Last year marks the 2150th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration. Japan is still ranked as a world power today, which is closely related to this all-round social change. 150 years later, there are still too many details worth reviewing in the Meiji Restoration, especially the roles played by women are often overlooked. In fact, the Meiji Restoration is not only a modern political change, but also a critical moment for the awakening of Japanese women's consciousness.
Japanese women in the Tokugawa Shogunate era were deeply imprisoned by traditional society and considered to be appendixes to male powerful society. Japanese women rarely appear in formal occasions, and women are absolutely not allowed to enter even when men talk in the tea room at home. As wives of the samurai class, their responsibilities are to stitch, serve their families, and manage housework; and husbands can go in and out of romantic places from time to time and enjoy the company of another group of women. These women have been trained in dancing and music and can chat with men about topics they are willing to talk about. In short, Japanese women in the Shogunate era either followed men or provided entertainment for men; in addition, women's status and social value were insignificant.
Emperor Meiji At the beginning of the innovation, he had long realized that the process of Japanese civilization and civilization is indispensable for women. At the farewell dinner for the Iwakura envoys who visited the overseas inspection, Emperor Meiji said, "my country lacks high-level institutions to cultivate elite women's culture. Women in our country should not be so ignorant of major principles related to life and happiness. It is still the education of mothers that plays a key role in the early cultivation of future generations!" In Japanese history, women's happiness has risen to the level of national policy goals for the first time.
Members of Iwakura Envoy, from left: Kido Takayun, Yamaguchi Naoyo, Iwakura Hiroshi, Ito Hirobuki , Okupo Ritsu
In this context, in 1871, the Meiji government selected 5 female international students to officially set foot on the land of the United States with more than 50 Iwakura Envoys. Their mission was issued by the Emperor himself: to learn Western culture and rules, and to return to China after graduation to help cultivate a new generation of enlightened Japanese who will lead the country.
For these fledgling girls, the United States is a completely different country, and needs to be adapted in language, life and culture. In the end, only three girls, Yamakawa Shematsu, Nagai Shizuko and Tsuda Meiko, remained in the United States. The samurai family grew up in a turbulent period. These female international students lived in American families and not only completed their studies, but also formed friendships with the locals.
In this modern transformation, the status and lifestyle of Japanese women have been improved, and they are also advocates and promoters of history. As the first batch of government-sponsored students, these three Japanese women promoted the revolution in women's education after returning to Japan. Shesong promoted Japanese diplomacy and assisted in the establishment of the Japanese Red Cross Society; Umeko successively founded the Women's Emiracle School and the well-known Japanese institution Tsuda School, insisting on providing fair educational opportunities for Japanese women; Hanko also became a well-known music educator at the time, making great contributions to Japan's introduction of Western music education.
From left to right: plum, Alice, Qianzi, Shesong, 1901 (photo provided by the special collection area of Vassa College Library).
"The Daughter of the Samurai" tells the legendary experiences of these three Japanese women's education pioneers. Author Janice Bomorens Nimura is a typical American girl who met her later Japanese husband while studying Japanese history at Columbia University. Through the weaving of a large number of archival materials and more than a hundred letters, the author presents a delicate collective biography with the brushstrokes of the novel, showing the social picture of Japan during the Meiji Restoration period, as well as the awakening of women's self-consciousness and the liberation of women's rights. With the authorization of CITIC Publishing and generously authorized by CITIC, the following is an excerpt to select the preface of "The Daughter of the Warrior" and some of the contents of the first chapter for readers.
"The Daughter of the Warrior", written by Janis Baomolens Ermura, translated by Ma Lin, CITIC Publishing House January 2019 edition
11-9,
November 9, 1871
0 around the Imperial Palace , spread out narrow streets and alleys. New rickshaws turned around the corner and made a clicking sound.They drove past the indigo-green curtains hanging in front of the shop doors, the shrine's vermilion red torii arches, and then through the lime-painted walls in the samurai settlement. The rickshaw driver held the handlebar tightly and shuttled all the way. His sweaty body was shining and gasping. Most of the rickshaws were men, and the iron wheels kept hitting the road. The road was bumpy, but the passengers remained calm. Rice shop, straw sandal shop, watch shop and horn glasses shop stand on the street. The soldiers all wore baseball caps and wooden clogs, military tops and Japanese wide-legged stalkers, wandering around the corner of the street. Sometimes they saw a few people passing by with their sedan chairs high, and they were curious about what the identity of this person in the sedan chair who was not showing up this time: a man with an official title, his uniform shoulders were extremely shaved? The wife of a retainer who doesn't go out often is about to do a rare temple worship? On the street, maids wearing blue cotton jackets tied their sleeves behind them and ran in the traffic and people.
