nine in the morning, and I left before two to go to Mr. Naruse's
funeral, but Mamma stayed till nearly three when she had to go to speak
at a school. Mamma can give you a much more intelligent idea of it than
I can, but the building is a kind of barnlike structure--the Elizabethan
theater with a vengeance, and no stage properties except some little
live pines and a big painted one, and except costumes which are rich and
expensive and the masks which are likewise. It is an acquired taste, but
one which can be acquired very rapidly. If they weren't done with such
extraordinary art and technique they would probably be stupid, to a
foreigner anyway, but as it is they are fascinating, though it is hard
to say what the source of the fascination is aside from the perfection
of technique. Conscious control was certainly born and bred in Japan.
Mr. Naruse had a very strong hold on people, and his funeral was an
event--all the autos and most of the 'rickshas in Tokyo must have been
there, and some eight or ten speakers, and even to me who could
understand nothing it was very impressive. One of the civilized things
is that before the speaker bowed to the audience--and they all bowed
back--he bowed to the remains, Which were in a coffin on the platform
with flowers, and more flowers than at an American funeral.
We were to have gone to Baron Shibusawa's for tea and dinner this
afternoon, but his influenza has gone into pneumonia.
To go back to Saturday. The reception was pleasant. We met the Americans
who are educators and in the missionary schools and colleges;
intelligent and well disposed, so far as I have seen. The criticism of
the missionaries seems to be rather cooked up. Just now there is a fuss
over them in Korea, because there is some agitation going on there for
independence, and it seems to have started with Koreans who had been in
missionary schools. The missionaries here seem much divided, some of
them blaming the missionaries over there, saying they will bring
Christianity into disrepute everywhere in Japan, and some saying that it
proves Christian teaching amounts to something and that it will have a
good effect in improving conditions, leading to foreign criticism and
publicity, and causing the Japanese to modify their colonial policy,
which seems to be under military rather than civil control. There is a
rumor that the ex-Emperor of Korea didn't die a natural death, but
committed suicide, with the hope of putting off or preventing the
marriage of his oldest son to a Japanese princess--they were to have
been married very soon. No one seems to know whether the story was
invented to encourage the revolutionaries in Korea or has truth in it.
Meanwhile they say the wedding is going to take place, and the Japanese
are sorry for their poor princess, who is sacrificed to marry a
foreigner.
Thursday evening Mamma invited the X----'s and some others, eight
including ourselves, to supper in a Japanese restaurant, a beef
restaurant--they are all specialized--where we not only sat on the floor
and ate with chop sticks, but where the little slices of thin beefsteak
were brought in raw with vegetables to flavor, and cooked over a little
pan on a charcoal hibashi, one fire to each two persons. Naturally it
was lots of fun, a kind of inside picnic.
Oh, yes, something happened Friday. We went to the Imperial Museum in
the morning and the curator showed us about--I won't describe a
museum--but on the way home we were taken into a pipe store and Mamma
purchased three little Japanese pipes, ladies' pipes, to take home.
Quite cunning, and the dealer said this was the first time he had ever
sold anything to a foreigner, so he presented her with a little ladies'
pouch and a pipe holder, both made from Holland cloth, not anything very
precious, but probably worth as much as her entire purchase, certainly
more than the profit on his sales. These things are quite touching and
an offset to the stories about their bad business methods, because it is
really a matter of hospitable courtesy to the foreigner, though he said
himself they generally put the price up for the foreigner on antiques.
TOKYO, Thursday, March 14.
We have just had a mild picnic. Mamma has a slight cold, so the maids
brought her supper up to her and for sociability brought mine up too.
Mamma got out a Japanese phrase book and pronounced various phrases to
them; to see them giggle and bend double, no theater was ever so funny.
When I got to my last bite, I inquired the name of the food, and said it
and "Sayonara"--good night. This old gag was a triumph of humor. They
are certainly a good-natured people. I have watched the children come
out from a public school near here, and never yet have I seen a case of
bullying or even of teasing, except of a very good-natured kind, no
quarreling and next to no disputing. Yet they are sturdy little things
and no mollycoddles. To see a boy of ten or twelve playing tag and
jumping ditches with a boy strapped to his back is a sight. There are no
public rebukes or scoldings of the children or even cross words, to say
nothing of slappings, no nagging, at least not in public. Some would say
that the children are not scolded because they are good, but it is a
fair guess that it is the other way. But it must be admitted that so far
as amiable exterior and cheerfulness and courtesy is concerned, they
have no bad examples set them. Some foreigners say all this is only skin
deep, but the manners of the foreigners who say these things aren't any
too good even from our standards. Anyway, skin deep is better than
nothing and good as far as it goes. However, the Japanese say that their
courtesy is reserved for their friends and people they know, not that
they have bad manners to strangers, but that they pay no attention to
them, and won't go out of their way to do anything for them.
