Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1903-12-24
A GLIMPSE OF TOKYO
SCENES IN VIE SCARED CAPITAL
OF EASTERN JAPAN,
A Widespread Medley of Unpleasant
sights, Odors and sounds--SOme of
the Inconvenience That Beset the
foreigner In shopping.

l
| eastern Japan, comparatively young
| earthquake and Of war This great
city, once of 100000 inhabitants,
| spread over what is popularity estimat-
ed as hundred square miles. seems
| still to cover In the shadow Of the for
| tress of the great Iyeyasu.
For the American tourist unprepared
| for the real orient aud knowing Japan
only through her art products and the
| few pen pictures of the artist rhapso-
| dists who have embarrassed her with
| their praises Tokyo is rare purgative.
| Except for the stately and dignified
| tombs of the shoguns and the fine off,
| cial grounds and buildings of the CAPT
tai he finds his senses assailed on every
| side by unpleasant sights, odors and
| sounds.
Approaching Tokyo by train from Yo-
kohama, he sees the green hillsides pla-
carded with enormous advertisements.
| Arrived in the city, he finds the poster
and billboard everywhere monstrous
and fragrant. Stagnant sewers lie along
| the roadside, and foul odors arise from
| the pavements, constantly wet down
| by the householders. Porters and store
| keepers with a rag of breechclout or
scant skirt jostle, shout and stare,
and perhaps whole family may be
seen In doorway ready for the tub.
| from which you see the steam arising.
| A street called the Ginga is the state
street of Tokyo. and here in the even
| ing you may find an intinity of wares
| spread out upon the walk, which is one
| of the few real sidewalks in Japan.
| Most of these wares, however, are q
| vast inconsequential array of cheap
! trifles, such as the enterprising mana
| ger of an American five cent store"
! might gather together. There are, how
| ever, a number of somewhat preten-
| tious stores to be seen by the persist
| ent shopper.
Shopping In Tokyo, however, is at
| tended by many Inconvenience. To be-
| gin with, your rickshaw man knows no
| English and nothing about the stores,
and the names and numbers of streets
| are known only to the map makers.
| Where street has a name it is likely
| to belong only to the shady side and to
run around the block instead of contin-
uing from the next corner. II, how
ever, you succeed in finding a store
| your troubles have just begun. The
proprietor sits at the rear of the estab-
| lishment, cross legged, before q small
desk BY virtue of being in his own
store he has reached the summit of
earthly desire and cares nothing about
you. Perhaps If you wait some small
clerk of dozen years or less will come
to wait upon you and, seeing you are
| foreigner, will charge you extra for
the few words Of English he can mas
ter.
If you are bold enough to leave your
| rickshaw and wander about on foot you
will soon attract n curious crowd, the
clatter of whose wooden geta upon the
flags will well nigh deafen you. II is
good natured, well meaning crowd.
however, and will soon be scattered by
a policeman If there are any clerks
going your way they will address you
| in the hope of learning a few words OF
| English or inviting you to their stores.
| There is no hostility or insult, only Gu
riosity and good natured, childish
amusement.
Modesty Is an unknown quantity In
| Japan. as one soon learns. If your rick
shaw mans two garments become damp
he is likely to change them before you,
and fellow travellers in the cars are
| sure to change their clothes without
| Difference to place or surroundings.
| Men and women use the same tank at
the same time in the public baths with
out thought of improperly.
The streets of a Japanese city are full
of interesting sights and seem never
twice the same. Every store and every
passer by is novelty that chains the
attention for moment. In a land
| where nearly all wares are hand made
every article has some individuality,
| and one is led on with the hope Of find
| ing something better than the rest
Heavy loads are carried through the,
streets on the backs Of men and wom-
en-, on horses and on two wheeled carts.
The carts are drawn by bulls or shay
CIV northern stations and are guided by
the driver. who walks with the pole.
The bardens carried by women ana
children ore remarkable. All over Ja-
pan the heaviest work is done by wom-
on. the bricks and masonry for the new
museum and government buildings be-
ing so transported in the beat of mid
summer. Children carry their brothers
and sisters strapped to their backs and
haul great loads on heavy carts Inc
life Of the laboring classes seems very
arduous. and they are remarkably pa
tent and industrious. Throughout city
and country every one seems to be hard
at work
The death rate of Tokyo is very high.
The custom OF carrying very young
children strapped on the back WIN
their heads unprotected from the sun
IL, @ IF brain To-