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Jinrikisha Days in Japan

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Jinrikisha Days in Japan (1891)
by Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore

By the Woman Who Shaped National Geographic: Scidmore, writing with much affection and respect of Japan and all things Japanese. (Though that does not prevent her from poking gentle fun, once in a while.) The accompanying photographs are possibly by the author herself, a photographer as well as geographer.

2481406Jinrikisha Days in Japan1891Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore


MOUS MI

Jinrikisha Days in Japan

BY

ELIZA RUHAMAH SCIDMORE


Waga kuni no Yamato shima no ni idzuru hi wa;
Morokoshi hito mo, awoga zarameya.”

In the ancient Yamato inland, my native land, the sun rises;
Must not even the Western foreigner reverence?”

Ancient Japanese Poem.


“I cannot cease from praising these Japanese. They are truly the delight of my heart.”

St. Francis Xavier.


ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK
HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE

Copyright, 1891, by Harper & Brothers.


All rights reserved

PREFACE




The aim of this small book is to present, in outline sketches only, something of the Japan of to-day, as it appeared to a tourist who was a foreign resident as well. No one person can see it all, nor comprehend it, as the jinrikisha speeds through city streets and country roads, nor do any two people enjoy just the same experiences or draw the same conclusions as to this remarkable people.

The scientists, scholars, and specialists who have written so fully of Japan, have necessarily omitted many of those less important phases of life which yet leave the pleasantest impressions on less serious minds. The books of ten or twenty years ago hardly describe the country that a visitor now finds, and in another decade the present aspect will have greatly changed. Bewildered by its novelty and strangeness, too many tourists come and go with little knowledge of the Japan of the Japanese, and, beholding only the modernized sea-ports and the capital, miss the unique and distinctively national sights and experiences that lie close at hand.

This unassuming chronicle is the outcome of two visits, covering nearly three years’ stay in the Island Empire, a period during which a continued residence was maintained, by turns, in each of the larger ports, while many weeks were spent in Kioto, Nara, and Nikko. Its object will be attained if it helps the tourist to enjoy more satisfactorily his stay in Japan, or if it gives the stay-at-home reader a greater interest in those fascinating people and their lovely home. Unfortunately, it is impossible in acknowledging the kindness of the many Japanese friends and acquaintances who secured to me so many unusual enjoyments and experiences, to begin to give the long list of their names. Each foreign visitor must feel himself indebted to the whole race for being Japanese, and therefore the most interesting population in the world, and his obligation is to the whole people, as much as to particular individuals.

To Mr. John Brisben Walker, of The Cosmopolitan, thanks are extended for permission to reprint the chapter entitled “The Japanese Theatre,” which first appeared in the pages of that magazine.

E. R. S.

CONTENTS




  1. CHAPTERPAGE
  2. I.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    1
  3. II.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    10
  4. III.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    20
  5. IV.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    28
  6. V.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    38
  7. VI.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    43
  8. VII.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    53
  9. VIII.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    65
  10. IX.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    86
  11. X.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    96
  12. XI.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    111
  13. XII.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    125
  14. XIII.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    134
  15. XIV.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    140
  16. XV.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    147
  17. XVI.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    162
  18. XVII.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    175
  19. XVIII.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    183
  20. XIX.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    189
  21. XX.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    I97
  22. XXI.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    206
  23. XXII.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    216
  24. XXIII.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    226
  25. XXIV.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    236
  26. XXV.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    244
  27. XXVI.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    255
  28. XXVII.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    267
  29. XXVIII.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    277
  30. XXIX.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    285
  31. XXX.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    296
  32. XXXI.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    304
  33. XXXII.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    320
  34. XXXIII.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    331
  35. XXXIV.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    340
  36. XXXV.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    350
  37. XXXVI.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    358
  38. XXXVII.
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    368
  39. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    377

ILLUSTRATIONS




  1. PAGE
  2. MOUS MI
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    Frontispiece
  3. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    5
  4. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    17
  5. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    30
  6. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    55
  7. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    67
  8. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    71
  9. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    75
  10. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    79
  11. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    82
  12. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    83
  13. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    85
  14. CHOPSTICKS—FIGS. 1 AND 2
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    88
  15. CHOPSTICKS—FIG. 3
    ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    89
  16. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    93
  17. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    94
  18. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    107
  19. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    115
  20. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    117
  21. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    12I
  22. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    127
  23. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    129
  24. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    151
  25. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    155
  26. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    163
  27. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    171
  28. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    213
  29. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    219
  30. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    231
  31. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    248
  32. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    262
  33. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    263
  34. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    264
  35. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    265
  36. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    270
  37. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    272
  38. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    273
  39. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    288
  40. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    305
  41. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    317
  42. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    324
  43. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    347

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.


The longest-living author of this work died in 1928, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 95 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

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