Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-07-24
DAILY EVENING STAR.
" JAPAN.

DAILY DAILY EVENING STAR.
| t-4 - o. JAPAN. h -
We make the following extracts from
letter written to the New York OBJ
server by gentleman who accompanied
the late Government expedition to ia.
pan .y. .l-'. .-' 5lE 1rsss ol- ,s s5-.I
In our intercourse with this people,
we have found them vcey inquisitiye,
though their questions very often seemed
to be only to say something, without
having any object in view or use in the
answer. Everybody carries his inkhorn
at his girdle, (iike the writer in Eek. ix.
~ and the answer is jotted down in the
book carried in the bosom. The cour.
tesy Of the officials shows the degree of
politeness in which the Japanese arc
trained, and does them credit; society
seems to move on in an agreeable man
ner among the higher grades, but the
servility Of the untitled people strikes
one less favorably. When one OF them
is spoken to, he kneels nearly to the
ground and if IN q house, he bends
nearly to the ground as he sits. How
ever, each grade kneels and bows to the
one next above him, and so there is no
envy, L infer, where ey en- Justice is thus
dealt, out. All official people wear two
swords thrust into the girdle in an an
easy manner, higher ones having sword
bearer coming after them, and no one
can lightly touch it. These weapons are
highly polished, the metal seems to be
excellent, and the hits are often richly
ornamented. Their manufacture is mo-
|nopoly. p -I-,5 - 30,
Ihe people whom we have seen are
well fed and healthy in the main !; bp.
thalmlc diseases are common, and the
small po4 shows its existence in many a
face- Ihe officials put ON silks as their
common dress, at least those outwardiy
worn, Grape forming the most usual fab
TIC: the poor wear . substantial sort of
cotton blue and blackish, and pretty We'll
covered SO tar as one can judge. Their
houses are, on the whole, in villages near
our anchorage. less commodious than
tnose OF the Lewchewans and Chinese in
similar circumstances their roofs are
covered with thatch over a foot thick /:
and the walls of the building are con.
structed of sliding panels, one of paber
ana another Of board. The floor is raised
as high as the corridor which surrounds
the building, between the paper and board
panels, and laid with thick mats, on
which the inmates eat, work, sleep and
receive their friends. .r ~.
IN large apartments, part of the In
closure is merely the ground well pound.
ed, where agricultural implements and
produce are stored, and the cooking car
ried on. The effects of the constant
smoke from the kitchen are visible on the
blackened rafters and in the better sort
cooking is doubtless carried on in an outer
building. As the inmates do all THEIR
work on these mats, which are usually
kept commercially clean, rendering it
very empty to our notions of domestic |
comfort. In dull, rainy and cold weather,
the interior of these houses is still more
gloomy in our view, for the roof projects
SO TAR over the outer panels that it in
creases the shade in the houses still more
than the paper glazing. Altogether a Ja-
panese PEASANTS dwelling would not
please our New England farmers, and | |
hope they may ere long introduce some
OF the conveniences we are so much usedd
to into their houses. 7na- .,s le-
The position of the women among these
poor people is such as you might expect.
They are made to work hard in the fields
and houses hoeing, wedding, reapng
and other duties falling to them as well
as the men, while the cares of the house,
weaving, spinning, and such work seem |
all to be theirs too. They wear cloth
or fancy kerchief wrapped around their
head in the fields, and often too indoors.
The custom Of shaving the eyebrows of
married women imparts an old odd Rs.
peet to the countenance, taking away the |
distinct impression given to all the fea-
lures by that one; they are not shaven |
until after child is born. Another
more repulsive fashion among them is |
that OF blackening the teeth, which is |
done so completely that when q woman |
is most pleased and laughs the merriest, |
she appears the most hideous. You think
almost, she has made and inkstand of her
mouth l believe this ungallant custom
is not everywhere fashionable in Japan,
but dlspleasing as it is, it is less objec.
tionable than that Of cramping the feet
as IN China. II
The japanese commissioners to-day
were in good spirits at the conclusion of
their negotiations by the signing of the
treaty; and suspect are relieved of no
little anxiety. 1t would give us almost I
an entile insight into tue policy of this in
Sular empire, if we only knew all the de-
liberations which have been held amongits
princes and statesmen, since the delivery
Of President Fillmore's letter last July.
They gave the American officers on shore
a dinner, such as the small towns around
could furnish, they said, when apoloaang
Tor its interiority to the one given them ,
On board. n, The courses were ONLY five
consisting Of the following articles,
bro 'ght On in small lacquered tables, the
plates and cups also being mostly LACQUER.
ID ware, Set before each one, with pair
If chop-sticks to help himself withaI;
:ea in china-ware cups, candy tied in the
orm OF beT-not; and sponge cake,
ormed me first course. 10 - 2. I,
Raw oysters, mushroom and fish sound
IN lacquered bowls, boiled pears in slices,
seaweed cooked in sugar, hard-boiled eggs
pressed together and then cut into long ,