The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-04-05
FROM HEATHEN LANDS.
KANAZAwA, March 1st, II


that thought the Japanese were the
most polite people I ever saw. That,
like many other first impressions, was
incorrect. The japanese are very GER
emonious but they are not truly po-
lite. Upon our arrival at a Japanese
hotel all hands will rush forward to
relieve us of shawls, boxes, umbrellas,
ETC., and as soon as we have been
taken to our rooms, every man woman,
and child, who belongs to the estab-
lishment, will come to pay his respects
by getting down and bowling his b cad
to the floor several times. They con-
slider that the polite thing to do; but
within half an hour, the same people
will be opening the doors and punch
ing holes through the paper windows,
in order to see the foreigners eat or
make the toilet. There is no such
thing as privacy in japanese hotel.
When two men meet each other in
the waiting room of railroad station
they bow profoundly several times
and repeat many senseless but polite
phrases. But look at them when the
bell rings and the gate opens onto the
platform; such scrambling, and push
ing. and crawling, each trying to be
the first one through the gate. cup
pose that foreigners and railroads have
come in since their laws of etiquette
were written-so they are not to be
blamed. We doubtless do very many
things which they think very rude,
but they excuse us bv saying that we
don't know any better.
The japanese have a very high
opinion of the American people.
They think that America must be the
next thing to heaven, and how happy
they would be if they could only go
there. They do not realize that even
in highly enlightened America all
men are not Christians; that there are
many who drink, many who gamble,
many who steal, and many who do
the numerous things which they are
taught. when they come under the in
fluence of missionaries. not to do.
They think that everything in Amer
lea is lovely, that the people are made
of money, and know everything.
These notions are seen especially
among she pupils in our schools. and
probably are not very widely spread,
though all the people are very much
interested in, and anxious to hear
about America. What to US seems
but small sum of money is to them
fortune. There are only 1850 people
in this Ken or State, which includes
four provinces thickly settled, who
have an income of 800 yen a year !;
that is % yen or about 10 dollars a
month. Many hundreds are very
poor, shout as poor, as it is
possible to be, and live. We pay
servants three or four yen a month,
and they are glad enough to get the
positions. Many women and chill
dren spend their days, from morning
till night, in the silk factories, getting
from two to seven sen a day for their
work. Still lower, are those who Gull
tivate the soil, and draw heavy loads.
Indeed their position is that of beasts
of burden. Little wonder then, that
when they see our comfortable homes,
when they know, as some of them do,
that We spend more in one day for
food, than they do in three or four
weeks. thew think our supply of mon
ey is unlimited.
would like to have the teachers of
Allen county, visit Japanese school.
How surprised and shocked they
would be! In the japanese school
room. confusion reigns supreme; no at
tempt il made by the teacher to keep
order; the pupils study aloud. talk,
play, walk around the room, or do
any thing else they may wish to do.
H. mathematics, the teacher GOES to
the board, works and explains all the
sums, and then aisRisses the class. 1t
is source of wonder to Us whose ideas
Of education are SO different, how the
pupils eyer learn anything. Without
a knowledge of Chinese. even the
daily papers cannot be read. There
fore, Chinese, is taught in every school.