PRINCE IN JAPAN

Evening Star, Issue 17954, 27 April 1922, Page 6

PRINCE IN JAPAN

. BAD WEATHER CONTINUES; Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. TOKTO, April 25. Heavy rain necessitated' the abandonment of the Prince of Wales’s projected trip to Lake Shoji and Mount Fujiyama.. H.R.H. is proceeding on a week s visit to Kyoto.—Reuter. Among the more interesting forms of entertainment to which the Prince of Wales will be treated l in Japan is that of the native drama' (says a correspondent of the ‘ Morning Post ’). All the leading actors of the country arc now vicing with one another for the honor of being included in the cast of the plays selected 1 to bo given before the Royal guest. The old Kabukiza having been reduced 1 to ashes in a recent conflagration, the Imperial Theatre has been chosen for the exhibitions of historic art especially selected 1 for the Prince of Wales. One of the noted actors likely to be included in the list in play before the Prince is Utaemon Nakamura, famous as a. female impersonator. The first play which the Prince will lie invited to witness is entitled ‘ Nawa Ngatoshi,’ written by Koda Rohan, one of the most distinguished of modern playwrights in Japan. This play has won universal admiration in Japan, the lending parts being taken by Kashira and Matsusuke. The play will open with the appearance on the stage of all the leading actresses of the Imperial Theatre, who will dance the Miyake Udori, perhaps the most aesthetic and graceful of all the native dances, and usually given in Kyoto in cherry blossom time. The dance and 1 two 1 plays will occupy sonic three hours. Everything possible will be done to make the plays understandable to the foreign guests, including a syllabus of the acts in English. One of the most delightful excursions to which the. Prince of Wales will bo invited is a trip on Lake Biwa, the largest body of fresh water in Japan, having a circumference of some 180 miles. Work is now being pushed for the completion of a special pleasure, boat, for some time under construction, to be used: for the Prince's trip. The itinerary is being arranged by the Imperial Household, and the cruise will include all the exquisite points of natural beauty on the lake. The Imperial yacht is being constructed in one of the .Mitsui dockyards, and will register 450 tons, the biggest boat ever seen on" a Japanese inland Jake. Tho name of the vessel is to bo the Midori Marti, a highly classical name reminiscent of winds and wave. 1 ;. There is some talk of arranging another trip for tho Prince, whereby ho will either bo enabled to shoot some of the more interesting rapids or witness tho exploit.