The majestic huge stone embankment of the imperial residence lies across the wide road surface. Just next to this embankment, five girls were walking by. Among them, two are in their teens and underage, the other two are younger, and the youngest one is less than 6 years old. They were dressed in silk, and three older girls were dressed in pale colors, embroidered with swaying grass leaves, cherry blossoms and peonies; the other two were wearing dark robes with feathers. Their hair was coiled up high, with a heavy crown, and the whole set of hair accessories was secured with hairpins and hairpins. They are particularly hesitant when walking, as if they are not careful, this carefully combed hairstyle will cause them to lose balance and fall. Their lips were painted crimson and their cheeks were covered with thick foundation, and only their eyes revealed something beyond the perfect complexion.
Photo of Yamanakasuke, Nagai Shizuko and American friends
The gate of the Imperial Palace Yuwu rumbled and slowly opened. After the girls were welcomed in, the palace gate was closed again. In the imperial residence, everything is silent. In the maze-like fortress and gardens for royal recreation, time passes slowly: everything seems to be carefully arranged, from the every move of the guards to the fiery-like maple leaves that flutter in the wind. The girls marching along the winding corridors in shattered dove steps. The gorgeous kimonoes they have had are the best in their own hands, and each has a firm wide belt around their waists that form a contrasting tone with the kimono itself. The accompanying female servant gave instructions in their ears calmly: her eyes remained close to the bright floor in front of the white toe socks, her hands were pressed against her thighs like glue paint, and her thumb was hidden in the palm of her hand. The floor squeaks and the silk rusts. The smell of the scent of thread passes through the sliding door and comes out with the wind. With a gentle glimpse, what flashed by was the barrier screen depicting cranes, turtles, pine trees and chrysanthemums, the lintels and window beams carved by tigers, dragons, vines and waterfalls, and vivid fabrics of purple and gold.
In this way, they came to the spacious palace interior. There was a solemn bamboo screen ahead, but the girls didn't dare to look up. They knew that the Japanese Emperor was sitting behind the screen. Five girls bent their knees, put their hands on the tatami floor, leaning forward until their foreheads touched their fingertips.
The day before the girls set off to pay homage to the Emperor: Ueda Chenzi, Nagai Shizuko, Shankawa Shepine, Tsuda Meizi, Yoshii Ryoko
If anyone moves the screen away, if the girls boldly raise their eyes, they will see a woman in her 22-year-old and small body. She was wearing a graceful tribute robe, with only her head exposed on the outside of her clothes - a snow-white kimono, a thick scarlet silk wide-leg pants, and a luxurious brocade jacket with gold edges. She held a painting fan with a silk rope tied to it, and her hands were still hidden in her sleeves. The shiny hair was rigidly framed into a ring on an egg-like face, and the long braid almost hung to the ground, and a white paper tape was tied in a short section of the braid. Her chin looks very powerful, and her prominent ears highlight her elf-like appearance. Her face was painted snow-white, her eyebrows were all shaved off, and she was replaced by two thick strokes drawn high on her forehead with charcoal. Her teeth were dyed black, and the dye was made from iron filings and jujubes dissolved in tea and wine, which was suitable for married women.Although her husband had just tried on his first Western outfit in his life, for the woman, she still needed to dress up for the moment in court, just like in the centuries before.
