One of the best and most important Italian exhibits was in the Educational and Social Economy Building. In both these lines Italy stood among the most progressive nations in the world. The results of the schools, the people's banks and savings banks, and the mutual help societies were an excellent demonstration.
In the Liberal Arts were to be seen musical instruments, books, and products of the paper factories.
Corals, cameos, and mosaics were exhibited in the Varied Industries
Building, and some of them were remarkable works of art.
JAPAN.
On July 10, 1903, an imperial ordinance for the organization of the imperial Japanese commission to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition was issued by the Mikado to the effect that the imperial commission to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition should be under the supervision of the minister of state for agriculture and commerce, and should deal with all the matters relating to the participation of the Japanese Empire in the Louisiana Purchase Exposition; that the imperial commission should consist of the following:
Nonresident: Baron Keigo Kiyoura, president; Baron Masanao Matsudaira, vice-president. Resident: Mr. Seiichi Tegima, commissioner-general; Mr. Hiromichi Shugio; Mr. Ushitaro Beppu; Mr. Naozo Kanzaki. Nonresident commissioners: Mr. Hajime Ota, Mr. Haruke Yamawaki, Mr. Masanao Hanihara, Mr. M. Isobe, Mr. J. Koyama, Mr. M. Oka, Mr. Okamoto. Resident: Mr. Keisuke Niwa, director of works; Mr. Yukio Itchikawa, landscape architect; Mr. Saizo Tajima; Prof. Yoshitaro Wantanabe; Mr. Mosuke Matsumura, secretary education department; Mr. Kannosuke Miyashima, expert home department. Secretaries (resident): Mr. Harukazu Miyabe, Mr. Michio Hattori, Mr. Toyozo Kobayashi. Attachés (resident): Mr. Shun Suzuki, Mr. Kiro Harada, Mr. Teiichiro Gejyo, Mr. Risaburo Ota.
Beginning with the international exposition held at Vienna in 1873, and including the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Japan has participated in twenty-seven world's fairs. Her participation in the exposition at St. Louis was more memorable in many respects than at any preceding exposition. In the first place, the exhibits never before occupied such an extensive area. It was three times as large as that occupied by Japan at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 and the Paris Exposition of 1900, respectively. In each department where Japan took any part at the fair her location was excellent. The enthusiasm of Japanese manufacturers and traders in their desire to participate in the exposition was so intense that despite the effort of the Government to discriminate between numerous applicants the quantity of exhibits was swelled to such an extent that it was a matter of no small difficulty to find places for all the articles sent in for exhibition. Notwithstanding the fact that there was only a short period of nine months between Japan's decision to participate and the opening of the fair, and that in the course of that comparatively short period the rupture of friendly relations between Russia and Japan greatly handicapped the latter's endeavors concerning the exposition, the officials and exhibitors pursued their preconceived plan without an interruption. In view of such disadvantages, the promptness and accuracy with which articles were brought into their destination, arranged, and displayed seasonably in proper form may well be regarded as remarkable. By the time the gates of the fair were thrown open to the public the display had been well-nigh completed, to the gratification of the Exposition Company and the Japanese exhibitors.
When Japan was first invited to take part in the exposition she was busily engaged in preparing for the Fifth National Exhibition held in the city of Osaka. For that reason she declined reluctantly to accept the invitation; but as the inauguration of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition was consequently postponed until the 1st day of May, 1904, Japan was later enabled to accept the invitation.
Early in the year 1904 the imperial Government sent a corps of officials to St. Louis to select a suitable location for the Government buildings, and to apply for space in the various departments of the exposition. Due to the prompt attention of the Japanese Government and the courtesy of the managers of the exposition, the desired arrangements were accomplished without the slightest difficulty. A bill appropriating $400,000 to be expended for the exposition was passed by both houses of the legislature, and in July, 1903, the Government formally notified the Exposition Company at St. Louis that Japan would be represented at the fair.
The Japanese commission for the exposition took great care not to accept for exhibition any articles which had mere virtue of novelty, without practical value, or any articles not produced in large volume. The idea of the Government in employing such discrimination was to so plan the exhibition that it would leave some lasting effects after the exposition upon the world's trade and commerce. The exhibition of matters relating to education was executed under the direct supervision of the department of education, and was so planned as to make it represent a complete system of the education now in vogue in Japan. In regard to the exhibitions of mines, fish, forestry, agriculture, and horticulture, the department of agriculture and commerce exercised the authority of deciding what articles should be displayed. The arrangement of articles exhibited in various departments of the exposition was made so that those independent of the Japan Exhibits Association were arranged by individual exhibitors under the supervision of the Japanese commission, while others were set out in proper order by the association.