SPRING CLEANING

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 149, 27 June 1925, Page 16

SPRING CLEANING

HOW IX IS DONE IN- JAPAN,

-..-: Sprmg.cleaningHhough a firmly ''established ; custom in' V mosV British hoiisehqlds, :is a; matter ;fpr "individual discrc-' tion. In the Japanese Empire, however, spring-cleaning,.^ or mote--, accurately--Bpnng .and autumn cleaning-^for:it takes' P^o'j-twico --a'-yeaivi-is .a matter .'regii-.V lated by ■: the police ! . writes a ; traveUer m the , " Daily ; Mail." / .The /Orient*! ■ counterpart of the Western sanitary authority issues, orders to /certain, streets .that on-a given date, they muit "spring clean" . thra Rouses. On the appointed y: ja !, qUad o£ police ' anned^ with swords, draws ; a-cordon-round tied quarter, and. under their ■ super vis-: ion all movable/articles fee takeiTfrom ■ the houses, the " shoji," or sliding paper walls, removed, and. what it left of thov house cleaned out. 'Not untilthe dismantled: shell has been .inspected i - f- nd: v aPPi-oved-%f:by. the police may furniture or clothing -be brought back. -As. : Japanese;'.houses- are smaU and closely,, crowded in narrow.' streets ' the .only place in. ■which to .deposit the'-ini-tenor : furnishings'is the street. 1 ' To the^ foreigner the sight is" a '■vveird.vone, Vwifch ' ■ every house - dismantled and', all /the con- ' tents strewn onvthe highway.. It is no' -sight tp/see/the^ head,of^ the^ household giving.a thorough scrubbin K .to;i -a row. of graven: images seated on: theroad, his selection of family gods pro-: bably xonskting ofv a sßuddha, Hotei ' the god of luck with his jolly smile, Jizo ' ■the children's god, and lastly, the god c ft S °WIl: ~i:>ar vioular trade or haitdi.;_A ; Japanese policeman is' thorou"li :in his methods and/drastic in his actiohl so each member of:the family- takes his or. her part,'.and other work has to give ■ way, as can be seen from the following ' letter:— ; . . ■ ■-.-.■. : ., ° ■.-■'■'.•.ToV My/Master. • Dear^Sir,—l" am very sorry I cannot come this morninc as.tho'turn of Great Clearing (sic) has come bounded to my House and neigh- ' :^^e which were reported froBX th 9;; , : "^Therefore I must be help for-above work Yours truly .boy, Ishi■kawa. ,; ■■■■.'"■