The drum stool with a painted plate was brought up and placed in front of the girls. In the lacquer plate is a roll of red and white silk, tea, and celebration cakes. The cakes are also red and white, symbolizing auspicious signs. The girls bowed, bowed again, and bowed again, their eyes locked on the tatami between their hands. They didn't dare to touch those refreshments at all. A waitress walked up with a scroll in her hand. She spread the scroll with her fair hands, and her movements were very elegant. Her voice was bright and crisp, and her words were formal and sophisticated that the girls hardly understood. The text on this scroll was written by the queen himself, and I believe no queen had ever drafted such content before, even in her imagination.
"Thinking that you are still children, your application for studying abroad has been approved." These words sound really strange. Never had a Japanese girl ever gone abroad. In fact, there were very few Japanese girls who had read books.
The waitress's voice was sharp and high. "By then, when girls' schools are established and you will return to your studies, you will become role models for women across the country." Another shocking sentence, the girls have never heard of any girls' schools. And when they return from their studies - if they come back - what kind of role models will they become?
The waitress has read to the end of the scroll. "Remember, don't let go of day and night and devote yourself to your studies." At least this can be done by girls, self-discipline and obedience, and they remember it in their hearts. In any case, they have no other choice. The Emperor is the descendant of the gods, and this order comes from the Emperor's wife. As far as the girls know, this goddess on earth is borrowing another person's voice and giving them orders. She sees everything in her eyes, but you can't see her.
The visit ends. The girls retreated from the queen's inner room where the faint fragrance drifted. Through the maze-like corridor, they once again returned to the noisy market outside the palace walls. Finally breathed a sigh of relief. When they returned home, they saw a room full of court gifts: everyone got the best red silk, and beautifully packaged court pastries. People say that these sacred pastries are so sweet that after taking a bite, all diseases will be cured. The girls were recently appointed pioneers of female enlightenment, and their families did not intend to neglect the royal family's kindness, and they distributed pastries to friends and relatives.
A month later, the girls are about to board the ship to the United States. If everything goes as planned, by the day they return, they will be adults.
Meizi, Hoshimatsu, and Shiniko are in Philadelphia, 1876 Picture provided by Tsudasu University Archives
The daughter of the samurai
Among the five girls who went to the United States to study, the middle age of Yakawa Shematsu
(Sutematsu Yamakawa)
The farthest trip back to her was the young girl of the late Aizu lord, Lao Yakawa Naoke. She was born on February 24, 1860, which was the Yuan War era of the samurai power emblem. She also has a name Sakiko, which means "the blooming child". In the undulating mountainous areas of the north and the valleys full of rice terraces, she was one of the last to live in the traditions and rhythms of the samurai family.
White walls and steep tiles, Crane City is entrenched among the mountains, this is the territory of the Aizu Wakamatsu vassal lord. The inner moat surrounds the castle, and the outer moat is five miles in radius, with barns, Mami, and the residential areas of the highest-level warriors. The construction starts from the inner bank and has 16 doors leading to the castle.
The Shanchuan Home's complex stretches for miles, close to a door to the north of the castle. This is a typical samurai home
(bukeyashiki)
. Large one-story houses and courtyards were built in the home and house area, with irregular distribution, as if a large maze array was formed, where generations of people in the family lived. There is a small newer building with a simple style and elegant style of the house, with tatami mats emitting hay fragrance on the floor.If there is no special need, it is empty, quiet and beautiful: there are cushions and low painted tables for eating, as well as thick quilts for bedding when sleeping, and head cushions. The reason why I use a head pad, rather than a pillow, is to avoid messing up my carefully cargo hairstyle. The niche
(tokonoma)
contains the only decoration in the room, an ancient painting scroll that changes with the seasons, and sometimes a ceramic vase is placed with a flower picked from the garden.
The garden serves as the background, providing the interior with the decorative elements it lacks. A hidden clear spring nurtured a small waterfall, which formed a miniature river. Goldfish hid under the pink and white lotus flowers and swam happily. Around the river are rockery, creating a luxurious landscape atmosphere. An ancient bridge spans the stream and leads directly to the ritual tea room. On warm summer days, the wooden lattice paper windows
(shoji)
installed on the exterior wall of the main building are usually opened, so that the cool wind can blow into the room and you can enjoy the beautiful garden view no matter which room you sit in.
