The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-11-18
THE TRANQUIL JAPANESE.
rhey Are So DIncreut Prom u That THEY
Plane Our Curiosity.

MutN nv 80 blUtFtNN u ivy
Pique our Curiosity.
The Japanese are 40 different from us In |
every way they pique our curiosity. Is
their wonderful tranquility the result Of
long ages Of education to suppress their
emotions, or have they fewer emotions TO
expressf Students of the country take
sides ON this question and wage wordy
wars over IT, One man told me that they
were Of the Tartar race, and suppose he
thought | was frivolous when ] replied
that II they were thcy must be the cream
Of Tartar. Another will not allow that
they have any souls, yet we find them Gu
pable Of self sacrifice, even TO death, in
obedience TO the sentiment OF loyalty TO
duty, and every day witness spcctacles
Of devotion which wildly recall the Cath
Ollie peasantry of Europe. Men, women
and children go TO the temples TO pray, and
when In the attitude Of prayer are obliv-
ious TO the movements Of careless "globe
trottersn about them. We see much child
ishness frivolity and even evidences Of
barbarism, In connection with some of the
temples, but others have a pure symbol
ism, and their religious worship seems TO
mean what religion everywhere means
the looking up Of human beings to the
highest they can conceive, comforted by
the hope that good behavior will be re
warded or distressed by the fear that sin
will be punished In another life
They do not seem to be thoughtful
people, but take life like children, keenly
alive to the beauties OF nature, skillful In
all they do and Intensely artistic to their
fingers ends. II II said that even their
language illustrates the impersonality of
their temperament. Their social institu
| tions are based on the family, and not
upon the individual. The patriarchal form
/ Of society survives here. Children are
taught to be obedient to their father and
| to worship their ancestors. 1t IL through
the father that the family continuity ex
| tends. The mother does not count. II
the wife have children, especially sons, she
is all right. II she fails here, she has nc
assurance of her position. Yet we find
here woman not secluded, not showing
evidence of oppression, simple, natural and
merry. | am told that frequently 1.-THE
gray mare il the better horse, +" and tht
man submits to the better Judgment of hi,
wife
don't know why we should need t'
worry about these people. They seem t'
be doing very well for themselves. They
have attained their ideals far more com
pletely than we have. How to DO any
thing has been settled here for ages. The!
were doing fine things when our ancestor
had scarcely emerged from barbarism
The country has finished look. Whereve
a wall Is needed we find it. Their cities mr.
much cleaner than ours. Their houses
though they seem bare TO us, are in som
respects more sensible and better ordere,
than our own. They are rapidly assimi
lating all that they want of our civilian
ton. They have the railroad, the tele
graph, canals, steamships-all thorough
constructed aud well managed. Their post
al service compels the admiration of thei
critic for its efficiency and accuracy. Pull
lie education is universal and practical
with their skill, taste, industry and ecor
omy l see no reason why the Japanes
should not have a brilliant future.-Bo'
ton Herald