Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-05-10


alcohol
Jap men are not only likely tppers. but
they have much capacity for carrying their
liquor" Rather than considering this weakness the
Japs are proud o
The national whisky of Japan is sake. a coloress
product distilled from fermented 1t potent high
powered drink that quickly does things to the drinker
Usually the liquor may be heated
tiny charcoal To dilute 1t would dishonor his fore
fathers This liquor is peculiar dislaon that does not
improve with and is best when freshly made This is
probably just we'll for 1t is doubtful If the Npponese
could wait for the drink to
During religious flower festivals sake drunken
prevalent Most OF the merry-makers have sake
gourd fastened to their belts Their faces shine with
a reddish glow as they reel about among the crowds
sampling the contents Of one anothers gourds
Empty gourds quickly reflled for only few SEN
from large hogsheads of the liquor with which festival
vendors line the roadside About out OF three
these vendors specazes in sake Teahouses also have
pyramids staw-covered their
advertisement The drink the stuff long their
money their legs. hold out
Sake first makes like talking endessly
and then imbers up the joints Garrulous Of all
and conditions of life jump cut ddoe and dance along the
streets is TO stimulate the
circulation the and body become
flushed innocent tourists have thought sake DRINKS
pious pilgrims who had been sunburned and that
their jumping and jabbering religious frenzy AS the
sake inoxcation progresses, the mind becomes dim and
the pilgrim falls into stupor-lke sleep.
In recent years, since Japan has tried 10 become
civilized beer has become popular drink Some say beer
is almost dsPlaeing tea national beverage bat this
is an exaggeraton Beer is more costly than sake and The
latter remains the poor mans beverage In Toxic much
beer be consumed but the crowded rural districts sun
prefer sake and tea.
Although beer is a weak alcoholic drink, the Jap's
system has little resistance to it, and he becomes
profoundly II beer did rot ntoXicate him
doubtful II the beverage would be popular-t is the
ntoxicatlon he wants, not the taste
All Jap men who afford it, their homes prin-
cpay sleeping and abode their children They
Irregular hours, and remain half the night IN the
thousands dimy lighted small eahouses The wife ST
home but the men gather for tea-and sake
Ceisha girls entertain provide companionshp and sell
quantities sake TO the spurning in these tea
houses patron has taken couple sips from
tiny porcelain sake cup the Gesha quietly res to
the brim Toward daybreal the with flushed faces
wend their uncertain way homeward perhaps assisted by
policemen The effects of sake lasting and the morn
ing after is nothing to anticipate 1t takes couple days
to recover big evening
But the Jap wives hardened to this, among other
things wife who little than married servant
and the bearer OF some children her
husband up the quilts when he comes home in liquid
condition and him sleep IL off the floor while she
tends TO her other She realizes he has
probably had geisha beside him all evening but she
expects that too dufully she brings his tnybowled
pipe tobacco and places them beside his head, with
small charcoal brazer with which to light his tobacco
She he will want to take few strong puffs when
he too
The neghbors rather approve Of these drunks Rather
than feeling sorry the wife there feeling of envy.
Nor unusual for a newspaper to give public
credit especially good jag by featuring an item
about It,
Imagine an American newspaper proudly announcing
that Mayor Soand-so and six Alderman were so drunk
at the independence Day Celebration that they had to be
delivered their homes in the municipal Ambulance
That would start libel suits and lose an election But
japan the mayor would be honorsd and the news item
would get him votes,
When lap general wants TO reward his regiment for
exploit he gives them couple days off for resi-
drunk Many of their atrocities these soldiers COM
NIT during these sprees.
To add paradoxica nature of the Jap there is
one place where drunkenness s allowed It is not
religious temples, but in the YosiVara or red-h6ht
sections Of their cities.