The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-04
Y,

W.T. IltuTn VIE US tHdl JuSt UelOTt HlS uepdrI-
ure Tor the interior one of his Yokohama friends
said to him: " Since you nre going to study
japanese life, perhaps you will be able to find
out something for me. | can't understand the
japanese smile" Neither at that time could
the author; but 1t seems that ultimately the
meaning of this ubiquitous and mysterious
phenomenon was revealed Il to him. A japanese
can smile in tho teeth of death. and usually
does. But he then smiles for the same reason
that he smiles ut other times. There is neither
defiance nor hypocrisy in his smile: nor is il to
be confOundcd with the smile of sickly resigna-
tion which we are apt to associate with weak
ness of character. 1t Is an elaborate and long
cultivated etiquette. II is also a silent language.
But any effort to interpret il according 10
Western notions of physiognomical expression
would be no more successful than an attempt to
interpret Chinese kilograms by their real or
fancied resemblance to shapes Of familiar
things. To comprehend the Japanese smile one
must be able to enter n little into the ancient,
natural. and popular life of the country. Mr..
Hearn found that from the modernized upper
classes nothing was to lie learned. II Is TO the
still fluid, mobile. natural existence OF the com
mon people that one must look for the meaning
of some apparent differences in the race feeling
and emotional expression of the West and the far
East. With those gentle, kindly. swcet-hearted
folk. who smile at life, love, and death alike, 1t
is possible to enjoy community OF feeling in sim
pie, natural things; and by familiarity and
sympathy one can learn why they smile.
1t is the conviction Of the author. who. being,
as we have sand, no Weismannist. believes In the
transmission OF acquired characters. that the
japanese child Is born with this happy tendency,
which is fostered through all the period OF home
education. Bat IL Is cultivated with the same
exquisiteness that is shown in the cultivation of
the natural tendencies Of a garden plant. The
smile is taught, like the bow; like the prostra-
ton; like the little sibilant, sucking in of the
breath which fellows as a token of pleasure the
salutatiOn TO a superior; like all the elaborate
and beautiful etiquette of the old time courtesy.
Laughter is not encouraged for obvious reasons.
But the smile Is to be used upon all pleasant &C.
casiOns when speaking to a superior. or to an
equal, and even upon occasions which are not
pleasant; II is a part OF department. The most
agreeable face is the smiling face, and to present
always the most agreeable face possible to
parents, relatives, teachers. friends, and well
wishers, is "A rule Of life. II is furthermore a
rule OF life to turn constantly TO the outer world
a mien OF happiness. to convey to others as far
as possible a pleasant impression. Even though
the heart is breaking, it is a social duty TO
smile. On the other hand, to look serious
or unhappy Is rude, because this may cause
anxiety or pain to those who love us; it is like
W lOoilsh. alhto u may eAtllc uhklnuly curl
osity on the part of those who love us not. Gull
tivated from childhood as IA beauty, the mile
soon becomes instructive. In the mind OF the
poorest peasant lives the conviction that 10 cx-
hibit the expression of ones personal sor-
row or pain or anger is rarely useful, and al
unkind. Hence, although natural grief
must have In Japan, as elsewhere, its natural
issue, IN uncomfortable burst of tears In the
OF superiors or guests is an impolite-
ness: and the first words OF even the most UNI
countrywOman, after the nerves have
given way in such a circumstance, are invari-
ably, Pardon my selhshness. and that | have
been so rude" According 10 Mr.. Hearn. more
over, the reasons for the smile are not only
moral; they are, TO some extent, aesthetic; they
partly represent the same idea OF temperatures
DIT moderation which regulated the expression
~ suffering in Greek art. But they are much
more moral than aesthetic.