Arizona republican., 1904-01-29
THE A. B. cs OF raE FAR EAST.
Japan, the chrysanthemum Land, Which May Be Drawn Into War
 W9h Russia.

rived?
 From the Chinese I-ih-pen. meaning sun source" which was given to the country because it lay toward the sum- rise from China. Japan is often called | the Sunrise Kingdom" It's native name is Nihon, a corruption of the Chinese word.
 What is Japan and where is it?
 Japan prouer consists of four large islands, three of them lying end to end off the coast of Korea and Siberia north of China. Because of it's rela- tions to Asia it has been called the England of the Orient.
 How large is the Japanese empire?
 It comprises altogether only 61OOO square miles and is little larger than California. although its population is almost half as large as that of the United States.
 How far is Japan from America?
 Between 400O and 5000 miles; about fourteen days by steamer.
 How far north does it lie as com pared to the United States?
 It lies between the same parallels of latitude as the Mississippi valley states and its climate varies from that of Minnesota to that of Louisiana all though the extremes of heat and cold are not so great. The southernmos- Japanese possessions are tropical while the main island shows the common aspects of the temperate zone.
 Is the country mountainous or level?
 Mountainous. The level ground is only about twelve per cent of the area. A range of high mountains runs through the main island.
 Who are the Japanese?
 They are mixed race of Mongoloid type, closely related to the Koreans and Chinese.
 What are their physical character lstics?
 They are short of stature the men averaging about five feet in height The average weight of large number of young men of Tokio was found to be only 121 pounds.
 What are the Japanese traits?
 The people are intelligent and quick to learn. They are exceedingly cour- teous and are great lovers of nature. They combine stoical qualities with a keen ability to enjoy life. Their seren- ity. generosity and unselfishness are strongly marked. Money seeking is not a prominent characteristic.
 Are the Japanese justly regarded as an artistic people?
 Yes. Aesthetic ideals are widely diff fused. The Japanese mechanic is an artisan. Painting has been highly de- veloped. It is more conventional than western art, but has many admirable features even from the western view point. Sculpture and carving have been carried to a high pitch of excellence. The Japanese. too. have made an espe- cial study of landscape gardening and the arrangement of flowers.
 Are the Japanese fond of flowers?
 There are many floral festivals ia the year. October g, for instance, is chrysanthemum day. Other holidays are devoted to cherry and plum blos- soms, to the wistaria, the lotus and the morning glory On these days the country is a vast flower garden.
 What is the government?
 constitutional monarchy. Up to 1889 it was an autocracy. In that year a constitution was promulgated. The mikado can declare war. make peace and negotiate treaties. He makes laws with the consent of the diet, consisting of a house of peers and house of rep resentatives. The suffrage is limited to taxpayers. There is a complete sys- tenn of local self-government. What is the national religion?
 There is no state religion, but most of the people are Buddhists or follow CTS of Shinto. This latter is rather life than a religion. Its chief injunc- tions are: Follow your natural inn pulses and obey the laws" It teaches prayers to deified ancestors and to personified powers of nature. There are about 150O0O nominal Christians in the empire
 What is the condition of education? It Is compulsory. About four and one- half million pupils are in the com- mon schools. 44,0O0 thousand in tech nical schools and $500 in the universi- ties.
 What is Japan's chief industry?
 Farming done on a small scale. 4 farm of twelve acres is considered large. The average size is two acres. What are the chief products? Rice, barley, wheat, maize. beans, potatoes and onions. Plum trees, peach trees and cherry trees are cultivated. but for ther flowers rather than for their fruit. Tea, tobacco and silk their fruit. Teak tobacco and silk worms are important products. Is the country wealthy? No it is very poor. Wages average 1 from sixteen cents day for coolies | and weavers, to thirty-six cents for stone e-masons. Out of every thousand ! Iinhabitan it is estimated that only seven make $1400 year. Only thir- teen men in the country are supposed to have an annual income above $2O, ,O0O.
 What do the Japanese regard as their | mission?
 | For one thing, the awakening or China. They believe they can be the ! leaders in Oriental civilization and that China will respond to their leadership, although it will not comprehend a purely western form of culture. An other aim, expressed by the president of the Bank of Japan is to make the island empire "the grand park of the nations" Japan is to be a nation Of artists, making itself infinitely beau | tifuI and indefinitely charming" --O--