神戸とその周辺

37. Kobe and Neighborhood.

Arrival. The Sannomiya Station (Pl. D, 2) at the N.E. edge of the onetime Foreign Settlement, is where travelers usually leave the train unless they are bound for the Japanese section of Kobe (in which case see the Kobe Station, Pl. C, 2) or Hyogo (Hyogo Station, Pl. B, 3). The Sannomiya Station is a 5 min. walk from the Oriental Hotel. Give baggage checks to the hotel runner.

Steamship Landing. Some ships come alongside the Hatoba, or American Pier, at the W. end of the Bund, 2 min. walk from the Oriental Hotel. Others anchor in the bay and land passengers at the pier. Ships of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha Line customarily arrive at and leave from the Eastern Pier (Pl. D-E, 3).

The customs examination of baggage is prompt, courteous, and lenient. Read the remarks under Imperial Japanese Customs House.

Taxicabs ply for hire and meet trains. The hotel motor-cars usually are the best, and the traveler can be assured of prompt and efficient service by telephoning ahead and having one of the hotel cars meet him on arrival. The hotel runner will take care of his luggage and deliver it promptly and safely to his room. Jinrikis sometimes are available, but where there are two or more in a party they are apt to be more expensive and not as serviceable as the motor-car.

The hotel cars (good models, well kept up) customarily have English-speaking drivers, which is desirable on country trips. Tourists contemplating such trips, to Osaka, Kyoto, Amanohashidate and other places, will do well to seek the advice of the hotel manager; who can always save him time and money. Mr. Y. Shimada, the genial managing director of the Oriental Hotel, is an enthusiastic motorist, speaks English well, knows every foot of the country for many miles around, and will gladly help the visitor make his plans.

Hotels. *Oriental Hotel (Cable & Tel. address: 'Oriental, Kobe'), a stately, palatial, modern, splendidly equipped and ably managed establishment (one of the best, most widely known, and liked hotels in the Far East) popular with travelers of all nations, occupies an enviable situation on the Bund (see the plan, D, 2), a few hundred feet from the sea, near the Steamship Landing, the best banks, the various consulates and shops, the post-office, railway station and what-not. It is a handsome, steel, stone, marble and brick, fireproof structure (recently remodeled), with all the best fitments and conveniences of the best American hotel (telephones, electric fans, thermos bottles, etc., in every room), with excellent private baths, a delightful flower-crowned, Spanish-style patio or lobby; exceptionally large, airy, comfortable, high-ceilinged rooms (beguiling views from those facing the sea), the largest ballroom in Japan (dances, theatrical performances, moving pictures and other entertainments), one of the best orchestras (music at meals, afternoon teas, etc.) and a dining-room (under the supervision of an experienced foreign chef) famous throughout the Orient for its excellent service and food (excelled by no hotel in the Far East for quality and quantity). Famous Wine Cellars.

The Oriental Hotel is the center of the most select social life of the port, both Japanese and foreign. The exceptionally attractive lobby is a famous meeting point for the tides of travel that flow ceaselessly round the world. Their mingling here is a picturesque sight to the lover of the unusual and bizarre in human costuming, and is one not soon forgotten. The many special charms and comforts of this exceptionally good hotel are widely known.

The Managing Director, Mr. Y. Shimada, is a hotelman of wide experience and knowledge of the requirements of discriminating foreign travelers. Skilled in the art of making friends and making his guests comfortable. The Manager, Mr. Harvey C. Street, and the Assistant Manager, Mr. S. Kema, are known to a host of world travelers, and both are experienced in the business of running a first-class hotel. Reservations by letter, telegraph, or telephone can be arranged with any of the foregoing. Descriptive booklets free on request. Mr. Mori, and Mr. Nishizaki, Room Clerks. Member of the Japan Hotel Association. Recommended.

The Oriental Hotel Rates are on the American Plan only (which in-

cludes, in this case, room and meals, afternoon tea, etc.). 12 to 18 yen for a single room with private bath; and from 15 to 32 yen for a double room with private bath. Cheaper for rooms without bath.

The Hotel Motor-Cars are super-excellent, with trustworthy, English-speaking drivers. Excursions can be planned to any point, at moderate rates. Popular excursions are to Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Takaradzuka, Arima, Amanohashidate, etc. Sight-seeing tours around the city at 5 yen per hour. The hotel cars and runners meet trains.

The Travel Bureau of Thos. Cook & Son, in the hotel lobby, will aid the traveler to see what is best worth seeing in the city and its environs quickly and with the least expenditure of time and money.

The *Tor Hotel (Tel. add. 'Tor Kobe') a popular, well-appointed, modern hotel picturesquely situated in the midst of fine and extensive grounds in the

N. section of the port (Pl. D, 1) at the foot of the Kobe Hills, at the top of Nakayamate-dori, about 1 1/2 M. from the Sannomiya Rly. Station, overlooks the city and harbor, caters to transient and permanent guests, is a member of the Japan Hotel Association, is ably managed, and is well spoken of. Good food and service at moderate prices (on application). Recommended. Mr. A. Mildner, Manager.

Japanese Restaurants. There is an attractive restaurant on the 6th floor of the Daimaru Department Store, where good coffee, American apple-pie and similar home-style goodies can be had (no tips allowed, English spoken) at moderate prices. Superb views. — The Kikusui, near the Kencho, has a bizarre interior, is one of the show places of the port, and makes a specialty of sukiyaki and other native dishes.

Railway Tickets, Time tables, etc., can be had of Thomas Cook & Son (office in the Oriental Hotel lobby), of the Japan Tourist Bureau, on Kaigan-dori 1-chome, or of the Information Bureau in the Daimaru Department Store, on Akashi-machi.

