Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-07-07
The japanese at Home.
Extract from Il prirate Letter.

4AC ID pdAtSC d.
Extract from prirate Letter.
KoB1, JAPAN, 17th April, 1871.
The FIRST thing about the people
that impressed me was that they were cleaa.
Their faces, hands, feet (for they generally go
barefoot, wearing only sandsls,) and clothes all
looked clean. Perhaps it is because their neat
ness appears in such striking contrast to their
Chinese neighb0rs' nsstiness, that il seems
worthy Of note Their streets and houses. too,
ale kept looking clean and sweet. The house,,
being generally Of two stories, instead Of one ss
China, are more airy, and seem more Wholesome,
even if one docs not look inside possibly in
part because they are lifted a few feet farther
from the ground. The white stuffed mating on
the floors is kept Immaculate. Both men aud
women always leave their sandals at the door IS
they enter house The dress Of the women. Of
all sges, is generally Of silk, not indeed Of
very fine texture, but looking nicer thsn the
coarse blue cloth Of their Chinese sisters Of the
poorer class | should add that running brooks
Of water, so clear that you csn see the bottom,
greatly distinguish Js.pan from the China have
seen.
The second thing that impressed me in JspAu
Was that the people did not ook SO pincbed and
hungry, so doubtful and troubled shout the Iext
meal. SIS SO many seem to be in China saw
people poor enough, dare sly, beggars even,
but didn't see anybody that appeared 10 be in
great distress or anxiety.
Another thing that expressed me, coming
from China, was the free and easy way in which
men and women mingle with each other and
still one other thing was their grest want Of del
icscy in not properly covering the body. When
! first came 20 japan. (in march, It was a little
too early TO see the japan ese in full undress
but now when nature is putting on her dress,
they are putting of theirs small linen hsnd-
kerchisf would be sufficient for full suit for =
man. And SIS TO the woI n,-when / came
here, frequently saw babies hanging on naked
bosoms Gradually the loose, open dresses are
dropping down to the waist The lmbs, too,
are partially exposed. The women, however,
are generally pretty decently clad, only in =
style somewhat too neglige In truth, the peo-
pie DO not seem 20 clean 10 ne now as they did
when first arrived, and they were dressed.
This will prepare you to know thai they dou {
trouble themselves much sboIt the seventh COM
msndment, especially before marriage. ies;er-
Jay | visited briokysrd. | found there in CON-
pauy with number Of almo st naked men, two
women moulding bricks The men took me for
a Chinaman, and began aIling with me in
vulgar way. | never met " ith anything Ike
this in China. except among people profession
ally bad. and then only three or four times.
could only say mai, mai (no) and leave. Three
weeks ago | was il Neddo. sI 4 coming through
the city at noon, / walked by square Of bag
MOS The fronts Of the hous a are made Of
open wicker work, and inside on raised plat
forms, l ssw courtesans gaily attiret to sttract
the passers by. In the evening these places are
grounded with men who walk from one house 10
another to inspect, and choose from the young
girls. Many Of them, if rot the major ity, are
hired out By their parents for term Of three
years, snd afterwsrd, At seventeen or eighteen,
90 home and are msrried in the regular way
These houses are sustained by law. After msr-
rsge the women are supposed to be true to their
husbands As a sort of pledge Of fidelity, they
blscken their teeth so that they msy look gly
and unattractive. They certainly look u,ly
enough, and am told they are for the mcst
part faithful Sometimes, however. they ba-
come tired Of their frst husband and change,
aud this change lasts until they tire Of the sec
ond Men and women bsthe indiscriminately
together in the public bath houses. In some of
these houses there is low partition (three feet
high) to separate the sexes. Between the bath
ers and the street there is nothing but open
wicker-work. And now | will say tba think
the Jspsnese are not so clean (morally) as the
Chinese.
The men, and especially the wome I, are
pleasure lovers. They msy be seen at the pres
ent season going in companies 10 visit flower
gardens and other places Of amusement. As 10
the marriages, | have not yet learned how they
sre celebrated At funerals they do one Of two
abominable things, they either burn the bo lies
Of the dead q have seen one such burning fl 0In
a distsnce,) or bend the knees (bTeaking { be
joints) till the legs lie close against the body,
and in that state d" chuck" the corpse into q
cubical box too small for it The cemetery is
tastefully laid out, with small but neatly cut
stone monuments.
They seem quite well satisfied with their reli-
ciou. aud the government ste sdily opposes the
introduction Of Christianity. Everything else
from the west they want, but our religion they
do not AT the present time, although there
are some ten missionaries in Japan, i is impos-
sible to teach Christian doctrine, except to a
very few, and that privately just now the
government is putting up splendid temple
here in Kobi, to cost $4,000. 1t is thought
this temple is intended to make an impression on
foreigners.
would say on the other hand that the jap
anese are very enterprising, delighted to learn,
and quick TO adopt western customs. They
hsve already opened mint, established navy
with foreign guns and gunbosts,) have ra ised
standing army, have opeped large schools for
the study Of the English, French and Germ an
languages, study the western sciences. have
steamboats, oilicered (though poorly by Jsl-
snese, have telegraph between Yokohama and
Yeddo (twenty-ive miles, and now a railroad |
is in process of construction passing through !
Kobi' think it is to run from here 20 Yeddo.
The soldiers and many other japanese wear
foreign garments, and instead of shaving the
head triengulsrly (the base of toe nearly equi-
lateral triangle being the forehead endesvor
to keep their hsir in the American style Just
now they are starting Agricultural College.
A few DAYS since had letter petitioning me to
become their professor. They offered to give
me any salary | might name, with fine house
to live in, and would allow me to teach agricul-
ture according to my own ideas. It
was nv knowledge Of the Chinese language,
strangely enough, that led the japanese govern
nent to seek my services.