The Foundations of Japan Part 41

yen House 519 Food and drink (18 sen each per day for members of family; 13 sen each for servants) 1,102 Fuel 156 Light 36 Clothing 770 Education (3 middle-school boys at 20 yen per month; 3 primary-school boys and girls at 2 yen) 312 Social intercourse 120 Amus.e.m.e.nts (journey, 100 yen; summer trip, 231; others, 50) 381 Miscellaneous (servants, 480 yen; medicine, 150; other things, 150) 780 Donations 300 Taxes 3,976 ______ 8,451 ======

THE "BENJO" [IV]. I never noticed a case in which earth was thrown into the domestic closet tub according to Dr. Poore's system. I have come across attempts to use deodorisers, but the application of a germicide is inhibited because of the injury which would be caused to the crops. Farmers are chary about removing night soil which has been treated even with a deodoriser. I ventured to suggest more than once that j.a.panese science should be equal to evolving a deodoriser to which the farmer, who in j.a.pan seems to be so easily directed, could have no objection. The drawback to using Dr. Poore's system is that the added earth would greatly increase the weight of the substance to be removed. There would be the same objection to the use of _hibachi_ ash (charcoal ash), but there is not enough produced to have any sensible effect. The truth is that there is no lively interest in the question of getting rid of the stink for everyone has become accustomed to it. The odour from the _benjo_--the politer word is _habakari_--which is always indoors, though at the end of the _engawa_ (verandah), often penetrates the house. (_Engawa_ [edge or border] is the pa.s.sage which faces to the open; _roka_ is a pa.s.sage inside a house between two rooms or sometimes a bridgelike pa.s.sage in the open, connecting two separate buildings or parts of a house.) Emptying day is particularly trying. This much must be said, however, that the farmers' tubs are washed, scrubbed and sunned after every journey and have close-fitting lids. And primitive though the _benjo_ is, it is scrupulously clean. Also, if it is always more or less smelly, it is contrived on sound hygienic principles. There is no seat requiring an unnatural position. The user squats over an opening in the floor about 2 ft. long by 6 ins. wide. This opening is encased by a simple porcelain fitting with a hood at the end facing the user. The top of the tub is some distance below the floor. In peasants' houses there is no porcelain fitting. Manure is so valuable in j.a.pan that farmers whose land adjoins the road often build a _benjo_ for the use of pa.s.sers-by. Although the traveller in j.a.pan has much to endure from the unpleasant odour due to the thrifty utilisation of excreta, the j.a.panese deserve credit for the fact that their countryside is never fouled in the disgusting fas.h.i.+on which proves many of our rural folk to be behind the primitive standard of civilisation set up in Deuteronomy (chap, xxiii. 13). The Western rural sociologist is not inclined to criticise the sanitary methods of j.a.pan. He is too conscious of the neglect in the West to study thoroughly the grave question of sewage disposal in relation to the needs of our crops and the cost of nitrogenous fertilisers. See also Appendix XX.

AGRICULTURAL SCHOOLS [V]. In Mr. Yamasaki's school there was dormitory accommodation for 200 youths, some 40 lived in teachers' houses, another 15 were in lodgings, and 45 came daily from their parents'

homes. Lads were admitted from 14 to 16 and the course was for 3 years. The students worked 30 hours weekly indoors and the rest of their time outside. Upper and lower grade agricultural schools number 280 with 23,000 students. In addition there are 7,908 agricultural continuation schools with more than 430,000 pupils. The ratio of illiteracy in j.a.pan for men of conscription age (that is, excluding old people and young people), which had been over 5 per cent. up to 1911, was reported to be only 2 per cent. in 1917.

CRIME [VI]. In 1916 the chief offences in j.a.pan were:

Dealt with at police station 445,502 Gambling and lotteries 81,649 Larceny 81,063 Fraud and usurpation 49,772 a.s.saults 19,022 Robbery 10,383 Arson 9,533 Accidental a.s.saults 3,277 Obscenity 2,796 Wilful injury 2,032 Murder 1,886 Abortion 1,252 Abduction 907 Rioting 813 Official disgrace 481 Military and naval 387 Desertion 315 Forgery 307 Coining 206

PROSt.i.tUTES [VII]. The chief of police was good enough to let me have a copy of the form to be filled up by girls desiring to enter the houses in the prefecture. It is under nine heads: 1. The reason for adopting the profession. 2. Age. 3. Permission of head of household.

If permission is not forthcoming, reason why. 4. If a minor, proof of permission. 5. House at which the girl is going to "work." 6. Home address. 7. Former means of getting a living. 8. Whether prost.i.tute before. If so, particulars. 9. Other details.

When I was in j.a.pan there were reputed to be about 50,000 _joro_ (prost.i.tutes), about half that number of geisha and about 35,000 "waitresses."

PHILANTHROPIC AGENCIES [VIII]. In 1917 the number of paupers, tramps and foundlings relieved by the State did not exceed 10,000. The number of inst.i.tutions was 730 (of which 40 were run by foreigners), with the expenditure of about 5-1/2 million yen.

