Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-05
JAPANESE SCHOOLGIRL
CEREMONIAL TEA INFUSING a
PART OF HER TRAINING.
Goes to European College, Studies
Foreign Languages-Ambitious
to Excel.
From the Lady's Pictorial.

From the Lady's Pictorial.
One of the most wonderful products Of
the new Japan is the schoolgirl. She shut
fies gracefully to her academy in the clogs
and kimono of old Nippon to study with
docile facility European college curricu-
lum and at least one foreign language, as
the pioneer Of the new education. There
are thorns in her path, too, undreamed Of
by the occidental student. The foreign
language begins at the wrong end Of the
book, and reads from left to right instead
of up and down; she finds difficulty in con-
centrating her attention when raised on a
chair and imprisoned by desk: her wadded
kmeno, comfortable in her fireless, paper
walled home, is far too warm for the stove
heated classroom, and she is always liable
to be married in the midst of her studies
In spite of these handicaps, she readily
acquires even the higher education, and is
almost painfully anxious to excel often
overtaxing her frail little body and bright
eyes in studying by the foggy fare of the
andon long after her elders asleep.
Her own language. by itself presents a
fair field for her industry, for in ordinary
reading and writing at least 1900 charac-
ters are used. and scholars owing to the
admiXture of Chinese must master twice
as many.
OOPOA tl11CAI.
In addition to the new western learning
so far. at least, she has retained that Of
the Land of the Rising Sun. where the pro-
verbal tuppence' must always have been
paid. She studies. as her ancestors, the
DaimyO and the Samurai, studied the art
Of opening and shutting doors, polite hand
ing of teacups. gracious reception of pres
ents, and so on-in fact, so careful and
elaborate are her etiquette lessons that no
possibility of unpreparedness for emergen-
cies is left to the Japanese maiden who
gains an entire self-possession through
thorough knowledge of how to act on all
occas1ons-important or trivial-together
with habitual politeness and charm.
In the department class she masters the
difficulties of walking in clogs and sandals
OF sitting on and rising from, the floor
and OF bowling with grace in her tight XII
mono-her bows are often literally to the
ground. remember.
The arrangement of flowers is a delight
full lesson, and important considering that
flower vase is often the sole furniture
in a room. Much time is spent in demon
stration of how they should not be grouped
our old bouquets being the earliest object
lesson.
Tea Making.
In Japan tea infusng-quite a different
thing from ordinary tea making-is a very
serious study. The number and depth of
the salutations, the order OF serving-eyery-
thing. in fact, from heating of the water
to the washing of the tiny BOWLS pre-
scribed by a rigid an elaborate etiquette
a mistake in which would be fatal to we'll
bred girls reputation.
The reduced gentlewoman instructs in
these dainty arts but her lessons are grow
ing unpopular and girls too engrossed in
sterner studies to pay hearty attention to
the minute exactments of old japanese for
maltttes. Boys schools have already dis
carded her counsels of perfection and prob
ably In few generations middle-class girls
will make their salutations and their tea
minus the exquisite politeness of the Hon
orable Madame Etiquette.
Music and Painting.
Music is always taught by women or blind
persons. Aristocratic maidens learn the
biwa Qyre) or koto (harp) and middle
class girls the samsien guitar. Dancing
is not an accomplishment much esteemed
by the highly born students-it is profess
sion not pleasure-but painting is a very
important one, and taught with true Japan
csc conventionality. The master arrives
squats on the talaine (mats), and begins
to draw, either from a model or his inner
conscience His pupils, squatting around
him. watch intently his firm, dashing
strokes When his sketch is complete they
endeavor to copy his production and not
until a like effect in the same number of
strokes has been obtained and can be re-
produced by memory may they proceed to
another subject. In this the charming con-
ventionality of Japan is easily traced al
though its results are not invariably happy
as when Hokusai painted that fabulously
impossible so-called horse which all JAPAN
csc artists reverently copy today not be-
cause they think it like horse but because
Hokusai was considered such good
painter of horses. On HOLIDAYS, which are
as common luckily, in the Japanese cal
endar as saints days in ours the students
march In gay procession, carrying branches
OF blossoms and banners to the parks. there
to play games and drink tea, and sometimes
even to have peep at a strolling theater
though, strictly speaking, this JOY is for
hidden the fair sex till after 40!
Effective Education.
The present educational system is an eff
fective and refining one. The government
provides female normal schools, the
mousme grasp their opportunity as eagerly
as do their brothers. There are many mis-
sionary and kindergarten schools, but ow-
ing TO recent and unfortunate friction
with the Japanese government. some OF
the former have lately been closed.
1t Is. however, open to doubt If this new
education fits the Japanese maiden for the
life of suppression she enters on her we'd
ding day. and, looking at the cramped lives
and smothered aspirations, many consider
female education in Japan a failure. Let
US hope the suffering inseparable from the
transition period may lead to q brighter
future for the Japanese woman.
There Is peeress' college in Tokyo, I'M
der the charge of the imperial household.
Here especial attention Is given to ETH
quette-the court variety must surely de-
mand an excess on the usual ''tuppence"-
and verse writing. The empress herself
often comes quite Informally among the
scholars, to inspect the best specimens OF
poetry. painting. sewing and cookingI II
the students know Of her coming they have
q pretty custom OF forming in line and
SINGING. with deeply bowed heads, some
OF her own charming verses to greet her,
Tho little peeresses wear hakama or full
divided eisirts. costume that, in the land