The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-05-22
BY n. o. Matheson
tiser with Hawaii-Japan Tourists

city IN size IN japan aud the most inn
portant commercially is Osaka, where
a million and quarter people throng
together for the manufacturing carried
on. The POLITICALLY inclined style this
city "The Venice Of japan, = as the
city is cut in all directions by canals
and rivers and there are eight hundred
bridges in all within the municipal lin.
its. The less poetieal boast Of Osaka
as "the Manchester Of Japan" and
certainly there is much justification
for the boast From the ramparts Of
the inner citadel Of the famous old
Osaka castle may be seen hundreds Of
great stacks marking manufactures,
the belching coal smoke at times hid.
ing some sections Of the city under
heavy black pail. Osaka IA much the
busiest and most wideawake Japanese
city yet visited by the Hawaiian party
and one Of the most interesting.
visit Military Reservation.
It is, for one thing, the garrison city
of the Fourth Division and there are
at least three cavalry regiments galy
uniformed in the city. The uniforms
of red, black and yellow are very no.
ticeable on the streets, while one regi.
ment is Of Hussars, gay chaps in every
way. The visitors from the Crossroads
were given permission TO enter the
military reservation here and 70 eived
salutes from a score Of sentries at
various gates passed and from a mum
Der Of officers Of the guards at the
main approaches to fe2imental heal.
quarters. The headquarters and council
rooms OF the Fourth Division are in
the Osaka castle grounds, within the
meats and huge castellated walls and
gates reared some three hundred years
ago by Hideyoshi, the Japanese Ma,
poleon, who from Osaka carried out
a successful invasion Of Korea and
sought to possess himself of all OF
China. Special permission was given
the Hawaiian party to visit this cistle
and the permission necessarily incIu.
ded the privilege Of passing the triple
lines Of sentries into the lines Of tho
Fourth Division.
Fortihcations Are Marvellous.
The remains of the castle and its
perfect Notifications and great gates
are marvellous. Here, miles from the
sea, great stones had been brought for
the walls, hauled by sheer strength Of
hand for leagues up hill. Some Of the
pieces are eight to ten feet thick and
with dressed faces twenty by fifteen
feet, greater than the stones in the
Pyramids Of Egypt
The castle and the temple founded
sixteen hundred years ago by Emperor
Richu Tenno, were the two places OF
Old Japan VISITED in Osaka by ths
tourists and in each an entire day
could proftably be spent. At the tenn
pie is the largest len in japan, with
l55 tons Of metal in It's carved and Or
bulk. Here also is a many
century old, fye-storied paRoda, which
many of the Hawaiian party climbed
to admire at close hand the gay drag
ons curling over the highest roof
leans. From this eminence could be
seen the great city, stretching out on
every hand, temples. stores, great
bridges, towers, thickly boated rivers
and canals, factories, mills and smelt.
ers, with every street swarming with
people.
A cordial welcome was given the
visitors by many prominent, Osaka PEG.
pie and the mayor delegated one OF his
near assistants to act as the partv's
guide, Special police were also de.
tailed as escorts. Refreshments were
served for the visitors at the Office Of
the Asahi Shimbun, Japan's greatest
newspaper, which has circulation Of
over 100000 copies a day and which
EMPLOYS eighty writers on its editorial
staff in Osaka and has a corps OF
seventy correspondents in Toxic. The
visitors were shown through the plant,
as busy place as any great newsfa.
per Office of America. 'rI IA, -.E'fs Z,
Great Wooden Mil Inspected. a
A great wooden mill was inspected,
a model plant, which employs $500
hands and which cares for its girl
operatives along the lines of the Ed.
son works and the National Cash Reg.
lister Company. Following this the
party finished the afternoon at ths
Osaka Park--a Japanese edition Of
Coney Island, with a frst.class zoo.
For dinner the party were guests of
Il. Hamano, a leading merchant Of
Osaka, who has large store also in
Honolulu. The dinner was served in
Japanese style at a splendid tea .hOusa,
after which, in a nearby theater was
witnessed the Cherry Blossom dance,
by a company of seventy geisha girls.
This dance is the best the party has
yet witnessed.
Like Toxic, Osaka is brilliantly
Illuminated city, the number of great
electric signs being very, very many.
A rikisba ride in any part of the bust
ness section will take one along mil 5
of the gayest scenes, with millions of
lights flashing on every hand.
Electricity is the cheapest thing in
all Japan and everywhere il has sup
planted kerosene and candles except
in temple shrines and paper lanterns
on the rikishas. Every hut in the
cities, towns and villages is lighted by
electricity, practically every farm.
house is wired for the juice and the
majority of the stables. Street lights
in the towns are as thick. almost, as
hibiscus blooms in Honolulu. This is
due to cheap water power everywhere
and to the good work OF the govern.
ment in financing the erection OF
power houses and distributing plants.
The main reason Is TO make electricity
40 aI l...L = III. -.