Reply: Morgan,
Thanks for the post & sorry for the delay in replying.

You're right on all accounts.

A case could be also made that he uses the adverb "fiendishly" to send us a subconscious warning that he is a devil who delights in wickedness and mischief.

I didn't know the expression "Aunt Sally," but the idea of using a woman's name as a verb meaning "to go outside dressed as a woman" was one of those irresistible pieces of serendipity which occasionally come the translator's way.

As you say, the woman's "nose" is the beak of the weaker of two birds of prey. The idea of the hunt and primitive savagery is all over the story--the narrator's nostalgic recollection of hide-and-seek and blindman's bluff; his yearning for the tropics; his eyes dull and glassy like those of a savage and so on. Perhaps most tellingly, the woman is described as a "sweet-tasting bait to entrap men's hearts."

Reply: Bernhard,
Certainly if you go to ordinary shops here like TOKYU HANDS or DON QUIJOTE you can buy a variety of women's costumes (school girl, nurse, China dress etc.) in man's sizes in the party section along with balloons and crackers.
Perhaps I should point out that these tend to be 100% cheap artificial fibres so are unlikely to have the textures, let alone the colors, that gave so much pleasure to Mr. S.K. in the Tanizaki story!
It's fair to say that dressing up, including cross-dressing, is a kind of institutionalized silly behavior in Japan (this is something that a few hours of TV watching would quickly corroborate). There isn't really any pressure to conform to some working-class macho ideal and people are pretty good at ignoring one another too, so you can dress up as an unconvincing woman (not like Mr. S.K.) and wander around without fear of being beaten up.
There was a funny case a few weeks ago of a middle-aged man dressing up as a school girl and hanging around near a high school. When the janitor tried to chase him away, the man decided to rush into the school precincts where he thought his disguise would enable him to blend in and disappear. Of course, all the girls started screaming and he got arrested!
As for the Japanlair, I see I have to register to get in & I think I'm a bit old for that. On a related point, I believe (maybe my editor will correct me) that one of the best-selling Japanese language books of all time is "Making Out in Japanese." Last time I looked it was in its 27th printing! Clearly appealing to the baser (or just simpler) instincts can be a more profitable business than trying to interest people in literature!
Since you have obviously read The Secret to the end, would you like me to send you the audio CD? Mail your postal address to me at:
hypnotextATMARKhotmail.com
(I don't use @ here because I'm afraid of getting automatic junk sent to me if I do.)