The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-01

Alter the fea6t one dresses up III the
dress suit, which iacludes a black ndori
an overccat, with e.fapli,a 6a,i.iaLIa. w
| the back, and
men, which ~
suit Of cloNG I sslzllay11sz3eao1
He issues (Sc46Drr Mis- house and goes
to the daimo's residence-the feudai Gus
toms still survive and the time honored
daimio invites every resident Of his former
dnimiate to have cup Of wine. or of ioso.
in his mansion. One goes TO pay respect
to the daimio not often personally but
for the drinking of the cup of n T0ao
After that he goes around to greet his
personal friends with % medeio'- If
his friend is n mere acquaintance. he only
leaves his card in card receiver. which is
placed IN front OF the entrance Of every
house
After. the greetings are over the boys
and the girls. even the youn g men and the
young women, Congregate in the street
and institute an outdoor game of mukuro
uchh The rukuro uchi is a game in which
any number OF persons that the place will
held NAV partake.
butterfy-like rlpkuro, with three
feathers Of small bird tied together at the
top end OF stick. one inch long. and
kernel of fruit at the bottom end, which
serves as a weight, is thrown high in The
air. II fluttens like bird. revolving swiftly
like top The feathers hold the nluIturo
in the air for a short time. Slowly it falls
Each OF the participators In the game
holds in his hand hdgoitd. a small piece of
flat board in the shape Of mandarin. One
who Is assigned TO keep the nlukiirO in the
air strikes against il with the side Of the
hdpoiid with a determined bang.
Up II flies again until Il Is another PERSONS
turn 70 keep it flying in the air. ANY person
who fails to keep tho mEkurO in the air and
allows i 10 fall on the ground is punishable
with degree of corporal torture. such as
beating him or her for that matter on the
back with the hdqoifG. Some ruiiians beat
50 severely that man often gets a sore
back in the evening.
AZ night the young people gather in
house and play cards the Japanese cards,
called iydku min isshu. The hyqkR y in
issbU consists 81 a hundred cards on which
the second two lines of q hundred of select
classical tour-line poems mostly love poems.
are written. \ person chosen from among
the party to read the first two lines of the
poems,
Before he begins TO read the cards are
spread on the matted floor amt around the
spread the party makes ring. The moment
the first word Of one of the poems is read
every one in the ring recalls the last two
lines Of the poem in his mind. and makes a
rush with his hand for the card that con
tains the lines. One who gathers most OF
the cards wine the game
Sometimes the party is divided into two
factions and the contest is waged between
them BY the way. this game is means
for encouraging the poetic taste in the
youth Of Japan
\ peculiar feature Of new year day on
the street l. the appearance of beggars.
who wear masks and attire peculiarly for
this occasion and with sticks in their hands.
stand in front Of the entrances Of houses.
and IN a stontoTian bass voice call for the
new year gifts. The words Of these beg
gars amuse the children. They run some I
what Ike this:
Oppara no shoi Dnli,u'
ShoN "a tattAru Kado guchi W.
Atuhyn Akuuhn. KakefIuan'
nnparal Go Shchi DAljin'
" hich means;
The God OF ShokL
The driver Of evils
Stands at the door
blessed the houses
Where the ShOs. stand.
Tho dire disease
The stil omen
Are on driven away
By The O'pparli no ShoN DaJin,
The b'ppGrdi No .Shoki DciIip receives
N that day an abundant provision that
sill last MIN for days
Herc cumrg woua an with her girl Of ten
the little one carrie, IN Der hand a musical
like that Of a Hungarian gypsy
The dances like the gypsy in time with
song her mother sings
Ncdctai na medctai ua so. DaikoLu.
san wa mcdeia ma. a.
Which means
blessed be the God OF Dslkoku
Blessed be Tho God Of Happiness
The shops remain closed for three days.
but the celebration goes on for n week
nd the pleasant memory thereof does not
20 70 the minds Of the people for the entire
louth Of January.
JIM HAsRIGUCHI.