Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1885-01-18
FOOD In JAPAN.
NOTES AND COMMENTS OF AN Of
FlclAL OBSERVER.
Comparatively Little Animal Food Eaten
The Food of the Masses Nine
Tenths yegetable-EHects
on Life and Health.
chronological journal.


The American consul general at Ioko-
hama not long ago gave brief review of
The food habits OF the Japanese that IL
interesting both rs regards the facts and
The comments of the official observer. lie
said. 20 universal has meat eating be.
come among the dominating races
that tAe praises OF beef are
sung wherever Occidental civiliza-
don has gone. aud il Is not only
popular le.irf, but au accepted scientific
opinion. that auy well-fed people must use
animal food considerably; TO have meat to
eat frequently is rcckoned the best proof
that the common laborer IN a country is
we'll favored japan, with a population
" 80, u q 900 equal TO that of the nited
Kingdom, engaged in very diversified in.
dustry. presents complete exception 10
the rule as TO food The scarcity Of ami.
NAL food. in consequence Of the nOninter-
course policy, and its almost unnecessary
prohibition by the religious faith. have
made nation Of yegelarians, except ~ 10
fish. which is moi forbidden as flesh
-Of the 5000 head slaughtered in
1850 the foreign residents and the foreign
marine consumed more Than half out
side OF the treaty ports mutton aud pork
arc mOsi unknown; there is au alum
dance OF fON.s both wild and barnyard.
but the common people can not pay for
them. The supply and variety Of fish,
however are very large, over POO
kinds being used ~ food. and the gov
eminent i, actively working 10 increase
both Already probably one half the PEG.
pie eat lsh once day. One.quaricr several
times month Stll. the food Of the
masses IS more than nine-tenths vegetable,
and the list OF this has been made long by
their necessity sharpeaed wits. OF cereals,
rice Is the most important, occupying
more than half the TILED area in summer
barley. millci, wheat, rye, and corn rank
sext in the quantity produced There
are said 10 be some 200 varieties of rice
seed a hulled bushel weight sixty. two and
and half TO sNtyt five, and il contains
almost ninety Per rent Of starch The
millei Is 81 TO bj per cent. starch and
sugar, II 10 IL pr cent nitrogenous mai.
Ter. and about ~ per cent, Of nutriment
IN all. being almost equal 10 the best
American wheat Buckwheat, containing
81 10 81 per cent Of nutriment. is also
grown largely on the lighter soils.
Beans and peas are more extensively
cultivated In Japan than anywhere else,
and there are over forty varieties.
One-the soy bean or Nirya mume
contains 10 per cent fat and
90 Of nltrogenous matter starch,
and sugar. and closely approaches
meat both In composition and IN Us action
ON the body. The sweet potato, being
very prolific and cheap. ranks next 70 rics
IN importance. 1900, 900 bushels being
the last reported production. A larg'
white ndish, called daikon, growing ~
10 n yard In length and fourteen pounds
IN weight. Is q very common and popular
feod. but the common potato In little uscd
by the natives \ surprisingly large LIST
a wild plants and SEA weeds Is utilized -
food.
The place Of sugar Is considerably sup