Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-10-24
Edward A. Filene, in Boston Tran
script.

Edward A. Filene, in Boston Tran
script.
The little street on which I live
ends 200 feet away in one of the broad
boulevards Of which modern Toxic
has many. The scene is typical, al
most symbolical; to the right of the
broad avenue, which leads up to the
emporors palace, lies the moat with
its high wan. whose age is testified to
by the fine old trees which top the
wall, leaning outward, with true Jap.
anese grace, as they cast their shad.
ows into the water below, side by
side with the shadows of the electric
cars that are continually passing.
3 This double line of meats and wal
winds spirally around the emperor's
castle for great distance and makes
a beautiful background, with it's story
of ancient power, for the achieve
ments of modern Japan. Up there on
the wooded heights which it sur
rounds lives the beloved emperor
working with his loyal counsellors the
miracles" of modern Japan.
On the other side of the boulevard
nearly opposite to the moat with its
story of the past, stand high modern
stone buildings, and directly opposite
two huge piles of brick and stone are
going up. To the left is Hibiya Park
with its beautiful flowers and play
Ground, but no foreigner seeing the
great trees growing there could
guess that in 1890 this was treeless
waste piece of land. and the park it.
self opened only in 1893. Even as one
gets in this little square this curious
ly mixed impression of feudalism and
most intense modern activity, so this
impression is constantly renewed as
one grove more and more familiar
with Japanese activity.
So much fulsome praise has been
showered upon everything Japanese
by men and women who under the
charm Of Japanese scenery, manners
and life have seen everything here
through the rose-coiored spectables Of
their first impression, that there is
great difficulty in finding right words
to correctly paint the picture of the
real acnfevsmehts. Perhaps study
Of what a city IKE ioSTo has actually
done and is doing will show us the
real japan.
A Mdern City.
1t should be borne in mind that the
whole modern movement in Japan
only dates, from 1853; that the feud
al system was not abolished until
1871, the first constitution not promuI-
gated It'll 1889 and that there was not
a public school in Japan thirty-five
years ago. 1t is also we'll to bear in
mind that the city at whose munich
pal activities we are about to take a
peep dates. in it's present aspect, no
further back than 1870. The work of
reconstructing the city physically has.
however, been simplified by the num-
erous large fires. The possibility of
fires can be better understood if we
remember that in 1905 there were
more than 244,256 wooden buildings
and only 10000 earthen buildings,
$500 brick buildings, and 1911 stone
buildings in the city. About one-third
of the houses are connected with the
city water works. but there is no mu-
nicipal sewerage system as yet.
Tokio's thirty square miles is taken
up in part by privately owned land to
the extent of about 10000 acres, hav-
ing a total valuation of $5,400, 900,
an average value of about $500 an
acre and owned by 2S,36S owners out
of total population abut 100000.
1t may be interesting to note that Of
this population there were 329 Ameri-
cans, 236 British, 2,759 Chinese. 1913
Koreans and 81 Germans of total
foreign population of 1929; that
there were 10,320 marriages and l.
6S2 divorces the same year, and that
there were 40,S26 births, of which
1879 were illigitimate.
Tokio's immense area is also taken
up partially by public gardens, dis
tJjsuted through the city. which cover
al, 1T 100 acres; by shrines and
teh bles covering about 40 acres, and
BY squares. ponds. forests. roads and
SO forth covering 325 acres.
In addition to the privately owned
lands the government WINS about
$500 acres and the city OF Toxic
about 1000 acres of lands within the
city. The rental of the privately
owned land averages throughout the
city from four cents to twelve cents
per square foot in fifth-class street
The average number of inhabitants
per house does not run over six and
probably nearer five.
II the soul of a city is its schools
then Toxic is very soulful
city, for 1t is indeed well supplied
with schools. Not to speak of the Jap
perial university and the Imperial
School Of Art, it has besides the mu-
nicipal elementary schools, municipal
kindergartens, municipal continuation
schools. high schools, normal schools,
apprentices schools, a postal tele-