New-York tribune., 1901-04-14

contains small sticks of charcoal. and gives forth
little heat Several newly arrived Japanese travel
lers will generally be sitting about 1t on cushions
on the floor. chatting and rubbing their hands over
the tiny blaze
SHOES MUST BE TAKEN OFF.
Before entering you sit down the step
and take your shoes OF no matter how cold the
weather. for the "tatami' (mats) of japanese Inn
and the polished floor are Kept as Immediately
clean in a private house. When the shoes are
off and delivered to attendant little 'amah" ."
or maid leads you through the room which the
front door opens. along passages and by several
twists and turns. and along corridors. possibly up
a flight of very steep and slippery stairs, to the
room which is assigned TO you. II Is entirely empty
of any furniture At size is tiny dais, or
wooden platform. which may be a carved stand.
perhaps OF teak wood and IT with some
plum blossoms green boughs arranged according
to the Japanese conventional style OF flower
rangement The only other ornamentation in the
room will consist OF "kakemono'' two, with
pictures writing on them These are the hang
ing scrolls which take the place in Japan that
framed pictures do with us
The walls of this room finished in soft
green or brown, and the woodwork Is left the nat
ural color. First of all the ''amah'' brings
fiat cushions for the guests sit on; then
she brings ''hibachr' from downstairs and puts
in il lighted Goals and some fresh sticks of char
coal. The next thing Is tea. and this is dainttly
served In little on bronze stands and with It
delicious cakes Of bean paste. else waters
arrived late. comes the question OF supper. The
meals in these inns are always served in your
apartment. There is such thing a general
dining room, in this or in private house.
NO HEED PAID TO DRAUGHTs
There will be another long pause. during which
the room may be slightly warmed by the heat from
the brazier but when supper is brought and the
screen is thrust aside by the little maid the cold
rushing in again. The Japanese pay no at
tenton cold air and drauglts, in the dead
of winter The maid kneels in the doorway when
she opens the screen for il would not be consid
cred etiquette for any one 10 enter a room stand
often beautifully acquered one stand for each per
n hon m e int are gn ever "
with more exquisite taste in the most luxuri ious
American hotel than in the poorest Japanese hos
tlery, Just as the most poverty stricken, Japanese
often live in more aesthetic surroundings than
many of rich people
The little stand on which supper is served is set
9 do his IN bg ons Of 9 dn o IS IT
nished on the stand, there is a large lacquer bowl
and from this the maid will fill the small empty
Rice 5 The tic bd is T 6H the the @ d
Rice is the standby for. the whole meal.
paper iantern on high wooden stand BY this
light the Japanese read and sew in the evenings.
many of onr kerosene lamps; which give better
light At bedtime the ,amah goes to sort s, Of
Of the wall and t, produces the he'd which is SIM
which are laid the floor. one top of the
other Down coverings are placed over these and
such must be brought by the guest who
requires them.
PRIVACY HARD TO OBTAIN.
While the guests at Japanese inn eat in the
secusion of their rooms the bath and washing ar
rangements public and here one may encounter
any of the other guests Of the house of either sex
while performing ones abutons. To say the least,
this is extremely awkward to us but it is accord
ing TO Japanese custom and the same thing Is
found in the private Japanese houses
One of the most amusing and sometimes annoy
ing things native inn the constant at
tendance of the little "amah.' who is trained not
only to be always thoughtful and polite, but also
cheerful and smiling that she will amuse the
guests and keep them in good hun.or. She enters
the at all hours, and sometimes remains
through the entire toilet, unless she be got
rid of by some means or other and when the guests
whom she has waited finally depart she stands
beside the host in the doorway smiling and bowling
and saying. "Sayonara.' which is the Japanese
word for goodby.
When paying the reckoning one is supposed TO
add small sum. certain proportion of the whole
which is called chadai," and if the amount is sat
isfactory the host makes slight present in
return, such a few oranges or tiny cup. Ihe
cost of board is almost never more than 81 a day.