The Bowbells tribune., 1920-07-02
TRAVEL IN JAPAN:
Hotel Customs Somewhat En-.
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 ho-
tel" in Japan the old inns, or rest
houses, have been to a large extent rel.
egated to obscurity, but some>s still sur
vive in parts where European travel
ers seldom penetrate. The kind OF 4
welcome accorded to visitors In one
Of the village inns is very far removed
from western ideas of hospitality.
Here is the interesting experience OF
traveller as related in The Caterer
and Hotelkeepers' Gazette: =
GAS soon as I arrived was con-
dticted by the polite hostess into the
chief guestroom, which looked out
upon the cool orchard of temple.
"Cushions were brought in, and
bright kimonos. I took Off my dusty
English clothes, and put. on first the
lower kimona, made Of cotton; and
then gaudy silk one, bright with the
colors of the hotel. =,
"The room, like all japanese rooms,
was bare except for single decora-
ton. There is alwaysa special corner
for the rooms ornament, which is
sometimes a vase of flowers, some
times q piece Of china, sometimes sim
ply painting upon silk or a woodcut.
The subjects are not seldom such as
bring blush to the European cheek,
but they have no such effect on the
Japanese, who seem more concerned
with the arrangement than the sub
jectS Of the ornaments. There are
strict rules for decoration; 1t is laid
down, for example, that flowers Of diff
:ferent colors should not be mixed in
one vase. ). q
D : ."At length, because was famishing.
q low table and brazier were brought
in. and set in front of me and my
cushions. y
!. ''Every time thought I had finished,
the hostess or one Of the maids would
trip in with another tray Of dishes
and put them before me on the table.
HadsI not been able to use chopsticks
before, ]. should certainly have become
expert by the end Of that meal.
a "a little while after the meal-for
At did end at last was told that the
bath >was ready. was taken to the the
open courtyard and introduced to the.
arrangements there.
1.-Two huge barrels were sunk In the
earth, one filled with hot the other
with cold water. There was a thin
screen on two sides not against pry-
ing eyes, but simply to keep of the
wind. Indeed, as I began to take on
my kimonos an interested audience
Of both sexes turned to watch me, This
was unpleasant, and did my best TO-
dodge. their gaze behind the screen.
. E!''I might have saved myself the
trouble. "A moment later, In reply to-:
the calls af the innkeeper and his
wife, their daughter came up hastily !, !.
TO bathe me, as her duty was. She
was not III the least embarras ed---andS
Il soon had other things to worry me-
for when, at the young lady',s direction
II let myself down into the hot tub lSs lSs
discovered that, In Me usual Japan
fashion, the heat Of the waters IN III
was not less than ! IS degrees Fahren-.3
aheit.
Up to my neck IN that hot bath st slffI lf5
suffered exquisite torture, which turned
To the most exquisite agony when q { slls 1s
git sgsitepp son the stu hotte kettl9e. lytng
On the bottom 81 the tub. A Inn U
Keeper daughter pulled me sout, red
Is d lobster and very nearly boiled
She dropped me, more dead than alive
INTO TIE cold ,tub, nulle me ont again,
and dried me.
hen she bowed snnlif md 81 leftj y
sne to retyrna. J. &. y 7 q y \ lss.