Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-11


| colds. but this is true only of warm and not
| of hot baths, such as the Japanese indulge
in, at q temperature of 40 to 115 deg,
! which. III some cases, is increased to l20
| deg. and occasionally even TO 1870 deg. FAN
reDheit. Foreigners cannot endure such
| temperatures. but the natives revel in
| them. and the effect on them is so bracing
| and strengthening that they can, and often
do; emerge from the tub and walk some dis
| lance in the coolest winter weather without
! stitch of clothing on, and without catch
| ing cold. When foreign physicians were
| first imported and looked up to in Japan,
! about twenty years ago, they actually
| succeeded, in their ignorance. in making
| the government pass a law forbidding u
| higher temperature than blood heat: but the
| mistake was soon discovered and the law
| repealed To-day those of the foreign resi-
! dents who are wiseSt have given up their
| cold baths and try to approximate the Jap
aneSe temperature as closely as possible
Those who follow this example find the
! consequences similar TO those of I Turkish
! bath. \ profuse perspiration covers the
| body ana the whole system seems reno
| waited. If friction is desired it is supplied
/ by the young man who heats the water, or
! by one of the waiting maids for a trltiing
| fee; or else one of the blind ''shampooers.
| who are experts in massage, may be en-
! gagged.
| In some of the semi-foreigu hotels in
| Toxic, Kiotos Nikko and other places, OBJ
! long metal baths, similar to our own, have
! been introduced but the Japanese them
! selves use square wooden tanks. sometimes
large enough to admit several persons at
| time. The water can be heated in short
I time by means of a copper tube, which
| lines one corner Of the tub, and has graf
| ing for charcoal ut the bottom. For eco
| nOmical reasons the Japanese never have
| bath tubs to lie in, but usually make them
n,nlg- wiz 11frh hot ,sitf
! kneel which requires less water, and there
! fore less coal.
| SO far ali seems well: but there are two
! things about Japanese baths which are apt
| to Stagger foreign visitors. the use of the
| same water by number of persons. and the
! absolute Indifference TO nudity. When the
| family bath is ready, the father. mother.
| children and servants all enter in the order
| here given. This may not seem SO very
| dreadful. but it is otherwise in q crowded
| inn. where 4 score or two of guests,
entire strangers 10 each other, are expected
( 10 use the same water ito economic fuel.
This may seem better than no bath at all.
and as tine natives wash themselves all over
before entering the tub. the objections may
seem largely imaginary; but we cannot
overcome our predictions Tor fresh tub
for each individual, and communism in
bathing does not seem an inviting form OF
hygenic diversion. We have similar forms
the hot baths in Switzerland, and the first
tank in our Turkish baths; bur there at
least, the water flows necessarily, while III
Japanese inns, / found sometimes that the
lazy servant had even retained the previous
days water, hlled with hairs and stTeds
of skin. Fortunately the fastidiousneSs Of
foreigners is taken into consideration. anu
| they are usually invited TO the bath first
INDIFFERENCE TO NUDITY.
In 1872 law was passed against nudity
in cities. ana strict police regulations have
since that time done a good deal TO reduce
the number of exposures. but tendency
still remains to revert TO former habits us
soon rs the policemans back is turned; and
in the villages and country districts, where
police supervision Is less strict, the old
order of things still prevails. Boys and
girls up 10 the age of ten aud twelve run
about stark-naked. and in remote villages
draw up III lines in the streets through
which Il foreigner is seen passing in his
iurikiSha. Many men in the fields, and
especially the fishermen, seem to find even
the customary loin cloth an encumbrance:
and girls and women are almost invariably
clothed only below the waist As REGARDS
the family bath. il Is no longer customary
tn place the tub in front OF the house in the
street. put in this matter the letter rather
than the spirit Of the law. has been COM
piled with, for the tub is now placed in the
back yard and rs the sliding screen walls
OF the houses are ali removed during The
daytime. il is almost rs much exposed TO
view as when il was placed III the street.
Ia the inns. As / have already remarked.
hardly have you been shown to yOur room
when a 9iri appears To conduct You to the
bath. There unless told 10 leave. she waits
TO receive your coat and other garments on
her arm, till there is nothing more TO re-
ceive Then she deposits them carefully in
a corner and departs. unless she should
hear YOU fan on the slippery inside room,
when she viii run IN 10 help YOU up. with
many apologies for the state Of the floor
AT the sulphur baths in HakOdate. aud
everywhere, these girls come in III any time
without knocking or warning to see if the
water is cold enough, or II you need towel;
lust as they enter the bedroom in the early
morning Ia remove the mosquito netting
and let in the fresh air.
Japan being volcanic country is full of
hot mineral springs, at many of which the
habits of the olden times are preserved i'll
all their former simplicity. Eumoto. few
miles beyond Niliko. is one OF these places.
Half the village consists Of bathing houses,
lining both sides of the streets. Their
doors are wide open. and inside are two
large tanks without any partition between
them, one filled with men and the other
containing a dozen or more girls and women
in the original costume OF Eve, and as I'M
conscious of any notion ot improperly as so
many DaOcS. E.lcQ one has Il SIllall Dlue
towel. and some of those who live near the
bathhouSe do not go TO the trouble OF taking
their clothes with them. Along the sea
coast YOU will see hundreds of natives.
men, women and children, froliciiing about
in the water. which is so warm that no
suit. not even bathing tights, seem to be
considered accessory
In and near Toxic, such scenes are no
longer tolerated. for although the bathing
rooms are no longer fully exposed to the
street, they are only closed below. and any
one who chooses can LOOK i'll through the
latticed bars above; nor do the hathers OBJ
iect 10 such a proceeding. There is always
Il separate tank for women and one for men,
but the partition between them is only L
few feet in height, and what is stranger
still q man may be seen waiting on a score
or more women on their side. while on the
mems side girl stands to receive the al
mission fee
il must be understood that these people
are perfectly respectable, and that order
and propretY prevail invariably. IT would |
seem inexplicable that nation so civilized |
as the japanese, who in general aesthetic |
culture and in refinement of manners are !
superior TO all other nations, should be in |
this respect on level with Fiji islanders |
and South American Indians, were it not !
for our knowledge that the most advanced |
people of antiquity. the Greeks, showed |
an equal indifference 10 nudity And TO |
tell the truth nudity is almost i necessity |
in Japan in summer, especially Tor the |
working ppople In n climate where even !