TheNecessityofFirmness——PerplexingMisrepresentations——GlidingwiththeStream——SuburbanResidences——TheKubotaHospital——AFormalReception——TheNormalSchool。
IarrivedhereonMondayafternoonbytheriverOmono，whatwouldhavebeentwolongdays’journeybylandhavingbeeneasilyaccomplishedinninehoursbywater。Thiswasaninstanceofformingaplanwisely，andadheringtoitresolutely！FirmnessintravellingisnowheremorenecessarythaninJapan。Idecidedsometimeago，fromMr。Brunton’smap，thattheOmonomustbenavigablefromShingoji，andaweekagotoldItotoinquireaboutit，butateachplacedifficultieshavebeenstarted。Therewastoomuchwater，therewastoolittle；therewerebadrapids，therewereshallows；itwastoolateintheyear；alltheboatswhichhadstartedlatelywerelyingaground；butatoneoftheferriesIsawinthedistanceamerchandiseboatgoingdown，andtoldItoI
shouldgothatwayandnoother。OnarrivingatShingojitheysaiditwasnotontheOmonoatall，butonastreamwithsomeverybadrapids，inwhichboatsarebrokentopieces。Lastly，theysaidtherewasnoboat，butonmysayingthatIwouldsendtenmilesforone，asmall，flat-bottomedscowwasproducedbytheTransportAgent，intowhichIto，theluggage，andmyselfaccuratelyfitted。
Itosententiouslyobserved，“Notonethinghasbeentoldusonourjourneywhichhasturnedouttrue！“Thisisnotanexaggeration。
Theusualcrowddidnotassembleroundthedoor，butprecededmetotheriver，whereitcoveredthebanksandclusteredinthetrees。
Fourpolicemenescortedmedown。Thevoyageofforty-twomileswasdelightful。Therapidswereamereripple，thecurrentwasstrong，oneboatmanalmostsleptuponhispaddle，theotheronlywoketobaletheboatwhenitwashalf-fullofwater，theshoresweresilentandpretty，andalmostwithoutpopulationtillwereachedthelargetownofAraya，whichstragglesalongahighbankforaconsiderabledistance，andafterninepeacefulhoursweturnedofffromthemainstreamoftheOmonojustattheoutskirtsofKubota，andpoledupanarrow，greenriver，fringedbydilapidatedbacksofhouses，boat-buildingyards，andraftsoftimberononeside，anddwelling-houses，gardens，anddampgreeneryontheother。Thisstreamiscrossedbyverynumerousbridges。
Igotacheerfulupstairsroomatamostfriendlyyadoya，andmythreedaysherehavebeenfullyoccupiedandverypleasant。
“Foreignfood“——agoodbeef-steak，anexcellentcurry，cucumbers，andforeignsaltandmustard，wereatonceobtained，andIfeltmy“eyeslightened“afterpartakingofthem。
KubotaisaveryattractiveandpurelyJapanesetownof36，000
people，thecapitalofAkitaken。Afinemountain，calledTaiheisan，risesaboveitsfertilevalley，andtheOmonofallsintotheSeaofJapanclosetoit。Ithasanumberofkurumas，but，owingtoheavysandandthebadnessoftheroads，theycanonlygothreemilesinanydirection。Itisatownofactivityandbrisktrade，andmanufacturesasilkfabricinstripesofblueandblack，andyellowandblack，muchusedformakinghakamaandkimonos，aspeciesofwhitesilkcrepewitharaisedwoof，whichbringsahighpriceinTokiyoshops，fusuma，andclogs。Thoughitisacastletown，itisfreefromtheusual“deadly-lively“look，andhasanairofprosperityandcomfort。Thoughithasfewstreetsofshops，itcoversagreatextentofgroundwithstreetsandlanesofpretty，isolateddwelling-houses，surroundedbytrees，gardens，andwell-trimmedhedges，eachgardenenteredbyasubstantialgateway。
Theexistenceofsomethinglikeamiddleclasswithhomeprivacyandhomelifeissuggestedbythesemilesofcomfortable“suburbanresidences。“Foreigninfluenceishardlyatallfelt，thereisnotasingleforeignerinGovernmentoranyotheremployment，andeventhehospitalwasorganisedfromthebeginningbyJapanesedoctors。
