The foundations of Japan : $b Notes made during journeys of 6,000 miles in the rural districts as a basis for a sounder knowledge of the Japanese peopleRobertson Scott, J. W. (John William)
General
The foundations of Japan : $b Notes made during journeys of 6,000 miles in the rural districts as a basis for a sounder knowledge of the Japanese people
Robertson Scott, J. W. (John William)
Agriculture -- Japan; Country life -- Japan; Japan -- Description and travel; Japan -- Social conditions
The social and financial position of tenants was illustrated by an
incident at an inn. As the maid came from the country I asked her if
her father were a tenant or an owner. My companion interrupted to tell
me that the question was not judiciously framed because the girl would
"think it a disgrace to own that her father was a tenant." The name of
a tenant used long ago to be "water drinker." This waiting-maid was a
good-looking and rather clever girl. I was dismayed when my friend
told me that she had said to him quite simply that she had thoughts
of becoming a _joro_. She thought it would be a "more interesting
life."
When we reached Tottori prefecture we found ourselves in a country
which grows more cotton than any other. Japanese cotton (grown on
about 400 _chō_) is unsuitable for manufacture into thread, but
because of its elasticity is considered to be valuable for the padding
of winter clothing and for _futon_ and _zabuton_. Their softness is
maintained by daily sunning.
At a county office I noted that the persons who were receiving relief
were classified as follows: Illness, 26; cripples, 17; old age, 16;
schoolboys, 12; infancy, 1.
In the course of our journey a Shinto priest was pointed out to me as
observing the priestly taboo by refusing tea and cake. I noticed,
however, that he smoked. I was told that when he was in Tokyo he
purified himself in the sea even in midwinter. I did not like his
appearance. Nor for the matter of that was I impressed by the
countenances of some Buddhist priests I encountered in the train from
time to time. "Thinking always of money," someone said. But every now
and again I saw fine priestly faces.
I have noted down very little in regard to the crops and the
countryside in Tottori. Things seemed very much the same as I had seen
in Shimane. At an agricultural show in the city of Tottori the
varieties of yam and taro were so numerous as to deceive the average
Westerner into believing that he was seeing the roots of different
kinds of plants. A feature of the show was a large realistic model of
a rice field with two life-size figures.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account