--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Hewlett, Frank J. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 13 number: 6 published: 1910-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Hewlett, Frank J., "Peoples and Places in the Orient. VIII.—Jottings in Japan," *Improvement Era* 13, no. 6 (April 1910): 489–497.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1306unse 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: improvementera1306unse start_page: 489 end_page: 497 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1910-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1306unse publication_year: 1910 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 1910, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Peoples and Places in the Orient. VIII.—Jottings in Japan Peoples and Places in the Orient. BY FRANK J. HEWLETT, DIRECTOR OF THE UTAH STATE FAIR AND PRESIDENT OF HEWLETT BROS. COMPANY. VIIL— Jottings in Japan. Two privileges extended to trans-Pacific passengers are highly appreciated: one, the allowance of three hundred pounds of bag- gage; the other, the purser's right to give you first class rail- way tickets with stop-over privileges between Kobe and Yokohama. There is no extra charge except the gov- ernment tax imposed on every tourist, whether he travel by rail or steamship, or by the Osaka electric cars of Tokyo, or Yokohama. The fare is from three cents to twenty- five, according to distance, Bulls Carrying Rails for the Mountain Railroad. for the first class; from two to twelve cents for the sec- ond class; and a half cent to two cents for third class travelers. The fare is light on the third class, the longest trip being only an extra two cents. We decided to travel by train on "The Imperial Government Tokaido Railway." Seven trains a day leave Kobe for Yokohama and Tokyo. Sleeping and dining cars are attached, built in Eng- lish fashion. You can easily distinguish your coach. The first 190 IMPROVEMENT ERA. class is distinguished by a white stripe, the second by a blue, the third by a red one. Your tickets are colored to correspond. The station is crowded with men, women and children, for the Japan- ese have the traveling-fever and ride gleefully about the country. They carry so many bags and bundles that one is constantly reminded of Ameri- cans as they appear just before Christ- mas. On each side of the track, European style, is a station, and no one but the traveler is allowed on the platform without a special ticket pur- chased for a nominal sum. We are crowded against the gates, the bell rings, our tickets are shown to the uniformed gate-keeper, but are not taken up until we arrive Country Street Scene, Japan. at our destination. The conductor, a bright lad of eighteen, directs us to a comfortable seat. We are now interested in watching the other passengers troop down the platform, their clogs raising discordant sounds in the ears of the musically inclined. You see friends part- ing, with bows and smiles, for there is no kissing nor shaking of hands in Japan. A shrill whistle, and the train starts. We pass by the stations and notice two signs; one in Japanese characters, the other in English, showing the number of miles to the next station, and the points of interest worth visiting. The conductors and trainmen are dressed in blue uniforms. They pay strict attention to the wants of their passengers. Only first class passengers are allowed to leave the train at the differ- ent stations along the Tokaido line. Our coach is almost filled with young men neatly dressed in white suits and wearing straw hats. They are students on their way to the Tokyo seats of learn- ing. All are smoking cigarettes, laughing, chatting and playing pranks on each other, as students of their age can enjoy. They started the game," one of their favorite "scissors and stone amusements; and to my surprise every word was spoken in fairly good English. Tired of this game, one of them produced a comic PEOPLES AND PLACES IN THE ORIENT. 4U1 weekly, which was passed from one to the other, amid shouting and loud laughter. When they were through, I asked permission to look at the paper which had created so much merriment. It was the Tokyo Fuck, a comic weekly modeled along the lines of itsNew York contemporary of the same name, in typographical appearance, but differing in the character of its humor. This publication is entirely the product of Japanese brains and labor, but it appears with a dual dress — English and Japanese. Its illus- trated jokes and cartoons have their Japanese legend attached, at the right hand side of the picture, running vertically, and their Eng- lish underneath. This particular cartoon represented a Japanese student seated Returning from the Field. Japanese Children's Game- Stick and Hoop. in an easy chair with an almond-eyed maiden on his knee. His arm was gently stealing around her waist, while he uttered burn- ing words of love in her willing ears. Over the door was perched a large owl, looking wise, and wondering what was to follow. What amused the Oriental youths so much was the love-making ways of the Occident, which were thus being introduced into the "Land of the Rising Sun." Cupid is shy to the young people of Japan. There are no love comedies and tragedies. The parents decide the important question. Both the interested parties have confidence in their judgment; and, though they may never have 492 IMPROVEMENT ERA. seen their future partner until the wedding day, a Japanese mar= riage is generally a happy one. Our first stop was at Osaka, the