Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 68, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1920 — JAP GAMES HAVE PURPOSE [ARTICLE]

JAP GAMES HAVE PURPOSE

Children'* PartlmM In That Gauntry Ar* Played With' the Idea of Strengthening Character. For centuries before America was discovered, Japanese children were playing games upon which our boys and girls considered they have a monopoly, and which are regarded as strictly modern. As a matter of fact, most of our pastimes and games have come to us from foreign lands, though they. have been modified to suit our needs, and perhaps renamed. “Pussy wants a corner” and “blindman’s buff” are as old as Japan Itself. Aa played across seas, however, these games are far’superior to ours. Puss, for Instance, Is represented aft an "Onl,” or devil, the corners of the room the four safe harbors of truth with certain shelter from all harm. In “blind-man’s butt," the children wear queer little costumes made of blue and white cotton crepe,, with painted eyes and queer stuffed beaks resembling birds’, for noses. They look like weird little gnomes rathei* than children, as they dash about In a frantic endeavor to catch their victims, tA ghostly* game particularly en»joyed by heroic boys requires the same costumes. Some of them plant flags In different parts of the ceifaetery during the day, under a lonely tree or by a hill, alleged to be haunted. At night they meet for their game of “soul examination,” telling stories about ghosts, goblins and onl. At the conclusion of each tale when their imaginations are so wrought up that they are In terror, they go up the hill one at a time and bring back the flags planted there, until all are brought in. Thus do they discourage fear and foster courage, the trait of character that they most covet ' *