The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1898-04-30
"GROWlNG UP" IN JAPAN.

The Boy Becomes of Age at Fifteen Years
and Is Given a New Name.
In st. Nicholas there is paper on
"The Little japanese at Home" by
Ida Tigner Hodnett. Miss Hodnett
says, in describing the "growing
up" of boy:
When he is 8 years old, he begins
to wear the obi, a girdle three inches
wide, which confines the kimono,
loose sort of garment and the main
part of the Japanese national dress
for both children and grown people.
The putting on of the obi is the &C.
casion of another family feast, and
a very important garment it is, for
it corresponds to pockets in an
American boys first trousers. The
front part of the kimono, above the
obi, is also used as pocket, and the,
long, wide sleeves, sewed up at the
lower end, make two very big ones.
When Is years old, the boy becomes
of age, and third family festival
occurs. Another name is given him,
and his hair is allowed to grow all
over the head, like a MATS. Pre-
vious to this time the head is shaved
so as to allow the hair to grow only
in spots or tufts, the place of the
tufts varying up to the age Of 10,
when the crown only is shaved. At
the festival celebrating his MAORI
ty the manner of friends and rela-
tives changes toward him, and,
while the day before he was still adj
dressed as a child, now he is adj
dressed in the ceremonious forms
required by Japanese etiquette. The
title of respect, san, is henceforth
affixed to his name, even by those
nearest and dearest. These titles,
san, sama, always follow the name
and are never prefixed, as with our
mr." For example, a boy whose
name is Kiyoshi will be called XII
yoshi-san. In his responses to the
kind speeches made to him the boy
shows that he understands the new
honors that have come upon him
and that he is now ready to apply
himself to the serious business of
life.
1t used to be a great thing to be
born a samurai (sah-moo-ri) boy
baby in Japan. The samurai were
soldiers and scholars and were en-
tirely apart from and above the
ordinary people. They could not
engage in any business, nor could
they marry into another class. This
has all been changed since the Jap
anese revolution of 1868. The peo-
pie are now divided into two large
classes the heimin (ha-meen), or
commoners, the shizoku (shee-z 20
koo), or gentry-and all have equal
rights under the law. The average
boys success in life depends upon
his own abilities and the use he
makes of the teaching he may have.
The first thing the samurai baby
needed after he was put in his
nurses arms was sword. Rather
queer thing for baby to have;
but, then, this baby was samurai!
No matter if the tiny hand could not
grasp the handle; his nurse carried
it for him, and when the obi became
part of his dress the sword was
fastened to it and hung by his side.
To be sure, it was wooden sword.
But what of that's It was the badge
of his rank and must 60 wherever
he did all day long, and when he
went to bed it was laid close by.
'The sword is the soul of the
samurai'' is an old Japanese saying,
and it was thus early fastened to
his side that he might become used
to grasping it from infancy. !
When our young samurai reached
the age of 2, it was day of great
rejoicing. At the family festival
two real metal swords were fastened
to the obi, one on each side. The
edges, however, were blunt, and &C
oidents were further guarded against
by having the swords so fastened in
their sheaths that the young swords
man could not draw them out.
These were now his constant COM
panions until, at the age of IS, the
weapons handed down in his family
took their place.