--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Alma O. Taylor collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 5 number: 6 published: 1902-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Alma O. Taylor, "Some Features of Japanese Life I," *Improvement Era* 5, no. 6 (April 1902): 449–454.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0506unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0506unse start_page: 449 end_page: 454 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1902-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0506unse publication_year: 1902 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1902, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Some Features of Japanese Life I SOME FEATURES OF JAPANESE LIFE. BY ELDER ALMA 0. TAYLOR, MISSIONARY TO JAPAN. The lack of an extensive experience with, and the inability, thus far, to understand perfectly, the manners and customs of the inhabitants of Japan, makes it impossible for me to present what may be considered a worthy and perfectly accurate account of con- ditions encountered in a Japanese home. To one whose life has been spent in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains and who has scarcely seen any of this vast world but the limited area of Utah, the odd features of Japanese life appeal with wonderful force. Perhaps my limited knowledge of the different aspects of life causes me to think curious and strange those things which, to a person having traveled more, would be but common- place. Therefore, I trust that this effort to speak of some inci- dents connected with my short life in the far East will be judged with charity, for the reason that travel away from home is a com- paratively new experience in my career. For the first five months after our arrival in Yokohama, we lived together in foreign hotels and boarding-houses, having prac- tically no experience with the realities of Japanese life. This time, however, was profitably spent in observing the features of the country; the people, and their sentiments on religion, especially their feelings towards Christianity; the relationship between the foreign- er and the native; the class distinctions and their effect upon so- ciety; the different modes of living and the expenses incurred by each; and, in fact, gaining a slight knowledge of those things which would have an effect either for good or ill upon our labor here, thus preparing ourselves to meet advantagously the conditions and circumstances under which future missionary work will be carried 450 IMPROVEMENT ERA. on in Japan. But the one thing of greatest value to us during that time is, that we have met and made friends with many prominent men, both foreign and vernacular, whose acquaintance would have been denied us, were it not that we followed the inspiration that directed us to make our home, at first, among the highest class. And, too, as the usual charity and love (?) manifest in the actions of Christian (?) ministers towards "Mormon" elders, have been exhibited towards us, we found it greatly to our advantage to be located as we were, while combatting the slanderous criticism on the Latter-day Saints by those whom the world look upon as the chosen represen- tatives of the Savior, but to whom the Lord has seen fit to refer as "wolves in sheep's clothing." Indeed, the course taken by us was, we feel, directed of God, for already favorable sentiments are be- ing expressed concerning "Mormonism" by thinking men of the nation, and in Japan it is no small matter to have even one influ- ential person speak well of your cause, as the people here follow their leaders, as in olden time the sheep followed the shepherd. Having gained what was considered sufficient knowledge to launch out among the people, and devote ourselves more closely to the study of the language, it was decided some time ago, that Elder Horace S. Ensign and myself seek quarters in some Japanese hotel, it having been found impossible to secure accommodations in a private home. After a search which lasted for two days, we found a suitable place and moved into it immedia'tely. It is of the early experience in this native hotel that I desire particularly to write, as the readers of the Era may take interest in a short recital of how the Utahns were initiated into the celestial life of the far East. The Nakai hotel is situated on a bluff in the western part of Tokyo, and occupies such an elevated position that the guests may have what the landlady proudly calls, "the privilege of looking down on the Emperor," whose palace stands on a small bluff about three quarters of a mile to the south. Many of the wealthy mer- chants and business men of Tokyo have their residences in this part of the city; and, being quite a distance from the trading cen- tre, it is a desirable place to live because of its quietude and the excellent class of people in the neighborhood. Not only are these features pleasant, but the air is good, water excellent, the yard SOME FEATURES OF JAPANESE LIFE. 451 surrounding the hotel is clean and well kept, while the view is mag- nificent; especially in the evening, as the sun sets behind the snowy peaks of Fujiyama, do we behold one of those glorious sights so often seen on the snow-clad summits of the Rockies. The house itself is partly plaster and partly frame, two stories high, and built on a line with the street. The frame part has lately been added, and is especially arranged for the use of students who come from the country districts to attend school in Tokyo. The lower story has what might be called the appearance of a chicken- coop, as the windows and doors are all protected by wooden slats set two inches apart, after the manner of pickets on a fence. The upper half, when closed for the night or during a storm, looks like the hay-loft to a barn, as the outer walls are formed entirely from plain sliding-doors which fit so closely that there is absolutely no chance for ventilation, save as a little air might enter through a small crack here and there. But when these sliding-doors or ex- terior walls are removed, the appearance is entirely changed In- stead of a hay-loft, it resembles a narrow veranda with crude rail- ings in front, and at the end a wall made of little squares of white paper pasted over wooden frames, giving the whole building a more house-like air. The plaster-half of the hotel is more foreign in style and arrangement. The doors and windows are of glass, to protect which, the wooden shutters, so prevalent on English houses, are used. The roof is covered with large, cement tiles, in mould, not unlike those seen on one or two large residences lately erected in Salt Lake City. Our room is located on the lower floor of this building, and our front door opens into a little garden on the south, which is one of the fascinating features of the place, and from whence we get a view of the city as it stretches out for miles toward the sea. Ten o'clock, on the morning of December 5th, we left the for- eign hotel and directed our steps toward the Japanese home wherein we expected to live for some months. Mr. Hiroi, the mission's guide and translator, accompanied us to see that everything was properly arranged with the manager of the place. On the way, we discussed with considerable hilarity the future outcome of this new life, the