Pittsburg of Japan, popula- tion 995,000, noted for its wealth and large manufactories. The city is intersected by canals and rivers, crossed by hundreds of substantial bridges. The principal sights are the Imperial Mints and the Osaka Castle. An electric car line connects Osaka with Kobe. We next visit Kyoto, the third city in size, and the capital of old Japan. This is a city of palaces and temples, almost sur- rounded by ranges of rugged hills, forming an ideal background to the delightful picture of the city nestling in the green fields and densely wooded slopes. Through the heart of it all glide the silvery waters of the Kamo river, spanned by picturesque old bridges. Kyoto stands one hundred and sixty-two feet above the level of the sea, and covers an area of about eleven square miles. Its inhabitants number close to 375,000, considerably fewer than during the early days of the Tokugawa-Shogunate, when the city was at the height of its prosperity, prior to the removal of the capital to Tokyo. The train stops at nearly every station. On the platforms are venders of newspapers, teapots of tea, fruits, colored candies, and new wooden boxes, about the size of a brick, containing rice, fish, and condiments. About dusk we arrived at Japanese Home in Rural District. Shidzuoka, the great tea center, built almost in the shadow of Fujiyama, the peerless mountain of Japan. We had telegraphed for accomodations at the Daitokan hotel, as we expected to remain in this important city of the Tokaido line for some time. We were fortunate in securing a place, as many of the tea, lacquer-ware, porcelain and bamboo buyers were located at the Japanese inns. Bright and early next morning we rode in our jinrikisha through a beautiful country in the Shidzuoka prefecture, first PEOPLES AND PLACES IN THE ORIENT. 493 through a bamboo grove, next through a typical lane bordered by shrubs and flowers. A few minutes later our human horses trotted through fragrant tea gardens, just at the right time for us to pick some of the tender buds sprouting from the tops of the bushes. The tea plant, as is well known, is a hardy evergreen of the Camelia family. It grows a thick and solidly massed bush, and at first glance a tea garden, regularly dotted and bordered with round bushes, setting closely to the ground, might be mistaken for a field of sage, cnly for its rich, dark-green color. In its cultivated state, the bush is from two to four feet in height, its growth being limited by 'frequent prunings. From three to five years are required for the tea plant to mature. In the spring the young leaves crop out of the ends of the shoots and branches, and when the whole top of the bush is covered with pale, golden-green tips, in May, the first picking takes place. This is the choicest A JAPANESE TEA GARDEN. leaf, and contains the sap that gives forth the aroma. The choic- est qualities grown on the hillsides, carefully shaded of tea are from the hot sun by matted awnings. The pickers go down the rows of these carefully tended bushes, and nip off only the young- est leaves or buds at the top of each shoot. The young tea leaves, picked in early May and June, comprise about half of the whole season's crop. The succeeding growth of leaves is coarser and has less flavor. While in Shidzuoka, we had ample time to study Japanese 494 IMPRO VEMENT ERA . business methods. With the merchants, all is specialty. They confine their business to one distinct line. The shops of Japan as a rule are small, one-story, unpretentious affairs. Exceptions are found in Tokyo and Yokohama, where some large department stores have recently opened, and are gaining trade every day, by the new methods adopted. The typical store in Japan is used both for business and domestic purposes. In front, facing the narrow street, the merchandise is displayed, the whole front being thrown open by light, sliding doors, covered with white paper instead of glass. The family is snugly ensconced in the back part of the build- ing. There is no counter, but in lieu thereof 'there is a small platform covered with matting, in the center of which is a hibache or wooden box, about a foot square, half filled with sand. On top of the box during business hours, a few pieces of charcoal are kept constantly burning. When business is quiet, the merchant sits beside the hibache smoking contentedly waiting for customers. In politeness the Japanese rank next to the French, and whether the purchase is made or not, the customer is invariably well treated. The coins used in Japan are called yen and sen. A yen is worth fifty cents, United States currency, and one hundred sen is equal to one yen in value. You enter a fish shop, and you have the privilege of buying any part of the fish according to the part and quality desired. The heads are neatly stacked in a pile for the poorer classes, the entrails in another; while the choice bits are carefully washed and put on plates; nothing is wasted in Japan. In a poultry shop you may see a well dressed Japanese buying the leg or the wing of a fowl, while by his side may be a poor, half -dressed woman purchasing the feet or neck. In the stores all are as busy as the proverbial bee. There is no Sunday in Japan, which means seven days for business, except where holidays, which are numerous, intervene. On warm days the clerks throw off their clothes, except a small breech-cloth. Except in large cities, one of the least troubles of the Japanese is wearing clothes. Merchants are compelled to keep the street well sprinkled in front of their stores. This is done by means of a dipper, with a long, wooden handle. No one is allowed to loiter in front of the stores or on the corners. A sturdy little brown man, in a bright uniform with brass buttons, a long sword at his PEOPLES AND PLACES IN THE ORIENT. 