At a Japanese Inn.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 26 June 1914, Page 2

At a Japanese Inn.

At the Nabeto inn we come to a halt, take off our shoes in the en-trance-way, and ascend the steep

polished .stairs to a room overlooking the street. The usual bustling preparations for our reception are apparent. "Fusuma," or paper slides, brought from some other part of the inn, are run into ) grooves cut in the wooden beam which depends from the ceiling, making two rooms out of the large one into which we are at first ushered. The "yu" (hot bath) is shortly announced as "ready," and the writer, in kimono and sandals, follows the serving-girl to the little bamboo mclosure in which it. is located. If a puncheon, or large barrel, were saw-n in two through its greatest circumference, and in the half to be used, a longitudinal piece of Bin. by I6in. were cut out near the bottom, and in this space a deep copper pa.n, in which to burn charcoal, were inserted, you have the bath-tub of the ordinary in* ; and to the tired traveller the water at a temperature of lOOdeg. to llOdeg. is a complete restorer of vigour. Meanwhile, we have secured a fine, fresh-caught fish, which was broiled over the "kamado," or kitchen fire, and, with bread, coffee, and butter, served to us by the girlwaitress while we sat upon the silk cushions on the floor mats. As darkness came on, "andon," or paper lanterns, mounted on a wooden frame 3ft. high, with lighted lamp inside, were brought in. The outside wooden shutters, or "amado," which during the day time are all in a wooden case at one end of the balcony, are slid along into position until the fading twilight is entirely shut out from the room. The front paper slides are then closed, a "hibachi," or warming-pot, with its burning charcoal, is brought in and set before us. and excepting laying the bed, we are supposed to be made comfortable for the night. The Japanese bed consists of six, eight, or ten "futon," or bed-quilts, often made of silk with eider-down or cotton filling. These are laid on the floor upon each other. The occupant may sleep under one or more "futon," according to the temperature; but, of course, the more one ha 3 over him, the less soft the bed is. ] The Japanese "makura," or wooden pillow covered with layers of ricepaper, in which the neck instead of the head is laid, is never attempted by foreigners ; an inflated rubber pillow affords some degree of comfort, and, after a few trials, makes a very fair head-rest.

Lack of ventilation in the Japanese room cannot be raised as a question for | criticism, for, although the outside wooden -shutters and inside paper screens at night effectually shut out the air from the street front, the open scroll work

or latticed openings above the screen partitions'to wards the interior, court afford all the ventilation required, at least in cold weather. Not infrequently, also, similar openings exist above the paper partitions dividing adjoining rooms, which is an advantage, provided the next-room occupant is not addicted to the common habit of indulging in frequent smokes during the night, which invariably terminate nith rapping the pipe-bowl to remove the remaining ashes. If several smokers happen to be fellow-lodgers, only sheer exhaustion will res'ilt in a whole night's rest.

The chances are that before one is fairly awake a girl, pushing aside a paper screen (for there are no fastenings), enters the room with a cup of tea and a sweet cake, while another creates an unearthly clatter by sliding the outside shutters into their " day box ;" and when it is remembered that similar action is going: on at every house in the neighbourhood, all thought of a -"beauty .nap" may be abandoned.

A Channel tunnel connecting Dover J and Calais was the subject of much j controversy in the latter half of the j last century. A company was \ formed to make one in 1872, and operations were commenced at both ends, but the works were stopped by order of Government in 1882, it being believed that ft would be a dang-er to Britain in the event of war with France. The subject is once more arousing attention, and j with the march of events during the ' last thirty years, it is argued that in the event of a great war with any country other than Franoe, the existence of a,Channel tunnel might be the salvation of Britain. Mr. Arthur Fell the Conservative M.P. for Yarmouth, who takes this view, ! calls attention to the fact that out of the 264,000,000 bushels of wheat ■ we use per annum, only 50,000,000 J are grown in England, the remain- ' ing 214,000,000 bushels being im- ! ported from abroad. On war breaking out, the enemy would naturally | strain every nerve to capture or ', sink the wheat-carrying vessels, ' which would be easier now than it ■ would have been thirty years ago, ' both because foreign Powers have larger fleets than they had then, and because we must now reckon ' with air-vessels, an unknown ele- : ment in war at that time. Any material destruction of these ships would necessarily raise the price of [ wheat and bread to famine prices. ' If, however, the Channel tunnel were open, supplies might be sent through which would make up, wholly or in part, for the deficit' thereby caused.