Directory_and_Chronicle_1937 — Page 277

TOKYO

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Theatre, one of the finest in the Far East, the Imperial Hotel and large blocks of business houses. Tokyo Central Station situated in the heart of the business quarters, is now connected with all the main lines in Japan, thus adding to the convenience of passengers.

A section well worth a visit is the public park or garden named Uyeno, where formerly stood the magnificent temple founded and maintained by the Shoguns, and which was destroyed by fire during the War of Restoration in July, 1868. In Uyeno is also situated the fine Imperial Museum (Haku-butsu- kwan), the Tokyo Gallery of Fine Arts, the Academy of Music and a small Zoological Garden.

Undoubtedly the finest recent addition to the capital is the Meji Shrine dedicated to the Emperor Meiji, (1868-1911), and its beautiful outer garden which includes a fine stadium for athletic meetings and football matches, a huge baseball ground, a swimming pool and an imposing Meiji Art Gallery. Among the places much resorted to by visitors is the ancient temple of Kwannon, at Asakusa, not far from Uyeno, one of the most popular and most frequented temples in Japan. At the right of the temple there is a fine old Pagoda, and near it are two colossal stone statues. A new park was also opened close to the temple about the same time as that of Uveno. Thus, with Shiba, in the southwest, where are to be seen some of the splendid shrines of the Shoguns, among the chief glories of Tokyo, there are three large public gardens within the city, in addition to the Meiji Shrine garden mentioned above.

Tokyo does no direct foreign trade, all goods from abroad or coming from abroad, being handled by lighters to and from Yokohama. Of late years Tokyo has become the centre of a large industrial district. In addition to the smaller industries that are carried on in the city itself, there are in the immediate vicinity of the capital large cotton mills, iron foundries, and machine shops which employ thousands of hands.

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The districts of Honjo and Fukagawa form 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 tea splendid bridges all re- built since the earthquake. The biggest of them are called, commencing on the north, Senju-O Hashi, Kototoi-Bashi (new built), Azuma-Bashi, Kömagata-Bash, (new built), Umaya-Bashi, Kuramae-Bashi (new built), Ryogoku-Bashi, Shino-Bashi Kiyosu-Bashi (new built), 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.

Several great first have swept Tokyo during the last two decades, and these have led to great improvements and widening of the streets. The last of these broke out on September 1st, 1923, following upon a very severe earth- quake. The casualties due to this terrible visitation were as follows, accord- ing to a return issued in November by the Home Office:-Dead 68,215; missing (believed to be dead), 39,304; injured. 42,135. The number of houses des- troyed is said to have been 316,000, or 71 per cent. of the whole of the build ings of the city; and no fewer than 1,360,000 people were rendered home- less.

The soldiers and police are dressed in uniform on the western model. Though large numbers appear in European garb, the native dress still com- monly worn, and in the case of the women has practically not at all been superseded.

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 around. 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.