495 side, beckons such a one to move on. In Shidzuoka, I saw a native about sixteen years of age steal some fruit from a stand in one of the little shops. I was not the only one who witnessed the theft. The little policeman and sword were "Johnnie on the spot." Taking a cord from his pocket, about the kind used by American boys for spinning tops, he tied it around the young fel- low's waist. The prisoner and thief then followed him as meekly as a gentle lamb, his head hung in shame. The clerks and delivery boys, with their blue kimonos, are standing, I might say walking, advertisements for the merchant; for his business is announced in bold, white characters on their backs. Let us enter a typical Japanese shoe store. Hanging on pegs in the wall, are hundreds of pairs of geta, for you must remember there is no plural in their language. These are wooden-clogs having a piece of wire well covered with cloth, which goes over the big toe to keep them on the foot. In dry weather low ones are worn. During the rainy season, they have strips under them, converting them into miniature sleds, and they seem to be effective in keeping the little brown people out of the mud. In the larger cities the American shoe is fast winning its way. The army now wears foot-gear of foreign style, although made in Japan. In ENTRANCE HACHIMAN TEMPLE, KAMAKURA. 49o IMPROVEMENT ERA. some of the higher schools, shoes are required to be worn by the students, and many of the girls are adopting like foot-wear. The favorite shoes for men are the gaiter, which can be easily slipped off and on, a necessity in the land of the Mikado. When one enters a Japanese house, hotel, temple, or indeed any of the finer buildings, it is required that the shoes be removed, for the floors are beautifully polished, cov- ered with a soft, clean matting that would be ruined by the nails of heavy shoes. Slippers are generally placed by the door as a polite invitation to make the exchange. A hose mer- chant would soon go into bankruptcy, for it is only on very rare occasions that a Japanese man or woman wears hose. A vender of hats would have similar difficulties to contend with. The women never wear them, the men seldom. A light, gaudy parasol pro- tects their heads from the tropical sun, while their unique umbrella does Daibutsu, Kamakura. valuable service during the rainy season. (Bald-headed persons are rare in Japan, probably because hats are not generally worn by the natives.) The furniture dealers would also have the short end of business, for tables, chairs and bedsteads are not used. The mat on the floor serves for all three. Shelf-hardware is slowly coming into use, but cnopsticks are still preferred to the knife and fork. The Japanese people are great consumers of tea and rice, which are both used without sugar. Merchandise is mostly purchased on two or four weeks' time. There is no cash discount. All is net, to be paid for when due. Should longer time be desired, an extra amount is added to the price of the goods. The old method of the merchants of Japan, in which they made a clean settlement once a year, as with the Chinese, is now about a thing of the past. With many pleasant recollections and a crowd of American PEOPLES AND PLACES IN THE ORIENT. 497 and Japanese friends at the station to bid us sayanavra we set out once more upon our journey. Through the villages we saw bam- boo poles in front of most of From their tops were the houses. floating colored papers and linen fishes from four to seven feet long. On enquiring, we were informed that it was "Boys' Day," a holiday observed in honor of the boys; each fish represented a boy. Nothing was too good for the boys on this gala day. The idea is that a live fish will swim up the stream to success, while a dead one will float down to failure. The boys are encouraged to be live fish, to overcome all obstacles, and to make a success of all they undertake. The third of March is "Girls' Day," and each girl is presented with a doll. Next we stop at Nagoya, the fourth city of Japan, with 280,000 inhabitants. Its chief products are cloisonne, porce- lain and fans. Nagoya Castle is celebrated for a pair of golden dolphins on the roof of the tower. Our stay was a brief one. A few hours' ride brought us to Kamakura which was once the capital of the ancient Shoguns of Minamovo, but is now a mere seaside village where still remains some old relics, including a fam- ous Daibutsu (Great Buddah). This colossal figure is the largest in Japan. was cast in 1717. It It is in a sitting position and is forty-nine feet high. The interior is hollow and is fitted up as a temple with shrines. The curious head-dress is composed of clus-. ters of snails which, out of gratitude, it is said, to Buddah for his love of animals, shielded thus from the sun the exposed head of their holy friend. Let us hasten to Yokohama and witness Japan's great Jubilee to commence July 1, 1909, and last four days, in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Japan to foreign trade. Kamakura, Japan. Both on the way. Mama had sent little Bessie to the pantry to get some sticky fly paper. She was gone a long time, and finally the mother called: "Bessie, hurry with the fly paper. Have you got it?" There was a pause, and then this in an earnest voice: "No, mama, the fly paper's got me. But— we're both coming!'' — Selected.