The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-10-24

intellectual lives. In the customs Of
dress there has been a marked change
during the last decade, until now the
officials and the better classes assume
| the English costume. Among the
| former 1t is compulsory, and upon
the street the old Japanese garb is
| seldom seen except on the poorer
classes. Among the ladies, however,
! the loose gowns of the Olden days are
still popular, but even these are gra-
! dually becoming obsolete, and at the
| fashionable balls the European dress is
generally assumed, while the pro-
grammes of the Japanese OrChestras
generally include the best OF English
music.
The odd yet picturesque style OF hair
dressing which has 20 long prev ,lled in
the country has been superseded by
| that of the American G omen, and the
| fair foreheads of the royal ladies are
already hidden by the bang so common
10 our own country. The fashions,
| however, are not st by the empress.
! The style adopted by the ministers
wives is considered quite the pre- per
! thing, and, following their example all
! ladies of culture have stopped blacking
cir teeth and shaving their eyebrows.
The intellectual progress of the peO-
pie of Japan has been almost Unparal-
elled. Not only has the educational
| system been esta lished all over the
empire, but the capital city boasts of
university that can compare faVOrably
| with the best colleges of the continent.
! German professors, prominent for sclen-
tific works and research, Rave filled the
chairs in the scientific and medical de-
! p ,rtments of the Imperial university,
while in literature, both ancient and
modern English and Americans of
advanced thought have been chosen in
structors. Recently the staff OF foreign
4 professors have been diminished and
TIE vacancies filed by Japanese literati
who have returned from study abroad.
! The works Of Huxley, Spencer, Oar
win, and others have been translated
into Japanese, and arc familiar hand
books to students in Japan. The pro
INDICATORS of Christianity find that
they have a proud skepticism to con-
tend with. The Japanese talk of the
'evolutien of species" and the nebular
| hypothesis glibly as our learned men.
Buddhism is still the predominating
faith but Christianity is rapidly
establishing itself among the more
intellectual classes, although many
of the high officials express extreme
| bitterness to the doctrine and its
| introduction. This bitterness IS so
great that to profess Christianity means
the loss OF an official position. The peo-
pile are conservative, however, and it is
| only a matter of time when The Chris
tiaD faith will be accepted throughout
the country. In all the large cities
| public schools are maintained, and it is
com pulsOry that after attaining a Ger
| tain age children shan be sent to school.
! In Toxic there sre two large new
schools. one of VIII ch is conducted IL
the French and the other in the Eng
lish language. Added to these is an
engineering COLLEGE, with over 10000
| volumes, and extensive laboratories,
which have been recently merged from
the Imperial college.
Political affairs re not behiI in the
onward march of civilization, and the
chief excitement of the country low is
| the preparation for the national as
| sembly promised for 1890. The ground
| is already purchased and the assembly
! buildings commenced, although there is
naturally some misapprehension on the
part Of suspicious minds that the gov
| eminent may not CRY out its prom
| ises to the people. AS it now stands the
government is in the hands of the en-
peror, assisted by the senate and house
of lords, which in the japanese is called
"Gen-ro-in.'' The national as
sembly will be composed of repre-
sentatiYes elected by the people
| from the various districts into
which the county is divided, thus max
ing the empire partial republic. Laws
regard ding press criticism and public
speech are very stringent. and in
| neither is criticism of the governments
allowed. Regarding Japan's relations
with America, 1 am able to speak at
length. My visit to this country is in
the interest of an extension of the mer.
camille traffic. The United States and
its people are regarded with great re-
spect by the Japanese, and in their eyes,
as the FIJI ShimpO, one of the leading
journals, expresses it, America stands
out in the world like poisoning plum
branch among a thicket of brambles.
diffusing rich fragrance and compe,-
ling the admiration of all for her great
name and vigorous policy.