The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-12-11
Marriage and Divorce in Japan.

One great QraWDacK TO women IN
Japan is the facility with which di-
vorces are secured, and against this
immemorial custom the efforts of the
reform women Of the country must be
directed. Both marriage and divorce
are easy here. In an essay written
long ago by the celebrated moralist,
Kaibara, 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 is she disobeys her father-in-
law or mother-in-law, if she fails to
bear children, for lewdness, jealousy
or leprosy, or for stealing or taking
overmuch and prattling disrespectfully:
Once divorced a woman is covered
with shame, even though she enters
into second union with man of po-
sition and wealth. When a man
wishes to be divorced from his wife he
simply writes letter to her advising
her to return to her parents. He may
write 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 reports himself divorced
man. A woman may quit her husband
with no more ceremony, but she suffers
great stigma in divorcing herself.
When families break up in this free,
offhand manner, the children, if there
be any, are disposed Of by agreement
or the arbitration of mutual friend.
Divorces are not frequent among the
upper classes, but they are abundant
among the laborers and the peasantry.
In the year 1893 there were 358, ,839
marriages in Japan and 116,775 reg
istered divorces. Only about per
cent. of these divorces originated with
women. Husbands and wives use no
terms of endearment, and there are no
such things as osculation and caresses.
The woman's duty is to obey in all
things and be thankful that she has
home, be it humble or otherwise.
Concerning this state Of affairs the
Rev. Mr.. Tamura, pastor of native
Presbyterian Church in Tokyo-a
graduate of Princeton College-spoke
in severe terms in book which the
Harpers published some time ago.
The work caused great discussion here,
and his presbytery took him up and
incontinently expelled him.
While touching the topic Of women
in Japan, it may not be amiss to refer
to the subject Of mixed marriages.
Many foreigners coming here as clerks
and employees, remaining some time,
form attachments with Japanese girls
which eventuate in marriage. There
are scores Of foreigners married to
Japanese women, and some Of them
seem quite contented and happy. The
women make true and obedient wives,
and the offspring of these marriages
are usually handsome and bright look
ing. have seen some really beauti-
full half-breed children, but racially
the Japanese and the Caucasians do
not amalgamate advantageously. The
children may not be lacking in phys
ique, but Intellectually they seem
to dwarf. There is no account of a
half breed japanese amounting to even
the proverbial row of pins-to say, a
Eurasian. The Japanese and the
Chinese intermarry considerably, and
the result is an improvement on both
races. The worst thing about the
marriage of white foreigners to Japan
ese women is that socially there is
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 posi-
tion and wealth, ultimately finds that
his wife has little or no status in white
society, and this begets much bitterness
and vain regret. The home life Of
some of these people, I have reason
to believe, is very often happy. l
have visited homes in which the Jap
anese wife seemed to be respected,
and where the olive-faced children
were caressed and loved, but q majority
of these alliances are unfortunate and
oftentimes disastrous.-Col. Cockrlps
japanese Correspondence IN the Ne'o
York Herald.