The inside of the building es in pure Japanese style, except that, fat the end of the hall, there are several rows of chairs on a raised platform for the comfort of foreign visitors. The Japanese squat on the straw-matted floor. Admission is from Y. 1 to ¥. 3.50. Foreigners usually take the seats priced at the latter figure, this including admission to the tea ceremony which precedes the performance, The performance is divided into nine faceness, or, rather, tableaux, all in venutiful settings, the scenery and conic effects in' each succeeding tableau out-rivalling the previous tone. The scenery is always artist. cally painted and arranged, and marvelously constructed. ' The realistic beauty of the scenery beggars description, and one finds it extremely hard to believe that the cherry trees aglow with blos-sorns, the tittle the rustic water mill, the temple in the distance, and' the stone lanterns are nothing more than painted canvas, wood, and stone. The mechanics of the stage settings are triumphs and the devices for making quick changes, fas good as anywhere in the world. AAt the end of a tableau, the scenes seem to collapse or fall'away, the cloth curtains and draperies' seem to scurry through the trap doors in the st her scenes rise through the floer with remarkable speed. Electricity is generally used as the motive pow AID through, orchestra five hand-drums, small dr tivo big dram bell players, together with ses its we tisvally do, in 2 hich falsetto voice, yet without that shouting thst characterises the singing of the Chinese ug gir! On the other hand, Japanese songs ave a atrong under-tone of wailing which toning down Photo by Ariel Varges, International on VAT WiTERE CAsIRODIAN DANCING Git
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.