I told about the man who made Mamma a present when she bought the pipes.
Yesterday we were in that region and Mamma went in again and bought
another, and paid him a compliment on what people said about the
present. Whereupon he gets up and fishes out another more valuable
pouch, somewhat ragged and old, the kind the actors now use on the
stage, and offers it. Mamma naturally tries to avoid it, but can't. He
informs her through the friend with us that he likes Americans very
much. An international matter having been made of it, the pouch is
accepted, and now we have to think up some present to give him. However,
we have told this story to several Americans here, and they say they
have never heard anything like it.
We were to have gone to the Peeress's School this morning, an
appointment having been made to show us about. Mamma's cold preventing
her going, we had somebody 'phone to see if the time could be changed.
And this afternoon appear for her some lovely lilies and
amaryllis--these being from people we had never seen. A Freudian would
readily infer how bad my own manners are from the amount I talk about
this.
We went to a Japanese restaurant for supper. This was a fish restaurant,
and we cooked the fish and vegetables ourselves, but over gas, not
charcoal this time. Then we had side dishes, fish, lobster, etc.,
innumerable. Instead of bringing you in a bill of fare to order from,
the coolie brings a big tray with samples of everything on it, and you
help yourself. One thing was abalones on the half shell, these being
babies, about like our clams, but not so tough, to say nothing of as
tough as the big ones. I didn't try the fried devil fish and other
luxuries, but wandered pretty far afield. When you have leisure, try
eating lobster in the shell with chop sticks. You will resort to
something more ancient than chop sticks, as I did. This restaurant is
quite plebeian, though it has a great reputation for its secret recipe
for the sauce the fish is cooked in, but it was considerably more
expensive than the other--probably because we sampled so many side
dishes; the other one cost less than five dollars for eight people--good
food and all anybody could eat.
TOKYO, March 14th.
The ceremony of breakfast is over, and I am sorry again you cannot all
share in these daily festivals which add so much to the dignity of
living. We are now studying Japanese with the aid of the maids. I missed
going to the Dolls' Festival at a private kindergarten and the
result--this morning by mail a postcard from the children with numerous
presents made by them, all dolls, and those I will send home, as they
are interesting. With the presents they say: "We made cakes and prepared
for your coming and we were in the depths of despair when you did not
come. Please come another time." I am sure there is no other country in
the world like this. The language is an impossible one. The way given in
the phrases of the guide book is the way the man speaks. So when I
stammer off those phrases the girls are literally tickled to death. When
they tell me what I ought to say in the more elaborated polite way of
the women, then I am floored. It is all an amusing game and relieves the
watch they keep on each bite we take so as to be ready to supply more.
Everything they do is marked with the kindliest attitude and every act
or move is one of friendship.
This is the program for to-day: Go to lunch at the house of some
missionaries, then to father's lecture at 3:30, then to dinner for
University of Chicago students. To-morrow will be an open day for me and
the little secretary will take me shopping. The big department store is
the fashionable place where all the noble and rich buy their kimonos,
and I may supplement my secondhand attempts with a new one. When I get
to Kyoto I hope to find a real old one, as the new style of weave are
infected with foreign influence. The other evening with Y---- we found a
little shop for antiques which is a gem to look at. An old man and his
wife, Y---- says he bets they are Samurai, with the politeness of real
nobles, and their little place as carefully arranged for beauty as if it
were their home--which it is. I broke an old Kutani plate and I inquired
for one there. They had none, but we looked at their things, they with
many bows, and when we left said we were sorry to have troubled them for
nothing. They replied, "Please excuse us for not having the thing you
wanted."
To-morrow we go to lunch here in the neighborhood with a very clever and
interesting family (of a professor). None of the women call, at least
none of the married ones, all being afraid of their English for one
reason, but I am learning to just take things as they come and not to
bother over formalities, never knowing whether that is the best way or
not. The wedding of last Tuesday was the most interesting function I
have seen. The marriage ceremony was the Christian one. The company
represented the rich and fashionable of the city. The ladies all wear
black crepe kimonos, that splendid crepe which is so heavy, next under
the black is an all white of soft china silk, then the third of bright
color. K----'s was that bright vermilion red. Her sleeves were not very
long, as she is a mother, but the young girls wear bright colored
kimonos and long sleeves that almost touch the floor. The bride wears
black, too. All these dress-up kimonos have decorations in color,
sometimes embroidered and sometimes dyed on the lower points of the
front. The bride's was spread out on the floor around her just like the
old pictures, embroidered in heavy rose peonies, her undergarment and
the lining of the black, in rose color. Her hair was done in the old
conventional way shown in the prints with the long pins of light
tortoise shell with bouquets of tiny flowers carved at the ends, which
stuck out about three inches, making a crown over her head. The
receiving party is as follows: First, father of groom; second, mother of
bride; third, groom; fourth, bride; fifth, father of bride; sixth,
mother of groom. The line is straight and the bride is perfectly
arranged like an old print, she and the groom with their eyes cast down.
