Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-10-05
SAVAGES IN JAPAN.
THE HAIRY Amos AND THEIR REsER-
Z VATlONS IN THE EMPIRE.

odd Customs Practiced by These
Aboriginal People of Japan.
Unique styles In Baby Names.
Their Resemblance to Our Indians.
The Anus. generally known to Amer
leans and Europeans as ''the hairy
| Amos" are the only aboriginal people
now living in Japan. They are called
hairy in contradistinctiOn to the
smooth faced Japanese, Koreans and
| Chinese. Their present home is in Hok-
kaido or Yesso, the most northerly part
of the empire, although it is supposed
that in earlier times they occupied
| most of the entire country. Ancestors
| of the JapG .:cse OF today found them i'll
possession ard by force of superior
arms and civilization gradually drove
| them TO the north, much in the same
way as the saVages were driven back
| toward the Pacific by the early settlers
| in America.
| The Anus live today pretty much as
the Indians Oh their reservations in the
west. They are still for the most part
half savage, and the Japanese name
| for them, "Yesso," means barbarian.
| They are very skillful in hunting and
| fishing, which are their chief occupa-
tons. They are under the protection
of the imperial government and are
entirely separated from the Japanese.
The latest census showed that they
| number very nearly 1900.
Among TIE many curious customs OF
| the Anus l.-chapS the quaintest is their
| method OF naming their children. They
observe a peculiar economy in giving
names. The infant must go without Il
name until it shows itself worthy OF
| bearing one. If il is sickly and not
likely to live, it is not considered worth
while to waste Il name upon it. As
each child must by immemorial custom
have a brand new name, used by no
one in the community, names are scarce
| and must be guarded. If the child
should be given Il name borne by some
one else, the ghost of the former pos
SCISSOR of tie name may come back
| from the underworld 10 avenge the
slight.
1t is customary 10 take name from
some incident that occurred ut the
child's birth or it is left to the parents
afterward TO choose one for it. Should
the infant come into the world with Il
smiling face it might he called Ikishi-
maburu, which means Il smile, or fond
parents may call it Kamoissage Ia
pulling rope of the gods If they wish
their child TO be in the special care of
, the gods.
From the age of to 10 Ainu children
'uf either sex have their heads shaved.
but after II they are allowed to have
long hair and wear the same clothes
rs M clio IL
ing unless the weather is very cold.
The favorite and almost exclusive or
nament is the earring. usually made of
metal. What clothing is worn is made
of straw. They never wear shoes or
other covering for the feet except as Il
great luxury and mark of distinction
ON ceremonious occasions.
The men carry small knives and to-
bacco pouches, and the women carry
small looking glasses and knives. The
knife is used as symbolic. The maiden
wears it with the blade bare. but when
she marries it is worn in a sheath. The
women also paint their faces, using n
Kind Of ink for the purpose.
The Anus live mostly by fishing ana
hunting. They hunt the bear and deer,
catch salmon and other fish and grow
potatoes and miIlet. Whenever they
can get it they eat rice, which they re-
gard as the best food, though they do
not raise it themselves. Both sexes
smoke tobacco and drink liquor.
The marriage customs differ widely
from those of the Japanese. The queS-
tion is first settled between the youth
ard maiden. who then refer the matter
TO their parents through a mediator,
who should be n relative of the pro-
spective bridegroom. The man must
send n present of lacQuered ware.
which IS regarded by them as one of
the most precious things in the world
This, however. Is reclaimed by him il
his wife afterward seeks a divorce.
Anus live in dwellings of about the
same class as those of the American
Indians. The rude hut has two win
dows, one OF them for ordinary earthly
uses. the other reserved for the en-
trance of the gods.
Woman is fairly treated and held in
deep respect. The man is not allowed
TO enter the house when the woman is
in it alone, and he is not permitted To
walk behind a woman. When a man
meets Il woman, he must salute first,
by smoothing his beard and rubbing
his hands. Then she responds by
touching her nose with a finger of her
left hand.
During October the Anus hold a re-
liGious fete, which is called the bear
festival, because they sacrifice a bear
which has been carefully fOstered for
three years.
Judicial punishment among the Anus
consists of n severe beating with
stick administered to the culprit. The
crimes are generally Understanding ar
ficIns or the wife of q neirhhnr As