The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-27
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE IN JAPAN.
There Are Seven Reasons for which
Wife May BE Put Away.
Col. COokerilrs Japanese Correspondence

Col. Cockerilrs Japanese Correspondence
in New York Herald
One great drawback to women in Japan
is the facility with which divorces are Sc
cured, and against this immemorfal Gus
tom the efforts of the reform women of
the country must be directed. Both mar
riage and divorce are easy here. In an
essay written long ago by the celebrated
moralist, Kaioara. it is laid down that
there are seven reasons for divorce, -
that is, seven SHORTCOMINGS for which q
woman may be put aside. A woman may
be divorced If she diSobeys her father-in-
law or mother-in-law, if she fails to bear
children, for leWdness, jealousy or lep-
rosy, or for stealing or talking overmuch
and prattling unexpectedly. Once di-
Vorced, a woman is covered with shame,
even though she enters into a second union
with man of position and wealth. When
a man wishes to be divorced from his wife
ne simply writes letter to her, advising
her to return to her parents. He may write
a letter to her father, If he be living, or to
her brother, to the same effect, and then
he goes TO the registrars office and re-
may quit her husband with no more cere-
mony, but she suffers great stigma in d.
yorcing herself: When families break up
IN TINS free, ofrhand MANNER the children,
If there be any, are disposed of by agree
ment or the arbitration of a mutual friend
Divorces are not frequent among the up
per classes, but they are abundant among
the laborers and the peasantry. In the
year 1893 there were 35S S39 marriages in
divorces.
about per cent. of these divorces origi
mated with women. Husbands and wives
use no terms of endearment, and there
are no such things as oscula ton and
caresses. The woman's duty is to obey IN
all things and be thankful that she has a
home be 1t humble or otherwise. Con-
corning this state of AFFAIRS Rev Mr.. Ia
mura, pastor of native Presbyterian
church in Tokyo--a graduate of Princeton
college-spoke in severe terms in a book
Whlch the Harpers published some time
ago The work caused great discussion
mere, and his presbytery took him up and
lneontinently expelled him.
While touching the topic of women in
Japan, ii may not be dmisS to refer to
the subject of mixed marriages. Many
foreigners coming here as clerks and en-
ployes, remaining some time, form at
tachments with japanese girls which
eNentuate in marriage. There are scores
OF foreigners married to Japanese wo-
men, and some of them seem quite con-
tented and happy. The women make
true and Obedient wives, and the offspring
OF these marriages are usually hand
some and bright looking. l have seen
some really beautiful half-breed children,
but racially the Japanese and the eau
casians do not amalgamate advantage
ously. The children may not be lacking
IN physique, but intellectually they seem
10 dwarf There is no account of a half
breed japanese amounting to even the
proNerblaI row of pins-that is to say, a
Eurasian. The Japanese and the Chi
nese lntermarry considerably, and the re-
SUIT IS an Improvement on both races.
The worst thing about the marriage of
white foreigners to japanese women is
that socially there is a loss all around
Being a proud people. the japanese do
not show respect to their women who
marry foreigners. The husband, if he
advances in position and wealth. ulti-
mately finds that his wife has little or
no status in white society, and this be-
gets much bitterness and vain regret
The home life of some of these people. I
have reason to believe is very often
happy. I have visited homes in which
the Japanese wife seemed to be respect
ed. and where the olive-faced children
were caressed and loved but a majority
OF these alliances are unfortunate and
oftentimes disastrous.