Several incidentalae and happenings combine to accentuate the prevailing pessimism. Imprimis, it is the Sabbath - a wet one. Banks of low-lying mist envelop and roll down the sides of the mountain, the time ball and signal station on the slope of Nabikaburi yama being completely shrouded in a pall of white mist; and of the town below, from the verandah here, little is seen beyond an impressionist picture of streaming tiled roofs and the umbrellas of scurrying pedestrians.
Down the stone paved road, which criss-crosses the slope of the mountain to the town below, a torrent of water is rushing with a sound as of distant thunder while, approaching from the mountain peaks above Akinoura, are ominous black clouds and the rumbling of thunder presaging yet more rain to come. He is, indeed, a good, sound churchman who will brave the elements and “gang tae the Kirk” this day but, seemingly, there are many such as during the lulls, the music of chanted realms ascends from the open windows of the Sailors' Home, whither the congregation repair for Divine Service since the collapse of the English Church a year or so ago.
Ame ga Furimase
Nagasaki, despite the jibe of its more flourishing competitors, that as a shipping mart, it is commercially dead, still has its “Sailors' Home.” It is a long, low rambling building, infrequently used, but nevertheless, it is kept in readiness for the reception and entertainment of that class of men upon whom Britain is absolutely dependent for her existence - the men for whom the “Ruler of the Waves” has done, and is doing so little in acknowledgment, even a recognition of their service by the Press being witheld.
The continued existence of this institution here is, possibly, due to the fact that it is maintained by the Christian Endeavour organisation, otherwise it is not improbable that long ago building and grounds would have been “acquired” by some local business house. Such things have happened elsewhere, where land deeded in perpetuity for the use of sailors frequenting the port, has changed ownership.
R.C. Chapel Oura, Nagasaki
The music has ceased and the members of the congregation are, presumably, settling down to listen to the good Padre's homily, enjoy forty winks, or to consider the pros and cons of a contemplated business deal on the morrow, as their respective temperaments actuate them. A heavier and bombed downpour sets in and the moan of the torrent rushing down the road rises to a thunderous roar while a peal of thunder almost overhead, echoed and re-echoed by the surrounding mountains, shakes the house.
This depressing day seems to be a suitable occasion for sorting out the crumpled rose leaves and setting down the various jarring notes and impressions. Possibly these notes may never see the light but as hitherto everything depicted has been somewhat colour de rose, a little criticism may not be out of place.
1. The Bicycle nuisance. The 'bike' is not used here for pleasure, but abused on the strictly utilitarian principle of rushing from one place to another in the shortest time and with as heavy a weight as the machine will bear without absolutely collapsing. Riders, carrying heavy loads and frequently with both hands off the handle-bars, go scorching madly through narrow and crowded streets, the majority of which have no sidewalks, without the slightest regard for the convenience or safety of pedestrians. Fortunately a collision is likely to prove as disastrous to the collider as to the collidee, so to speak, and it is only by means of skilful, if dangerous riding, together with an immense amount of good joss, that the accident wards at Urakami Hospital are not filled with bike casualties.
Scorching madly through the crowded street, the rider, in response to a tinkle of his bell, demands, expects and incidentally gets, unimpeded right of way. The Japanese pedestrian is rapidly becoming an expert bike-dodger and a new race of road-hogs appears to be in process of evolution. Action taken recently by the authorities provides that it is a misdemeanour punishable by fine and imprisonment, to entertain “Dangerous thoughts,” - dangerous bicycle riding should receive similar attention.
2. The sassy schoolboy. Schoolboys of a certain type are occasionally encountered whose conduct and deportment leave much to be desired. Much may be forgiven to a youngster, and curiosity or the desire for knowledge are never objectionable to any reasonably minded person, but in the hobbledehoy stage, cheek, lack of respect due to their elders, incipient hooliganism or deliberate rudeness on the part of the rising generation require prompt repression if Japan is desirous of regarding herself among the politest of nations. The incidents above referred to, it must be confessed, are in no way the writer's personal experience, nevertheless they have been observed and noted.
3. Woman, lovely woman. From our Occidental viewpoint, the general attitude towards women, - pardon, the ladies, - leaves much to be desired. Here it appears to be not so much “the weaker vessel” as the inferior ditto, and the marvel is that in this year of grace, after forty odd years of Meji (enlightenment) and some six ditto of Taisho (progress), the ladies appear to regard their position as a matter of course and, as yet, little or no revolt is noticeable, even among most haikara (up to date.)