Thisfactmademegreatlydesiretoseeit，but，ongoingthereattheproperhourforvisitors，IwasmetbytheDirectorwithcourteousbutvexatiousdenial。Noforeignercouldseeit，hesaid，withoutsendinghispassporttotheGovernorandgettingawrittenorder，soIcompliedwiththesepreliminaries，and8a。m。
ofthenextdaywasfixedformyvisitIto，whoislazyaboutinterpretingforthelowerorders，butexertshimselftotheutmostonsuchanoccasionasthis，wentwithme，handsomelyclothedinsilk，asbefittedan“Interpreter，“andsurpassedallhisformerefforts。
TheDirectorandthestaffofsixphysicians，allhandsomelydressedinsilk，metmeatthetopofthestairs，andconductedmetothemanagementroom，wheresixclerkswerewriting。Heretherewasatable，solemnlycoveredwithawhitecloth，andfourchairs，onwhichtheDirector，theChiefPhysician，Ito，andIsat，andpipes，tea，andsweetmeats，wereproduced。Afterthis，accompaniedbyfiftymedicalstudents，whoseintelligentlookspromisewellfortheirsuccess，wewentroundthehospital，whichisalargetwo-
storiedbuildinginsemi-Europeanstyle，butwithdeepverandahsallround。Theupperfloorisusedforclass-rooms，andtheloweraccommodates100patients，besidesanumberofresidentstudents。
Tenisthelargestnumbertreatedinanyoneroom，andseverecasesaretreatedinseparaterooms。Gangrenehasprevailed，andtheChiefPhysician，whoisatthistimeremodellingthehospital，hasclosedsomeofthewardsinconsequence。ThereisaLockHospitalunderthesameroof。Aboutfiftyimportantoperationsareannuallyperformedunderchloroform，butthepeopleofAkitakenareveryconservative，andobjecttopartwiththeirlimbsandtoforeigndrugs。Thisconservatismdiminishesthenumberofpatients。
Theodourofcarbolicacidpervadedthewholehospital，andthereweresprayproducersenoughtosatisfyMr。Lister！AttherequestofDr。K。Isawthedressingofsomeveryseverewoundscarefullyperformedwithcarbolisedgauze，undersprayofcarbolicacid，thefingersofthesurgeonandtheinstrumentsusedbeingallcarefullybathedinthedisinfectant。Dr。K。saiditwasdifficulttoteachthestudentstheextremecarefulnesswithregardtominordetailswhichisrequiredintheantiseptictreatment，whichheregardsasoneofthegreatestdiscoveriesofthiscentury。Iwasverymuchimpressedwiththefortitudeshownbythesurgicalpatients，whowentthroughveryseverepainwithoutawinceoramoan。Eyecasesareunfortunatelyverynumerous。Dr。K。attributestheirextremeprevalencetoovercrowding，defectiveventilation，poorliving，andbadlight。
AfterourroundwereturnedtothemanagementroomtofindameallaidoutinEnglishstyle——coffeeincupswithhandlesandsaucers，andplateswithspoons。Afterthispipeswereagainproduced，andtheDirectorandmedicalstaffescortedmetotheentrance，whereweallbowedprofoundly。IwasdelightedtoseethatDr。
Kayabashi，amanunderthirty，andfreshfromTokiyo，andallthestaffandstudentswereinthenationaldress，withthehakamaofrichsilk。Itisabeautifuldress，andassistsdignityasmuchastheill-fittingEuropeancostumedetractsfromit。Thiswasaveryinterestingvisit，inspiteofthedifficultyofcommunicationthroughaninterpreter。
Thepublicbuildings，withtheirfinegardens，andthebroadroadnearwhichtheystand，withitsstone-facedembankments，areverystrikinginsuchafar-offken。AmongthefinestofthebuildingsistheNormalSchool，whereIshortlyafterwardspresentedmyself，butIwasnotadmittedtillIhadshownmypassportandexplainedmyobjectsintravelling。Thesepreliminariesbeingsettled，Mr。
TomatsuAoki，theChiefDirector，andMr。ShudeKaneNigishi，theprincipalteacher，bothlookingmorelikemonkeysthanmenintheirEuropeanclothes，lionisedme。
