A Japanese Boy
by Shigemi Shiukichi (1865–1928)
- Free to read
- 2 hours to read
- 15 chapters
- Reading level: 8th & 9th grade
"A Japanese Boy" by Shigemi Shiukichi is an autobiographical account likely written in the late 19th century. This work provides an intimate glimpse into the life of a Japanese boy growing up in the coastal town of Imabari, highlighting his experiences from childhood through early adolescence. The narrative encompasses various aspects of daily life, family, school, and traditional culture, inviting readers to explore the unique upbringing of the author against the backdrop of a changing Japan. The opening of the book establishes the setting in Imabari, a small seaport town characterized by its shallow harbor and vibrant local life. The author reminisces about his grandfather's home, the warmth of family interactions, and the simplicity of his childhood experiences, including attending an old-fashioned school where penmanship and traditional education were prioritized. Readers are introduced to various elements of Japanese culture, such as traditional games, food preparation, and rituals, creating a rich tapestry that illustrates the author's formative years filled with warmth, curiosity, and vivid memories of his childhood environment.
- Japan · Social life and customs · 1868-1912
- Shiukichi, Shigemi, 1865-1928
Read the opening
Chapter I
I was born in a small seaport town called Imabari, which is situated on the western coast of the island of Shikoku, the eastern of the two islands lying south of Hondo. The Imabari harbor is a miserable ditch; at low tide the mouth shows its shallow bottom, and one can wade across. People go there for clam-digging. Two or three little streams empty their waters into the harbor. A few junks and a number of boats are always seen standing in this pool of salt-water. In the houses surrounding it, mostly very old and ramshackle, are sold eatables and provisions, fishes are bought from the boats, or shelter is given to sailors.
When a junk comes in laden with rice, commission merchants get on board and strike for bargains. The capacity of the vessel is measured by the amount of rice it can carry. The grain merchant carries about him a good-sized bamboo a few inches long, one end of which is sharpened and the other closed, being cut just at a joint. He thrusts the pointed end into bags of the rice. The bags are rice-straw, knitted together roughly into the shape of barrels. Having taken out samples in the hollow inside of the bamboo stick, the merchant first examines critically the physical qualities of the grains on the palm of his hand, and then proceeds to chew them in order to see how they taste. Years of practice enable him to state, after such simple tests, precisely what section of the country the article in question came from, although the captain of the vessel may claim to have shipped it from a famous rice-producing province.
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About this edition
This free edition of A Japanese Boy by Shigemi Shiukichi comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #35249, released 2011-02-12. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Biographies.
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