in their clothes undisturbed by noiseor inconvenience. The absence of neurotictroubles is a national blessing. They will sleepamid any surroundings, and, while not a noisypeople, put up with squeaks and petty soundsthat would madden the American. Yet thecities are singularly silent; the dirt or light mac-adam streets carry little traffic other than rick-shaws or the two-wheeled porter carts. Wherebulls or horses are employed they usually weargrass pads on their hoofs. The people are low-voiced and tranquil, but the noises that do assertthemselves are thin and nasal and have a wireedge to them. One sound that annoys theAmerican ear is the patter-patter of the flip-

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flapping slippers as the maid-servants run aboutthe house.

Kyoto was free from flies in August and theinsects are generally scarce in Japan. MadameAnopheles, of the malaria mosquito family, isalso an absentee.

Unlike the Occidental, the Japanese does notindulge in threats of hell or hopes of paradise,nor does he definitely locate the souls of thedead in perpetual punishment or amid the joy ofheaven and bother no more about them. In-stead they are left to wander vaguely, cravingattention and remembrance, and this is beauti-fully given by the living. In August, at thevillage of Hakone, which is situated beside thelovely lake called Ashi-no-ko, occurs a typicalfeast for the dead. The village is made attrac-tive by decorations, and every bereaved house-hold, which is about every household since thegreat war, sets out a feast for the souls. Thislasts out the day. When twilight darkens thepeople become silent and sighing. It is time forthe ghosts to depart. Countless little floats aremadeshingle-boats with paper sails, lit by tiny25

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ear something like the whine of the cat-bird with-out its discordant squawk. Japanese music isquerulous and plaintive, lacking sonorousnessand threnody. It belongs to the tum-tum andplink-plunk class without the stirring jar of thebanjo or the rhythm of the mandolin or guitar.One instrument, the Koto, does carry some-thing of the tender tone of the harp. It is along, hollow frame of wood, a little curved,lying upon the floor before the player, whothumbs the heavy strings much as the harpistdoes to produce his soothing sounds.

Repugnant as it is at first sight to see mendoing the work of horses, the rickshaw andchairmen of Japan are the favored beings in theunder class. Their earnings will average doublethat of a policeman or letter carrier, while theyare able to view the income of the ordinary work-men with contempt. Getting around is diflicult26

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SURFACE JAPANd 3i^ 3! aand uncomfortable in most cases without them.The few cab-horses in the greater cities can onlynavigate the wider streets, and the carriage ofan ambassador in Tokyo must still be precededby a man running ahead to warn the crowd of itscoming. The rickshaw takes up little morewidth than its motive power and can do no harmin a collision. The speed of four miles an hour,coupled with the ability to make short cuts, givesit a deserved popularity. It is not "a man's job,"but holds out such lucrative rewards comparedwith anything else as to really affect the laborsituation considerably. The coolie trots aroundten hours for seventy-five cents, the highest pin-nacle of wage-earning known in working Japan.The men are sober and honest, and the rule

among them seems to be to protect the interest ofthe fare. They keep a warning eye out for errorsin change and mistakes of ignorance in street-standbuying. Afive-cent tipon top of the regularfee is a wholesome dividend for the wise travelerto pay. Many of the men understand some Eng-lish and can speak a few useful words. Withal,they possess a sense of humor, a benefaction de-nied many of the worthy inhabitants of Nippon.

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The ingenuity of the government in makingboth ends meet has been extended to the coin-age. The largest piece made at the mint is thefifty-sen token, equivalent in value to our quarterof a dollar. The diagrams show how it hasshrunk in size since the new fiscal policy becamenecessary, though it is still nearer intrinsic valuethan Uncle Sam's twenty-five-cent piece. Thechange involved a considerable profit to the mint.

Old tifty-senpiece

New fifty-senpiece

U. S. A. quarterdollar

Books by eminent foreign thinkers and writersare eagerly sought in Japan. Spencer is a fa-vorite, with Tyndall and Darwin good seconds.The Japanese translators are understood tomake modifications where there is danger ofbreeding turbulent thoughts in the nativemind. The power of suggestion is fully rec-

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ognized and repressed as much as possible.Tranquilty of mind on the past of the populacemust not be disturbed by imported history.School-children are taught that our own Revolu-tionary heroes were rebels and traitorsregret-ably successful. Shakespeare has been carefullyremodeled to fit decorum and to eliminate disre-pect. He usually gets credit for the idea of aplay and the rest isJapanese! When stagedthe work of the Bard ofAvon is usually localizedand the characters made Japanese, depictingNipponese emotions rather than, say, those ofRomeo and Juliet, which would be quite out ofplace in Japan, and would excite much the samesort of disgust as Mr. Artemus Ward depictedin the Mormon elder who left the " Lady ofLyons" in a Salt Lake theater leading his twenty-four wives with the remark that " he wouldn'tsit and see a play where a man made such acussed fuss over one woman."Here is an excellent example of Shakespeare,

a la Japanese, played by a party of promisingyoung actors at the Hongo Theater, Tokyo,from 5 to 10 P.M., when "Much Ado AboutNothing" was placed on the boards, remodeled

