Indeed, we must not fail to take notice of the change that is taking place in the diet of the Japanese. Bread and meat, which were long ago introduced into the diet of the army and the navy, are pretty generally popular; and many other articles of “foreign food” are largely used. It is quite a common custom in well-to-do families to have at least one “foreign meal” per day; and “foreign restaurants,” especially in the large cities, are well patronized. It is said, indeed, that first-class “foreign cooking” is cheaper than first-class “Japanese cooking.” The standard of living has been considerably raised within the past decade.
It is important to touch briefly on the subject of costume, though it will not be possible or profitable to describe minutely every garment. It may not be improper to begin with the topic of undress; for the Japanese, perhaps because great lovers of nature, think it nothing immodest to be seen, even in public, in the garb of nature. Of course, in the open ports and large cities, foreign ideas of modesty are more strongly enforced; but in the interior the primitive innocence of the Garden of Eden prevails to a greater or less extent. In hot weather children go stark-naked, and men wear only a loin-cloth: “Honi soit qui mal y pense”—“Evil to him who evil thinks.”
The ordinary Japanese costume may be said to consist of a shirt, a loose silk gown fastened at the waist with a silk sash, short socks with separate places for the big toes, and either straw sandals or wooden clogs. For ceremonial occasions, “a divided skirt,” and a silk coat, adorned with the family crest, are used; these are called, respectively, hakama and haori. In winter two or three padded gowns are added; and in all seasons many persons go bare-footed, bare-legged, and bare-headed. The female garb[51] does not differ greatly from the male costume, except that the sash is larger and richer and the gown is made of lighter fabrics. The women powder and paint, oil their hair, and adorn their heads with pretty combs and hairpins.
The Japanese costume is certainly very beautiful and becoming, and is pronounced by medical authorities to be highly sanitary. For persons, however, in active business, and for those who work in the fields, it is not so convenient as the European costume; but it is altogether too charming to be entirely discarded, and, with some modification, might well be adopted in other lands. At court, the European costume is generally used; the frock coat and evening dress have become common ceremonial garbs; and silk hats, gloves, and canes also have become fashionable. The efforts of the Japanese to adopt Western customs and to conform to the usages of the Occident in matters of dress are sometimes quite amusing to those who witness them.[52]
Chamberlain affirms that “cleanliness is one of the few original items of Japanese civilization.” Surely their practice of frequent bathing ought to have brought them to that stage which is considered “next to godliness.” A bathroom is commonly an important part of the house; but if a room is not available for that purpose, a bathtub outdoors will do, or the public bath-houses afford every facility at a very small charge. Necessary exposure of the person in connection with bathing is not considered immodest; but, in large cities at least, the two sexes are no longer permitted to bathe together promiscuously. The hot baths, with water at about 110° F., are generally unendurable by foreigners. The latter, however, after some experience, may become accustomed to such heat and find it quite healthy. “Sea-bathing was not formerly much practised; but since 1885 the upper classes have taken greatly to it, in imitation of European usage, and the coast is now dotted with bathing establishments.”[53] The Japanese also resort “to an almost incredible extreme” to the hot mineral springs, which are so numerous in Japan and generally possess excellent medicinal qualities.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Rein’s “Japan” is valuable on these topics; “Advance Japan” has a good chapter on “Diet, Dress, and Manners” (iv.); “A Japanese Interior,” by Miss Alice M. Bacon, gives most interesting glimpses of the inner life of the people; Murray’s “Story of Japan,” chap. ii.; Knapp’s “Feudal and Modern Japan,” vol. i. chap. v. and vol. ii. chap. iv.; and “Japan in History, Folklore, and Art” (Griffis), are useful; Finck in his “Lotos-Time in Japan,” also gives interesting glimpses of these topics; and Miss Bacon’s “Japanese Girls and Women” (revised and illustrated edition) is invaluable concerning family life. Miss Hartshorne’s “Japan and her People” is well worth reading on these subjects. “Japanese Life in Town and Country” (Knox), “Dai Nippon” (Dyer), and “Every Day Japan” (Lloyd) are also valuable.
CHAPTER V
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS
Outline of Topics: Birth and birthdays; marriage; death and funeral; mourning.—Holidays (national, local, class, and religions); the “five festivals”; New Year’s holidays; the other four festivals; floral festivals; religious festivals.—Games; wrestling.—Theatre; scenery and wardrobes; chorus and pantomime; the Nō.—Music; dancing-girls.—Occidentalization.—Folk-lore; superstitions about lucky and unlucky days, hours, ages, years, etc.—Bibliography.
THE three great events in the career of a Japanese are, of course, birth, marriage, and death, each of which is, therefore celebrated with much formality. When a child is born, he or she is the recipient of many presents, which, however, create an obligation that must eventually be cleared off. A very common but honorable present on such an occasion consists of eggs in small or large quantities, according to circumstances. When the first American baby was born in Mito, she was favored with a total of 456 eggs, besides dried fish, toys, Japanese robes, and other articles of clothing, etc., and her parents were favored with universal congratulations, diluted with condolences because the new baby was a girl instead of a boy! Japanese babyhood is blithesome.[54]