New-York tribune., 1905-01-17
A JAPANESE STUDENT.
Young Woman at Bible Training School
Talks Of Her Future Plans.

japanese women are so much more quiet than
the women here in this country said little Miss
Ogasawara Tan. Of Yokohama. yesterday after
noon, as she sat comfortably in a big rocking chair
at the Bible Teachers Training School where she
is q student
They do not go so much to balls and such
things they stay at home to take care Of their
children and to study. Most japanese women Of
the warrior class"-which is next 10 the nobility
and 10 which Miss Ogasawara belongs-''get up at
about $50 every morning in summer and $50 in
the winter. They take a bath IN the wooden tub.
in which the water IS heated by q little charcoal
stove at one end. then they dress and brush up
their hair. which has probably been arranged the
day before by q professional hairdresser who
comes TO the house and after that they get break
fast for their husbands"
But don't women Of this class keep any maid?
Miss Ogasawara was asked
oh YES. They all have at least one servant,
she replied, but Z japanese man likes TO have
his wife get the meals for him. If it is an un-
Christian family she has to make the low bow TO
him before she serves him.
For breakfast. there are usually tea, rice, bean
soup. pickles and fish.
After that. the women get their children ready
for school. then they sew study so out to
lesson. Some japanese women study music now'
and nearly all take lessons in flower arrangement.
We are not taught 10 arrange flowers the way
you do over here-so many in one vase" COM
mented the little woman we put only three or
four together; we think that looks prettier.
Usually. the do not come home 10 luncheon,
50 that the women have the afternoon TO them
selves 8 After dinner-which consists Of soup, two
or three kinds Of fish. rice, something that corre-
spends 10 what you call salad and tea and cake
the husband and wife talk together when the chill
dren have been put TO sleep. Perhaps friend
comes in-then there are tea and cake again
''Of course. we have tea morning noon and night.
Every hostess knows all about making and serving
il. FOR when the girls finish their school Iney al
study tea ceremony for three years. The
reason IL takes so long to learn is that we have
special way Of doing II all. you see ana us very
According to Miss Ogasawara. the war with Rus
S doing than anything else could possibly
DO TO bring the different classes Of japanese women
il touch with another.
ladies Of the nobility and OF the warrior class
and the wives Of the merchants who compose the
knit socks and make bandases for the soldiers:
she said The differences in rank are not entirely
forgotten. however. even in the cause of sweet
charity, for when woman OF low CLASS comes INTO
the room the women of the higher classes merely
give high bow, which Is reserved Ior an INFERIOR
alone"
bers Of hc- family who are Christians. The father
is !. believer in Confucianism and the mother IS
Buddhist while the brothers are indifferent to any
and all religion. The two girls We're converted
while attending school IN Toxic. where a Christian
when I first went back home after had be-
old woman friend Of the family. came to me and
begged 10 be buddhist. Why. If you believe
right as you can. perhaps when you come back TO
earth again you may come IN the form OF q human
being. One out of every one thousand does come
back that way. you know. "
When Miss Ogasawara goes back to Japan-it
may be next fall il not be until year later
she expects TO teach English and the Bible at the
Miss Lewis. the American missionary, with whom
she came 10 the United States