The New York herald., 1921-10-23

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able swimmers. Japanese child learns
TO swim almost as early as he learns to walk
and a bath is even more essential than
breakfast Even the coolies repair to the
public and private baths, which are main
tained in the cities. or 90 down to the
nearest stream to wash up at the end of
their days work.
THERE are probably no cleaner people
in the world in their personal habits
than the Japanese. With them,
Not only are their bodies clean, but the
clothes they wear are clean thereby dis
putting the declaration of a Western cas-
uist that "the Japanese wash their bodies
the Coreans wash their clothes and the
Chinese don't"
1t is a common sight in the cities to
see madam coming from her bath in the
evening with her hair streaming down her
back and smoking a cigarette or one of
the brass bowl pipes, or husky coolie
enveloped in a kimono or short, wide
sleeved coat that just covers the breech
clout, or swimming trunks that he wears
while at work as well as at play. In the
winter time the Japanese go in strong for
skating and skiing in the mountains
TIME New Yorker who complains about
the telephone service of his town
would really have something to kick
about if he lived I'm Japan. A telephone call
three blocks away is sometimes obtained
within twenty minutes from the time that
the Nine. Butterfly at the switchboard says
''Moshi-Moshi" which is Hello in Japa-
nese, until you get your connection. The
Government controls the telephone service,
as well as every means of communication.
1t limits the number of phones or, at least,
cannot supply the demand. When you
want a telephone put in In Toxic you have
to buy it from some man that has It, or
who is on the preferred list. 1t costs about
$1,000 to secure a phone, with a rental Of
about $50 a month. There are about 400-
600 phones in the country, with demands
for 100000 In large cities the Government
has installed automatic street phones
where call costs about cents-when you
get II.
IT HE transportation facilities of Japan
are very good You have a choice
between steam railway. bullo k
carts, electric trains. taxicabs, bicycle
horse cab and jnrikishas in the cities. In
the country districts passenger service is
restricted to the latter There are probably
on al. IL. rrt..
price for being hauled about by a sturdy
rikisha man s not much below that
charged by New York taxis, because the
high cost of living has affected Japan as
we'll as the rest of the world In pre-war
days a rikisha man would tool you about
for an hour for quarter, going at
steady dog trot under the glaring sun four
or five miles without a pause.
The rikisha men constitute picturesque
and interesting phase of Japanese life
Then are as hard as nails. congenial. and
very helpful to a stranger. because the
majority Of those in the cities speak
enough English to understand you. They
strip for action by wearing a minimum Of
clothing in hot weather. Their footgear
is thick felt combination of shoes and
stockings bisected between the big toe and
the rest Of the foot so as to give them
semblance OF "cloven foot"
Some of them wear trousers and coat
and some Of them do not wear trousers.
but merely swimming trunks. When they
think about It they protect their heads
from the sun by the native mushroom
shaped sun helmets; when they don't they
tie linen bandeau around their heads.