| Show OSAKA THE BUSIE ST CITY IN THE JAPANESE probably to western eyes the most interesting metropolis of the east traveler has described the streets as a veritable beehive of human industry special correspondence osaka the second city in japan is sometimes called the chicago of japan it is probably so named because it Is such an enterprising hustling bustling place in comparison with other jap anese cities it Is indeed the corn com mercial metropolis of japan it boasts much greater antiquity than the american city as qs it traces its history back even to prehistoric times the first buddhist temple ever built in jap an was erected at nanawa as the place was originally called the name osaka meaning big bighill hill was given to it about the time columbus dincov ered america osaka was at first fa as the principal pat seat of 0 the shin sect of buddhism but when these priests happened to incur the enmity of the great chieftain they were finally in 1580 driven out of osaka and their temple was burned in 1583 the famous general hideyoshi the napoleon of japan de aided to make osaka the seat of his power and ordered to be constructed there a castle said to be probably the most magnificent building that japan ever saw but unfortunately it was mostly destroyed by fire in 1868 and only a few buildings remain the cas tie tle grounds are now the headquarters of the osaka military district one shinto temple known av a iku dama jinga Is fabled to have been founded more than years B C but historical criticism prevents us from believing such a claim one of the oldest buildings in osaka Is the ta fa buddhist temple known as ten whose five live storied pagoda Is a landmark for miles aro ind it Is pos sible to climb to the top of this pa goda and obtain a fine view this temple was founded about A D has been frequently destroyed by fire and was last rebuilt in 1864 it has just received a fine large bell said to be the first one cast in japan according to modern modem scientific prin coples was once the capital of the empire at least in the reign of em geror A D con caming this kind ruler there is a favorite legend as follows having climbed a hill looked all around and observing the absence of smoke from the cottages of the people decreed that for the space of three years neither taxes nor forced labor should be imposed on his subjects his own palace for want of funds to re pair it was allowed to become so dl lapi dated that the roof admitted rain three years later he again ascend ed the hill and beheld smoke rising from every dwelling the people a ere now enough to bear taxation without feeling the burden and volun tartly contributed toward rebuilding an gives a vivid picture of what may be seen in the japanese chicago the streets of osaka are the busiest I 1 i sf have ever seen they are literally 1 thronged with human beings engaged in unc unceasing pasing toll the stores and shops are also workshops and ware houses clerks designers artisans packers carters sellers and buyers are so mixed up that the wonder Is how they all unravel themselves and bring order out of the chaos which seems to reign supreme in this re you are reminded of the de script lon of those wonderful cities of the ancient world where every man 4 naw 2 4 pagoda of bennoll had a handicraft nis 1 own before the theo days of capitalization and the central of industrial energy the street scenes of osaka are simply ind escrib i able months could be profitably spent in walks and talks with those who I 1 thus ply their trades amid the never ceasing interruption ot of dally daily traffic now you pass through long streets given over to pottery and porcelain next one devoted to umbrellas then matting followed by a vast emporium of cotton fabrics of rugs of brushes of leather goods of bronze and metal work of provisions of clothing meth and implements take ranges or leaps perhaps I 1 should say of a thou sand vears here are five men with their bronze skin bare save a breechcloth around the loins pounding rice with a long wooden pole next door are a dozen operatives making garments the latest american sewing ma chine over the rice exchange they are waving the quotations from hill to hill and peak to peak by means of flags within a stones throw at the magnificent postoffice post office building may be heard the hello of the telephone you may view within a few minutes the oldest and most primitive spin ning wheel and the latest fall river spindle the clunis clumsiest lest wooden loom 0 and the most intricate jacquard ma chine A delirium ot of work pervades the people although the chicago of japan bas has no university it has nevertheless a great many institutions of learning public and private secular and chris tian the most prominent of all Is perhaps the osaka commercial school and mission schools for both boys and girls as well as the Y M C A are all doing a grand work there churches and sunday schools also are there although they may not be prominent and are a great power for righteousness in InthIs this city eight miles square with more than inhabitants one finds the old and the new crowded together but without much contusion confusion oft 11 N i 71 7 1 wa ox 9 c zy y ft 14 f j ow X Nega castle the palace he Is responsible Is f tor or I 1 the following aphorism when rhen the people are rich ve we also ar are rc rich from robert the following ext act from robert P porters toiler toilers in nippon jap and yet tn in thia this transition era it Is sometimes difficult to distinguish the old and the new things oriental and things occidental are found cheel tn jowl in the chicago of japan |
