Genre:

Serial, Reminscences, Spoof

Subjects:

Cultural Geography, Race, Gender, Exhibitions, Human Development, Animal Behaviour, Military Technology

    This article contains the impressions of a 'Japanese Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary' on his tour of Britain, which include observations on the 'hideous red and white' complexions, the 'invariably white' teeth, and 'long hair' of British men. He goes on to note that his visit to the International Exhibition showed that British women were 'even uglier than men' and 'cruelly treated': for example, they are not allowed to 'pluck out their eyebrows' and are 'forced to wear, cover the whole person, and are distended to an enormous extent by hoops of steel'. Wonders whether women are 'ever out of their cages' and notes the strange eating habits of the British. However, considers the 'barbarians of Great Britain' to be 'gentle, tractable, and willing to learn', and describes the British preoccupation with constructing 'implements of destruction'.