Steamship Offices. The offices of the chief lines cluster near the Oriental Hotel. That of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha (or N.Y.K. Line; Tel. add. 'Yusen, Kobe'), is on the Bund, facing the American Hatoba (or Landing Pier). See the Plan facing page 620. — The Canadian Pacific Offices (Tel. add. 'Citamprag, Kobe') are at No. 7, Harimamachi (opposite the main entrance to the Oriental Hotel). — The Peninsular & Oriental Line (P. &

O.) Agents are Mackinnon Mackenzie & Co. (Tel. add. 'Peninsular'), 109 Ito-machi. The Osaka Shosen Kaisha Office (Tel. add. 'Shosen') is next door to the O. Hotel. — The Dollar, and American Mail Lines are next door to the C.P.R. Offices, overlooking the Bund. The offices of the other lines are near by. Consult the Hotel Manager or the local directory.

Kobe is the port of call for all the big lines, and is the starting point for various lines (N.Y.K.; O.S.K., etc.) plying to Inland Sea Points, Formosa, North and South China, South Manchuria, Australia, etc.

The Post- and Telegraph-offices are in the Post-office Building on Nishimachi (Pl. D, 2). Travelers customarily prefer to send letters and telegrams from the hotel, where stamps, etc., are on sale. Radiograms for America, Europe, etc. should be marked via I.Y.A. (which is the Imperial Government Line, see the special reference under Telegraphs).

Consulates (for passports and other purposes). Many countries maintain consulates in Kobe. Most of them are near the Oriental Hotel. The British Consulate is next door, in the Osaka Shosen Kaisha Bldg. The American Consulate is at No. 83 (see the Plan). As locations are apt to change, the traveler is referred to the local directory or the hotel information bureau.

Banks, where money (see Exchange) can be exchanged, travelers' cheques, drafts, etc., cashed. Many of the big banks have branches here, and the traveler unacquainted with the intricacies of foreign exchange is strongly urged to confine his financial operations to them. The most popular of the American Banks is the National City Bank of New York (successors to the International Banking Corporation); Shintaku Building.

The best and strongest among the many Japanese banks is the Yokohama Specie Bank Ltd., in Sakayemachi-dori. The best known of the English banks is the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corpo. No. 2, Bund. The Bank of Formosa has a branch here. See the Settlement Plan.

Clubs. The Kobe Club is the largest of the local clubs and is at 14,

Kano-cho, 6-chome. International. Special courtesies to strangers. Consult a local friend regarding the regulations. There are 2 score or more Clubs and Associations, for the addresses of which consult the Chronicle Directory. The American Association of Kobe is in the American Consulate Building.

Drinking Water. While the Kobe water is in good repute, the traveler easily influenced by the medicinal content of water to which he is unaccustomed, may wish to drink it only after it has been boiled. The Clifford-Wilkinson Tansan Water bottled at the near-by Takaradzuka Spring (p. 629) and favorably known throughout the world for its exceptional purity, is very generally used in Kobe (and throughout the East), in the hotels and private homes, and is unreservedly recommended. Like all good things it is grossly counterfeited, and the traveler who wishes to be on the safe side is advised to see that the label bears the Clifford Wilkinson name. The pure costs no more than the spurious.

It can be had ‘still’ or uncharged; ‘charged’ or sparkling; and as Dry, and Standard Ginger Ale, Lemonade, and Sarsaparilla. It unquestionably is the purest Table Water bottled in the Orient. See Health. The traveler can assure himself of the justice of the contention, at the same time enjoy a very delightful outing, and visit one of the most famous Mineral Springs of the world (and the most celebrated Spa in Japan), by making the short Excursion described at p. 629. Visitors are welcome at the Spring, and may drink all the water they can hold. Many famous people have left their autographs in the Visitor’s Register.

The Kobe Office of the company (F. V. Walker, director and manager) is in Kyomachi, No. 27.

Doctors & Dentists. Dr. F. Barker (English), physician, 83 Kyomachi. Dr. K. Kudo (Japanese), graduate from American Dental College. Next door to J. L. Thompson & Co. Drug-store. Both highly spoken of.

Newspapers & Directories. The Editorial Rooms of the excellent (widely read and circulated) Japan Chronicle (daily, morning, in English) are at No. 65 Naniwamachi. The Chronicle Directory is kept up to date and contains the names of residents, etc., in the chief cities of the empire. Price 8 yen post-paid.

Photographers. The best among the several good Japanese photographers is S. Ichida (H. Kawashima, Manager, speaks English), 287 Motomachi 2-chome. Excellent portraits at lower prices than those of the U.S. Caters to foreign trade, and is much patronized by the foreign community. Good work. Developing, printing, etc.

Photographic Supplies, at the Daimaru, and J. L. Thompson & Co., see below.

Kobe Shops. Kobe (with Kyoto) is the best (and cheapest) shopping center in Western Japan, and experienced travelers often contrive to make their chief purchases there. Many of the beautiful things sold in other parts of Japan are made in Kobe (or Kyoto) and shipped thence. Certain of the stores are incredibly old, with an unsullied reputation for quality and fair dealing that goes back centuries! The Daimaru Department Store was founded (in Kyoto) 300 years ago, and at present is conducted by sons of the 16th generation! A deep and abiding pride in the beauty and quality of their products is the paramount characteristic of these age-old establishments, where every effort is made to maintain their enviable character, and satisfy their clients.

The widely and favorably known Department Store of Lane, Crawford & Co. is as old as Kobe, and is to Western Japan what Whiteaway Laidlaw is to India and the Straits Settlements. The long established firm of J. L. Thompson & Co. (Chemists, Books, Stationers, etc.) dates from the earliest years of the Settlement, and is as much a part of it as the hills behind it and the harbor in front!

Special Note: Stores like the Daimaru (English spoken in all departments) always carry in stock a wide range of kimono material and garments in the piece from which Japanese women of taste choose and have the garment made to fit them. In this way the stylish woman gets what she wants in the matter of quality, size, color, and design; she has a lining put in to accord with the outside; she orders her monogram or crest embroidered on the article, and she impresses it with her own ideas of style and individuality.

