The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-22
WOMEN OF JAPAN.
Western Civilization Has Greatly I'M
proved Their Condition.
Woman's Journal.

oman Journal.
The place occupied by women i'm all far
Eastern lands is, in general, we'll known.
In Japan, however, for the largest part of
its history, woman has not been quite the
social zero or slave she has been in India,
Siam, China or Korea. Indeed, in ancient
times and until about 900 years ago, the
Japanese woman stood comparatively high,
not only as wife and mother and companion
in the home, but as scholar, writer, artist
and adviser in business. and even in affairs
of state. 1t is remarkable that in the early
classics of japanese literature the names of
women are among those of the leaders I'm
century their social relations were in great
degree uncOnstrained, and they were
graced, along with domestic knowledge. by
many of the highest attachments in refined
~learning-in history, poetry, fiction and re-
ligious lore and in artistic skill. The
change, to be deplored, that at length Defell
woman's position, took place chiefly in con-
sequence OF the universal civil wars that
devastated the empire from the thirteenth
TO the seventeenth century, and the domi-
nance during the latter part of Japan's
middle ages of the social regulations of the
Chinese age of C~onfucius.
With the acceptance of Confucianism by
the upper and ruling classes about three
centuries ago the Japanese woman sunk al
most out Of sight as a social factor every
where outside the home; and so she re-
manned until the present period of the gen
eral political, religious, scientific and social
revivification of the people under the influ-
ence of the civilization of Christendom.
/ can best illustrate woman'S position
during the $50 years of the Takugawa Sho-
gunate, the age just preceding the recent
restoration of the Emperor to active SOW
ereignty. by a few quotations from the
Greater Learning for Women" the code
most widely accepted as regulative of
woman's place and conduct. Seeing that
1t is a girls destiny on reaching woman
hood" says the Onna Dalgaku, ito go TO a
new home and live in submission to her
fa~ther-in-law and mother-in-law. il is even
more incumbent on her than ii is on a boy
to receive with all reverence her parents
instructions" THE only qualities that be-
fit a woman are gentle obedience, chastity.
mercy and quietness."
After her marriage her chief duty is 10
honor her father-in-law and her mother
in-law-to honor them beyond her own
father and mother-to love and reverence
them with all ardor. and to tend them with
every practice of filial piety." A woman
as another code expresses ii. 'as her only
heaven to look up to"-'and must serve
him with all worship and reverence" Her
lifelong duty is obedience"
Much else is enjoined in the code. but
only in like tone, concerning those of
daughter, wife and mother. The closing
injunction reads: Parents. teach the fore
going maxims to your daughters from their
tenderest years. Copy them out from time
TO time, that they may read and never for
get them"
benefcent increase of the influences of
Western civilization. important changes.
just now becoming strongly marked. have
begun 10 affect this degrading social condi-
ton. 1t cannot be said that these changes
have as yet been very widely operative.
Japanese society is still greatly bound by
the code of Confucius. Outside the capital
and some of the chief commercial centers
women still remain ignorant OF what YOU
and / consider their essential worth. They
are deprived of the sense of personal free
dom and the self-reliance necessary for
their own best welfare and for the best de-
velopment OF human society. of which they
are parts. coordinate Wit men.
The changes of which l speak began oc-
casioned by the pro-foreign movement. that
started about thirty years ago. The states
men then in command of the empire. in es-
tablishing an enlightened educational sys-
TEN. were Induced 20 include In their plans
a liberal education for girls and to send 10
America and Europe some promising young
women for preparation In foreign schools
as teachers for their countrywomen.
At present there are more than 5000 wom-
en- employed as instructors In schools mod
eled in accordance with the educational
systems OF the West: and In those schools
are more than a million girls as puailx-