Connecticut western news., 1877-02-23
Travelling in Japan.


 We found accommodations, never so very bad, in all the villages of any size, and the Japanese hotels are as good (according to Japanese ideas of comfort) as those in any other country. The rooms are clean and warm bath is always to be obtained. The natives sleep rolled in padded quilts of cotton and from these fairly comfortable European bed can be easily extempor- ized, by spreading one for a mattress, rolling up another for a pillow, and using third as a coverlet. We always found tue people at the inns civil and attentive in the extreme. During the whole of our journey of IA days, from kiota to Tekio, we lived on Japanese food. with the exception of four small pots of Liebig's extract of beef, and some spirits aud tobacco. Eggs and rice are always to be obtained, and oc- casionally fish, with other dishes, the origin of which the European traveller would do well not to ask. If accepted on trust, some of them are by no means bad. g. .5.s5 r...-- . -..a=
 The Japanese appear to travel great deal about their own country, and to shift their residence frequently. Native guide-books and itineraries are to be obtained along all the roads of any im- peftaHee. They usually give the dis tances between the towns and villages, and a list ofthe bestinns at each place. On leaving an inn, it is the custom, in some parts of the country, for the land lord to ask you where you intend to stop the. next night, and he will then introduce you to some inn-keeper at the place you mention, with whom he pre- sumably has some understanding. These introduetions are often useful, if one arrives at an 'out-of-the way place late at night in which case the traveller might be looked on with suspicion. Sometimes, too, the inns may be crowd ed, and then the bearer of the introduc- tion will find the landlord inclined to ike more than usual efforts to accomo- late him. In the hill-country the looms are usually in sets of three, one behind the other, rising in steps, the highest being the furthest from the road. These inns had chiefly been hlilt 10 accommodate the trains of the i'airnfos in their progresses to the capi- tai. The "Yakonins, or officers occu- pied the highest rooms; their s'Sam- anri, or soldiers, occupied the next, andth cOo1ies and servants the lowest. The highest rooms still appear to be kept for the more distinguished guests. As we carried papers stating that we were English officers-.Ya Yakonins. the country people called us-we were al- ways shown into the, highest rooms, and in some cases it even appeared as if the landlord turned guests whom he considered of inferior rank into lower large towns, however, they appear to have grown much more republican in their ideas, and no distinction appeared to be made. s-a-
 The landlady will often wait on those whom she considers important guests in person. This, however is but doubtful advantage, for it usually s means that your viands, &c., are handed toyou by creature with black teeth and shaven eyebrows (according to the hideous custom of married women in Japan) instead of little 'musume, e. e., girl,) with pearly teeth and laughing black eyes, who watches you all the time with mingled astonishment and curiosity.
 On the whole one may travel in Japan with comparative comfort, and without encountering the filth and squa1or which those who leave the beat en tracks of Europeans generally meet with in the far East. If the traveller makes up his mind to rough it and cast aside European habits, and adopt those of the natives, he will travel with econ- omy and speed. To some men, however, this would be simple misery, and such one must make up his mind to carry the impedimenta of occidental civiliza- tion with him. His progress however would be slow, and each additional coolie he found it necessary to employ would be anew cause of delay. = Geo. graphical Mdqdsine