Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-09-20
The Simplicity of The japanese
in Life And Customs Told to Club
| by the speaker to be in a measure re
| sponsible for their short stature.
Custom, Not State Rules.

by the speaker to be in a measure re-
sponsible for their short stature.
Custom, Not State Rules.
Dame fashion, said Mrs. Murray,
rules with very light hand in the
land of Nippon. There the styles of
fashion are practically unchanged and
fashion is little if any trouble. All
milady has to do when shopping is to
tell the shopkeeper her age or that Of
the person she wishes to purchase for
and he will produce the proper thing
in garment materials. There are some
few fashion styles in Toxic and some
of the very large cities, but beyond
certain colors or the length Of a sleeve,
the fashion is universal throughout the
land. An educated woman in Japan
among her accomplishments will have
the art of making the clothes for the
children and herself. This is all done
on mathematical basis as far as the
cutting of the goods is concerned and
is not difficult as it would seem. In
buying materials there are certain
standards of widths Single width, or
about fifteen inches wide, and double
width, with rare case Of triple width.
goods. The shopkeeper will readily
tear the single width in half or the
double width in like manner If the Gus
toner desires it, as there is demand
for the different widths and he has no
difficulty in selling them One dresses
by custom and not by personal taste.
1t is mistaken idea that the Japs
wear all bright colors as SO many pic
lures would give the impression. The
children and young girls may wear
bright colors, but the adults are gen.
orally dressed In plain dull colors. The.
color of the garment as well as the
pattern of the goods is determined BY
the shopkeeper upon telling ones age.
The real good dresses for the women
are expensive, but the fact that the
styles do not change, may permit the
dress to pass down the line from
mother to daughter and then to grand
daughter.
Diet is Simple.
Rice is the staple diet of food, con-
tinued the speaker, who also said that
fish is staple and much used. A GER
tain pickle made from very large
radish or turnip is popular to eat with
rice. The white cereal is more a
staple with the Jap than is bread with
the people of America. One cooking
and cleaning of rice will suffice for
day, as it is used at all meals and In
a greater quantity than any other
food. Where money may be scarce,
fish is eaten by the head of the house
and the sons. while the balance eat q
vegetable with their rice. Beans are
also much used and fill peculiar
place in the pastry of the country,
being chief factor in the cakes Of the
Japanese.
Use No Dish Towels.
In telling Of the meal. the speaker
stated that when through with the
bowl OF rice, warm water or if one pre-
fers, tea Is poured into the bowl and
the chop sticks thus washed off, after
which the water or tea is drank. Dish
washing is not an art in japan. The
speaker said she never saw a dish
towel while in the country. The dishes
are washed in warm water and
rinsed in cool water, and then left to
drain and be put away. The chop
sticks are put away in receptacle for
them which each member Of the house
hold has for his or her sticks.
Fish Holds High Place.
The simplicity of the Japanese art
and the significance of the fish so
often depicted in the art Of the Jap
was explained by the speaker who
said that the Jap thinks the American
art childish in that the picture has to
be finished in detail The Japanese
will paint fish and make a few lines
to indicate a waterfall and leave
the spectators imagination to see the
waterfall. That particular subject is
old in Japan and has to do with the
indomitable carp trying to swim the
waterfall. Just the real significance of
the theme, the speaker was unable to
give. She stated that at boys festivals
or where there are boys in a family,
it is common to see design of a fish
hanging from pole in the yard or
from the roof Also that when a son