96 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



The beautiful and dainty works of art in bronze, lacquer, 

 porcelain, carving, painting and embroidery, which we 

 associate with Japanese art industry, do not appear in the 

 homes of the people. They must be sought out in the houses 

 of the wealthy, where they have been preserved as heirlooms, 

 sometimes for many generations ; in temples, under the 

 patronage of which the arts, and especially painting, were 

 fostered and their products preserved; or in small shops, 

 to which have come many choice articles of vertu from 

 the palaces of noblemen, whose estates have suffered the 

 reverses of fortune incident to the political revolution of 

 1868. 



To a people of our culinary tastes, the horrors of the 

 Japanese kitchen are almost inconceivable until experienced. 

 Many of the native dishes can be swallowed and digested by 

 very few foreigners, and only after long and persevering 

 practice, which few undertake, save from curiosity or ne- 



The social relations in Japan are matters of frequent in- 

 quiry. I am often asked, " What is the social status of 

 Japanese women ? " In their mythological account of the 

 creation it is related that, while the god and goddess, 

 Izanagi and Izanami (the parents of the sun goddess first 

 mentioned) , were sitting on the floating arch of the heavens, 

 the god plunged his jewelled spear down into the depths of 

 the sea. Withdrawing it, drops of water fell from the dia- 

 mond point, which, condensing in their fall, formed the 

 nucleus of the island empire. The pair at once descended to 

 view this sample of their work, one going to the left and the 

 other to the right, to make the circuit of the island. As 

 they met again, the goddess in joyous rapture exclaimed, 

 "How happy I am to see you again, my beloved spouse." 

 But he, displeased because she had anticipated him, said: 

 " Me, your husband, the strong and powerful, should be the 

 first to speak; why do you, a female, speak first?" Her 

 bad taste was deemed of ill-omen, and they renewed the cir- 

 cuit. The next time, as soon as he perceived her, he first 

 exclaimed, *' How happy am I to meet you again, my dear 

 and amiable spouse." 



This legend of the creation of Japan by the gods typifies 



