Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-21
CHERRY BLOSSOM NOTES

The cherry blossom fete given by the
Emperor of Japans every spring is one of
the most unique and in many ways enjoy
able entertainments to, be found anywhere
in the world. Invitations are greatly sought
after and are not at all easy to get for the
court regulations ..as to who may and
4sho may not be invited are very
/ strict Only tkcee may be presented
VINO have been, presented at their
courts at home and no enc is expected who
has the slightest connection with trade in
Japan. This practically excludes all foreign
residents as they are all more or less closely
connected with commercial interests. In
| the case of Americans all are eligible who
escape the ban that attaches to trade and
| for whom invitations are secured through
| the American minister. One of the best
known merchants in New York city, a man
| of excellent position and a member of a
number of the most exclusive clubs was
refused an invitation to the cherry blossom
| fete this last spring because there was a
suspicion that he had been looking into
the matter of tea for his big wholesale
| store In New York. The regulations that
| to long frock coats and high hats,
| and women are forbidden to wear mourning
| and must be dressed in some bright color
| The rule about men results in some curious
effects. inasmuch as the average globe trot-
| ter does not carry with him silk hat and
not always a frOck coat. AT the fete this
| spring there were some remarkable speci-
mems of headgear and coats. One young
| man apologiZed to party of friends he met
| for his unusual figure. explaining that that
was tho only frock coat he could get on
such short notice. and that in order to get
| 1t to come anywhere near fitting him he
| was compelled to put on four other coats
underneath. During the entire afternoon
| he was never seen to put on his nice new
hat When asked the reason he explained
| that 1t was 9 Is tile. while he had IA
head. A well-known Washingtonian WHO
prides himself on always wearing the latest
styles in headgear was compelled to put
up for the time being with the only high
hat that was left in the store. 1t was a
crush hat covered with black satin, and
how II could ever have found it's way into
Japan il q question, for 1t looked to be-
the opening of the treaty ports. The MEM
bers of the receiving party themselves
were in a way rather curious-looking
specimens The emperor was all right
for he wore a military costume not
unlike the French fun dress; with the wom-
en- 1t was quite different. They all wore
European dress, but 1t was not SO much
what they wore as the funny way they
wore 1t. No American woman among the
guests would admit that she was so old as
to know when dresses like those were ever
In style. To add to the amusement of the
foreigners the japanese ladies at court
evidently had little idea of how to put the
dresses on. Their figures are not adapted
to Paris gowDs and 1t was noticed that the
empress had the belts which are supposed
to go around to make the waist fit snug
hanging gracefully as a pair of streamers
down the back.
Curiously enough. almost all the tailors in
Japan are Chinese. Their charges are very
moderate compared with American prices,
and man can get good suit of clothes
of English goods made for so or Sl2 that
would cost him from three to four times
that amount on this side of the Pacific
These Chinese tailors are wonderfully clever
In the matter of initiating whatever is given
them as a model to go by. A young lady
from Washington was in Yokohama not
long ago. and being rather short of travel
ing gowns she ordered one from a tailor
there. giving him one of hers to copy The
result was a remarkable fac-simile of the
gown that was made for her by high
priced Washington modiste. 1t was too
close copy, in fact, for her old one had
been outgrown. and she let in piece of
cloth at the back to make it fit better. The
new gown had a piece of another kind of
cloth let in the back in the same way. not
withstanding the fact that the tailor had
yards of material to spare
But this experience was nothing to
that or another American woman resident
In Japan. She was coming home soon and
decided to lay in supply OF knickerbockers
Tor her little seven year-old son. AS mat
ter of economy she ordered fourteen pairs
ana sent an old one to serve as n model
Her CONSERVATION was beautiful in its COM
pleteness when she opened her package and
found fourteen pairs Of knickerbocl<ers with
a large patch Of a different color neatly in
laid into the seat and right knee of each
individual pair.
In the matter of their use OF tobacco the
japanese are very economical. Their pipes
are beautiful specimens of clever handi-
work in bronze. silver and ivory with
cheaper ones. of course, made of wood
They have large mouthpieces, and are fire.
quently both bulky and heavy. but the bowl
itself is mere tritie in size. Rarely does
one md bowl that is as large as 4 thin
BILE. japanese women smoke as well as men,
and they all carry their pipes and tobacco
boxes tied together ana hung in the S.,SheS
Out of a large collection of Japanese pipes
II was found by actual measurement that a
third of the tobacco from an ordinary Gig
arctic would more than fiji any of the
bowls The Japanese takes three or four
Whifs and Is satisfied. This moderation In
the use Of tobacco may be accounted for to
a certain extent by the simplicity of their
diet. A japanese workman lives and
thrlVes on an amount of food that would
seem little better than starvation to an
American. With little rice and a little
hsh they will do more hard work than nine
tenths of our day laborers. They disproye
entlrely the theory that a labOring man
must nave meat in his stomach, for they
never touch it from one weeks end TO an
other 1t was only on rare occasions that
Kobe, our courier, could be induced to share
our meals. He said American food was al
dulged more than once or twice week he
was certain to be laid on the sick list.
The jinrickisha meE Of Japan perform
wonders in the matter of endurance and
long runs, and some of the stories told by
travellers in Japan are about as much as n
stay-at home can well believe. For a cooiie
to make sixty miles i'm day with his
loaded carriage is not considered at all I'M
usual. though 1t is customary to have two
men for each vehicle such a long run
so provided l made journey not long ago
OF just thirty miles. the actual time con-
stunned being just five hours. They stopped
just once for brief breathing SPELL a sip
OF tea and couple of whiffs of tobacco,
and then they were off again. Leaving our
party they returned to Yokohama the same
evening. making the distance again in five
hours. Sixty miles in ten hours is not slow
going. but the most remarkable thing was
that going back the two men took turns
riding in the 'rckisha. They say 1t is
easier to pull loaded 'rickisha than it is
an empty one. coolie with a small pack
age in his hand to carry would probably
not make more than twenty-five miles a
day. When they are in the shafts they
want to go as hard as they can clip it all
the time. but they never lose their temper.
and always have a pleasant smile for their
passengers.