The record-union., 1899-04-12
JAPANESE ADJUSTMENTS.

JAPANESE ADJUSTMENTS.
A Days Pleasure With Some Mem
bers of the Fast Set.
To show how Japanese gentlemen
sometimes amuse themselves may cite
the following: While connected with
the Third Higher Middle School, when
it occupied buildings near the castle,
in Osaka, I was called on one after
noon by one of my scholars, who had
been sent by a gentleman to invite me
to spend the next day with him and
some of his friends in the pursuit OF
pleasure after the japanese fashion. l
was told that my host would send for
me about o'clock, and that my young
pupil himself would be in attendance
to act as interpreter, in case my knoWl-
edge of the language was insufficient
to assure me that clear understanding
of the conversation and of the play
the theater was to be the scene of our
frolic during much of the day-which
would be essential to my enjoyment
The invitation had been accompanied
by one of those pretty boxes of sweets
which the Japanese so often send in
such cases.
Next morning, promptly at the hour
named arrived a handsome jinriksha,
drawn by two men in livery, and was
taken to my entertainers town house,
where 1 met some of his friends. We
Were served with cigarettes, tea, cakes
and a tiny cup or two of the finest
sake. AT II we went to a fine restaur-
ant, one of those, which, while retain
ing the native menu, have introduced
many details to contribute to the COM
fort of foreign guests. l was, however,
little disappointed. We were shown
to a large apartment overlooking
pretty little garden. This room was
furnished more than one usually finds
such places, for there were hemp rugs
on the floor over the mats, the paint
ings on the fusuma (the sliding panels
which serve as partitions between the
rocms) were exceptionally fine, and the
ra1iima the carved openwork dados)
We're beautiful specimens of the cabinet
makers art. Pretty lamps, with cleo
trio lights, hung from the ceiling. We
were seated on the small flat cushlons
which served in lieu of chairs; small,
low tables of convenient hight We're
placed. one for each person. and the
served-a cup OF sake and some COM
fits. Then the geisha, or professional
singing and dancing girls and the
samisen players appeared, to- add to the
entertainment They did not devote
themselves exclusively to their arts, for
some of them helped in serving the sake
and engaged in conversation with u.s.
found the young woman who had been
detailed especially to attend to- me to be
a remarkably bright person, well able
to make me understand her conversa-
sation and what was even more salts
factory, able to understand my Jap
anese fairly we'll, SO that while at the
restaurant I had little occasion to call
in the aid of my interpreter
These geisha constitute such an i'm
portant factor in the amusements of
japanese gentlemen, that a few words
concerning them may not be out OF
place. Like the Greek hetaerae, they
are usually sold to their trainers when
quite young (often at the age of seven)
by their INDECENT parents, and are care
fully educated in music, conversation
and dancing. They are always hand
sonely dressed, but in snowy materials
and in a peculiar style which distin-
guishes them from respectable women,
who invariably wear plain clothes of
subdued colors. The life, once entered
| upon, is difficult to escape from; but
50 far as the girls are personally con-
cerned no disgrace attaches to them. If
a man ransoms one and marries her
she takes her rank and station without
/ any stigma attaching to her. I have
met in the highest japanese society
We men who had been geisha for time,
but who were received as their hus-
bands equals without question being
ked as to their antecedents. 1t is a
curious phase of society.
At about 2 p. m. the bowl of plain
boiled rice and the cup of tea which
mark the end of a feast in Japan, as in
China, were served. and we We're then
| asked to get ready for the fheater. I'm
like China, buildings used expressly for
thespian purposes are common in Japan
although out-of-door performances on
a temporary stage are also given. The
theaters of Osaka are in the Dotom-
| bori district, and are surrounded by
sideshows of every description. We
went to the largest and best-a plain
wooden building, not in any way at
tractiye as regards it's exterior nor or
namental in it's interior. The auditor
ium is large, square room, the fiat
floor being divided into many small sec
tions by low ratings, each section ac-
commodating six or eight persons and
| being equipped with mats. A party
I may hire a section, or single tickets
may be bought. the holder taking his
chance of getting a place where. he can.
Ushers are in attendance, also peddlers
of playbooks, fruit and lunches, for a
theatrical day is a long. one, lasting
from early morning until late at night
The fiatness of the floor is no obstacle
to vision, as the stage is high enough
fer all to see we'll. Surrounding the pit
is a gallery divided into boxes, and one
of these had been reserved for OUR
party. A couple Of red blankets had
been spread to protect the mats and
chairs We're provided for our comfort
a thoughtful concession to the stiff
joints of the foreigner, although tend
ing to make him unpleasantly conspicu-
Gus. The stage was a revolving one.
and the scenery and accessories, while
decidedly crude, were a marked i'm
provement over the bare thea-ers of
China. The playS-for we SAW a part
"a