Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-18
Missionaries, Legationers and
Business Men in the Number
The American Mission
airy at Close Range and
on His Vacation.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
Copyright 1906. by Joseph B. Bowles.)
KARUIZAWA. Japan, August, l9o6-The
first day l landed in Japan l set out not
foot, to find a missionary. 1 wanted to
hear what ne had TO say for himself In an
swer to some of the criticisms that l had
heard aboard ship. But hours OF ]inrlklsha
riding in Yokohama and Tokyo failed to
uncover one-ana. incidentally, it made me
so well acquainted with the torrid. humid
weather of Japan's seacoast in midsummer
that / was quite willing to grant that the
missionary should take a vacation; Though
his month or more in the mountains is the
subject of comment on the part of the foho-
hama business man. who counts himself
lucky to get away for two weeks.
This quest afforded my first impact with
"heatheudcm'' Ca word never heard out
here) and the bigness and the apparent fu-
tility of the task which the representatives
of Chris !anity have accepted as their own
were driven hcnae to me by that tense tour
of Tokyo. For two hours l saw not sim
gle white face. The tough-legged cooiie IN
whose baby carriage l rode could not I'M
derstand a word of English; even his barn
door, hinge bows were quite unlike anything
| had ever known in the states. Still, he
could read the japanese cards L CARED,
and SO. with amazing tireiessness ana
speed. ever and anon hopping his persp1rlns
forehead with the towel which he carried
in his teeth he hustled ME from one part
Of Tokyo to another, through beautlful
broad avenues and narrow sWarmng
streets where the foreigner was sight to
be stared at. AT length Ii was plain that,
Just as in America, religion had taken a
vacation for the heated term
"Karuizawa" was the word l got from
native servants in tenantless missionary
homes; and Karuizawa, said the red guide
book, which is the tourists badge of green
ness. is a resort in the mountains of in
terror Japan much frequented by mission
aries and other foreigners. When l said
.'Karuizawa' to one of the polite officials at
the railway station--how polite and patient
and painstaking and helpful is the chinese
railroad official it would be impcssible TO
make plain to brusque American ticket
puncher with his step lively, please'-he
straightway took my affairs in hand; at
tended to my baggage, requlsitlened the
proper porters, and then himself went with
me and ordered my ticket and saw that
got the right change; all without eXpecta-
ton of fee, which he, like the Japanese
policeman, would consider an insult. The
ticket by the way, was second class.
found and later learned that it is thus
that all missionaries travel in Japan.
This is not a general travel article, else
there would be much to say concerning
that elGnt-nOUr Tue TO Tie IOuHtdiHS, eilO-
ing with twenty-six tunnels, each with an
apron at the end to. exclude the thrush OF
air that fills the cars with smoke. little
more than 5000 feet above sea level, at the
foot of the largest of Japan's still active
volcanoes, and amid scenery strikingly like
that of certain parts of America, we came
to the ancient village of karuiZaWa, now,
like its prototypes in New England, pros
pering off the summer visitor. The one
street still retains it's Japanese character;
but all about are the summer homes of
Americans and Europeans, who have repro
duced a summer resort akin to Ocean
Grove, Lake Geneva, Winona, Pacific
Grove or the numerous 'Chautauquas"
that flourish throughout America. Here
are summer schools and conferences and
entertainments and an auditorium quite as
on the other side of the world. The popu-
laton is mainly missionary, from all parts
of Japan, China and Korea and the Phil
ippines. Where are you from" is com
mon question When l reply s"Philadel-
with an air of pity for my density: Yes.
but where are you stationed?' There are
usually no visitors in this queerly cosmo-
politan place hailing directly from across
the Pacific.
X
In the light Of what I see here in Ka-
ruizawa, the many tales 1 have heard Of
the missionary's opulence are rapidly being
dissipated. The missionaries here are
unquestionably representative of those
throughout the orient; they are Of all ages.
are Of all UNCONVENTIONAL names. are en-
gagged in every branch of mission work
and come from every part of Japan. as
we'll as from three or four other countries.
All alike dress most tnexpensively, and
one does not have to look closely to see
the evidences of enforced economy IA
miliar in the case OF the country parson
hereabouts can boast little except fine
views and plenty of fresh air; they are not
on par with the cottages in the resorts
/ have named. The buildings are plain
wooden structures. generally implanted or
else an ugly red color, and each dwelling
seems to be crowded in the approved sum-
mer resort fashion; for expenses diminish
by division. There Is always room forNthe
hospitality which missionaries learn in the
east, II they never knew it at home; and
manifestly these are homes of real refine
ment. since four-ifths Of the missionaries
are college bred. The number of Phi Beta
Kappa keys worn. standing as they do
for highest rank in the best American
colleges. impresses one interested In such
| matters. Since coming here nave mad
no occasion to blush for my countrymen,
| which was not the case in Yokohama.
! There are more servants here than in
any similar resort over seas. Each house
| hold has from two to five native servants,
| depending generally on the number of chill
dren in the family. This is not quite so
luxurious as 1t sounds. for servants are
| plentiful and cheap here. Housekeeping
| in Japan does not entail the domestic
drudgery common in the west. and alto
gether life is smoother and more comfort
| able. Already 1t has been made plain that
i the commonly entertained notion concern
| ing the hardships of missionary; life In
Japan at least Is erroneous. This Is q civ
| ilized land. Most Of the conveniences and
| comforts of life In America are obtainabie
| here, plus many not known to the -occident.
1 So far as the material aspects of resi-
/ dence In Japan are concerneds I see no
reason for the fearful pity and sympathy
SO frequently extended TO the missionary,
| Life in the sunrise kingdom may be as en-
joyable as life anywhere else.
One less pleasant aspect Of the mission
ary's lot was brought to mind at the first
| Sunday service I attended, in the new
auditorium. which Is situated within fifty
/ yards of an old Shinto shrine. The seat
tinK capacity Ii about four hundred and