Reception at Osaka

Source: THE ASAHI ENGLISH SUPPLEMENT, PRESENT-DAY JAPAN, 1927, page 54

Reception at Osaka


Tei Kyoku Cho, the little Korean girl who wrote the welcome song that won the Asahi prize, receiving a doll from the grand-daughter of President Murayama at the Asahi reception

On February 21 the doll envoys were welcomed by the children of Osaka who, waving the stars and stripes and the rising sun, lined the streets to get a first peep at the newcomers. But what must have given most delight to the blue-eyed dolls was the sight of 30 Japanese girl dolls dressed up in their best, who had come all the way from Osaka to Kobe to greet them, and who stood shyfully smiling at their little foreign guests. Since the dolls of both countries shook hands and bowed to each other on the pier, they soon became familiar and friendly, thereby making the tie of peace closer and tighter.

While the blue-eyed dolls were on exhibition in the six large department stores of Osaka, the boys and girls of the city were filled with delight, and crowded daily to exchange friendly compliments with them.

The Osaka Asahi opened a prize contest for a welcome song and was surprised at the result. More than 3,000 songs were turned in within a week, thus revealing the gentle and sincere hearts of the children in this country. The first prize was given to a Chosenese girl, Tei Kyoku Cho by name, living in a far-away corner of Korea. Three other fine contributions were set to music and made into very sweet songs. They all have become popular throughout the country through gramophone records and broadcasting and are at present heard, wherever one goes.

On March 3, Japan's doll-festival day, the official ceremony of receiving the dolls was held in the Osaka public hall, where boys and girls representing all the primary schools of the city assembled in large numbers.



	Little girls dancing before the American dolls at their reception at the Asahi Kaikan

On March 6, the birthday of the New Emperor, a big reception was given in the dolls' honor by the "Kodomo Asahi" (the Children's Asahi) in the newly-built Asahi hall, where the stage was covered with scarlet rugs and the ceiling hung with beautiful artificial cherry flowers to please the eyes of the little foreign envoys. Children of both countries sang and danced for the promotion of friendship. Tei Kyoku Cho, the first place winner in the Asahi contest, and another Chosenese girl who had made the long journey from Chosen especially to attend this meeting were each presented with a doll by Miss Michiko Murayama, granddaughter of the president of the Osaka Asahi. The children who attended the meeting numbered 3,000, and each of them had a doll of her own to show her cordial feeling toward the guests from abroad.

Films were made of the blue-eyed dolls landing at Kobe and entering Osaka, on exhibition and at the welcome reception given in their honor, and of the dances by the children singing folk songs for them. And these films are being shown by the Asahi in schools and theatres all over the country to commemorate this peace-promoting undertaking.

In this way every child in Japan is becoming a good friend of the blue-eyed dolls and of the children of the country across the Pacific from which they come.

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Article provided by A.M. Cohen