Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-02-16
LAND OF THE ORIENT.
MISSIONARIES IMPRESSIONS or THE
EMPIRE or JAPAN.
nav. Henry Deane Page Talks About thc
People Of = Great East-
ern Nation.

W, TIE last twenty-five or thirty years
.,o vmpire Of Japan has steadily advanced
a., ,r,nortancc. IL is decidedly the most
.rorrcssivc Of tho nations OF the Eastern
Md The people are eager for national
,5vanccmcnt and have already adopted
- az the western customs aud ideas.
The islands Of Japan have, according 10
,be last census. 100000 inhabitants.
This crcat population will OF necessity DO
an imuoriant factor in tho future history
of the Eastern World.
A MISSIONARY INTERVIEWED.
Tho Diep1'ch thinking its readers might
80 some account 81 this interesting
eonrtrv AT this critical period OF its nation
Al bfc Yesterday sought an interview with
a. Rev. Henry Dcsno Page. who has re-
turned from Japan on vacation.
Mr.. Page Is the guest Of Rev. james r..
Funston. 81 Christ Episcopal church. He
l. sbout thirtv-five years old and man Of
e3ncation. refinement. and intellect Mr..
PC ,s descended from John Page. who
me 10 Virginia in iC40. He was the pro-
ccn,tor OF an the Virginia Pages. The
ersnason was born in Virginia"
How many years have you been in ia
rangn quoried the Dispatch man.
." II is six wears since went out az a mis-
s;onarv Of the Protestant Episcopal
Church" T. Piled Mr. Page. =" ] came back
a. delegate from Bishop Williams to our
cc"eral convention in New York. ex-
ns.ct 10 return in September. and am now
ENGAGED in trying to get more laborers for
The field
IMPRESSIONS OF THE EMPIRE.
",lr. Page. would Won object to giving
vorT impressions Of the Empire Of JAPAN"
askod the reporter.
Not AZ ali. said he. after the lovely
vovaro of iwenty-one DAYS across the Pa
g. V.slt Of AAk 20 mn i'm "a
violent storm of wind. The harbor. which
part Of the bay Of Yeddo, is very
I.aut, fil one. In tho distance. cOntrasted
viii the blue sea below and the blue sky
sh0ve. YOU see the snow-capped top OF
Tauyana. the t8liest peak Of Japan. On
one side extenda series of mountain ranges;
m the other is the vast and populOus PLAN
ofYeddo. The view Of this plain, how
ever is obscured by the bluffs which en-
circle Yokohama.
HANDSOME HoMEs.
con tho tops Of these bluffs are the resi-
6onccs of the fOreigners-Europcan and
1r,e-ican. Some of these are quite hand
srr,o and are uncovered in beautiful trees
ana sLrubbery. At the foot of the cliff
lies the city proper, the most conspicuous
rsyf 81 which are the business-piaces of
H.. foreign merchants. Here, also, are the
Jen4reec residences. A japanese city as q
mile does not at a distance impress the OBJ
sever because Of the low altitude of the
luses, most Of them being one story
high.
Tux HARBoR.
"In The barber whom we entered" con-
tnued Mr. Page. were vessels OF oil ma
,,ous. But the distinctive feature of the
como was the vast number of native boats
,,arrcd bv half-nsked and sun-burned
o.rsmcn. who fought and scrambled and
sroutol in their struggle 10 secure passen-
cor. for the shore. Everything had TO US
g strange and foreign aspect.
1UIEIKIsHA.
We spent the night in Yokohama, and
Rad going 70 the hotel, which was kept
H. or American. our first ride IN n carriage
drawn hy "a man. This vehicle is common
h. i.nan. % 600 being III use in Toxic alone.
IL. called iuiriki-ha.
"Tta next day We proceeded TO Toxic.
