Travel Letters: Japan, 1934

Pete and I having no real idea where we were going, and much to our surprise we were in another large department store. Again we went up in elevators and this time landed in a very interesting exhibition, more crowded that anything yet. There were lots of miniature scenes, lit up very attractively depicting events in history or maybe the life of the Emperor Meiji. After twenty - five or thirty scenes in miniature so beautifully done, we came to a large room full of cases, all sorts of documents, armor, swords or at least blades. screens. and rolls of writing. one that to us was the same as the rest, had been written by the emperor I believe. for everyone on reading it removed their hat. It was all very interesting though Pete & I weren't very sure what it was all about. We then left the big stores and started to walk home. I should imagine about as fas as from Jordan 'Marshes?'{dep store Mass} all the way up to the Somerset Hotel. The street was evidently having a subway built under it and the sidewalks which were made of cement blocks a foot square were all messed up. uneven, dirt places in between and a generally uneven walking place with blocks to step over. It added to the amount we had to watch and it really was a lively walk. The Ginza or main {word struck out: 'walking'} shopping street was the one we walked down and Mr Miyaoka wanted to show us what a mixture of stores there were. It was like any city which has to be built up after a fire and right next to a beautiful store with 'shrines?' would be a cheap place. Music blaring forth, lots of noise and bright colors. Something like Washington street with a few nice stores like 'Laureats?' still there. It was a wide street with both bright green narrow street cars and busses, and the cars all blowing horns and millions of bycycles. It was as much as your life was worth crossing streets, and we had to scurry across several. It was funny Mr Miyaoka

would motion to an oncoming car, as much as to say, "wait half a second", but it evidently would make no difference and we three would make a dash for the sidewalk. As you look down the streets you are conscious of a lot of poles all along the outside of the sidewalk, more so than in other cities. for instance at home you aren't even conscious of lamp posts or telegraph poles. The Street lamps here seem to be about every twenty feet at least. Then there were small willow trees (?) in between and then tall poles for the Trolly wires. Some of the stores are open across the front, others are like tiny shops and the department stores like all department stores. There are fruit shops that we are going to have a hard time staying away from, and lots of confectioners, places with delicious french pastry. We went into several places. A wonderful book store where we caught a glimpse of lots of German books with wonderful photographs. Then to a print store where they have drawings that you would sware were real but the price of one yen. 30 cents tells they are only prints. Then into Mikimotos' main store where they have the pearls, and much bowing and scraping went on. It was a pupil of grandpas', who is now dead, who started the cultured pearls. They have all sorts of exhibits to show how the pearl is made etc. Then into an office to meet a self made man. Went to America long ago having $25, which he managed to cross the country with and borrowed $10. He now has a factory for making type writers here. Into a hosiery place where they can make silk stockings for 50 cents up. Then when we came

out of there a taxi stopped trying to get us to ride. We stood on the sidewalk trying to decide what to do. The taxi blocked the street (this was a smaller side street) and two cars behind it began blowing their horns to make him move. However it had no affect though they kept their hands on the horn and such a noise. Even people inside looked out to see what was causing the comotion. When we walked on the taxi moved but not till then, and all during the [...] Mr Miyaoka was trying to tell us something. The system here is to blow horns almost continually. It sounds like France. After the hosiery we went to a very nice little place upstairs, and had English tea. toast and jam, and then set out again this time to land us at the hotel about six o'clock, just as the horses were being taken into the theater for the evening show. The theater is across the street from our room, and at noon we saw two horses being led up to the Stage entrance, maybe I wrote about this. They each had straw shoes on their feet to protect the stage floor, and they did look funny. Its been such fun watching the people go by on the street. Pete has promised to draw a sketch of a boy we saw tonight, {struck out: 'balanceup'} riding bycycle through a crowded district and balancing on one hand as a waiter would a tray with two cups of tea or rice. {struck out: 'on'} You do see the most astonishing things. {struck out: 'After'} Mr Miyaoka left as we reached the hotel, thinking by then the ladies party would be over and he could safely go home. After supper we were so weary we came up to bed and I started this letter or at least continued it until I got too sleepy to write more - and now it is another evening and another full day to tell you of. It was very fortunate that we arrived on a weekend as Saturday afternoon and Sunday Mr Miyaoka is free. Pete woke early and had a walk before breakfast and before I knew he had gone or come back. but even then I was up before eight. Mr Miyaoka came for us soon after ten and took us to see the Emperor Meiji's {word struck out} shrine and the

9 10 TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS "IMPHO TOKYO" 11 Imperial Hotel Tokyo x National Gallery. I haven't even told you yet that we are here at just the right season. The plum blossums, pink and white are the only sign of spring, otherwise it is much like winter, but it will give us a chance to get sort of organized before the real spring arrives. The days are spring like but compared to the summer green of Honolulu it looks still pretty wintry. I wish you could see the wonderful coverings that some of the choice shrubs still have on. They are made of straw and x look like a series of todstools. I'll try to sketch the idea for [left column sketch of five multi-teired pointed shoots drawn in pencil, all grouped together and pointing off to the top left or top right away from the bases] [right column] you. Some are on shrubs over ten feet [right column] high and look like a bouquet. [right column] [indent] Mr Miyaoka has already telephoned [right column] numerous people that we are here and [right column] is doing a great deal more than he should [right column] for us, but I know he enjoys doing [right column] what he can for us for your sake. He [right column] said Today, that when you and Uncle John were here that he was older than Uncle John, but that he used to be a playmate of Uncle John his and that you were the one who appreciated his being kind to your brother, for Uncle John was too young to understand everything then. [indent] Mr Miyaoka had a car and we drove to the [illegible crossed out] Emperor Meigis Shrine. He was Emperor when you were here. We were left at one entrance of the large grounds or park that surrounds the shrine and with all the other pilgrims (or really people) walked through the gate. There were bus loods of Japanese people and some came in cars, but such a lot as there were. All the women were

in native costume and some of the children. A great many men too wore the native dress though a large part wore European costume. There were wide avenues with lovely woods on either side and in some places lawns, all so natural looking and so lovely. I wish I had worn some - thing black for I felt very conspicious, in brown, {word struck out} we were the only Haoli people I'm sure and all the Japanese were in soft shades of black or dark blue. from the back you could {word struck out} catch glimpses of the red or green kimona underneath through the open place under the sleeve hole. It was a very orderly crowd, quiet yet happy looking and so well behaved as it was considered a priviledge to be allowed to enter the grounds. There was only a sign outside saying that you were prohibited to drive inside. break branches off trees or catch the birds and no further signs were needed inside. The avenue was about a quarter of a mile long and we went under a beautiful Tori gate made from natural wood. Two tree trunks forming the uprights and the weather had turned it all a rich gray. At the end of one long avenue we came to another gate leading to a large square place a few steps above the level of the park, in the center of which was a still higher platform on which was the shrine itself. It was such a lovely quiet setting in the midst of beautiful wood and the noises of the city were too far away to hear at the shrine. Inside the first sort of gate were various buildings. all with the graceful lines of the Japanese roof and all the buildings weathered. There were beautiful tall pine trees still supported by cables and wire for they were moved as large trees, and haven't as yet taken root sufficiently. On the right was a small platform with a roof over it and hanging between the {word struck out} uprights which supported the roof were