The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1919-10-29
TRAVEL IN JAPAN
Hotel Customs Somewhat Ell
barrassing to Europeans.
Taking Bath In Public, In Water That
Would Boil Lobster, Is, or
Used to Be, in the Ma
ture OF Torture.

With the advent of the modern no.
lovis in japan the old inns, or rest
INouses, have been to a large extent rel
l~gased TO obscurity, but some still sur
lvSye i'm parts where European travel
Isrx seldom penetrate. The KIND oil
lwelcume accorded to visitors In one
Ix the village inns is very far removed
tyrcn western ideas of hospitality.
tasre is the interesting experience OF
!x traveller as related in The Caterer
innd Hotelkeepers' Gazette:
~As soon as arrived / was con-
lSusred by the polite hostess into the
laAbis{ guestroom, which looked out
.yton the cool orchard of temple.
Cushions were brought In, and
lyrieIlt kimonos. ! took off my dusty
English clothes, and put on first the
Bower kimona, made of cotton; ana
Ithen a gaudy silk one bright with the
lsxiorS of the hotel.
The room, like all japanese rooms
lwzs bare except for single decora-
,ssoU. There Is always a special corner
jEr the rooms ornament, when Is
l.znnetimes n vase of flowers, some
lsipes a piece of china, sometimes SIM
i-pIy a painting upon silk or woodcut.
jytp subjects are not seldom sucn as
Isrjug a blush to the European cheek,
i3ut ihey have no such effect on the
jJaTancse, who seem more concerned
with the arrangement than the sub
, Sec1 of the ornaments. There are
district rules for decoration; II Is lald
.-sown. for example, that flowers OF dll-
tserent colors should not be mixed In
tssne vase.
al length, because I was famishing'
~ low table and brazier were hrought
TN and set in front of me and my
lcashions.
; Every sine thought had finished,
lshe hostess or one of the maids would
icrfp in with another tray OF dishes
asr,I nut them before me on the table.
laS ! not been able to use chopsticks
1efore, I should certainly have become
i.yrel-t by the end of that meal.
"A little while after the meal-for
len aid end at last-I was told that the
Essrh vas ready. I was taken to the
open courtyard and introduced to the
arrangements there.
Two huge barrels were sunk in the
.es1f1h. one filled with hot, the other
Iwfth cold water There was thin
iiw=een on two sides-not against pry'
linr eyes, but simply to keep off the
lSipd. Indeed, as I began to take of
Ely kimonOs an interested audience
!Rf both sexes turned to watch me. This
WIS unpleasant, and l did my best to
dodge their gaze behind the screen.
Il might have saved myself the
srouble. A moment later, in reply to
Ssa calls Of the innkeeper and his
'vyffe. their daughter came up hastily
40 battle me. as her duty was. she
twas not in the least embarrassed-and
~ soon had other things to worry me
for when. at the young lady's direction
I let myself down into the hot tub
discovered that, in the usual japanese
fashion, the heat Of the water in II
WIS not less than 10 degrees Fahren'
,Ihit.
up 10 my neck in that hot bath
suffered exquisite torture, which turned
g. the most exquisite agony when
,Scpped on the still hotter kettle lying
M the bottom Of the tub. The inn
Keepers daughter pulled me out, red
rs lobster and very nearly boiled
She dropped me, more dead than alive
INTO The cold tub, pulled me out again
and dried me.
Then she bowed politely, and left
me 10 return TO my room"