The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1949-12-22
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
BY Hazel Brunnon
Yokohama, Japan
November 20 DelaS

november ~ tDelayed)
Landing at Yokohama, 5,465
miles from San Francisco, pas
sengers of the S. S. President
Monroe found a cold and rainy
day awaiting us--a day when a
raincoat was necessary and a fur
coat felt good.
Yokohama, now shipping CEN
ter for the raw silk industry, was
just an obscure fishing village
with few groups of matched
cottages in 1853 when the famous
"Black Ship" commanded by
Commodore Perry appeared in the
bay. Since its opening as Trea-
ty Port in 1850 it has grown to be
one of Japan's most important
cities with population OF
2,652,988. 1t suffered quite a bit
of damage during the war.
Its harbor was reconstructed
and improved after the disastrous
earthquake-fire of 1928 and is
protected by breakwaters 9,4OO
feet long. The quays and piers
have q total mooring capacity for
81 ocean liners while the buoys
and docks may moor 80 vessels.
The town itself is divided into
three sections, the eastern part
of which used to be the foreign
concession. The residential dis
trict for foreigners is contained
in a range of low hills called the
bluff and the rest is called native
town and occupies the greater
portion of the city.
Taxis are unavailable and ar
rangements for hiring a private
car are almost impossible but can
be made well in advance OF ar
rival. Most passengers rely on
their feet, or a tri-shaw-a three
wheeled affair pulled by an un-
dernourished looking Jap strong
as an OK.
On the south suburban coast Of
Yokohama an excursion may be
made along tranquil Mississippi
bay through the districts OF HON.
moku and Negishi where is To-
Gated the Negishi race track. This
race course commands lovely
view of the city and bay. Racing
season is in spring and autumn.
It was not until afternoon that
we.made our first sightseeing trip
under the efficient direction OF
the Japan Travel bureau the
only travel agency allowed to
operate in Japan and one which
seems to be doing a good job
under present conditions. The first
thing they did was to pin pink
paper rose on US to designate US
as American tourists-as If any
one would take US for anything
else!
About fifty of the passengers
went on this Sunday sightseeing
trip to Kamakura in more or less
modern motor coaches effective
w decorated with wall vases OF
flowers. 1t is a common thing
in Japan to see public vehicles
decorated with flowers - the
Japanese love flowers and spe-
cialize in flower-arrangement,
considering this attainment
vital part of ones education and
upbringing.
At Kamakura we saw the
Hachiman (Shinto) Shrine and the
Daibutsu, the great bronze image
of Buddha.
The Hachiman Shrine is stu
ated on high hill and reached
by climbing a long, wide flight
of steps. 1t is guarded by huge
ginko tree % feet in circumfer-
ence and 70 feet tall. The Shrine
is considered a national treasure
in spite of the fact that the Jap
anese are said to be getting away
from both Shintoism and Buddha-
ism, their two main religions for
centuries. No less an authority
than General Douglas Macarthur
has said a great vacuum exists IN
Japan today regarding religion
and the time and opportunity for
Christianity is great.
The great Buddha, a bronze
Hgure of Amida, one of the Bud
mist divinities, is AZ feet, 6 in
hes tall and its circumference
III the base is 81 feet. The face
isl feet, 8 inches long, and the
width of the eyes feet, 5 inches.
TIE silver boss on the forehead
weighs 80 pounds and the image
weighs 80 tons. l climbed up the
steep, narrow staircase inside the
Bud6ha which reaches up to its
shoulders. The Buddha was cast
In 1852, 240 years before the dis
covery of America. The sculptor