The woman with a little time can have many dainty Silken things made in the Dressmaking Department of such a store, each with her own monogram, and usually at prices lower than she would pay for inferior things in small shops where rayon is not unknown. A few days only are required for made-to-order things, and if one cannot wait till they are finished, the post-office will bring them quickly and safely to wherever one may be. Lane, Crawford & Co. stock European and American goods chiefly, and make up garments according to the best English and American standards. Both stores are highly reputable, and are unequivocally recommended.

American men forced to wear the unshrunken, short-sleeved, cuffless, bobtailed and generally all-round pinchy, custom-made shirts sold in American haberdasheries for full-size garments, will find immense relief in the made-to-order (or even custom-made) shirts obtainable in the Daimaru or the Lane, Crawford & Co., Dressmaking Departments. Always they are of fine, strong, native silk or cotton crepe (or imported Irish linen), beautifully finished, each with a monogram, and each generously made to the dimensions required. They cost considerably less than made-to-order shirts at home; they wear better; and they are always better finished. A few days only are required to make a dozen or so. The same remarks apply to pyjamas and other articles of wear.

Silks, Embroideries, Dress Materials, Underwear, Shawls, etc., in fine and wide variety. Daimaru Department Store, Akashimachi. Lane, Crawford & Co., 37 Nakamachi. See the Settlement Plan.

Men’s Furnishings, Haberdashery, Shirts, Hats, Shoes, Underwear, etc. Lane, Crawford & Co., and the Daimaru, as above. Both have Hat-Cleaning Departments.

Travelers' Luggage (suit-cases, duffle-bags, shawl-straps, steamer rugs, etc.) The Daimaru, and Lane, Crawford & Co., as above.

Cigars, Cigarettes, Tobaccos (English, American, etc.), J. L. Thompson & Co., Kaigan-dori, The Daimaru, and Lane, Crawford & Co., as above.

Pith Helmets, Burberry Rain Coats, and many things used by Colonials can be obtained of Lane, Crawford & Co.

Drug Store. J. L. Thompson & Co., on Kaigandori 1-chome; 2 minutes' walk from the Oriental Hotel. Excellent line of American and English Toilet specialties (soaps, perfumes, druggist's sundries, smoker's articles, shaving materials, safety razors, etc.). Certified chemists. Preferred by the foreign residents and the Japanese. The best store of its class in the Far East. See the Settlement Plan.

Book Store. J. L. Thompson & Co. (see above). Extensive line of the latest and best English and American books, magazines, etc. The finest collection of old (rare, valuable, out of print) books on Japan to be found in the country. Book-lovers and collectors should ask to see this collection, as it contains volumes one will find nowhere else outside of libraries and museums. The scholarly manager of the store (Mr. H. J. Griffiths) is a collector of rare merit, and a supplier of rare volumes to many of the great libraries of the world. The traveler will find much to interest him in Chamberlain's Things Japanese, which is full of information about Japanese life, and makes delightful reading.

Candies, Chocolates (American, English), etc., at J. L. Thompson & Co.; Lane, Crawford & Co., and the Daimaru Department Store.

Markets. One of the most interesting and picturesque of the local markets lies within 3 min. walks of the Oriental Hotel, in the heart of the city, but so tucked away that the stranger usually is unconscious of it, and passes it by. It consists of a long, curving lane scarcely 15 ft. wide that can be entered from Motomachi, Sakayemachi, or (preferably) at the right side of the Chosen Bank that faces Nishimachi (see the Settlement Plan). Here, a few yards from the busy street, one suddenly finds oneself in another atmosphere; a sort of Gypsy Fair and Peddler's Paradise combined, where the tiny shops display an infinity of bizarre things ranging from birdseed and pinchbeck fallals to such a squirming medley of astonishing sea creatures that one never tires of examining them.

Golf Links & Clubs. Kobe has the finest Golf Courses in Japan; two of them are perhaps unequalled anywhere. Mr. Y. Shimada, the managing director of the Oriental Hotel, besides being an enthusiastic golfer is one of

the most expert in Japan, and he will gladly assist the hotel guests in their

golfing plans. There is a Practice Putting Green on the Roof Garden of the Hotel, and clubs can be obtained from the Room Clerk. The chief courses near Kobe are:

The Naruo Links, 8 M. from Kobe, on a commanding ridge 600 ft. above the plain, with a magnificent view of Akashi Strait, and the entrance to the famed Inland Sea. Free from fog throughout the year. 18 holes. 6030 yards long. Par 72. — The Ibaraki Links are 18 M. from Kobe, 6260 yds. long, with 18 holes. Par 72. — The Maiko Golf Club & Links are 10 M. from Kobe, 2700 yds. long, with 9 holes.

The *Rokko, or Rokkosan Golf Links & Club-house, the property of the Kobe Golf Club, are on the irregular summit of Rokko Mt., 3000 ft. above Kobe, with views that are stupendous. One of the finest courses of the world. 18 holes. 3750 yards long. Like the above-mentioned courses, it is practicable by motor-car (30 min. from Kobe). The ride up through the hills, over a good road, past lovely waterfalls, pretty villages and ravines, is charming. It makes a delightful excursion for others than golfers, for the views from Rokkosan are unrivalled for their beauty and extensiveness. The air is exceptionally pure. The commemorative monument is to Mr. Arthur H. Groom, who established the club and links in 1890. A number of attractive country villas (besso) dot the mt. side. Furnished cottages can sometimes be rented for the summer season. Detailed information regarding the region can be obtained from the Oriental Hotel management. The 48 spring-fed ponds on the summit of Rokko afford swimming in summer and skating in winter.

Arima and the Tansan Mineral Springs at Takaradzuka (see p. 629) can be included in the Rokkosan trip.

Excursions. The excursions possible from Kobe are so many, so varied and so beautiful, that one does not know which to choose or where to stop. A host of attractive spots lie within easy walking distance of the port, and the paths to them lead over hills from whose easily scaled summits one gets the most marvelous views imaginable. Some of them are breath-taking in their immensity. Gorgeous wild flowers in spring and summer; more flowers and more wonderful tints later in the year; graceful waterfalls that flow into, and fall out of, ferny dells too lovely to describe, and picturesque gorges idealized by tiny tea-houses so placed that one looks downward into a green infinity, are some of the permanent features of these Edenic places.

