Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-12-01
GIRL MAKES SACRIFICE.
Women OF Japan Protest Against Slav-
cry OF Sex In That Country.

cry OF Sax In That Country.
One Of the most sensational and un-
pre- ccuen.cd methods OF focusing pub
'ic attention in Japan on the fight that
IS being waged by Japanese women for
he right to live their own lives, says
q Toxic dispatch. was recently reveal
ID here when Il handsome young Jap
oncse Giri, we'll known as one of the
leaders Of New Japan's New NO
men," threw herself in front of q pass
ing express train in the hope that her
death would startle the country, cause
public opinion to bc concentrated on
The reason why sne took the tragic
sep ard thus proTnotc the cause for
Grlch she had made the supreme sac
rifcc.
On summer evening in carly Au-
gust as hundreds of persons gather
ad ut Omori railway station, Q few
mics from Toxic and q popular resi-
dental suburb OF the japanese ca pitai,
I.a?d n treble voice call "Sayonara''
iGoodbye), saw a girl wave her slim
hGnGs, and throw herself in front of
an on rushing express train. The iron
monster sped or, the driver totally un-
conscious of the tragedy. AT the reXt
station the slim body, dressed in a
rich kimCno was eXtricated from under
the wheels. Death must have Eeen in
StGntancoug.
At the inquest it was revealed that
the girl, Yac-ko M!yata, had gone to
OmCri station with the fixed resolve
of taking her life in the presence of as
many persons as possible. Two letters
had been written by her announcing
her intention. in her. handbag was
found another statement in which she
declared that she had determined to
take hci. lie and that no one except
the System that makes slaves of wo-
men in Japan" was to blame for hef
action. It is also declared that she
had decided 10 take the long journey
in order that the Japanese nation
awake to the gross injustices that are
being inflicted on the women of this
country who can hardly cali their souls
their own"
When a Japanese feels that there is
need for laying special stress or en-
phas;s on matters affecting the welfare
Of the nation, the community or the
family, japanese mentality generally
turns in the direction of suicide. In
Japan the suicide if he has sacrificed
himself or herself for what is thought
worthy cause, is often honored in
death and even deified. The japanese
like many other Oriental nations, have
naughty contempt of. death. Their
"eiigion teaches them that their life
is their own and that they should not
hesitate to lose even this If thereby
some good can be wrought.
Japanese women are today as never
before, hungering for the right to live
their own lives, to choose their own
mates, to throw off the fettcrs Of old
convention and to plan their own des-
| TIMES.
The women of Japan have thrown
down the gage to the men who mad
The old conventions and insist on THEN
observance. On a hillock by the side
# the home Of Miss Miyata's parents
here was erected two weeks later q
modest shrine, where Japanese lasseS
20 to pay their respects to the spirit
Of the dead girl. OF an evening many
l>neel on the hard gravel and with
bowed heads invoke the aid of theil
dead companion. Flowers are placed
before the shrine, and in silence the
worshippers withdraw.