Arizona republican., 1901-10-08
LETTER FROM JAPAN
Interesting Land of Soup, Chop Sticks
 and Deferential Depor tment.

The following letter is from Mir Al fred F. Isaac, better known as "F'red'' in Phoenix. where he spent his child hood. and is written to his mother, Mrs. William Isaac of this city. Fred is making a tour of the world as secre- tary to a well known Baptist mission ary and the following letter throws a few interesting sidelights on Japanese customs:
 MoriolSo. Japan, Aug. 31, 1901. Dear Mother: I have time for few lines before train time. It seems to me it is train time all the time. Most Of our time is spent in packing our valises and riding.
 We are now in the north of Japan. where it is delightfully."- cool. Las1 night we slept under heavy covers both under and over us. Japanese beds consist of a couple of comfortables just wide enough for one person spread on the floor. with small pillow about as soft as bag of sand.
 w have been enjoying" some real Japanese life. being out in a new preaching station. We arrived about 6 D. m. at a country town of 5000 in- habitants and were conducted through an alley to the back of some shops ta the inn-a two story structure. We left our shoes at the door, put on slip pers provided for us, made our low bows to the proprietor and went up- stairs. taking pains not to bump our heads on the ceiling. We found two rooms twelve feet square with walls and partitions made of sliding sections covered with very thin paper. similar to this paper I am writing on; outside of this was a narrow balcony provided with sliding shutters which are closet at night. Our rooms were entire.y bare of furniture. except one shelf and some sliding drawers. The floor was covered with eight fine straw mats three by six feet. and padded. We re- moved the slippers we had put on down stairs and made ourselves "comfort- able on the floor. The Japanes way of sitting is to kneeI down and then sit back on your feet-try 1t. Dr. B. describes it as "excrutiating." but ! could sit fairly well.
 Very soon the proprietor appeared We all sat down in a circle. First he and our missionary, MT. Jones, each bowed hs head to the floor a couple of times. then each of us were introduced and went through the same ceremony a most ridiculous one to us. He re- tired ard girl brought in a tray with Q tiny teapot and tinier teacups. Mean. O d feet square. on which sat a pot filled with charcoal. and on this a pot of water with which the tea was made. Japanese confectionery was also served. of which we ate very cautious ly. Several Christians then came in to ''nlak7 their bows" Each of us re- peated the same ceremony to each one, when they entered and when they left.
 After while a supper was served. A very neat and attra girl of about twenty summers brought in five trays one at a time. there being five of us. On each tray were four bowls, three filled with soup-fish beans and egg plart-the other to be used for rice. There was also a plate of canned beef with onions, some seaweed. etc, then Cn another tray was q bowl of some ether sort of soup and plate of sliced young csis. Our trays were set ou three sides of q hollow square. The waitress sat in the center with a large dish of rice, from which she served us in turn. We thsn took our chop sticks and began. O. attempted to-it was quite like eating soup with a fork. We drank the soup. but took everything else with the sticks. They use neither salt nor pepper in their food, neither milk, butter. sugar nor bread-rica being substituted for the latter. I ate about four or five bowls. All of the food had a peculiar and decidedly dls- agreeable taste. After we had finished our rice bowls were filled with hot water to drink-an invariable Japan ese custom. Foreigners do not dare drink water that is not boiled.
 We left Sendoir Thursday neon and returned Saturday afternoon. and only drank one glass of cold water. The last day we were on the train from 5 until 3 D. m. and ate a lunch of dry bread and jam, but no drink of any kind.
 We attended an evangelistic meeting In shop rented for the night. Up ward of 300 were present. The meeting lasted from to 10:30 When Dr. B. began they all crowded up as close as thly could to hear the Eng lish language. Of course he had to use an interpreter. When we returned to the inn we found our beds aIr really with a canopy of netting over them. Mir. Jones had provided us with sheets sewed up on one side and end like ]