Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1888-01-07
THE JAPANESE CAPITAL.
An American In Toxic Would Think Him
~ self I'm a Eurnnean CITY.


self In a European City,
Your readers are all familiar with
the great cities of Europe, either by
actual observation or through the col
umns of current literature; but less is
known, perhaps, about the great cities
of Asia, and it is about the city of
Toxic. the capital OF Japan, that l
wish to write To-day, 1t is larger than
any city on the American continent,
with the exception of New York. 1t
contains fully 1850 600 people and ex-
tends over IN area nine miles long by
eight broad. 1t is city of immens
distances. For instance, to go from
the station as you come in from Yoko-
hama TO the station you leave to go
into the country you cross II distance
of six miles, or about twice as far as
from the Battery to the Central Depot
in New York. The city is curiously
laid out. In the very center is large
round tract of land containing the
ca site and some other public build
ings. This is surrounded by II moat,
or rather u canal, which is in the form
of a spiral. 1t goes around the castle
two and qu arter times. Within the
second ring are the houses of many of
the noblemen and some more of the
public buildings. Outside of all tn is
is the city proper, which is intersected
in all directions By canals. Never was
there seen a city in which twas easier
TO lose ones self than in Toxic. This
spiral canal and the many heavy stone
walls and frequent tUrnings make one
lose his bearings even on Il sunny day.
The history of Toxic has been called a
history of fires, plaques and earth
quakes Perhaps no one city can CON-
pare with this in the number of its
disastrous accidents, In 1900 it was
nothing lut little fishing village, but
it was at that time made the capital of
this section, and from that time its
growth was extremely rapid, as can be
gathered from the fact that
in 1867 q great fire, called the fire Of
Mel R XII destroyed 107046 people
and swept away 500 mansions of the
first nobility. no of other mobiles, 35(
temples, and 1,200 streets; again in
1878. only eleven years later, almost
the whole city was burned. In 40;
an earthquake carried away $1,000
people. In 1873 q pestilence laid it,
hand on the city and took the almos
inconceivable number of 100. 600 souls.
In 1856 80 900 buildings were destroyed
by earthquake and 100. 900 people per-
ished. These are only the greater
calamities that have befallen this city
and it is terrible record.
1t was in 1873 that the Mikado made
the change of his residence from KiotC
this city. Since that time the two
cities have grown apart so that it Il
hard to believe that they belong t.
the same nation. Kioto is old Japan
Toxic is newJapan. Through the cen
ter of Toxic runs long street. he
Broadway" and on either side ar,
fine buildings in the European styl
of architecture. Every thing that
foreigner would wish to use in furnish
ing house or replenishing his ward
robe can be found on this street. Al
the signs are in English, although
often accompanied by the nativ
language. A thorough system @
paving, sewerage, illumination ant
horse-car transportation make Toki
nc ,e European than some cities il
Eul pe. Of course l went through
the bazars, and temples, and parks
all of which were interesting. On
"curio" in the museum is worth men
tioning. 1t was stuffed specimen o
native domestic fowl, now almos
extinct. The popularity is its tail
which by measurement is thirtee
English feet long. The body of tn
bird is about the normal size. Cor
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