Th.-l.the capital Of Japan, and is by far
81. LARGEST city in the empire. 1t mas u
p.nulron # .20000J inhabitants. and II
said go cover larger area of territory
Than ANS other CITY in the world. We
travelled r, THIS city by railroad along the
shlr.- ~ lhe bay of YeddO, distance OF
eighteen n.le-.
JAP RAILROAD.
"Thi, roli was built by English engi-
ncer. arl is managed 10y japanese with the
a- -s.ce Of few foreign officers.
"Iie fare is about fOrty-tve cents,
...o-I-clas.. The cara are made after the
English pattern with compartments. The
trp took about ono hour The views on the
railroad are beautiful. On one side the
iav with rs shipping. on tho other rice
l.ids and native villages.
II TOXIC.
When We cot to Toxic" continued Mr..
Pace. we were met 10y friends who carried
u- iu q carriage 10 the concession. This IL
small portion of the CITY assigned to
t.re,srors. where man IL under the pro-
lection Of MS own flag. IAls concession
covers an area equal only 20 a space of
ti.ut three Richmond squares in length
.-. 1850 M width. 40 10 ia very small. All
nr.uui les the native city. IL must be re-
m.mierol that Toxic is on the shore of
.rr lar Of lcdlo and IS also part Of the
i.air of the SAN" name. On all sides eX-
r.yt -raward 1t is sS,rted by mountains ;
'n fnc' YOU are never out of sight of noun
fans in Japan
BEAUTIFUL STREETS.
Toxic il sor several reasons different
f-omm most Oriental cities. u has IN its midst
trrmrcr IL large and very beautiful parks
ana Ofher open spaces, the most remark
r.eDf winch Is the ancient castle enclo-
.rr, with its several lines of moet and wall.
J. .- remarkable also for the number OF
WIDE. handsome streets. A horse and car
r.,. bye almost useless N Osaka, the second
Ctr iu importance ~ Japan, or any other
..Isra.e city, hut II Toxic II ia now very
common thing 10 see the Japanese nobility
driving fro horses and in handsome car
rs.e-. with servants 10 livery. Within the
cs,t'e enclosure which ! have just spoken
~ tho Emperor has just built handsome
lu.are IN modern foreign style. This 10 lit
%. with electricity and furnished with the
Al "a
t.rwlv OF HOUSEHOLD furniture and deco
f4uon.
THR MIEAIpo.
The Mikado, the present Emperor"
end Mr. PAGE. lis about forty-fiye. saw
l,fq ln.t vear AZ the time of the promulga-
t-.nof The Constitution. He IS about five
let seven or eight inches high and rather
lr.lned 10 c0rpuloacy. Most OF the
Janluese are small. The men nave very
attractive manners. The women as "a RUE
ar small and rather pretty. All who can
al.rd II are inclined to adopt western Gus
toms. but the great hulk Of the people
I've AS they always did. Although the
imperOr has couCubines no has only one
le-al wife. IN this be Is like large num-
b'r Of the japanese. The law, however,
oaly recognizes the wife.
THE CONSTITUTION.
You said something about the promul;
cation OF the Constitution. MIR. Page. will
ylu explain more fully" asked the news
paUer-rau. .
" The authentic records of Japan" re-
piled the missionary. 80 back to the hrs'
Emperor Jiunpi-te7nnO. who lived twenty,
tye hundred years age. HIS grave IL sun
pointed cat in the ancient province OF
lamato. This have seen. Until recently
the Emperor was wo-shiped as o divinity.
H. Was a complete Gutocrat: having power
o. hfe and death over his subjects.
would not ike 10 give the impression there
Was Do law. There were laws. but they
were aii PROMULGATED in the name ana by
The authority Of the Emperor.
TIE TMPERoR's PROMISE.
Fourteen years ago the Emperor pro-
missed 20 give his people representative
government. A written Constitution De
fuing the rights and liberties OF Japanese
subjects. classes whoare privileged TO eiec'
representatives 70 the lower house ana th'
rrhts Of peers TO SIT in the House OF Peers
Eld the respect We measures OF authority
-. sl,..