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SURFACE JAPANe: 3JE 3E aby Mr. Yanagawa, a local novelist of some fame,and described for the Japan Advertiser by anative reporter:

"This is not the first English play performedin Japanese. 'Hamlet,' 'Macbeth,' 'Othello,' andothers have already been played by professionalactors as well as by amateurs. Each one ofthem proved a success, at any rate in respect toits cunning adaption to the naive minds of theaudience. The present play is also a successfrom this point of view. In the first act a partyof noblemen are represented as they pay a visitto the mayor at Kyoto on their way home aftertheir investigating trip to Manchuria with regardto the apparition of Halley's comet. Here Vis-count Kurachi, a member of the party, falls inlove with the mayor's daughter, and takes coun-sel of his partner, Count Seto, who makes a prom-ise to act as the viscount at the fancy ball to beheld that night at the mayor's hall, and thus towin the daughter.

"In the second act the count's promise isfulfilled and the viscount gets the mayor's con-sent to his wedding. There passes an agree-30

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ment among these three persons that they willplay a trick to marry Count Ueno, a member ofthe party, with Miss Mio-ko, niece to the mayor,who never meets Viscount Ueno without aquarrel. In the third act the said trick is car-ried out to the exact purpose, and the tattlingphilosopher and blue-stocking are humanizedenough to fall in love with each other. In thefourth act, before the background representing acalm moonlight night near the River Kamogawa,Kyoto, a drunken man is introduced talking withhis mate about his success in crossing the matchof the mayor's daughter. A watch comes outthen on their scent, and enters to the policestation. This strife, to the great delight of theaudience, arouses the real geese in the river andalso induces the two clerks of the mayor to comedown upon the scene from the bridge they havebeen just passing over. These two clerks thenpresent themselves before the mayor to informhim of the plot going on against the match. Buttheir tediousness loses them the opportunity tobreak the secret with the mayor, who is busy inpreparation for the approaching wedding. Inthe fifth act a matrimonial ceremony is carried

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out at a Shinto shrine. At the end of the cere-mony, however, the bridegroom proposes tosend the daughter back to her father, who ismisunderstood by the bridegroom. At this thedaughter swoons. And so the play goes onthrough seven acts."What is regrettable is to find Shakespeareturned into a commonplace Japanese play.Though we acknowledge much ado on the partof the actors as well as the translator to adaptthe play to a Japanese audience, we cannotpersuade ourselves that they have done duehonor to Shakespeare. One of the deficienciesof the play is the want of actors who would playthe parts of female characters. Another defi-ciency is that they do not introduce any musicinto the play. There is little to choose beweenthis play performed by professionals and thechildish plays in foreign juvenile schools, but itseems to be popular with the Edok-ko. Theplay is, however, true to its name ' MuchAdo About Nothing.' "

The haughtiest figures in Japan are the coach-men and footmen of the embassies. They hold32

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SURFACEc nr>- JAPANatheir noses high under their mushroom hats andsee nothing but the sun.The lamenters of Old Japan, with its forms

and ceremonials, sound like the three graysisters who chanted forever, "Why were theold times better than the new ?" They canoften be heard. But forms and ceremonialsgrow out of lack of real occupation. With pres-sure such as prevails in New Japan they mustnecessarily pass away. It used to take about aslong to drink a cup of tea as it now does to curethe leaf for market.The tea-room in a Japanese mansion, once a

place of great ceremonial, still holds its socialplace, though the elaborate forms of the olddays are much simplified. Tea etiquette in thefullest sense is too complicated to describe andnearly as difficult to learn as a language. Inthese modern days the new generation has notthe time to acquire its niceties, and, moreover,Japan is drinking Ceylon tea! But in the de-sign of the rooms one touch of the old remains.The entrance for the guest is an open panel per-haps thirty inches square, through which heentered into the presence of his host on hands

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SURFACE JAPANE 5)!n :3E 3and knees, "a mark of confidence" in the latter,as the Japanese naively observe, because in thetwo-sword days it was easy to lop off a head as itpoked through the orifice into the dimly lightedapartment, and more than one gentleman in thepast met his end in the house of his enemy,scorning to save himself by being cowardlyenough to avoid the risk of accepting an invita-tion to drop in and have a cup of tea!China and Japan began sending young men

to the Western world in search of knowledge atabout the same time, something like forty yearsago. The difference in viewpoint manifesteditself on their return. In Japan the graduates ofHarvard were set to work in positions of re-sponsibility where their new knowledge couldimmediately assert itself effectively. The youngChinese from Yale were turned into inter-preters, secretaries, and semi-dependent posi-tions by the sly Manchus and were never givena chance to do anything. The same systemwas followed with those who took college coursesin Europe. Result: Japan administratively isconcrete, modern, and efficient, while China isuncertain and trembling, awaiting in fear the

