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Show Cartoon in Japan Not Inspired by Politics In Japan, apparently, the cartoon did not have the democratic begin nlngs of Its occidental counterpart Here in America the cartoon was orig Inally used In magazines and newspa pers as a political weapon, hut t In-Japanese In-Japanese cartoon was more than eight hundred years old before the first is sue of the Yokohama Mainichi Shim bun, first of the Japanese dailies, ap peared in 1S71. The first Nipponese cartoonist was a lordly person, a Buddhist monk Kakuyu. alihot of Toba, who was born In l(l.":t A. D. He employed most ot his eighty-seven years laughing at the tollies and vanities of the decadent Kyoto court and at pretentious low brows everywhere. His Influence over that branch or Japanese art was a3 great as that of Shakespeare on the English drama. In 'act, for cen turles the only Japanese name for the cartoon was "Toha-e" "Toba Pic tures." No cartoons appeared In Jap anese newspapers uuiil a few years ago, but now they have become si popular that In all the large cities they are printed as daily features. |