The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-25
japanese Fair Sex Can't Agree
with Occidental Women on
Question-Age-long In
stinct Makes Her Repellant
to Antagonist with Men.

The suffrage movement Is the. subject
OF an extremely interesting article by
Mrs. Hatoyama in the April number of
the Japan Magazine, published in Tokyo.
The author. who is a well-known educa-
ZIONIST and teacher of household manage
ment in the Girls Normal School at
Tokyo. takes quite notable viewpoint
with regard 10 the votes for women
agitation. She holds that the claim of
her Western sisters to the suffrage is
nat unreasonable. but that japanese
women are not fitted by education or
instinct for the parliamentary vote.
With regard TO her own country, she is
an anti-suffragist. She writes:
Occidental women demand the right of
suffrage. want to have a voice in politics,
and TO be considered on plane of equal
ity with men. With this attitude II is
not easy for a Japanese woman to agree
Her eduction and sge-Iong instincts
render her repellent to argument or an
tsgonism with men. The recent attitude
Of the suffrage movement In England is
very difficult for a japanese woman to
apprehend or appreciate. II newspaper
reports be true. We are bound to regard
the doings of the British suffragette as
extremely imprudent II not foolish and
unwomanly. a japanese woman could
by no stretch OF the imagination fancy
herself taking part in the questionable
tactics reported of the British suffra-
gettes in the press: nor could we think
of indulging in a strike against food
were we put in prison for our misconduct.
Perhaps the undue excitement to agita-
ton among English women is due TO
jealousy of the American woman. who
now. In several States of the union, en-
joys the right of franchise.
A Question of Marriage.
After stating her agreement with the
western womans claim, she continues:
While approving of the nonmilitant
propaganda OF the Occident suffragette,
it must not be understood that l would
wish to see the same movement at pres
ent started in Japan. The circumstances
are SO vitality different that the western
mind would doubtless be able to appre-
ciate but slightly my reasons for assum-
ing this attitude. In Japan there are
few women who possess influence and
fortune. Not only have our women but
scant experience in managing affairs in
dependently Of men. but they have not
the education essential to a successful
administration of political affairs. The
average japanese woman is influenced
too much by sentiment for her tudg-
ment to be trusted in matters of gov
eminent Not even. in the matter oil
bringing up children have our women
the maturity of experience and the
knowledge displayed by the women of
the West The fact that there is as yet
really no sign of woman suffrage
movement in Japan Is proof positive Of
the significance of my conviction in the
matter When our women marry land
most Of them do this and at a very
early age), they shave enough to do
serving their husbands and families
without bothering about outside matters.
In fact. they have not sufiicient time or
even spirit to assert the rights already
conceded them by law. The suffrage
question is an old maids problem, and
there are no old maids in Japan. II
fear we shall never rise to the dignity
Of Occidental notions on the question of
female franchise till our women begin
to decline marriage and the number Of
our maiden ladies increases. Why, the
japanese woman as yet had not even
enough to choose her
own husband
The japanese woman would probably |
make as poor a fist of choosing her own
husband as she would in selecting can
didate for the Imperial Diet.
The Household Goddess.
She points out that japanese women |
are 'circumstantially more dependent |
upon men than the women of the West !
In Japan woman occupies no social I
position except as the mistress Of her |
household" The writer continues: The |
of the Japanese way of
reating woman to that prevailing in the |
West do not now discuss, but. of
course, I prefer the way Of my own |
country. Western gentleman once |
that Occidental wives make
FOOD playmates but not such good |
wives. And a young Englishman visit
ng japan told me that he intended to |
wait till he was forty. and then marry \
! young wife to educate her. Most /
oreign gentlemen coming to Japan adj
nire the docility and modesty of our |
'omen; and many high-class foreigners /
ieve made offers of marriage to ladies
II Japan; but so far our women have /
hown little disposition to marry for |
'isners, as their parents do not approve
# IT.
There has been a persistent inclina-
ion on the part of men in Japan to
eQard fna rnrrcb aiming Hkaly tn v