Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-12-21
OBSERVATIONS IN JAPAN.

| and the Diabutsee at Kobe-Shipping at
| Yokohama Japanese Railroads - Yeno
| Park-ImperiaI Museum, Geological Gar
dens, and Bazaar at Tokyo.
1894 miles northeast of Nagasaki by
boat is Kobe, a city of 2l5, 900 inhabi-
| tanis, situated on the Main island, in
the center of rich tea district. This
city is only twenty miles by rail from
Osaka with it's S21, 600 people, and is
only forty-seven miles from Kioto,
the old capital of Japan, having a
population of 353, 900 and some of the
most beautiful temples in the empire.
The preparation of tea leaves for
the market is an elaborate process
which may be observed at Kobe.
The leaves are first steamed and then
dried over slow charcoal, fires. The
leaves are turned and rolled hours at
time. Tea drinking, both at meal
time and at intervals throughout the
day, is an almost universal custom
among the Japanese. Elabor ate tea
ceremonies. first practiced by the
court and aristocracy, have become a
national Institution. Genuine Japan
csc tea is what is known in America
as "green" tea. The value of Japan
ese tea imported into the United
States annually is SO DOC 900.
The Diabutsee, an enormous bronze
image forty eight feet high, is worthy
of inspection. The image is in a sit
ting posture and is surrounded by
brorze flowers of the lotus variety in
rustic stone setting 1t is hollow
inside and contains an altar, near
which are burning joss sticks and
offerings to the gods in the form Of
apples and cakes. Near this Buddhist
image stands granite horse.
Excellent stores and curio shops
abound in Kobe. Painted fans and
screens, embroidered silk handker-
chiefs, sofa covers, and shawls, hand
painted china, ornament in ivory
and bronze, lacquer pictures inlaid
with ivory and bronze, gigantic por-
celain vases, cloisonne enamel vases,
ancient coats of mail, swords, bows
and arrows ars among the articles for
sale in these shops.
1858 miles from Kobe by sea is Yoko-
hama, a city of 900 Inhabitants,
the seaport for Tokyo. Sampans,
small square rugged sailing boats,
larger briggs and barks, sombre-
colored freighters, liners, and Japan
csc men of-war fl the harbor.
5000 people get a living from the
shipping business of this port. If you
arrive at Japanese port late at
night, the Japanese customs and
quarantine officials will have per-
formed their duties almost before
daylight the following morning, thus
allowing passengers desiring to go
ashore early an opportunity to do so.
The Japanese government realizes
the value of having str ong merchant
marine and for this reason has passed
laws granting ship subsidies. The
Nippon Yusen KlUdishd and the
ShOsen KaOaisha are probably the
most important steamship lines, being
the owners of 80 and rs vessels
respectively. The captain and first
officer of these steamers are usually
foreigners.
Yokohama is only IS miles distant
by rail from Tokyo, the capital of the
Japanese empire, a city of LAO, 900
people. In Japan the gate system is
in vogue at railway stations. Tickets
are punched by the gate keeper, who
will not admit passengers to the train
yard till just a few minutes before
the departure Of the train. Tickets
are not taken on the train but must
be presented to the official at the
gate at the point of destination.
Every train is provided with first,
second, third and fourth class cars.
1t may be said in this connection
that Japan has in all 5000 miles of
railroad, which is narrow guage, the
rails being only three feet and six
inches apart. A very pretty section
of country lies between Yokohama
and Tokyo. Waving corn fields,
vegetable gardens, rice paddles, and
plots of blooming lotuses and chrys-
anthemums appear at the car window
in rapid succession. Every foot of
available land seems to be cultivated
with apparent skill.
Yeno Park is noted place of
resort, where a whole day may be
spent with pleasure and profit. Ore
part of this park is a wooded grove
which has been left just as it was
fashioned by nature. No concrete
walks or keep off the grass signs are