The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-06-14
TRAVEL IN JAPAN
Hotel Customs Somewhat En-
barrassinJ 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.
tef' ia Japan the old inns, or rest
houses, have been to a large extent rel
egated to obscurity, but some still sur
vive In parts where European travel
ers seldom penetrate. The kind OF
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
a traveller as related in The Caterer
and Hotelkeepers' Gazette:
"As soon as l arrived | was con-
Quoted by the polite hostess into the
chief guestroom, which looked out
upon the cool orchard of a temple
Cushions were brought In, and
bright kimonos. took off my dusty
English clothes. and put on first the
lower kimona. made of cotton; ana
then a 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 always a special corner
for the rooms ornament, which is
sometimes vase of flowers, some
times a piece of china, sometimes SIM
ply a painting upon silk or woodcut.
The subjects are not seldom such as
bring a blush to the European cheek
but they have no such effect on the
japanese. who seem more concerned
with the arrangement than the sub
iect of the ornaments. There are
strict rules for decoration; it Is laid
down, for example, that flowers of diff
ferent colors should not be mixed IN
one vase.
AT length, because I was furnishing,
a low table and brazier were brought
In and set In front of me and my
cushions.
Every time thought ] 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
Had I not been able to use chopsticks
before. should certainly have become
expert by the end of that meal.
"A little while after the meal-foI
IT did end at last-I was told that the
| bath was ready. l was taken to 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 thir
screen on two sides-not against pry
Ing eyes. but simply to keep off tn
wind. Indeed. as | began to take of
my kimonos an intereNed audience
/ of both sexes turned to watch me. Thi!
was unpleasant, aid I an my besf II
dodge their gaze behind the screen
81 might have saved myself thu
trouble. A moment later, In reply Il
the calls of the innkeeper and hi
wife. their daughter came up hastil.
| To battle me, as her duty was. Sh
was not In the least embarrasSed-an'
I soon had other things 10 worry me
for when, at the young lady's direction
I let myself down into the hot tub
| discovered that, In the usual JapaneS
| fashion. the heat of the water In
was not less than 115 degrees Fahrer
folt.
Up to my neck in that hot bath
suffered exquisite torture. which turnc
to the most exquisite agony when
stepped on the still hotter kettle lyin
on the bottom of the tub. The inn
, keepers daughter pulled me out. re
as a lobster and very nearly boileC
She dropped me, more dead than alive
into the cold tub pulled me out again
and dried me.
"Then she bowed politely, and lei
me to return to my room"