JAPAN TO-DAY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16822, 21 August 1920, Page 9

JAPAN TO-DAY.

WONDERFULLY AVIDB-AAVAKE COUNTRY. WITH FAST-INCREASING POPULATION. “Perhaps ,xlie first thing to strike the visitor on reaching Japan,” said Mr. T. Shailer Weston, in relating observations ho had made during a recent visit to that country, ‘'is the intense cultivation widen meets too eye, wlierever such cultivation is possible. That is made almost a necessity, as only 14 per cent, of the land is capable of cultivation, the balance being suitable only to scrub and forest growtn. Jiy extensive irrigation schemes and heavy manuring the holders arc able to produce two- crops a year. The rice is sown in May and harvested in autumn, whilst in the spring and early summer there is time to take off a crop of vegetables, or barley, or wheat. Of course that would not be possible were not the land fortified and enriched by manure, much of which comes from the adjacent cities. A notable case is that,of Kioto. Japan is self-supporting as far as her food supply is concerned, but is not at present a mcat-cating country. “The population is about 50,000,000 —equal to nearly half that of the United States—all contained in a country of about the same size as Now Zealand. And the population is growing. It is estimated that by natural growth it is increasing by over a million n year. In all the cities, ■ towns, and villages that we visited, childicn were everywhere in evidence.. There is no rnce-snicido problem in Japan. Every married woman deems it an honour to hoar children; there are festival days each year upon which emblems are. exhibited on a pole outside, each house annoimriag the number.of sens and daughters the family can boast nf. There is a national system of education throughout the, country, and it was perfectly astonishing to note the circulation o f the Japanese newspapers, which, with issues of half a million and over, seem to keen the whole of tho people well posted in what is going on. During tho holidays tho pupils attending the secondary schools arc taken on walking tours or excursions to national and religious monuments, and so, under tho guidance nf their teachers, -ire given a broader knowledge of tho world, and imbibe patriotism -and a reverence for tradition which build up tho national spirit. Tho wav to the university is made simple to boys of abilitv. and the course given is pretty complete. The medical men of Japan, for instance, are well qualified, and in the majority of instances are the preduct of their own universities- Foreigners residing in treaty ports will often consult, Japanese doctor- rathe-- t’'an Europeans.

“Buddhism was introduced to Japan from Korea many centuries ago, and as Buddhists do rot oat moat, it was from Korea that Jnnrin learned to oidtivato tho various forms of vegetable foods. AA'ith tho fall nf the Shoguns in 1868, Buddhism received a check hv the introduction of Shintoism, which is now the . national roli-rion. Shintoism is ancestral worship with patriotism and loyalty as a backbone. But as Shintoism grows, so docs moat-enting; indeed, it is being encouraged by the Government, which is most anxious to improve tho stamina and stature of the race, and conceives that a leaven of meat in the daily diet might have some, such effect. Another recent measure to achieve the sanio end has been a Government decree raising the age of marriage from 14 years to 16 or 17 years, 1 forgot which. A GREAT INDUSTRY. “Tho fishing industry is very highly developed through tho country, round the coasts as well as on tho rivers, many of which afford splendid salmonfishing. The fishermen for the most part live round tho coast on their own holdings in tho same manner as tho crofters of Scotland. They arc a. very hardy and fearless people. There are about 1,400,000 people engaged in the fishing industry, and, in tho absence of moat, fish is one of the staple articles of diet. On account of the large number of men and hoys employed in fishing, Japan will never lack nien for her navy, an important tiling, because she has now the third largest mercantile marine in the world, as well as tho third largest navy.

