Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-23
FUNNY TOYS OF JAPAN,
Some Examples of Them Exhibited ut the
Bureau Of Education.

Some Examples of Them Exhibited at the
Bureau Of Education.
THERE ARE NO PEOPLE so FOND OF
Il toys as the Japanese. About one day out OF
three is a holiday in their country and even
their pilgrimages to temples Of worship are
performed in gala costume, with dancing and
sports by the wayside. Play is, from their
point Of view, the object Of existence, work be-
Ing the means to the end, because it is neces-
sary to earn pleasure in order to find it enjoy
able. Americans. of course, know better than
this, having ascertained that the purpose Of
life is labor and that fun in any shape is waste
Of time.
The japanese have the most perfect kinder
gsrten system in the world. In fact, they origi-
mated this method Of instructing by entertain
ment instead Of by punishment inflicted. Their
play apparatus for such purposes is elaborate,
but all of it is adapted to the infant mind,
which it is designed at once to amuse and to
inform. The little ones of that nation even be-
come somewhat interested in mathematics by
seeing and feeling what pretty thing q cone.
sphere or a cylinder is when cut out of wood
with q lathe. They make outlines Of solid fig
ures out Of straws, with green pease dried to
hold the joints together, and for the instruc-
ton Of the blind fiat blocks are provided, with
the Japanese characters raised upon them.
INSTRUCTIVE TOYS.
Even the toys of Japan give instruction to
those who play with them. One sort of play
ing cards has printed upon them 100 scraps of
classical poetry by which the rudiments Of the
art of versifcation are expected to be incul-
Gated. Another set embodies collection Of
old japanese parallels, by which the sylla
barry Of the language and moral maxims at the
same time are to be trught. Another set is Of
natural history cards to give instruction in the
names and forms of animals, and still another
set, especially intended for girls, affords ex-
amples of women who have been celebrated
for their virtue and noble qualities
All these things can be seen in the museum
Of the bureau Of education, at Stha and G streets,
of the existence of which few people in Wash
ington are aware. In the collection there,
which includes all the educational appliances
Of civilized countries. is a most interesting as
semblage of Japanese toys. Many of them are
civilization has adopted from the east. For
example, there are kites, but no Yankee
boy can fly such kites, in the shape OF
birds and monsters. as can the urchin
Of Japan. There are tops also, but the Ameri-
can school boy has never got farther in this
play art than ''peg-in-a-ring," whereas his jap
anese contemporary is acquainted with the
science Of spinning many tops together. of
whistling tops, and SO on. So far as both tops
and kites are concerned the young Caucasian is
an lgnoramus compared With his orlen tai rival.
QUEER MECHANICAL PAINTINGS.
Among the babies toys from Japan at the
museum is Q mouse that feeds from a bowl when
little bamboo spring is touched, lowering his
head and long tail in quite a lifelike manner.
Another is a small cylinder. into which one
blows through two small reed tubes, three balls
Of pith being kept bobbing in bit of cage
over the cylinder by the breath. while cut in
one Of the tubes produces shrill whistle.
Another ia little man that is made
to jump up long stick by bamboo spring.
and still another is a wooden gentleman who
rides along between two wheels. being attached
to the axle with a heavy base. A toy jinricksha
is one of the more expensive playthings, show
ing foreigner being drawn in a hand buggy
by a native between the shafts. Further de
vices for toy purposes are kaleidoscopes, boxes
with glass tops filled, liked cupboards, with va
rious household utensils in miniature and bags
filed with shot for tossing.