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ot 2l One "St iho best modern botch .in Japan
tho FuJlya, 1h located hero, and ono of its earliest
euoBtB was aonoral Grant when ho made his
famous Tour around the world, The road from
ho 1 oto to Ilakono leads by foaming mountain
Htreams through closely cultivated valleys and
over "1 range froni which tho coast lino can be
HGOnNIkko, about a hundred miles north of Tokio,
and Nara about thirty miles from Kyo o.e also
noted for their natural scenery, but as tlieso
ninooH arc oven more renowned becauso ot tno
on pies located there, they will bo dfcrlbojL totor.
Tho Inland sea which separates tho larger s am s
of Japan and is itself studded with smaller islands
iidds interest to (ho travel from port to port.
Many of these islands aro inhabited and the tiny
lolds which porch upon their sides give evidence
of an over present thrift. Some of tho islands
aro" barren peaks Jutting a fow hundred feet abovo
ilie waves whilo some aro so tiny as to look liko
hay stacks in a submerged meadow.
All over Japan ono is impressed with tno
patient industry of tho people. If tho Hollanders
luivo reclaimed tho ocean's bed, tho peoplo ot
Japan havo encroached upon tho mountains. They
havo broadened tho valloys and terraced tho hill
sides. Often tho diminutive fields aro held in
place by stone walls, whilo tho different levels
aro furnished with an abundance of water from
tho short but numerous rivers.
Tho climate is very much diversified, ranging
from almost tropical heat in Formosa to arctic
cold In tho northern islands; thus Japan can pro
duco almost every kind of food. Her population
in 1003 was estimated at nearly forty-soven mil
lions, an lucronso of about thirteen and a half
millions sinco 1873. Whilo Tokio has a population
of about ono and a half millions, Osaka a popu
lation of nearly a million, Kyoto throe hundred
and fifty thousand, Yokohama throe hundred thou
sand, and Kobe and Nagoya about the same,
besides many largo cities of less size, still a largo
majority of tho population is rural and the farm
ing communities have a decided preponderance
of tho federal congress, or diet. Tho population,
howevor, is increasing more rUpidly in the cities
than in tho country.
Tho staturo of tho Japaneso is below that
of tho citizons of tho United States and northern
"Europe. Tho averago height of tho men in tho
army is about fivo foot two inches, and tho av
erage weight between a hundred and twenty and
a hundred and thirty pounds. It looks like bur
lesnuo opera to see, as ono does occasionally,
two or throe little Japanese soldlors guarding a
group of big, burly Russian prisoners.
Tho opinion is qulto general that the habit
which tho Japanese form from infancy of Bitting
".tttv-t! ,dy;i--itn- UiUr feet under them, tonds
to shorten tho lower limbs. In all the schools
the children aro now required to sit upon benches,
and whether from this cause or some other, tho
averago height of the males, as shown by yearly
modical examination, is gradually increasing.
Although underslzo, the peoplo are sturdy and
muscular and havo tho appearance of robust
health. In color thoy display all shades of brown
from a vory light to a very dark; whilo the
oblique oyo is common, it is by no means uni
versal. Tho conveyance which is most popular is tho
jinrikisha, a narrow seated, two wheeled top
buggy with shafts, joinod with a cross piece at
tho end. These aro drawn by "rlklsha men" of
whom there are several hundred thousand in tho
empire. Tho "rikisha was invented by a Meth
odist missionary some thirty years ago and at
onco sprang into popularity. When tho passenger
is much abovo averago weight, or when the
journey is ovor a hilly road, a pusher is employed
and in extraordinary cases two pushers. It is
astonishing what sneed these men n:m mnir n
of tho governors informed mo that 'rikisha men
wuum sometimes cover seventy-five miles of level
mad in a day. Thoy will take up a slow trot
ancKtravol for soveral miles without a break
Wo hadoccasion to go to a village fifteen miles
from Kagoahlma and crossed a low mountain
range of perhaps two thousand feet. Tho trip
SSGiA way occupied about four hours; each 'rlklsha
had Uwo pushers and the men had three hours
rest Jnt noon Thoy felt so fresh at the end of
the tjrip that they came an hour later to take
us to a dinner engagement. In tho mountainous
regions the chair and kago take the place of
the 'rikisha. Tho char rosfs m, im i.t"J:
poles and is carried by four meu; the kaK0 is
suspended from ono pole, like a swinging ham
mock, and is carried by two. Of the two, the
chaiip is .much the more comfortablo for the
lMplM' "Tho basha is a small ono horse omnibus
-.TCjiicn. win now lour or s y cmnii nnn,. u.
