The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-23


pan it is the language and ancient 1T
erary productions of China that Ike eN-
actiy the same place in the schools nat
Homer, Virgil cicero, and Caesar 40 WIN
US American schooiboys think Greek and
Latin dreadful tasks.
To people who do not mind adapting
themselves to different ways Of living IN
other countries for the sake Of what may
be gained by it. the stay at Japanese inns
Is one OF the most interesting features OF
a trip through Japan. Few tourists ever
90 TO them. however. for in nearly every
large city and along the beaten tracks
there are foreign hotels fitted out with
the comforts of the West
The native inns are to the Japanese
what our hotels of all kinds are to us. and
in few of them IS any difference made for
the foreigner. except. perhaps. 30 charge
him little more on going away. The
building is of Japanese architecture Of
two stories, and generally rambling for
a house which has been at all prosperous
viii have had additions made from time
to time to accommodate the increased
patronage The front is in the day time
merely a panel with paper windows.
which is pushed aside TO admit guests
Mine host stands smiling IN the aperture.
and If il is winter large "hibaChi. or
bTaZieT. is placed in the midst Of the first
apartment, which would correspond to the
office or exchange of one of our hotels.
The bTazieT contains small sticks of char
coal. and gives forth little heat. Several
newly arrived Japanese travellers will
generally be sitting a bout II on cushions
on the floor. chatting and rubbing their
hands over the tiny blaze
Before entering one must sit down on the
step and take your shoes off not matter
! how cold the weather for the 'tatami'
mats Of 1t japanese inu~aDd the polished
!. floor are kept as Immediately clean as in
Il private house. When the shoes are off
and delivered to an attendant, a little
'amah, or maid. leads the visitor through
the room on which the front door opens.
along passages and by several twists and
turns, and along corridors. possibly up
flight Of very steep and slippery stairs. to
the room 1t is entirely empty of any fur
nituTe. AT one side Is a tiny dais. or
wooden platform. on which may be
carved stand. perhaps of teak wood, and
on it a vase arranged according to the
japanese conventional style Of flower ar
r2ngement- The only other ornamental
ton in the room will consist of a ''kake-
mono or two, with pictures or writing on
them These are the hanging scrolls which
take the place in Japan that our framed
pictures do with US.
| The walls of this room are finished In
a. soft green or brown auG the woodwork
Is left the natural color First of all the
amah' brings out some fiat cushions for
the guests to sit on; then she brings
/ 'hibachi'' from downstairs, and puts in
It lighted Goals and some fresh sticks of
charcoal The next thing is tea. and this
is daintily served in little cups on bronze
stands. and with it some delicious cakes
Of bean paste. or else waters which fairly
late, the question of supper presents it
self. The meals in these inns are always
! served In your apartment mere Is no
such thing as a general dining room, IN
this in Il private house.
There will be another long pause, dur
| ing which the room may be slightly
/ warmed by the heat from the bTaZier.
but when supper is brought and the
screen Is thrust aside by the little maid
the cold comes rushing in again The
/ Japanese pay no attention to cold air
and draughts, even in the dead of winter.
The maid kneels in the doorway when she
! opens the screen, for it would not be
/ considered etiquette Tor any one TO en-
ter room standing The meal Is placed
on a tiny wooden stand. often beautifully
iacquered. one stand for each person,
and all the courses are placed on it to
gether in beautiful dishes. Nothing is
ever served with more exquisite taste
/ in the most luxurious American hotel
I than IN the poorest japanese hosiery
Just as the most poverty stricken Japa-
{ r0undings than many of our rich people.
The little stand on which supper is
served IS set down in front of each guest.
VINO kneelS before IL on his high cushion
IN addition 10 what Is furnished on the
+ stand. there is a large lacquer bowl. the
size of a handbook. which is filed with
hot rice, and from this the maid Will fill
the small empty rice bowl which Is on
the tray. and which should he extended to
/ her By the two OutStretChed hands Rice
* the standby for the y hole meal.
When it becomes dark the room Is lit
by square paper lantern on a high
wooden stand BY. this light the Japanese
are gradually importing and using many
Of our kerosene lamps. which give a bet
ter light. At bedtime the '-dmah goes
to 4 sort Of clothes press or chest of
drawers set in the side OF the wall and
produces the BED. which is simply a Sc
Ties OF soft quilts called .-futOnsr and
( which are laid on the floor. one on top
Of the other Down coverings are placed
over these and IN between the sleeper
CTaWlS- Sheets and pillows such as are
used IL America, must be brought by the
guest who requires them
While the guests at a Jauanese inn eat
III the seclusion of their rooms. the bath
and washing arrangements are public.
and here one may encounter any of the
other guests Of the house Of either sex
while performing ones additions. To say
the least, this is extremely awkward to
US. but it is according to Japanese Gus
toIa, and the same thing is found in the
private japanese houses.
one Of the most amusing and sometimes
annoying things at a native inn is the
constant attendance of the little ''Enah'
who Is trained not only to he always
thoughtful and polite but also cheerful
and smiling. so that she viii amuse the
guests and keep them in good humOT.
She enters the room at all hours, and
sometimes remains through the entire tot
means or other, and when the guests
whom she has waited finally DEPART
she stands beside the host in the door
way, smiling and bowling and saving
-SayOnarar' which is the japanese word
for gOOd-by.
When paying the reckoning one IS sup
posed to add a small sum. a certain pro
portion of the whole. which is called
''Chadai. and if the amount is satisfac-
tory the host makes some slight present
cup. The price of board is almost never
more than 81 a dgV