joys and sorrows of which began from the moment we rang the bell at the entrance to the hotel. • 452 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Before entering a Japanese house, a person has to take off his shoes, as the floors within are covered with grass mats which would not stand the constant scuffling of hard leather soles, and as the floor takes the place of tables and chairs, it would not be consid- ered proper for large cakes of mud or dust from .the street to be brought in onto the table where the Japanese eats his food or sits down to read his newspaper. The floor is generally the cleanest part of the house. In compliance, therefore, with the custom, we removed our shoes, and put on soft cloth slippers to wear around the house. It is an amusing sight to a foreigner, unaccustomed to the courteous greeting of the Japanese, to observe the manner in which guests are welcomed. In response to the sound of approaching footsteps or the ringing of the bell, one of the maid-servants hastens to open the door and bid the person welcome,or, if it be a guest coming back from his business, to manifest pleasure in his return. As soon as the door is opened, the servant falls upon her knees and bows two or three times, bending so low that her fore- head often touches the floor. She remains on her knees till the person or persons have taken off their shoes, when she stands up ready to give any assistance necessary. Should a guest happen to make a request or offer a word of praise for the strict attention of the servant, she will always respond by again bowing her head to the floor, accompanying her action with a strictly polite remark. When this part of the performance had been enacted, and we were invited to step inside, the landlord appeared on the scene to escort us to our rooms, where, according to the native custom, we were immediately offered a cup of tea.* It is needless to say that the offer was rejected by the "Mormons." Naturally, the first thing to be done on entering a new place of residence is to get the "hang of the barn," so, under the guid- ance of our master, we took a tour through the building inspecting thoroughly those parts of interest to us. This done, the contract for the payment of our bills adjusted, and our chattels somewhat arranged in the rooms, and it was time to eat dinner. Mr. Hiroi * The Japanese sign of hospitality which corresponds to the presen- tation of wines in European countries. SOME FEATURES OF JAPANESE LIFE. 453 ate the first meal with us so that we might know how to get along in the future, and especially know how to proceed when entertain- ing a guest. His explanations were very interesting, and proved to be of value before many hours had passed. The average meal hour in Japan is breakfast at 7 a.m., dinner at noon, and supper at five o'clock. Every guest has his meals served in his own room, consequently that dining-room etiquette which prevails so extensively in foreign hotels is not found among the Japanese. This fact saved us all the embarrassment our awk- ward actions would have caused, had we been forced to learn, in the presence of others, how to handle the native food. Each person is provided with a tray containing several different dishes of food. Besides these, there is one wooden vessel which resembles a small tub. This contains the rice, and varies in size according to the number of persons and the quantity it takes to gratify their appetites. The servant in attendance dishes out the rice into medium sized bowls, using for this purpose a wooden ladel instead of a spoon. Six bowls of rice, besides a comparative quantity of other food, is not much for a hungry Japanese to eat at one meal, but way beyond what I found to be my capacity for such unsavory grub. Fried fish, with sauce that did not taste unlike molasses; bean- soup, that resembled more a combination of bamboo twigs and onion tops; vegetables, promiscuously mixed together, and so saturated with sugar that one grain would be enough to sweeten a cup of coffee; sweet potatoes, mashed until it would take a chemical anal- ysis to determine what they were; and plain boiled rice, so dry that it almost choked a fellow as it went down, is a description of how the first meal appealed to me. Not only was it an ordeal to eat the food of the first meal, but it was some days before I was able to look forward with any degree of pleasure to the arrival of meal hours. It is not the easiest thing in the world for a foreigner to relish a Japanese meal on the start; and if they are all like me, it is not till they have experienced some peculiar sensations in the abdominal region that the native food lies peacefully in the proper place. The method of cooking is so vastly different to what I had been accustomed, that all the vegetables and soups lost their natural taste, in consequence of what appeared to me a premature mixing 454 IMPROVEMENT ERA. of food into that state which it assumes after reaching the stom- ach. The two main objections to the victuals are, that in place of salt, sugar is used, until everything is so sweet that it soon turns an inexperienced appetite uphill; and the sauce which is used on all fish, meats, fowl and raw vegetable is so unnatural a substitute for the ordinary seasoning sauces and gravies, that both myself and companion have had to eliminate it from our diet list. We were indeed fortunate to have rice and fish; for, were it not for these two articles, I think I would have preferred to fast rather than attempt the other things. Plain boiled rice is not, in itself, very palatable, but when one learns how to mix it with other foods, it becomes an excellent substitute for bread. Generally, when people picture to themselves the peculiarities of Chinese or Japanese life, the substitution of chop-sticks for knives, forks, and spoons, is perhaps the first thing that enters their minds. Possibly these same people wonder how anyone can eat such things as soup, and soft boiled eggs, with chop-sticks, and it is indeed a question that puzzles the foreigner when he has it to do for the first time. In reality, chop-sticks do not take the place of those table implements which to us are necessary while eating the foods mentioned. The Japanese apply a means of their own. They drink the soup right out of the dish; loosen the egg from the shell with one of their sticks, and turn it out into their rice, or suck it from the shell itself: they take up a piece of meat with the sticks, and bite off as much as can be easily masticated at one time, never taking the trouble to break it into smaller pieces on their plate; they hold the rice bowl up to their lips with the left hand, and, with the chop-sticks in the right, they roll the rice out of the bowl into their mouths. The same bowl in which the rice is served is also used as the drinking utensil. It would be considered impo- lite, if not insulting, if a person refused to drink from his rice- bowl; therefore, in no instance is a cup or glass prepared, even for a foreigner. At first, the maid who waited on us had great sport watching our awkward manner of rolling the rice into our mouths and pick- ing the bones out of the fish with the chop-sticks. Quite often we noticed her laughing up her sleeve at the expression on our faces, as we nibbled timidly at the different kinds of food. But at this