IMPRESSIONS OF JAPAN.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12750, 22 April 1909, Page 3

IMPRESSIONS OF JAPAN.

Dr Sven Hedin, writing in the Times on his recent month in Japan, describes with gratitude and pride the remarkable demonstration of hospitality of which he was the object, and exclaims: Wonderful country ! Wide awake, lovable, joyful people.' How old, exhausted, and grey life is in other countries of Asia compared to that oi the land of the Rising Sun, where every man goes to work silently and dutifully, and the women emile even, when the rain is coming down in streams from the dull grey heavens. A people who., believe in themselves, their own greatness, their own future J a people 6teeped to the marrow in loyalty, sense of duty, perseverance, and patriotism; a progressive and industrious people, awake, inJtelligent, and well-informed in all the "^uays of life. A fact that has often struck me is how little the Japanese think of the men who, quite recently, have written the- history of the world with the point of thfeir sword or the fire from their cannon. A month ago when we visited ,the Shinto temple raised to the memory of the hero, -Husunoki in Kobe, many of my friends said that when Admiral Togo «ii«s such, a temple is sure to "be raised to him. But if, on the other Land, one expresses one's profound' admiration 6f snch men, hardly anyone agrees, -and for the reason that they consider that these men have only done their duty, that the fulfilment of duty is the most natural thing in the world and not worth wasting words over. Describing, the fite given him* by the generals, Dr. Sven Hedin sneaks of the victor of Naushan: — The 70-year-old, stern, grey T Jiaired Oku, cra>bed, dry> and bearded like an old tree siem. Ec roared like a lion — one might have^.tfiought that be was c'oinmandin ga divisie^n on the held of battle instead of talking to a dinner party of 20 gentlemen. I met Admiral Count Togo. Small, reserved, and speaking in a low voice, he asked in a friendly tone abont my travels ; he did not say much, but what Jie did say was informing and in excellent English. His whole facon d'etre is unassuming, he lives in a miniature doll's house, and eats his raw fish and macaroni with ehopeticks. f

Dr Sven Hedin pays he received several gifts of great value, such as a pair of filigree cloisonne vases, from the University of Tokio, and a complete eet of old samuTaj armour from the University of Kioto, In the temple of Nishi Honganj where he stayed for a few days as the guest of Count Otani, a whole Chrigtian tree full of presents was set out.