The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-06-16
BUSINESS IN JAPAN
THE NEW TREATIES OPENING
THE WHOLE COUNTRY.

Courtesy Of Shopkeepers-Native Meth
DDS Not Expeditions Enough for Euro
peans or Americans-Th Native Stock
Exchange a Queer Place.
When the e treaties go into effect
next July opening the whole of Japan
to trade with foreigners they will
bring about sweeping and radical
changes in the life Of the people who
have been called "the Yankees of the
east" says the New York Tribune.
Except in the six ports now permitted
to trade with foreign nations-Yoko-
hama, Kobe, Tor Hiogo), Osaka, Ma
gasaki, Hakodate and Niigata-and IN
thirteen other less important ones
where foreign commerce is allowed
under severe restrictions, the empire or
Japan is at present closed to outsiders
so far as traffic with them is con-
cerned. Practically the whole of the
interior is debarred from business in
%tercourse with people of other nations,
and the result of this is, of course. a
total unfamiliarity on the part of the
majority Of Japanese with the trade
customs of the rest of the world.
Now that the whole country is to be
thrown open, however, there is a sud
den curiosity and eagerness on the
part of its inhabitants to know how
these strangers propose to carry on
their commercial relations, and while
it will be necessary, naturally, for for
eigners to conform in some measure
to japanese ways, it is more necessary
still that the Japanese be instructed
in the more practical and less cere-
monious business methods and man
ners of Europeans and Americans.
For this purpose treaty operation COM
mittees are being formed in all parts
of the empire to explain to the Japa-
nese merchants and the people gener-
ally the most important points of diff
ference between their own and foreign
ideas. For the guidance of the for
eigners translations of the more COM
NOR Japanese laws are also being pre-
pared. Many a tourist in former years
would have been grateful for this
piece of work if it had been performed
sooner, for it would have kept him
from various un%intentional offenses
against japanese ideas Of correct be-
havior.
Above all things, the subjects of the
mikado are a polite people, polite with
a patience and persistence which know
no limit, and the best efforts Of a for
eigner to equal them cannot fail to
seem almost like rudeness in COMPARE
on. No European-and certainly no
American-could bow, for example, as
does the Japanese gentleman who
meets a business friend in the street.
His inclination is a veritable eastern
salaam, and it is to be feared that he
will stare with gentle reproach at the
jerky little nod which his hurrying
foreign acquaintance is likely to give
him in return. His ceremonious in
quiries regarding the honorable
health Of the exalted friend and his
lllustrious family" are often destined,
it is to be feared, to be disposed of all
too briefly for Japanese notions of
such things. The idea Of haste and of
business pure and simple, shorn Of So
cial ceremonies, will come as a bar
barism to the native mind. but it is
bound to be manifested wherever the
foreigners obtain a considerable foot
hold in trade. Many of the Japanese
oitfoc ton will rrohoh11, eoo ,%,;1,i-~
changes in their appearance after the
foreign traders have become we'll es-
tablished in them. At present most of
the towns of the empire are still like
wildernesses of f1imsy little buildings,
scarcely better than wooden sheds
picturesque, it is true, but frail. The
business portion is small and compact
in one place, but eve here there is
hardly anything to distinguish it from
the rest of the city. There are no big
warehouses, no busy factories with
their whirling machinery, no heavy
traffic in the streets, no hustle. no
noise. Even in Tokyo this state OF
affairs is to be found. There are some
horse cars, which charge the modest
sum Of l sen (half a cent? a ride, and
there is one electric street railway.
Other electric lines are either in proc
ess Of building or in contemplation,
but there is much opposition to them
among the japanese.
Our cities are very pretty" said a
well-educated, A~mericanized Japanese
in this city the other day, "and the
people in them think the cars a dis
6gurement. I can't help sympathizing
with that feeling to some extent. OF
course, the electric cars would be a
great convenience in many ways, but
they do seem out of harmony with the
Japanese surroundings, and, really, the
jinrikisha, which everybody uses-for.
eigners as much as any one else-is
not at all a Psd vehicle. 1t is com
Portable, and the coolies who carry II
are quick runners" The jinrikishas
also have the advantage Of being
cheap, the usual charge being 10 ser
Is cents for a two-mile trip. ONE
may also hire them for different
lengths of time. at the rate of 10 ser
an h ,ur, rs sen (37h cents a day, Of
s yen $3.50 a week. 4
-- a# L#HL