The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-21

Noisy Babies Almost Unknown
-PromiSCuOuS Bathing -
Curious HOuSeS-N0 Bed
SteadS, Tables or Chairs.

1 have visited all of the larger cities
and several of the smaller ones, in all
parts of the islands; have mingled in
the crowds that assembled at Toxic
and at Yokohama at the time OF the
reception to Togo, and during the naval
review; have ridden through the street
in daytime and at night, and rave
walked when the entire street was
mass Of humanity. I have not seen one
drunken native or witnessed a fight or
alteration of any kind This is the
more remarkable when it is remem-
bered that these have been gala days,
when the entire population turned out
TO display its patriotism and to enjoy
a vacation.
The Japanese house deserves a. some
what extended description It is built
Of wood, is one story in height, I'M
painted, and has a matched or a tile
roof. The thatched roof Is cheaper.
but far less durable. Some Of the tenn
pies and palaces have a roof construct
ed like a matched roof. in which the
bark Of the arbor vita is used In place
of grass or straw. These roofs are
often a foot thick, and are quite i'm
posing. In cities most buildings are
rooted with tile of pattern which has
been used for hundreds of years. Shin
giles are sometimes used on newer
structures, but they are not nearly so
large as our shingles, and instead Of
being fastened with nails. are held in
place by wire. On the business streets
the houses are generally two stories,
the merchant living above the store.
The public buildings are now being
constructed of brick and stone, and
modelled after the buildings Of Amer
lea and Europe. But returning 70 the
native architectUre-the house is real
~ little more than a frame, for the di-
Vld1ng walls are sliding screens, and the
outside walls are taken out during the
day The rooms open into each other.
the hallway extending around the Ou-
side instead Of going through the CELL
ter. FTau sliding partitions covered
with paper separate the rooms from the
hall, glass being almost unknown The
floor is covered with a heavy mating
two inches thick, and as these mats
are OF a uniform size, six feet by three,
the rooms are made to fit the mats
twelve feet square being the common
size. As the walls Of the room are not
stationary, there is no place for the
hanging Of pictures although the slid
ing walls are often richly decorated
Such pictures as the house contains are
painted on silk or paper, and are rolled
up when not on exhibition At one end
OF the room used for company there is
generally a raised platform upon which
a pot Of flowers or other ornament is
placed, and above this there are one
or two shelves. the upper one being
inclosed in sliding doors. There are
no bedsteads, the beds being made
upon the floor and rolled up during
the day. There are no tables or
chairs. There is usually q diminutive
desk about a foot high upon which
writing material Is placed. The writ
ing is done with a brush, and the
writing case of box containing the
brush, ink, etc, has furnished the lac
quer industry with one of the most
popular articles for ornamentatiOn.
The people sit upon cushions upon the
floor and their meals are served upon
trays.
Japanese food is so different from
American food that it takes the vigi-
tor some time to acquire a fondness
for it. more time that the tourist usu-
ally has at his disposal. With the
masses rice is the staple article OF
diet. and it is the most Dalatable ma
tive dish that the foreigner finds here.
The white rice raised in japan Is su-
peTiOr in quality to some of the rice
raised in China, and the farmers are
often compelled to sell the rice and
| buy the poorer quality. Millet, which
/ is even cheaper, is used as a substi-
/ tute for rice.
| AS might be expected IN a seagirt
/ land, fish, lobster, crab, shrimp, etc,
| take the place Of meat, the fish being
often served raw. AS a matter Of fact,
/ it is sometimes brought to the table
/ alive and carved in the presence Of
/ the guests. Sweet potatoes, picked
/ radishes. mushrooms, seaweed, barley
and fruit give variety to the diet. The
/ radishes are white and enormous in
( size. ] saw some which were two feet
long and two and a half inches in
/ diameter. Another variety is COnical
{ I'm form, and six or eight inches in
| diameter. I heard of this kind of tur-
! nip that grows so large that two or
! them make load for the small Jap
anese horses. The chicken is found
| generally Throughout the country, but
is small ike the fighting breeds or the
Leghorns. Ducks, ALSO are plentiful.
MIX is seldom used, except IL case
of sickness, and butter is almost IN
| known among the masses.
But the subject of food led me away
from the house. No description would
be complete which did not mention
the little gate through which the tiny
G0oryard is entered; the low doorway
upon which the foreigner constantly
i constantly bumps his head, and the
little garden at the rear Of the house,
with its fish pond, its miniature
mountains, it's climbing vines and fra
grant flowers. The dwarf trees are
cultivated here, and they are delight
|, to the eye: gnarled and knOtted pines
two feet high and 30 to 40 years ole
are not uncommon. Little maple trees
are seen here 80 years old and lOokine
all of their age, but only twelve inches
in height. We saw a collection Of
these dwarf trees several hundred II
, number, and one could almost mag
inc himself transported into the hOm'
of the brownies. Some of these trees
, bear fruit ludicrously large for th'
size of the tree. The houses are heat
ed by charcoal fires in open urns o.
braziers, but an American would no
be satisfied with the amount OF hea
supplied. These braziers are moved
about the room as convenience re
: quires, and supply heat for the inevi
table tea.
. But have reached the limit of thi:
! article, and must defer until the mex
a description Of the Japanese custom:
, as we found them in the japanese
! homes which we were privileged t
visit.