This quiet and elegant design and decoration is nothing more than a samurai residence, and what is more spectacular is the main gate area of the samurai home. Guards inside and outside the main door are on duty day and night, and the tiled roofs rushed down to form steep eaves covering the wooden buildings below. There is a meeting room behind the courtyard wall. At first glance, there is no one outside the meeting room, but in fact there are guards hiding in the dark all the time. The tiles on the roof do not bear weight. If an intruder climbs onto the roof and step on the wrong place, he will fall straight down.
For Shesong, who is still a child, the wall of the house is the furthest part of the world. All the people she knew (mother, grandpa, brother, sister and sister-in-law, manager, maid, servant, gardener, gatekeeper and nurse) lived in the yard wall, and the nurse's cottage was also in the yard. Many servants grew up in their homes, like members of the samurai family.
left picture: Shanchuan Shesong, married to the General of Dashan after returning to China, and is known as the "Flower of the Deer Ming Hall" right picture: Dashan Shesong in Japanese drama
New house was built, and the old house became an abandoned house. Visitors can easily get lost here, but this is a great place for young children to let their imagination go. Shesong and other children often perform stories in "Hundred Things"
(Hyaku Monogatari) in an abandoned house after dark. Sitting on the tatami floor under the dark light, each child took turns telling ghost stories from the past: "The Fox's House", " Snow Girl ", and "The Cannibal Devil". After each story was told, the room became darker. The children were trembling in the room surrounded by darkness, but secretly encouraged themselves not to show their timidity and not to betray the samurai discipline.
The samurai class pursues the hereditary system. Although war has become a legend by the time of Shesong, the core essence of warrior culture directly points to the qualities advocated in the war years - courage, obedience, frugality, and martial arts. The samurai class accounts for 7% of Japan's 30 million population, but it has no contribution to the social economy. However, the samurai class in charge of public life has developed Japanese art in the years of war and peace - including poetry, calligraphy, and academic research, with financial support from the vassal lords in their respective regions, so the samurai must also be absolutely loyal to the vassal lords. The samurai class adheres to the empty ideal of loyalty and glory, while humble production and trade activities are undertaken by the civilians.
Ukiyoe
According to Japanese mythology, the first emperor in Japan was born two thousand years ago and is a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu great god
(Amaterasu)
. For centuries, the real power of Japanese society was controlled by the general, who was appointed by the emperor, and the emperor's appointment of the general was regarded as a sacred authorization. At the end of the 16th century, the first general of the Tokugawa shogunate Tokugawa Ieyasu established a base camp in Edo (Today's Tokyo). The Tokugawa Shogunate took back the administrative power from hundreds of land lords ( daimyo ), abolishing the emperor, making the emperor basically a symbol of the Japanese royal bloodline without real power.The Emperor rarely appears in public. He lives in the quiet Kyoto City with a group of royal courtiers of pure blood, living an isolated "cloud life" from the world. In the lively Edo Castle , 300 miles northeast of Kyoto, ruled the whole country by the general. After
took power, the primary goal of the Tokugawa shogunate was to maintain stability. To this end, the Tokugawa Shogunate established an administrative system to balance the fragile relationship between the Edo General and hundreds of daimyos spread across the Japanese archipelago. These hundreds of great names all have vassals, castles and fortresses, and warriors who are loyal to themselves. As long as Daming continues to pay taxes to the Edo shogunate and sends labor to maintain roads, mines and build palaces, Daming can collect taxes, formulate local laws, and establish troops on his own vassal states. The general was responsible for maintaining Japan's foreign relations and to a large extent, he did not participate in the local management of Daming.
Tokugawa Shogunate is cunning and invented a system of attendance and interpretation, that is, every daimai must not only establish a residence in his own vassal area, but also maintain a grand residence in Edo. Daimai is obliged to go to Edo to attend the general every other year. Although Daming could return to his vassal every other year, the general asked Daming's wife and children to stay in Edo, and he could not escape the general's eyes even if he made any move.
attendance and explanation system is actually a hostage system, and it also has one feature: expensive maintenance costs. Each daimyo needs not only to hire slaves to build and manage Edo residences according to the luxurious level that suits his or her identity, but also to pay for extravagant travel between Edo and the vassal states - this is an important opportunity to showcase the power and noble identity of daimyo. The purpose of these institutions is to prevent the turbulence: when Daming is full of desire for power and has no extra money to provoke wars, he is unlikely to cause trouble to the general.
