The Misses Togo and Ito, Social Celebrities, Revolt:
Effect of Western Cinemas From Ovn Own Tokyo, Oct. 15, The fathers and mothers of the present younger generation in the countries of the West may be worried over the "fast" living of their children, but this is nothing compared to the anxiety, perplexity and fear which the youths of the Land of Cherry Blossoms are caus-Ing their elders.
'For the older generation of this country, brought up to shun anything pertaining to the opposite sex, whose marriages were contracted by their parents and to whom love in Its true sense' was taboo, now are sening their growing sons _and daughters breaking all the ancient laws of decency—with dire results.
Recently social circles here. were shocked by the rebellion against ancient discipline by daughters of two of the most respected families Inthe empire.
"The members of these families he shocked Nippon are the Misses Tachiko Tto, a grand-daughter of the Tate Count Myoji Ito, a member of the Privy Council and one of the most powerful statesmen in the country, and Yoshiko Togo, grand-oughter of the late Fleet Admiral Helhachiro Togo, hero of the Russo-'Japanese War.
The people of the West may be "gabbergasted" to learn that what caused such a commotion in staid old Japan was nothing really. shocking according to Western standards of behaviour or morals. Miss Tto, who Is 22 years of age, refused to Wed aman she had never seen in her Mfe and whom she, therefore, hardly could be expected to love. Insteda loped with a. rising young friend of the family. also, Dut not "of the same. high social position as the Ito family.
Both Tachiko Ito and Yoshiko brought up in a country ye relinquished the ancient Ideas rer garding the position of its wor folk—a position which bound those of bue Jong. devotion, weaker sex to a lite of sel
life in which love, in the sense that It is known In Western coun tries, has no part Millions Caught In Confiict Like millions of modern girls. in the Land of Cherry Blossoms, 'Tachi-ko and Yoshiko were caught in the conflict between modernism and the 'Old Nippon. Whereas daughters ordinary' families are not bound as fare those in the upper strata of s0- ciety by bonds of ancient discipline and' are rapidly adopting the customs and costumes of the West, Tochiko Ito and Yoshiko Togo, just og fond as their sisters of modern Ife, outdoor sports, motion pictures, romance and dancing, were shut Inthe marrow confines of their homes, 'Only. on rare occasions were they permitted to breathe the alr of freedom' outside. Like precious treas-tures they werd protected and cherish ed. Above all they wore never permitted to be in. the company of members of the opposite sex outside their immediate family eircles—never, that is, with the consent of their eld Both Tachiko and Yoshiko _were sent to the exclusive Peerest' -School fo be taught such things as the "three obediences"—obedience, while yet unmarried, to a father; obedience, When" married, toa' husband, when widowed, to a son. Like other girls of their set these young girls were told to ro yard marriage not the culmination of romance but. fas a means of uniting two families. Love, romance, galely and liberty were' not to be theirs, Three Dreary Obediences Being healthy, modern young girls at heart, such dreary lessons, as the "three dbediences" did not interest Tachiko and Yoshiko inthe least.
Forced to live in a by-gone age, they finally rebelled. 'Tachiko, who was 22, refused to wed the choice of her' parents. Who this young man is has not been revealed. All that is known is that his parents, as well as Tachiko's, agreed that for the sake of uniting both families the two should be married.
Ordinarilly there would be tittle objection on the part of the young people concerned. Like Miles Stan-Gish the average Japanese man does. not do his own courting. 'The majority of men here woo by proxy. He sees a photograph of his prospe tive bride, Is permitted to have one brief interview with her, and must. decide then whether he' will take her for better or for worse. Up this point, the blushing bride-to-be and her future mate have not so much as held hands. They know about of much about each other hrough personal contact Eskimo knows about an inhabitant of central Africa.
All this may have been very well in the olden" days but Japanese Girls are beginning to have different Ideas regarding the sort of men with whom they expect to. spend the remainder of their lives. Perhaps this explains why there are so many ivories in Nippon at present. The Tatio is one divorce for every ten marriages, No Force of Marriage In the case of Tachiko Ito, she seems to have been brave enough to Fefuse to go through the farce of a marriage on which her parents insisted. "She eloped three months ago with Tatsuo Terashita, 33, who og has already been stated,' is a rising young writer. It was only recently that the newspapers got "wind" of the elopement.
the case of Yoshiko Togo there] was nothing so serious. One lovely spring morning this year she fled from "her home as a result of parental reprimand for poor, marks at school. She had heard of Asakusa, the amusement and theatre centre of Tokyo. Romance was in her heart. She wanted to explore her "fairy-Jana."
So, disguised as-a working girl, she looked for employment and Soon found work as a waitress in a cheap eating-house frequented by college students. Life here was merry. She could mingle with fun-Toving boys. "She loved to talk to them and to listen to their flatter ing. remarks.
Merry Life tu Asakusa Day after di and the more Yoshiko became' accustomed to the merry life of Asakusa, the fonder she grew of it. But her happiness Tasted for only seventeen days. Her antic parents having failed to find her at the homes of relatives and friends, finally sought the aid of the police, by this time the news had reach-the press. The disappearance of the favourite grand-daughter Admiral Togo was a question of major Importance. Large headlines, appeared in all of the leading journal Learning from the newspapers of the frantic search that was" being conducted for her and of how her parents were worried over her con~ Hinued absence, Yoshiko returned to her home. Her father, Marquis 'Takesht Too, a kind-hearted, loving father and a man respected through the land, was almost in tears he greeted his daughter. 'The blame for her behaviour, he insist ed, was mostly his and' to expiate his disgrace and that of his family, he submitted his resignation to the Imperial Household where he was! serving as a Master of Ceremonies ment sympathized with the marquis assigned him to supervising the magnificent chrysanthemum gardens fof the Shinjuku Detached Palace in Tokyo where distinguished foreign ers are entertained twice a year at the Emperor's garden parties.
Parental Sackeloth In most countries this incident would not have imposed parental Jsackeloth and even in' Japan the more liberal-minded feel that the of modern young girls according to strict, ancient virtues of feminine humility, is the cause of numerous tragedies.
As for Yoshiko Togo, she has been taken from her family'and placed in the care of relatives with more modern, ideas regarding the upbringing of children of present-day Japan. At this writing she is said to be happy and contented.
The case of Tachiko Ito is more serious. It is said that she is soon, to become a mother. Whether there can be a reconeilation with her par-fents in view of the disgrace she has caused them as well as the family of the young man who was chosen to be her life-mate, is problematical. The late Count Myoji. Ito was a stern reactionary and his family is understood to favour carrying on the old. tradition.
Naturally to a country where Kissing is still held a crime punishable by law when practiced in public, the conduct of Yoshiko Togo and Tachiko Ito has been a severe shock. But there is no disputing the fact that a rapid change is taking place West, particularly those things per-among the youths of the fond in respect fo matters of love and the mingling of members of both sexes.
Infuence of the Cinema One cause of the sudden change the younger generation has been the popularity of Western" photoplays. Before motion pictures were Shown in Japan there were virtual-
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