The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-07-30
CHESTERTIELDIAN.
JAPANESE Are STlcKLERS FOR Ell.
CuETTE AND CEREMONY.

That Is, They Are Extremely Courteous to
Each Other, but Not to Foreigner'-They
Are Not Slow to Take Advantage of Uncle
SANS Subjects.
A schoolboy will tell you that Japan
is not exactly our antipodes but to
our notions everything is almost the OPP
posite Of what we are accustomed TO-
Flowers are scentless; fruit trees are
cultivated not for the fruit they yield,
but for the blossoms they bear; what
little native fruit there is is tasteless.
Stately forest trees are dwmfed, so that
the garden of a few square yards may
have its pond, bridge and full grown
oak. Nature is stuntcd and oppressed,
vet at the same time aided and assisted
so that the result may be pleasing to
the eye, and therein lies the secret OF
the japanese character
Real sterling worth is nothing com
pared to etiquette; ceremony is every
thing. Observe those two common sail
ors meeting in the street Regardless
of passersby and of any vehicle that may
interrupt their greeting, they uncover,
bow deeply, hcaving a deep drawn sigh
as n token of being overwhelmed at
| tbo honor And now the salutations-
no abrupt "Hcllo' or How are you"
but Your servant is rejoiced to see
your honorable countenance.
In the early days, say 90 or 20 years
ago-that is, the time when w. Il.
/ Griffis wrote "The Mikado's Empire"
-yve FOREIGNERS were treated in the
same manner. and we have only our
selves to blame for the dislike with
which we are regarded at present.
THOSE of rs who tried to learn the Ian
guapc. beiur accustomed to the terse
and moro or less abrupt Anglo.Saxon
had very little notience with this con-
t;,,,ors dow of ceremonial Many is the
fine that a hearty 'bala da ne" the
,o,.1- worst exnressiou a Japanese can
utter and which can only be translated
bv orr o,nphotic "the ID fool, " was
bnrled at the back of the unconscious
foreignor He had offended against the
sunreme law. the code of ethics. by dis
regarding ceremonial forms which the
native considers INDISPENSABLE in all
intercourse. d Dn10illll-
: inc for a iinriksha. Hemalles an offer,
and the cody, bareheadcd. with a pro.
found salaam. saws THAT is honorably
so. Int may il plrase your honor to be
STOW ~ etc A foreigner bargains Will
the same cody a few hours later. He
is asked twice or three times the fare
{ which a Japanese would pay, and if he
offers that the cody saws simply, mo
ithis is the extent of his knowledge 0.
IL onr tongue). and with "baka da ne
retnrus to his stand.
Go into n native store accompanied by
n Jananese gentleman. The storekcepor
2 sorottod bchind his hibacbi (charcoa
bro1icr, ln,ys nrofoundIy TO vour frient
and favors Won with a stare. Would hi
S roIitaness NOT he thrown away upol
sucb n hoor as Won. being foreigner
: are supposed to be? You are welcome
to b,v and he will soueeze Won all h,
Z can b1t rs tn wasting his ciyility upol
n vou--hob,
-, There is no use in mincing matters
i Jonon has been described time and agaiI
= nv enhemoraI visitors who saw every
e thing rs through rose colored glasses
The consequence is that Japan and tn
y Jononese have been misrepresentod
e both in the United States and elsewhere
r and thov have not been slow to take ad
-, vantage of the high regard in whic
u tbey are held. But this is neither
a race nor n nation that requires petting
q nor is il necessary to 20 into ecstasie
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