The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-15
JAPANESE WANT LONGER LVGS
THEY TAKE THOUGHT AND hmm
TO ADD TO THEIR STATURF
Ebert 10 Equal Other Races IN HsiEht An.
Weight-Their Slight Physical ProOo,'
tions Laid 70 the Habit Of sitting !.
the FOOF-An the Nation C~One.r,.1
From he Standard.

HNANfN Il
From he Standard.
The remarkable degree Of thorop.A
ness that Japan has determined u aobIs,.
In all things that pertain TO her " an
cheney and advantage a. a nation IA M.
where more -conspicuously illustrated .A.,
In her unique efforts toward increasing n.
stature Of the psoes.
Compared with Europeans or ava,
Chinese the Japanese as a race are sbor
and under weight. To account for mi,
physical popularity various reasons lA,,
been advanced and as many Correspond.
ing antidotes suggested or prescribed n
remedy the defect, until the movement,
has attracted the attention Of the leadi,.
psychologists Of the world.
Some Of the best authorities among m.
japanese themselves have ascrihei IN.
slight physical stature Of their race To IA,
sedentary habits that for ages have ON.
vailed among them, Apart from tho.
engaged In the more muscular forms d
industrial activity the average J~apansS
performs his daily task in a sitting atiitud.
and this obtains aver In the hours Of rea
for in = Japanese house there are no chair
the members Of the family squat IN ths,
heels on the floor after the fashion u ihet
ancestors from time immemorial
The Japanese professional man and tn.
man Of business maintain this postur
day after day and month after month
through the years; many a merchant spend,
the greater portion Of HE life in This pn
sltioD, not rising even TO wait on customa,
as he keeps a boy TO hand him the good,
in demand. And what is true Of the rom.
meroial classes is equally 80 Of the arr Isan
and craftsmen that make up 81 large 4
proportion Of the native population.
Though the agricultural classes naturan5
show a greater dtgree Of muscular develon
ment, the nature OF their labor ia too mrct
on a line with that OF beasts OF burden 10
allow Of a properly developed stature
In the opinion Of other psychologists. how.
ever. the deficiency in Japanese stature is
TO be attributed 10 some Inherent charac.
teristio Of the race rather than 10 any pFAr'
Of habit or environment, much as these mar
modify the original tendency
1t ia argued that though the Italians.
for example. are shorter than other EIro.
peans. no one would think OF attempting
TO account for it by instancing the donestic
habits Of the nation. Moreover. it ~.
quires no great familiarity with ethnologics'
history To- see that some races are eyidently
built upon a smaller model than others
But il is quite consistently Japarese 10
discredit any theory that would ascHbe
race defect TO other than remedial causs,
P~essinhstic AZ the Japanese are in natter
Of philosophy and religion, when it comes
10 things material they always present a
most optimistic attitude.
The japanese avowedly holds that hs
slight stature is due to some cause over
which he has control. and that Therefore
by taking thought he can reverse the de-
cree VI scripture and add the longed for
cubit 10 his stature. Accordingly the native
psychologists who have given most atten.
ton 10 this subject acquiesce in the prevail.
ing opinion that the national shortness d
stature is the result OF doing without chain
in the homes and without counters and
desks in shops and counting houses, prob
ably assisted by want Of a proper attention
to diet.
To substantiate the results OF this dag.
nosis attention ia called TO the fact that il
requires only a superficial examination Of
the average Japanese physique TO see tina
the main deficiency is in the length Of the
legs; the trunk always comparing favorsbly
with that Of the average native Of Europs
or America, Fence IL is concluded that
II the lack is only in the legs the cauS
must be attributed To a wrong use OF these
that they have become mere appendage
only because they have been regarded
such for generations by a large part Of the
nation, and that II Japanese legs are but
subjected 10 the same degree OF eXertion a
that INDUCED n by foreigners they will
attain an equal elongation In time,
Those most familiar with the physical
characteristics Of both races will readily
admit that il is only when standing that
the Japanese appears shorter than the aver.
age Anglo Saxon; seated at a table OF In
an audience there seems TO be no marked
diversity in height. Nor is 1t contrary
20 the experience Of men OF science that
undue expansion or contraction OF human
stature should be usually due To some
abnormal condition Of the lower limbs.
Among the giants Of all races il is gen.
orally found that the extraordinary Do.
Velopment Ia In the legs and feet. While
DIV. rfed condition Of body is not always
due 10 lack Of leg development among
foreigners, II frequently is, and this Is espe-
c ally 30 among the japanese,
This question OF size was first taken
up by the japanese army surgeons, who
we're interested in securing recruits Of
suitable stature and development for the
ranks. After a long experience n eIamln.
ing men for military service and a carefu
OF results with similar eTper'
ences abroad the japanese medical men
became convinced Of the necessity Of max
ing the matter a subject OF national i'm.
portance. until now there is a well marked
determination to leave M means untred
to make the japanese soldiers physically
equal TO the European regular.
Consequently the medical stan n The
Japanese army has for some years been
the native soldier through a strtn
course Of gymnastic and dietary dtscl'
pline, insisting that the movement b.
carried into the homes Of the people unt'
all should be obsessed with the desire N
grow tall or produce a progeny with thf
qualification for citizenship.
Mothers and nurses are being advised nn
TO carry their babies on their backs, a. the
is deemed sufficient TO account t0
the prevalence OF handy legs among me
Japanese. The nation is Desoushi and 'N'
are required 70 sit on something
than the hoor. The kind and quality
Of the exercise and diet for the army aod
navy are carefully regulated to comply
with foreign customs, in addition 70 th'
special expedients for increasing stature.
II is interesting to note that thess 81
periments are regarded as Oh the VIII"
satisfactory, The army surgeons ave-
that in the few years that they have ban
able TO give any proper attention n me
tho physical condition 81 The
Japanese soldier has shown marked IN.
provement and that even an appreciabs
Of stature can be noticed,
This frank endeavor after 50 eItraordi