St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-23
JAPANESE ROYAL FEAsTs.
The Japs Are Catching on to the
Dance in Great Shane.

Dance in Great Shape.
When the ministers or princess enter
tain at Toxic, writes Ruhamah to the
st. Louis Globe-Demoerat. the salons of
the Enriokwan palace, or the rooms Of
the Rokumeikwaff, the home of the
Toxic Mobiles club, are used for the
gatherings. Neither place is well
adapted to such functions, as the end.
less suites of small drawing rooms and
ball rooms break the entertainment into
so many small parties. Now that the
court and official circles have
given dancing fixed place and
prominence there is need of large
ball room to be used for official enter
tainments, and the progress of work in
the new imperial palace is being closely
watched. A dancing class, to which all
the lights of the official circle belong,
trains this generation of gay society in
the steps and figures. The Japanese
have had enthusiasm in learning to
dance, and betray it in the informal
soirees of the dancing class, but at the
official balls they are as serious and SOL
emn in the measures of the quadrllle as
if the awful weight of the old etiquet
were upon them. They dance easily and
well, and with such precision and true
time that foreigner who plumbers has
as much cause for bushes as ii he were
making terrible slips in the grammar OF
his own language.
Within fortnight there have been
two balls, at which the court and the
upper circle of the capital have shOne.
The first, given by Prince komatsu and
his princess, was most select and stately.
and company of less than 500 danced
under the electric chandeliers of the
l<o1 Of Err oil
guns old palace by the sea. Prince
Komatsu is the handsome man and
the dancer of the imperial family, and
from continental courts he brought
home the royal quadrille with which
state balls are opened. When all the
guests had made their three back
ward courtesies in response to the
princely mods of greeting, the lines of
this quadrille were drawn on either side
of the long salon, Prince Komatsu in
his snowy uniform and with breast
full of decorations Leading one column.
At the other side Prince AriSugawa was
the partner of Princess Komatsu,
whose gown of white and gold brocade
with the front rafting with pearls, q
low corsage covered with jewels and
stars, and a necklace and high tiara
of diamonds made her the con-
ventiOnal princess OF any imperial
or royal court. 1t was most brill
liant and dazzling as these long lines adj
yOnced, retired, and went through the
stately measures. Plain evening dress
was worn by less than dozen men in
the assembly, and all the bright uni
forms added to the light ball dresses
made the scene gayer. The members
of the Chinese legation and the solitary
| Korean, in their baggy clothes and hats,
stood centuries behind these ISL
and neighbors of theirs and
looked on, having no sympa-
thy or part in the scene, or
comprehending the great gulf between
| the island and mainland Asiatics that it
made apparent. Except for these Or
entails in their native gowns, the whole
affair was a conventional European
nineteenth century ball, down to the
last detail of the supper rooms. During
the evening light snow was falling,
and emerging from the palace after
midnight the guests found all
the ground white with snow,
and the thousands of red Ian
terms hanging from the snow-laden
| branches made ground and air glow
with Colour de rose. AS far as one
could see down the long avenues OF
trees, the great rosy balls of light on the
snow-laden branches cast a glow of ell
chantment, and heayy-tOpped, frown-
ing old medieval gateways were GOV.
cred with double and triple rows of red
lanterns, that doubled themselves by
reflection in the still, black waters oil
the mOat on either side of the draw
bridge.