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SURFACE JAPANre 3E 3E 3unrolling of her future, tied down by the pig-tail, so to speak!The Japanese take pride in a belief that they,

unlike most Easterners and all Africans, are anassimilative race, that their blood can blend withthe Caucasianswithout degeneration. The resultseems better where Japanese men wed Cauca-sian women, than in the reverse instance. "Arewe assimilative .^" said the eminent Japanesechemist Dr. Jokichi Takamine, of Tokyo andNew York, repeating a query. "As for that Iwill tell you a story. Once in Japan there wasa great botanist who spent his time on the hillsand in the fields looking for novelties in tree andplant life. One day, nearing the top of a moun-tain, he saw a great serpent swing itself from atree and infold a laborer. He was too distantto be of aid, so he sat down to scientifically studythe phenomenon. In due time the serpent swal-lowed the man, and there was in his middle agreat hump. Then the serpent crept a littledistance and ate some grass. The hump van-ished with singular rapidity and the snakeswiftly crawled away. The botanist then wentto the spot, and finding the grass to be a new

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a steady flood to reach the world at large fromKobe. The steamer slips through passageslittle wider than itself, between terraced hills, tobeauty spots like Tomo, where the sirens mightwell be expected to dwell; such is the comelinessof shore and sea. Temples top the crags andwinding steps of stone lead from them down tothe dimpUng sea. The fjords are like rivers,and the little towns almost touch elbows, soplenty are they.Two modern spots intrude: the military center

at Hiroshima, with its embarking port of Ujina,and Kure, the naval depot, described during theRussian conflict as a harbor of mystery, whereunder a pall of smoke lay hidden titanic works,from which Japan was forging weapons to hurlagainst the world. The steamer gets as close tothe mystery as an East River ferryboat does tothe Brooklyn Navy Yard, and there is just asmuch that is mysterious about it. A good har-bor, fairly commodious shops, well guarded frominvasion, this is Kure!At Ujina for perhaps a thousand yards the

beach has been paved on its natural slant withblocks of stone, upon which the sampans can

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SURFACE JAPANE 3e 3E 31grate their noses lightly and lie head on for halfa length, affording an easy embarkation withoutdanger that the soldiers will step overboard orfall off the dock and drown according to the styleaffected by our army in its endeavors to getsomewhere.Baron Shibusawa, founder of the first bank,

still lives, a foremost citizen of Japan. Next tohim in enterprise and force stands SoichiroAsano, head of the Toyo Kisen Kaisha, whichsends the swift ships to San Francisco. Thestory of their coming together is worth tell-ing. When the bank started it was a novelty tobe tested rather than trusted. People woulddeposit money and promptly withdraw it to see ifit was really to be had again. But one depositornever took out a yen. His account kept grow-ing. The struggling Shibusawa noted thisfaithful depositor, but he was unknown to him."Who," he asked of his teller, "is this man

who is always putting money in and never takingit out .?"He was told it was a small merchant who dealt

in fuel and rags. The deposit grew. It became38

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twenty-five thousand yen and speedily enlargedto fifty thousand, an unheard-ofsum from such asource. All this time nothing had been with-drawn. "I can stand it no longer," said thebanker, "I must know this man who is alwaysputting in and never taking out. Tell him tosee me."The message was delivered to Asano when he

came with his next deposit. "I work untiltwelve each night," he said shortly. "I have notime for visiting. If he wishes to see me he cancome to me after that hour." The banker wentand so began the long relationship, successfulalike to the two men and for Japan. Neitherspeaks English. Both carry on very largeaffairs.To-day the house of Asano, at Shiba, is one

of the sights of Tokyo. It is the largestprivate edifice in the city, built in purest Jap-anese style of unpainted pine so seasoned thatnot a crack or flaw is visible. The logs layfive years in water as part of the seasoningand were ten years old when taken to thesaw. The house was fourteen years in build-ing. The owner does not live in it, but clings

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to the cottage long his home, but here hisfriends are entertained with splendor and heretoo is preserved an architecture that befits theland. The ceiling panels are of brocaded silkwith golden threads, and the smooth woodworkbears sprays of cherry-blossoms so skilfullypainted as to rival the flowers of spring.Every Japanese wears his family crest upon his

gown, and this ofAsano's is the end of a foldedfan suggesting the letter Z. "A little inventionof my own," he said, and with a flirt he threwhis fan wide open. "See! Thus I widen myfortune." The open fan is the fleet-flag of theToyo Kisen Kaisha, and the widened fortunereaches around the world

!

Profane expressions are not to be found in theJapanese vocabulary. No one is cursed ordamned, nor do they swear either by the gods orthe Great Horn Spoon. Expressions of scornand contempt abound, and certain terms whenemployed reflect upon the other fellow's socialposition. In order that the refined and delicatedesires of the English and American visitors toabuse somebody effectually may be gratified,

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SURFACE JAPAN(r 3E 3g 21Messrs. Kelly and Walsh, the Far East pub-lishers, include in their Japanese phrase-book aseries of remarks calculated to relieve suchfeelings and impress the objurgated. Here aresome of them:

You're telling lies again.Mata uso wo lite iru.Why, you're telling lies to my very face.Ima, me no mae de uso wo ittan' ja nai ka.You liar!Uso-tsuki-me!You're (or he is) an ill-mannered fellow.Buret na yatsu da.What do you mean by saying that to me ?Dare no mae de so lu koto wo lu nda?You had better look out, sirrah!Ki wo tsukeru ga ii zo.Don't talk rubbish (don't be an ass).Baka lu na, or kudaranai koto wo lu na.Hold your tongue

!

