Rabindranath in Japan (contd-4)

Rabindranath had gone to foreign four times by sea. But all of them from Bombay sea-port. he had no idea about the Calcutta port. At the beginning of this century he was introduced with Okakura and got high high ideas about Japan. After the War started it became impossible to go to Europe. Since then (1915) he was thinking of going to Japan. At first he had some economic stringency but later on due to the imperialistic tendency of Korea and Japan to extend their territory beyond their jurisdiction to China he was mentally set back. But being nation in Asia, Japan had progressed much. For that reason he wanted to know their specialty he became eager to visit Japan.
Just on reaching Hongkong Rabindranath was receiving letters congratulating him for winning Nobel prize. He was willing to go to Sanghai of China, but the Japan Govt. wanted to give him a felicitation and instructed their subordinates to bring him direct to the head office.
The ship again started on 24th may and reached Kobe, a port of Japan, on 29th. In the mean time Rabindranath translated his 'Mailini' and made a draft of the lecture to be delivered in Japan.
When the ship reached the city Kobe the reporters, press photographers surrounded him to welcome. Two previously known artist came from the city to welcome him. The first one was Yokoyama Taikan and the second one was Kawagachi Ekkai.
Pearson wrote to Rathindranath 0n 4th June ;
"From the moment we arrived we have been pestered by news paper representatives and the worst offenders were two men representing the Osaka paper which arranged for father's lecture without his permission ...We found that Kawagachi was being paid by these people to act as go-between for them because he had pursued them that he was an intimate friend of the great poet ! .. at the very start when we landed on the quay there was almost a fight between Kawagachi and one of our  Indian hosts as to who should have the honour of taking Gurudev in his motor. Eventually your father father had to decide that as he was going to stay with Indians he ought to allow the Japanese at least to drive him to his destination.
If Rabindranath was asked to choose between the cyclone of the Bay of Bengal and cyclone of these human being, Rabindranath would have chosen the former one.
Rabindranath took his shelter in the house of the Gujrati merchant Morarji. He spent the night by dinner, doing interaction and enjoying reception.
On 30th May, Pearson wrote to Rathindranath;
" We are being entertained by Gujrati gentlemen and have met several Bengali gentlemen who have been very kind in their attentions. I foresee however that the sanitary arrangements in Japan will be rather trying for your father and we must see whether we cannot arrange something more convenient. Mr. Taikawan came from Tokyo  and was very charming and has offered to take charge of Mukul and let him study in the art school in Tokyo of which he has become principal...Okakura's son also came and has kindly offered us the use of their garden house five or six miles out of Tokyo, which will be much better than living in Tokyo itself."
He also wrote;
" Tomorrow there will be a meeting of the Indian community here to welcome your father and on June 1st we go to Osaka.