As each person passes, they make bows all along the line at once, but
they do not move hand or eyes or a fold of these perfect clothes. I
forgot to say the men, unfortunately, wear European dress. Then we moved
on to two large rooms, the men all seated and smoking in one, and the
women in the other. Those who knew me were very kind. Countess H----
introduced me to the bridesmaids; at least they would be the maids at
home. They were the sisters and young relatives all dressed in the most
brilliant kimonos and embroidered and decorated to the limit; they
looked like all the parrots and peacocks and paradise and blue birds and
every lovely color imaginable, while the uniform black of the guests,
decorated with the pure white of their crests which stand out in such a
group, formed the perfect background, free from all the messiness which
is so apparent in a diversified gathering of all sorts of color and
shape and materials in our land. At tea, which was very elaborate and
taken sitting at the tables, the family of the two filled one table, a
long one at the end of the room. The bride now wore a green kimono,
equally brilliant; about two feet away from her sat the groom, both in
the middle of the long table.
TOKYO, Thursday, March 20.
We have had a number of social events this week. Tuesday evening General
H----, who speaks no English but who came over on the _Shinyo_ with us,
gave a party for us in the gardens of the Arsenal Grounds. We could not
have entered the Arsenal Grounds in any other way. There were about
twenty-five people there, mostly Christian Association people, and the
clergyman of the Japanese church where I had spoken the night before. He
is keen about introducing more democracy in Japan, and I spoke on the
moral meaning of democracy. Well, the garden isn't a garden at all in
our sense, but a park, and the finest in Tokyo outside of the Imperial
ones. It is quite different from the miniature ones we know as Japanese
gardens, being of fair size, with none of those cunning little
imitations in it; big imitations there are in plenty, as it was a fad of
the old landscapists, as you might know, to reproduce on a small scale
celebrated scenes elsewhere. The old Daimyo, who built this one two
hundred years ago, was a great admirer of the Chinese and reproduced
several famous Chinese landscapes as well as one from Kyoto. The
extraordinary thing is the amount of variety they get in a small space;
they could reproduce the earth, including the Alps and a storm in the
Irish Channel, if they had Central Park. Every detail counts; it is all
so artistically figured out and every little rock has a meaning of its
own so that a barbarian can only get a surface view. It would have to be
studied like an artist's masterpiece to take it all in. The arsenal
factory fumes have killed many of the old trees and much of the glory
has departed.
Probably Mamma has written you that she has one young woman, Japanese,
coming on the ship with us under her care, to New York to study; and
to-day another young lady called, and said she wanted to go back to
America. About the young women going home with us, Y---- said we would
have to be careful, as one time his mother was offered seventeen damsels
to escort when she was going over, of whom she took three. You may not
appreciate the fact that going to America to study means practically
giving up marriage; they will be old maids and out of it by the time
they return--also those who have been in America do not take kindly to
having a marriage arranged for them. At a lecture I listened to
yesterday, a Japanese woman, close to thirty, was pointed out to me as
about to get married to an American architect here. There are
exceptions, but this case is evidently a famous romance. The lecture was
on Social Aspects of Shinto; Shinto is the official cult though not the
established religion of Japan. Although nothing is said that wasn't
scientifically a matter of course to be said--I mean supposing it was
scientifically correct--one of the most interesting things was the
caution that was taken to avoid publication of anything said. On one
side the Imperial Government is theocratic, and this is the most
sensitive side, so that historical criticism or analysis of old
documents is not indulged in, the Ancestors being Gods or the Gods being
Ancestors. One bureaucratic gentleman felt sure that the divine
ancestors must have left traces of their own language somewhere, so he
investigated the old shrines, and sure enough he found on some of the
beams characters different from Chinese or Japanese. These he copied and
showed for the original language--till some carpenters saw them and
explained that they were the regular guild marks.
KAMAKURA, Thursday, March 27.
This weather beats Chicago for changeableness. Monday, at midnight, it
was storming rain; when we got up the next day it was the brightest,
warmest day we have had. We spent it sightseeing and went out without an
overcoat. The magnolia trees are in full bloom. Yesterday and to-day are
as raw March days as I ever saw anywhere; there would have been frost
last night but for the wind. Tuberculosis is rife here and no wonder.
Three of the University professors have called on me this morning. They
wish to arrange in every detail for our movements when we leave here. I
suppose I was asked twenty times how long we are to stay in Kamakura.
When I said I didn't know, it depended on weather and other things, they
said, "Oh, yes," and in five minutes asked the same question again.
