The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-10-06

Especial Correspondence

EDITOR p. G.. A:-What we used to-
graphies is now Tokyo, ''the Eastern
Capital" The new name was given
when the revolution of 1868 had re-
stored the imperial power to the Mika-
do, and the Shogunate, which had
made this place it's headquarters, came
to an end. Kyo-to, the syllables rel
versed, is 1.-The Western Capital the
sacred city. When the powers Of the
Daimios, the great feudal chiefs ended
with the downfall of the Tycoon, their
estates in this city were largely con-
fiscated by the new government. These
large enclosures were appropriated for
various public buildings.
Yokohama is the commercial. metro
polls. It's buildings have been erected
by the foreign residents and it's affairs
are administered by a local muni-
cipality in which the foreign element
has evidently the control. AS COM
mercial city, it has the appearance Of
busy and prosperous industry But
Tokyo, in it's immensity and squalor,
as seen around Uens Station, reminds
me of the East End of London. The
Imperial Palace stands within the wall
ed enclosure of former feudal times.
The huge gates, the wide moat, the
grassy embankments, emphasize the
military character of Japanese rule,
even in it's modernized forms. The
omnipresent policeman with his short
sword, the tawdrily uniformed SOL
diery seen everywhere in the streets,
the cars, the places of public resort,
are in marked contrast with American
cities, where the people are expected
to take care themselves and behave
themselves.
There are in this city large temples,
but they are dirty and out of repair.
The avenues leading up to the largest,
at Asakusa, are too sacred for vehicles
Of any sort, but are given UP to all
manner of cheap shows, and booths for
the sale of hucksters' wares. The wor-
ship is as perfunctory and heartless as
can be imagined. People are coming
and going all the time. A clap of the
hands before the chancel to call the
attention of the presiding divinity is
the first act, very much as the waiter
boys are called at the hotels. Then a
few of the smallest coin, and these are
of as low value as one-tenth of cent,
a thrnxvr, on a MI
shipper kneels, clasps his hands, says:
Great is Buddha,' and perhaps tells
what he wants, and the whole affair is
ended. On special occasions there is
preaching, and then there are always
two sermons. The gist of these SER
mons, from the account / heard, is
money for the support of the temple.
The old priest, who preached on the
occasion mentioned, wanted his audit
Ors to tell what they would sub
scribe for ten years. Then to clinch
matters, he said that if they subscribed
and paid for a few years, but then died,
how awful it would be for them to pass
into the Dark Unknown with such a
burden of debt! Therefore, he urged
in conclusion, they might better pay up
the whole of their subscription at once.
The second sermon was preached by a
young priest, who had been several
years at Oxford University: and his
theme was, How to Get into the Boat
of Safety for the Voyage of Death.
Common people might say, Great is
Buddha" a hundred times; but people
of rank were safe, if they would say it
10 times. Yet Buddhism is not dead,
only moribund. There is much activity
in those who are religiously inclined,
and who are conservative in their hab-
it's, in keeping up the old religion of GER
emonial routine and spectacular splen-
dor. Money is required for this and
money is given freely by some people.
But in national life and character, such
religion can have little more than tran