“It was simply marvellous to see how every little stream and river in the country is living utilised to produce electricity Owing, perhaps, to tlio system of forestry, the rainfall in Japan is fairly even, varying but little with the seasons. This enables the streams to be used evenly throughout the year with only a few miles of race. As the hills arc situated near the sea coast, and consequently near the cities, tho transmission lines aro not long. They are constantly to bo scon crossing the railway lines,, which, as a rule, run parallel to tho coast. Even the smaller towns aro lit with electricity, and generally where there wore manufacturing plants a hydro-electric supply was on , hand to provide the power. In regard to the equality of rainfall, Japan has certain advantages over New Zealand. SYSTEMATIC AFFORESTATION. “Tho Japanese aro strong on afforestation. They have great tracts of country which are not suited to the cultivation of any kind of crops, which. . aro planted with trees, which not only have a value in timber, hut help with tho rainfall. In this respect 'Japan is an object-lesson to Now Zealand, Where land is so often cleared that is not worth clearing. “There is no chance of Japan ever becoming a wool-growing country, as grass docs not flourish' there. One might see a countryside wliich has the appearance of pasture land at a distance, but a close inspection shows the growth to bo a kind of dwarf bnm•boo, with closely matted roots, which is suitable neither for sheen nor cattle. Cattle raising is difficult and tho production of milk in sufficient quantities to meet tho demand is a continual ’problem. At the Fuji Hotel —probably tho best in Japan—the proprietor had gone to the 1 ' trouble of importing some Ayrshire cattle, but they did not do well. "What cattle there were had to be stall fed in tho winter. Japan bad already imported quantities of Australian meat, which met with a ready sale, but its importation had been stopped by the Australian Gov eminent's nnibnrgo upon export to the East owing to the. recent drought. Still, Japan must be a growing customer for Australian meat in the future, and also for butter and cheese. Owing to the extensive use of water, nr perhaps to climatic conditions, I found that Japanese fruit and vegetables wore not nearly r-o well flavoured as cur own. This applied particularly to the potatoes, which were small and watery. With the exception of chrysanthemums and irises, there was not tho wealth of flowers wo get in Now Zealand, but tho flowering shrubs such

as the flowering cherry and wistaria, made scones of distracting beauty in tho season, I thought it was curious with such a practical people as tho Japanese that they did not go in for tho fruitbearing cherry. RECENT FINANCIAL CRISIS. “Tho recent financial crisis in Japan was due to tho fact that many people, on account of tho enormous demand for Japanese goods during the war, Pad rushed into manufacturing businesses with little knowledge to guide them. Owing to skilled labour not being always available, the output was not of an even quality, and often quite inferior. Now, with the war over, Hie Japanese wore not finding tho same eager market for their wares, and many firms had been adversely affected. Another reason for the falling off in the demand was tho Chinese boycott against Japanese, goods. The not result was that some of the new manufacturing firms and shipping companies found themselves in a position in which they were unable to compete with tho older andstronger firms. This meant much individual loss to capitalists, and want of employment on tno part of the men.” A MAGICAL CHANGE. “Owing to feudal ties and mutual reliance, tho form of Government in Japan up to 1808 was oligarchic, and one could not help being most profoundly impressed by the enormous change which had been engineered by the Government, from the simple file, which ignored Western ways, to tho highjy-complc-x industrial civilisation of to-day. Such a. change in half a century alone proclaims tho Japanese to be people of rare mental capacity and physical elasticity. Of discontent there was but little apparent on the surface, and those wno voiced it were generally ambitions men who had not found an avenue for the proper utilisation of their ambitious. The people as a whole were kindly and courteous, especially in the rural districts, and exceptionally intelligent. The men at the head of big companies and corporations were of such mental calibre that they could hold their own in any part of the world. Middle-class merchants and manufacturers, who had not experienced the broadening effect of travel, bad yet something to learn of toler-, aucc and compromise. • AN UNPOPULAR NATION. “Japan is undoubtedly tho premier power in tho East, and although she is universally unpopular—that assertion was made by a member of the Japanese Diet —tho unpopularity is due to tho success of her traders, ns much as to some of her methods, political, and commercial. An aggressive and , pushing nation, like an individual, suffers from much that time and experience will correct. The British Alliance and tho example of the German collapse have already done much 10 effect an improvement. At the same time, owing to tho proximity of America and the number of students who go to America for occidental training, the United States is more often taken as a model than I liked to see. I suppose that is because tho Americans made it easier for Japanese and Chinese students to onteruniversitics than the English have done. France is waking up to that fact, and is offering facilities to Chinese students to attend her universities. POAVER TO BE RECKONED WITH. “It takes a trip to Japan to thoroughly appreciate how strong Japan is as a nation. Everyone in the Pacific must reckon with her, and the boat way to promote an understanding is to offer every facility for friendly intercourse. it is noteworthy, incidentally, that the Japanese Government has prohibited foreigners from holding any financial interest in Japanese banking and shipping companies, and- whilst there is authority to permit foreigners to acquire land in Japan, such authority has to bo made active by Imperial proclamation, but the proclamation has not yet been issued.”