IN THE FAR EAST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 190, 6 May 1908, Page 8

IN THE FAR EAST.

— 0 " NOTES AND IMPRESSiONa JAPAN SUMMARISED. , (By F. H. Wood.) Having left Japan, and being now on the broad ocean, en route for India on board the Prinz Ludwig,a 10,000-ton North German mail steamor," and away from tho glamour and excitement of fresh, places and fresh scenes every day, I venturo to take the. opportunity to place on rdeord my improssiOns of Japan and the - Japanese, in tho liopo that they may prove, ot some interest, if not value, to your numerous readers. To start with, I think that Japan is a very much over-rated country from nlany points of • view. True,-, it has many natural advantages, but from, a scenic point of view I think New Zealand a < long way ahead cf it. Tho configuration of the country and coast reminds me very much of New Zealand, but with this dilference, that,' owing to cheap labour, Japan has been ablo to terrace and cultivate a great part of tho hills along the coast line. The land is mostly of secondclass quality, with hero and there some rich flat's; which, are irrigated arid' cultivated to tlie best and fullest advantage. All kinds of cereals arid vegetables appear to grow well, including rice',, which is the bread of the East;, but grass does not grow well, and tlie land, will not carry sheep, and cattle aro only reared for draught purposes (there being no 'draught horses in Japan). Only a few cows aro kept for milking, Japan' relying mainly on'tinned \6r; preserved milk for the European population,;.the Japanese seldom using any. There 1 are 'somo i fine seams or coal, mostly at Mogi arid Shimonoseki, bilt Japan is not rich iri riiinerals. >■ , Commercially, the Japanese trader or merchant is;generally looked, upon as, being untrustworthy, arid, unreliable, and ready at all times'"to. break his word; or. his • bond if he thinks it to his .. interest. ,to do so.. Financially, I fear! that Japan is in, or at any. rate Approaching to, very serious difficulties'arid complications. _ rce'rtainly should riot at the present time like to have any riioney invested 'in Japan; . Heavily Tatfed Working Classes. ' The cost; of tho ..recent war witli' Russia arid'the!money' that is now being expended in fortifications and increasing the Navy necessitate', a . very . considerable), increase in taxation, . which is, pressing very heavily on tho . nation, and more especially on the already , poorer class ■ of \ the community. Thore is no exemption in tho income-tax as with iis, and tho poor, coolie, who is already trying to exist on almost starvation wages, is ,taxed to about 30 ; per cent, of his hardearned wages.. 'Thousands can. find no employment at. all. There .is consequently a very great deal; of poverty, . .and if it were not that the sea all round Japan abounds .in fish,.' thousands would .'starved But' with plenty of fish, arid vegetables tjioy manago'tc exist. Owing to increased taxation, rice is 50 per. cent, dearer than it was a short tim« back', and as wages have not gone up few 61 the working-classes can' now. afford 'to bnj riep. Thfi Governnlont has very heavy liabilities for interest on loans and'otherwise. It now requires 'more loans to meet current expenditure,which it will : probably havo'difficulty'in raising, and altogether tho. prospects from a financial point of view are vor\ cloudy, and there will ' probably bo • some heavy failures before long amongst the Japanese'merchants and banks. Japanese Bravery. . The Japanese have been lauded as a verj brave nation; but . I fail to. see that tliej are specially so, or more so'thari any othei nation whose . bravery, is put •to the . test They 'are,' however, abnormally loyal'to the Emperor arid-reigning dynasty, being almosi abject in their devotion to tlio Emperor whom they stop but little short of worships ping. The) Emperor and his household set a goot oxample to . the nation, the' Empress being specially, venerated for her nobilibv of char upter.'arid' works -of -charity. She'is lookcc upon'here as being of a much stronger anc abler; character than the Emperor. It is customary in Australia, and to some extent in New Zealand, to talk of an in vasion of our shores by tho Japanese, i am quite.'satisfied that nothing is farthei from their thoughts; or, in fact, from wanl of funds, if from no other reason, from theii power. The Japanese are a very reserved anc reticent people, and it is very difficult te get at their real thoughts. But deep dowi ill'their hearts, I feel' sure, that there stil lurks a fear that Russia will some daj retaliate arid seek to regain her prestige) hence/their! present craze for fortification: and increasing their navy. Now as ,to the general character ant habits of the Japanese, though only, i few weeks in Japan, I believe that I have seen as much of it as' most would in a: many months, 'for I have kept constantly on , the "go" from early morning till fre" quently late at night, seldom being two day: in one place. • . 'A.-Bright and Cheerful People. As a nation tlie Japanese are bright ane cheerful,' arid you find tho women and girl: nearly always laughing or smiling; even the babies (their number appears to be legion for \you hardly ever seo a woman or' gir in the street who is not carrying' a baby) are seldom heard to cry. Cleanliness is anothei of. their strong characteristics.' In matters of religion, tho Japanese appear to bp most devout, temples abound lr every direction, and you hardly ever visit one without Sliding a number of devotees at then prayers, or making obeisance, and this, riotwithstanding the fact that they liavo nc Sunday and no special day set apart for worship. - In habits, Japanese, aro, as a rule sober and industrious, working early and lato whilo you very seldom seo a Japanese in. toxicated. This may be bccauso they cannol afford to buy. liquor, as thoy are "all vorj fond of the national wine, which resemble": sherry in colour and flavour, but is maele from rico. They aro great smokers, if the] get tho chance, but opium smoking is unknown in Japan. ■ Tho railways are ftiirly well managed, the oxprcss trains averaging about thirty mile: an hour. Tho catering in tho refreshmonl cars is good, and tho sleeping-berths in the through trains aro comfortable. Tho roaelf in Japan are particularly good and wel kept. Each city has a well-appointed a.ric quite up-to-dato European club, that at Kobe for instance, having nine first-clas3 billiare tables. There aro also somo very fine Gcr man clubs. Personally speaking, nothing would induce . mo to kayo New Zealand and take up mi residoneio in Japan,-and I boliovc that Eng land will yet navo cause to rogrot the British-Japaneso' Alliance. I still pin mj faith on New Zealand as tho finest countrj in'the world to livo in, and so, for the pre sent, bid you farewell.