ABSTRACT
The Japanese had very good teeth in the old days because they blackened them. In the twelfth century, when the country was in a state of continued war between the Genji and Heike clans of warriors, only women blackened their teeth. Sanka are, so to speak, the Japanese counterparts of gypsies. Though their origin is unknown, such groups of wandering people are found from Kyushu to the Kanto area. Harebi stands for annual family or community events and festivals, marking seasonal farming events such as harvesting, planting, rain praying or insect expulsion, and also important events in human life such as birthdays, annual celebrations, marriages, funerals and journeys. The habit of taking hot baths is an outstanding trait of the Japanese people. For measuring length, shaku is the Japanese standard, but there are two kinds of shaku-kane and kujira.
