Littell's Living Age/Volume 133/Issue 1718/A Japanese Newspaper
A JAPANESE NEWSPAPER.
Turning over the leaves of a diminutive blue book of no particular interest, we lighted upon a translation of the six hundred and thirty-third number of the Yokohama Daily News, published on the 20th day, 2nd month, 6th year of Meiji, 20th day of 2nd month of Solar Calendar; that is to say, Thursday, February 20th, 1873. The date is not of the freshest, but the contents of the paper have lost none of their savor by keeping.
Compared with more familiar journals, our Japanese newspaper is but lightly laden. Immediately after the date comes the announcement: "Weather fine. Thermometer at noon, fifty-two degrees." This is followed by an official communication from Inouye Kaora, vice-minister of the treasury, setting forth the number and description of the ships at anchor in the bay of Yokohama, the amount of customs receipts for the preceding day, the rates of exchange, and a notification that the Budget of News, the Daily Intelligence Association News, and the Yokohama Daily News, being conducive, "be it in ever so slight a degree," to energy and progress, by furnishing correct information about home and foreign affairs, it is ordered that these journals be forwarded daily to every fen and ken — city and district — in the empire.
His Excellency not only helps the circulation of the favored newspapers; he seems to supply them with no small portion of their "copy." In the number before us he reminds "the three cities and thirty-six districts," that although it had hitherto been usual when the government disposed of mansions, residences, and offices with the sites thereto belonging, for the purchasers to pay the price of the standing edifices to the board of buildings, and the price of the ground sites to the board of revenue, for the future all such payments were to be paid to the last-named. Then, by way of warning to ill-disposed folks, the minister furnishes a copy of a report from the Wakamatsu Ken respecting a conspiracy hatched by Toyoji, son of Manyo, of Shiogawa village, township of Aidyu, province of Iwashiro. This report is merely the deposition of Toyoji, prefaced by a letter signed by Washio Takamitsu, Okabi Isunanori, and Yasuda Natinori, respectively governor, vice-governor, and acting vice-governor of the ken, enclosing a list of eight individuals implicated in the plot, for whom "most diligent search is being made."
Like many a plotter before him, Toyoji tries to clear himself at the expense of his fellow-plotters, but whether his statement (a long and uninteresting one), in which he solemnly declared there was not one word of untruth, did him much service, we doubt. If he got off scot free, he was a luckier fellow than the penitent rabbit-dealer of Kanangawa, who humbly acknowledged in the columns of the Yokahanta Daily News, that, when he petitioned his Excellency Governor Oye Taka for leave to commence business, he was cautioned that assemblies would not be allowed; that, notwithstanding, he hired the parlor of Iida Kichigemon, and there held an assembly, and the governor's suspicion lighting upon him, he was found out. He was consequently filled with fear. He had again been admonished that, if ever he held any more assemblies, he would be severely reproved; and respectfully received, and promised to observe, the admonition. To the unfortunate rabbit-dealer's confession is appended an order signed by Oye Taku: "As this man has acted in an unprincipled manner by violating the conditions prescribed to him when leave was given to him to carry on business as a rabbit-dealer, he is hereby forbidden to carry on that business any longer."
As at least one and a half of the four pages of the modest-sized sheet are devoted to advertisements, the editor of the Yokohama Daily News has very little space at his disposal for chronicling the events of the day. We find only one accident recorded in its columns, but that is a strange one. A Japanese boat in distress being sighted off O'Shima by a British steamer, the captain put his ship about and picked up the six occupants of the boat, just in time to save them from drowning. One of the rescued Japanese, who appeared more dead than alive, had his whole body so scorched and inflamed, that his shirt was sticking to his flesh, and could not be peeled off him. Upon the captain questioning his companions, they stated that, as their boat was running before the wind about noon, this man and another were sitting facing each other, when, all of a sudden, a flash of lightning struck the boat, stunning the scorched man, while the one opposite him was hit right in the head by the lightning, smashed into little bits, and disappeared in the sea. "Foreigners," is the editorial comment, "have a contrivance for warding off lightning strokes, not only at sea, where there is no shelter at hand, but also on every one of their houses. Therefore, our countrymen should adopt this system without delay; if this is done, we shall have no more loss of life and destruction of houses by lightning, such as have heretofore been frequent."
Our journalist gives us a better taste of his quality, when he deals with a bit of social scandal, airing his morality in quaint fashion, as he relates the story of a frail dame, the course of whose love ran anything but smoothly: "Near the Imado-bridge, in Asakusa, Yokiyo, there was a restaurant known as the Zumeiro, the proprietress of which was named O'Kiku. This lady, though fully forty years of age, is uncommonly handsome, and of very attractive manners. She is, however, of a fickle disposition, and some years ago was free of her favors to the play-actor, Suwamuro Dossho, in consequence of which she lost her lawful husband, and brought confusion on the household. Still she paid but little regard to the censure of the world; and, about four years ago, the pair started off for Œsaka, intending to become man and wife. As she had slipped away from home on the sly, the lady was followed, and was overtaken and brought back by the pursuers when they had got as far as Sogayeki. Thus their intercourse was interrupted for that time. But within the last year or so they drew together again; and as love brooks no denial, the lady called in her go-between, and arrangements were made for the marriage. However, on the very night before, a fire broke out in her house, and it, together with four or five houses adjoining, was burned to the ground. In consequence, the bridal preparations have had to be postponed. It is said that O'Kiku cares very little either for her own or her neighbors' losses by the fire, but that she is inconsolable because the mischance has marred her nuptials. As regards the tender passion between the sexes, it were useless to enter upon the question of wisdom or folly. Just as in old times, so now, the cleverer the man the greater fool he makes himself; but when women like the O'Kiku, whose brows are beginning to wrinkle with age, forget, for the sake of a young spark, their family and household ties. Heaven visits them either with a fire, as in this case, or with some other calamity. As for Dossho, his family cognomen of Edderburnhouse is only too likely to be changed into Wed-her-burnt-house. Surely a man ought to guard against so scathing a fire as that!"
The Daily News complains that lottery-boxes, called "your fortune," are allowed to be placed outside fanes and temples, out of which a numbered stick is shaken, and a ticket marked with the same number, foretelling good or bad luck, sold to the devotee; while close at hand stands a fortune-reader, prepared to explain the drift of the lot, who, by talking confidently about life and death, so frightens ignorant folk that he can extort money from them at his pleasure. "Unless these fellows," says the Daily News, "are put down by the government, it is not likely that this superstitious abuse will cease." "Such improper things as fortune-telling and saying prayers ought, as a matter of course, to be suppressed." With this bold protest against a popular superstitious folly, the Japanese journalist puts down his pen for the day and leaves the rest of the paper to the advertisers, of whose contributions the translator gives only a few specimens — of too commonplace and familiar a character to justify quotation.