In the higher pockets of the hills winter covers the slopes with snow that affords skiing, locks the ponds into skating rinks, and converts the picturesque pine trees into a white fantasy that enthralls the Japanese artists by its beauty.

Many travelers make Kobe the center from which to make trips to Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Amanohashidate, and other places. The trolley trip from Osaka to Nara via the Daiki Electric Rly. should not be missed. Likewise the short but highly interesting trip to Takaradzuka; the unforgettable trip through the Inland Sea (Osaka Shosen Kaisha steamers) to Beppu; that to Formosa (Nippon Yusen Kaisha steamers) and other places. The latter line, along with the Osaka Shosen Kaisha, runs excellent ships between Kobe and South Manchuria, to Korean ports, to China, etc. The Nippon Yusen Kaisha's Express Line to Shanghai is popular and is particularly recommended.

Kobe, or Kobe-Hyogo (as it is sometimes miscalled), a busy, rapidly expanding city (pop. 650,000) at the head of Osaka Bay, in Settsu Province, Hyogo-ken, is 5th in point of size in the Empire, and is one of the cleanest, most progressive and attractive cities (376 M. from Tokyo) in Japan. It is finely situated on the N.W. shore of its broad harbor, in lat. 34° 41' N. and in long. 135° 11' E. of Greenwich. Prior to 1868, when the old native town of Hyogo was opened to foreign trade and residence, the E. quarter, where the handsome, westernized city of Kobe now stands, was the site of three rambling suburban villages, Hashudo, Futatsuchaya, and Kobe. Hyogo was an ancient port when the Portuguese landed in Japan in 1542, and history mentions it in A.D. 743 (under the name Owada-Tomari) as a thriving fishing-port. Taira-no-Kiyomori brought it prominently into the foreground when he made it the royal residence for a brief period in 1181, but it attained to no real commercial importance until 1868, when the first British merchants settled therein. From that period its growth was rapid. Fortunately for the new colony, British influence and the English genius for colonizing and organization were paramount and to this fact unquestionably is due the city's permanent advancement and its present status. It now threatens to absorb all the surrounding country.

Kobe and Hyogo were long separated by a dusty trickle referred to as the Minato River and spanned by short bridges, but they were united politically in 1878, and physically at a later period. The early English and American settlers cooperated and worked for its enhancement to such purpose that ere long it became known as the 'Model Settlement.' Its clean, tree-shaded streets, its handsome buildings, its phenomenal commercial activity and its magnificent environment combine to confirm its title as the finest 'foreign' city in Japan. It is the best and most significant example in the country of what a few hundred intelligent foreigners and Japanese, imbued with civic ideals and a spirit of helpfulness, can make of a nondescript, decadent port with only a good climate and a superb situation to recommend it.

The amalgamated city occupies a long, narrow strip of land flanked on the S. by the sea and on the N. by a densely wooded range of lofty and splendidly uneven hills (referred to locally as the 'Kobe Alps'), down whose ravines plunge lovely waterfalls, and from whose summits are obtainable views so grand and so extensive that one is held spellbound by their beauty. The far-famed Inland Sea — most beautiful of marine prospects in Japan — stretches away southwestward, and when the wide bay is flecked with white-sailed junks standing in the offing and making for, or emerging from, the entrance, the sight is singularly beguiling. The Tokaido Rly., from (375 M.) Tokyo, (357 M.) Yokohama, and (47 M.) Kyoto enters the

city from the east, and after passing through both settlements goes westward (as the Sanyo Line) to (329 M.) Shimonoseki, then to (567 M.) Kagoshima, and (493 M.) Nagasaki, on Kyushu Island. As the commercial head of all the Japanese ports, Kobe's statistical returns show the annual imports and exports to be more than 50% of the total trade of the rest of the Empire.

The traveler interested in knowing the exact value (which is apt to change between editions of the Guidebook) of the incoming and outgoing trade of Kobe and Hyogo is referred to the latest issue of the Japan Year Book, or to the trade returns published by the local authorities. English versions of the reports can be had on application, or statistics can be obtained from the Japan Tourist Bureau, the main office of which is in the Central Railway Station in Tokyo (see page 109).

The number of ships which anchor each year in the broad and placid harbor (which will permit ships of 20,000 tons to moor inside) is increasing so steadily that harbor improvements involving foreshore reclamation, the deepening of the bay, the increasing of the area (of 1715 acres), and the addition of three detached breakwaters with a combined length of nearly 3 miles and to cost 9 million yen, are under construction. In the 1500 manufacturing plants scattered throughout the city (many small home workshops) 25,000 industrious people make articles that are exported to the uttermost ends of the earth. In the 32 match-factories employing 5334 workmen, safety matches worth 10 million yen are made each year and shipped to the Asiatic littoral. Whale-Oil, Tea, Sake, Vegetable Wax, Refined Camphor (see Rte. 52), Peppermint-Oil, Agar-agar, or isinglass (kanten) made from seaweed (and exported to China), Pearl buttons (made from sea-shells brought from the Loochoo, and the South Sea Islands), Straw-Matting, Toothbrushes, and Porcelain and Earthenwares of various provinces, figure largely among the picturesque exports. Tucked away somewhere in the city is an obscure printing-office where 'old' postage-stamps are made with such fidelity to the originals that the shrewdest traveler is apt to be deceived into buying them. Among the important manufacturing interests is the huge Kawasaki Dockyard Company, on the W. shore of the bay, one of the largest in Japan, with 3000 workmen. A varied assortment of machinery, and ships up to 20,000 tons burden, are made here, as well as in the almost equally large Mitsubishi Dockyard & Engine Works. The Kanegafuchi Spinning-Mill is considered a model of its kind. From the first-named dockyard (says the Japan Chronicle) 'battleships as massive and murderous as any floated by the most Christian and civilized nations in the West, are builded and launched. Where 40 yrs. ago wooden junks and sampans were being built, there are now dockyards where steamships of all classes and sizes are constructed, from tub-like tramps to turbined torpedo-boats,

This transformation is typical of what is going on right round the coast of Osaka Bay. The dawn is no longer poetically heralded by the deep booming of the temple bell, but by the shrill blasts of steam hooters and sirens whose strident notes fall discordantly upon the ears of those whom they awaken, and remorselessly upon the ears of those whom they summon to the daily task in factory or workshop.... On every side there are indications of a steady development of industrial and commercial activity, and though lovers of the picturesque may bemoan the fact that one-time moss-grown shrines and torii are now soot-begrimed from the surrounding factories, it remains an incontrovertible fact that smoking factory chimneys are much more valuable as a national asset in these prosaic days than the most mossy of temples or the most mystic of shrines.'

