The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-05-14
FUNNY yAPANEsg TOYS.
Queer Mechanical Playthings Made to
Amuso Young Oricntals.


There are no people so fond Of toys as
the japanese, About one day out Of three
Is holiday 90 their country, and even
their piIgr.mages 20 temple, OF worship
are performed 10 gala costumes. with dane.
iug and sport, by the vuysle Play Is
from their point OF view the object OF cE.
istcncc work being the means 20 the end
because 10 :, necessary Co earn pleasure 90
order 90 find II enjoyable Americans OF
course kRow better than this, having accr
taiucd that the purpose oi life is labor aud
that fun in any shape is waste Of time
The Japanese have the most perfect Kin.
dergarten system IN the world In fact
they originated this method OF iustruc.iug
by Entertainment instead Of by punish.
meut inflicted Their play apparatus FOR
such purposes a. elaborate but all ~ 10 is
adapted 20 'hs infant mind, which is is dc
signed 40 once 20 umusc and to inform.
The little ones Of that nation oven be-
come somewhat interested 10 mathematics
by seeing and feeling whatA pretty thing
n cone, a sphere or cylinder is when cut
out OF wood with o lathe. They makcogt
lines Of solid figures out OF stuws, with
green peas dried 20 hold tho joints toer'h-
er, and for the instruction uf the blind ilt
blocks are provided, with the Japanese
character, raised on them.
Even the toys Of Japan give instruction
20 those who play with t..m. One sort of
playing car.is has printed upon them 100
scraps of classical poetry, by which the
rId,mnnts OF the art of yurs.icltun are
expected TO be iuculcatci. Another set
embodies collection Uf old japanese
parallels, by which tho syllabary OF the
language and moral mayms 40 the same
time are to be taught Another set is uf
natural history cards to give instruction
in the names aud forms OF animals, and
still another set, especially intended Tor
girls, affords examples oi women who have
been celebrated for their virtue aud noble
qualities.
All these things cau be seen IN the mu.
scum Of the bureau OF education, uf the
existence Of which few people in Washing.
ton are aware. In the collection there,
which includes all the educational ,app,l.
auccs Of civilized countries, Is most inter.
csting assembage OF japanese toys. Many
Of them are types Of playthiug, which the
youth Of western civilization has adopted
from the east.
For example, there are kites but no
Yankee boy can fy such kites, iu theshape
Of birds and monsters, as can the urcuin
Of Japan. There are tops also, but the
American schoolboy has never got further
in this play art than "pegin-tha-ring,"
whereas his japanese contemporary Is nc
quainted In the SCIENCE Of spinning many
tops together, Of whistling tops, and 30 on
So far as both tops and kites are concerned
the young Caucasian ison iguormus com
pared with his oriental rival
Among the babies toys from Japan at
the museum is mouse That feeds from a
bowl when little bamboo spring Is
touched, lowering his head and long tail in
quite n liielike manner Another is a
small cylinder, into which one blows
through two small reed tubes, three bulls
Of pith being kept bobbing in bit Of n
cage over the cylinder by the breath, while
cut in one Of the tubes produces u shrill
whistle
Another is little man that is made to
jump up long stick by bamboo spring,
and still another is wooden gentleman
who rides along between two wheels, being
attached to the axle with Il heavy base. A
toy jinricksha is one Of the more expensive
playthings, showing foreigner being
drawn in hand buggy by anative between
the shafts.
Further devices for toy purposes are ka-
Telescopes, boxes with glass tops filed
like cupboards with various household
utensils in miniature and bags filed with
shot for tossing Washington Star.