Damare!Don't interrupt!Kuchi wo kikun ja nai zo!Stuff and nonsense!Baka le !What does this mean .? (angrily).Doshita man da?

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!

Keshtkaran !Don't go on prating when you know nothingabout it!Ornae wa wakart mo shniai kuse ni, guziiguzushaberu na.What are you (or is he) loitering thereabout ?Nam wo guzu-guzu magotsutte oru no da? orNam wo u]i-u]i shite i-yagarit n'daro.Make haste (and come here)!Hayaku konai ka!What a noise! I won't have that chattering.Takamashii! shabetcha ikenai.Mind you don't blab.Hoka ye lite shabetcha tkenai.I consider silence better than useless chatter.Muda na hanashi wo stint yon wa, damatteiru ho ga 11 to omoii.Don't waste so much time in discussion.So kare-kore moshite, hima wo tsuiyashichatkenai yo.That won't do; it's no use (trying that gameon with me).Sore wa ikanat, muda da.Sore wa ikan , dame da.Well, your cleverness in making excuses isastonishing!lya! omae no li-nuke no jodzu na no m wa,osoreitta.

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Well, you pufF it pretty well!lya; herabo ni hotneru ze!He is a terrible liar.Aitsu wa uso tsuite domo naran.Every word that fellow says is a lie.Ano hito no lu koto wa, inina uso desu.He is such a liar that one cannot depend on aword he says.Ano hito iva, makoto nt usotsuki de, nam ivonioso to 7710 kcsshite ate ni iva narimasen.That man is beneath mention.Ano hito wa hanasht ni mo naranai.He is (or you are) a slippery fellow.Hidokti zurui yatsu da.He is (or you are) not to be depended upon.Ate ni narimasen.He is (or you are) a regular sharper.Maru-de katari da.He is not a very good sort of person, itseems.Amari yoku nai jtmbutsu so de gozaimasu.He is a person who had better be kept at arespectful distance.Ano hito nara, kei shite tozakcru ga yoroshiugozaimasu.He is as slippery as an eel; utterly unre-liable.Ano hito tva, hyotannamadzu, tonto shitnariga nai.

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Such a useless fellow as that is like a cat's tail;you might as well be without him as with him,Anna yaku ni tatanai htto wa, neko no shippoto doyo de, atte mo nakute mo ii.He is a quarrelsome fellow.Ano hito wa, goku kenkwa ga suki da.He is (or you are) a fearful chatterbox.Hidoi o shaken da.He is a prattler.Are wa goku ta-hen no hito da.He is (or you are) a nasty fellow.lya na yatsu da.He is so stupid that he cannot understand thesimplest thing.Ano hito wa gu-don no yatsu de, donna yasa-shii koto demo wakaranai.It is impossible to argue with him; he is asobstinate as he is ignorant.Ano hito to wa totemo giron ga dekimasen!mugaku dake no gojo wo motte iru hito da kara.That rascal!Ano yatsu or Aitsu.He is (or you are) an (awful) rascal (cruel).Hidoi yatsu da.

The Japanese written language is a thing quiteapart from the spoken. There is a forty-eight-sound alphabet, but the Chinese ideograph isused with it to express the written thought, so

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that a Chinese book or newspaper can be readto some extent by a Japanese. To spell aman's name out in EngHsh, as, for example,the fine one of Hayashi, is simple enough, andpronunciation is easy because there are noaccents or inflections. But to write it requiresa complete transformation. Hayashi means"forest." So the ideograph takes for its basisthe Chinese sign meaning tree, and two of theseside by side make a "forest." Every namemust have a meaning and not be a mere ex-pression of sound or identification. Chinese isa less tangled tongue to master than Japanese,because when a Celestial shapes a thought forspeech he sees it in direct order in his mind. " Ihave a new hat" would possess the same gram-matical shape in Chinese as in English, while inJapanese the noun would come before the verband the pronoun would be lucky to get into syn-tax at all.

It is easy to see Japan. The populous partof the country lies in the narrow strip be-tween the mountains and the sea that holds andfeeds the nation. The mountains are very near,45

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this long journey was made without couriersor interpreters, without mishap or mistake.They tackle the English language in all its

weird complications quite as boldly as they didPort Arthur or the Baltic fleet. To them it is thehardest of tongues. Yet every grammar-schoolscholar must make it a part of his or her course,and the results are surprisingly good. Frenchand German are widely taught in the UnitedStates, but no traveler dependent upon eithertongue, aside from the accident of meeting afellow-countryman, would fare as well in theaverage American town as the English-speakingperson does in Japan when it comes to securingcomprehension of events or desired directions.Not that the results are perfect. That would betoo much to expect. But they are intelligibleand are accomplished by a polite good-will thatmakes up for a good deal of vocabulary.The Japanese who can talk English are more

numerous than those who can understand it, andthese latter learned the tongue from lip motion.So English should be spoken slowly, with fullmouth action, if it is to be comprehended. Rapidtalking leads to a hopeless daze. A few impor-