CHANGES IN RURAL STATUS [IX]. It seemed that during 47 years 18 tenants had become peasant proprietors, 14 peasant proprietors had become landowners (that is men who make their living by letting land rather than by working it), 8 tenants had stepped straightway into the position of landowners, 7 landowners had fallen to the grade of peasant proprietors and 7 more to that of tenants, while 114 householders had changed their callings or had gone to Hokkaido.

HOURS OF WORK PER DAY [X]. One of these villages showed that during January and February it worked 6 hours, during March and April 8 hours, from May to August 12-1/2 hours, during September and October 9-1/2 hours, and during November and December 9 hours. There was a further record of labour at night. In January and February it worked from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., during March and April and September and October from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. and in November and December from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. As in the period from May to August inclusive the day working hours were from 5 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., there then was no night labour.

DILIGENT PEOPLE AND OTHERS [XI]. The adults of the village were cla.s.sified as follows: Diligent people, men 294, women 260; average workers, men 270, women 236; other people, men 242, women 191. One supposes that, in considering the women's activities, all that was estimated was the number of hours spent in agricultural work or in remunerative employment in the evening.

FARM AREAS AND DAYS WORKED IN THE YEAR [XII]. The information concerned three typical peasant proprietors, A, B and C, living in the same county. The areas of their land are given in _tan_:

--------------------------------------------------------------------- Where farming Paddy Dry Homestead Rented Children Parents --------------------------------------------------------------------- A In hills 6 3 1 -- 3 2 B On plain 6.6 2.6 .5 2 paddy 3 2 C Near town 6 4 1 -- 3 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Next we are told the number of days that not only A, B and C but their wives and their parents worked and did not work during the year:

-------------------------------------------------------------------- Domestic National Remaining Agriculture Work Holidays & Illness Days Festivals -------------------------------------------------------------------- {A 254 28 25 6 52 Husbands {B 239 37 25 - 64 {C 231 49 19 2 64 {A 239 54 7 - 64 Wives {B 150 128 26 - 64 {C 141 174 9 - 41 {A 144 47 85 18 72 Fathers {B 205 69 40 - 51 {C - - - - - {A 15 324 6 - 20 Mothers {B 82 220 23 - 41 {C - - - - - --------------------------------------------------------------------

It will be seen that men only were ill! [See next page.]

For average of hours worked elsewhere, see page 232 and page 237.

FARMERS' EARNINGS AND SPENDINGS [XIII]. If the reader should feel that the following details are lacking in comprehensiveness or definiteness, he should understand that reports of a national and authoritative character on the economic condition of the farmer were not available. There existed certain reports of the Ministry of Agriculture, but they were subjected to criticism. The National Agricultural a.s.sociation had set on foot an elaborate enquiry as to the condition of the "middle farmer," but it was suggested that too much reliance was placed on arithmetical calculations and too little on known facts. I have had to rely, therefore, on official and private investigations made in various prefectures and villages, and I give a selection for what they are worth. Of the general condition of the agricultural population the reader is offered the impressions recorded in my different Chapters.

INCOMES AND EXPENDITURES OF PEASANT PROPRIETORS.--

The incomes and expenditures of the three households referred to in Appendix XII were:

----------------------------------------- Income Expenditure Balance in hand ----------------------------------------- yen yen yen A 477 449 28 B 915 838 77 C 971 703 68 -----------------------------------------

HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURES.--The household expenditures of the three families were, in yen:

------------------------------------------- A B C ------------------------------------------- yen yen yen Food 192.76 216.64 189.57 House 2.32 2.24 1.20 Clothes 18.72 15.16 10.08 Fuel 12.72 13.53 21.00 Tools and furniture 10.97 160.18 1.66 Social intercourse 9.58 -- 6.05 Education 1.56 -- 4.15 Amus.e.m.e.nt 3.30 2.03 18.00 Unforeseen 7.85 13.72 22.33 Miscellaneous 6.43 7.71 11.15 ------- ------- ------ 266.21 431.21 285.19 -------------------------------------------

It will be observed that the expenditure of B under the heading of furniture, 160 yen, is out of all proportion with the expenditures of A and C, 10 yen and 1 yen respectively. This is due to the fact that B had to provide a bride's chest for a daughter.

A balance sheet given me by a peasant proprietor in Aichi (5_tan_ of two-crop paddy and 5 _tan_ of upland) showed a balance in hand of 27 yen.

An agricultural expert said to me, "The peasant proprietors are the backbone of the country, but the condition of the backbone is not good. The peasant proprietors can make ends meet only by secondary employments." The expert showed me average figures for 18 farmers for 1891, 1900 and 1909. The average land of these men was a little over a _cho_ of paddy and 5 _tan_ of upland and some woodland. They had spent 39, 63 and 86 yen on artificial manures as against 100, 153 and 204 yen on food. The balance at the end of the year for the three years respectively was 27, 40 and 29 yen. "The figures reflect the general condition," I was told.

