Lexington (CVA 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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Democracy and its hand- maiden, women's suffrage, is struggling to grow on Nip- pon's soil. By law, everyone over 20 has the right to vote and the Japanese Go- vernment consists of the three standard independent branches: legislative, ad- ministrative and judical. Yet the code of ethics for the Japanese Woman can still be expressed by the Three Obediencesf' single, she is obedient to her father, mar- ried, to her husband and Widowed, to her son. And the National Diet has at times conducted its business in a violent manner. mitchell mitchell Aligned with the West, Japan is entering a new era in her history. Her economy is booming-the system of capitalism and the individual entrepeneur has taken Iirm root. Though average per capita annual income is only S250 the Japanese people as a whole are enjoying a standard of living better than any they ever experienced before. This dynamic insular land will continue to play an important role World affairs. mitchell 89

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Surrounded by the sea, dominated by mountains, the Japanese archipelago is comprised of four main islands- Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Hokkaido -home for 95 million people. This is equivalent to half the United States living in California. The four seasons are distinct in Japan, and the change of weather influences living habits and industry. Dominated by the God of Earth Fuji-yama, Japan's rugged mountain ranges run the length of the archipelago, leaving only HW arable land. The densely-forested mountains and pla- teaus give Japan one of the most com- plex terrains in the world. The ocean represents the lifeblood of Japan for the islands are not self- reliant Without trade the economy would collapse Without fish the peo ple would starve mitchell

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A half-hour by train from Yokoska lies famed KAMAKURA home , o Great Buddha. Only one of many points of cultural interest, the great statue is a must on most tourists' lists. The image was cast in 1252 by Ono Goroemon, one of the leading sculptors of the time. It represents Amida, one of the Buddhist divinities. The position of the hands laid on th l , e ap, palms upwards and thumbs touching, represents the Buddhist sign for steadfast faith. The f . 1 . . - . . acia expression, with half closed eyes, deplcts the perfect repose and passionless calm which is the root idea of the Buddhist doctrine This image of Great Buddha lS the second largest in a an the N p one at ara being larger, yet as a work of art the Nara image IS consldered no match for the Kamakura Dalbutsu f the world famous