The times., 1899-07-16
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mi, for he Is in such a delightful little shallow
minded, hght-hearted, immoral paradise He hugs
himself in the belief that he is living among
laughing children again, and he has no thought
Tor the morrow; for he has not grasped the fact
that his companions are bored with it ALL but
that etiquette and business exigencies oblge
them 10 appear amused at his eccentricities; he
does not understand that, il their laugh is gen.
uine, they are laughing at him, rather than
with him, and that it is he in reality who is
the child. Meanwhile his treaty-port guide is
no doubt making terms with the landlady Of
the Cardboard house as to the extent to which
II viii be safe to run up the bill, and as to
how much commission is to be reserved out of
that amount for himself.
This will be a new view to some of the
superior people who have read with amuse-
ment books by Japanese travellers. But
Mr.. Ransome has his measurements. He
says that the Japanese of Tokyo has more
floor area per man than the Londoner in
his native city, and that so far from Japa-
nese railroads being built on a toy scale.
their railway gauge is three inches wider
than half the railways in India.
Then the author goes on to treat very
practically of travelling and accommodation
in Japan, OF the education. industries, NOR
al standards, politics, and international re-
lations of the country, as well as of many
other matters There is vast amount OF
useful information in the book, and the
foreigner is thoroughly instructed as TO
what he may and may not expect to find
when he visits Japan.
One of the curious customs of the coun-
try. which has probably caused more or
less surprise and disgust, is the difference
between the hotels in European and
those in Japanese style. 1t is explained
that many japanese inns have foreign"
set of apartments, which is frequently dirty
and in wretched condition, while the Jap
anese side of the house is exquisitely neat.
An innkeeper up country" gave as an ex-
PLANTATION of this state of things that the
foreigner was dirty by nature, and wore
hi1 boots in the house, therefore could not
expect to have his rooms kept clean. When
a foreigner arrives he is usually urged to
take a room in the European part of the
house, because, in the first place, it is
supposed that that is what he wants, and.
in the second place, it is expected that he
will walk about in his boots, demand a
chair the legs of which will dig holes in
the mating, insist on soaping himself in
the general bath, and want all sorts of
things which are not usually provided. In
short, the japanese innkeeper probably re-
CARDS the foreigner somewhat as a dainty
American housewife might regard an am
bilious monkey who wanted to come in
the house to live.
A great deal has been said about the
Japanese custom of bathing in public, and
Mr.. Ransome has something to say on that
point. His account of japanese hotel Gus
toms given in this connection will hardly
be reassuring to the timid foreigner, but
one must admit that the situation, while
decidedly quaint from a Caucasian stand
point. has nothing morally wrong in it
One of the most curious charges against
the Japanese is that they are ungrateful
to the foreigner who has taught them
modern methods of living. This complaint
comes rather oddly from a nation which
thieved the Hebrew Bible, and then per-
secuted the Hebrew; which appropriated
Italian art, and then looked calmly at
the downfall of Italy; which has taken
what 1t wanted from every race and ma
ton on the face of the earth, and treated
hem as 1t chose afterward; but the people
who make the remark have generally little
sense Of humor. The plain truth OF the
matter is that foreigners who came to
Japan came because they wanted to make
money; they have made it, and incidental
y they have taught the Japanese what the
after wanted to know; and now the pupils
wish to conduct their own affairs. One
-eason for this is stated in a quota
ion from one of the speeches of Count
1kuma:
Comparing Europeans and japanese, I do not
hink that the Europeans then (thirty years
lgol in Japan were particularly high class of
persons; nor do ! think that those here now
are a particularly high class. On tine whole, |
hink they would not have been reckoned higher
han middle-class in Europe. Among diplomatic
officials there may have been men of high stand
ng, but the general run of merchants were of
he middle and lower classes Middle and lower
;lasses though they did belong to, however, when
We compare them with the japanese Of the time
low great the difference in the degree OF
heir civilization The foreigners living in Yo-
johanna, Nsgaslki, and so forth, seemed TO know
everything. / was a student at the time,
md | remember that on occasion, thinking
hat 4 certain foreigner was a wonderful scholar,
went 10 ask him question, but when look
lack now ! recognize that he was not equal even
o japanese middle-school graduate.
In short the japanese has outgrown his
eacher so far as the application of West
.rn methods TO his own country is concern
ID, and is disposed 10 rely henceforth on
he knowledge impaired by his own coun-
rymen who go abroad.
One of the particularly interesting chap
ers on the life of the country is that de-
voted to the japanese theatre, and Mr.
Ransome describes a piece which he saw,
based on Jules Vernes "a Tour Around
he World in Eighty Days" introduced by
who represents the new
enough, women and men do not act in the
same companies, but men take the women's
parts al the principal theatres, and there
ire theatres at which women alone are the
ictors.
More interesting and rather startling in
formation is TO be found In the chapter on
he prospects Of Christianity in Japan. A
leading japanese journal recently stated
hat when Christianity first came to Japan
t was warmly welcomed; in after years 1t
was bitterly opposed; and at the present
day, 1t is treated with Indifference. This
the author thinks, sums up the situation
The reasons which he gives are as follows:
The Dutch began to preach Christianity in
Japan, and made some real converts then
the Spaniards and French arrived with
Roman Catholicism; and there was bitter
hostility between the representatives of
the two religions. The japanese concluded
that they would have no more Christianity
and no more foreigners. Then, after the
lapse of many years, the foreigner was
once more admitted, and the missionary
came In his wake. OF the influence of the
latter in Japan Mr.. Ransome remarks:
At first his task seemed easy. He erected
schools. which readily filled with pupils, who
were eager to learn everything that the for
eigner was willing to teach them. So II looked
on the face Of 1t as If Christianity were making
progress; for this rush for knowledge. and es-
peoially for knowledge OF the English Ian
guage, was mistaken for a rush for Christianity.
Now, the average japanese has a highly de-
'eloped desire to avoid hurting peoples feel
ngsi and, az an effect Of this, when he went to
1 mission school to learn English without pay
ng for IL. he raised no objection 10 being call
Cd Christian for the time being He fell In
with this practice from very much the same
motive as that which prompts even a free
thinker to take on his hat when he enters
acred edifce. 1t the right thing 10 do.
md he did it. But when the pupil left school
he left his Christianity, with his school-books,
behind him, as a matter Of course
Again, a japanese is essentially a man who
ian adapt himself To circumstances, as anyone