Asiatic Quarterly Review (Full Title: The Imperial and Asiatic Quarterly Review, and Oriental and Colonial Record): Volume XIII, No. 26 [‎502v] (129/238)

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Japanese Monographs.
tain towards her lord and master, as well as towards his
parents, a submissive demeanour ; to suffer herself to take
the second place in his household, as long as it pleased the
mother-in-law to rule domestic affairs ; to walk behind her
husband on occasions of ceremony; not to speak to him
unless first addressed ; and often, after handing round the
first course at a feast, to retire and become a “ corner
lady,” to be alone conversed with at the pleasure of those
present.
So much for the ancient ceremony of alliance. From the
man’s point of view, he took the devotion of his wife as a
matter of course. It has been stated that for seven slight
disqualifications provisions were made for a divorce at the
will of the husband. This has naturally called forth much
comment. Noble families prided their honour too deeply
to avail themselves of such a step, an inharmonious home
being considered as much a disgrace as the alternative
desire to dissolve it. But there existed customs to carry
on the line of noble families. Should no heir be born,
those who could afford it, by mutual consent, received a
sho, or handmaiden, into their family to raise up an heir ;
nevertheless, the first wife always ranked first as wife and
even mother, and the child was given over to her care and
tender keeping. This state of things was regarded as
inevitable, and did not of necessity mar the peace of a
faithful wife’s devotion, so great was the desire to continue
unbroken a long line of ancestry, based on the established
belief in the unique and unbroken dynasty of Japan’s
Imperial rulers.
Marriages were legalised by registration in the office of
the koncho, or registrar, at the Town Hall. The name of
the bride was entered in the public records of the family
into which she had been received. Notification was also
sent to her own town or village that she had left her father’s
roof and had been adopted into her husband’s family.
This was necessary because a custom prevailed to speak of