Nebraska advertiser., 1881-03-17
JAPANESE HOUSES.
Domestic Life in the Land of the Rising Sun

domestic Life IN tne LailO OF lfle hlSlnS Su1'
Mrs. Birds 'Unbeaten Tracks"
The fronts are very narrow, and the
houses extend backward to an amazing
length, with gal dens in which flowers,
shrubs and mosquitoes are grown, and
bridges are several times repeated, so
as to give the effect of fairyland as you
look through from the street The
principal apartments in all japanese
houses are at the back, looking out on
these miniature landscapes, for land
scape is skillfuily dwarfed into a space
often not more than thirty feet square.
A loke, rockwork, bridge, stone
lantern, and defOrmed pine, are indis-
pensable, but, whenever circumstances
and means admit of it, quaintnesses of
all kinds are introduced
Small pavilions, retreats for tea-mak-
ing, reading, sleeping in quiet and cool
ness, fishing under cover, and drinking
aSke; bronze pagOdas, cascades falling
from the mouths of bronze dragons; rock
caves, with gold and silver fish darting
in and out; lakes with rocky islands,
streams crossed by green bridges, Just
high enough to allow a rat or frog to
pass under; lawns, and slabs of stone
for crossing them in wet weather, grot-
toes, hills. valleys, groves of miniature
palms, cycas, and bamboo; and dwarfed
trees of many kinds, of purplish and
dull-green hues, are cut into startling
likenesses of beasts and creeping things,
or stretch distorted arms over tiny lakes
don't know what to write about my
house. 1t is a japanese idyl; there is
nothing within or without that does not
please the eye, and, after the din of ga
dOyoS, its silence, musical with the dash
of waters and the twitter of birds. is
truly refreshing.
1t is simple but irregular two-sto-
ried pavilion, standing on stone
faced terrace approached by flight of
stone steps. The garden is well laid
out, and, as peOnies, irises, and azaleas
are now in blossom, it is very bright
The mountain, with its lower part COW
cred with rcd azaleas, rises Just behind,
and stream which tumbles down it
supplies the house with water, both
cold and pure, and another, after form
ing miniature cascade, passes under
the house and through fish pond with
rocky islets into the river below. The
gray village of Irimichi lies on tie other
side of the road, shut in with the rush
ing Daiya, and beyond it are high, bro
ken hills, richly wooded, and slashed
with ravines and waterfalls.
Kanaya's sister, a very sweet, refined
looking woman, met me at the door
and divested me of my boots The two
verandas are highly polished, so are the
entrance and the stairs which lead to
my room, and the mats are so fine and
white that | almost fear To walk. over
them even in my stockings. The uOl-
ished stairs lead to a highly-polished,
broad veranda with q beautiful view,
from which you enter one large room,
which, being too large, was at once
made into two. Four highly polished
steps lead from this into an exquisite
room at the back, which Ito occupies,
and another polished staircase into the
bath-hOuse and garden. The whole
front of my room is composed of shOii,
which slide back during the day. The
ceiling is of light wood, crossed by bars
of dark wood, and the posts which
support it are of dark polished wood.
The panels are of wrinkled sky blue pa
per splashed with gold. At one end
are two alcOveS with floors of polished
wood called tokonoma.
In one hangs kakemOno, or wall
picture, a painting of a blossoming
branch of the cherry on white silk-a
perfect piece of art, which in itself fills
the room with freshness and beauty.
The painter who painted it painted moth
ing but cherry-blOssoms, and fell in the
rebellion. On shelf in the other al
cove is very valuable cabinet with
sliding doors, on which peonies are
painted on a gold ground. A single
spray of rose azalea in pure white vase
hanging on one of the polished posts,
and a single iris in another, are the only
decorations. The mats are very fine
and white, but the only furniture is
folding screen with some suggestions of
landscape in Indian ink. | almost wish
that the rooms were little less exquisite,
for am in constant dread of spilling the |
ink, indenting the mats or tearing the |
paper windows. Down stairs there is |
room equally beautiful, and a large |
space where all the domestic avOcatiOns |
are carried on. There is kara or fire. |
proof storehouse, with a tiled roof on |
the right of the house.