Entering a door, for example, pour parlers have been prolonged to the verge of boredom, between the Pilgrim and a Japanese gentleman, O saki-ing to each other (practically desiring that the other precede him) yet this same polite gentleman entered a room first, or took precedence in or out of the house or the bath, of his charming wife.
It has been said, although the Pilgrim has had no opportunity of verifying it, that in Japan it is the clothes that make the woman, that is when a Japanese lady is dressed in foreign clothing, her lord and protector as a matter of course, accords to her the privileges and rights of her sex - or at least, some of them that would not be hers were she wearing her picturesque, national costume.
If one may quote the much-abused cinema as an example of the treatment of the munitioneering sex, in Japanese drama it is not merely the “villian” who thrashes and otherwise mishandles the ladies, but the “hero” and other male characters frequently express their sentiments of anger, disgust or desire for solitude, by throwing the lady violently to the ground and then kicking her as she lies prone. This “Cinema touch” evokes little comment from a Japanese audience although at home it would probably mean the bombardment of the screen with beer bottles and other missles, even in the regions where “knocking’ the stuffin's outer the ole woman” is an established convention.
But social amenities as portrayed by the Cinema is a very frail support for any argument and, possibly, it is well that it should be so, otherwise what with the “Perils of Mary Jane,” “The Purple Respirator” (in 16 episodes) and the too frequent instances of the “eternal triangle,” our Oriental friends would be justified in concluding that the usual amusements and recreations of Occidental ladyettes consisted solely of jumps off and on express trains in motion, killing villians, jumping off bridges into the water, or other similar exhilarating pastimes, while as to the pedigrees of the average Occidental, judging by cinematographic morality, they would puzzle a Philadelphian lawyer to search out.
At the railway stations, where passengers stand in a queue, waiting entry to the platform, it is not uncommon to see some, presumably, gentlemen thrust themselves in ahead of waiting women. The latter never seem to protest or dream using their umbrellas across the backs of these boors and, half an hour later, in course of conversation with one of these man, one is surprised to find in him a most polite and pleasant travelling companion.
Again, in the tram car, no inclination is discernable on the part of the men, whatever their social status, to resign their seats to a woman, be she ever so encumbered with children or bundles, nor is any assistance tendered even in times where it is obviously necessary - at the least of it, it would accelerate the re-starting of the car - to women boarding or getting off.
There are various other incidents and evidences which indicate that, as yet in Japan, Woman has not fully come into her own.
4. Ricksha fares. Criticism under this head possibly is biased by a lengthy sojourn in China, where vehicle and motor are very different in construction and appearance to those found here. The Kurumaya san is so politely insistent that if no previous arrangement has been concluded respecting the amount of his fare, he becomes a latter-day Claude Duval , with his polite “stand and deliver.” For Kurumaya san, read “cabby” but without the latter's cheek and ready wit and no more need be said upon this point,
6. Rudeness and lack of consideration displayed by a certain type of foreign tourist. One variety of this bird, when informed the price of an article in a shop, invariably explodes with “Why it’s robbery! I can get that for so-and-so in Shanghai, Hongkong”, as the case may be.
Then there is the boor who attempts (it rarely gets further than an attempt) to tramp into shrines, interiors on the tetame, places where it is obvious by the rows of shoes and getas outside, that such are to be removed before entering.
Then there are the puerile attempts at argument with caretakers, or minor officials, over some breach of regulations and the absurdity of pointing out (from tourist's point of view) the ridiculous character of the broken regulation. A little thought might prompt the sightseer that the caretaker or official was present merely to see the regulations complied with and was not in any way responsible for their apparent absurdity or their issuance.
6. Music. Under this head is grouped the execution (apt description) of the gentleman residing in a house half way down the hill, who is learning the flute. Apparently it is a case of “self-taught in your own time.” Than expressing the wish that this gentleman's employers would keep him working overtime, no more need be said. Also the band at the -- Cinema when it gets on to its two stock foreign tunes (a jig and “Auld lang Syne”) and plays (!) foreign music.
Hongochi-Teibu Dam
Cannonball at Ohato, Nagasaki
No comments:
Post a Comment