Despite its commercialism, none more than the Kobe people strive to retain the picturesqueness which characterizes the port. Though its 41 banks are indications of modernism, its 90 Buddhist temples and 74 Shinto shrines remain to impart a pleasing ecclesiastical flavor to the city. The booming temple bells still compete with the ear-splitting steam whistles of the 'foreign devils,' and the satisfying tenets of Buddhism are preached side by side with those of the Occidental Christians. There are several foreign churches, 6 comfortable clubs, 28 public and private hospitals, numerous libraries, a Chamber of Commerce (established in 1887), and a host of Common, Technical, Commercial, and other schools in which 3300 Chinese students are learning what it means to live and grow up in a civilized community. Kobe's excellent foreign hotels, the beauty of its surrounding hills, the never-fading charm of its sea views, its balmy climate, and the purity and dryness of its air are fast converting it into a sort of open-air sanatorium for the sun-baked, wilted residents of Manila, Hongkong, and the Chinese littoral. Few Japanese ports have so many places of beauty and interest near by, and few offer more creature comforts to the tourist seeking such. Days or even weeks may be spent contentedly, according to one's temperament. The social life among the foreigners (who are hospitable to a fault) is delightful, and the recollections one carries away of the city and its people are not soon forgotten. Many of the streets of the Settlement are shaded by fine old acacias, maples, pines, willows, and flowering specimens of the Paulownia imperialis. A massive sea-wall runs along the attractive foreign Bund, and the luxurious houses which stand back from it impart an air of prosperity and solidity not always features of Japanese ports. Many of the foreigners dwell in flower-embowered houses high poised on the wooded ridge behind the city, and the seascapes visible from the glassed-in balconies are replete with charm. — The promontory at the S. edge of the city and bay, where the lighthouse stands, is the Wada Misaki. The Kawasaki spit

divides the two harbors. — The gray granite monument in the Recreation Ground commemorates Alexander Cameron Sim (b. 1840; d. 1900), a public-spirited Scotchman who was a prominent figure in the upbuilding of the port.

The temples and shrines in Kobe are inferior to those of Kyoto, but are worth seeing by the traveler who may not have seen those of the latter place. — The Nanko Jinja (or Nankosha), a Shinto shrine (Pl. C, 2) near the center of the city, founded in 1871 and dedicated to Kusunoki Masashige, stands in spacious grounds where there are usually a host of peep-shows, itinerant peddlers, etc. Two spirited bronze horses repose in front of the shrine, where at certain times one may witness impressive Shinto ceremonies conducted by priests in mediaeval robes. The big machine-gun in the yard is a relic of the Japan-Russia War. On May 25, when the anniversary of Masashige's death (b. 1294; d. 1336) is celebrated, the place is thronged, and special festivities are conducted.

The Bronze Daibutsu, a huge seated figure of Buddha 48 ft. high and 85 ft. in circumference, erected by Nanjo Shobei (a paper manufacturer of Hyogo) in 1891, in the Nofukuji Temple grounds at Kita-Sakasekawa-machi (Pl. B, 3), near the Hyogo rly. station (1 1/4 M. from the Oriental Hotel), is without artistic merit and is decidedly inferior to the fine Daibutsu at Kamakura. The facial expression lacks spirituality. The caretaker dwells in a cubby-hole at the rear where swinging bronze doors admit one (fee, 3 sen) to the interior of the statue. The gilded figurine of Amida at one of the interior shrines is said to be over 300 yrs. old. The small bronze figure (Tanjo Shaka) of a nude infant, supposed to represent Buddha at birth, is greatly reverenced; the right hand pointing upward, and the left downward, symbolize his power over heaven and earth. The trashy wood figures attributed to Unkei are perhaps by some local carpenter. The English-speaking guide who sometimes gratuitously attaches himself to foreigners hereabouts conducts a curio-store near by, and is out for business. A 5 min. walk farther along the street brings one to

The Shinkoji (Pl. B, 3), in the yard of which is an attractive seated bronze figure of Buddha with a Hebraic cast of features. Buddhists throughout Japan know the temple for its association with the bonze Ochi Michihide (or Ippen-Shonin; b. 1239; d. 1289), who in his youth successively studied under priests of the Tendai, Jodo, and Nembutsu sects, and who afterwards traveled through the provinces trying to gain adherents for a new doctrine which he named the Ji-shu. On account of his peregrinations the people dubbed him Yugyo-Shonin, or the Traveling Bonze; he died here, and in 1886 received the posthumous title Ensho-Daishi. A little farther along, diagonally across the street, and standing a bit back therefrom, is a ruinous 13-story Pagoda, the Jusanso-sekito, 26 ft. high.

The Ikuta Jinsha, a gay little Shrine with a striking gateway, a pond, a bronze horse and numerous buildings approached through a succession of stone torii in the N.E. quarter of the port (Pl. D, 2), is said to have been founded by the Empress Jingo in A.D. 200 (which is doubtful).

The shrine is dedicated to the goddess Waka-hime-no-Mikoto and is much revered by the proletariat. On Sundays and holidays the grounds are usually thronged with picturesquely clad people.

