The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-01-05
Tacoma Boys JdHZnto Yokohama S
Harbor; One of Uorlds Crossroads

whirled on the evening express
and this time we covered our "A
KIN. in % minutes. the while jam
meo in with crowds OF home bound
business people. students. and fac
tory girls: a paradox with their
oriental and western garb con-
trastlng strangely. some buried IN
books Of the native tongue. dating
perhaps 10 the Japan OF the 18th
or nth centuries, others calmly
surveying English papers and not
European face in the lot,
Again by taxi we darted through
the evening crowds. with little re-
gard for life and limb, Our cab
boy paid, found myself still in
possession of 30 yen 100 sen equal
one ycn) or about nine cents
American, Our dollars had done
well In Japan.
Ship Darkcned
Our Empress steamed from Yo-
kohams harbor that evening minus
all exterior lights. and II was a
darkened city that doomed back
there in the dusk. Air raid drills!
We were complying with air de-
Tense regulations of the Imperial
Japanese government In dousing
our lights, the ships bulletin board
informed US,
] thought of those kindly middle .
class Japanese we had nodded 10 /
in the restaurant that day, of the /
countless thousands OF bright faces |
all so friendly. that we had passed /
on the streets of Yokohama and /
Tokyo. Five million Of them back I
there in one of the worlds greatest I
cities. Drilling for air raids, wan
dering about taxes. education. food. .
clothing-and maybe that war" .
In China
Kobe Il Next
Skirting the magnificent Jap F.
anese coastline, with its innumer-
able fishing villages shrines, and /
crystal-white lighthouses. we came |
to Kobe, second port and great .
shipbuilding center of Japan We |
dockcd two hours late, held up in
the outer basin by the departure of .
two troop transports for China.
damned to the rails with khaki [
clad Japanese troops, they were a
SOLDERING sight-and on the pier /
side an immense crowd. composed
largely of Japanese uniformed |
school children, families and friends
cheered madly. flags fluttering In
their hands.
Kobe. perhaps, far more than
Tokyo typifies the older Japan.
The incredible Motomachi, or
shopping bazaar. is ms enchanting
a sight as one might see round |
the world Stretching for miles |
through the center OF the city. and |
barred to all vehicles save bicycles.
II is at once motely collection |
of things Occidental and Oriental. |
Here are literally thousands of |
little shops. selling everything
from the most sleazy of articles
TO authentic. superb art-works;
from mouse traps to bathtubs,
electric coasters to pastries of a
myriad. unknown types; tons and
tons of trivial toiletries displayed
In dazzling array.
Tiny narrow, alley-ways, where
we pushed and jostled our way
through the crowds of friendly.
curious Japanese.
Above us at intervals. the roar
of sleek passenger trains HURTING
down from Tokyo at mile-a-
minute clip. speeding through the
city of Kobe on overhead concrete
and steel trestles, engineering |
marvels in themselves.
What . Middle
And, though 1t was a Sunday
we spent In Kobe, life moved with !
turbulence in that bizarre. world
ly junk shop that is the Moto-
MACH.
Back on ship that evening. our
attention was attracted at sight
Of a group of geisha girls coming
up the gangway. Later we learned
they were bound for Shanghai and
Marking to entertain the Japanese
soldiers stationed at those points.
What a muddle, Our little China
table boy in the dining salon. is
patriot of the first order, and
takes huge delight In relating the
imaginary exploits he has planned
In retaliation of the hurt done
his nation.
And down below we were treat
ed to patriotic opera OF sorts,
put on by the Chinese boys, pro-
ceeds to go to Chinss sustenance.
And yet those geisha girls were
received In perfect harmony aboard
by the Chinese,
Next: Shanghai and Honkong.) /