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SURFACE JAPAN(E 3E 3(fc: 21tant Japanese words are easily acquired, andwhen transformed into English text are spelledphonetically, so that there are no accents to con-fuse the speaker, each vowel getting its full sound,no more and no less. But if the traveler is notunderstood he need not despair. Everybodywill get amiably busy and solve the puzzle some-how. It has been observed by some wise manthat one can travel at ease in Japan with a singleword of the vernacular, to wit : "I kenai," mean-ing, "it won't do." The servitors and miscel-laneous citizens keep on trying things untilsomething is found that will do, to the joy ofall concerned.Common sense is the governina; thought inJapan, as it ought to be even in the United

States, where noise is sometimes mistaken for thebest thing. The educators are thinking of sim-plifying the complicated written language, mademore so by the expanding use of Chinese ideo-graphs, always an essential part of the nationaltext. Of this the leader of Japanese educators.Baron Kikuchi, head of the University of Kyoto,has this to say:"The object of ordinary education is to intro-

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SURFACE JAPANE 3E n!E 3duce common sense and practical ideas amongthe lower-class people. Is this object fully real-ized in Japan ? Of late Chinese characters havecome to be more and more introduced into ourlanguage, with the result that study has becomeincreasingly difficult. Again, it has becomethe custom among the educated classes to fre-quently use Chinese ideographs in all forms ofcongratulatory addresses, which, as a result,often cannot be read by even Middle School stu-dents."The Baron believes that Roman letters should

be taught in the primary schools with applicationto Japanese words. The railway stations em-ploy them and the sign-makers often make rudeuse of our noble tongue. "Feets, corns, nailscutter" came pretty near to describing a chirop-odist's shop in Kobe, while "The real sadfulsight. Greater Flood Rarely Known" drewcrowds to view the moving pictures of the vastTokyo floods at a kinetoscope theater in Yoko-hama.

Hotels managed foreign-fashion are plentifulalong the routes of travel. Except in Yokohamaand Kobe, theJapanese own and manage houses

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for the entertainment of foreigners and do it suc-cessfully. It would be hard to find betteraccommodations anywhere than at the Fujiyaat Miyanoshita, while at Nikko, Kyoto, Tokyo,and Miyajima it is possible to be very comfor-table at the Japanese managed hotels. It is notso easy to find quarters off the lines of travel,because Japanese food and customs prevail.The inns are beautiful and clean beyond com-pare, but the huge Caucasian cannot be com-fortable sitting, sleeping, or eating on the floor,and the fragile houses create discomfort in thethought that they will break into pieces if freelyused.

The Mynah bird is a Japanese pet. It is amember of the raven or rook family, to whichMr. Crow belongs, and is the wisest and strang-est of them all, for beyond even the gray Africanparrot it can pick up human speech. The birdhas a long body and a short tail, dark feathers,a crow-like bill, a dash of yellow and white forbrows, and a round, roguish, and extremelyintelligent eye. The Japanese love the Mynahsand make expert talkers of them. It was queer

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to walk into the garden before a curio store atMiyanoshita and hear a soft voice say "Oha-yo!"welcometo look in vain for its owner,and at last to have a big bird in a cage revealed asthe speaker,who did not fail to say "Sayonara!"farewellto the departing visitors. Unlikethe harsh screechings of the parrot, the Mynahspeaks with the velvety tones of a Japanesemaid-and no speech can be softer than this.The white duck dinner-jacket affected in the

East by the exiled British and, alas, by someexpatriated Americans is a sartorial shocker. Itis cut very short, barely touching the rear suspen-der buttons, and flares widely in front. A highcollar and black tie complete the abomination.Mark Twain's white suit, which once excitedNew York, was elegance indeed comparedwith this bobtailed garment. It was adaptedfrom the hot-weather dress of English navalofficers.There were 2,287 foreigners in Yokohama,

according to the last census, out of a totalpopulation of 3 1 5,000, or thereabouts. Of these582 were Americans. The foreign element isassessed 40 per cent, of the income and other

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taxes, while they have no voice in local affairsexcept by private influence, which is not great.They sometimes think they get small considera-tion in view of their taxes. But the figures in-dicate rather impressively to the outsider whois getting the income and accumulating thewealth, and it is not to be wondered that thenatives look hungrily at the business whichproduces such vast results when compared withthe earnings of the multitude and endeavor topull a fatter share of it their way.High government officials are easy of access

and singularly direct in manner and methods.General the Prince Katsura gives little sign ofmilitary training or the austerity which primeministers are supposed to assume. He talksopenly and robustly of matters of national andinternational concerna man of courage andforce in every look. Marquis Komura, Ministerof Foreign Affairs, who made the treaty at Ports-mouth, is so familiar with America and Ameri-cans that to meet him is like finding an old friend.His associate, Baron Ishii, is another statesman ofhigh caliber and keen understanding of the restof the earth. Baron Goto, Minister of Com-52

