New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-03
IN ELDER WORLDS.
ny HENRY W. LUCY. on TUE LONDON DAILY
NEWS"
JAPANESE ART AND CURRENCY.


Ne lunchcd with Mr.. IuyonS, the Foreign Mn
49,. ~ liz ,,rettv country house the outskirts
of rokio MrIto was present together with sever@
rngl sh &c. tlemen who have been closely associated
with The Government OF Japan IN iUTtheihg It's
desire OF drawing nearer 10 western cNhHdton'
The foreign nee wncrc Mr. lnyou6 Officially re-
sides - furnished throughout IN European style AZ
his country house the Foreign Minister preserves
,he two STYLES there belnga suite Of reception and
dmng rooms furnished in European STYLE ana ono
vlng OF the house in japanese manner IhcTe j. y"
doht which IS the preiucr Nothing cousd oe
danter OF in better taste than the japanese MOUSE
The colurug is eNquis te tie various woods s"HPl'
polished aud showing the grain, are P''"'"''
look upon The house stands h'gh' WIN "''' ~"
fields facing it, and IN summer weather mas =,
perfection Of a summer residence. N"'V ''N -
done in grating European notions oil iH'H .'"'0 "P
tbe Joponcsc style Of house architecture Is see" ."
= ,ro,tv little bungalow which Mr. Grevillc OF tIe
p,;t;sh embassy here has built for himself ho
t,ok what WAS originally japanese house in"e "
few alterations while strictly preserving It's SF''
al +t,, l.,,,,, to furnish and adorn II with prizes
drawn in the curio lottery. Mr.. Tronch path'u-
caly COMPLAINS that lie s always afraid 10 move
about being prone either 10 knock ms heao "S'-hS'
tho cci,ur or 10 knock over something on tables
or door. But the charge dAGaiyes Is very 'SH
man and even he is not so dangerous as be repre-
scnts himself.
II - very difficult now to obtain really old lacquer
or old thiues of any kind in Japan. Madame lHyone
is happy in many priceless POSSESSIONS o"' sno
has not only knowledge aud special opportunities
ofexercisiug it, hut has been quietly at work lor
some years Every foreigner who goes TO Japan IL
ON the lookout for old lacquer aud curos winch
antedatc the European demand Tor them what
ever of the real thing com up Is eagerly shatcheo
nj Bnt japanese modern art is equal to the emer-
if not old met in remote country olstlct nm en-
tc,urisiug Semitic from London who had spent two
months in Japan and had bought mp enough oddS
and ends 10 freight bug. lie would buy ora
lamps # ne could get them If not, new ones would
do but he must have them as like the old ones as
possible aud woud then take them 10y the dozen
aud the score This is a clearing ont process from a
strictly trading point of view, which believe Is
not uncommon. aud which must at no distant date
oinpty Japan inter aH0 of whatever makes her dear
e. the curiosity hunter
one little difficulty the foreigner meets
with in Japan surrounds the question OF
money. japanese currency is chiefly in
paper money. in cony nent denominations
down tn ten yen. which should bc of the value OF
iivepence But for many years M to last year, the
uairr currency was glievUusly deprecated. What
was nomiualy worth four shillings, could with
difficulty be exchanged for three. and it reached
levels inwer than that The Government and
above all their new v'icY, was upon TRIAL They
might break down any dav and who c'ud aay that
thou strtUssnis would. even II they could. meet
the rtuuiiHe to- ray which Ia notes bofeV Utad-
upiiy confidence ~ tho Government aud in the
future nf Japan has grown aud with 10 panti
money has ypiS neatly Touched par At the pee
ent inumeut papri san Ia ~olh only
hVepeuon lees than tho silver dollar,
winch ia a remuneration az rmaIhahla aud
even more rapid than that OF gtenhacha 90 Italian
notes. Tins sure slgn OF the growing prosperity ANA
stability Of the new empire is not viewed with very
great approval hy all who live IN ll7 borders II ~
,ad and with unreasonable truth, that it has
sent MP the prices OF every thing and made living
apprcciably Goarer. 0nce yen always ycn is
golden rule among the shOpkrepers and trades
peoplc of Japan What they charged yen for
when the note was worth only three shllings, they
still charge yen for now the little blt OF paper Is
worth three and sevcupencc. and seems bent on
reaching par.
That however. is not the grievance OF the
foreign visitor. He would certainly bear to have
rurrcncl worth twenty-five per cent less than it's
p,,linal ,alne since that would mean that for his
Ench>h sovereign he would get twenty-five
shillincs. But hc thinks he has a reasonable rlct
10 demand that hc shall know ven note when he
secs IL and shall not C0nipuhd a my yen hole
Win one valued at twenty. Formerly yen notes
,,i.tso ON Them i'm numerals Now there are yen
iotos OF vaiious coioIs, sizes and designs with no
ffus of denomination printed on tlclh, Tue Hl'leN
are tHc Same size ~ the twentieS ana are cA"cilV
the same pattern save for Caba!lNtc signs IN the
corners or course plain enough to the japanese,
hut worse tLan Greek 10 the iuIcigntL IL ~ true
thai il YOU know where TO look tor 1t an have
II microscope handy you eau discover the hEulr
twenty printed on the jCnpenny note, aud nifty
on the two shilling one. But these arc not coudi
tions always reahzahie. especially at night heard
OF a recent visitor - japan " no hdd onlN month
60 see the country In. Like John Gllpn thO on
pleasure bent he had frugal mind aud a dear
friend tuated that he sVcnt Que week OF the four
IN STUD lug hls notes before he maze payments, aud
went away saddeued bl the convection that he had
three tunes paid away 30 ven Rotrs Tor 20. Tins Is
not likely to be strictly true. hut vndicates
a natter of considerable embarrassment 10
visitors to japan. and might be commended To the
attention of the Government among tlel oth'l le-
forms.
in copper plate Is the establishment OF National
banks of which there are no less than lJ2 each
authorized TO istuc its Own notes The necessity for
diversity of designs rs obvious; but there - the
more reason WIN tIe deuOmuai on should be made
clear lac silver "A htrikiuplV handsome com IS
now AZ par with the Mexican dollar. II Is Indeed
preferred 10y tradcspeOple an banks, SINCE thincse
industry Ia, found new and VIDE held IN
dealing with the Mexican coin. By the oNef-
else of dsNteuty aud industry tie artnan
rcnOvea the face from one side o the CON. cuts ont
the silver n - up the cavity with ba~et me- ~ aud
lcspts the face ~ "A WY that makes ~ dlnicuii Tor
auy bat trained ewes detect the taud. 30 widely
has this practice obtained that when payment ~
made Mexican dollars the recipient rings every
coin II - of no consequence whpn the Transaction
does not exceed three ~ four dollars. but whoh ~
comes to tlutN forty or over II rs rather bot" 10
have and los and watch each com tested lhi"
IL necessary since the industry bfhnrhc4 ont m
another direction and the puil,l,ss i0ulnR Chinese
may have ready at hand few of those manipu-
lated COINS lhese somehow gct mixed up WIN
YOURS aud he, with pit WING snie for your earlier
misfortune will invite YOU 60 replace them with
sterling sil,er lIrNWY W. LrcN
THE COOPkR ONION SCHOOLS