Ukiyo-e that depicts the street scene of Tokyo during the Meiji Restoration period
This stability maintenance system of the Tokugawa Shogunate also brought unexpected benefits to the Japanese society at that time. Daming and his entourage traveled between Edo and the Vatican, helping to maintain and develop the road system and thriving the hotel and teahouse trade along the road. New news, new perspectives and trends can spread all the way from the vibrant national center Edo Castle to the farthest castle town. Every Daming descendant, no matter how remote his hometown is, can grow up like a city boy, sharing common life experiences with elites from other parts of Japan.
Far away from the quaint Kyoto and the rapidly developing Edo, you can reach the Aizu family all the way north. Aizin is Shesong's home, with harsh climate conditions and relatively lagging culture. Even in a country like Japan, Aizu, surrounded by mountains, is quite remote, and its extreme terrain conditions pose great challenges to travel and transportation. Entering and leaving the Aizu area means climbing over mountains with more deer and monkeys than people, and beware of more bears and wild boars than bandits at any time. Aizu is a self-contained person. Occasionally, people who enter Aizu will find that local dialects are very difficult to understand.
Aizu is the fief of the Matsuhei family, and the Matsuhei family is a branch of the Tokugawa family. Until 1860, the Tokugawa family had ruled Japan for 250 years. The various vassals were not one-on-one, but the Aizu vassal was known for its martial arts, outstanding military strength, strict officers and soldiers discipline, and loyalty to the Tokugawa family. "Be loyal and diligent in the righteousness of the general." Aijin Family Instructions begin with this. "You cannot be satisfied with the same degree of loyalty as other vassals." The Matsuhei family and the Tokugawa family have passed down three-leaf aoki pattern from generation to generation. The Matsuhei family established a base camp in Wakamatsu , hundreds of miles north of Edo. It is entrenched in the northeast of Honshu, Japan, and is the intersection of the Five Dalu Roads. Wakamatsu is a strategic location, connecting Tokugawa Base Camp to the northern region far away from Edo, both geographically and politically.
Just as Rumatsu Castle governs the Wakamatsu area, Aizu family motto governs all samurai families within the jurisdiction of Rumatsu Castle. Confucianism—men above women, parents above children, and merciful rulers above obedient people—is combined with the military hierarchy. "Wealth preparation should not be neglected", Aizu Family Instructions teach this."There are high and low classes, so the division of labor should not be messed up; respect brothers and love brothers; those who violate the law cannot be forgiven." Whether on the way to escort the vassal lord to Edo or deal with housework and internal affairs, the Aizu vassal vassal must always strictly remember Aizu's family precepts, and their words and deeds are in line with family precepts, put their own interests aside, and serve the daimyo. Of course, there is another point, "Women's words must not be heard."
Every year-end, the vassals would pay homage to the vassal lords and listen to the principals of the vassal school to recite the family motto of Aijin. The Aizu school located west of Wakamatsu Castle is called "Nishin Hall", which means daily progress. The boys from Aizu Samurai family entered the Nishin Pavilion at the age of ten to learn Chinese classics and military methods, and also to study mathematics, medicine and astronomy, including Shesong's brothers. The school’s curriculum is very advanced, and it has penetrated Western ideas from the distant southern port of Nagasaki and the Dutch shopping malls in Nagasaki. During the Tokugawa era, Japan built vassal schools everywhere. The lecture hall of Rishin Pavilion is two stories high, and the school also has an observatory, which is a first-class vassal school.
left picture: Nagai Shizuko Right picture: Nagai Shizuko's biography created by Sumio Ioda
Nishixin Pavilion students will join the "Ten People Group" initiated by the neighborhood. The ten-person group system was recognized by the vassal lords. The purpose of its establishment was to simulate the politics of the vassal territories. The members of the group swore loyalty to the other party and responded to the other groups. In the morning, the leader of each group gathered the team members and led them to the school to make sure that the team members put the sword into the sword frame and did not draw the sword during class. After school, the team leader led the team members home. Even outside the school, the behavior of the team members is strictly restricted. Just as fathers have Aizu family precepts, boys also have training, and the team leader will regularly recite training for the team members.
