ROUND THE WORLD IN 90 DAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13781, 20 June 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

ROUND THE WORLD IN 90 DAYS

•JAPANESE ON GLOBE TOUR. [FROM OUR OWN COBBESPONDENT.] - London, May 8. 0.\ y March 18 a. party of 69 Japanese ladies and gentlemen—though as there are only three ladies in the party I suppose the gentlemen should be mentioned first, as they are ■ numerically so much stronger-r | left Yokohama on a 97 days' tour round ; the world, travelling under the auspices of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. They readied London last Saturday, having come via America— much fuss was made of them—and Liverpool. They journeyed by rail from the latter place, and duly reached St. Paucras. Each member of j the party has paid £210 for the world-trip, which is being conducted by Messrs. T. Cook and oon. The party dined in the train on the way up to London, but the fare provided was not Japanese in character; while in this country the enterprising Japs, are going to do arid eat just' what we Englishmen do and eat. Every member of the party is keen to learn, keen for knowledge of the West, and alert to correct native ideas. On arrival at the station seven railway omnibuses were boarded with the travellers and their luggage, "and, waving their Union Jacksfor" each member of the party was in possession of the English flagthey were driven off to St. Eunin's Hotel; Westminster. ' On the evening of their arrival some of the most energetic members of the party went to the Savoy Theatre to see " The MiKado," and, they found it very amusing and enjoyable, ■ but they - were somewhat critical of the un-Japanese movements of the chorus. "They don't walk properly and their manners are not Japanese!" But it was admitted that they know how to hold the " shamisens" (Japanese guitars) correctly. Mr. Sugimura, the literary editor of the Japanese paper, and commander-in-chief of the expedition, had something to say on this point. Thus : " When 1 spent two months in England about a year ago I went to Sheffield especially to see 'The Mikado' peiTormed, as it was prohibited in London, and I told the manager the girls did not hold their ' shamisens" al;irJ ;, ..Y anese girl would. He called one of them in, dM»2j£Z™& ser5 er how to hold the ; instrument. That very girl I recognised at the Savoy last night, and she held her ' shamisen.' as I had taught her." Each day since arrival the tourists 'have had a busy round of sight-seeing, but they cannot be much impressed by the English climate, for it has rained almost unceasingly. However, they seem to have been having a good time on the . whole, and they "have been kept "hard at it."_ Some of the tourists are provided with cameras, which they use to any extent, taking " snaps" of features' and monuments and buildings which appeal to them. And they are spending small fortunes on picture postcards, -which are being sent off to Japan in shoals. Altogether, 10 days are being devoted to London and its surroundings. Then will come a dash through France to Italy, and through Germany to Russia. They expect to bo back in Japan by the middle' of June. "We like you we do not like your weather," sadly observed one of the party who did not "seem to know what to do with himself as he waited in the lounge of the hotel on the chance that the ram Would cease for a few minutes and allow him to run out between the drops. Asked for her opinion regarding English women, one of the little Jap. ladies replied: "Well, they are very lively in their demeanoui, and their faces are more expressive than the faces of my countrywomen. T think them very fair and pretty. Will you tell your lady readers that though they "seem very tall. I. do nob notice that as much as when they visit us in Japan, for there our bouses are smaller, and English women seem very big, indeed. But here, in your larger " houses, it is not so noticeable.-" /

.Two of the Japanese, interested in journalism' in, their own country, paid a visit to the offices of Lloyd's Weekly News and' watched with interest the huge printing presses, each delivering 'cut and folded copies of the paper at the rate of 48.000 an hour. They asked any number of questions, and said that Japan was now making her own paper for the daily journals. Such printing machinery as she imported came from London, and though she could make her own at half the price, it did not last so long. People of all classes are represented by individual members of the touring party merchants, brokers, journalists, manufacturers, students, etc., etc.—-and each one is keenly on the lookout to pick up any "wrinkles" likely to be of use when' he ctts home. For this world-tour is to have its se.-piel— will be lectures, speeches, articles, etc.. available afterward for those who have not been able to leave Japan, and in this wav it is anticipated that much will be done in the way of imparting information as to European methods. Each member will return to his own country with notebook stocked with accurate impressionsseeds of information which can only result in furthering the welfare of Japan and in binding England and the English more closely in friendship with its Far-Eastern ally. . Comparing certain features of London nowadays with those existing seven years ago, when he was last in this country, Mr. Tsuchiya remarked that he saw so few silk hats and frock coats in the city now—everyone seemed to wear only ."elt hats and short jackets, and certainly, he admitted,/they looked more comfortable. The motor-cabs and motor-'buses in the streets, the trams along the Embankment — indeed, every' change which has been made within the * interval mentioned seems to have come immediately to the notice of this enterprising little traveller. Mr.. Sugimura says that all the travellers are delighted with London. " I almost worship London, and I told all our people what to expect. They could scarcely credit it all, but now they believe. The orderliness of everything, the people, the streets all so well regulated. Then your buildings are so massive, so solid, so impressive— always so beautiful!" A visit to Hyde Park was a revelation to them all. " We've nothing like it in Tokio; your gardens, your beautiful green lawns, astonished us." The courtesy of the pressmen here seems to have pleased the Jap.'s immensely. " Our experience were not so happy in America," ■ remarked one in authority, " where statements were put, into our mouths that we did not make. But all the English journalists T have met have been both courteous and . The s>im'e applies to the press photographers. When we reached St. Pancras one of the photographers politely asked if I had anv objection to standbier for a moment and being 'taken.' Such a. request was unknown in America, where, although the ladies of our party -specially asked the photographers not to take them, attempts with the camera- were being continually made. This greatly embarrassed and.annoyed the Japanese ladies."