Arizona republican., 1908-03-03
Aristocratic Women
 of Japan.

The GlamOr of Japan lies in Its cute little women and the diminutive bits of childhood that live in the picturesque. doll-,.kc houses of the Mikado's country, where even the Jap grandees have nova days three and sometimes four stOriel
 brick mansions that would not look out
 Of place in some busting American city. And these mansions are now coming to he fitted up with electric lights, ire places. telephones and artificial gas. But
 the strangest part of all this new Japan
 csc life Is that only the Jap nOb.eman lives In the new kind of houses.
 His dainty little wife still inhablts his
 old. original Japanese home. which lies
 behind the big brick mansion and in
 which the Japanese nobility still live the
 old kind of Japanese existence. The home
 life of the Jap Is the old style of house.
 He entertains English and American vls-
 itors of importance in the new brick man.
 sion. but his wife lives and his children
 are born just as their ancestors were-In
 a dolIHke house in which the partitions
 are made of paper and one sits on the
 floor to eat or reclines on a hard mat
 when it Is time to go to bed.
 The Western woman who is allowed to
 pass through the brick mansion to the
 real home of the Japanese nobleman is
 very intimate. indeed. Every Japanese
 woman of social importance has her
 day" on which Europeans are invited to
 the brick mansion. where they are enter
 talned just as If they were in New York or Paris Real friends are asked to visit my Lady Japanese in her Japanese house. where she must take ofr her shoes in the old oriental style and where tea Is drunk sitting on the mats.
 When the Marquis This or Count sO and So visits Europeans on formal Occa- siOns he follows his wife into the dining room. but on friendly visits his lOrdsh'p walks in front in true Japanese style and his little wife follows him in her ki- mona. But the Jap lady loves fine clothes perhaps even more than the belle of Newport or New York While the dresses are simply made as to their cut and fashions change little. still the expense is terrific for the material is always woven after the design of some special artist with the picture of some favOrite artist woven on the bottom and her family crest woven on the shoulders, neck and sleeves.
 She wears cloth of gold and cloth Of silver lberally, does the little Japanese lady of noble birth. and her "Obi'' will cost from one to two hundred dollars in most cases.
 There are in Japan also fixed standards of dress for the different ages. This standard Is fixed mostly by the colors worn. child from babyhood until 1t is 10 or 12 years Of age wears gsy-cOl- cred kimonOs having big designs in flow CTS The color used mostly for this pc riod is bright red used in big masses of roIoring. From II 10 25 years the Japa- nese lady decks herself in pale gray or pale blue kimonOs. with pink or other colored flowers. and many use views taken from famous Japanese paintings. which form an embroidered border around the bottom of the kimoIO The rest of the costume is in the plain blue or gray coloring-
 When she gets past 8 years of age the Japanese noblewoman lays aside 1 bright colors and brilliant effects and | wears a dark brown or dark blue kimono. | This is always of the richest material. ! however. and always the family crest Is | on neck. shoulders and | sleeves Sometimes during this period simple design of storks or cranes or a with clouds around 1t will be around the bottom of the k zimonO.
 Bright colOrs are absolutely forbidden 10 the Jap lady of quality after passing Ter twenty fifth birthday. Since she is isually a grandmother about this time. or -ery shortly afterward, the deprivation $ not as great as a Westerner would hink. Red Is used among the upper 'lasses for children only. Among the over classes the women often make up or cheap material by glarins colors.