Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-11-09
KINDERGARTENS
In Japan. Some Most Interesting Notes
Concerning Those Institutions.

uuHuUlHIH6 IHVob iHoituiVhot
"Yoshien" is the Japanese word for
kindergarten, writes Anna Northend
Benjamin in the November st. Mich
olas. No large japanese city is with
out one, and the small pupils who at
tend them are taught exactly what
American children are taught in the
kindergartens in the United States.
But though the instruction, the music,
and the games are the same, there are
many other ways in which the Japa-
nese kindergarten differs from those
in other countries. The school build
ing is almost always of Japanese arch
itecture, of one story, the walls OF
board and plaster, and the roof made
with slate-colored tiles. Inside, the
rooms are much larger than in ordi-
nary Japanese houses, and the floors
are covered with straw mats. In win
ter it is very cold, and the kindergar-
tens are not heated as are ours. Some
times, in the bitter cold weather, there
will be nothing but brazier-called
Notwithstanding two orthree small
sticks of charcoal to warm large
room. But the Japanese are used to
cold during the winter, and do not un-
derstand how we can be comfortable
with so much heat in our houses.
The children are brought to the
school in the morning by their moth
ers, or by an older sister, or nurse
maid named an amah. Before enter
ing the front door they slip off their
high wooden shoes, called geta, and
put their feet into straw sandals.
There are shelves for the geta at both
sides of the entrance, and when they
are full the little wooden shoes are laid
in a neat row in front of the steps,
This looks very strange to the Ameri-
can visitor.
When the children go inside to the
large room where the circle is marked
on the floor, they make deep bow to
each one of the teachers, bending their
bodies forward from their waists,
head and ALL in the most grave and
courteous manner. This is the Japan
ese way of bowling, and child Is
taught to do it as soon as he can walk.
When, little later, one OF the girls
has taken the gifts to distribute among
the scholars sitting at the tables, she
makes one of these low bows as she
delivers the gift to each one, and re-
ceives a bow in return.
When noon comes, the children
march into a long room where their
lunch or beto boxes are laid out at
each ones place, and beside each of
these is a pair of chop-sticks. Each
little lunch-boX contains several COM
partments, one on top of the other,
and these have been carefully filled by
the mother at home, one with snow
white rice, one with some little pieces
of meat or pickles to eat with it, and
the third with some tiny bits of sponge
cake. Tea is made at the school, very
weak, and served in small blue bowls
at each place. This is without either
sugar or milk, for that is the custom
in Japan. No meal is complete with
out this tea When the signal is given
the boxes are opened, and the chop
sticks make very rapid excursions to
all the eager little mouths.
The pretty dress of the children and
their courteous manners make the
Japanese kindergarten the most pic
turesque in the world. Every child is
dressed in a long kimono of some
bright colors, with flowing sleeves.
Around the waist is sash. called an
obi. Their straight black hair is cut
in fantastic ways, like that of the Jap
anese dolls that belong to some Ameri-
can children. Here are some of the
pupils names: Miss Perfume, Miss
Silk Umbrella, Miss Arrow Island,
Miss Prune, Miss In the Bamboo; MFR.
High Tree, Mr.. Mountain, Mr., Long
Mr.. Middle-of- -the-field, Mr..
and Mr. Three Val
leys.
OF course these names are all in
japanese, and l have given them
translated into English.
L, t..