A JAPANESE TEA HOUSE.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12766, 7 February 1910, Page 1

A JAPANESE TEA HOUSE.

; An English visitor states: — We re- ! turned to our rickshaws and demanded to be propelled to the nearest teahouse for needful recuperation. And there, happily, we met the most Japanese experience of our brief stay in Tokio. The glowing picture of the books was realised for once beyond expectation. Three demure little maids standing on the threshold fell on their knees, and bobbed their flat noses to the floor in respectful salutation as we approached. Deftly and quickly tthey slipped clean woollen covers over our dusty boots ,ajid glidingly led tho way through the traditional rooms of softly sliding paper partitions, at times other mousmes behind other partitions, slyly peeped at the handsome foreigners, and swiftly disappeared with giggles. From end to end of the series of rooms there was nothing; to be seen — absolutely nothing — except the spotless straw mats on tin floor, the paper walls, and in. each section the exquisitely arranged stand of chrysanthemums. There was no furniture — not a sideboard, cabinet, chiffonier, tablo, or chair— absolutely nothing but the straw mats and tho paper walls. Outside a wonderful miniature garden, a miniautrc lake, with miniature rocks and crags crowned as if all in a piece with a miniature dragon and miniature trees dwarfed by the process of which tho Japanese gardeners still preserve the secret. Tho preckmsness of this doll's house landscape had created a perfect illusion, till three spotless white storks majestically stepped on the edge of the miniature lake. They were the only reaJ tilings in the picture, yet they utterly destroyed" its reality. Having selected a section, of the vast room for our entertainment, we were secluded by. a shifting of the noiseless paper partitions, cushions were placed on the floor for our accommodation, giggling mousmes produced toa and multi-coloured rice cakes, and, liko a. row of extra-sized Buddhas, we knelt on our cushions to partake of refreshment, face to Face with three attendant little maids, The mousmos kneel in the most obi sequious postures, but regard our efforts to look happy under tne influence of pins and needles and cramp in tho calf with repeated giggles which grossly belie the respectfulness of their attitudes. Tho charge for tea was one shilling per .head, but though I am satisfied it was cheap at the price, I still think the giggling mousmea had the cheaper and better entertainment.