Images of Japanese Societyin Spanish Catholic Mission
Journals (1914-1923):
Customs and Daily LifeYumi NAGASE
University of the Basque Country/
Euskal Herriko Unibertsitateaa) Neutral: Morally Neutral: Exotic Componentsi) Oddness in town planningii) Etiquette in the Houseiii) Bad Hygieneiv) Bathing customsb) Advantagesb-1) Missionary advantage: Japanese Empire
as Influential Base for Far Eastern
Evangelizationb-2) Missionary-Moral Advantages: Social andCultural Meritsi) Japanese Solidarity Systemii) High Interest of the Japanese inEducation and Culturec) Disadvantagesc-1) Morally Neutral-Missionary Disadvantages:
Life Instability and Poverty of the Japanesec-2) Missionary Disadvantages:Theologicalissuesi) Assimilation of Modern-European
Material Civilization in Japanese TownPlanningii) Pagan Customs in EducationalInstitutionsc-3) Moral Disadvantage: Public Vicei) Traditional Indifferent Reaction to the Nudeii) Drunkenness

a) Neutral:
Morally Neutral: Exotic Componentsiii)Oddness in town planningiv)Etiquette in the Housev) Bad hygienevi)Bathing customs“something rare from around here”“The houses of purely Japanese style,whose intrinsic value is sometimes very
considerable for the natives; but
completely negligible for the foreigners…”(1920, Misiones Dominicanas)b) Advantagesb-1) Missionary advantages: JapaneseEmpire as Influential Base for Far Eastern
Evangelization“Japan, which has such an important role inthe destiny of the Far East” (1919, MisionesDominicanas)“the preponderance and the situation of thisempire in all the Far East, where there is anestablished hope open to Catholicism, andfor the same reason, to the salvation ofb-2) Missionary-Moral Advantages:
Social and Cultural Meritsi) Japanese Solidarity System:-The University students as Milkmen,organized in the students committee.
(1918,El Siglo de las Misiones)-”seinen kuai, ‘Associations of youth’ whoprovide the service, covering from 15 years
to 21.”: To help the community.
-“ex-servicemen”, having military service
until 30 years, to maintain the spirit ofdiscipline and patriotism.” (1923, L.M.Ct.)

ii) High Interest of the Japanese in
Education and Culture“Our system of Education covers
compulsory teaching for all children
from six to fourteen years…there arearound eight million children…, those
who do not go to school number around100.000; this represents 2 per 100. …
we have 180.000 schools for all thesechildren.” (1923, Las Misiones
Católicas)

“The anxiety with which these
Japanese devour all kinds of writingis incredible. The written word
exercises much more influenceamong them than the spoken word.”“In a total of 4.448 published books,only 5 are catholic!”(1921, El Siglo de las Misiones)

“…after three years of dedication to alanguage… they pronounce and speak thelanguage pretty well, almost fluently; but as
for writing, that is another matter.”-The tendency of copying in a notebook.
-the lack of exercise in composition,-the lack of custom in memorizing,-the productivity relative to the time inlearning languages, even though they spend
30 hours of classes per week.

c) Disadvantages:c-1) Morally Neutral-Missionary
Disadvantages:
Life Instability and Poverty of the JapaneseHardship involved in subsistence-Hard climate (flooding, typhoon)-Frequent hunger, rice riot (1919)“How can we expect much fruit from ourpreaching,…these people are…warring
about securing the food necessary for theirsustenance and the way to be free from somuch misery?”c-2) Missionary Disadvantages:
Theological issuesi) Assimilation of Modern-European
Material Civilization in Japanese Town
Planning“with wide streets of asphalt and such proudbuildings that sometimes one forges the ideaof finding herself in Europe.”“All their zeal (the Japanese) lies inmaterialism and in imitating European usageand customs.” (1919, Ms.Dominic.)

“…the severity of their heart, so tyrannizedand oppressed by the ties with the materialthings...”ii) Pagan Customs in EducationalInstitutions“...here there are no activities, special
evenings or academic acts such as inEurope. The acts of the whole year arereduced to three examinations,…” (1919, E)“Apart from the national festivals and…
school expeditions, there are no vacations. If
the Christian festivals fall on class days,
there is no alternative but to go. Next year,
1919, it will fall to our lot to have to work
hard during the days of Easter.”c-3) Moral Disadvantage: Public Vicei) Traditional Indifferent Reaction to theNude“...even to bathe in the presence of the othersex…is regarded as normal in this country.”「きわめて潔癖に驚くほど容易に貞潔を守ります。」「概してこの点に関しては葛藤がほとんど無いからです。」(井手勝美, キリシタン思想史、、、1995, pp. 112-3)

「彼らは粗食で、、、生来、我々のような強烈、激烈な情熱や嗜好を有していないから、、、。この結果、彼らは官能に関しても、生来、強烈な刺激や欲望を有してはいません。」-In the public baths, the two sexes can see
each other.

“The Japanese are accustomed to see eachother naked from their childhood, not only inthe bath, but also in their own houses. So,
we see frequently, …, that a young man
passes completely naked in front of thewomen,…they remain as calm andimpassive as if nothing had passed.”“…the Japanese women pull up a little thekimono, …the men...those who are not somodest, with a small cloth which imperfectly
does the work of the fig leaves, like ourFather and Mother in paradise after the sin.”(1914, El Correo Sino-Anna...)ii) Drunkenness“It seems that the inhabitants are very
dissolute. Their public vices however are nodifferent to those common to all theJapanese; …gambling, alcohol and thepleasures of the flesh.... About these vices
no Japanese troubles himself, nor does itmatter to him that others know it, evenamong educated people and those inhierarchical position.”In Conclusion:

Thank you