Arizona republican., 1922-02-12
DESCRIBES LIFE
OF TOURIST IN
NIPPON LAND
BY HI Sl6LEY
For Packard Motor Car Company

W dSHdt " tUOhOI Val OOFlRaHS
The benighted tourist comes TO
Japan, fits from shrine to shrine,
wonders if there is hole in his sock
as he removes his shoes on entering
a Japanese inn, chucl1les over broiled
cells and rice while he fumbles with
his chop sticks, buys a florid k4mono
on our Main street for twice the price
he would have to pay back in the
Moto- o-machi, learns how to say
'Ikura deska ?'---how much is that?
and "Sayonara good night--with
the emphasis on the first syllable,
and returns TO America with a skinful
OF authoritative information on this
inscrutable land. And, as he rarely
rik sha, fliyver- taxi tram or train,
he will tell you that there is no mo-
tor touring in Japan. That is why
he is benighted.
There is good touring all over this
enchanted isle. A legion of foreign
residents, who are given to this sort
OF recreation more than the natives,
will roborate this. There are in
viting and tourable roads in every di-
rection from Tokyo, excepting direct
ly east, where boats are found more
practicable. One may run down to
Kobe, about $50 miles west or to the
very foot of old Full san, or to Nikko
with it's carved and lacquered tenn
pies and age-old traditions. One
might tour every day, indefinitely,
and find fair roads, to say nothing Of
new scenes and experiences, and a
refreshing novelty that one could not
find elsewhere on this motorized
globe. Even up in the far northern
island Of Hokkaido, where but a rev
years ago inhospitable bears were
wont to contest rights of citizenship
with pioneers, and snow lay ten feet
on the level four months of the year,
one hears the purr Of mighty motors
and some that do not purr so much as
cough and snort.
1t is true that when one sets forth
on a two or three day jaunt he may
encounter a bridge or two that are
bit wobbly, and now and then an
abrupt turn on the narrow top of
dixie, and practically all OF the 1915
1920 crop OF brown babies will be
toddling in front of his car, but If the
motorist is not willing to risk a mild
adventure occasionally, he is not
worthy Of the name.
AS for Japanese roads, one gets
the wrong impression in the states
since the majority OF photos pub
lished were selected for their artistic
merits and not as illustrations of good
highways. Generally they show mar
row. winding lanes, congested with
things animal vegetable and artificial
and therefore not alluring to a splr-
tied gentleman with powerful car.
But as a matter of fact we have hun
dreds Of miles of reasonably wide,
straight stretches, where the motor
! ist can relax and let the old car lay
hack her ears and flatten out over
the road. Kent w. Clark, manager
OF the Oriental hotel in Kobe, con-
/ fides that recently he made 40 miles
an hour--and please don't tell the
cops-coming up to Tokyo. AS MT.
clark drives a Packard twin six, and
! as we have seen the roads, we dldn
argue with him.
To one brought up in the Ameri-
can Middle West, reconclled TO tnose
drab if prosperous little towns ana
uninteresting terrain as necessary
evils. the brilliant green of the Japa-
nesa countryside, the picturesque
ness Of the villages and the people
are q. revelation and a delight. one
rarely encounters anything to affront
his ocular sense.
With the exception Of the big old
he-mountains, the towering cedars
and broad inland lakes. everything in
Japan is built on a diminutive scale.
| One might fancy he is travelling
through Lilliputia: tiny houses, neat
as a new cigar box on the inside, and
| with straw roofs looking for all the
world like Scandinavian haircuts;
knee high hedges, tiny horses, tiny
| trees and tiny inhabitants in colorful
| garb animating the scene.
| Part of the route between Tokyo
and Kobe lies over the ancient Tok-
kaido highway, once used by the
Daimyos in their pilgrin1ages TO
Yezo. as Tokyo was formerly called
| TO pay homage to their lord. Mon
/ ster trees guarded these brilliant pro-
cessions OF paIanquins, mounted sa-
mural in armor. and gorgeously at
tired retinue of hundreds of servants.
! Many of those trees are still stand
/ ing.
The greatest treat in touring japan
| Is to put up at a Japanese inn whlch
has not been touched by foreign in
fluences. AS rule they are inn
maculately neat and their hospitality
unrivalled anywhere. The guest
must. of course, remove his desecrat-
! ing shoes at the door, for the highly
/ polished noors--like the surface OF
| a fine dining table, and the firm,
sleek mats were meant only for stock
! ing feet. One eats, sleeps and re-
/ ceives in the same room, which per-
nits absolute privacy. Privacy to a
! certain extent, that is, for at most
unexpected moments the demure lit
tie moon-faced maid will slide open
a panel and enter unannounced. In