Education and Manners of the Japanese
From Recollections of Japan by Vasiliĭ Mikhaĭlovich Golovnin, 1819.
From: 1811 C.E. To: 1819 C.E.
Location: Hokkaido, Japan
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From Recollections of Japan by Vasiliĭ Mikhaĭlovich Golovnin, 1819.
The Japanese are well skilled in the art of education. They instruct their children early in reading, writing, religion, the history of their own country, and geography; and when they are older, the art of war. But what is more important, they understand how to inspire them, from their youth, with patience, modesty, and politeness: virtues which the Japanese possess in a remarkable degree, and which we often experienced in them.
In my Narrative I have frequently mentioned with what patience, gentleness and mildness, they treated us, and listened to our justifications, reproaches, and even bitter expressions; though, to say the truth, the right was on their side. To be loud in dispute is considered, by them, to be extremely rude and vulgar. They bring forward their opinions politely, and with many apologies, seeming to doubt the correctness of their own judgment. They never make objections directly, but always with circumlocutions, and for the most part, by means of examples and comparisons, as will appear from the following instances.
We blamed their policy in avoiding all intercourse with other nations, and represented to them the advantages which the nations of Europe derived from their reciprocal connections; such as, profiting by the inventions and discoveries made in other countries; the exchange of their productions, by which industry and activity are promoted; whilst the inhabitants of Europe enjoy many pleasures and comforts, of which they would be deprived, if the European sovereigns, like those of Japan, should abolish all intercourse with other countries; in short, we advanced to the praise of our system, and to the disadvantage of that of Japan, whatever occurred to us, from what we had read and heard.
The Japanese listened to us with attention; praised the judicious conduct of the European governments, and seemed to be led by our arguments to be entirely of our opinion. But by degrees they turned the conversation upon war, and asked us, "How it happened that in Europe five years never passed without war; and why, when two nations quarrelled, many others took part in the dispute, and thus made the war general?"
We replied, that near neighbourhood and continued intercourse often gave rise to disputes, which cannot always be amicably settled; particularly when interest or pride are concerned: but when one nation obtains too great a preponderance over another, the rest, fearing that it may also become formidable to them, join the weaker against the more powerful, which, on its side, also seeks allies.
The Japanese praised the wisdom of the European governments, and asked how many states there were in Europe? After we had mentioned them all by name, they observed, that "if Japan and China entered into closer connection with the European powers, and imitated their political system, there might be more frequent wars and more blood spilt."
"That might very well happen,” answered we. "If that is the case," replied they, "it will, perhaps, be more advisable, for the lessening of human misery, that Japan should abide by its old maxims, and not engage in connections and treaties with Europe, of the use of which you try to convince us."
I confess I was not able to give a satisfactory answer to this unexpected objection; and was forced to say, that my ignorance of the Japanese language hindered me from proving the truth of our assertions. But had I been a Japanese orator, I should probably have found some difficulty in refuting this argument.
Another time, as we related the advantages of the Europeans, and the many pleasures which were quite unknown in Japan, they expressed a wish to spend a few years in Europe. They then turned the conversation again on Japan; and said. that there were here two neighbouring towns, which they named to us, of which the one was very large, and the other, on the contrary very small.
In the greater, the inhabitants were rich, and had abundance of necessaries and luxuries, but they unhappily lived in constant quarrels, and there were so many rogues among them, that people durst not venture in the streets of a night, for fear of being murdered.
In the little city, they had only what was necessary, and the inhabitants lived all like brethren among themselves, and no quarrel was ever heard of. But as we gave the preference to the little city above the large one, they compared Europe and Japan with them, and, as it appears, not entirely without reason.
In their intercourse with each other, the Japanese are extremely civil, as well young people to old, as also people of the same rank to each other. They compliment by a bending of the knee; if they want to shew any body more honour, they place themselves on the knee, and bow down to the ground. But this is only done in a room; in the streets they merely make a motion as if they were going to do it. When they salute a person of rank, they bend the knee in such a manner as to touch the ground with their fingers, and call them by their name, while they draw in their breath, as for example: Ai! Sampe Sama, i.e. Ah! Mr. Sampe.
If they salute one of their equals, they bend the knee, bow, and lay the flat hand on the knee, saying: Ai! Koniddschi, i.e.Ah! to day! which expresses in Japanese a welcome. Or they say: Ai! tenki-ioi. Ai! tenki-wari; i.e. Ah! good weather; Ah! bad weather; or Gogro-degusar, which means literally to have a heart, and answers to our How fares it?
When Japanese meet, they ask, after the first compliments, with great ceremony and many bows, after each other's health, relations, &c. Our sentinels never relieved each other without having first saluted each other, and stood for some minutes making compliments. When Japanese part, they repeat the same bows, and fix the time when they hope to meet again, as for example: Ai! Kogonotz! Ah! nine o'clock; or Ai! Mionidschi! Ah! to-morrow, &c., which signifies as much as our Good-bye.
Golovnin, Vasiliĭ Mikhaĭlovich. Recollections of Japan. Printed for H. Colburn, 1819.
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