The Coolidge examiner., 1932-11-11

Tokyo Lane.
pictures rather, a single picture, a
single spray of flowers, a lovely, low,
red lacquer table, and peace; where
the beauty of the room lies in the
satin texture of the wood used, in
proportion, and simplicity and the
almost exquisite cleanliness.
They Cling to Their Clogs.
There is no doubt that Japanese
clothes are more comfortable than
ours, except that the foreigner
would always be worried by the
shoes. And yet it is these wooden
clogs to which the people seem to
cling to most tenaciously. Shoe
shops are everywhere and are among
the most interesting for foreigner,
since here are foOtgear for men and
women, for girls and maidens and
staid married women. Shoes change
with the age of the wearer as much
as with the purpose for which they
are worn. Always of wood or
straw, their trimming changes in
color and material and shape, so
that in shoe shop you can study
the fashions as they have been or
dained by custom.
The most famous shopping street
of Tokyo, the Gina, was utterly de-
stroyed by the fire and earthquake.
1t Is today by no means beau
tiful street, it's buildings of un-
even height and of every kind of
architecture.
Here are the great department
stores, comparable with similar
stores in the United States, often
similarly arranged, displaying their
goods attractively. They are rather
more expensive than other shops,
but carry only good quality and
have fixed prices. For this reason
they are popular with the Japanese
and seem always to be crowded.
Bicycles Are Numerous.
The Gina is banal except for the
people; and, after all, it is always
the people who make street. There
are very few streets in this world
worth remembering empty. The
Gina is always crowded. There are
trolley cars and buses and taxis, a
few private motors, a rare jinrick-
sha generally containing tOurist),
and countless bicycles. 1t seems as
if most of the bicycles of the world
were in Tokyo and that most of
those in Tokyo must be in the Gina
that is, until you go into another
street.
And there seem to be more trick
bicycle riders in Tokyo than in
all the circuses of Europe and Amer
lea, only in Tokyo they perform on
the street and do not know they are
performing. Not only can a man
on a bicycle wind his way uncon-
cerned through crowds hurrying in
all directions, but he can do it car
rying aloft a three-tiered tray filed
with bowls of soup.
One goes to the Gina again and
again, partly because 1t is the place
one naturally goes to buy anything,
from fruit to a Mikimoto pearl or
an umbrella; but principally because
it is a wonderful place to get a
cross-section Of the life of the city.
The imperial palace, with it's vast
walled grounds, is the heart of To
kyo. This was originally the palace
of the shoguns, who as war lords,
felt they should be we'll protected.
They built, therefore, a tremendous
moat around the palace grounds, a
length of perhaps two miles. Out
side of this, several hundred yards
from the inner moat, was another,
the outer moat. and between the two
no building was permitted.
In front of the double bridges
leading to the palace is broad ex-
panse of tree-dotted land, a relic of
the open space decreed by the sho-
guns. 1t Is not cut by boulevards,
but still separates the palace
grounds from the Marunouchi, the
important business section of To-
kyo. Here are the railroad station,
the great office buildings, the Impe
rial theater, the banks, all sOlidly
built, all Western in architecture,
but all with that subtle and indie
Enable touch which makes them
japanese.
The Marunouchi, the Nihonbashi,
and adjoining districts of the city
might be part of Chicago or New
York, except that, on account of
earthquake conditions. no skyscrap- |
ers are permitted. One or two
of the great banks are as fine
as bank buildings anywhere, and in |
the vaults of the Mitsui bank it
seems that much of the wealth of |
the world might be stored. and safe
ly stored
The new American embassy is a |
handsome building, on a Hill about |
a mile from the palace. but very
near the Gaimusho, or foreign office. |