The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-14
THE LAND OF THE MIKADo.

Fashion and Jewelry Unknown-Art Not To
BE Imitated-Reckless Swear-Words.
Lecture by Prof E. s. Morse.
'It is utterly impossible to even initiate Jap
anese art. You may try to dash out spray or q
bit of bamboo, but you can't do it. 1t Is in them
to draw and about all we do is to admire
their work and decorate our homes with it. The
Japanese, with their 36, 900, 600 of people. have
history which the Buddhist priests have wilful-s
~ lengthened out many years. to make a wonx
derful record for their first Mikado. They would
have us believe that in early years there were
twelve Mikados, who reigned l, 400 years. This
is not credited by the more intelligent Japanese,
and it is quite probable their first Emperor
reigned in the first century of our era. Japan,
though isolated after fashion, has never been
successfully invaded. There is profound awe
felt for the Mikado, and more reverence
is given him than we feel for
Jesus Christ. They never use his name in
vain, and you can imagine with what horror
they view this opera 'Mikado' I've never seen
this, but the libretto is exceedingly witty and
bright, but it is absurd to think it is Japanese.
These people have secrets of manufacture, and
each province is marked by some popularity no
other can show. There are no wholesale facto-
ries there. One family will make certain grade
of goods, and so This stuff dashed over
here now is the product of Tom, Dick and
Harry, and not the artists of Japan. The bar
barians here are pleased with the fashy decora-
tons that not seen or tolerated there.
Strange as it may seem, the introduction Of
STEAMBOATS, IN Japan mas resulted In Ln6 QeSJrslc-
ton Of pottery manufacturing. The pottera
found they could not compete with the makers
of porcelain, and remains of their works are
all over the island. If you have any
japanese pottery advise you to hang on to it.
1t is BILE. The Japanese, as people, may
be regarded as the English of the East. They
have traces of the Corean, Malay Chinese and
other races in their composition. Some people
have accused them of being copyists. That is
not SO. They are no more copysts than we
afa fapny md 0nn iv4
anything. and quick to take advantage OF it
They don't wait ten years to see the value Of q
baggagecheck. as John Bull does. Speaking Of
the origin of the Japanese, there are cranks who
think they belong to the lost tribes of Israel.
Their language is execrablc. Linguists have no.
ticed ancient features about it, and an arrest Of
developments. They talk in one language and
write in another. as distinct from the other as
English is from Greek. Some of their characters
are Of hieroglyphic origin Profound students
know from ten to twelve thousand of them and
the lower classes from six to eight hundred. It
takes ten years to get fair insight into their Ian
guage, and it is simgly brain paralyzing to study
it. There IS Roman letter society in Japan
now of 10000 members that publishes q maga~
zine in English. A Chinaman and Japanese
when they meet cannot understand each other
in talking, and they look like deaf mutes as they
60 over the words with their fingers In four
years / never saw but one street fight in Japan.
The then did not strike out from the
shoulder, but scratched and slapped like school
girls sometimes do. 1t is considered very rude
to show any impotence there. Men driving
along get their wheels entanged in manner
that would raise storm of curses here, but each
will bow politely until they get their vehicles
separated. There is no swearing in Ja-
pan. The hardest word they have
means fool and is only used
upon the greatest provocatiop. The only express
tions they could substitutes for oaths
mean 'vexing and how impolite you arep
They look with horror upon the way we chat
one another. No matter how long you hava
known man, he never slaps you the back.
Their politeness is charming, not obtrusive, and
and you never get tired of it. You never see a
frown in Japan Gentleness is one OF the
marked features of the Japanese Child beating
is unknown. You rarely see child crying, and
children ara never left at home alone to howl
their breath away and tumble into the tubs,
father on summer nights walking in the mid
die of the street with his night gown on and
baby in his arms that had been worried. per-
haps, by some mosquitoes. The crows in Japan
are tame, and act as the scavenge-s. The death
rate is lower in Toxic than it is in Boston.
While there policemen and prisons in
Japan, an idea of the general honesty may be-
had when ! say there locks latches or
keys in the inns. The rooms are separated by
screens. The Japanese are temperate. although
they drink wine made of rice at every meal.
There is not bar-room in.Japan and the only
liquor ever offered at privaee house is tea. No
brilliant dresses ever seen on the street save
on festival occasions. An indigo color prevails
changes in styles Women never wear jewelry,
and wealthy people dress their children poorly,
so that poor ones may not feel bad"