Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-24
THE GUILDS OF JAPAN
THEY ARE VERY ANCiENT AND
MASTERS OF THEIR TRADES.
The Blind Message Wen or sh"m-
poocrs-Thcy Danish Pain ana F"-
,,,uc nv acknowledgements
S;opnI story TeI;crs.
Tokio Correspondence Of the chicago
RecOrd)


In Japa-ese cities and Villages about
sunset you begin TO hear doleiul Whistles
In the streets. one will come from some
where near YOU. and pretty soon another
from far away. and II you choose you
can trace them 10 Blind men. who walk
In the middle u the road. each with
bamboo staff In his hand blowing MS
monotonous AMI melancholy signal 10
notify the public of his whereabouts.
These are the ANNA san, blind sham-
pooers. and massage operators. VINO oc-
cupy a conspicuous place in japanese
social life. They rub the skin. knead
the muscles. and shampoo the hair when
are favorite treatments among The ma
tivos. and are credited with great viz
tues I'm the japanese hygiene
Custom irnmem1rial has limited this
occupation to the blind. and. with the
exception Of music it is almost the
only one in which a person 50 afflicted
can engage. although. curiously enough.
when a blind man is fortunate enolgh 'p
DE rich. he is a m6ney- lcuder. The ANNA
san are organized into one great guild.
with their headquarters At Toxic and
kyoto. and are divided into different
grades like wrcstlers. being promoted
from one 10 another after the passasa
of an examination. and the payment I'd:
a fee which goes into a common irea-
sury. and 1t used Tor charity among Tie
guild.
Go not suppose there Is any law limit
ing this business 10 blind men. bat no
others arr engaged i'm H. The extreme
care which the women Of Japan take of
their hair makes shampOoins popular,
much more $50 than ~ any other country.
! ana massage treatment has for centuries
been a popular remedy for rheumatism.
iumDago. ana other pains and ACHES.
/ Their system differs. however from the
Swedish. H. that they work down instead
of ~ the body. their theory be.as similar
% ;hat Of the IrJian-me iicire men. who
urcss the pain out % the body 10y work
ins II toward the fingers ana toes.
THE sTORY-TELLIRs
Another curious guild is that Of tho
story-tell-rs. called yos-. who appear T.
be . relic Of The dlys when books were
scarce. Tnay aye similar in their mo
thois AMI occufation 20 the troutators
a. th- Middle Ages Ind the Zingari. who
APE even DOW found 100 the mountains ~
Austria. LAZY and Spain. They nave
houses Of entertainment whore people
"lt, go ard listen 90 Rotations OF stO-
ftcs. tragedies. ana poems while they s!t
around CROSSE. ggrI. drinking tea and
sunl ar their lout--temmei metal pipes
Sometimes the yose has a book before
BIN r,afing Il chapter Of history or M
act from one OF inc great plays. some
fI'cs be- reads poem or tells a story OF
-aythoi0gic1i times or OF modern events.
when hc comes u a particularly g0ci
point be clans together a couple II litti.
slabs OF wood, which are kept Icy him far
that purpose. The latter are also Feen O
the theatre. Their 81 always p man ST.
ting NJ the extreme right o. tie SAGE
with two small hat pieces Of wood. arf
whenever the situation become critical c~
eAc.tlHc be stimulates the interest Of the
audience iy clarlilc them together.
when the murderer Is creeping upon his
victim. when the suicide IS about TO fall
unon his sword. or when the villain run
way with The heiress he makes 4 terri
.i- racket that on % browns the dialogue.
The entertainments % The yOse ar usI-
els mixed There may BE- poem from
a Iiane9. Trr-yFDu. 1u -.fracf rom ft.
plays of a japanese Stakesp-ar.. g chap
fer Or ~ "a Japan se Bancroft or Fr0ule.
together with feW comic selections arI
a story % love and war. The recent war
with China has caused "a great bonn in
The yose business for they kept the pub
ID. informed If the progress Of events
nd tn policy o. the government. aI.i
ape now r-citing the incil nts of the cam
pa.sn In China The lesser yose are it,
ner.nt and give their reci.atioas upon
Pee streets o. in the lighthouses. Wher. No.
r.. is charged. but a collection u taken
G9 ut intervals. The street y0sc aye
usually accompanied by samisen PLAYER
an- singer perhaps two or three. AMI
tol md them surrounded BY crowds q
coolies wherever YOU may CO.
students Of the japanese language often
Utilize these entertainments for tho PUP
ose Of improving their pronunciation
There IS young Englshmaa ramed
Back "hO g. q member OF TIE guEi i'm
7, hio. believe h. is the only foreigner
Who was ever admitted. lie speaks
japanest perfectly. and hts know!-dge Of
Errcrsan literature gives him more Than
ordinary popularity.
INCLUDES ALL TRADES.
The guild system includes all trades
ana occupations. The silk growers ana
siik-buyers. the men who raise tea. and
/ those who sell it, the manufacturer q
lacquer and cloisOrne and porcelain. tn
weavers and spinners. the artists who de-
Z
/ peniers. screen-makers, conf ctloners.
/ paper-dealers. doctors lawyers. mer-
/ chants Of all kinds. teachers. and even
| preach -. have their guilds and meet
~ regular periods 10 discuss subjects Of
sereral interest and mutual importance.
/ Among the mechanics ana .radesulen
these guilds ar often extended To include
! hfe-insurance or aid to those who are III
| and in!irm. Ike our mutual benefit So
/ cieties Of the United States. Assessments
are made upon the living to pay the doe
| tors who have attended the dead. and
| the undertakes who have buried them.
Thus far the guild has not been used
= any extent for the advancement Of
wages or the regulation Of working hours.
/ FOR the reason that % per cent OF the
| skilled labor IN Japan is occupied in the
! homes of the people and In measure IS
/ independent Of tn conditions that govern
| working people in other lands Up I'LL
| five years ago factories wer. almost
unknown. The weaver had his loom in his
| own house. and his wife and sons and
| daughters took their turn at 1t during
| the day. " had always been the custom
| for tn children to follow the trade Of
! the parents The best porcelain and clo.-
some and lacquer work is done under
! the roofs Of humble cottages, and the
compensation has been governed usually
| by the quality OF the piece produced.
| There are middicmen who buy for the
! export trade and merchants for the local
! trade. AMI the wOrkmen usually sells
/ his wares 10 the same rersOn. Asana. the
! weaver sells his brocades 10 the grandson
! OF tho merchant. who bought his grand
! fathers products. when there III a large
/ order. say for 100 lacquer trays or 1000
/ embroidered shawls the mlddleman IS re-
i