Although fencing is a military exercise, it is so commonly practised
by the Japanese 'yaconinierie,' or 'soldiery,' who comprise a large
portion of the population, and is entered into by them in so spirited
a manner, that it deserves to be classed as an amusement.

[Illustration: Yaconins fencing.]

The woodcut is a very faithful representation of yaconins fencing. The
masks cover the whole of the head; and the arms, breast, and hips, are
protected by cuirass, petticoat, &c. of leather ribbed with bamboo.

The fencing sticks are of the same length as the
'obi-todee-auf-catana,' or 'great fighting-sword.' They are made of
split canes, bound tightly together, and are used with both hands.

The Japanese fence well, and deliver their points with great
precision, especially an awkward downward thrust at the breast.

They deliver their cuts and points with fierce guttural exclamations,
which are peculiarly disagreeable to European ears; especially when
the listener is located in the vicinity of a guard-house, whose
occupants notify their employment at daybreak with such cries as
'Hie-e! Ah-h! Atturah-h!' ('That's at! that's into you!') and continue
this information, accompanied by the clashing of their sticks, and
occasional chuckles, until late in the afternoon.

The Japanese are great frequenters of the theatres, of the interior of
one of which the illustration is a very good representation--the
exterior is generally very like that of the temples; and in some, the
ground-floor is laid out with miniature lakes and bridges, the
audience looking down on the performance from lateral and opposite
galleries.

The stage is a little smaller than ours, but sometimes has a promenade
through the centre of the theatre, which facilitates by-play, to which
the Japanese attach great importance. The body of the house is divided
into boxes, which are generally taken by family parties, who bring
their provisions with them and remain all day, as the performances
begin about 10 A.M. and last until late in the evening. Their plays
are very tedious, although enlivened by a good deal of smart
_repartee_ and telling jokes, but the morality even of the most
correct is very questionable. Love, of course, is the prevailing
feature; and the adventures of the principal heroes contain enough
bloodshed and murder to satisfy the most ardent admirer of sensation
dramas. In their hand-to-hand encounters they cut and slash at one
another with naked s