JAPANESE LIFE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 46, 6 February 1928, Page 7

JAPANESE LIFE

SOME INTERESTING SIDELIGHTS THE GIRI SPIRIT. A TALK WITH BISHOP NAKADA. How much can be garnered from even a tew minutes' conversation with an educated man ,hwo has thought much and travelled tar. Bishop Natyida is paying his first visit tv the Southern Hemisphere. He thinks New Zealand, in scenic beauty is very like his own country. That means much when a Japanese would make such a comparison. “But why,” asked the Bishop, “do you destroy yuur trees? Our Government is particular. For a long tune it was required that if a tree was cut down two young trees must be planted. We place important* upon rhe family; the family estate must lie maintained and trees bring wealth. Our buildings are wood. Timber is in demand, and we also believe that the forests bring the rain. Our mountains are clothed as tar as trees will grow, and we are proud of our Hora. Even our school playgrounds are largely roofed by trees. It is one of the wonders of our land when the cherry trees are in blossom, with their varied, coloured flowers, to study the beauty. In some school § rounds it i slike walking through ower tunnels. The chrysanthemums flourish best in the northern part of our country. Have you ever tried salads of chrysanthemum petals? Just use the petals and se« how you like them. SEAWEED AS A FOOD. “Your women,” said the Bishop, appear to suffer much from goitres. Vo have practically none m Japan. We would explain that absence uy our use of seaweed as a food. J think much oi the seaweed around the New Zealand coasts would be lit for food. We gather the live weed and dry it. \\ hen required for use it is cut up and used generally lor M»up. Sometimes the varieties which boil soft are used as a vegetable. The Chinese deem it the best of food and they import it. even at a high prices.” Tile Bishop was asked about the •‘’port in Japan. Had he climbed Fuji San. and was that celebrated mountain like Mount Egmont? “Oh, yeg, 1 have climbed Fuji several times, and Mount Egmont is like Fuji, answered the Bishop. “Japanese are interested in wrestling. Some of our wrestlers are thirty stone in weight. In our universities—we have many students—baseball has become popilia r. . International visits take place between teams from my conn try and the United States. The greatest pastime and amusement is bathing. When you arrive from a journey the first offer of hospitality is a bath.

( ARE OF THE OLD PEOPLE. “In our country,’’ continued the Bishop when he was invited to speak on national customs, “if we were to see an old man or woman coming from the shops with parcels to carry wo would say. ‘Poop man nr woman, he or slip has no sons or (laughters.’ Wp arc taught to cure for our old people. The eldest son gives up any ambition and devotes himself to the.cure of the family estate and his parents. The mother-in-law lives with the daughter-in-law. and there is no trouble. If ever an old woman interfered in the kitchen, we would say. ‘Silly woman that is not vour place; you tend the grandchildren.’ Your customs affect our people. Some of our girls cut their hair short and wear sleeveless dresses. Many who live in our land for veins do not understand our customs. There is Giri (pronounced giddvL It is a morality that we cannot translate, for the custom differs from other countries. Suppose you have a bad neighbour: if great trouble comes to him you must show the Giri spirit. You must put aside the harm he has done vou. and vi«dt and show interest in him. Or if yon have a bad workman, when vou pav him off vou give him more than he is entitled to. That is the Giri spirit. SOLDIER’S CODE OF HONOUR. “When the late Emperor died, General Nogi committed suicide. It was the Giri spirit that made Gene nil Noki live for forty years. For forty vearfc previous the colours of his regiment were lost in a battle. It was a dishonour, and a soldier must not endure dishonour or defeat. He wished to die bv suicide but t’ia Em peror desired him to live. The Giri spirit made him obey. In the Ru*siiin war ho stood in front of his army; he sent his two s<ms to i-0.-ls ol danger till they were killed. With all his exposure to dan/or the Ge:m« nil still lived. When the Emperor died, General Nogi arranged the funeral. Ho attended Prince Connaught. who was present at I he. lasi riles as Britain’s chief mourner. Then, when lhe last gun was fired for his master, having fulfilled nil the requirements of the Giri spirit, the General wrote out his last testament and then performed the postponed requirement of the Japanese soldier’s code of honour, and ended his life. The Japanese are obedient to their ruling principles. They cannot Io understood until the claims of the Giri spirit are understood.”