Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-21
A JAPANESE INN.
Customs Of Eating and Sleeping That
Proved Awkward to Americans

Nikko really denotes a whole noun
tain district rather than single place
and foreigners usually mean the viii
lage of Hachlishi and it's neighborh9od,
which is 2006 feet above the sea, and
holds in its grasp all that is loveliest
and noblesJ of the soul of old Japan.
The village is a long one and lined
with interesting shops where carved
wood and furs predominant. on reach
ing the end Of the village we turned 10
the left up hill To the Kanaya hotel.
There were no rooms to be had and
none at the Mikko the only other
European hotel so we passed on to
the knoshi inn the best Japanese no.
tel
We were landed at the little front
platform and promptly asked for a
room. Evidently the word was new
to them. for they only stared blankly.
In desperation l sat down on the plat
form pulled out my Murray. hunted up
the sentence: Have you any rooms?"
and pointed to the Japanese transla-
tiOn of il. Doleful headshakes; none of
them could read our lettering. tried
to pronounce it 'Zashih wa, arie masu
ka'? giving every pronunciation my
tongue could shape
Either they didn't understand or had
no rooms for they only shook their
heads. I insisted, "Zashiki must have, -
and TO make good my determination 1
got up and started into the hall. Such
shrieks of despair! A booted foot on
the lovely mating! But we finally
pulled off our shoes and followed our
host in, crying in our hearts; ''Veni.
vidi. vicir
We We're led up the most immacu-
late polished stairs, that shone like
mirrors. and ushered into our FASH
Xxi" at last Two sides of the room
were composed of sliding screens of
Opaque paper and a kakamona hunk
as sole ornament on the third. The
fourth side was all sliding window,
with sill half "A foot from the floor
and looking down into the most fairy
like little garden imaginable, where lit
tie waterfalls played over baby rocks
and wee gold fishes frisked in limited
pools among the weird and fascinat-
ing dwarf trees.
The only pieces of furniture in the
room was a table half foot hlgh, on
which a "hibachi" stood, and the floor
was covered Will SUI @'iSNi
resting awhile we clapped our hands
and when the slides Were drawn back
= little maid came in on her hands
and knees and putting her hands to-
gether on the floor touched her fore
head 10 them in salute and | promptly
expended on her some of the Japanese
| had acquired: 20 maka,
ga sukimashita (Honorable inside has
become empty)
But we tried gesticulations in vain
and it began to look as if our honora-
BILE insides would remain empty when
nv better seven-eighths suddenly slap
ned his seat of memory in tragic man
ner and she at last understood where
the aching void was, and dinner was
finally served after much delay, but
not before we had been urged to TEX
a BATH which we firmly refused to do,
knowing that the same water had to
do for all of the guests
To me it was like playing in paper
doh house; it was the dream of life
come true and | was as happy as a
lark. sitting cross kneed on the floor
and eating with chopsticks all sorts of
uncommon food. For my six-foot hus-