The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1895-06-06
THE JAPANESE FACE.
Prominent Men Of Japan Who
Rose mble Americans.
Photographs of Noted State and Army
Leaders That Might Pass for Those
of distinguished Men OF the
United States.


United States.
The typical face of the japanese race
has become familiar in this country
within year through the pictures
printed in the papers. At first it may
have made rather an unfavorable i'm
preston upon the physiognomists and
observers in general, but as people
have become better acquainted with it
through the study of its peculiaritics it
must have grown in favor. 1t differs
from the face of other Asiatic races; it
is obviously distinct from the Chinese.
the Tartar, the Hindoo, the Malay and
the Persian face. 1t bears nearer re-
senblancc to the Corean face than to
any other in Asia. But in facial out
lines, as in mental characteristics, the
Japanese are more like the European
races than are any other Asiatic people.
Prof Gri1lis, Of Toxic, says that there
arc two marked varieties Of feature in
Japan which are strilsingly portrayed
in their own pictures. These arc the
broad, fiat face of the lowest class and
the oval face, with full nose, Of the
higher. Prof Griffis has been further
led to believe that the Japanese, whose
origin has been lost in antiquity, are
mixture of two separate races, the one
of which had extended southwark from
Siberia, hairy and broad featured,
while the other, which approached
from the southwest, had the Hindu
stani physiognomy and smooth skin.
70 this day the natives of the chief
island, Nippon, regard those of the
lesser island, Yeso, who are called
Amos, as of inferior quality. The face
here spoken Of as typical of the natives
Of Japan is that of the wcll-born Nip
ponese, people who probably owe
their origin TO cross between the
primitive Amos and the later comers
from India. .
The face of the mikado, as printed
from Toxic portraits of him, says the
New York Sun, is one which, apart
from its complexion, resembles that of
many Americans who may be seen in
the streets of New York any day. At
first glance it seems to have a.rather
sullen expression, but when closely
studied it gives an idea of intellcctual-
lty, thoughtfulncss, stcadfastness, eau
tiousness, energy and levcl-headcdness.
1t is eminently indicative of the mans
character, as Illustrated during his
long and successful reign All the fea-
lures of it are well formed, and the
bearing Of the head is in accord with
his traits, us known to the world. Any
physlognomist, after thoroughly ex-
amining the enlperor's face and head,
would very surely pronounce most
favorable judgment upon them. The
face OF his wife, the empress, is oval
full OF intelligence, kindly, and might
be taken for that of fine-loolSing
American or European woman, in so
far as form and expression are con-
cerned, yet not, perhaps, as regards
complexion, though it is truth that |
many Japanese women of rank, who
rarely go out Of the house, are fair COM
plexioned.
The premier, Prince Ito, the great
diplomatist, would pass here for a Col
orado senator or North Dakota specu-
lator in town lots. Gen. Yamagata
looks not unlike the late Robert Louis
Stevenson, novelist. Marshal Oyama
bears some resemblance to Grover
Cleveland. Viscount Mutse would be
fine looking for a white man. Vice Ad-
miral Ito's double may be seen upon
every block on Broadway any fine
afternoon. DR.. Depew, the Bowery
peach, would smile if he saw one of
the Japanese portraits in the Suns col
lection of them, and Thomas c.. Platt
would smile if he saw another. The
faces OF group of young Japs in a
photograph belonging to the Sun look
like those of any group Of young
Americans at Yale, or Harvard, or
Princeton.
The typical Japanese face as drawn
and colored by native artists, bears
less of a resemblance to the American
or European face than when it is
for the methods of
japanese art are peculiar. The real
style and spirit Of the face are best
brought out by the camera 1t is a
face that must be studied very closely
and very long and very often by any
one who would get a proper compre-
hension of it, or who would seek to
gain an insight into japanese character
by means of it, or who would attempt
to interpret the history of Japan by the
distinctive physlognomy of it's peculiar
people