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SURFACE JAPANr 3E 3g 3munications, who runs the railroads, telegraphs,and posts, has the manner of a brisk Americanman of business, is easier to talk to than mostAmerican railroad presidents and far handier toget at. He was educated in Germany and spenta year in prison under suspicion of having beenmixed up in a conspiracy. He vindicated him-self and fills the one really great administrativeoffice in Japan. Baron Matsuo, former gov-ernor, and Baron Takahashi, present governor,of the Bank of Japan, which handles the na-tional finances, are men of wide knowledge andsingular administrative strength. The latterwas educated here and knows his United Stateswell. They are not men to be led into follies orto make mistakes easily. Mr. Juichi Soyeda,president of the Industrial Bank of Japan, hasshown ability of the highest order in bankingand industrial promotion. Every one of thesemen rose by individual effort and merit. Oppor-tunity is as democratic in Japan as in America!

The government houses itself in Europeanfashion and officials wear European clothes.This does not apply to boys in the telegraph

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SURFACE JAPANE 3E 3E 3and Professor Basil Hall Chamberlain's Things"Japanesethe latter author, by the way, beinga grandson and namesake of that British CaptainBasil Hall whose observations in the UnitedStates in the twenties f)f the nineteenth centuryso exasperated our great-grandfathers.

Japanese business morality is a perennial topicin Japan. The editors of English text journalspublished at the trading pf)rts give it much space.Native writers and political leaders, like BaronOura, are outspoken critics of the mercantilemethods of their countrymen. Yet the tone oftheir comments seems unduly severe. Thechief plaint of the foreign resident is that "theJap is after the money," in sweet disregard of thefact that this is what he is there for himself andhas taken a deal of since Commodore Perrypried open the door. His reflections on Japan-ese commercial integrity appear to be mainlybased upon the unwillingness of native tradersto stand by a bad bargain, as the unflinchingChinese will.The foreign buyer is to blame for much that

happens. The experts from the great Americanstores are better at figures than the potters and

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matting makers and drive hard bargains, withincidental losses to the manufacturer, so it is notunnatural that he should try to square himselfby pinching quality and slighting delivery. Theusual tourists, especially if feminine, havedreamed of bargains and low prices until "beat-ing down" is the single thought in their minds.The wary tradesman therefore elevates his coststo meet the demand for concessions and makes asfew as he can. The wisdom and morality ofdriving sharp trades with a people primarilyuncommercial need not be commented upon.It is enough to say that they have learnedfrom their teachers. The incredible quanti-ties of valuables in the way of matchless porce-lains, incomparable bronzes and lacquers thathave been taken out of Japan in the last half-century at a trifling return to the seller andenormous increment to the buyer will furnish anexample of the foreign eye for business as com-pared with the local one. Nor have the Japan-ese experiences with foreign contractors beenpleasant ones. The railroad between Yoko-hama and Tokyo is a case in point. Of an easygrade along the rice-fields by the sea, its con-

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struction in foreign hands ran up a bill thatwould flatter even American municipal extrava-gance.

It is pleasant to find that reflection on theJapanese trading element is not very pronouncedamong the American residents. With custom-ary Yankee philosophy they realize that the dayof the "good thing" is over and that they mustcompete instead of having their own way. Theharshest thought usually expressed is that theJapanese is too eager to get his pound of flesh,always accompanied by the amiable admission,however, that he needs it."Why are Chinese merchants so generally

honest while the Japanese are reputed to beotherwise .'"' was asked of a Japanese noblemanof high rank. "Well," he replied, "there is areason; in China there is no law and no justice,and men must be honest with one another if theyare to do business at all, while here we have lawand justice, and" his smile implied "beat it ifyou can!" "But," he went on, "there is adeeper reason. In old Japan the first citizenwas the farmer, the man who tilled the soil andfed the people. After him came the Samurai,

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the soldier who risked his life to defend his coun-try. In next order came the artisan, who tookwood, metal, and leather and made things thatwere useful. Then followed the fisherman, whowent out into peril in his little boat to catchfood for others. But this merchant, this traf-ficker, who took that which was yours and madeit mine for a profit, he was the lowest of thelow!"This social grading is not true now of any class,

because distinctions have passed away, but lackof respect for traders prevailing for centuriesmade them a proscribed group and they lived atrisk of person and property. This made themcunning and grasping, like the Jews of the oldEuropean cities. It would be strange if it hadnot left an impress existing even now in a coun-try where sons follow the footsteps of theirfathers. Beyond this where money is hard tomake and losses are difficult to regain trickinessreadily manifests itself. It must be remembered,too, that necessities in the old days were obtainedby barter on even terms, so that when a traffickerintervened and raised the prices of supplies hebecame unpopular. In this contingency he is

