The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-05-13

anese vases stand on the floor
kimono-clad manager stood in the
entry last night, and girl in gor-
seous ra1ment and voluminous obi
suggested the possibility of geisha
siris glid1ng to the music of the sami-
sen IN some upper room.
once inside, however, signs of AM
erican adoption asserted themselves; a
bicycle stood behind the managers
desk, telephone hung on the walls,
ana In cosy little Office, lit with cleo
/ trlcity, modern safe occupied one
| corner, and neat tin boxes labelled
pliis payable letters" ETC., hung on
the walls, in company with an Ameri-
can calendar
The manager, A. Shami by name. ex-
planned that this was teahouse, own
ed by a corporation, and in response
to an enquiry about geisha girls, grin
heo knowingly, but replied: 'Geisha
girl Yokohama, Kobe, plenty; no here;
no can want"
The ground floor is divided into pri-
Vate boxes, separated with the same
elaborate screen partitions, the lattice
work commencing about five feet from
the ground. The furniture consisted of
long oficloth covered tables, with forms
running along the sides. Here were
clustered men of the lower classes eat
| ing from one common bowl of rice with
their fingers. Tea was there IN big
bowls, and little side dishes of cold
tried fish with here and there pile
OF soda crackers. The kitchen lay at
the back, furnished with an American
range and filled with an odor strongly
resembling garlic
Upstairs is reserved for the more
distinguished guests. Several small
rooms are built round the sides, some
of them with lounges inside, and the
others furnished with chairs and Ia
bles. Here merry parties of four and
fa6 ft1 4I1r
en-, mostly in kimonos, but with here
and there dudishly clad spruce young
Japanese, apparently a household ser
want. One of the latter, amid much
laughter and evident approval, produc-
ed paper package of edibles, proba-
bly, appropriated from the larder of his
mistress, the contents of which were
discussed with much gusto.
The fare was cleanly, the utensils
spotless, rice, tea, little fishes au ma
turel, and mixture that looked like
a combination of seaweed and onions
it. Fried fish with heads and tails
complete, were favorite delicacies.
Chopsticks were freely used upstairs,
and paper napkins spread to, protect
the kimonos and obs. The writer had
some excellent tea, and then mos
stotz," tea, which means another cup,
@kori mizu,' which is bad Japanese for
ice water, some rice, and a selection of
the whole bill of fare The price was
ten cents regularly, but to a writer on
the big American Shinbun the courte-
sizes of the house were extended.
The walters, alas, were men, there
We're no geisha girls in evidence; no
twanging of samisens. The teahouse
was only an American-Ja chop
house, familiar to all visitors to Yo-
kohama. There may be geisha girls in
Honolulu, but they are hidden from
tho ordinary Ciorhf of The wishing
of dainty tables and Acknowledged hou-
ris proffering sake in cups Of
daintiest porcelain, are not to be real
lied in Honolulu. The Japanese Of
Hawaii seek not to retain the customs
of their forefathers, and the glamor
of their native customs is forgotten.
Rather, they lust after the f1eshpots Of
the foreigner and aspire above all
things to be progressive, which means
with them, American.