Evening star., 1923-02-25
New Japanese Envoy
And Wife Find Cozy
Home Awaiting Them
Mr.. Hanihara Is No Stranger
In Capital, But Madame Is
a Newcomer Will Be
Active Socially.

Though Mr.. Masanao Hanihara, the
Japanese ambassador, has lived in
Washington for so many years that
he counts the city as another home.
TO Nine. Hanihara, the American
Capital is a novel experience. The
successor Of Baron Shidehara and
Nine. Hanihara. came to Washington
on Sunday morning, February IS, and
they are more fortunate than the
usual diplomatic family. They found a
comfortable home all in readiness
awaiting them, and they will have all
the leisure they desire to enter upon
their new duties without the harrow
Ing experience of house hunting.
Japan's new envoy Will find but one Of
the higher diplomatists younger than
he and that is the Italian ambassa-
dor, who is, however, less than a
year his junior. Mr.. Hanihara Is
forty-seven, and he has been in the
diplomatic service Of his country for
twenty five of these years and almost
half Of this period he has been at
tached to the Washington embassy.
The Japanese ambassador spent two
years In Korea and was transferred
to Washington in 1901. He was then
through the sad crisis which follow
ed the assassination of President Nc
Kinley. From this lowest rank, he
went through the gradations of sec
retary and had served under two
ministers and two ambassadors. when
in 1912, he was recalled to Toxic to
become chief OF the telegraphic COM
munications In the office of the sec
retary of foreign affairs. He remained
In this post for four years and II was
in 1915. just before he was made con-
sui general to San Francisco that he
was married.
Nine. Hanihara was Mile. Mitsu
Ida Of Tokyo, daughter of Mr. G..
Ida, that renowned merchant prince
of the Japanese capital. who ls the
er of the great trading company of
Mitsui 6, Company. Nine. Hanihara
has been most carefully educated
and possesses all the charm and ac-
complishments Of the gentle woman
of the east. She learned to speak
ern ways during her three years In
California, and not for many years
has a hostess In this embassy been
so eminently we'll prepared for her
arduous and delicate role. The for
mer Sherman house in Franklin
the regime Of Baron Takahira- is
handsomely and completely furnish
ed, and competent servants have been
provided by the government.
The political exfEencfeS or the pc
riod after the armistice led to Mr..
Hanihara's transfer from San Fran
cisco to succeed Baron Shidehara In
the foreign office. that Official having
been sent as a delegate to Paris. He
was acting as vice minister of state.
or assistant secretary, as the term
goes here. when the failing health Of
the Washington ambassador caused
his resignation. This led to Mr..
Hanihara's final promotion to the
highest diplomatic rank in the Amer
lean capital, where he had begun his
diplomatic work on the lowest round
Of the ladder. Though the new am
bassador was here in 1921 as dele
gate to the arms conference, his wife
did not accompany him. and the new
mistress Of the Japanese embassy
caught her first peep of her hus-
bands former home when the train
glided into the Union station.
Both the ambassador and Nine.
Hanihara are fond Of outdoor sports,
and play tennis and the usual games
whom the open weather begins. That
Mime. Hanihara will inaugurate the
era OF hospitality 50 closely connect
ed with the names Of Nine. Uchida,
Baroness Takahiri and Viscountess
Aoki is q matter OF keen anticipa-
tion. For many have felt it a real
loss that the lighter charms Of life
have been missing from the Japanese
embassy for somewhat protracted
period.