prohibition of public halls was evaded by holding nominally private meetings for the purpose, the Government relaxed the stringent law and permitted fifteen halls to be
A GHOST AT A STORY-TELLERS’ HALL.
opened. Even this concession was insufficient, for street story-tellers arose on all sides and blocked the traffic on public thoroughfares. Perceiving the futility of attempts to repress the public curiosity, the Government repealed the law altogether in 1851. The halls prospered through the years of internal disturbances; but on the establishment of the Imperial authority in 1868, the Tokyo Police Board exercised jurisdiction over all places of amusement and put an effectual stop to the narration of obscene tales, to theatrical performances in the halls, and to the darkening of the auditorium, when ghosts used to appear over the heads of the spectators. The entertainments were further restricted to the war stories and other serious discourses of the kodanshi, the humorous tales of the rakugoka, singing of lyrical dramas or gidayu, singing in general, musical performances, conjuring tricks, magic