Venus Hill and Suwayama Park, a high spot at the back of the port (Pl. D, 1), is one of the closest and easiest reached of the many delightful places in the near-by hills, and it should be visited for its picturesqueness and for the thrilling views obtainable from the summit of the hill (2 hours there and back, on foot, from the Oriental Hotel). The hill owes its name to the French astronomers who (from a point midway to the summit; commemorative granite shaft) observed (Dec. 9, 1874) a Transit of Venus.

Proceed to the entrance of the Tor Hotel Grounds (Pl. D, 1), turn sharp left, follow the picturesque street to the (3 min.) foot of the hill, and ascend one of the several stone-flagged walks. Note the splendid granite walls that hold some of the zigzag paths in place. At the esplanade where the shaft is, are some seats, a cool kiosk, tea houses, etc. Popular with the townspeople. Near by is a pretty little shrine dedicated to Inari (see p. 437). Shaded walks (no dizzy places) beneath handsome pine trees lead to the summit. Here there is a smaller esplanade where, as their children play, parents gaze out in silent awe at the stupendous panorama exposed below. Miles and miles of houses and streets; blue sea and ships swinging at their anchors; unguessed reaches of the adorable Inland Sea, and a far and faint horizon are the chief features. Behind one are tumbled hills between which are deep, silent, pine-shaded gorges criss-crossed by cool lanes that lead to sequestered places. One is never without company on a walk hence, as the spot is the chosen resort of quiet, thoughtful folks who love the wonderful in nature and here silently enjoy one of the finest prospects it can offer.

The summit is a popular place for picnics on Sundays and holidays. The traveler should select a clear day for his excursion, as the views will then be more far-reaching.

The *Nunobiki Waterfall (Pl. E, 1) which plunges down from the hills (1 1/4 M. from the Oriental Hotel; 30 min. walk; tram-car) at the N.E. limit of the city, is one of the most delightful spots in the vicinity. The road (Nonosiki-cho) leads

1 The many waterfalls (taki) of this name in Japan is accounted for by the fact that Nunobiki means 'spreading cotton cloth on the ground for bleaching,' and suggests falling water. It is often used as a 'pillow-word' — a meaningless expression prefixed in Japanese to other words for the sake of euphony.

left from the N. end of the Recreation Ground, and continues through the native quarter, passing on its way a number of small kilns where porcelain may be seen in the process of making. At the foot of the hill the path bends to the left, then zigzags up the cliff. Signs point the way, and splendid views unfold themselves in retrospect as one ascends. The lower (me-daki, or female fall) is 43 ft. high; the upper (o-dake, or male fall) is 80 ft. and it tumbles over a perpendicular granite wall into a green swirling pool in a fine gorge. The customary tea-house sits astride the point whence the best views are obtainable, but one can get fairly good ones by climbing a trifle higher up. The trail which follows the stream round to the left beyond the upper fall leads (10 min.) to the gigantic retaining-wall that forms one side of the reservoir holding Kobe's water-supply. A still higher road rounds the profile of the hill to (1 1/2 M.) Futatabi-san, with an old Buddhist temple, the Tairyu-ji, said to date from the 8th cent. and dedicated to Kobo-Daishi (the founder of Koya-san). A somewhat roughish trail goes (right) over the shoulder of Maya-san (see below) to Rokkosan.

The *Maya-san Temple can be included with Nunobiki in a forenoon walk by following the forest path down at the right of the point immediately above the tea-house at the upper fall, then through Kumochi village to the main road. In summer the small sequestered gardens hereabout flame with bright flowers, and the dewy dingles down which the numerous whimpering streamlets slither are beautiful with reddening maples. Good walkers will choose the upper road, near the crest of the ridge, as the views for about a mile along the terrace following the contour of the hills are superb. — From the hotel one may take a jinriki (consult the hotel manager, and see p. 619) or proceed in a tram-car to Higure-dori, then turn left and walk to the foot of the hill. Hence to the terrace on which the temple stands is a 1 hr. walk. The first half is up through a picturesque gorge where an excellent gray granite flecked with black spots is quarried. The highroad is usually thronged on Sundays with people decked in their best, going to or coming from the temple. The scores of tiny paper prayers stuck in the earth are petitions to the tutelar deity. Several small shrines, numerous tea-houses, and not a few whining beggars mark the upward course, the last half of which (1/2 hr.) is through a lovely forest of maples, pines, and unusually lofty cryptomerias. Stones and tree-roots take the place of steps in many places. The temple belongs to the Shingon sect of Buddhists, is called Tenjoji (but is better known locally as the Moon Temple), and occupies the site of an original fane erected in 645 A.D. by Hodo-Sennin. It stands on an artificial terrace at the top of several long flights of (341) steps, at a point several hundred feet below the summit (2450 ft.) of the hill. The views from the flagged atrium are entrancing, and are worth going

many miles to see. From this great elevation the wide Osaka Bay seems tipped on one edge, and the junks and steamships that furrow its blue surface resemble flies creeping along a cerulean curtain hung against the distant mts. Few of the panoramas in this spectacular country are finer or more fascinating. Several refreshment stands, a big stone laver half-encircled by a bronze dragon, and numerous fine bronze figures dispute the restricted space with the fane. Upward of 300,000 persons come hither each year to worship a small carved wood figure (not shown) of Maya Bunin (Buddha's mother), said to have been brought from China (in the 9th cent.) by Kobo-Daishi. Pictures purporting to be like the image are sold at the temple for 1 sen. At the great annual festival (movable feast, usually Aug.) many thousands of devotees visit the temple, chiefly at night. Each carries a lighted paper lantern, and the procession as it climbs the hill is strikingly picturesque. Whosoever ascends at this time is supposed to acquire merit that lasts through life. The return to the hotel can be made in 1 1/4 hr. by walking to the tram station and boarding the car there. Or by using the Maya Cable Railway down to the foot of the mt., and one of the Kobe street cars running from the cable station to the center of the port.