Thefirstwasmosttrying，forhepersistedinattemptingtospeakEnglish，ofwhichheknowsaboutasmuchasIknowofJapanese，butthelast，aftersomegrotesqueattempts，acceptedIto’sservices。
TheschoolisacommodiousEuropeanisedbuilding，threestorieshigh，andfromitsupperbalconytheviewofthecity，withitsgrayroofsandabundantgreenery，andsurroundingmountainsandvalleys，isveryfine。Theequipmentsofthedifferentclass-roomssurprisedme，especiallythelaboratoryofthechemicalclass-room，andthetrulymagnificentillustrativeapparatusinthenaturalscienceclass-room。Ganot’s“Physics“isthetextbookofthatdepartment。
ASilkFactory——EmploymentforWomen——APoliceEscort——TheJapanesePoliceForce。
Mynextvisitwastoafactoryofhandloomsilk-weavers，where180
hands，halfofthemwomen，areemployed。Thesenewindustrialopeningsforrespectableemploymentforwomenandgirlsareveryimportant，andtendinthedirectionofamuch-neededsocialreform。Thestripedsilkfabricsproducedareentirelyforhomeconsumption。
AfterwardsIwentintotheprincipalstreet，and，afteralongsearchthroughtheshops，boughtsomecondensedmilkwiththe“Eagle“brandandthelabelallright，but，onopeningit，foundittocontainsmallpelletsofabrownish，driedcurd，withanunpleasanttaste！AsIwassittingintheshop，halfstifledbythecrowd，thepeoplesuddenlyfellbacktoarespectfuldistance，leavingmebreathingspace，andamessagecamefromthechiefofpolicetosaythathewasverysorryforthecrowding，andhadorderedtwopolicementoattenduponmefortheremainderofmyvisit。Theblackandyellowuniformsweremosttrulywelcome，andsincethenIhaveescapedallannoyance。OnmyreturnIfoundthecardofthechiefofpolice，whohadleftamessagewiththehouse-
masterapologisingforthecrowdbysayingthatforeignersveryrarelyvisitedKubota，andhethoughtthatthepeoplehadneverseenaforeignwoman。
IwentafterwardstothecentralpolicestationtoinquireaboutaninlandroutetoAomori，andreceivedmuchcourtesy，butnoinformation。Thepoliceeverywhereareverygentletothepeople，——
afewquietwordsorawaveofthehandaresufficient，whentheydonotresistthem。Theybelongtothesamuraiclass，and，doubtless，theirnaturallysuperiorpositionweighswiththeheimin。Theirfacesandacertainhauteurofmannershowtheindelibleclassdistinction。TheentirepoliceforceofJapannumbers23，300educatedmenintheprimeoflife，andif30percentofthemdowearspectacles，itdoesnotdetractfromtheirusefulness。5600ofthemarestationedatYedo，asfromthencetheycanbeeasilysentwherevertheyarewanted，1004atKiyoto，and815atOsaka，andtheremaining10，000arespreadoverthecountry。Thepoliceforcecostssomethingover400，000poundsannually，andcertainlyisveryefficientinpreservinggoodorder。
Thepayofordinaryconstablesrangesfrom6to10yenamonth。AnenormousquantityofsuperfluouswritingisdonebyallofficialdominJapan，andoneusuallyseespolicemenwriting。WhatcomesofitIdon’tknow。Theyaremostlyintelligentandgentlemanly-lookingyoungmen，andforeignersintheinteriorarereallymuchindebtedtothem。IfIamatanytimeindifficultiesIapplytothem，and，thoughtheyaredisposedtobesomewhatdehautenbas，theyaresuretohelpone，exceptaboutroutes，ofwhichtheyalwaysprofessignorance。
Onthewhole，IlikeKubotabetterthananyotherJapanesetown，perhapsbecauseitissocompletelyJapaneseandhasnoairofhavingseenbetterdays。InolongercaretomeetEuropeans——
indeedIshouldgofaroutofmywaytoavoidthem。IhavebecomequiteusedtoJapaneselife，andthinkthatIlearnmoreaboutitintravellinginthissolitarywaythanIshouldotherwise。I。L。