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not beloved in America, where by the usualoppositeness we have elevated the mercantileand money-making class to the topmost positionin affairs and pushed the farmer uncomfortablynear the bottom. After all, in just comparison isnot the creating agriculturist the first citizen byright and merit, and not the merchant or traf-ficker, "who takes that which was yours andmakes it mine for a profit" ?Where foreign influence shows most appar-

ently is in noise and dirt. Our noise and dirt arerecognized as concomitants of the envied West-ern civilization, and noise and dirt appear withOriental improvements.Most of the third-class Japanese postmasters

serve without pay. It is an honor to be asso-ciated with the government, and when a cabinetofficer or a prince visits a village the holder ofthe job gets a front seat at the ceremonies. Thisand the sweet satisfaction of being a part of theruling power is his reward.The theater has no social position in Japan,

but it is popular with the crowd. Really re-spectable persons about whom the neighbors59

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might talk do not attend, while the high no-bility and the Imperial Household must con-tent themselves with the old classic dialogues,stiffly recited in the privacy of their homes. Buta hugeopera-house,theTeikokuza,has been con-structed in Tokyo, in which the Imperial House-hold is a heavy share-holder. Opera is unknownin Japan except to foreigners, and the Japaneseschool of music is unmelodious to the Westernear, while the dancing is stiff and formal, beingconfined mainly to posture. But a class of dan-cers has been trained for the new opera-houseon what is hoped to be a line of successful com-promise between the native and foreign ideas,and the promotors are pleased with the progressof the girls, who come from good families. Theordinary style of theater is plentiful in the cities,and every good-sized village has a playhouse,whose fluttering banners are visible from afar.The front is of sliding lattice, which is now andthen pushed wide during the show, which usuallylasts from 2 until lo p.m., to tempt the passer-by with a glimpse. Clogs and sandals must beremoved. In some houses they are checked atthe door, and the quantity of foot-gear on view60

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indicates the popularity of the play. In othercases the sandals are wrapped in an old news-paper and given to the owner to tuck under hisor her arm until needed for the street.The Chinese boy sits at his task of sweeping

and scrubbing, and sweeps and scrubs with infi-nite and minute care. The Japanese cleanertakes his swab in hand, and, running on all fours,scoots through the halls and calls it cleaning.Tree -planting and tree -saving are arts in

Japan. The mountain-sides are covered withlittle pines set out in rows, and the foresters keepthe grass cut lest it smother the youngsters.Trees of size are always being shifted about.After being moved they are braced with timberto safeguard against being overthrown or twistedby the wind, and the trunks are wrapped in strawto keep the moisture from evaporating too rap-idly and endangering life in the new locality.Often much more timber is employed to hold atree in position than it contains itself. Many ofthe big pines lean over highways at such angles asto be liable to uprooting, but these are carefullyupheld by heavy standards, and so preserved toadd to the beauty of the roads.

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the plain household animal the world over, butmarked in white and yellow and black, and thethird a fine bronze tiger variety with a shortertail than the domestic sort and seemingly bredfrom the wild strain found in the mountains ofthe north. This specimen is very handsome,but not nearly as large as its wild progenitors.The latter are hunted for their skins,which makefine lap-robes.

There are seven hundred and t\venty names inthe Japanese "Who's Who."The barber-shop is the most up-to-date spot in

a Japanese village, surpassing by far those ofFrance and Italy. Good chairs and the best oftools are in use, and Figaro himself could not doa better job of hair-cutting.The directories show something like twelve

hundred heads of missionary families in Japanand the territories under its jurisdiction. Thevisible results of their labors are not imposing.Consular opinion toward them is that they starttrade and trouble in about equal proportion. Allagree that life on the whole is pleasant for them.Numerous servitors are cheaply had, with a littlegospel thrown in, and they enjoy the authority

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of ruling their child-like flocks. But the greatvariety of sects bewilders the Oriental mind,which is easily confused when there are too manymodels to pick from, and none of them makewhat could be honestly called effective progress.The Methodists, as usual, are the most efficient,and maintain a large publishing house in Tokyo.Yet the best observers are a unit in the belief thata central dominating religion would be of greatvalue in Japan, softening the social system andaiding in producing what the country lacks, acohesive middle class. Unfortunately the weakAmerican denominations known as Unitariansand Universalists are the only ones whose tenetswould not offend the national spirit. Ancestor-worship is a cardinal thing in Japan. TheJapanese lives only to honor his forbears and topreserve their honorable line. To this end allothers must subserve. Thus adoption of malechildren is a duty to ancestry, from which somequeer jumbles result. For instance, the PrinceTokugawa, who recently visited America, is nota Tokugawa at all, but a distant connectionadopted into the family before a son was born.Then the son came, but he is not the prince, the

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primary adoption having filled the place of theoldest! So creeds holding that the unconvertedmust be in hell cannot become popular in Japan."Where are the souls of my ancestors ?" is aquestion before which the ablest missionaryquails.

Neither Buddhism nor Shintoism, the tworeligious elements in Japan, maintain what canbe called a church organization. The munici-palities keep the temples in repair after a fashion,and the priests subsist on the humble offeringsof the worshipers, who kneel for prayers. Yetthere is a religious, or, rather, moral weeklypress in Japan something on the lines of theOutlook without the contributing editor.

