The Daily Alaska empire., 1936-01-07

Hotel, rebuilt since the earthquake, and finely olis, of the worlds great places, city with a population of five and half million people. Within stones throw in the heart of the city is the Imperial Palace, present home of the Emperor, walled empire in itself and entirely surrounded by deep and wide moat. None of the party was admitted to the palace, vice-President Garner and Speaker Byrns who had a personal audience for ten minutes.
 Driving about the city one was struck immed- lately by the large number of bicycles in use, and the great number of children about Baseball is the national game, and everywhere there the deep est interest in it. crowds standing around listening to the radio accounts of series between two of the great universities of the country
 We paid visit to Meiji shrine built the city to commemorate the grandfather of the pres ent Emperor, whose administration is considered the beginning of modern Japan, and whose memory is worshpped and revered by the citizens of the country. Vice President Garner and Speaker Byrns paid special visit to the shrine as a mark of the respect of country for Japan.
 In Tokyo the members of the party guests at a reception given by the Japan American So- ciety at the Peers Club with Prince Tokugawa act ing host. The ancestors of Prince Tokugaga among the early military rulers, or shoglns
 
 Japan, and many of the nobles can trace their lineage back not the three hundred or so years that we figure in America from the date of the May flowers arrival, but thousand to several thousand years.
 We did little shopping in one of the large department stores of the city, store that would do credit to any city in the United States. In fact there at least three stores in Tokyo that would not have to be ashamed of a comparison with Marshall Fields in Chicago.
 Boarding the night train out of Tokyo for Kyoto, we came down the Japanese coast to Kyoto, this beautiful typcay Japanese town, the ancient capi- tai of Japan It has population of a mil lion and bears evidence of gradual modernzation. When you consider that prior to 186S it was the capital of the Japanese empire continuously for over thousand years, one can appreciate that changes do not come overnight. The city is full of shrines palaces and temples, most important of which is to be the Imperial Palace itself, now used only at intervals by the Imperial family.
 We visited the palace, and through the medium of a friendly and interested guide the various spacious rooms and decorations explained to us The present Emperor's coronation was held here amid the beautiful simplicity of the great palace with its gardens, and its broad ceremonial grounds
 Kyoto is noted for its fine arts it's textile weav- ing, it's procelans and potteres. We visited the
 
 and embroideries There is a special kimono market with several floors of tiny shops selling special kmonos brocades and decorative fabrics.
 Our special attraction in Kyoto however was a trip to Mount Hiei, an eminence some fifteen miles from the heart of the city. trip by motor car, further journey by inclined railway, a walk of mile and half and then a thrilling trip across a deep canyon for another half mile in an aerial tram brought to the mountain. The special object of the visit aside from the gorgeous view overlook ing Lake Biwa, Japan's largest fresh-water lake, was the monastery of Sanzenin, of the Tendai sect of Buddhism Built in 788 A. D.. the temple con- tains an everlasting light that has been burning over HOO years one of three such lights in Japan that considered sacred. For over 700 years the office of high priest of this temple has been held by one of imperial blood. In ancient civil war the Emperor was carried from Kyoto to the top of Mount Hiei for safekeeping, and for centuries as reward, the property was exempt from taxa tion a result.
 Back on another inclined railway to the shores of Lake Biwa, automobile took us quickly to the hotel for dinner and then to Kobe an hours ride to re-embark on the President Grant for Shanghai Hong Kong and Manila
 In a succeeding letter, I shall try to point out a few of the reasons why the nations of the world are fearful of Japanese industrial competition as result of observations