WHAT THE HOUSE IN JAPAN TELLS THE PASSER-BY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3468, 31 August 1920, Page 51

WHAT THE HOUSE IN JAPAN TELLS THE PASSER-BY.

By H. J. Black

Pacing along a street in Europe or America you will not, in the vast majority of cases, be able to obtain the slightest information about the men or the women who reside in the houses. With the exception of a professional brass plate here and there, a number on the door is all, . But in Japan we do things differently. According to police regulations, the entrance to every residence must have a small wooden tablet affixed to it bearing thereon the name of the street and the number of the house, and another tablet, called shosatsu, on which is written the name of the responsible householder. The shosatsu is generally a board or 3in broad by 6in to 7in in length. At better-class houses it is often of white china, the writing being burnt into the glaze. These tablets can be ordered at any. shop where crockery is sold, and cost something under a yen (2s) according to size. Many people pay a high sum to have the name inscribed by some specially expert penman, so that the beauty of the characters may attract attention and admiration. Another form which is considered very- chic is a tablet made of some valuable Wood, carved so as to leave the characters in relief. On moving into a new house the first thing to do is to see that the law is complied with and that the shosatsu is fixed on" the gate (if the house boasts one) or over the front door. The name on the shosatsu is not always that of the actual head of the household. It is the name of the person in whose name the house is registered, and who is responsible to the police or other authorities; it is often that of an infant child, a younger brother, or other relative. Marriage customs in Japan differ much from those of other countries. At a wedding the ceremony of bride and bridegroom drinking the "San-san-ku-do"— three times three 'are nine—cups of sake, or, as has noAv become fashionable of late years, the performance of a ceremony at some Shinto shrine, though considered binding among the people, is not demanded or recognised by law. A wedding !&_ not necessary, and very often /none takes place. A notification to the ward or district office, with request that the bride's name be entered in the family register is all that is needed, and she at once assumes her husband's name; or, in the common case where the groom is married into the bride's family, he.is notified as having become her husband, and takes his wife's name. Though ,the marriage ceremony has taken place with all formality, and the man and the woman are regarded as husband and wife, the registration is sometimes, neglected, and the wife continues to bear her maiden name (this because a wife canndt hold property or money, and there can be no marriage settlements). In such cases the marriage is not legal, but can be made so at any time by simply notifying that the marriage took place on the date on which }t actually did. At the same time, an .'apology for remissness is in order. A small fine —seldom more than five yen (10s)—will be inflicted, and the marriage becomes legal. A man of the upper middle class, known to the .writer, was married over 40 years ago. Se is a- speculator with many irons in the fire.. It was deemed safer that the house the property should be in his wife's maiden name, so as to be out_ of reach of creditors should he come to grief. Children were born, and entered in his family register as love-children, which made them his legal issue. Time passed, until last year the wife fell sick and it was thought she would die. The husband thought it wowld not be right that she should be buried under her maiden name, so hastened to make the necessary notification, and she for the first time took his name. Such cases seem strange to a Western mind, but here in Japan they are frequently met with, especially among the middle and lower classes. Therefore*many houses bear women's names on the shosatsu. Sometimes, though rarely, the names of other inmates are placed over the door, but there is no police regulation about this, except that boarding-houses have to place their boarders' names outside for all to see. A person fortunate enough, to possess a telephone always has the number proudly displayed over h'is entrance—generally a small black-lacquered metal tablet with the figures in white. Near this will often be observd a quaint, usually round-shaped, enamelled or painted tin disc, about 3in in diameter. This is the fire insurance mark. Every fire insurance company has its own special metal plate, which is at onc6 nailed to the lintel when a house is insured. There are always several small pieces of paper pasted over the door; these are placed there by the police. One is to certify that the periodical Oshoji, or "Great Cleaning," has taken place; and perhaps another tells us that the sanitary conditions are satisfactory. What, however, others stand for is known only to the police themselves. That they give secret information about the inmates is certain. Noticeable over the entrance of many houses are sacred papers bearing the name or the form of some deity. Among those most freqiiently seen is that of the wolf. These come from a temple situated on the summit of Mount Kumana, in Joshu, and are supposed to be a protection against burglars. Another bears a rough picture of two Nio (kings), guardians of the gates of many a Buddhist temple. These are to prevent evil spirits from entering the house. A paper with the name of the fire-god, Akiha-sama, protects against fire. These and many other charms are to be procured for a small sum at this or that celebrated temple, but there are also home-made charms.

A piece of red paper bearing the name of the ancient warrior Tametome will keep smallpox from the house. The story goes that when Tametome was exiled to an island he prevented the evil spirit Hosokami (smallpox god) from landing, and on that occasion so frightened him that the name alone of the deughty soldier is enough to make him keep his distance. A shamiji—a flat wooden spoon used for serving rice—nailed to the door is a preventive of colds. During the. late influenza epidemic a paper inscribed with the words Hisamatsu is out," or "Hisamatsu does not reside here," was often to be seen pasted over the door. Hisamatsu and 0 Some'?were lovers who lived niany years ago. They were parted by cruel destiny, and ever since their spirits have been seeking for each other. It. is believed that 0 Some brings a cold wherever she enters in her search for the loved and lost one—hence the announcement that he is not within. The impression of a child's hand, made by blacking the palm with Indian ink and pressing it upon white or red paper, will preserve the child from various kinds of sickness. A sprig of holly, nailed to the lintel at the Setsubun —a movable festival falling generally in February, when every Japanese adds a year to his or her age —keeps away demons and all evil influences. Belief in charms differs greatly in different places, but the few mentioned will give some idea of their nature. Smile not at the superstition! Remember, even in the British Isles a horseshoe is supposed to "bring good luck." Formerly it was the rule that if there was a well upon the premises the fact had to be proclaimed by a square board marked with the character for well—ido. This was to show where water could be obtained in the event of fire in the neighbourhood. This regulation may yet be in force in country places, but, owing to water now being laid on in pipes, it has fallen into desuetude in the cities. Many people belong to some Buddhist or Shinto koju—society or cult—and if so the fact is announced by a small sign. The most common is that of "Fujiko"— Children of Mount Fuji. It can easily be distinguished by the outline of the peerless mountain with the summit painted red. Another, with the mystic Manji, in red, is the sign of the cult of the Buddhist saint Kobu Daishi, founder of the Shigon sect and inventor of the Katakana characters. A tablet bearing a sun-wheel, also in red, denotes the society of Kwannon, goddess of mercy. It is not necescary to be able to read—a glance at any symbol will tell the passer-by to what cult, if any, the inmates belong: There are many other societies, too numerous to mention. Their chief object is to collect a small sum' monthly from the (votaries, so as to enable them to send' one or more members each year on a pilgrimage for the benefit of all. And sometimes, in case of necessity, a portion of the fund is used to help a brother in distress. Conspicuous, also, may-, frequently be seen the Red Cross, .proclaiming that the householder subscribes to that world-wide institution. _ \ When a son is absent, serving in. the army or navy, his name is often written up over the entrance; and when he returns, the information is added that he now belongs to such and such an association. A red mark, standing for yama or hills, and three wavy lines, representing waves, appropriately denote the navy. The subiect is by no means exhausted, but enough has beeri said to show that a stroll along a street in Japan may be full of interest and amusement to the most casual observer. —Chamber's Journal.