■ Explanation
This book is a profile of the appearance and doings of Japanese children and of Japanese culture in general, as exemplified in a day in the life of Mitsu, the third son born to a certain household. The author's interest extends from the layout of Japanese housing and utensils and tools of daily use to clothing and customs.
Mitsu still wears kimono. He dons kimono of a better material for visits or holidays and wears kimono of an ordinary material for everyday life. The long sleeves can also be used like the pockets of Western apparel, and can hold various things such as kite strings, bean bags, and toasted "mochi"(i.
e.
,
rice cakes). The author writes that a yankee boy would be envious of these sleeves. Mitsu also attends classes in a temple, and the author relates her surprise to learn that his books are opened from the right and have text vertically written.
To the author, the foreign culture of Japan seems to be odd indeed. She uses the word "idols" in connection with Japanese religious beliefs, and brands the application of moxa treatment to the sick and difficult children as "inhuman." She also expresses her hopes that the reader will not put credence in the Buddhist stories Mitsu hears in the temple, and mentions a "very long kind of macaroni" instead of using the word "soba." Viewing Japan exclusively from a Western perspective, there can be no doubt that her profiles expose a lack of willingness to try and understand Japan and its culture on its own terms.
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