The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-25
THE MUSCULAR JAPs,
Occupations Well Suited to the
Production of Men Of
Drawn.
But Symmetrical
Figures Of the Laborers In
all Lines.
The Whole Country Run by Human
Muscle-Dfet and Baths-Training
Of Professional Wrestlers.

The whole Country Rum by Human
Muscle-Dfet and Baths-Training
1 Of Professional wrestlers.
The physical development Of the Japan
csc il, perhaps, az remarkable as that OF
sny people in the world. Within the past
few years Americans have been surprised at
the wonderful feats displayed by the
almond-eyed athletes from Japan who have
starred America under various managers,
and two of the great attractions of Bar
NUNS circus this year are Japanese rope
walkers and turner's. A year or 20 ago.
writes Frank G. Carpenter In the New York
Ledger, London went wild over the wres-
tiers at the Japanese village at Hyde Park,
and every visitor to Japan comes away ad-
miring the magnificent calves and the
sturdy frames of the laborers he meets with
there. Probably no better leg development
is shown among any people in the world
than that of the Japanese jinrikisha men.
The iinrikisha is q mammoth two
wheeled baby carriage with a pair
of shafts fastened to it. It has
cover, and the passenger leans back at his
ease, while his jinrikisha man pulls him at
the rate of from five to eight miles an hour
through the city or across the country.
These men are paid 10 cents an hour, or so
cents day, and they can make long dis
tances at q speed equal to that of the aver
age horse. They run all day without firing.
and instances have been known OF their
4 There are $1,000 Of them in Toxic alone,
and there are, perhaps, half . million in
Japan. During the summer they wear little
Z else than the breech-clout when running
y along the country roads, and the hot sun OF
Japan turns their Jersey -cream skins to q
ration in drops Of diamond sweat upon
their backs. Their arms are also
we'll developed. and they are, as q
rule, profession of athletes. The
( few clothes worn by the Japanese in the
4 summer gives the traveller tine emporium
The travelling in the mountain districts 10
/ done in kagos, or box-like chairs, swung
n upon long pole, which is carried on the
shoulders Of two men, one of whom marches
4 in front of you and the other behind.
These kago- bearers have the arms OF Apol-
4 los and their legs are as symmetrically cut
as those of Michael Angeles statue of
David.
Equally we'll developed limbs may be
found among the ordinary laborers Of
Japan, and have never seen such beauti--
\ full physiques as those of the boatmen at
\ frames seems to be perfectly developed and
n their endurance surpasses belief.
It is no wonder. however, that the Japan
Y csc have good physical development. for
the whole country is run by human mus
Gle. Man is the beast of burden. He plows
\ the ground, carries the freight and does the
thousand and one things which are here
relegated to horses or to steam. There are
\ but few horses or cattle in the empire, and
\ even in Toxic, a city of million people,
and hauled BY men. Ali this work Is done
on q diet Of rice and tea, and the results
seem to surpass those of beefsteak and
Il wheat. The Japanese bring into use a
greater number Of muscles than we do, in
/. their work and their exercise. Tho athlete
as We do our hands; and the cooper holds
\ his tub with his toes while he hoops
it. The carpenter uses his toes in
the manipulation of some of his tools, and
Il the gymnast can walk up slanting wire or
slide down it holding on by his toes. In
Japanese call set of muscles into play
which We seldom use. The favorite loafing
position il squattinR on your heels 80 that
4 the whole weight of your body rests upon
y your feet, and SO that no portion Of your
Y anatomy except your feet touches the
ground. The Japanese will sit in this way
on his heels for hours at time, and enjoy
himself as he chats or smokes If you will
Il try the experiment, you will find Yourself
4 tired out in two minutes. and an experience
ifof half an hour in this position will give
u you aching joints for days.
\ One Of the secrets of the fine physiques
4 of the people of Japan lies in the universal
i use of the massage treatment. The blind
y men are the masseurs of Japan. They are
known as the shampooers. and the trade of
-. l.
They are organized into great trade guild,
!, have their officers, their fixed prices, and
Z their rules of labor, and they ply their
N trade in every city and village Of the coun
I try. Every night you will hear the shrill
Z whistle which forms their street cry outside
ordinary Japanese, you will call one Of
n them in, and give your tired body into his
\ hands. From long training, they under
\ stand the location of every muscle and
1 every nerve, and with deft fingers they will
\ 60 over your body as it lies semi-naked
4 on the floor, and press each atom until
X You feel as though you we're being mashed
s. to pulp, but endure the sensation, know
4 ing that you will awake new man, with
| every force revivifed and every muscle re-
5newed. Every Japanese goes through this
process every day. and in the cases OF the
poorer people, the shampooing ia often
done BY daughter or wife. Some of the
4 most touching pictures of the Japanese in
I their literature are those which paint the
filial pisty Of the young girl who, instead of
4 running out to airt with the young men,
N stays at home to shampoo her half-blind
II grandfather. and the ideal poor mans wife
/. is she who goes over her husbands frame
( every evening. after his hard days work,
!, and shampoos his WEAKNESS into rest. This
\ exercise brings about uniformity Of mus
!. cular development, and in addition to it
comes the daily hot bath, whic.,
( keeps the skin in perfect con-
!, dition. We have the idea that
y the hot bath is weakening. It docs mot
n eeem to be 10 for the Japanese, for every
II man, woman and child of the Sc. 600 600
people in the kingdom is thus parboiled
/. every day, and the average strength is
greater than that possessed by the cold
bathers Of the United States.
u The Japanese contortionists have an in
I ternatlonal reputation. On every country
/, road of Japan you will find bands of three
/ little boys, ranging in age from six to four
1 teen, and these boys will twist themselves