GIFT FROM JAPAN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 155, 14 April 1936, Page 5

GIFT FROM JAPAN.

GIANT BATTLEDORE, COMPLIMENT TO VISITOR. TOKIO, March 25. The Foreign Office spokesman, Mr Amau, is sending to Dr. Clunies Ross, of Sydney University, a gift of a giant battledore symbolic of the popular Japanese New Year’s game. The battledore is two and a half feet long and decorated with a silk figure of a famous Japanese actor, Kiku Goro.

Dr. Clunies Ross, who is Director of the McMaster Animal Health Laboratory at Sydney University, returned recently from a tour of Japan, where ho studied the attempts to establish a wool industry. “Battledore is a very popular game with women in Japan, he'explained when shown the above cablegram, “and at the New Yaw Geisha girls play it in the street.” “Such large battledores as this one would never bo used in a game, of course, but are commonly given as presents. Some are most elaborately embroidered in silk and decorated. Mr Amau gave me a dinner while I was there, and in the restaurant was this battledore. Kiku uoro was then playing in the special New \eai s and when I admired the battledore Mr Amau, knowing my great interest in the Japanese theatre, offeied to send it on to me. I have thought no more of it since and it comes quite unexpectedly as an example of the extreme courtesy and thoughtfulness of tho Japanese people,”