INCOMES AND EXPENDITURES OF TENANTS.--I may also note the circ.u.mstances of the largest and of the smallest tenant in an Aichi village I visited. The largest tenant family showed a balance in hand, 93 yen; the smallest tenant, 23 yen.

The accounts of 16 tenants for 1891 showed an average sum of 3 yen in hand at the end of the year, for 1900 a loss of 5 yen and for 1909 a gain of 1 yen. These men had an average of 9 _tan_ of paddy and 2 _tan_ of upland. The man who gave me the data said that in the north-east of j.a.pan "the condition of the tenants is miserable--eating almost cattle food." The only bright spot for tenants was that, as compared with peasant proprietors, they were free to change their holdings and even their business.

INCOMES OF TENANTS AND PEASANT PROPRIETORS (s.h.i.+DZUOKA).--One tenant, who pays 159 yen in rent and taxes, shows a total income of 374 yen and an expenditure of 538 yen, with a _net loss of 164 yen_. "Farmers of this cla.s.s," notes the local expert on the memorandum he gave me, "are becoming poorer every year." This tenant spent 2 yen on medicine and 5 yen on tobacco. ("Nothing else for enjoyment," pencils the expert.) In addition to parents, a man, a woman and a girl of the family worked. Food cost 321 yen (cost of fish and meat, 4-1/2 yen) and clothing 34 yen.

In a "model village," where "the farmers are always diligent," a small tenant's income was 508 yen and expenditure 527 yen; _loss_, 19 _yen_. Clothes cost 95 yen and food 190 yen. (Cost of fish and meat, 4-3/4 yen.) There was an expenditure on medicine of 1-1/2 yen and on tobacco and _sake_ ("only enjoyment") 10 yen.

Twenty per cent, of the farmers, I was told, "lead a middle-cla.s.s life and occupy a somewhat rational area of land." The budgets often of these men, who own their own land, show a _balance of 85 yen_. "If they were tenants they would not be in such a good condition." "We think the farmer ought to have 2 _cho_."

BUDGETS OF FARMERS ON THE LAND OF THE HOMMA CLAN, YAMAGATA (page 186).--A tenant had 3 _cho_ of paddy and a small piece of vegetable land. There lived with him his wife, two sons and the widow and child of the eldest son. After paying his rent he had 30 _koku_ of rice left. The cost of production and taxes, 100 yen or a little more, had to come out of that. This tenant had a debt of 250 yen.

A st.u.r.dy wagoner with a st.u.r.dy horse lived with his wife and three children and his old mother. He hired 1 _cho_ for 28 _koku_ of rice and his crop was 40 _koku_. He spent 30 yen on manure and 4 yen went in taxes.

A middle-grade farmer owned a house and a little more than 1 _cho_ and rented 3 _cho_ of paddy and a patch for vegetables. His rent was about 38 _koku_. He spent 100 yen on manure and 128 yen for taxes, temple dues and regulation of the paddy. He employed at 2-1/2 _koku_ a man who lived with the family, also temporary labour for 48 days. His crop might be 100 _koku_ or more. He had no debt.

A third man was above the middle grade of farmer. His taxes were 240 yen and his manure bill 130 yen. His payment for paddy-field regulation, to continue for ten years, was 60 yen. He had three labourers and he also hired extra labour for 100 days. He had three unmarried sons of 40, 29 and 25. There were 260 yen of pensions in respect of the war service of one son and the death of another.

INCOME OF PEASANT PROPRIETORS (HOKKAIDO).--The following statistics for the whole of Hokkaido are based on the experience of peasant proprietors. The 2-1/2 _cho_ men are rice farmers--rice farming means farming with rice as the princ.i.p.al crop. The 5-_cho_ men are engaged in mixed farming:

----------------------------------------------------------------------- Farmer's Income Income Total Cost of Cost of Total Balance.

Area from from Other Cultivation Living Outlay Farming Work ----------------------------------------------------------------------- yen yen yen yen yen yen yen 2-1/2 cho 366 43 409 107 276 382 27 5 cho 441 33 474 119 301 423 52 -----------------------------------------------------------------------

It will be seen that mixed farming is the more profitable.

Income of Tenants (Hokkaido).--Professor Takaoka was kind enough to give me the following summaries of balance sheets of tenants of college lands in different parts of Hokkaido in 1915. (In all cases the accounts have been debited with wages for the farmer's family.)

Five _cho_. Income, 447 yen; _net return, 37 yen_. (Rye, wheat, oats, corn, soy, potatoes, gra.s.s, flax, buckwheat and rape. One horse and a few hens.)

Five _cho_. Income, 763 yen; _net return, 58 yen_. (Rye, wheat, oats, rape, soy, potatoes, corn, gra.s.s, flax and onions. Three cows, one horse.)

Ten _cho_. Income, 1,015 yen; _net return, 122 yen_. (Same crops with two cows and one horse and some hired labour.)

Five _cho_ (peppermint on 3 _cho_). Income, 882 yen; _net return_, 93 _yen_.

Three _cho_. Income, 1,195 yen; _net return, 332 yen_. (Vegetable farming. 206 yen paid for labour.)