The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-10-14
MET OLD FRIENDS
Faces in Tokyo Once
Familiar in Honolulu.
Government Schools Growing Bet
ter A Problem for the
Missionaries.
Especial Correspondence


pastor of a flourishing church, near
the Gin Sha, or Broadway" of Tokyo.
The Government took advantage of
the devastations of a large fire, to lay
out the streets on a wider scale, so
that now leading directly from the
Railroad Station is wide avenue
where are the pricipal stores Of the
city. Running parallel with it is what
foreigners call "Curio Street." where
are to be bought old bronzes and por-
celains, once the property of old fami-
lies, who have been compelled by the
recent changes of the social order, to
sell their heir-looms. Fabulous prices
have been paid by collectors for rare
specimens of bronze or pottery. But
to the ordinary tourist there comes to
be a sameness in the articles offered
for sale. One passes them by very
much as one does the cheap toys heap
ed up on the counters of the japanese
store-keepers in Honolulu at Christ
mas tide.
Rev. Mr.. Miyama was also one of
our visitors. Many will remember the
strong impression he made when at
Honolulu as an earnest and eloquent
evangelist. He has taken upon himself
the support of his brothers family
left in destitute circumstances after
the death of Mr.. Miyama's brother
His aged father is also dependent upon
him. Yet he and his talented wife, a
graduate of the New England Conser-
vatOry of Music, bravely and cheerily
bear their burdens, and carry on their
work Mrs Miyama has kindergar-
nv rs 1,ox oy,I n1, Nv,rr ir1,
out of school hours, to students in the
Normal School at Kamakura. Mr.. Mi
yama is planning tour as temper
ance Evangelist in company with Miss
Parish, the representative of the w. G.
T. u, who was so kindly nursed by
Mrs. Jordan during her illness while
in Honolulu.
DR.. Iwai, who once had an Office on
Beretania street, is now the physician
in charge at the Red Cross Hospital,
and in that responsible position has
won great credit for capability and
efficiency. AS is the custom Of the
country, he presented us with some
porcelain vases, the special manufac-
ture of his native district. This giving
of presents is among the Japanese ac-
companied by so many minute cere-
monial formalities, wrappings Of pc
culiar kind of silk or paper, tied with
silk cord of peculiar colors in pecu-
liar way, that one wonders how time
could be washed in such tedious rou-
tine. Yet the Daimios Of olden time
had very little else to occupy their
abundant leisure. Cha-no-yu, or cere-
monial tea-drinking, took up eight
hours. No wonder that the old families
became demented, giving their minds
to such trivialities as the movements
and accessories On such waste of time
Japan furnishes striking object les
son in this regard of culture" and
the result of making self-complacency
"the chief end Of man."
The climate of Tokyo proved so rasp-
ing, and the rainy days so frequent
that 1 was obliged to forego the pleas
ure of visiting the Imperial University
and the other public buildings. Mr..
Martha, formerly connected with the
Consulate in Honolulu, had arranged to
accompany me, and we were to visit
the House of Parliament also, but ill
health and bad weather made it i'm
practicable to carry out the arrange
ment. 1 regret this the more, because
while the japanese have not yet made
it point of honor to keep an engage
ment, they are apt to censure the for
eigner for breach of courtesy in not
fulfilling his appointments. The palace
of the Japanese Emperor is of mediae
val style in its surrounding wall and
moat, and the amplitude of the en-
closure. But the new public buildings,
the telegraph pole, and the tramcars
shock ones aesthetic sensibilities in
view of the utter incognities of the
situation.
But it was unalloyed pleasure to
meet again Mr.. and Mrs. Tato Ando,
and find them the same courteous,
friendly, sympathetic hosts, as when
they used to welcome their friends in
the Japanese Consulate in Honolulu.
They have a pleasant home in Azabu,
not far from the Shinagawa Railroad
station. The house is furnished in for
eign style in one section, while the
Japanese style is maintained in other
apartments. There was very pleas
ant company gathered to meet us,
many of whom we had met before, and
all the arrangements for this social
function were most happily carried
out. Each guest was presented with
a boutonniere of paper flowers, from
the deft handiwork Of Mrs. Ando her
self. The national emblem, as Fusija-
ma may we'll be considered, appeared
in the mold Of ice cream, as it was
brought in to be served with the other
dainty refreshments provided. Mr..
Ando's son, Sinichi, is now at the Car
negie Steel Works. in Pittsburg, and
Mr.. Ando himself has some official con-
nection with the Department of Com
merce and Industry.
Tokyo is growing in bigness all the
time, and in the section of the city
where the friends whom we were visit
ing had their home. the city is absorb
ing the country, new territory being
occupied for residence or business.
Seven years ago the site of our friends
house was tea plantation, part of the
land belonging to some of the old fam
lilies. The Presbyterian educational in
situations, originally located in Tsukiji
on the harbor, have been now perma-
nently located in this highest and
heaithiest part of the city. They are
large and stately, as are also those of
the Methodist Mission in Aoyama.
But the typhoon had torn off parts of