The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-24
STRANGE SCENES IN JAPAN.
first In,pressiops-Ibe Common People
A Strange Festivai--Japan'se Women

jetty or pier called the '.Hatoba, y with a
pleasant wooded hill to the left known as
the bluff, dotted with white houses.
The harbor or lay itself is a circle OF
water perhaps three miles wide-bIe
enough at any rate 20 ne so rough in
windy weather that the ships have to get
up steam and 90 to sea for safety.
To come now to first impressions,
there are, Of course. two kinds of these.
There are the mere sense impressions,
the things which strike the eye and car
as strange. aud there are lie first in-
pressions,r which mean the conclusions
springing to the mind when the exter-
mails are first understood. The former
class Of these first Expressions gener-
ally attach themselves to very trivial
matters. but they gre often not the less
entertaining for all this. The first thing,
for instance. that noticed in Japan was
the enormous hats Of the coolies, and
next the ludicrOus combinations OF
European and foreign dress worn by
many young members of the middle
bath gown--the yukata-a pair OF long
stockings and boOts-tlat was common
mixture. the wearer evidently and
rightly thinking that nc had adopted the
best points Of both systems. An
hour after landing, too re-
mark made 10 me 10y an educated
japanese gentleman on the Belgic
REQUIRED to me. / had asked him if the
coming constitution for Japan was likely
to include trial 10y jury. after you
have seen japan he replied, with a
smile. ''you won't ask that question l
mean by this that was struck with the
fact that the common people of Japan,
courteous and clever and civilized as
they are in many ways-the hewers Of
wood and drawers Of water and pullers
OF ierinkishas are upon different plane
from the common people at home. One
might say that they live in two dimen-
sions. whereas trial by jury, not in It's
origin, but in its significance today, is a
, three dimension idea. Moreover, the
rulers Of Japan see that trial by jury Is
often a failure or farce with Us. and
they have no wish 10 educate the people
up TO il.
In Japan there are almost as many re-
lgi0us festivals as in Spain, and one OF
these-matsuri is their generic name
was being celebrated the other day IN the
japanese town. went to look for II
with my detective camera, and when !
met it could hardly believe my eyes
il corresponded more 20 ones idea OF New
Guinea than Of Japan. Upon an ordinary
bullock cart raised platform and scat
folding twenty feet high had been con-
siructed. and bullock and all covered
with paper decorations and green boughs
and artificial flowers. In front a girl
with gloiesque mask danced and post
ured. while half a dozen musicians
twangcd impossible instruments and kept
up an incessant tattoo on drums. Chill
drcn wild with delight crowded up
among the performers and chung like
flies al over the cart, and only that
Providence which takes care Of them. to-
celher with drunkards and the United
States of America. preserved them from
making q Juggernaut of 1t. On foot
around the bashi, as the whole structure
is called. were twenty or thirty men,
naked asio their legs. their faces chaiked,
with straw hats a yard wide, many col
orcd TUNES. IN which scarlet prcd0ni-
mated dcckcd ont with paper steamers
and flowers enough 20 make q Sioux
chief despair Of himself. dancing along
to q very rude chant and at every step
banging upon the ground q long iron bar
fitted with loose rings.
The colors. the song, the dance, the
music and the changing iron formed to-
eethcr q spectacle as barharous in taste
as possible. something wholly different
from what one had supposed the gentle
culture Of the japanese TO he. 1t the
time | was greatly puzzled, but suisse
qucntly ! learned that this malsurl Is not
50 IaIbarous rs It looks. took 1t TO be
serious religious ceremony. ! found
that il lad lust Is much 20 do with rclis-
ION as an Italian carnival has-that Is,
it was born Of religious feeling aud has
entirely forgotten its ancestry. Bud
dhism. which Is the religion Of the com
mon people. has always played 70 tie
gallery. go 10 speak, and the priests OF
today make money out of the matsuri,
partly In the shape Of the coins which
arc thrown into the temple ponds anu
partly from their share Of the sutscrip-
tons Of the we'll 20 do people OF the neigh
borhoOd. by whom the festival Is sup
ported. The affair IS thus q japanese
carnival, where people drink sake and
play the fool themselves or watch others
doing 30. exactly rs at Nice or Venice.
No account Of first impressions, too,
would be complete without an illusion to
the grace and charm of the japanese
women. The first time one sees q couple
OF pretty and prettily dressed japanese
girls walking abroad under their huge
yariegated paper umbrella, with their
elaboratelv dressed black hair, their per-
feet tiny hands and feet, their large
brown eycs-set obhquely If they are
beauties with their delicate, soft
toned crc-c garments. and the heavy fiat
silk obi Twisted round and round their
waist and ending in colossal bow be-
bind; with their funny motion on their
clip-clapping pattens, half undulatinS
run and half waddie, and THEN merry
laughter and chatter-when one sees