The Maya Cable Railway, a strong cable line similar to that up Hiei-zan, at Kyoto (and to that which runs up Mt. Ikoma to the Hozanji Temple at the summit, see Excursions from Osaka), is in operation and is much used. Travelers who so desire can proceed by street car, or by one of the motor-cars of the Oriental Hotel, to the Cable Station at the foot of the mt., and from the upper terminus (a trifle over half-way up to the temple; 6 min. ride; safe) walk the remaining half mile.

Rokkosan can be approached from this direction by a good walker with plenty of time and a willingness to overlook minor difficulties en route. But the trip up by motor-car, from Kobe direct, will be found much more satisfactory.

*Arima (1400 ft.), a popular resort 4 M. N. of Rokkosan (9 M. over the hills from Kobe), is beautifully situated amid picturesque mts. and is known for its good hotel (Arima Hotel, ¥5 a day and upward; English spoken; open all the year); its iron-impregnated springs (warm, steel-blue, chalybeate waters; odorless, strongly saline and astringent to the taste); its good baths (cold springs of colorless water impregnated with free carbonic acid and sulphuretted hydrogen); its fine maples (in autumn), and its Arima baskets. The latter are made (in numerous small home work-shops) of several varieties of bamboo grown in the neighborhood — chiefly the matake ('real bamboo') and the black variety known as hachiku. After being

carefully polished with a special sand found in the vicinity the finished product (of many shapes) is stained a rich maroon and sold (many exported) at reasonable prices. One method of reaching Arima is by train (Tokaido Rly.) to (15 M.) Kan-

zaki Station (1/2 hr.) thence (over the Fukuchiyama Line of the Gov't Rlys.) to (12 M. in 1/2 hr.) Namase (with hot springs), whence it is a beautiful 6 M. walk (uphill, good going, 1 1/2 hrs.) through scenery which is more European than Japanese. If the traveler will write ahead or telephone, the hotel manager will have a motor-car or a jinriki waiting at the station. From Sanda Station (10 M. farther up the rly. line where travelers returning from Amanohashidate should alight), the (6 M.) road to the hotel is flat, but is not so wild or picturesque as that from Namase. There are a number of pretty waterfalls and scores of attractive walks in the neighborhood. The summer climate is cool, and the several mineral springs are reputed to be efficacious in rheumatic and other ailments.

Perhaps the most popular way is by motor-car from Kobe (round trip 3-4 hours, including an hour for luncheon at the Arima Hotel) via Nishinomiya and Takaradzuka. This is, in fact, one of the most delightfully picturesque of all the short (24 M. going, to Arima; 15 M. return) motor trips from Kobe. Few trips in Japan, of such brief duration, offer so much variety and diversified scenery, an additional advantage being that it allows one the time and opportunity to inspect the famous Tansan Mineral Springs (described hereinbelow) and to drink all the water (visitors cordially welcomed) one may wish to from the very source of the spring. The register, in which visitors are asked to sign their names, contains many famous autographs.

The best scenery begins beyond Takaradzuka. At the far corner of the compound enclosing the Tansan Springs the road turns sharply up at the left then follows the wide and tortuous valley of the Namake River. The roadbed is excellent, and the gradient ascends now gently, now sharply, between

graceful, wooded hills. Here one may observe to good advantage the excellent riparian work for which the Japanese are celebrated, and their equally intelligent forestry methods — the terraced hills planted with new trees to prevent the washing away of the soil. The views in retrospect as one climbs to the crest beyond which Arima lies are lovely. At almost every season of the year the hillsides flame with some species of blossoming shrub or trees, the maples of Nov. being especially fine. The roadway up the valley forms part of the main highway between Kobe and Amanohashidate, described at p. 533, Rte. 29. Massive cut-stone retaining walls, a brawling river and the summer homes of wealthy Kobe and Osaka people are the most conspicuous features of Arima (p. 628).

The return road from Arima descends through the extraordinarily picturesque valley of the Yamada-gawa. The sequestered hamlet of Kamitani (upper valley), about midway between Arima and Kobe, perched on a wooded plateau back from the road at the right, is delightfully medieval. The transition from the primitive country to the modern city is almost as sharply defined as sunshine and shade. One passes through a gap in the hills, and a moment later is threading a congested thoroughfare of bustling Hyogo.

The *Takaradzuka Mineral Springs at Takaradzuka, in Hyogo-ken, Settsu Province, 11 M. N. of Kanzaki Jct. (frequent trains over the Fukuchiyama Line of the Gov't Rlys. in 1/2 hr.), and 26 M. from Kobe (over a good auto road), indubitably rank highest of all the important mineral springs of Japan.

They are the most widely and favorably known of any natural springs in the Far East, and the excellent Takaradzuka (or Clifford- Wilkinson) Tansan table-water bottled there is of world-wide repute for its exceptional purity. The town is also celebrated nationally for its palatable mushrooms, which are gathered on the hills behind the Tansan Spring.

The Paradise Recreation and Opera Hall, one of the largest theaters (seats 3000 persons) in the Empire, attracts thousands from near-by cities and towns by its excellent operas (adapted from the Russian, French, Italian, etc.) presented by attractive Japanese girls who are trained in the adjacent school. Frequent performances at low prices before crowded houses are the rule. Attached to the building are fine baths, a gymnasium, a good restaurant, various Japanese exhibits, and many other features. Prices of everything are surprisingly low. One of the gayest and most popular resorts in Western Japan. Decorous proletarian crowds.

The wide, brawling Muko River dashes through the town, divides it in half, and is crossed by a long foot bridge. On the near side, in a pretty garden, is 4

The *Takaradzuka Hotel, a new, modern, 5-story, fire- and earthquake-proof structure, with accommodations for 200 guests, and well spoken of for its good food and service. Owned and operated by the Electric Car Line that runs from Osaka and Kobe. Rooms only from 4 to 20 yen a day. Meals in the restaurant from 1 yen for breakfast, to yen 2.50 for dinner.

