The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-09-13
PICTURESQUE JAPANE SE$
some of Their Qneer customs md
Traditions, Are AnsnsinE-

20
According to american standards,
writes Edward Walter Dawson in
Housek eeping, Japanese women cav
never be considered beautiful. but thsg
are unfaiIingly picturesque. For liz
stance. a matron Of this Land of the
Rising Sun, whose hospitality l often
enjoyed, wore a robe of cream colored
silk, a siInono of darker shade. faster
ed with an eXquisitely embroidered Sif-
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. ana
there is much significance attached!
even TO the way in which they are tied.
Men also wear girdles, or obs. but TO:
them they are much narrower and
smaller and serve only the purpose o.;
holding the robe in place. The writer
goes on to tell of d marriage ceremony
which he was allowed 10 attend "A
wedding is a wedding the world over.
Drinking from the same cup, bride and
bridegroom pledged each other 10 share
life's joys and sorrows. The bride
groom had entered first. The bride Soon
Joined him. a low table was placed be-
fore them. on which We're cups. bottles
and double spouted vessel. full OF
sake. Il kind of rice beer. On Il Sta:le:
near by were figures OF q tortoise. en-
blem OF long life; fir tree, emblem: o!S
strength. and blooming plum tree, Io-
beauty and prolificneSs. AS soon as
the guests were seated q stand "-t,S
placed before each. and Il typical Jaila-
neSc feast was served. During this the
bride waited upon her future mother
and father-in-law, ana at the close she
and the bridegroom drank alternately
from the double spouted vessel until il
was emptied.
'Onc of tie side dishes WAS boiled
clrySanthemUm petals, c;.rnis!led With
vinegar sauce; another ,WiS nush-
rooms and clcumbers dipped in honey
CucilIubers are q favorite food il
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 WY to
what we do. For instance, in the
building of Il house the upper stc"i"s
and roof are completed on stout SAT
folding. and then the first story and
founla ton are filled in from Dc!3v.
Japanese carpenters draw the plane
and saw toward them, instead of push
ing from them, as our worklncn do.
Above the main door of each home is
the name of the householder, with the
number and sex of the family. The
giving of 4 name in Japan is 4 cere-
mony of much Importance and docs
not take place until The child IS three
or four years old. There is i tradition
that babies in the land never cry. Per-
haps this is an eXaggcration. but i'll
my stay there of many moons I never
heard Il chld's voice raised in distress.
These little people themselves have
tradition about their toys that If 4 doll
is properly and affcctionatcly cared
for sooner or later it Will bccoi1e alive.
Full Of legend and quaint superstition
is this picturesque home Of pic
turesuue people. On / SNAIL rustic
bridge which spans sonc Of its sacred
rivers. hardly more than 4 creek. ElAT
be seen many women kneelin: 1T oil
ferent times in the day. They watch
inteiltly the mysterious current and
from time 20 time throw bits OF DtI)Hr
into its tide. On each CT these Is 4
prayer and somewhere out in the uI-
known the gods are supposed TO Gather
these waited petitions. and. il the ;lu-
NOR urges, grant them