t wl" ' ' ' i'MJin3, 1L is
Q.W
The Commoner.
used as a sort of stage between villages. A
"w part of the hauling of merchan d se is done
by men, horses being rarely seen. In fact, .in
some of the cities thero are more oxen than
horses and many of them wear straw sandals to
protect their hoofs from the hard pavement, rue
lighter burdens are carried in buckets or baskets,
suspended from either end of a polo and balanced
upon tho shoulder. ' , . nn
In the country the demand for land is so
great that most of tho roads arc too narrow for
any other vehicle than a hand cart. Tho high
ways connecting the cities and principal towns,
however, are of good width, are substantially
constructed and well drained, and have massive
stone bridges spanning the streams.
The clothing of the men presents an interest
ing variety. In official circles the European and
American dress prevails. Tho silk hat and Prince
Albert coat are in evidence at all day functions
and the dress suit at evening parties. The
western style of dress is also worn by many
business men, professional men and soldiers, and
by students after they reach the middle school,
which corresponds to our high school. The
change is taking place more rapidly among the
young than among the adults and is more marked
in the city than In the country. In one of the
primary schools in Kyoto, I noticed that more
than half of the children gave evidence of the
transition in dress. Tho change is also more
noticeable in the seaport cities than in the in
terior. At Kyoto the audience wore the native
dress and all were seated on mats on the floor,
while the next night at Osaka all sat on chairs
and nearly all wore the American dress. At tho
Osaka meeting some forty Japanese young ladies
from the Congregational college sang "My Coun
try 'Tis of Thee" in English.
Tho shop keepers and clerks generally wear
the native clothing, which consists of a divided
skirt and a short kimono held in place by a sash.
Tho laboring men wear loose knee breeches and
a shirt in warm weather; in cold weather they
wear tight fitting breeches that reach to the
ankles and a loose coat. In the country the
summer clothing is even more scanty. I saw a.
number of men working in the Held with nothing
on but a cloth about the loins, and it was early in
November when I found a light overcoat com
fortable. A pipe in a wooden case and a tobacco pouch
are often carried in the belt or sash, for smoking
is almost universal among both men and women.
Considerable latitude is allowed in foot wear.
The leather shoe has kept pace with the coat
and vest, but where the native dress is worn,
tho sandal is almost always used. Among the
well-to-do the foot is encased in a short socle
made of white cotton cloth, which is kept scru
pulously clean. The sock has a separate division
for the great toe, the sandal being held Upon
the foot by a cord which runs between the first
and second toes and, dividing, fastens on either
side of the sandal. These sandals are of wood
and rest upon two blocks an inch or more high,
the. front ono sloping toward the toe. Tho
sandal hangs loosely upon the foot and drags
upon the pavement with each step. The noise
made by a crowd at a railroad station rises abovo
tho roar of the train. In muddy weather a higher
sandal is used which raises the feet three or
i four inches from the ground, and the wearers
stalk about as if on stilts. The day laborers
wear a cheaper sandal made of woven rope or
straw. The footwear above described comes
down from time immemorial but there is com
,ng,lntV1S0 amons lne IWsha men a modern
kind of footwear which is a compromise between
the new and the old. It is a dark cloth, low
topped gaiter with a rubber, sole and no heel.
P?avo UV senarato Pocket for the great
toe. The sandals aro left at the door. After
taking cold twice, I procured a pair of felt
slippers and carried them with me and the other
members of the family did likewise. At public
meetings In Japaneso halls the same custom Is
followed, tho sandals being checked at the door
as hats and wraps are in our country. On an
proachlng a meeting place tho speaker can form
ST fGnimane f h SiZQ o the audience by tho
size of tho plies of sandals on the outside
The women still retain the primitive droqq
About 1884 an attempt was made by he ladies
of the court to adopt the European dress nnd
quite a number of women in official circles pur-
chased gowns in London, Paris and the United
States in spite of tho protests of their sisters
abroad. (Mrs. Cleveland joined in a written re-
monstrance which was sent from the U Sited
States.) But the spell was broken in a very
low months and the women outside of the court
circles returned to the simpler and mproTe.
coming native garb. It is not necessary to enter
into details regarding the female tollej, as tZ
.VOLUME G, "NUMBER 2
magazines have made the world familiar with
the wide sleeved, loose fitting kimono with its
convenient pockets. The children wear bright
colors, but the adults adopt moro quiet .shades.
