The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-09

glish
The followig letter was written from
Tokyo:
My Dear Mrs. H
We continue in Tokyo because we
are SO comfortable and happy here
and it is such a splendid place in
| which to see portions of old Japan and
also the steady advance of western
| ways. We have met so many ele-
ments but are beginning to get the
threads untangled and see there are
classes and factions here even more
than in most places. Japan's progress
as a nation is something to be Won
dered at, and at the same time their
cloak of reserve is so thick you feel
Immediately they will assimilate from
other countries and accept only that
which will be of service to them There
is system about the whole Empire
that reminds one of a perfectly order
ed household and an exquisite courtesy
is observed from the highest to the
+; lowest.
We are told that there are pick
| pockets in Japan, but 1 can hardly
| believe it, it seems as if a japanese
would say, Il beg your most august
! pardon, but will you condescend to al
! low me to relieve you of your honora-
BILE purse.
We are kept busy with our engage
ments, little excursions and dinner par
ties and all kinds of delightful ex-
! periences.
/ We have also been entertained in
; the house of a Japanese gentleman
who has studied and travelled in Amer
ica He sent his own rikishas for us
and it was like going to Fairy-land to
be taken swiftly and noiselessly
, through the gay streets to an unknown
place His home showed the results of
his foreign travel and while the house
was thoroughly Japanese in structure,
containing the fascinating paper slid
ing walls and having a sun gallery
opening into the regulation miniature
garden with dwarfed trees and stone
lanterns, the furniture was mostly
European, and sometimes the two do
not harmonize.
We have attended an orchestra con-
cert, the leader is Pole but every
member of the orchestra is japanese.
Being familiar with the Koto and |
Samisen, two Japanese musical in |
struments-it was an interesting eX- |
perience to listen to an orchestral con- |
cert. These are truly a wonderful peo |
pie and their schools are an index to |
their ambition; they are we'll organized |
and the equipment for physical culture
can not be equaled by any school in
the States; and not only one Or two
schools are thus provided for, but |
every school in the city has gnif-
icent large gymnasium and regular daily Il
instructions, large tennis grounds, Il
turning poles and all sorts of play II
incentives such as swings, swinging Il
poles, rings, etc. AS a nation they II
realize they are understood and every II
thing is being done to build up the
physique and give strong bodies to the
With that end in view, seats
and desks are used instead of mats on
the floor and the next generation will
see few babies carried on the back
such short bowed legs; but
with it all as l have said before, the
Japanese will not accept what they
have not first we'll considered, and /
what they do take from the foreigners
they first make over until it has a
purely Japanese flavor, and in that
way they preserve their race individu-
atty.
We have so much to learn from
Japan, their courtesy, gentleness of I
and sweet spirit make me a
little ashamed of the rudeness of our !
people to foreigners, and best of all {
they are as kind and polite to each |
other and inferior classes as to those
who sit in the seats of the mighty,
and again and again 1 am reminded
hat these who are called heather
nation possess in a rare degree the
cal spirit of the Man of Nazareth :
July IL. Yesterday we had callers
md then more callers, and in the even
ng we went out. This morning we
we're to have visited Kameida Temple
n company with Mr.. k and the :
lear little japanese girl whose home
We were entertained in a short time !:
igo. Miss s.. but it is a rainy day
10 after many complications L. I.
managed to find some one who under :
stands some English and sin sent a
telephone message, it is very funny !:
o telephone when all the centrals 6
ire people of another tongue.
We have visited a kindergarten that =
strikes me as pretty nearly perfect.
The Kindergarten is a man and pos
esses the real spark of genius. He is
working all alone, having cut loose ,
rom the cramping influence of formal q
ties and authorities. His spirit is adj =
nirable and his work among the moth c
rs bound to have an influence on the .
lew Japan. He has ideas and from q
What l could learn by means of a poor =,
is doing some advanced =,
,hild-study work. He is hoping to go y
o America to study, but 1 feel certain y
What he needs is not special kindergar- y
en- training. but a thorough course :,
n psychology. / wished so much =