Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-28
Home Of The Mikado.
4 Japanese Student Talks About His
Native Land.
1t is Surprising How Little We Know
About the Japanese.

Mr.. Selichi Tokito was sitting in big
armchair, iuxuriously upholstered and
drawn up within easy range Of the glow
ing anthracite fire in the CRATE. He
seemed to be on pretty good terms with
himself and the world in general. He
was somewhere about the middle of a
thrilling French novel, and was accom-
panylng the detective of the story on q
stlllshunt after the girl, who had been
spirited away In some mysterious man
ner by the lowbrowed villain. Mr.. Tokito
speaks very good and correct English.
There Is slight teaplsntation aroma in
the manner in which he wrestIes with
some of the more difficult and long
wasted consopants, but, on the whole,
It If quite passable. He has been in this
country for about two years, engaged
IN the study of practical engineering.
portion of the time has been spent as
student at the university at Ann Arbor,
the remainder in travelling about the
country IN quest of practical experience
upon ths subject. He is now on his re-
turn 20 Ann Arbor after several months
spent in Kansas City engineering office.
Mr.. Tokito is a scion of very promin-
emit japanese family. one of his brothers
being Governor of something or other
ovef there and another high officer in
the navy. He is exceedingly intelligent
and, as he sat in his handsome Russell
House apartment yesterday afternoon,
talked in an interesting and instructive
manner OF his native land.
"My home is il Toxic" he said. sit is
a city of over a million inhabitants, aud
| IS the literary, educational, artistic and
commercial center of Japan. As far as
securing an education is concerned,
there Is no reason In the world why we
should come TO this country. We have in
Toxic the Imperial university, an insti-
tuition which outranks in all important
respects the university at Ann Arbor.
The professors and teachers are ali Eng
ilsh, and the studies are conducted in
that language. | am opposed to the idea
of our young men coming to this coun-
try for the purpose of acquiring gen
eral education. There is no necessity for
1T. Of course, it is only the sons of the
rich who do come, and the principal OBJ
ject In dong so is to secure knowledge
of the manners and customs of the
country. In Toxic, also, the whole edu-
cational system is excellent. Education
| over there is com pulsory. We have good
primary, intermediate and grammar
schools all over Japan. In these branches,
the study of the English language was
only introduced a couple of years ago.
l, myself, graduated from the Imperial
university of Toxic before coming to
this country, but desired to pick up few
American ideas on engineering"
lis Japan advancing in the arts and
sciences?"
Mr.. Tokito smiled.
"We claim to have known a great deal
| about such things in my country before
the existence Of America was sus pected
| by the civilized world" he said. "Still,
1t Is always possible to advance, of course.
| think know what you mean. You de-
| sire to learn whether we are falling into
English and American ways in such mat
| tiers. We have a musical institute in
Toxic, under direction of Boston pro-
| fessOr, where our ladies are taught to
play and sing after the most approved
style of your fashionable circles. The
Japanese girls are very ready to fall in
| with that sort of thing, can assure you.
Of course, you must understand that all
l say about Japan refers only to the up
per classes. The poor are very poor, and
have neither time nor money for prog
ress in any direction. Our girls are rap
| idly picking up all sorts of English &C
com plishments at seminar es and finish
ing schools, which have been established
for that purpose"
Chow about dress?"
Mr.. Tokito smiled again.
"If you entertain an idea that the bet
ter classes in Japan still appear IN the
Outlandish attire pictured Ia the MikadO,
and other supposed sketches and histo
ries of my country, please disabuse your
mind of it at once" ne said. sThat idea
is more romantic and picturesque, per-
haps, but it is not true TO nature. AS
you see me now" throwing open hand
some Prince Albert coat and exposing
full and perfect fitting American attire
Throughout, "you see all the better class
es of my countrymen at home. l have
worn nothing else since | was child.
Our ladies dress handsomely and in per-
feet taste, appearing at receptions aid
parties in full dress costumes which equal
anything ever seen in this country, Eng
Land, or even France. It is just the
same with the men. Our dances there at
the present time are just the same as
yours here, and think 1 am justified by
the facts IN saying that they are just as
we'll and gracefully danced"
"Ho~ are your theatresf"
SIN that respect we differ from this
country, IN that we have neither come
dies nor farces upon the stage. Per
formances are all given in the Japanese
language, and the plays are tragic or his
torical IL character. Some of the acting
is superb. There are no variety shows in
Japan. Juggling, and that class of
amusement, is confined to the streets.
Wrestling is the great national game In
Japan"
"And the native literature?"
at is excellent, much of it being of a
high order. l am great novel reader,
and [ do not hesitate to say-after mas
tering most of the best works of fiction
in the English language-that our native
novelists compare favorably with any
with which 1 am familiar. Like the
plays, the best japanese novels are his
torical in character"
Mr.. Tokito expects to remain two or
three years longer in this country before