The shape of the garment never changes,
but the color does. This season grey has been
the correct shade. Feminine pride shows itself
in the obi, a broad sash or belt tied in a very
stiff and incomprehensible how-at the T)ack. The
material used for the obi is often bright in color
and of rich and expensive brocades. A wooden1
disc is often concealed within the bow of the
obi to keep it in shape and also to brace the
back. Two neck cloths are usually worn, folded
inside the kimono to protect the bare throat.
These harmonize with the obi in color and give
a dainty finish to tho costume. As the kimono
is quite narrow in the skirt, the women take very
short steps. This short step, coupled with the
dragging of the sandals makes the women's gait
quite unlike the free stride of the American
woman. In the middle and higher schools the
girl3 wear a pleated skirt over the kimono. These,
are uniform for each school and wine colbris t
the shade now prevailing. The men and women
of the same class wear practically the same kind
of shoes. ' ' ,'
Next to the obi, the hair receives the great
est attention and it is certainly arranged with -elaborate
care. The process is so complicated '
that a hair dresser is employed once or twico
a week and beetle's oil is used in many instances
to make the hair smooth and glossy. At night
the Japanese women place a very hard round
cushion under the neck in order to keep the hair
from becoming disarranged. The stores now have .
on sale air pillows, which are more comfortable
than the wooden ones formerly used. The vexing
question of millinery is settled by dispensing
with hats entirely. Even among the poorer men,
the hat is seldom .used. -' ' '
More interesting in appearance than either
tho men or women are the children and I may
add that there is no evidence of race suicidejJn;
Japan. They are to be seen everywhere, and a
good natured lot they are. The babies are car
ried on the back of the mother or an older child
and it is not unusual to see the baby fast asleep
while the bearer goes about her work. Of tho
tens of thousands of babies we have seen, scarce-"
ly a half dozen have been crying. The younger
children sometimes have the lower part', of "tho
head shaved, leaving a cap of long hair oa'the
crown of the head. Occasionally a spot is shaved
in the center of this cap. After seeing the chil-'
dren on yie streets, one can better appreciate the
Japanese dolls which look so strange to Am'er-"
ican children.
Cleanliness is the passion of the Japanese.
The daily bath is a matter of routine, and among
the middle classes there are probably more who
go above this average than below. It is said that
in the city of Tokio there are over eleven hun- -dred
public baths, and it is estimated that five
hundred thousand baths are taken daily at these
places. The usual charge is one and a quarter
cents (in our money) for adults and one cent
for children. One enthusiastic admirer of Japan -declares
that a Japanese boy, coming unexpected- .
ly into the possession of a few cents, will be -more
apt to spend it on a bath than on some- -thing
to eat or drink. The private houses have
baths wherever the owners can afford them.
The bath tub is made like a barrel, sometimes
?L m?T& ofi;en of w00d and ls snk below '
the level of the floor. The favorite temperature
is one hundred and ten degrees, und in the win
ter time the bath tub often takes the place of a
stove In fact, at the hot springs people havfe"
been known to remain in the bath for days at
Sr ie -i1 J SSl vouch for thG statement, but.
Mr Basil H. Chamberlain in his book entitled
"Things Japanese," says that when he was at
one of these hot springs "the careta er of tlfe
establishment, a hale old man of eighty unla n
stay m the bath during the entoeSStepTJn!
til recently the men and -women bathed nromis
cuously in the public baths; occasional hli:
not always, a string separated the balie?s ; Now
different apartments must be provided -
iho Japanese are-a very polite npnnio mi,
When the parties are seated nn ti, ? "Jjes.
rise to the knees and 'bow t ho h Jl ???' h?y
Servants also when fig bring food to ff
who aro seated on tho. floor droSunon n?Ji'
:nees and, bowing, present ?he tray. UDn ,r.
.,
Jl4. J
