Summary
This cinematic odyssey commences at the bustling Yokohama harbor, where the arrival of the Empress of India serves as a gateway into a meticulously documented Meiji-era Japan. Moving beyond a mere travelogue, the film juxtaposes the sheer scale of the nation—comparable to Montana yet burgeoning with fifty million souls—against the intimate, rhythmic pulses of its daily existence. We witness the aristocratic serenity of Count Okuma amidst his ancestral gardens, contrasted sharply with the pragmatic vigilance of Tokyo’s fire-watchers. The lens meanders through the floral opulence of Kamata’s irises and the vertical architecture of Ikaio, where stone steps become a stage for the choreographed movements of market-bound residents. A dedicated exploration of 'Child Life' reveals a pedagogical philosophy rooted in grace and storytelling, while the industrial segments provide a tactile survey of rice inundation, tea cultivation, and the biological alchemy of sericulture. From the ancient, avian artistry of cormorant fishing to the rigid, symbolic elegance of a traditional wedding, the film culminates in a narrative duality: the ethereal folklore of 'Urashima, the Fisher Boy' and the boisterous, cross-cultural friction of an Englishman’s first night in a traditional inn, offering a comprehensive, if occasionally comedic, sociological portrait of a nation in transition.
Synopsis
At the opening of the picture we enter the harbor of Yokohama greeted as at home by waging of handkerchiefs from friends of the passengers of the Empress of India. The screen does not forget to remind us that we are entering a land about the size of the state of Montana, and which has a population of no less than 50,000,000 people. The "Impressions of Japan" which are first thrown on the screen are calculated to fix in the mind of the spectator an idea of the fascinating beauty of this little country where thrift, health, correct sanitation and beauty are the chief characteristics. Here we see Count Okuma strolling in his garden with his grandchildren, a street scene in Tokyo showing how disastrous fires are prevented through the vigilance of officers stationed in watch towers, and an iris garden at Kamata in full bloom. Then there is the theater street at Kyoto, and there is the main street at Ikaio where there is a quarter of a mile of stone steps down which we watch the pretty Japanese maids with their elaborate kimonas and parasols tripping up and down on their way to and from market or other business. "Child Life," a reel by itself, is particularly charming, showing how the child life of Japan is taken care of. According to these pictures there is much of joy in the life of the child of Japan. We have only to watch the boys playing on the swinging log, the little girls playing among the flowers, imbibing grace from a dancing instructress, or being entertained by a professional story teller, to realize that in Japan as in America efforts are being put forth on behalf of the child. "The Industries of Japan" are illustrated in another reel, and we learn with what care and skill the ground of Japan is tilled. We see the low land flooded with water being prepared for the planting of rice, and on the high land the cultivation of the tea plant under progress. We see the laborers plucking the leaves, and later packing them for shipping. A close-up view of silk worms which are carefully looked after in Japan, is followed by a view showing the feeding of the worms, and the actual spinning of the silk cocoon which is afterward taken from the worm and spun into the silk thread of which Japanese silk fabrics are made. Splendid illustrations of how the fishing industry is carried on in Japan are also given showing fishing with cormorants as well as with nets. "A Wedding Ceremony" shows us the bride preparing her trousseau with the aid of her people, the trip to the bridegroom's in procession, when the bride steps from a peculiar covered vehicle and is escorted into the house. There is an exchange of presents between the two families, a beverage is partaken of by bride and bridegroom and after little ceremony such as we know the wedding is over, and the pair are pronounced man and wife. "Urashima, the Fisher Boy" is a pretty fairy tale nicely played by Japanese players. The "Temples and Religious Processions" of course present the most famous temples of Japan as well as the most important religious festivals and ceremonies. "Artificial Pearl Culture" gives an insight into an important industry of Japan not included in the first group, that of cultivating pearls. This is done by inserting in the oyster what is known as nacre, a gritty substance which is the nucleus of the pearl, and which the oyster to defend itself against irritation covers with the substance which after three or four years comes to us in the shape of a small pearl. "An Englishman's First Night in a Japanese Inn" is an amusing bit of comedy which shows how we would be treated in one of these inns where the customs are the same as generations ago. The Englishman in question is met at the door of the inn by a bevy of pretty maidens who bow him welcome, escort him to his room, see that he gets into a negligé of some sort, and also that he eats his supper served by them. According to the comedy they also deem it their duty to see that he is properly put to bed on a mattress laid on a hard floor and a typical Japanese pillow. We stay with the Englishman until finally he escapes next day from the inn vowing vociferously, "Never again."
