A Littie Jap in School

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXX, Issue XIX, 9 May 1903, Page 1328

A Littie Jap in School

By LOUISE JAMISON. Bo you know how many letters the Japanese: alphabet contains? Fortyseven. Think »of it: And besides there are ever so many word signs, some standing for a word and others for a whole sentence, which the little Japanese Iwv or girl must learn to know perfectly. When the young “Jap” goes to school in the morning he leaves his sandals -outside the door. Then he goes in, bows very low to the teacher, and takes his place beside the other children. That is, he squats down upon a floor mat and begins to study with a book on his knee. A very queer book yon would think it if you could see it, for it begins at the back, instead of the front, and the lines run up and down the page, instead of across it. as ytmrs do. The letters are curious, too. Very much like the Chinese characters we see on packages of tea. When he learns to write he does not use a pen, but a smaliibrush with a line point. Neither is bis ink like. ours. Rather, it is what we call India ink. It is quite hard and tomes in a long stick. To use it he first pours water upon a flat stone and rubs his ink in it. Then he dips in his brush and copies the letters which the teacher has made upon the blackboard. His paper is not smooth, but quite rough and porous. He has a very easy time when lie comes to arithmetic-. He does not have long tables of pounds, shillings and pence, and he knows nothing about avoirdupois and Troy weights. He does everything by tens and he counts rtpon his fingers: Then, too. ho’has the Soroban, and he. does all his sums on it. It. is a great frame, with wires running from top to bottom. On the wires are large wooden buttons, and it is only necessary to move these about to do any sum he wishes.