The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-12
home LIFE IN JAPAN.
Career Cut Out Ter ths japanese WIZ
u Net Easy.

mOda In the Jdpon Magazine. IL required
J 20 honor its parents and 10 sacrifice itself
I for tho sake Of the family The parents
must not spare themselves for the good
Of their children The children must re-
he0t this attitude
IA q result there IL the peculiar Cus-
tom called inkyO. or the retirement %
the head Of the family from active life
~ soon a. the children become Old enough
/ 10 take the management Of Affairs.
Delighted that their children are
abls 10 shoulder the burdens Of life. the
parents devote themselves 70 the pleas-
ures u old age games. the tea oere-
mony. horticulture; some are even affected
by the muse and are abandoned In their
declining wears 20 poetry
For this reason very Japanese
parents hold property In ,lCir own right,
assigning Il b thOsa Of their children
on whom they are dependent 4 sou
who would ignore thu claims q loyalty
and hlial piety would 10 considered out
side the pale Of human society. seldom
indeed are there found in Japan suoh
examples Of fOrSaken parents a. are too
often seen in Occidental lands.
What In still more surprising 10
outsiders IL the fact that the wives u
the children are expected % render the
same loyalty and piety 10 the parents
in-law a. the children themselves: and
in Japan every dutiful wife II faithful
10 this custom Hence every Japanese
daughter on the verge oi marriage IL told
by her parents that she must be a. true
in every respect 70 her new parents a.
she has been 20 thOss she h leaving and
that any failure in this respect on her
part will be- regarded In the old home
a. . dishonor done the aged parents
One Of our japanese savants has
said that though a wife were cOmplete In all
accomplishments Of the modern world
she would stil not be a perfect wife II
she do not know how 10 shampoo the head
81 her husbands father or mother To
married women Of the West ths idea
may come a. a shock. but In all respect
able circles Of japanese society il IL taken
a. a matter Of course In fact any vio-
laiion Of Il would he a legitimate cause
for divorce. for a true husband would
sooner see his wife show veneration for
hiss parents than for himself
The two Chinese chara ctsrs repre-
senting husband in the japanese language
mean heavenly person Accordingly his
wife Is expected 20 honor him A. a thing
from heaven She does this bv attend
ing carefully 10 the duties II the house
hold 40 ~ 10 leave her husband free
60 carry on the business o. life. The true
wife will sacr ifoe fortune and even life
Tor the sake o. her lord
In one Of the dramas ~ the immortal
Chickamaisu. the Shakespeare Of Japan.
there u passage representing the IDEAS
II devoted japanese wife, For the sake
Of my husband would even hav nv
nails from my hands and feet
Such are the deals Of duty cherished
and obeyed by the faithful wives of IApaa.
Who not onlv bear their sacrifices without
any sense % loss. but are delighted that
thew can show their desire % he Of signal
service 20 their husbands Indeed the
life u the japanese woman IL one Of
noble self sacrifice and remuneration
Nor il II n no understood that the Jap
anese man II indifferent 10 the noble en
durance Of his wife Though exactinR
he must treat HE wife With consideration
and sympathy The Japanese woman j.
loved ~ wife and honored aud respected
A. mother Thus though her lot 10
aruuOus. her life on the whole - han
and contented. and when Old aKp comes
she goes inkyo and spends her last DAYS
IN peace.
Though theJs panese woman - required /
20 ~ gentle above an things and 20 keep
that siirit alive IN the home she II not q 7
creature without courage and bravery 3
IN Old japan when laughter was married
she brought Ne pert Of her dover a nannais
or halherd. and her dagger aud prepared
10 end her husband even on the honey
moon. and brisk her life Tor him " need
~ There arr many stories ~ heFnic women
IN Japan that recall tho womsn 81 Snarta /
But however loud he call 70 other /
things. the main sphere ~ the Japanese ]
women h In the home Domestic duty /
must remain her chief responsibility A. I
the japanese are rare attaching great |
importance 20 cleanliness the wife must \
So that the house IL daily attended o. and /
kept scruptllOtlsly IN order and that not 1
q apeok " dust ~ allowed 70 collect any- |
where within the dwelling.
In accordance with the Japanese habit |
~ devotion there ~ IN every home q little I
altar shelf where the Spirits Of the an |
cestors receiye daily homage Before the 1
ancestral tablets a. veil ~ before the i
favOrite gods Of the family gifts u sake I
or rice must be laid and prayers Ofiered |
before the shrine The wife must attsnd /
70 these religious duties though all others .
fail 0ftsn this duty 10 left 70 the old 4
lady who has gone 'tnkyo. and she may i
pass her leisure time going to the temples 4
and shrines IN the vicinity
Since the Restoration aome Of these i
old ideas have been modified sOmsw hat |
This change has been effected chiefly \
through tho inhuenos Of Occidental phil. /
oeOphy and literature. and tbs IDEAS Of
eome lev Of our women are becoming % 4
NesterniEed that they are beginning 10 \
discuss the Independence OF woman and
advocating the Occidental custom Of
having newly Married couples live In
houses separate from the DsTslts