japanese meals but grandmother feels it must be cooled now fathering children say goodbye to mother father and tarot and you could go start out together for father works not far away for a short distance they pass along a street lined with craftsman shops just ahead watching the traffic on the busy street carl rejoins them they move on and soon they arrive at a railway station where father is the official in charge here bothering children say goodbye to each other before entering the classroom all the children removed their street shoes here as at home shoes are always left at the entrance inside the classroom the children take their places and prepare for work meanwhile in cupboards near the door each pair of shoes is also in its proper place and now a reading l the most important of japanese household tasks skillful flower arrangement an art highly honored in japan grandmother is occupied with needlework on a new kimono while both john plays with these toys once more father will be able to report that the train is on time for the express is almost always exactly on schedule during the brief pause in the station the engineer always is locomotive and presently father is again at his desk preparing a record of train movement he writes the japanese characters easily and quickly but in tyro's and you could cause class in school the children are just learning how to write it is not easy when you're only beginning you can go right slowly and carefully tyro to is still very cautious but he handles the brush well as he completes the last character of the name for japan baseball nearby older boys practice fencing is a part of their physical training jian brother toro are going to a festival this is an excursion in which the entire family joins all look forward to seeing the cherry blossoms and there will be many other attractions for young and old even as the yama dogs are leaving home for the day's outing other families are already assembling at the scene of the festival cherry blossoms are everywhere framing on the places visited by many of those who have gathered for the festival is a small shrine one of thousands of such religious structures to be found in japan on their arrival they are mothers stop to worship first time to pull the bell cord then offerings are tossed into a box by all members of the family they do not enter the shrine interior but remain at the entrance clapping their hands as a sign of their presence they bow in reverence silence before leaving now to enjoy the cherry blossoms so beloved by the people of japan as with so many japanese fathers hobby is photography here's anxious to get pictures of the delicate blossoms which last for back home after their day at the festival the yama does have keen appetites dinner includes meat raw fish ever ride of cooked vegetables and steamed rice in individual bowls all eaten with chopsticks the rice bowls are usually refilled at least once and perhaps oftener especially when everyone is hungry in the kitchen the maid keeps a ca watch on the rhine steamer in case more should be needed but now she remembers another duty she must attend to it is time to put more coal on the fire that is already burning in the heating chambers directly beneath  household bad the hot bath is a daily habit with the japanese tonight carlo will be first but everyone will have a turn far from being afraid in the living room mother and the maid make up beds on the spotless floor while father dressed in a comfortable kimono quietly reads the evening papers it is getting late and already in another part of the house the children are asleep but john still clutching his tight dog tarot perhaps reliving the day at the festival you can resting before tomorrow's return to school the