The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-04
JAPANESE SHOPS.
They Hang Out Some
Queer Signs.
VERY PECULIAR ENGLISH.
A Punning Sign of Ancient Origin.
Methods of the Native
Merchants.
VERY PECULIAR ENGLISH.
written for THE MORNING CALL.

One of the strangest of the tourists first
Impressions of Japanese city Is the
sudden recognition of the fact that he does
not understand and cannot read the street
signs. He is surrounded on all sides by
shops and merchants at whose business
he can only guess. OF course, some are
easily recOgn lZed from the wares they ex-
pose, but 1t requires more than a glance
10 discover that pair OF huge square
spectacles filled with gold leaf instead of
glass is not the sign of an oculst or
spectaele-maker, but tn at of gold heater
or working jeweler.
Druggists do not display mortar and
pestle, as with US, but simply an enormous
bag, in imitation of the small ones they
use for infusing their medicines.
Tobacconists hang out sort of snuff
colored banner bearing Chinese char.
acters setting forth their name aud per-
haps their tradsmark-if they chance to
possess one that has gained any local
fame. Ihey never Indulge IN gorgeous
wooden images of Indian chiefs or ponder
Gus Dutchmen. Indeed, so far as the
American Indian is concerned, the Jap
anese and Chinese regard him as an i'm
poster when he poses as the discoverer of
tobacco. They claim that they them
selves were the original discoveries, and
that in the dim and distant past, when the
Japanese were seg-going people, they
probably visited this continent, bringing
the plant and tie knowledge of its use
with them.
TO return to the subject of the sign, how
ever, the flag conveys to the initiated the
fact that the owner retails tobacco and all
the pretty Japanese utensils that accom-
panv lis use. the tiny pipes. tobacco pouches
and pipe cases, tOhak0- bon or trays, etc.
A little further down the street the
tourist sees bran CHI of cryptomera or
cluster of cypress trimmed into n symme-
trlcal shape. This is the sign Of the liquor
shop, the place where sake is sold. Most
of the customers take II home TO drink,
though some buy only small quantity,
tiny cupful, perhaps, and swallow ii on The
spot. But there Is no bar, no white aDroned
attendant or fancy drinks. The customers
do not hang about to smoke and gossip,
though, OF course, they occasionally stop
to cnat Il few moments with nelghbor.
Instead of rows OF glistering bottles great
wooden tubs of various kinds and quail
ties of liquor stand about all decorated
with elaborate Chinese characters and
bearing the marks that tell the qualify,
acter and picture me aiming the full blown
Hover, and best marked "Dal" or
great 'frst-class." aud then a tue bearing
big crimson peony and lettered Sab
tOkushu," meaning the sake of ''thTee
virt ues"-flavor, strength and purity. No
particular nducemeut to visit the shop be-
y0nd the sake itself Is offered customers;
1t is not decorated or made especially at
tractve in any way.
The dealers in sweet sake, which is
drunk principally by women and chill
dren. particularly at christening OF rather
naming feasts, advertise their business
by exhibiting painting of Fujiyama. the
la rai att
there is between mountain and rice
whisky the unsophistcated western
mind cannot easily discover unless it is
intended to convey the Information that as
Fujyami is unsurpassed among noun
tans so is sweet sake among liquors. But