Directory_and_Chronicle_1903 — Page 477

Directories & Chronicles 香港指南 All

TOKYO

The districts of Honjo and Fukagawa form the quiet portion of the capital. This quarter is connected with Tokyo proper by five great bridges, some of which are constructed of iron and some of wood. They are called, commencing on the north, Adsuma-Bashi, Umaya-Bashi, Ryogoku-Bashi, 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 is covered by paddy fields, in the midst of which rise picturesquely situated houses. There are also extensive pleasure gardens, such as Asuka-yama, and neat little villages. The part west of the Castle contains 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 or so swept Tokyo, and these have led 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 laid 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 telegraph, 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 well kept, and improve- ments attend the work of reconstruction after each conflagration. 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 rides. 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, according to the official census of 1898, was 1,425,366.

The native Press is represented by more than a hundred newspapers, several of which are dailies. There is a daily paper run by Japanese in the English language called the Japan Times, which is representative of Japanese interests. There are 1,225 schools of different classes, including one university. A large and handsome hotel designed for foreigners and called the Imperial Hotel, was opened in 1890. There is also a first- class hotel, called the Metropole, under foreign management.

Directory_and_Chronicle_1903 — Page 477

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