JAPANESE IN WAR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 245, 15 October 1940, Page 5

JAPANESE IN WAR

CALMEST COUNTRY. SACRIFICES AMD CHANGES. War-lime life In Japan U diwriM • l\r an American writer and Iseftaivr who m.ikr« her h«m* In New Ritm. C»nn.. la belmrß trip* inrasd Hit world. (By XKIU. JAMES.) TOKYO. August 31. Japan is the calmest country I havi visited for * long time. There j* JjttJ. I he foreigner sees on the surface to indi rale thai the country has been at «< with China for three year*. Seaside and mountain resorts open oi schedule. Theatres and motion pirtun houses enjoy business as usual, as d< rafes and restaurants. A new class o spender has sprung up in Japan. Tlx well-paid munitions worker is crealin: a l*oom in the better class of amuse "lent and restaurant trade. The la l<eria! Hotel, social centre for foreigner in Tokyo, is filled to capacity. When formerly the quests were mostly for pinners, to-day 00 per cent of them ar lapancsc. The hotel ha* a roof gardei restaurant, where foreign motion pic I lire* are shown. But pone is the word "fiipi!" f\ip ponese equivalent for "whoopee") fron the vocabulary. Frivolity is banished Fhere is little drinking, with whisky a '•*' yen a l»otj|e. and a sober tone pre 'nils in the places of amusement. A few minor restrictions indicate thai the country i« tightening its belt, an< the man in the street is warned to pre I ■a re for further sacrifices. A rationin; system has already been established f« wmc commodities. For instann*. ai idiilt is allowed a little le*s than j |>oiind of -nyir per month. Five match 'ticks are his daily quota. A number o im]«oricd liiMirie». Mirh a« foreign film* -ameras. tobacco aii<l nna||en varn. hav< tlisappeared from markets. New Word in Language. "Sufu."' a staple fibre made of pu3 wood processed and mixed with cot tor lias practically replaced cotton pood* It first doth wtt uiadc which roaUja»

30 per cent #fcajilc filn* and 70 f*r oeni roUon. RwcntHy lie ha* N*a i*«*r»*i<L ■"Siaiw"' *■<•«•» *<ay wvll make* * jrood lootwiug, but at ha* n< warmlh and will not Bni«luc livprrUni moUbei* *re deligiited t«-ail a rercnt edict whath all tiailnci ha** a jjiuniji of »ix yaa<dt ©f jtwk rwUon pt»t»d» {or <djaj*«»k. "Sufai-ari," a ocw word in Iht lanyuajjp, i* u«v«d Jo «Se»«oratoe almo>l aaay article (that i*3>\ Kwt per <«ni paim A oomerKaliem oi-eribeaavS an a rMuful went a* follw#: Far*l <»3j-1: *TM» ociflce iwal j-ood l!a.> fiirt'c in JSecond Girl j *'Vc*.. It ha» Itncn # lonp Hanae finoe I had one that *.*► put* cotton." The fi:»t gial meant hit Java oon lained not a lillle Mai.cliuria., and tlx wcwnd *i« «j:hjn» for that i» *33 rnfft* and »«t jnut toy itvmn. The Government ha« alreadv *im«d that the uw of in tl»e manu fartnte of 2u*iarie* So be u*od hy Uk few aau*t «*«;. The growing of on oeoe*«iry food.*tuffa an tie luvurv <*la» such m «tra«rberriea, will tie Perhaps tie aon annoying naraific* ll»e average Japanese is called upon u endure is official tampering miih hii daily bowl of fine. IHic to a jioe sJksjl age, excellent Japane*e riot, lie £ne*i grown in the woaid, nau»t be tniKod *-itl imported raoe and millet. I find tb< U»le _ excellent. My Japanese fj*ndi cat it uncomplaining f«»r patiioli, r*a.>-on*. There is cheer in the new< that a bam|<er raoe crop is cxpected thi year. "But Asia Day." "Please do not travel jia*t in. plea+ure," as the appe-al s*m)M To thi rilatcns fey the Gwemmcnt an an effor to transportataon syt-teani clogged with traflie. llowe»"cj", tin citieens continue to jet a boat, and ! land the hot fprirg* aenori.* crom-ded. The J3r»t day «f ca.rih month j»> laated a> *"i',a».t Afia and a* ob wried .Ispan. (afe« atw *.aki aav -d. si» JIT 1; bouvofc. Tol.y«"* in tinjono and Viislil yo Atami. a faiwu* h r, l fwrtrj <iu ijie 3mi !Vjiij3*".ala. f-crr 1 -}i r lir-Oida^'K. mining the <*nrni ai 1 <*j an ab«eii« of MX year*. 1 find many chattpe» .'inrieJc*liawK onre *0 typieal nf Japan. ha«e pra^tir*33y from lie *snee",*. During a monlh I have »<ccn 'bui t»o cjuajpiiig im>»cufcru, Even

,the I**3 *hrntage, due 1*» lie gasolii* •situation, ha* th< lirtrught them bbiu Bicycles »re pnjmlar. _ Tb» life of site fteople i* toeing iwoluiimimi. The race wwm* 1w toe increa»» "•'iff i® stature. It is mot an uncommon *ight to me .children taller that their ifia.rent*. Although there i* no dearth rtf kimono-clad people on the ftjwiji, lint mode of <dre#* i» rapidly toeing replaced % foreign-*tyle to'w, Sewsnty-five per <wnt of lie «*» wear trouwe.r* to tmn•wtw. Mw« than 90 per oest of the children wear non-Japanese drcim, whick allwws for great*** freedom of movement. Woajoa «« *lnwer lo give up their aSflaactiM! kimono eoMutne*. 1 find ihttn a**umang a gtmatcr part in tha nalicmaJ life out*ide of lie home. Many wmwn «jieak *crme ISngliWh, a revolutionary idea. Permanent «rar«s ha-*» taken the cotmtjy tor storm. Jit least ■30 per oent of the *-<m»cn -wear * waawa in the lia.ii'.. \~<nj attncUn they are, 100. Eaftttr u M* A or*- Government bureau for tha encouragement of the mwbilkatiou of «pfritaaal r««w«>» urge* every indivj. ]<dual to aid tie empire toy the sweat of hi* w her smt», I have Men hundred* wf ♦student* <3<*htg volunteer work, "digdang flower toeda, watering the va*t I gardens of the Imperial Palaoe in I Tokyo. Entire achool* go to the country | and aid farmer* gather the spring wheat land plant the summer crop*. Thea<e a* a movement on foot to touild Ihe *}<i ritual life of tlx 1 umpire around the i£mjK!ror a* the living god. By louder. Kiroet car* slow down and pa*- | «cngws a'cmnve their hat> whim jmwmi livsr I the Imperial Pulse#.. T'a.*a* mu*l reduce Their *pee<L *« do bicycle*. The ftrflt act of ♦indent* making an excursion 10 I the cajiital •city a* to go at onnc to tha i Imperial Palace pate, facte the pa.la.ee.. maVe a bow and war a prayer. After that they proceed vith their fcifrljt«*"'in£. —X .AS .A..