THEATRES IN JAPAN.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20027, 8 September 1930, Page 6

THEATRES IN JAPAN.

STATELY OLD DRAMA. A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS. In Kyoto, the former capital of Japan, the amusement lover ia as wellcatered for as he is in any other part of the world, Miss Carol WestWatson, who. toured Japan and China last year, told aii audience at the" Workers' Educational Association on Saturday evening. In the ancient Japanese city there were four distinct forms of theatrical amusejnent. There were the old national" theatre, the modern, imported theatre, the Japaneso "national" cinema, a fid the American cinema. "I was most impressed by the old theatre,'' said Miss West-Watson. "Classical drama was played, and it was very slow and stately, with a chorus often composed of old men, who at times kept up a constant accompaniment to the main motive of the piece. A girl came on 'and danced, and gracefully. But I was told that •she exercised every muscle in the course of her 'turn', and that the dance was really quite fatiguing. She wore a beautiful kimono, magnificently embroidered. • Suddenly black hoods cre P , on *° th® stage, passed her, and her kuncmo was stripped awav. revealing another even more gorgeous This process was repeated-often and ot kfmS." 10 w Co ° , " tesß Theatre Street. dr^T en ' s ? arts in th ® °l<i Classical taken by men, hafl n non > a nd some men reputations as women. wS SmJiT theatrical art jgrCmmded her 01 children's All the theatres in Kvoto Tam, n StZt 11 Tt o^ eßt, aptly called' Theatre tZ w e J b on^Z e V^- tbo theaof little shops cm other* Z um } >er every shop in Soto hid srs. were often c , the lamps poses. Used for Advertising puV-