Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-06-13
CHESTER FIELDIAN.
JAPANESE ARE STICKLERS FOR ETl-
QUETTE AND CEREMONY.

Each Other, but Not to Foreigners They
Sans Subjects.
A schoolboy will tell you that Japan
is not exactly our antipodos, but to
our notions everything is almost the op-
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 dwarfed, so that
the garden of q few square yards may
have its pond, bridge and full grown
oak. Nature is stunted and oppressed,
yet 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, heaving a deep drawn sigh
as token of being overwhelmed at
the honor. And now the salutations-
no abrupt "Hellol'' or "How are your"
but "Your servant is rejoiced to see
your honorable countenance.
In the early days, say 20 or % years
ago-that is, the time when W. E.
Griffis wrote "The Mikado's Empire
we 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 US who tried to learn the Ian
guage, being accustomed to the terse
and more or less abrupt Anglo Saxon,
had very little patience with this con-
tinuous flow of ceremonial. Many is the
time that hearty ''baka da he" the
very worst expression a Japanese can
utter and which can only be translated
by our emphatic "the d--d fool, was
hurled at the back of the unconscious
foreigner. He had offended against the
supreme law, the code of ethics, by dis
ceremonial forms which the
native considers indispensable in all
intercourse Here is japanese bargain
ing for q jinriksha. He makes an offer,
and the cody, bareheaded, with pro-
found salaam, says, ''That is honorably
so, but may it please your honor to be-
stow" etc. 4 foreigner bargains with
the same cody q few hours later. He
is asked twice or three times the fare
which Japanese would pay, and if he
offers that the cody says simply, ''No"
lthis is the extent Of his knowledge of
our tonguel, and with ''baka Ga ne'a'
returns to his stand.
Go into native store accompanied bys
a japanese gentleman. The storekeeper,
squatted behind his hibachi charcoal
brazier), bows profoundly to your friend
and favors you with a stare. Would his
politeness not be thrown away upon
such boor as you, being a foreigner,
are supposed to be? You are welcome
to buy, and he will squeeze you all he
can, but as to wasting his civility upon
you-bah!
There is no use in mincing matters.
Japan has been described time and again
by ephemeral visitors who saw every
thing as through rose colored glasses.
The consequence is that Japan and the
Japanese have been misrepresented,
both in the United States and elsewhere,
and they have not been slow to take adj
vantage Of the high regard in which
race nor nation that requires petting,
nor is it necessary to go into ecstasies
over them. On the contrary, this people |
Of over 40, 900, 900 has wonderful vi
tality and national vigor that will
make themselves felt in the worlds |
history.
But in describing conditions as they
are there is no intention to cast
all the odium upon the japanese. 1t has
been stated before that we foreigners
are chiefly to blame. To explain this |
more fully it is only necessary to look
into the matter of business intercourse
as between foreigner and native
In early days-in some irms-this |
custom still prevails. The bargaining
with the natives was intrusted to the
compradore, usually Chinaman, who
spoke the Yokohama kotoba (dialect) Of
the Japanese. Now Chinaman consid- |
ers himself as at least the equal if not !
the superior of us, but is decidedly ar
rogant toward japanese, who in his
turn regards his Mongolian neighbor
with the contempt of Californian.
Under these circumstances Japa-
nese gentleman on business intent would |
come to Yokohama. Instead of meeting |
with the courtesy to which, in his own
country at least he certainly is entitled, |
he would be detained by the Chinaman
Or perhaps meet some sppercilious Junior
clerk fresh from the mother country |
and consequently not a little impressed |
with his own superiority over any ma
tive, asking him, 'What do you want?"
and then refer him to the Chinaman |
Is it not natural that this Japanese
should shake the dust of this house and
make solemn VOW not to cross the
threshold again?
To be sure, most firms have suppressed
sd the Chinese compradore by native
'alesmen Or interpreters, but these be-
long to the lower class of japanese, with
whom gentleman will not associate.
Hence misunderstanding and i'll feeling
prevail.
Japanese Of the better class give Yobo-
hama wide berth. To them this city
is an anomaly, fungus upon the sacred
soil Of Dai Nippon, and some foreign
srs thoughtlessly perhaps, do much to
strengthen this feeling. - Yokohama
Cor. New York World
rx,,.o+ IT.; an 30 Children CeleirSna.