JAPANESE WOMEN

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 147, 18 March 1937, Page 4

JAPANESE WOMEN

Tea With Geisha Girls

in the course of a world tour which has already taken her to Japan, the Pbillpnine Islands, Borneo, New Guinea and Australia, Miss M. K. Wann, of London, has arrived in New Zealand. Miss Wann was particularly fascinated with Japan, where she had spent five weeks travelling about the country. Although a great deal of Western progress Ims been made socially aud industrially, Japan, from the tourist point of view, remained as attractive as ever. The buildings were still picturesque and the gardens still beautiful, although in some of the larger cities such as Tokio, Yokohama, and Kyoto, large modern blocks of offices and shops contrasted strangely with native markets and streets, and the efficient, cheap tramcars with the more picturesque rickshaws. "In Japan you can travel for miles for sixpence, aud everything except frosh green vegetables is correspondingly cheap, and labour cheapest of all,” said Miss Wann.

Many Japanese women had taken up positions in the cities in offices, telephone exchanges, schools, clinics, and hospitals, but they retained much of their Oriental charm. They usually wore their own national costume aud, although they sometimes wore their hair permanently waved aud their skirts slit at the sides, they managed to remain dainty. They were always gracious, hospitable, and dignified. Among her interesting experiences in Yokohama Miss Wann counts a visit to a geisha bouse, or Japanese tearoom. Taking tea with the geisha was an impressive ceremony, she said. First of .till the visitor had to remove her shoes and she was led through exquisitelydecorated and panelled rooms and halls to the room where tea was served at very low tables. Out of consideration for the foreigner, brilliant cushions were placed on the floors, but the Japanese girls sat very easily .and gracefully upon their heels. Pale tea in tiny thimble-like cups was served with little biscuits made of seaweed. During and after tea, the visitor was entertained by the geishas, who sang and danced delightfully.