The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1902-01-15
BAPTISM OF
THE JAPANESE
OLD IND NEW CUSTOMS COMPARED
NAMES CHANGED AT EVERY
PROGRESSIVE STEP
IN LIFE.
Consul General Mkt Saito Says
That Fashion Of Naming Child
BY Lottery metnod is Becoming
Obsolete in Cities Though Still
in Vogue in Country Districts.

In the mode OF baptising children
the sharp contrast between the old
and the new customs Of Japan Is
more evident than in most o; their
other phases OF life.
According to the old custom
the baptism Of the child is accompa-
MED with much ceremony The baby
was taken 10 the temple escorted
by a procession at the end of which
was a servant carrying the child S
wardrobe, the size and richness OF
which indicated the social standing
OF the parents. When the temple
was reached a paper was handed TO
the officiating priest, upon which
three names were written These
names were copied on three separate
slips OF paper by the priest who then
put them into box and shook them
together. at the same time offering
an invocation TO the gods. Finally
he would draw out one of the slips
and read out the name given to the
child. as it was believed by the gods
Custom Getting Obcolete.
This custom is. according to Con
sui General Mkt Saito of this city,
rapidly getting obsolete. In the large
cities it is not practiced at all but in
the remote parts of the empire the
common people still cling to the old
custom. The custom Of changing
a persons name on different occa-
sions has been stopped by the Jap
anese government. however
1t was customary to change a per
sons name as he passed through
different periods of life. When he at
tanned his majority. which was for
merly at the age of Is, he got a new
name. When he began official life
he got another new name. and every
time he rose a degree in his career
his name was again changed. Thus
it would be wise parent that knew
its own child.
Celebration Of Baptism.
AT present all of this is different
When a child is born his name is
registered in the registers Office and
in the census bureau. His baptism
is made the cause of celebration
and gifts are sent TO the child from
relatives and friends but no temple
ceremonies take place as most of the
enlightened Japanese do not now
have much to do with the Shinto or
Buddhist temples. The name is new
er changed in any place of the empire
except of course in case of adoption
or in the case of woman when she
gets married The age of majority
has also been changed TO q years
as in other countries.
Compulsory Education.
Attendance at the public schools
has also been made compulsory and
every child in Japan is bound through
the law TO go to school when it al
tains the age of six years. Thus
the quaint and picturesque costumes
of old Japan are rapidly fading away
under the sway of the government
which looks To progress and has
very little sympathy with conserva-
tism.
While the decay of the quaint
charms of the old fashions may cause
regret to the foreigners and tour
lists who visit the country the Jap
alese themselves are doing away
with all such customs so rapidly
that. the nation will soon be similar
in all its customs and government TO
the countries of the older civilized
nations