The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-06-28
THE JAPANESE FACE.
Prominent Men of Japan Who
ReSe mble Americans
Photographs of Noted state and Army
Leaders That Might Pass for Those
OF Distinguished Men OF the
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 IL may
have made rather an unfavorablt i'm
precision upon the physiognomists and
observers in genera. but a. people,
have become better acquainted with IL
through the study of its peculiarities IL
must have grown in favor. 1t differs
from the face of other Asiatic races: il
II obviously distinct from the Chinese
the Tartar the Hindoo. the Malay and
the Persian face. Ii bears a nearer re
semblance 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. Griffis, of Toxic. says that there
are two marked varieties of feature in
Japan which are strikingly portrayed
in their own pictures. These are the
broad. Hat 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 a
mixture of two separate races. TIN, one
Siberia, hairy and broad featured.
while the other, which approached
from the southwest had the Hindu
stani physiognomy and smooth skin.
To this day the natives of the chief
island. Nippon. regard those of the
lesser island. Ieso, who are called
Amos as of inferior quality The face
here spoken of as typical of the natives
of Japan Is that of the well-born Nip
ponese, a people who probably owe
their origin 20 a cross between the
primitive Amos and the later comers
from India.
The face of the mikado as printed
from Toxic portraits uf him. says the
New York sun. II 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 IL seems TO have q rather
sullen expression, but when closely
studied IL gives an idea of intellectual
ity, thoughtfulness, stradfastncsS. eau
tiousness. energy and observation-disclosures.
1t IL eminently Indicative of the mans
character. as illustrated during his
long and successful reign All the fc,l-
lures of it are well formed. and the
bearing Of the head il in accord with
his traits. as known to the world. ANY
phySiognomist, after thoroughly eN-
amining the emperor'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
Toe taken for that Of a fine-loollin-
American or European woman. in 80
far as form and expression are con
cerned, yet not. perhaps. as regards
complexion. though 1t Is a 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. Namaga1a
looks not unlike the late Robert Louis
Stevenson. novelist. Marshal Oyama
bears some resemblance To Grover
Cleveland. Viscount MutSe would be
tine looking for Il white man. Vice Adj
miral Ito's double may be seen upon
every block on Broadway any fine
afternoon. DIR. Depew. the Bowery
peach" would smile if he saw one Of
the Japanese portraits in the suns col
lection Of them. and Thomas {. PIatt
would smile If he saw another. The
faces of a group of young JapS in
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 resemblance TO the American
or European face than when it Il
photographed, for the methods Of
japanese art are peculiar. The real
style and spirit of the face are best
brought out by the camera. 1t l. a
| face that must Toe studied very closely
and very long and very often by any
one who would get proper comprr-
| hension of it. or who would seek to
gain insight into japanese character
! by means of it. or who would attempt
| to interpret the history of Japan 10y the
distinctive physIognomy of its peculiar