Seen by Japanese.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14274, 13 August 1910, Page 3 (Supplement)

Seen by Japanese.

SOME SHARP CONTRASTS. One of the most refreshing among the qualities possessed bv the Japanese actress, Jtrae. Hanako, who is in London, is her frankness. However she may mince her steps, she certainly does not mince her words. c ?£" T ers.ati<->n with. a. representative ?! /Ihe Daily Chronicle," Mme. Hanako who has aptly been called Japanis Marie Tempest," explained pretty freely h er views on the difference sue has noticed between ladies and their habits in Europe and Japan. "In a strange conntrv, or a country neu- to me," she said, "I should not, perhaps, bo surprised at surprises. But there is <,im tiling in particular that I eanimt help expressing astonishment with. Tn my Continental travels and in my .stay in England, I have or,! •served that ladies have a. fancv for wearing our kimono as a dressin"frown ! I wonder what they would say if they went over tr, Japan and found some of my countrywomen leaving their morning bath, or taking their first meal of the day, m English ball-dresses or afternoon gowns! T think thev would say, or at least got f,J,c, impassion, that the Japanese lad U-h wen, unite madt And ,f EngliKh and French ladies must wear the kimono for „. dressinggown," continued 1.1,.. .r„ p! ,m.«o »ctre«£ why don t they hnvc if, made to faston as we foster, it ft. a l ir ,„|,j |„„ over from left to right. „oi, as i* t|,<, case i W » C w ""L u " f "lk. f'"'n right to left. When «, | fl< i v wnlks ~€ p draperies mimf. f ; ,ll from Jeff, to right J he ladies of iMirope do ~r,|, know this'. If they delight to wear tho dress of Japan tftey ejjQyJd. delight to wear ifi

properly, or there is neither sense nor compliment in the fashion. If they do not know how the kimono oiight to be made, surely your manufacturers might be expected to have some knowledge of the dress!" (This remark of Madame Hanako's seemed to our representative to come as something of a blow to certain English firms who have advertised their kimonos as having been procured straight from Japan! i

"In Japan," went on Madame llanako. "the older a. woman gets the smaller are made the sleeves of her kimono. 1 have not noticed any small sleeves on the kimonos worn by English ladies, however old they have been! But Japanese ladies are proud of their age; they never want to shorten it by a single month." "But, apart from this kimono and age trouble, I hope there is something in England that appeals to your'" asked "The Daily Chronicle" representative. "There is much that anneals to me." answered Madame Hanako at once; "but even my joy at being in London, and about to play before London audiences again, cannot lead me to the lengths of praise that I observe, from interviews in your newspapers, are common with most foreign visitors to your country and your capital. Your visitors seem to say that everything is 'charming.' Nothing they encounter, animate or inanimate, is anything less than the finest! I am sorry I cannot agree with them, but I am not sorry I cannot use a flattering tongue. You have a wonderful city here—a marvellous structure. We have nothing like it in my island home. You have many marvels here that make my little Japan quite insignificant. But there is one thing that Japan can show you —delightful, beautiful, unspoiled, natural, lovable, womanly woman! I may be wrong, but you do not seem to possess such a. thing in England—at least, not in any quantity. Your young women seem to me to lie too old, and your old women too young." At which point', fearing that more conversation with the brisrht little Japanese actress might spoil him for further communion with his own kith and kin. our representative thanked Mine. Hanako for her delightfully frank and honest opinions, and departed from the improving atmosphere of her picturesque presence.