ts (_Hi-Thai_). Thus scenic decorations of
any importance must always have been out of question in the Chinese
theatre. The costumes, on the other hand, are described as magnificent;
they are traditionally those worn before the 17th century, in accordance
with the historical colouring of most of the plays. The actor's
profession is not a respectable one in China, the managers being in the
habit of buying children of slaves and bringing them up as slaves of
their own. Women may not appear on the stage, since the emperor
K'ien-Lung admitted an actress among his concubines; female parts are
therefore played by lads, occasionally by eunuchs.

4. JAPANESE DRAMA

The Japanese drama, as all evidence seems to agree in showing, still
remains what in substance it has always been--an amusement passionately
loved by the lower orders, but hardly dignified by literature deserving
the name. Apart from its native elements of music, dance and song, and
legendary or historical narrative and pantomime, it is clearly to be
regarded as a Chinese importation; nor has it in its more advanced forms
apparently even attempted to emancipate itself from the reproduction of
the conventional Chinese types. As early as the close of the 6th century
Hada Kawatsu, a man of Chinese extraction, but born in Japan, is said to
have been ordered to arrange entertainments for the benefit of the
country, and to have written as many as thirty-three plays. The
Japanese, however, ascribe the origin of their drama to the introduction
of the dance called _Samb[=a]so_ as a charm against a volcanic
depression of the earth which occurred in 805; and this dance appears
still to be used as a prelude to theatrical exhibitions. In 1108 lived a
woman called Iso no Zenji, who is looked upon as "the mother of the
Japanese drama." But her performances seem to have been confined to
dancing or posturing in male attire (_otokomai_); and the introduction
of the drama proper is universally attributed to Sarnwaka Kanzabur[=o],
who in 1624 opened the first theatre (_sibaia_) at Yeddo. Not long
afterwards (1651) the playhouses were removed to their present site in
the capital; and both here and in the provincial towns, especially of
the north, the drama has since continued to flourish. Persons of rank
were formerly never seen at these theatres; but actors were occasionally
engaged to play in private at the houses of the nobles, who appear
themselves to have taken part in performanc