Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-07-16


GPEspsred by the National Geographic So
ctety, Washington. d. c.
Japan's sunny southern islands with
Sheir mild climate furnish the common
exception of the empire of the Ris-
ting sun. One hears little ordinarily of
the Japanese northIand. This neglect
ed portion of the empire, however,
has been dramatically uncovered for
Che world by the American round-the-
world flyers, the first international
travellers of note to approach Japan
Through her northern back door,"
Japan's northland includes Hokaido
or Yez0, the northernmost of the main
astand group, a unit almost as big as
Cuba; Saghalien, near the Siberian
coast, bone of contention between ia
gan and Russia; and the Kuriles, the
cham of little volcanic islands reach
ting far to the north, over which the
American flyers skinned after they
left the American Aleutians.
Before western influence reached ia
pan the Japanese kept pretty closely
TO their balmy southern lands, and had
only a tenuous mold on Yezo They
Barely knew Of the existence Of the
more northern islands. The rulers of
Japan hardly seemed to consider even
Yezo a real part Of their domains until
Russians began to trespass toward the
close of the Eighteenth century.
When this situation arose officials were
sent by the shotgun to govern the is
lands For a long time Yezo was left
almost entirely to the Anus, the eau
-caSian-like natives, as far as perma-
lnent habitations were concerned.
q During this period the Japanese
Ereated this island as a sort of ma
eiOnal, commonly owned fishing pre-
gerve. Fleets Of fishing boats swarmed
along its coasts In the summer, the
fishermen making temporary camps
but the winter found all Of them back
south In "Old Japan" This matter
OF climate furnishes one chief key to
the Japanese neglect Of the northern
ISLANDS. The race developed under the
gnild climatic conditions Of the South.
All their customs and habits were
built In such climate. They became
accustomed to light clothing, mere
shells Of houses built Of bamboo and
paper, and to the cultivation of that
warm land staple, rice. They lacked
the pioneering spirit, and the rigors Of
q harsh climate were repugnant to
them.
Developed by Americans.
While congestion became more and
mOre marked in the southern islands,
sluge Yezo remained practically I'M
used until half a century ago when
the Japanese government began a pa
Gernalistic development. Though this
was abandoned In favor of private
Initiative few years later the marks
left by the American engineers and ag-
Efeultural experts engaged at the time,
stand out plainly in the island. Rail-
xOads were built, buildings got under
way, and model farms established.
The most striking mark of the Amer
acans was on the architecture.
Southern Japanese traditions of
9iimy construction were abandoned,
and houses built Of heavy frame con-
t&NA N~tApa4 SUI VI ANCW GASiduu StylO
Svtth Japanese adaptations. The coun-
try was heavily wooded, and as in all
pioneer communities log houses also
were constructed. Yezo became New
Japan and the climate is said to have
reacted on the immigrants to produce
"'new Japanese" more energetic and
Tesourceful than their southern broth
@rs. true frontiersmen.
Three Large Cities.
After the settlement of Yezo was
stimulated, logging and lumber PRO-
duction became one of the leading in
Siustries. Agriculture Jagged, largely
Because 1t was believed that nowhere
on the island could rice be grown. II
was found later that certain varieties
OF rice would yield grain in parts OF
Tezo, though less abundantly than IN
the South. The demonstration of this
fact made settlers somewhat less re
fuctant, but even now the population
IS only about 100000, very low com
pared with old Japan.
uatelata and Otarn, principa