The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-12-11
A Japanese Barber Shop.

resorts OF the male gossips. Outside the
sign of the calling Of the proprietor, hangs
board painted with what might at first
sight suggest different object to different
spectators. II represents disc with a
wide slit extending to the centre, from
which black line, like tongue, extends
half way to the ends of the slit. An
American shopkeeper would surely take ii
to be one Of the supernumerary weights on
Fairbanks patent scale. A musician
would suppose it stood for Jews harp.
In the ken of a Scotchman it might seem
a curling-iron. An Indian would insist
that it was a scalp with handle to it, and
the red man would surmise correctly. 1t
is bird's.cye view Of the shaven crown
of native Of the old style, fresh from the
hands of the barber.
Inside, the shop is festooned with thea
tire bills, notices of wrestling-matches, and
local advertisements. On a raised plat
form the knight Of the razor stands while
his customer sits. The stubble of the face
and temples mown of, aud the fore-top
and midscalp having been reduced to pol
ished badness, the athletic exercise of the
tonsor begins. Seizing the victims long
hair in his left, and his wooden comb in
his right, he acts as if alternately working
hand engine, hoeing a row of corn, or
rowing boat. Nevertheless the enegy is
chiefly in his own body and feet. In
reality, he is gentle to the customer. He
is merely endeavoring to impress upon the
waiting hslf dozen customers that he is
hurrying with all his might, and that their
turn will come soon.
The priests are his best customers, since,
unlike the monks of Europe, they have not
even tonsure, and their pates are as iu-
nocent of hair as their palms Many of
the BARRIERS will give you double shave,
comb you, tie your topknot, and present
you parting cup of tea for a tempo, Zone
cent
The good BONES in the monasteries en-
gage the barber by the month. An old
BARRIERS touch is almost imperceptible, and
he usually handles his customer as though
he were made Of wax and crystal, the lat
ter often falling asleep under the soothing
blade. A Japanese barber uses nothing
but hot water, good one employing skill
in lieu Of soap. His razor is a-thin blade
of steel without haudle. He uses no strop,
only hone of extreme fneness and hard
ness, kept fiat by another stone, somewhat
softer.
Having finished the most fertile soil of
the face, on which the capillary crop is
most abundant, he attends to the forehead
temples, eyelids, nostrils, ears and neck,
With various shaped razors he explores
the convolutions of the ear, and the cav
erns Of the nose. The visiting barber has
a spotless reputation at his craft, having
never for a score of years drawn drop of
blood from a customers face, however
tender or amorphous, Having finished
his work, he falls on hands and knees,
touches forehead to the floor, and is off,
His travelling apparatus consist of
brightly lacquered box, profusely bound
and ornamented with polished brass, con-
tanning drawers for homes, razors of all
sizes and patterns, combs, paper string to
tie the queues, and pomatum for the hair,
drawer for money, and compartment for
holding the tray which each victim holds
before him to catch the spoils.
Unskilful BARRIERS and dull razors, how
ever, are not unknown in Japan, and the
writer has distinct recollection Of having
his face scarifed as though the rufian bar
ber was using harrow, Sometimes the
best BARRIERS are women. As in Japan
ese family the shaving of the children's
heads is regular duty, as imperatively
customary as the Saturday nights general
ablutions are among families where Sab
bath and Sunday schools are old institu-
tious, SO nearly all Japanese women acquire
a deftness and delicacy of tact with the
razor that rival professional touch and
skill The girls and boys are not consid-
cred dressed or perfectly clean until their
scalps in the chosen portions are perfectly
polished The male BARRIERS of the period
are stout conservatives, resisting worldly |
the foreign custom Of the hairy foreigners
who wear boards, moustaches and full |
heads of hair-Home journal