The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-17
IN A JAPANESE INN.
Bath Regulations that Result in Con
fusion on the Part of the Stranger.


From the st. Louis Globe Democrat
SHIDzNoKA, May 26.-There is no gen.
eral dining room and no set hour for meals
at japanese inn. The guest claps his
hands and orders his food at any hour of
the day or night, and it is brought to his
room on lacquer tray, and set on the floor
before him, or, at most, elevated on table
OF oven, about 4 inches high. In a small
room opening from the office and entrance
room of the tea house, two girls were sort
ing the landlords new tea, just brought in
from the country. They sat before a large
table, raised only few inches from the
floor, and from heap of tea at one end
scattered little handfuls of tea leaves out
thinlY over the lacquer top. With their def
fingers thew slid off to one side the smallest
and finest leaves from the tips of the new
shoots of the tea plant; and the larger and
coarser leaves were slipped to the other side
into a box by themselves. They did it so
quickly and with such a sure, quick touch
that it was pleasure to watch them, and
to Judge by the coy giggling and conscious
tittering, it was a pleasure to the two
pretty maids to be watched SO attentiveiy.
In another corner of the vestibule place
two other little maids were at work at
what corresponds to putting on clean pillow
cases in other countries. The japanese pill
roll on top, and at inns the pad is covered
with fresh bit of soft. white mulberry
paper each day.
The bath room of japanese inn is as
public and open to the world as the kitchen,
generally without any door, and with glass
walls or screens at the most. In passing
through to the rooms back or going up
stairs one always has the bath in view;
often large tank, where three or four can
socially dip together. From the late after
noon until midnight, or later, there is a.
ways splashing i'll the bath room and
steam issuing from its open door, as the
natives stand immersion in boiling water
with the greatest glee. and always have 1T
at geyser temperature. Often the tub Is a
small one, aud then several people take
turns in the same bath water. Foreigners
being known to be queer on the subject of
bathing. preferring to battle alone and I'M
seen, and to have fresh water each time,
are generally invited in first.
The master, as they call the masculine
head of our party, was invited TO the bath
room at Mishima at o'clock the first after
noon. He found it a doorlesS glass-sided
apartment, but the landlord quieted him
by bringing in folding screen about three
feet high and setting it between the tub and
the general view of the Office, corridor,
garden and main street. A too vigorous
sweep Of the bather's arm knocked the
screen down, and the foreigner had to drop
to his chin in the water aud call for help
The two girls who were sort
ing tea ran in and set tie screen
up, as coolly and as much without
thoughta as home servant would go I'M to put
UP the blower on the parlor CRATE. There
are narrowing stories still handed down of
the experiences Of early travellers in the
interior, who had the whole tea house and
town crowd TO the bath room OF an Inn, ana
filled the air with their admiration OF the
beautiful white skin OF the foreign bather.
In the old times the bath tub used quite
as often 10 be beside the doorstep, AMI he
who Travelled the country roads might see
the inhabitants in the act Of nearing godli-
ness as he rode by Mt shutdown, and the
people lost nothing that passed by
The bellies OF society soc the propriety