The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-07-25
How Japanese Show Emotion
By ALBERT S. ASHMEAD, NJ. D.

! sailors expressed no surprise or es-
tonishment while visiting New York
in the "sightseeing" automobiles. He
does not understand Japanese facial
expression. What appeared to him
! as ''calm" was quite the opposite.
Darwin in 1857 presented the an
thropological world with a formula
for physiognomical researches, using
sixteen questions for expression Of the
| emotions in man and animals" Pro-
fessor Wernich, of the Toxic Surgi-
cal Academy, in 1874 put these ques-
! tions to the Japanese and obtained a
! set of answers, some of which, In &C
cordance with Japanese popularity,
are tinged with Occidental colorings,
as some of the Japanese questioned
were already in contract with for
eign ideals.
Astonishment in the Japanese IS
expressed by widely opening the eyes,
slight raising of the head, stretching
it up and drawing up Of the eye
brows I watched those rubber
neck" sailors as they passed me on
Cathedral Parkway and recognized
this expression On many of the faces.
While deeply meditating on the
sights they saw or trying to under
stand some surprising fact bawled
out to them through the megaphons
by their japanese guide many of
them put their heads slightly aside
and shook them at intervals, and
while conyersing with those beside
them drew the air between their
teeth "a la Malay with an 'sF"
sound; they wrinkled their foreheads
and held their mouths open. These
signs showed that they were struck
with astonisbment and were not 50
calm as American observers sup
posed they were. Complete (obsti-
nate) silence would imply not calm
ness but contempt in japanese.
To explain further how different
the Japanese expressions are from
ours, may add that turning the face
to one side with single bitter laugh
like "ha!" means in Japanese su-
preme disdain. So. does single smile,
such as Mr.. Sato used to employ
when interviewed sometimes during
the Portsmouth Peace Conference.
Putting out the lips and assumption
of falsetto tone of voice, with wide
ly opened eyes, means scolding or
reproval among the Japanese. The
sputtering forth of words while
speaking to mistress or master means
bad humor when Japanese servant
in New York so speaks. He need
not use any facial expression at all;
his face is blank. Japanese are too
shy to show expressions of guilt.
Only by the deep sinking Of the head
can you tell whether the japanese
child is guilty or not. Adults do not
sink the head at all and maintain a
blank expression.
Jealousy in a woman is shown only
by the eyes being widely opened, the
mouth being tightly shut. Not
muscle fickers; yet she is wild
enough to stab you. Japanese never
nod the head vertically, as we do, to
express the affirmative. A slight bow
expresses it. The negative is ex-
pressed by single sidewise turn OF
the head, so that the right ear comes
to stand a little more forward; or
it is expressed with the hand held
downward, while the wrist IS moved
four or six times toward him who is
making the sign.
If a person to be called is at some
distance the arm is lifted forward
at the breast level, the better to be
seen. Lateral motion of the hand,
at breast level, with palm turned out
ward and fingers extended, means
forbidding. The Japanese never puts
his thumb to his nose with fingers
extended, as our American boys do
in derision. The Japanese identical
sign is holding the wrist to the nose
with index finger extended and the
other fingers tightly closed to the
palm. One hand held like this in
front Of the other is doubly scorn-
full.
The japanese never wiring their
hands in agony, or do they ever make
use of the muscles Of the neck. They
never throw up the head or throw up
the eyes to heaven.
Handshaking is unknown in jap
an. EQUALS bow to each other at
separated distance and only to the
same level For one to bow lower
than the other party would imply ac-
knowledgement of inferiority.
Friends stroke each others backs
with the hands.
Deep sinking of the head and flood
Of tears mean great sorrow. They
grasp the hands together but never
wiring them as we do. They never
"turn to heaven their faces bathed in
tears The Japanese while crying
sinks his head and does not lift his
eyes but holds the body shrunk to-
gether. He cries ''Itai! Itai!" ct
hurts! 1t hurtsD just as often as
we do, when in pain. In fact, he can