Evening star., 1899-03-10
JOURNALIST IN JAPAN.
Prosperous Condition of the Press
Due to Compulsory Education.

Prosperous Condition of the Press
Due to Compulsory Education.
From the Boston Transcript.
Despite the fact that great deal of de-
scriptive matter mas been written about
Japan and the japanese during the last
five years it is not generally known that
these interesting people are great news
paper readers. and that this characteristic
is constantly becoming more and more pro-
nounced. Such, however, is the case: and.
considering the number of journals al
ready hourishing in that country. it is quite
reasonable to conclude that by the time
few more years of western civilization
have left their imprint upon it, the land of
the mikado will have, in proportion to
population. almost many newspapers as
has the United States. In Toxic alone,
city of less than 10000 900 inhabitants there
are published at the present time about
fifty daily newspapers, to say nothing of
the many weekly and monthly publications:
while scattered through the various prov
lnCeS may be found scores of others. This
prosperous condition of the press in japan
is undoubtedly due to compulsory educa-
ton. Everybody there is abe to read and
write, and as consequence everybody
reads the newspapers. Even among the
poorer classes these journals circulate ex-
tensively their price-but one or two sen
per copy-placing them within the reach of
all.
me PROCESS OF issuing a newspaper IN
Japan is very similar 10 the American
method, the principal difference being in
the typesettng. The Japanese compositor
is greatly handicapped in making speed
records by the existence in his language of
about 1000 different characters all of which
are in daily use to a greater or less extent.
To place all these in one case within reach
would be an impossibility, so it is neces-
sary to utilize an equal number Of small
pigeonholes constructed along the four sides
of the composing room. Then, in order to
gather together such of these characters
as are indicated by the manuscript every
compositor employs the services of five or
six boys, each of whom receives a small
section of the copy and searches among ,he
pigeonhOleS for the necessary type. When
the characters have all been found thew
are taken to the compositor, who proceeds
TO place them in proper position with the
aid of forty-seven kama" or connecting
characters, which are in a case before him.
There is a constant din in a japanese com
posing ROOM the boys looking for type
among the pigeonholes are in the habit of
calling out at the top of their voices the
name of the character desired, presumably
IN order to obViate forgetfulneSS.
The papers are printed on cylinder presses
exclusively, the perfecting press being yet
unknown in Japan. Therefore in the case
OF paper with a large circulation four or
fVe presses are run for several hours in
order to print the edition. The printing is
not done from the type. however. but from
stereotype plates, as in this country.
japanese press is the reporter. These indi-
Viduals are enterprising and energetic and
as they are al paid a very low space rate
Tor their work they obliged To bring
thelr earnings up to the living mark by
taking when news is scarce: and as
fakr the Japanese reporter is an unuuali-
ned success, some very weird and artistic
creations resulting from this practice
Nevertheless, he is a courageous fellow
and never shrinks from duty because of
threatening danger. During the recent war
between Japan and China a large number
or japanese correspondents followed the
army, and their GOODNESS on the battle
field was the wonder of their European
brother Journalists. They would arm them
selves and go into the fight side by side
with the soldiers. acquitting themselves
bravely. Many of the war correspondents
We're killed before the war ended
One unpleasant feature connected with
running newspaper in japan is the harsh
censorship exercised by the government
No paper is allowed to publish any news
concerning the affairs of state unless II has
been officially given out. and the slightest
infraction of this rule is Immediately fol-
lowed by the suppression or suspension of
the OFFENDING paper, and sometimes the
Imprisonment of the editors. At one time
during the war only seven of the ffty
daa.ies in Toxic were in the full enjoyment
OF publication privileges the remainder
having been suspended either for printing
unofficial war news or for making unfavor-
able comments upon the governments
policy