. Hildreth's "Japan as it was and is" : a handbook of old Japan. one or two actorsperform at a time. These are always dressed in a verysingular manner, according as their own taste and fancysuggest, insomuch that a stranger would be apt to believethat they exhibited themselves not to entertain, but tofrighten, the audience. Their gestures as well as theirdress are strangely uncouth and extravagant, and consistin artificial contortions of the body, which it must havecost them much trouble to learn and perform. In gen-eral they represent some heroic exploit, or love story, oftheir idols and hero
. Hildreth's "Japan as it was and is" : a handbook of old Japan. one or two actorsperform at a time. These are always dressed in a verysingular manner, according as their own taste and fancysuggest, insomuch that a stranger would be apt to believethat they exhibited themselves not to entertain, but tofrighten, the audience. Their gestures as well as theirdress are strangely uncouth and extravagant, and consistin artificial contortions of the body, which it must havecost them much trouble to learn and perform. In gen-eral they represent some heroic exploit, or love story, oftheir idols and heroes, which are frequently composedin verse, and are sometimes accompanied with music. Acurtain may, it is true, be let fall between the actors andthe spectators, and some necessary pieces be broughtforward upon the theatre; but in other respects thesesmall theatres have no machinery nor decorations whichcan entitle them to be put in comparison with those ofEurope. When the Japanese wish at any time to entertainthe Dutch, either in the town of Nagasaki, or more. CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE 161 particularly during their journey to the imperial court,they generally provide a band of female dancers, for theamusement of their guests. These are generally }roungdamsels, very superbly dressed, whom they fetch fromthe inns; sometimes young boys likewise are mixedamong them. Such a dance requires always a numberof persons, who turn and twine, and put themselves intoa variety of artificial postures, in order to represent anamorous or heroic deed, without either speaking or sing-ing. Their steps are, however, regulated by the musicwhich plays to them. These girls are provided with anumber of very fine and light gowns, made of silk, whichthey slip off one after another, during the dance, fromthe upper part of their body, so as frequently to leavethem, to the number of a dozen together, suspended fromthe o-irdle which encircles their loins. Though the view taken by Thunberg of the Japanesepresent
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