The charmingly picturesque situation of Takaradzuka (250 ft. above the sea), surrounded by verdant hills where many delightful walks are possible, make it an unusually attractive pleasure resort. It has been known as a spa since 1546, but it did not come into any particular prominence until the discovery of the radium qualities of the spring which the genius of Mr, Wilkinson made known to the civilized world. From the extensive bottling works at one end of the town, the Tansan water goes to America at the East, Europe at the West, India, Australia and Africa at the South, and to most of the intervening countries. Its exceptional purity has won for it a prestige accorded to few table-waters of the world.

The Tansan Springs (discovered by Mr. J. Clifford-Wilkinson in 1885) lie 1/2 M. beyond the rly. station on the far bank of the turbulent Muko-gawa (good trout-fishing from May to Sept.) — which flows to the sea between the Tokaido stations of Nishinomiya and Kanzaki. The water bubbles up in an unvarying flow of about 700 gallons an hr., from the volcanic rock forming the heart of the lofty hill which overlooks the river. The deep well is protected by a granite lining and a locked cover to prevent contamination. From this well the water is conducted through sealed pipes to spotless filters (where the iron salts are eliminated) of white tiles,

thence it flows by gravity, in a state of crystalline purity and with a temperature of 62° F., to the bottling department. The plant covers 4 acres, and automatic machinery made upon a system with a scrupulous regard for cleanliness, charges the undefiled water.

Tansan Water as marketed (preeminent among the waters of Japan, and freely imitated) is of unusual purity and belongs to the category of chalybeate and carbonated mineral waters. It contains in properly adjusted proportions, sodium and potassium chloride; sodium sulphate; sodium, iron, calcium, and magnesium carbonate; silicic acid, iodine; bromine, mineral salts, and free carbonic acid. A perhaps unique quality is the entire absence of nitrites, organic matter, or bacterial life. Baths of the heated water are to be had in the several establishments at Takaradzuka.1

Mino Park, in the picturesque Minomo Valley, with its magnificent waterfall (80 ft. high), its wonderful maples (an extraordinary sight in Nov.), and its pleasing environs, combine to form a delightful excursion (1/2 hr. by tram; 20 sen) from Takaradzuka, and should not be missed — particularly between Nov. 10 and 20, when the maples are in their prime. [Mino is relatively the same distance from Osaka, and it can be reached by the Osaka-Mino tramway in 1/2 hr.; fare, 15 sen.] From both places the line traverses a productive country.

Suma, or Suma-no-Ura (4 M.), Shioya (6 M.), and Maiko (9 M.), all popular and attractive bathing-resorts W. of Kobe (main line of the Sanyo Rly., and the electric trolley), on the beautiful shore of the Inland Sea, possess fine shingly beaches (the delight of children), lovely sea views and a charm which has been the theme of native poets for ages. A day can be spent very pleasantly visiting the three places. Awaji Island is visible across the narrow strait; the Bay of Osaka lies at the left, and the blue Harima Nada at the right. Many fishing-boats dot the placid waters, and long nets filled with silvery fish are often hauled up on the sandy shore. The sea-bathing is excellent and safe, with no heavy ground-swell or treacherous undertow. Many Kobe residents own summer villas in Shioya. There are boating, bathing, fishing, tennis, cool breezes, and a permanent charm. Maiko, with its fantastic pine trees knee-deep in the sand, is exceptionally enticing. The name Maiko-no-Hama, or 'Beach of the Dancing Girl,' is applied to it because of a curious optical illusion created under certain atmospheric conditions: at such times the flying veil of sand

1 The word Tansan means carbonic acid. Sekitansan is carbolic acid, and Tansan-gasu is carbonic acid gas. Takaradzuka, or Takara-zuka, is said to mean precious place, hence, by induction, city of health.

Note. In pronouncing the word Takaradzuka, the Japanese eliminate the u, thus: tah-kah-rahds'kah.

The word Tansan, as a trade-mark, is often pirated by competitive interests.

makes the bizarre old trees with their wide outstretched arms look like whirling dervishes. Delicious peaches are grown in the vicinity of Suma, near which (in a valley called Ichi-no-tani) occurred the historic incident in the life of Kumagaya Naozane, referred to at p. 441.

Awaji Shima (sometimes called by its Chinese name, Tanshu), the largest island of the Inland Sea (30 M. N. and S.; 14 M. broad at its S. part; area, 217 sq. M.), is a mountainous region (highest point 1955 ft.) E. of Harima Nada and W. of Osaka Bay, rarely visited by tourists. The scenery differs in no way from that of the main island, and the towns offer no attractions. Awaji is of historic interest to Japanese, whose mythology designates it as the first land created by their supposed divine ancestors, Izanagi and Izanami. Mail steamers leave Kobe daily (transit about 2 hrs.) and touch at the uninteresting ports of Kariya, Shizuki, Sumoto, etc. Sumoto, the chief town (and capital) on the E. coast, with 8000 inhabs. (Inn: Nabeto, ¥2), stands amid mildly picturesque surroundings. Iwaya, at the N. end of the island, is about 2 M. (ferry across the Akashi-no-Seto) from Akashi Station, on the Sanyo Rly. The mts. on the island are composed of diorite, gneiss, granite, and old schists, and are wooded to their summits. Well-tilled farms stretch away from their lower flanks. Between the outermost rocks on the S.W. coast of the island and the adjacent Shikoku is the celebrated Naruto Whirlpool (Naruto Suido), a sort of Japanese Charybdis invested with all manner of terrors. When the tide from the Pacific Ocean rushes in through the Kii Channel and into the (600 yds. wide) Naruto Channel (which links it to the Inland Sea), the resistance offered by the outflowing water (48 fathoms deep), is such that a rather formidable whirlpool (about 60 ft. in diameter) is created, with a great roaring and churning of the opposing forces. During the spring tides, when the stream is running at maximum strength, the average speed is 9-11 knots. When the waters of the Inland Sea prevail, the race sets back into the Pacific. Travelers may wish to remember that both the Naruto Channel and the straits about Tomogashima Island (Yura Strait, on the S.E. side of Awaji) lie within the fortified zone, and that photographing and sketching are prohibited by the War Department.