University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1912-11-19

When Shizus Sasaki, japanese
student in the University of Missouri
had been in America only a few
months, an American friend took him
| for walk in the woods. The Amer
lean was tall, slender and slightly
bald. He talked easily and learnedly
about the native trees and plants of
America. Sasaki's quick bright eyes
eagerly took in his surroundings, but
his command of English was poor, and
often he had to stop and search for
word to express his meaning
Now this" said the friend, stop
ping beneath tall and widespread
tree. 4" is sycamore. See how white
it is up there among the branches. A
sycamore always has white top"
Sasaki grinned and nodded delight
edly. He had to show that he under
stood this, and stretching up his arms,
he patted his friends bald head and
repeated in his queer English "Syca-
more"
And now the Americans friends all
call him Sycamore Steele
Several Brands Of English.
Susaki who came to America last
February, has already learned several
versions of the English language. He
studied it in Japan three years but
| found the speech of the American peo-
pie entirely different from that used
in the classroom in Japan. When he
| first came to Columbia he boarded at
the University Dining Club and quick
ly learned to call for "spuds, punk,
slick, sand and spread" Later when
he went to a professors boarding
house, he could not understand what
they were calling for when they said
potatoes, bread, syrup, sugar or pre-
serves
Sasaki attended Wasada University
in Toxic one year before coming here
and was one of the college champions
in swimming and fencing. He says
they have football, baseball and track
meets in Japan, too. but the principal
sports are swimming, fencing and
wrestling, or jiu-jitsu. At an annual
athletic meeting called the "koita /"
the various college teams meet in a
fencing match. Bamboo swords are
uSed, but the man winning final vic.
tory is awarded a handsome japanese
sword. Sasaki won the sword one
year.
Boys and Girls Kept Apart.
His experiences in America are as
entertaining to him as his stories Of
Japan are to his American friends
He says the chief difference he has
noticed between Japanese and Ameri
can customs is that in the social rela.
tions between the young men ant
women. In Japan, the only co-educa'
tional schools are those of music ant
art Girls and boys do not associate
and their training is entirely different
They do not even worship together
for the churches have different sec.
tions for the men and the women.
While the Japanese boy of the high
er class is sent to college and educat
ed along professional lines, the Jap
anese girl is sent to a school where
lie, &c 70, N
the girl there is no sparkling aban
don, no pleasure seeking or self as
sertion she is of an aesthetic nature
and is taught self-repression, con
temptation, control of temper ant
presence of mind, carefulness, orde
, and a religious spirit. Her chief ac
complishments are writing. composin,
. poetry, "Ikebana" Flower arrange
ment }. Cha-no-yu the ceremonial
teal and the playing of the "koto,
samisen," or kokyu," musical in
: struments.
Fine Handwriting Admired.
Writing seems to be the chief &C
complishment. Handwriting is tn
standard of Japanese woman's per
sonality, her mentality, her education
. Many stories are told of the beautiful
, writing of hieroglyphics and hoy
men often fall in love with woman
writing and hunt till they find an
can ask in marriage the hand that ha
won their admiration.
1t is only through poetry that wome
are allowed to express their emotion
in grief, anger, misfortune or disaI
pointment. The Emperor encourge