Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-04-05
FACTS ABOUT JAPAN.
A Japanese Student Talks About
His NJ alive Land.

TITS Na&iSS LatIo.
Mr.. Seiichi Tokito was sitting In a
big armchair. luxuriously upholstered
and drawn up within easy range OF the
glowing 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 mi ddle
OF thrilling French novel, and was
accompanying the detective OF the story
on a still hunt after the girl, who had
been spirited away In some mysterious
manner by the ow-browed villain. Mr..
Tokito speaks very good and correct
English. There is a slight tea-planta-
tion aroma in the manner in which he
wrestles with some Of the more difficult
and long-waisted consonants, but, on
the whole, IL is quite passable. He has
been in this country for about two
years, engaged in the study OF practi-
cal engineering. A portion OF the
time has been spent as "A student at the
university at Ann Artor, the remainder
in travelling about the country in quest
of practical experience upon the sub
ject. He is now on his return TO Ann
Arbor, after several months spent In a
Kansas City engineering office. Mr..
TolSito Is a scion OF a very prominent
japanese family, one of his brothers
being governor OF something or other
over there and another high officer
in the navy. He is exceedingly intel
ligent, 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 in Toxic" he said.
at is a city Of over a million inhabi-
tants, and is the literary, educational,
artistic and commercial center OF
Japan. As far as securing IN educa-
ton is concerned, there is no reason in
the world why we should come 10 this
country. We have in Toxic the I'M
perial University, an institution which
outranks in all important respects the
university at Ann Arbor. The profess
sors and teachers are AL English. and
the studies are conducted in that lam
guage. | am opposed to the idea of
our young men coming TO this country
for the purpose of acquiring a general
education. There is no necessity for
ii. OF course, it is only the sons Of
the rich who do come, and the princi-
pal object in doing so is to secure Il
knowledge Of the manners and GUS
toms of tho country. In Toxic, too,
the whole educational system is excel
lent Education over there is compul-
sc1.f--AA +4-s--c--s-ord- primary. inter-
mediate and grammar schools All oyer
Japan. In these branches, the study
of the English language was only 3ntro-
duced couple OF years ago. |, my
self, graduated from the Imperial
University of Toxic before coming to
this country, but desired TO pick up a
few American ideas on engineering. "
lis Japan advancing in the arts and
sciences?"
Mr.. Tokito smiled.
I've claim to have known a great
deal about such things in my country
before the existence of America was
suspected by the civilized world" he
said. Still, it is always possible to
advance, of course. | think | know
what you mean. You desire TO learn
whether we are falling into English
and Americans ways in such matters
We have n musical institute in Toxic,
under the direction OF Boston profess
sOr, 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, too, can
assure you. OF course, you must UNI
derst; nj that all say about Japan re-
fers only 10 the upper classes. The
poor are very poor, and have neither
time nor money for progress in any
direction. Our girls are rapidly picking
up all sorts of English accomplishments
at Summaries and finishing schools,
which have been established for that
purpose"
allow about dress?n
Mr.. Tohito smiled again.
"lf you entertain an idea that the
better classes in Japan still appear in
the outlandish attire pictured in tho
Mikado, and other supposed sketches
and histories of my country, please
disabuse your mind of it at once" he
said. That idea is more romantic
and picturesque, perhaps. but it is not
true TO nature. As you SEQ me now"
throwing open handsome Prince AL
bert coat and exposing full and per-