Arlington (AGMR 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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Progress and Dignity ■ Modern |apaii has been slia|X ' (l b man forces that ha e left it a mosaic of paradoxes, of past and present, East and West. From tlie sn() -ti]iped pinnacle of Mmint I ' nji on the main island of Honshu, Japan stretches like a rumpled green carpet to the sea. To the north, it emerges as the seniiaretic land of hears, forests, and snow. To the south, across the picturescjue, winding Inland Sea lie villages, seaports, and people almost untouched b time. And further south and east the cities and countryside present a curious blend of smoke-belching industries and wind-rippled fields of rice. Four islands dropped in a giant festoon off the coast of Asia ; four islands caught between two cultures, the Orient and the Occident, between the two great forces dividing the world today. Communism and Western democracy. In Japan, an entirely new culture is opened to us, to interest us as oi)ser ers and to delight us as participants. We have marveled at the capacity of this, one of the most prosperous nations in the world, to sustain its ingrained virtues of courtesy and dignitx . [apan has accepted change gracefully and yet has retained its national cliaracter. From the ports to the religious and cultural centers to the bustling metropolis of Tokyo to the scenic countrxside, Japan has impressed us with its distinct spirit — the grace of its architecture, the simplicity of its homes, the politeness of its people.