He went to live in far Japan, where life is like a dream;
Where cherry blossoms scent the air and care is dead, 't would seem;
Where sweet wisterias climb the porch up to the tiny roof
And fling their flowers to the air; where trouble holds aloof;
Where geisha girls and jinrickshas and fans and love and tea,
Make up the life of ease he sought, from worldly troubles free.

He went to live in far Japan, and there one day he bought
A little doll-house for himself — at least that's what he thought —
And settled down to rest himself; the years of grinding work
Had made him feel at last as if he'd really like to shirk.
The work he'd done had been so hard, so strenuous and strained
That sometimes he had welcomed death. Now in his heart peace reigned.

He went to live in far Japan, and for a year or more
He was content to dream, and eat, and sleep upon the floor,
To wander through the countryside and watch the flowers bloom,
To steep his soul in laziness, and banisHearthly gloom.
And then a sloe-eyed musmee came across his path one day,
And love got in his clever work in just the same old way!

He went to live in far Japan, where people do not swear,
And yet he swore she should be his, she was so young and fair;
Ambition woke again, for him, and though she was content
To marry him, and stay right there, back to the States he went
To make a bigger fortune so that she might shine above
The other musmees....That 's the way we Occidentals love!