A Report on the Arrival of Our Dolls in Japan

The following report is taken from a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo:

"Royalty and officialdom joined the little girls of Japan today in their doll festival as nearly 11,000 dolls from the children of the United States were formally received as 'guests.'

"Gathered among the school children, Sunday school members and girls' organizations of America, the dollies arrived here recently in several shipments, to participate in the festival, which is the most important day on the calendar for little Miss Japan.

"The doll festival has been a custom among the youngsters of the empire for more than 1,000 years. The dolls were collected as a first friendship project of the Committee on World Friendship among Children of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America.

"The formal reception was held during the afternoon at the Young Men's Association hall under the auspices of the Committee on International Friendship among Children in Japan.

"One thousand children, including many American youngsters, attended and there were about 1,000 official guests, including seven imperial princesses, the vice-minister of education and members of the American Embassy.

"The hall was decorated with Japanese and American flags. The children sang the national anthems of the two countries to the accompaniment of a military band.

"American Ambassador MacVeagh and Viscount Shibusawa, head of the Committee here, delivered addresses, stressing the friendship of Japan and America.

"The American dollies will be distributed among the children of the primary and kindergarten schools of the principal cities of the empire, where receptions again will be held.

"Forty-nine of the dolls, one representing 'Miss America,' and 48 bearing the names of each state in the American Union, will be presented to Princess Teru and later kept in the Imperial museum. These are particularly gorgeous creations.

"Miss Japan treats her doll with more consideration than the average doll in America receives. Here the doll is the guest of honor in the Japanese home for three days each year beginning on the day of the festival. After that she is put away carefully until the next festival."