The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-08-29
A Look INTO the Tea Houses OF japan

- I~OA AhtV ehC Acd HOUSES OF Japan
A Hoga (Japan) correspondent Of tn,
New York Times, gives an Interesting ac
count q VISIT which he male to the tea.
houses Of that city, he says:
have previously referred to the Hiogs
tea-bous-s, winch correspond to the old
fashioned Iun, aad here are to be nat travel
ers from Ali parts Oi the empire. Hicra bs-
ing commercial Center, tea-houses abound
aOi one street is almost lined by these estab.
lishmrnts. Bes drs accommodating strau.
gers, thes afford q resort for pleasure seek
ers, and every afternoon parties Of ''Sanou-
raj, or two-sword-d fficers, rebair thithar
I" ENJOY dinner, wnicn generally ends in a
revei. At the,e places one meets the gas
has. Or sinsilg gIrls. rnis class il COM
posed OF y0ung women who have been an
Prenticed at an early ags to the government
TO serve In these houses The Japanese
consider tea-house an excellent female
school, AMI any young woman who has en-
jDYed lew years II this service will finl a
ready suitor. They learn the "samasin.' -
(which resembles our guitaT), and are also
taught vocal music.
As they meet travellers from all parts or
e1~ ~S1'Ay1 wy bAtuIt a 1dF "a Auu varied
stock OF information, and at the same time
acquire aa ease OF mar IT of which the rus
tic maiden IS deficient. y need hardly add
that thls mode OF life il one Of incessant Ii
centlousness, and Ia Japan vice becomes vir D..
tue, and the most desirable school for young
women Is little bstter than brOthel The
best preparation for che duties Of a vile or
mother, they think, Is found in a few years
of prostitution. Looking from this stand-
point, ons cannot be surprised that the ia
panese are the most abandoned of nations.
Their theatrIcais are obscene ia the lowest
deree, and 1t - diffisalt to Imagine now any
.dea 0f purity can exist in sucn a commaaI-
ty.
] dropped into tea-heuse recently and
found some very peaceable "Yakomins." |
mad phrase 0DoE NlIh ms, and Dy word !
and slgrs succeeded in exchanging a few
IDEAS >dSI wAs brought in. Ii is slightly
alcoholic, and its taste 10 sucl as mlght be
wlne- IL - aiSays served hot, and from the
uny Cups sn use, one may drink many
bumper anl not teeI Il.
VITA the Sdst came, as usual, fried ecls.
oranges and boiled snalls, aud we eat with
c'fopp stic.s > with the Il Dor as our table. la
due une tue ~ okomins" called for singing
girls, aud three Of tails class Imm sdiately 40
Peared. Their faces and necks were blanch-
ed with a white lea paste, and their lips
were coiored with We million. EIcl was AZ
tired n something like q dressing 20 w,
with a 0roal siik girdle wouna abJut the
waist. AT first they were rather shy, sew
eral o. party being foreigners, but soon
became reassured, and taking seats opposite
Al n IN gan thar narfarr,.na..
strument was a three stringed "satnasin, .
resembling tue banjo in the iorm aad sound.
Occasionally one OF the girls would sing, but
this neither afforded entertainment no- added
TO the fascination Of the scene, lor the open
ing of the mouth only revealed two rows of
teeth OF polished black. Their singing was
merely discordant whine, Commanding and
ending in a minor Key.
There is no melody in Japanese music and
the male voices which we have heard are
coarse aad grazing, and are accompanied
with distortions of the features aud Oainfdi
catchings Of the breath. Hayilg hnished
the first part Of the entertainment, one OI
the "gashas" arose and prepared TO dance
while another kept time 1n she ''samasia,
with a vocal accompaniment. Il was POS
turing rather than dancinr. The performer
gldes around, waving her ans an ben lin
her knees, with feet turned in, gazing the
while at vacancy in manner that SCENE.
| quite melancholy. Another then arose an
essay ed different figure she waved cloI
| 10 her hand, and scesnsd to be carrying On
distant Irritation, bat there vas n) grace o
motion In either of these etfJfts. At th,
close Of the dance each OF the performer
dropped On her knees anu bowed her heal y
the 110f.