Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-03-03
STATUS OF WOMEN In JAPAN
Baron Kikuchi Says They're As
Well Of As Here.
A Different Social system, nut a Good
One, lie Thiaks-Head Of the House
the Real Ruler-A Princess
who Sacrificed Herself.

the Imperial University OF Japnn told |
the members ana guests OF the Womans /
Municipal League who assembled in New (
York with the expectation Of hearing /
from him how much better off they aro
than the women Of Japan that he didn't !
think they were ono bit happier than their
sisters of the Flowery kingdom
THE Japenese woman Ia highly hon
ored by her husband and sons" he said, |
" and she hnds contentment in the ex- |
ercise OF the virtues OF self-sacrifice and
self-control, which are given hrst place
in our ethical code. II Ia true that men
take precedence over women in some
things For instance they arc served
first at the table, and in entering room
the wife always walks behind her hus-
band. But these things are not after all
so very important.
The baron then read some general adj
vice 10 women fro none of the standard
ethical works IN vogue before the insti-
tuition OF tho revised civil code which
has been the law OF the land for about
fifteen years. According to the old feud-
al idea there were three great lessons I'm
obedience for every woman to learn
submission 20 her father when she was
single, submission to her husband when
married and submission 10 her sons when
widowed. Her chief duties were the
care ~ the household, the training Of her
children and ministering to the needs OF
her husbands parents, with whom she
lived
These rules were not nearly so harsh
as they seem at first glance the baron
explained because not only women but
men in japan are supposed even now TO
render obedience to the head OF the house.
The house and not the individual Is the
Japanese social unit, and is somewhat
complicated institution. 1t is not syn
onymous with what We understand by
family. since the members Of the same
house are not necessarily all bound to
| each other By ties of blood. The Japanese
theory is that every old name must be
kept up and ii Is considered an insult TO
ones ancestors to die without leaving
descendants. a man who has no sons
| usually adopts one who assures the
family name and who in turn becomes the
head " the house. If tho adopted father
has daughter It is customary for her to
become the wife of the new member of
the family.
My father was an adopted SON." he
said. land | have several brothers who
as his descendants are members of the
house to which he belonged legally
BY the time ] became grown. however
my fathers blood house Of Kikuchi be-
| came extinct. 50 that was in turn adopt
ed into the house, Of which I mnow
| the head. When man maries, his wife
usually becomes a member of hi shouse
but in some cases husband becomes
a member of his wifc's house. No mar
rage is considered legal in Japan until
either the husband or wife is registered
| in the house book Of the other"
| While the head OF the house Is theoret-
| icaly the oldest male member thereof.
ii frequently happens tnay n father re-
signs this office to one Of his sons. and he
| is then obliged to render to that son
obedience in matters pertaining to the
welfare of the house. There arc even
instances, he said, III which a woman
has been the acknowledged head of
! house. and in such cases the male mem
bers have been obliged TO render obedi-
| enre to her The consent OF the head
Of house Is necessary for the marriage
of one of it's members. his authority
superseding even that OF the parents.
Tho row civil code. however, has greatly
ourtaied the power of the house head.
Both men and women are now entitled
to hold individual property. and the rights
Of women in this particular are practical
ly the same as those Of men.
Women may exercise parental au-
thority. lie continued If the husband is
dead; married women may enter into
business with the consent Of their hus-
bands and are then considered as in
dependent persons. They may with the
consent of their husbands mako con-
tracts, and unless there Is some arrange
ment to the contrary are entitled to the
property which was theirs at the time
Of the marriage.
Under the old law a man could divorce
his wife at will. while a woman could not
divorce her husband except by his con-
sent. Under the existing code there are
two kinds Of divorces. consensual and
judicial. tho former needing only the
mutual agreement OF both parties. while
the latter may be obtained on the ground
Of iniideity, conviction Of felony, Excess
sive cruelty or desertion.
1T is perhaps not generally known
he said. that nearly all our Japanese
classics have been written by the women
members Of the imperial household.
do not refer to poetry, although one OF
our six greatest poets was woman
Some women too have taken prominent
part in the administrative affairs OF the
government but ! must confess that this
type OF woman Is not our IDEAL Tho
woman most admired by the Japanese
IL the wife Of ono OF our princes. who
when she was crossing the bay with her
husband during severe storm threw
herself into the water Is sacrihce TO
the storm god In order that her husband
| might cross in safety.