Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-30
AT A JAPANESE HOTEL.
TAKING THE SHOES OFF TO GO
ZHR0UGR THE HOUSE

What the Hostekry Is Like and Ezsvv
Its Doors and Windows are Made.
The Dinner Ohopsticks, but Ne
Knives and Forlks-A Position Show
ing Respect.
We cone to the frontof hotel, long
two-storied building, but are immedi-
is, for all the lower fioor-front, sides,
and rear-is open. there not being sim
gle evidence Of either door or window
anywhere.
A number OF rosy-cheeked, blue-eyed
girls are smiling and curtseying to us,
and we make bold to smile In return, and
TO say "0helo," the usual Japanese salu-
tatfon, says . writer in the New York
dispatch"
No one walks about Japanese house
with shoes on, for the floors are covered
with several thicknesses of fine mating
laid down in regular rectangles about six
feet long by three feet wide. and you
cannot imagine how soft and easy they
are to walk on. We take off our shoes.
and are permitted to go all through the
house,
The framework and floors of this house
are of pine, which has been stained and
polished The two floors are shut off
from the outside. and also divided into
numerous apartments by wooden lattice
work screens, neatly covered with white
rice paper, and made to slide in grooves
in such manner as to thoroughly open
the entire house. With this arrange
ment doors and windows are uneces-
sary.
When all the screens are closed, to go
from one room to another, we simply
slide one of the intervening screens
aside. If we only want to look out of
doors we slide back little Of the wall,
but if we want to go outw slide back an
entire screen. A very simple arrange
ment' but one which is not at all conduc-
tive to comfort in cold weather.
A few of the kakemons hang on the side
screens, but there is no other furniture
in these rooms. We seat ourselves in the
part facing the garden, and by means of
pocket dictionary succeed in ordering
dinner, three neat looking nesans having
taken it upon themselves to wait on us.
They did not hesitate to shcw us where
our dinner was being cooked, but we can
not begin to describe how neat and clean
we found everything to be.
After while they bring each OF us II
lacquer tray, on which is lacquer
bowl containing hot water, in which is d
mess of fish, seaweed and shrimps, an
OJnef DOWl containing SWeHJ Cdheb anu d
dish of daikon-a large kind of radlsh,
which sometimes attains a length of
several feet, and of which the Japs are
very fond. Unfortunately it smells very
much like rotten eggs, and we cannot
bring ourselves to eat 1t. With all this
each one of us is given pair Of chop
sticks, and how the young nesans do
laugh over our awkward efforts to use
theiu. Knives and forks are unknown
iuXUries to these people.
Several courses follow this one, con-
5i-ting Of eggs, fried fish, spinach, sweet
POTATOES, and chickens boiled in hot
water, and finally large lacquer box OF
rice, from which we fill small lacquer
bowls to eat from. After this q cup Of
simply hot water poured into tiny cups,
in which were few tea leaves, and ouI
dinner is thing of the past. How the
u"4ans did enjoy our frantic struggles
with our chop-sticks during each course,
and how pleasant and smiling they were
during our entire stay we find difficulty
in expressing.
When not engaged in bringing the vari-
Gus courses, or in waiting, upon us, they
remained seated on the mating floor in
the customary Japanese position of re-
spect, that is-with the knees and toes
touching the iloor and the body restin-
on the heels, rather painful position foi
foreigner.