Evening star., 1929-07-02
KYOTO. Japan,

June !, 1929.
Steadily we are moving westward.
We have within the past week mean
dered somewhat, and at present are a
little to the east of where We were last
officially supposed to be, the city OF
Osaka. But the general course is
toward the setting sun and Korea.
say that we have been otncially
supposed to be In Osaka, but, in fact,
we elected to spend our nights in Nara
while we we're assigned" to Osaka en-
the schedule, for the very good reason.
that the hotel at Nara Is preferable to
that at Osaka, being much quieter.
There being an excellent, speedy electric
tram service between Nara and Osaka,
It was to our advantage to sleep In
peace while we explored the largest city
In Japan, which Is already well above
the two million mark and is rapidly
growing.
It is really no disparagement to
Osaka to say that most OF our party
would have preferred to stay In Nara
for all the three days allotted to the
two. Osaka Is a whirling metropolis,
great business center, with the speediest
and most hair raising traffic thus far
observed In the Orient. 1t does busl-
ness In immense figures. Its exports
are tremendous in volume and value.
It makes more things than I could
enumerate in a column. 1t has some
very fine modern office and business
buildings. It has broad streets and an
impressive canal system that causes it
to be sometimes known, when other
comparative titles have been exhausted,
as the Venice Of Japan"
But to the traveller seeking the
japan of the imagination Osaka is not
the attraction that Nara is. and gives
its visitors only the thrills that are i'm
parted by the miraculous escapes from
destruction experienced by every patron
of its taxicabs. I have very made
uuately told something Of Nara and its
deer and old temples and shrtnes ana
its lovely mountain drives. have but
to add. regarding it, that within the
this morning I found lure that Is not
mentioned in the guide books, curl
osity shop" the establishment OF
''Daikando." a firm dealing. according
to Its business card, in Fine art OF
Nara, Sudha, Sronze, Wood carving,
Lacquer, Torcelain. ETC., etc."
The beauty of the wares IN this snop
is not to be judged by the quality OF the
English spelling Just quoted. The head
Of the shop offers for sale mainly jmi-
tations and copies Of ancient objects Of
art. He follows the originals far better
than he follows copy in transliterating
his formal declaration.
No Wares in Windows.
Like many another shop in this
region, the front is wholly unrevealing.
There are no wares IN the windows.
There are, indeed, no windows, just
doorway. The real treasures are within,
are, In fact, in a building back In the
yard, or rather In the garden, itself a
gem of landscape artistry. One puts on
shoe covers before entering, unless one
I@ IN StANRine
feet. And there the time slips away,
minutes grow into centuries as the mind
is carried by the statues and swords
and masks and scores Of other replicas
In all materials back into the far dis
tant past Of Japan.
That Is the Nara, in miniature, that
transcends in interest all the business
activity of the new Japan that is so
bewilderingly evident in Osaka. But it
Is not fair to suggest that Osaka fails
to appreciate the art and the history of
these creations and collections. It is
an old town itself, and has q past of
which It Is proud. But 1t Is prouder
of its busting present and Of Its
glamorous future.
original arrangement because OF Ger
tain plans Of far more important
visitor than the delegation Of American
newspaper men. His Imperial HighnesS,
the Emperor Of Japan. He was crowned
last Autumn, formally and with q most
elaborate ceremony. Now he is making
his first tour as Emperor Of the southern
part Of Japan and Is to visit Osaka
next Tuesday. The first schedule
would have taken us there at the same
time. and we should have been about
as welcome as an extra guest In a
household already overhowing with
sIeepers. was told this afternoon by
a traction oficial that it Is expected
that Osaka will be visited by at least