Directory_and_Chronicle_1916

TOKYO

551

The districts of Honjo and Fukagawa formi a distinct industrial portion of the capital Here is the centre of the lumber and other trades. This quarter is connected with the rest of the city by six great brides, some of which are' constructed of iron and some of wood. They are called, commencing on the north, Adsun a-Bashi, Umay-Bashi, Ryogoku-Bashi, O-Hashi, Shin-O-Hashi and Eitai-Bashi respectively. From these the traveller may obtain a fine view of the animated river-life of the Sumida, whose waters are always covered with junks and boats of all descriptions.

A great part of the remaining area forming the district north of the castle, a few years ago covered paddy fields, is to-day covered by "suburbs" of great extent, well served by the municipal tramway system. There are also extensive pleasure gardens, such as Asuka-yama, and neat little villages. The part west of the castle contai s fifty temples, and a number of nobles' palaces. The district on the south of the castle, with an area of about 17 square miles, contains about sixty temples. The most remarkable among them is Fudo-sama in Meguro.

Several great fires have during the last two decades swept Tokyo, and these have ed to great improvements and widening of the streets. Rows of good houses in brick and stone, and new bridges, in many cases of iron or stone, have been built, and the city has in many portions been thoroughly modernised. There are some very large and handsome official and mercantile buildings. Tramways have been extended in all directions and the cars are usually crowded with passengers. The main streets and those adjacent to them are lighted by electricity, and the remainder by gas and oil lamps. Lines of telegraphs, amounting in all to 200 miles, connect the various parts of the city with one another, and with the country lines. The main streets are broad and fairly well kept, and improvements attend the work of reconstruction after each con- flagration. But as the city is in a transition state it necessarily presents many strange anomalies. Side by side with lofty stone buildings stand rows of rude wooden houses. As with the buildings so with the people; while the mass still wear the native dress, numbers appear in European costume. The soldiers and police are dressed in uniform on the western model.

The environs of Tokyo are very picturesque and offer a great variety of pleasant walks or tides. Foreigners will find much to interest them in the country round. The finest scenery is at the northern and western sides of the city, where the country is surrounded by beautiful hills, from which there is a distant view of the noble mountains of Hakone, while beyond rises in solitary grandeur the towering peak of Fuji-san covered with snow the greater part of the year. The population of Tokyo is a little over two millions.

The native Press is represented by some twenty daily papers, and many monthly and fortnightly publications. There is a daily paper run by Japanese in the English language called the Japan Times, which is representative of Japanese interests, and the Jap in Advertiser and Japan Mail which had been published for many years in Yoko- hama are now published in the capital. The Far East, a weekly illustrated newspaper, British owned, is also published in Tokyo. There are 1,225 schools of different classes, including several universities, as distinct from the Imperial, or official. Two large and han Isome hotels designed for foreigners, the Imperial hotel and Seiyoken, cater to tourist needs. Both are under Japanese management, A third foreign Hotel, the Central, is under foreign management.

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