The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-10-16
Customs of Japan.

The population of Japan has beer
8 variously stated; but no estimate ye
put forth has the slightest prrtension t.
accuracy. The most moderate estimate
however, fixes it at rather more thar
fifty millions, exclusive of the inhabi
:ants of the Japanese dependencies
They are divided into eight classes, the
princes, mobiles, priests, soldiers, civi
J officers, merchants, artisans, and labo
rers, either agricultural or otherwise
tl~ caste system is strictly pursued, and
each follows the employment of his IA
theirs, whatever his talents may be fol
a different pursuit.
The people, physically considered,
appear to be mixed breed OF Mongolian
and Malay blood, though they regard
themselves as aborigines. They are,
in general. we'll made, active, and
supple, having yellow complications,
small, deeply set eyes, short hattish
noses, broad heads, and thick black
hair, which, however, is not allowed to
be worn except on the crown, The sides
of the head being kept constantly
shaved.
The dress of the japanese consists of
several loose silken or cotton robes,
worn over each other, the family aims
being usually worked into back and
breast of that which covers the rest.
10 these is added, on state occasions,
robe of ceremony; and the higher
classes wear it with sort of trousers,
called hakkalna, (resemblipg a full
plated petticoat drawn up between the
legs,) with one or more swords, accord
ing to the rank of the parties.
The lower orders are prohibited from
wearing swords. The men shave the
front and crown of the head, the rest
being gathered and formed into a tuft,
covering the bald part the women. on
the contrary, wear their hair long. and
arranged in the form of turban, stuck
full of pieces of highly polished tortoise.
she'll and they paint their faces red
and white, and stain their lips purple
and their teeth black. Hats are worn
only in rainy weather; but the fan is
an indispensable appeudage to all cIas-
ses of the Japanese. Their gait is
awkward. owing partly to their clumsy
shoes but that Of the woman is the
worst in consequence of their practice
o. so tightly bandaging the hips, as to
turn their feet inward. On the other
hand, they do not deform themselves
by combining their feet in tight shoes,
like the Chinese.
Polygamy is not praised even by the
MOBILES, and far more freedom is permit
ed to the female sex than in China
many are we'll educated, and almost all
play on musical Instruments Concu-
bines are kept in numbers, varying ac-
cording to the means of the owner: but
they hold rank much inferior to that
of wives ; prostitutes are found in every
town in greater numbers than in any
country in Asia, except Hindostan and
so little discredit is attached TO their
profession. that they are visited by
married females, and received back with
out remark into respectable society
Respecting the moral condition of a
people so little known, it would bs rash
to venture any remarks. They are al
legged, by Siebold and others, to be in
teligent, and desirous of increasing
their knowledge by inquiries; they
study medicine and astronomy, and
their observations are as correctly made
as their rude instruments will allow.
Almanacs are compiled at Mako, the
great center of the national science and
literature.
The history of Japan has been writ
ZEN with great care, by some of its
learned writers; and their works on
botany and zoology contain good des-
sriptions and tolerable engravings of the
plants and animals i1igenous to their
islands. Poetry, also, is cultivated, and
here is a prevalent taste for music
The japanese language has no relation
10 the Chinese, nor, indeed, to any
known Asiatic language, except that
IF the Amos, who inhabit Jesse and
Tarkai.
Marco Polo was the first to make
known to the Europeans the existence
ot country called by him Zipangu,
out since proved to be Identical with
Japan. In 1912 Mendez Pinto, Por-
uguese, was Cast b. storm on these
shores, and Portuguese settlement
rom Malacca was soon after made at
Nagasaki, the commercial relations of
which, with the inhabitants. were very
considerable and highly lucrative to the
settlers, till the interference, in 1886,
# Jesuit missionaries with the religious
profession of ths inhabitants, led to the
persecution and final expulsion of the
raiders The Dutch soon. afterward
in 160o), with great difficulty, pre-
allied on the Japenese to allow them to
rade on condition of not interfering
With the national religion. Recently,
everal ports have been opened to the
english and other countries.
-~~~~~~--ee-.~~~~~-
ADEL1NA PATTI COMING TO THIS =
Adelina Patti is at :
hamburg, playing the round of her -,
peratic characters. After next season, >
ays the Pail Mall Gazette. she will =
e lost to the royal Italian opera, hav- y
mr. c;rpod a onptroo of with Ior hrothcr