Whether they arrange everything in minute detail for themselves in
advance or whether they think we are helpless foreigners I can't make
out; some of both, I think. But they can't understand that we can't give
an exact date for everything we are going to do till we go to China. At
the same time I never knew anybody to change their own plans, especially
socially, as much as they do.
There is a great anti-American drive on now; seems to be largely
confined to newspapers, but also stimulated artificially somewhat,
presumably by the militaristic faction, which has lost more prestige in
the last few months than in years, with a corresponding gain in liberal
sentiment. They have consequently found it necessary to do something to
come back. Criticism of the United States is the easiest way to arrest
the spread of liberal sentiments and strengthen the arguments for a big
militaristic party, like twisting the lion's tail with us. Discussion
about race discrimination is very active and largely directed against
the United States in spite of Australia and Canada, and also in spite of
the fact that Chinese and Korean immigration here is practically
forbidden, and they discriminate more against the Chinese than we do
against them. But consistency is not the strong point of politics in any
country. Excepting on the subject of race discrimination, foreigners in
contact with Japanese do not find the anti-American feeling which is
expressed in papers. If the Anglo-Japanese treaty of alliance should
lapse because of the League of Nations or anything else, America will be
held responsible, even if the British are the cause. Two years ago there
was a similar anti-British drive here, and pretty hard bargains were
driven with the British ally in all war matters. Now that Germany and
Russia are out of it, England has no apparent reason for snuggling up
much and the shoe is on the other foot. Which makes the attack on the
U.S. all the more stupid, as they are internationally quite lonely, even
if they tie up with France on account of similar Russian interests,
financial and otherwise.
TOKYO, Wednesday, March 28.
To-morrow we are going to Kamakura again; it is only an hour and a half
from here. We are going to take a little trip into the mountain and
hot-spring district also, but the cherry blossom season is much
advanced, ten days earlier than usual, and we are afraid it will spring
itself in our absence if we go far, so probably we shall be back here in
a few days for about a week. Then we shall take a five-day trip on our
way to Kyoto, going to the shrine at Ise. This is the oldest and most
sacred Shinto shrine in Japan, which means that it is the central spot
for imperial ancestor worship. Speaking of ancestors, you remember our
references to the Count. The father of his first wife has recently been
made a Baron. Parliament being over, the Count has left for the southern
Island to inform the ancestors of his first wife, who are buried there,
of the important item of family gossip. The oldest liberal statesman of
aristocratic descent, who was quite intimate with the late Emperor,
won't go to the annual meeting to celebrate the granting of the
Constitution by the late Emperor because he is so disgusted that no more
progress has been made in constitutionalism, and says he cannot meet his
late master until he can report progress to him. Otherwise he would be
ashamed to meet him as he feels responsible to the Emperor. This would
not be any place for a spiritualist to earn his living. They are clear
past mediums.
We have chiefly been eating lately. I had two Japanese meals, a la chop
sticks, yesterday and one to-day. Luncheon yesterday at a restaurant,
where we had lots of things you never heard of, to say nothing of eating
them, and a dinner at a friend's. There were twelve courses at table and
two or three afterwards--not counting tea, and much the same at another
dinner to-night. We have a bill of fare written on fans, only in
Japanese, and little silver salt cellars as souvenirs besides. One
feature of both dinners was soup three times, at the beginning, about
the middle and again at closing, at these functions rice is not served
till near the last course. Then there were one or two semi-soupy courses
thrown in. I can eat raw fish and ask no questions; and in a bird
restaurant, Sunday for luncheon, I ate raw chicken wrapped in seaweed;
abalone is my middle name, and some of the shell fish we eat is probably
devil fish.
We have been here over six weeks now, and in taking an inventory it can
be said that while we have not done as much sightseeing as some six-day
tourists, I think we have seen more Japanese under normal home
conditions than most Americans in six months, and have seen an unusually
large number of people to talk to, not the official crowd but the
representative intellectual liberals. I have seen less but found out
more than I ever expected about Japanese conditions, which is quite the
opposite of European experience in traveling. When I come back I shall
try to see a few of the official people, since I now know enough to
judge what they may say. On the whole, America ought to feel sorry for
Japan, or at least sympathetic with it, and not afraid. When we have so
many problems it seems absurd to say they have more, but they certainly
have fewer resources, material and human, in dealing with theirs than we
have, and they have still to take almost the first step in dealing with
many of them. It is very unfortunate for them that they have become a
first-class power so rapidly and with so little preparation in many
ways; it is a terrible task for them to live up to their position and
reputation and they may crack under the strain.
TOKYO, Tuesday, April 1.
The Japanese do one thing that we should do well to imitate. They teach
the children in school a very nice lesson about the beauty and the
responsibility of being polite and kind to the foreigner, like being so
to the guests of your own house. This adds to the national dignity.