THE LITTLE JAPANESE CHILD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 308, 22 September 1908, Page 3

THE LITTLE JAPANESE CHILD.

A' little- Japanese' girl-child','... wearing dainty crepe kimono of. gay colours, with her prettily-dressed hair'giving her an air of vast importance, her 'tiny papor parasol held orer her head if, the sun is hot as, she trots along on her little wooden shoes, raised on straps of wood, >is -the most. charming thing in the world (says a writer in an English paper). The Japanese are always bright and happy, even if it rains, and the life of tho ehilurou is a life of fairyland. It is quite rare, to see'a Japanese child" look cross, or to hear one cry. There is nothing -to cry about. A child lying with, scarcely- any clothing on, with none at all if it is hot enough, has nothing to worry about.- When" the . ago is -reached at which clothing' must be worn, it is all so light, so simple, tHat little limbs are left. perfectly -free to'run about. Their games are pretty' much, like those of other children. ''Hide and seek" with thein is just the same as it is . with English children. "And when he is caught he is -tied up and hit," a small Japanese boy will tell you, very much as an English one would do'wore he explaining their game, * ■ Little girls keep school, play ■ with dolls that arc- miniatures of themselves. "Jun-shagoto,"-or the policeman game; is ■ a'favourite,- and' when small boys are seen running about and-looking very serious, it is probable that the policeman is after them; In , some of the country places both ;boys and girls begin to work at a very' eariy stage. They manage a.turning-lathe in some of tho small mountain villages, where the most charming of wooden articles are made.' You may-watch a small boy turn a rattle for a child, and then you may buy it. for the merest trifle, 'snch a''iiretty souvenir! 'It is a cone-shaped pieco of wood, flattened- at tho top. Inside a few""stones are put-, and then the base'' of -the rattle is covered with quite, a.thin strip of wood. On tho outside he dashes in a ferocious face' in a few bold, black lilies, characteristically Japanese; then he paints the whole thing a brilliant crimson, .polishes it with a.touch-or two with a piece of wax on the turning lathe, a- wiro holds a pieco of clastic, and a favourito toy' is ready. Little girls often learn massage, and, very skilful they are. 'In Japan it is. mostly tho blind who do massage, and the blind girls find this a means of earning a living. . ' . . _.- ■. ' Thero is a' beautiful school in Tokio specially for little peeresses. No one under a certain • rank is • admitted. The girls thero aro of a wonderful, sweetness and charm. Their school is thoroughly up xo date, and they have opportunities of learning anything they like. In the kindergarten .'department tho class-rooms arc bright with flowers. These are tended by the children, and plants in all stages are looked after by them also. In a huge wooden tub thero was a.collection of tadpoles, which were to be .watched through t-lio' various stages. Large trays filled with silkworms sit work on mulberry leaves enabled, the girls to understand the industry of these busy little creatures. Tho school for peers is similarly arranged. Tho present Emperor. of _ Japan ' was -at-, ischool there, and anything more wonderfully organised from an educational point of .view it would bo difficult to conceive.' It', was. the custom'of' the Empress to. pay.'visjts to those schools from time to time. Tlie announcement. would. be ■ made that the .royal visit was to' b'» paid at a stated hour on a certaiii day.'' Special preparations were made, and the, school was adorned with furniture from' tho 'palace.'' "Tue Empress,, who was patron, of the school, -after paying ;her ■ Visit •presented each teacher with a present, such 'as piece of silk to make a dress or a roll of beautiful crepe. Lifo : in,i sunny ' Japan is very bright and charming, and the simple, natural life of tho happy children is one of its most lovely features.