The Coolidge examiner., 1933-12-15

horses feet like the boom of the
drum"
If Chomei were to write that pOr-
tion of his Tokaido diary today, he
would have to find some additional
instrumental SMILES for the exhaust
of motors and the blatant sounding
Of klaxons.
Hakone Barrier Long Gone.
The old Hakone barrier gateway
has been gone these 60-odd years.
No more do armed sentries there
challenge one and demand to see
passports and credentials, as in the
days when glittering trains Of daimi-
os (feudal lords) marched in cease
less parade back and forth on this
route between the courts of the sho-
gun (generalissimo) and emperor.
Motor trekkers now stop only II they
are interested in examining the age
old site. 1t is sheer pleasure, how
ever, to loiter along the way and en-
joy the surprising views across the
cerulean Hakone lake, which on
calm days mirrors that stately
mountain named by the aboriginals
Anus Full, the Goddess of Fire.
Not only along the Tokaido, but
elsewhere as well, men with picks,
shovels and dump carts are begin
ming to carve wider and better trails
Of Joy and utility through the en-
pire.
A wide asphalt and concrete road,
which connects the titan industrial
city, Osaka, with the port of Kobe,
is in the final stages of construc-
ton. And, mind you, speed cops"
are stationed along the way to
check up on motorists trying more
than the permitted 25 miles an
hour!
Thus far, however, motor traffic
development of the roads and the
education Of the people to the in
novation that is elbowing its way
into the congested thoroughfares.
Persons who have become accus-
toned to wide macadam highways
or spacious bOulevards and are in
clined to tread rather heavily on
accelerators may find travel in Japan
somewhat irksome at first Anxiety
and impatience must be left at
home; otherwise the nervous strain
will destroy all of the pleasures Of
motor yagabOnding. Careful and
patient driving is. Of necessity, the
motorists watchwOrd on the Jap
anese highways.
Not only are the roads generally
narrow and full of turns, but up
and down them passes a multifari-
Gus traffic. There is a constant sue
cession of heavily laden bullock
carts, bicyclists beyond count, peo-
pie plodding under ponderous bur
dens. high-piled carts with dogs
straining at leash to assist their
perspiring masters to pull them,
peddlers hawking their wares, trun-
ding horse-drawn wagons. and
children-babies playing in the open
streets, youngsters going to and fro
from school, hundreds of students
on picnic or pilgrimage-children
everywhere. And there seems to be
little inclination on the part of any
of them to share the road.
Bicycle the Chief Trouble.
Probably nowhere else in the
world is there such extensive "jay-
walking" or such a horde Of ire
sponsible bicyclists.
Squeeze the bulb of your horn
repeatedly, then sound your electric
klaxon (every motor car is equipped
with both), and still there is little
movement in the traffic.
Why there is such slOwness to re-
spond to the repeated signals is
hard to understand, since courtesy
is one Of the outstanding traits Of
the people. Many persons have tried
to analyze the problem in the hope
| of finding remedy.
How many miles we get out of
our horn, and not how many miles
we get out of our tires, is the ques-
ton we have in Japan" motorist
resident may jokingly remark when
you are discussing the subject of
congestion on the roads and streets.
Give a man or boy a bicycle in
Japan, where there are five and
three-quarter million bicycles to be
reckoned with, and he will dart
about with utter abandon entirely
disregarding traffic of all kinds.
Consequently, bicycles constitute
easily the most serious of motor
lists worries. If only the traffic po-
lice in the cities would devote to BIZ
| cyclists a little of the assiduous at
tention they seem to think neces-
sary in controlling motor car traffic.
the situation would improve. Per
haps clearer roads are in prospect