The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-08-12
PICTURESQUE JAPANESE.
Some Of Their Queer Customs and
Traditions Are Amusing.

According to American standards,
writes Edward Walter Dawson in
Housekeeping, Japanese women can
never be considered beautiful, but they
are unfailingly picturesque. For in
stance, matron Of this Land of the
Rising Sun, whose hospitality l often
enjoyed, wore a robe of cream colored
SILK, kimono of darker shade, fasten-
ed with an exquisitely embroidered Cir
die. These girdles are one of the dis
tinctive features In the dress Of the
Japanese women. Several yards OF
material go to the making of them, and
there is much significance attached
even to the way In which they are tied.
Men also wear girdles, or obis, but for
them they are much narrower and
smaller and serve only the purpose Of
holding the robe in place. The writer
goes on to tell Of marriage ceremony
which he was allowed to attend. "a
wedding. is wedding the world over"
Drinking from the same cup, bride and
bridegroom pledged each other to share
life's joys and sorrows. 1.-THE BRIDE
groom had entered first. The bride soon
Joined him. A low table was placed be-
fore them, on which were cups, bottles
and double spouted vessel, full of
sake. a kind Of rice beer. On stand
near by were figures of a tortoise, en-
blem Of long life; fir tree, emblem Of
strength, and a blooming plum tree, for
beauty and prolificness. As soon as
the guests were seated a stand was
placed before each, and a typical Japa-
nese feast was served. During this the
bride waited upon her future mother
and father-in-law, and at the close she
and the bridegroom drank alternately
from the double spouted vessel until it
was emptied.
Zone Of the side dishes was boiled
chrysanthemum petals, garnished with
vinegar sauce; another was mush-
rooms and cucumbers dipped in honey.
Cucumbers are a favorite food in
Japan, and, fresh or picked, they are
found on the table the year round. In
many ways the Japanese go about
things in exactly the opposite way to
what we do. For instance, in the
building Of a house the upper stories
and roof are completed on stout scat
folding, and then the first story and
foundation are filled in from below.
Japanese carpenters draw the plane
and saw toward them, instead Of push
ing from them, as our workmen do.
Above the main door of each home is
the name Of the householder, with the
n n IN
giving Of a name in Japan is a cere-
mony of much Importance and does
not take place until the child is three
or four years old. There Is a tradition
that babies in the land never cry. Per-
haps this Is an exaggeratiOn, but In
my stay there Of many moons I never
heard child's voice raised In distress.
These little people themselves have
tradition about their toys that If doll
Is properly and affectionately cared
for sooner or later, 1T will become alive.
Full Of legend and quaint superstition
is this picturesque home Of a pic
turesque people. On a small rustic
bridge which spans one Of its sacred
rivers, hardly more than a creek, may
be seen many women kneeling at diff
ferent times in the day. They watch
intently the mysterious current and
from time to time throw bits of paper
into its tide. On each of these is a
prayer and somewhere out in the I'M
known the gods are supposed to gather
these waited petitions, and, If the hui
NOR urges, grant them"