The conscription, which certainly works forthe general welfare in Germany and France,being in effect a college course for many classesthat would go dully to their round of toil, isnot advantageous in Japan, where the richare almost too few to count and the middleclass is negligible, and where social distinctionsare not measured by money. As a bankerremarked, the Japanese village folk are very

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frugal and highly respectable. The young menjoin the garrisons in the great cities and soonfind their way to the tea-houses and the Yoshi-wara, breeding extravagance and bad habits,which they take back to the villages after theirperiod of service, much to the displeasure ofthe elders. Japanese villages are controlledvery largely by public sentiment as enunciatedby these village elders, grave old gentlemen, whodiscuss and concur. When they have con-curred the result is the law of the village andthe crystallized opinion of the community. Thecentral government takes great care to soundthis form of opinion, and when it once gets aconsensus is pretty sure to be sustained if itfollows the trend that prevails. So underneaththe monarchy, despite the limited franchise, theforce of public opinion is always at work and itis always heeded. Thus while but three andone-third per cent, of the population in Japanhave the right to vote, owing to the income taxqualification of fifteen yen (.^7.50 a year tax),they are heard from nearly if not quite aseffectively as if they voted. "Public senti-ment," observed Count Komura, Minister of66

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SURFACE JAPANForeign Affairs, "is easily ascertained in Japan,and so a united purpose is readily attained."

It is certain, however, that an extension of thefranchise must come in the near future, becauseeducation is spreading. The tens of thousandsof students pouring out of the universities willsoon leaven the mass, and the idea that incomeis to be the standard of qualification for takingpart in public affairs will be swept away.Japanese babies do cry. The loudest yelping

heard came from a bit of one riding in a baby-carriage, instead of clinging monkey-fashion tomamma's back. When mamma puts babydown she lowers it on its knees instead of theposterior, as our Western mammas do. This isto teach its tender ligaments to bend easily for alifelong squat in a land without chairs or tablesand where the floor is the only resting-place andthe heels are the main support. To an Occidentalsitting on the plain floor is an agony; with onecushion it is barely endurable, though two makethe attitude quite tolerable. In some housestables a foot high are provided, but the real thingmakes it requisite to eat off the floor. So con-firmed is the method of sitting that many con-

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SURFACE JAPANE 3E 3E 31servatives tuck their legs under them when ridingin the street railway cars, a grateful practice, asit aids in keeping the aisle clear, in contrastwith the cross-legged chevaux-de-frise of anAmerican street car. On the railroads mostJapanese prefer to ride in their stocking feet,sitting on their heels. Abraham Lincoln's theorythat a man's legs ought at least be long enoughto reach from the rest of his person to the grounddoes not apply in Japan.

In all the first-class cars on the governmentrailroads slippers are provided for passengerswho wish to drop their clogs or take off theirshoes. The slippers bear the sign manual of therailroad painted on the upper in a black "T."There are three grades of inebriety in Japan,

to wit : plain drunk, honorably drunk, and drunkas mud. The first can happen to anybody, thesecond involves a certain degree of distinction,and the last is vulgar stupefaction.

It was W. B. Yeats who said that he found hisfirst hope for the revival of Ireland in the peasantcottages at Drogheda, where the people weresinging the old Druidic and Erse fairy songsinstead of the balderdash of the London music-

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the smoke. Then the ashes must be knockedout, a fresh wad of the stringy, dry Japanese to-bacco inserted in the bowl, Ht, whiffed, and dust-ed every five minutes. It is easier than perpetualcigarette-rolling and the stem takes up the nico-tine. Indeed, it clogs rather easily, and so thepipe cleaner is a noticeable street-worker. Hisstand is on wheels and carries a small metalboiler with a head of steam strong enough to feeda shrill whistle which announces his presenceand supplies a means for scalding out the con-gested stems.

While Kobe, but an hour away by trolley, is ashipping port of immense consequence, beingamong other things the Standard Oil center inJapan, Osaka is the great Japanese harbor. Itteems with commerce that is native. Littlesteamers from coast ports and the Inland Seacrowd the docks, and the canals are Broadwaysofboat traffic. Sampans are thick as trucks in acrowded American street, and a motor - boatservice carries passengers about the town. Fac-tories are plentiful, and a pall of black smokehovers over the vicinage. The 160,000 tons of70

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Osaka Shosen Kaisha (The Mercantile Steam-ship Company) have headquarters here. Steam-ers are always going and coming. Porters' cartspack the streets. It is the Chicago of Japan,with suggestions of Fall River and Indianapolis.More than a million Japanese live, move, andhave their being without foreign contact or aid.Kobe's foreign colony is large. Another houraway is Kyoto, oldest and most Japanese of allthe cities and most beautiful and interesting.The Westerner who goes East by Suez touches

Egypt, India, the Straits Settlements, and China,and picks up new habits as he goes along.These affect his relations with the servitors moreand more adversely as he follows the sun. Awise Japanese friend who spent a long term ina steamship office at Kobe said:

"I could alw

seitz surface japan 1911 colour photogravures

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