1. Do not violate your elder brother.
2. Don’t forget to bow to your brother.
3. Do not lie.
4. Don't be timid.
5. Do not bully the weak.
6. Do not eat in public.
7. Don’t talk to girls.
After the boys shouted "We will never disobey the orders" in an orderly manner, they became free: they could go to other friends' homes, swim in Yukawa, or wear empty rice bags and slide high from the uphill covered with pine trees. Those boys who violate the training will be beaten and rejected by other team members.
Although girls’ behavioral norms rarely involve public life, their strictness is no less than that of boys. Children's discipline requires all children to get up early, wash their faces and brush their teeth, and not move their chopsticks until their parents move their chopsticks themselves, and children are prohibited from yawning in front of their elders. The Aizu samurai encouraged their daughters to develop tough character through hard work, but the girls learned to read and write at home. Unlike his brothers, Shesong rarely has the opportunity to step out of the house.
left picture: Meizi Tsuda who obtained a degree in 1890 Right picture: Meizi in film and television drama
After breakfast, the elders will use tea in their mother's room. During this time, the children can eat a few pieces of golden sugar. Golden Flavor Candy is a blocky golden Flavor Candy that can only be enjoyed by the upper class. After eating candy, the girls and younger boys should study at their respective teachers.
Boys need to memorize classics of filial piety, while girls need to learn the 18th century classic - "Female University". This classic believes that the most important thing in women’s life is to keep in mind Confucian moral constraints: “Women should obey, be loyal, kind and silent.” It requires women to put obedience to their parents, husbands and in-laws first. However, demanding women to obey does not include requiring them not to resist at any time. A Aizu girl will receive a dagger as an item in her dowry, and her mother will also make sure that the girl knows how to use the dagger - the girl can not only use the dagger to defend herself, but also needs to end her life with the dagger if her chastity is defiled.
As the content of daily recitation, Shesong and his sisters will read in unison such as "The five major disadvantages that tarnish women's thoughts are disobedience, dissatisfaction, slander, jealousy and stupidity". Stupidity also includes vanity: “A woman only needs to dress neatly and cleanly. It is an offense to pay too much attention to her appearance and attract the attention of others because of her external appearance."The girls will copy these passages and regard them as truths, imprint them in their minds, although perhaps they are too young to fully understand the meaning of them.
listen to the class for a long time, but children need to formally kneel on the tatami, with only their hands and mouths moving. On the cold winter day, when the temperature in the classroom paper window is almost the same as the temperature in the yard, even if there is no charcoal brazier for heating, the children dare not stuff their hands into the kimono. Even if the hot summer sun turns the entire classroom into an oven, the children dare not fan the fan. Training the body is also training the will.
Not all traditions are so strict. The daughter of every samurai family inherits a precious dress-up doll from her mother, and these exquisite dolls represent the royal family. The Shanchuan family houses more than a hundred dress-up dolls, and even has a room dedicated to storing dolls. For most of the year, this room Rooms are all the entertainment space for girls. Without the disturbance of their brothers, they can play houses and "coax" their favorite dolls to sleep. Every year, on the third day of March, it is the girls' favorite "Girls' Day", a grand event for dolls. The dolls proudly "sit" on wooden cabinets with big red silk cloth in the host room. The upper level is the Emperor and the Queen, courtiers, musicians, soldiers, as well as miniature furniture, carriages and small plates with real food placed in the row below. Of course, , these dolls cannot taste the offerings, so can girls taste it for the dolls?
is full of etiquette and rules, and it is almost difficult for people living in it to think about whether it is possible to live in another way. After 250 years of relative peace, a political turmoil that collapsed and broke into Japan is about to come to Japan.
Author: Janis Baomolens Ermura
Integration: Li Yongbo Proofreading: Zhai Yongjun
