The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-18
HOW THE JAPANESE
EDUCATE THEIR CHILDREN
N. OZAKI, Mayoress Of Toxic

The greatest sin against family
a Japanese can commit is TO have no
children. and a. wife's position is never
secure until she has child. In olden
times, under the ancient regime. ster-
ility was one of the seven reasons
which Justified husband in asking
for divorce.
Naturally. the birth OF male child
lis considered more important than
that OF female, but the birth OF a
baby. be It a boy or girl. is always
| a source of joy. AS soon s a baby
has been born relatives and friends are
Informed of the event and lose no time
| In congratulating the parents and in
| bringing presents of all kinds--dried
! fish, boxes of eggs, cakes and bolts
OF linen or silk. On the seventh day
after its birth the child is given o.
name by it's father. II 1t is a boy it
is generally given its fathers name.
] with addition of another. very often
| the name of some ancestor. If 1t be
! a girl it is given name with which
symbolizes all the domestic virtues II
is hoped to acquire. 1t is called Matsu,
which menas constancy. or Take. which
means good luck, or Tama- winch
/ means jewel.
Except in the way OF dressing them
| no difference is made between boys
and girls during their first seven years.
White, which in Japan is the token
OF mourning, is never used for chill
dren. The favorite color for babies
| is red, but after the first year. the
| dresses of a baby boy are striped
with blue, brown or black. while the
| kimona OF a baby girl Is embroldered
/ with designs OF birds, mowers or I9i.
/ iage, which grow smaller as the chilo
grows older
Children are considered blessiag
iron heaven by rich and poor alike
and childhood is the happtest period
found necessary to found society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Children"
4 A multitude of our proverbs show bet
ter than anything else how well our
children are being cared ear for. one i,, q
no STAT no means an achildren are the
Ichain of steel that binds man and wife
/ together. Another: "Kodomo nj kikln
nashit." means "Faminlne never
exists for the little ones"
as a rule very timid.1 The little girls
Especially ara used to. obeying every
Body, beginning with their own BROTH
Iers. AS soon as they have been dressed
in the morning the children go to
| the ground with their foreheads,, and
ask: GLOW Is your honorable health?"
Before they begin to eat their break
| fast they raise their spoon or fork
in sign Of gratitude. and they do not
start to school without having kneeled
! II front OF their mother. If their father
goes out they follow him TO the porch
bow their heads, and lnurmur: May
God be with you. Come back soon
little girls takes place on the third OF
March. It Is the festival Of the dolls,
which dates back to the Areign OF the
Emperor Bidatsu. So years before
Christ, It Is an exhibition of dolls,
representing the Emperor and Empress
In magnificent robes, and surrounded
by their ministers and court and great
i historical personages. Looking at these
miniature exhibitions the little girls
learn the rules OF etiquette. and look
Ing at ali the objects that surround
the dolls. they also learn what things
The festival Of the boys takes place
on the NTH OF May, in memory oi no q
patriot, who committed suicide 2ooo
years ago, because he though his coun-
/ try was degenerat1nE. ColpTeu sLttps
] .of paper or paper dolls in the shape
of carps are attached to long bamboo
Epoles. and erected over the. doorways
TO flutter In the breeze, The carp ~
japan Is the symbol Of energy e !, II
urai AMONG the fishes, for when YOU
have caught 1t and placed It under e
ths knife 1t does not bulge. but dies
calmly In dignihed mann or, me
boy ~ thus taught that he Y Is expeo YES
to- show the same qualities as the
carp, and the festival teaches him to
honor The fIeroes OF his country - ~