The sun., 1900-12-09
ODD WAYS IN JAPAN.
Common Customs That Seem Strange tn the
Eyes af the American.

Eyes af the American.
KIoro. Japan. Nov 5.-Many things here
seen odd Ia American eyes. II all begins
wrong TO start with. Thus, person from tho
United States goes lest to reach the far Fast
h,It the rerIntest West from the japanese
standpoint IL the country he nrst reaches when
sailing due east
The inhabitants Of an island with an i'm
mense coastlinc might be expected 70 be largely
Interested in shipping affairs and to possees
modern means OF water transportation. on
the contrnry, the first thing that greets the
owe in the Inland SEA- Ia a sompan. that curious
old craft that has probably remained unchanged
and unmproved for centuries. IL Is clumsy
boat propelled by single oar and that with
oint In II.
Where there are double railroad tracks.
the trains are run 80 that they pass on the left
side instead Of the right in the United States.
street cars do the same thing and persons
meeting pass to the left Railroad travel
Is less expensive than In America, as FIRST
class fare on the Government lines is only three
sen a mile or one and one half cents American
money More than 40 per cent. OF the Japanese
public travels third class
Men make Of themselves beasts OF burden
and horses are rarely seen What few there
are have their heads rened down instead Of
Bullocks wearing shoes Of matted straw. are
used TO some extent The output Of the great
copper mines In the interior. employing 10000
men. is hauled twelve miles to the city OF Nikko
hy bullocks hitched singly to low-wheeled
cars each carrying half a ton Of the metal.
Carpenters Use tools in the reverse way.
They draw the planes toward them TO shave
the wood and the saw cute only when drawn
up instead OF being pushed down.
The Government is row taking up the oues-
ton Of increasing the number OF dentists
The estimated population Of the empire is
10000 900 and there are only 400 dentists, or
one dentist to every 100000 persons. There are
cities of $1,000 population without a single
profesSona dentist IL is asserted. however
that the japanese have good and well pre-
served teetl.
All babies have their hair shaved from part
Of the head. II Ia common 10 see little girls
of Ave or six years playing in the streets each
with baby securely strapped upon her back
II is also possible TO see a mother hitched to a
wagon heavily loaded md carrying her child
upon ler back. Cradles are not used frequently
and the babies seem 10 be Ia some ones care
constantly
A In Continental Europe, women BARRIERS
are common and are quite as efficient as the
men. woman's hair is not only her crownlng
glory. but also her greatest care in this Land
Of the Rising Sun. II is arranged in 20 compli-
Gated a fashion that in order not to disarranee
II while sleeping, a large portion of the women
do not use ordinary pillows. The substitute
Is a wedse-shaped cushion that fi's the back
Of the neck. some Of the poorer women have
their hair dressed only once week
Iripples are rarely seen in Japan. Voko-
hama physician explains this by the absence
Last saturday, Nov 3, was the Enperors
birthday and a national holiday. There was
a grand review Of the First Army CORPS and
ANA Nearly 10000 soldiers. Including twenty
Ave batteries Of artillery and about 100 cavalry,
we're there. Several regiments were just hone
from the Chinese war and carried their torn
battle naSs Vet there was not one cheer from
T sGs So, IF hG.Sqd Of s snS wa,cSS %eG
the manpuvres OF the troops When the En-
lcror himself came upon the ground in his
Preceded and Followed by hundrrd- Of mounted
ancars bearing the red and white standard ;
% %r G b nss bsr %as nSs n% no cser
milton of him. When the Emperor left the
4. aftoTT, the rev.sn, hew,s cheered by ne
TO cheer before the ceremonies were finished.
Jaran"s" iolk- crowd the best theatres. but
20 a rac!,cd Honse in hi, own theatre In Toxic
can get only cat call from the gallery oc-
.o SrnS .s T1d Ihs
al times with kettles OF hot tea and smoking
l'pu. .fi'f' ~ldtu in"hIe are uot 1ie Tule
in Japan. The japanese wants to eat and
drink frequently. For this reason. boys and
men oeddle food and drinks at every railroad
station - all hours of the night and day. The
car. nre Uttered with little tea kettles and boxes
from which ric" aud other things are eaten
with ChOyStiChs.
Wha, al japan admircs most seems to he
the fqmous mountain Of Fujivama AZ present
the fan exhibition Of paintings is taking place
az the ImIerial galleries In lueno Park at
Toxic, ont Of n total of about eight hundred
pictures disrlaycd, there are forty-eight paint,
in.,S oi the great mountain peak. tnriouslv
enough the tiger seems to bc a favorite with
the Japanese artists. Then, arc more than
score of canylseS representing tigers, but
thcr" II not single picture of n lion. leopard,
bear or wolf
Ihc stranger wonders NJ the crowded ap-
pelrpuc" Of the tomhstonrs in cemeteries
II is the custom 20 bury the dead In a sitting
posture. he collins are nearly square and
II j. POSSIBLE TO bury more Of them In q given
space than or the oblOnc cask"ts. MANY OF
the attendants NJ funerals are clothed in white
Tho back cover oi an English hook would
ha ih" front cov"r Of Japnne-e book. Nearly
nn the n"w-paIers printed in the japanese
language ar" folded in n fashion which 10 an
American would seem cross-wIse