Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-30
TWelve Centuries of MeQHess DQus
By Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto

THE other day l attended a banquet where
L there were several Japanese gentlemen
who had recently returned from London
They spoke OF the meatless days there, and
all said they had been surprised to find that
they seriously missed meat from the table.
That the absence of meat could seriously
affect a Japanese person shows how quickly
have accepted foreign customs, for
from the introduction into Japan of Bud
dhism-the religion which forbds the killing
Of animas-until about forty years ago. the
Japanese were vegetarians That twelve
centuries of meatless days.
r REMEMBER very distinctly the first time
l. ever tasted meat. ! came home from
school one day and found that my father
had just returned from a trip to Toxic.
Such an occasion was usually one of re-
joicing to the entire family, but this day
there. seemed to be an air of depression
everywhere. AS I stepped into the "shoe-
off, place heard my mothers voice in low,
solemn tones giving some directions to-
mad The servants all seemed excited but
they also were talking in hushed voices.
OF course, did not ask any questions.
I had not yet greeted the family. but had
an uneasy feeling that something was
wrong. And it was hard for me to walk
calmly and without haste, as I went to my
grandmothers room for the usual respect
full salutations.
My grandmother was sitting with a maid
before the gold ,hrine. I greatly sur.
prised to see the doors closed, for 1t was the
hour when they were usually open and the
shrine lighted in readiness for the evening
obeisance before eating There We're rolls
of white paper a big lacquer tray; ana
the maid was pasting it over the glided
doors. Almost every Japanese home has
two shrines. In the time Of sickness or
death. the plain wood Shinto shrine, which
%I,a -onddn EropA md
the nation. is sealed with white paper to
guard it from pollution, but the elaborate
gilded Buddhist shrine is left open. as it is
the Buddhist gods who give comfort to the
living and guide the dead on their heavenly
journey. l had never known the gold shrine
to be sealed and. young as l was, I knew
that something very strange and mysterious
was about to happen.
MY GRANDMOTHER returned my bow
lXl with her usual gentle smile. but she was
graver than usual.
Honorable grandmother" anXiously in
qured, 'is somebody going to die?'
remember now how she looked-halr
amused and half shocked.
Little Etsu," she said, you should not
talk In this way. Your words are fire.
uuently very reckless"
"But, honorable grandmother" per-
sisted, "the shrine is being sealed with the
pure paper of protection"
Yes" she answered with little sigh.
and said nothing more. l did not speak
again. but sat still watching her with a
troubled heart. Presently she Strengthened
IN and turning toward me said slowly:
your honorable father has ordered his
household to taste flesh. He believes meat
is the food to make children as robust ana
wise as the people Of the western sea. The
OK flesh Is to be brought into the house
soon, and we must hasten with our duty to
close the holy shrine from pollution"
SryHAT day we ate solemn dinner with
/ meat in our soup and no friendly spirits
near us, for both shrines were sealed. We
felt strange and lonely. OF course, grand
mother did not join us. She said she would
rather not grow as big as a westerner-nor
as cunning.
THE introduction of foreign food had a
| | great deal to do with breaking down the
| wall of tradition which shut us away from
the world of the West After the Restora-
| ton, which, of course. means the fall of
| feudalism, the great majority of wealthy
l samurai suddenly found themselves separat-
| them support. and yet they We're bound as
| firmly as ever by the code of ethics whicn
| for centuries had taught them utter con.
| tempt for money. As a result the land was
| flooded, those first years. with business ex-
perirnents, where high class gentlemen at
| tempted to initiate tradesmen-generally
with DISASTROUS results.
ons u III eaaD wegrs ~. D$ss = elepu