JAPANESE COURTESY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 289, 6 September 1928, Page 10

JAPANESE COURTESY

POET’S LABOUR REWARDED

During the recent visit of the Japanese Training Squadron to Wellington, Mr. Henry Ashworth, of Wadestown, wrote a poem of welcome entitled “Yuko,” which he forwarded to ViceAdmiral Kobayashi. A few days ago Mr. Ashworth received the following letter from Lieut. T. Kaseda, Flag-Lieutenant to the Commander of the squadron:— “Desired by Vice-Admiral S. Kobayashi, I am sending' to you under separate cover the translation of your poem ‘Yuko,’ written in the Japanese characters. Assisted by Lieut. T. Mayeda, of the Staff, I had the honour to translate same into as poetic style of my language as we possibly could, and with Admiral’s approval and signature I am sending it. The first line gives dates, thus—Bth of Bth month of the third year of Shoowa era, H.I.J.M.S. Idzumo, flagship under way; the second line — Commander, Training Squadron, Kobayashi Seize; the third line—presented to: the fourth—Mr. Ashworth: the fifth —translation of the poem of welcome to tho Training Squadron: and then the translation starts. The parentheses at the end contains: Translated by Lieut. T. Kaseda, assisted by Lieut. T. Mayeda.”

Beautifully engrossed on a scroll measuring nearly eight feet in length by a foot wide, the inscription and the translation of the poem in Japanese script is an elaborate work that must have occupied a considerable limo. As is usual in Japanese, the writing is in vertical lines read from right to left of the sheet, and from bottom to top of each line. The scroll is quite a work of art, and is concrete evidence of the innate courtesy of the Japanese.