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New-Year's Day in Japan - game of battledore and shuttlecock in the streets of Yokohama, 1865. Creator: Unknown
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New-Year's Day in Japan - game of battledore and shuttlecock in the streets of Yokohama, 1865. Creator: Unknown
New-Year's Day in Japan - game of battledore and shuttlecock in the streets of Yokohama, 1865. Illustration of '...Japanese manners and customs which we have received from our Special Artist and Correspondent at Yokohama...the first three days of [the New Year] are devoted to games of every kind, played by old and young. Their most characteristic performance is the game of battledore and shuttlecock. The battledore is made of solid wood, with the picture of a man or woman on the reverse side; the shuttlecock is something like ours, but very much smaller, and having a little round marble, into which the feathers are fixed. All day long, in the street, before every shop and house door, you see laughing groups of people engaged in this sport, and the fun waxes fast and furious, while every miss is punished by applying the battledore rather sharply to that part of the human frame known to schoolboys as the natural enemy of the birch...Meantime, the boys walk on stilts, with the sticks held between their big toe and first toe; or they divert themselves with kites, tops, hoops, and other toys'. From "Illustrated London News", 1865
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Media ID 38686241
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Annual Battledore Celebrating Celebration Celebrations Custom Flying Game Kimonos Kite Kites New Year Rest And Recreation Rest And Recuperation Rest And Relaxation Shuttlecock Stilt Walker Stilts Toys Tradition Typical Pastime
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EDITORS COMMENTS
**New Year's Day in Japan: A Delightful Scene of Joy and Play**
In this vibrant print from Yokohama, Japan, circa 1865, a lively game of battledore and shuttlecock unfolds on the streets. The first three days of the New Year are filled with merriment as people of all ages gather to play in front of shops and homes. At center stage is the iconic battledore, adorned with images on its reverse side, paired with tiny shuttlecocks featuring small marbles.
As laughter echoes through the air, players enthusiastically engage in this beloved sport. Each miss is met with a playful tap from the battledore - all part of the fun! Meanwhile, boys take to stilts or soar kites and tops above their heads, adding an extra layer of excitement to this joyful celebration.
This scene captures a moment in time when traditional Japanese customs were still evolving under Western influence. The Illustrated London News published this illustration in 1865 as part of its coverage on "Japanese manners and customs," offering readers a glimpse into the daily lives and festive traditions of Japan during an era of rapid change.
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