Editorial Letter by William W. Prescott

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 4, 1907

Editorial Letter

By William W. Prescott

Jottings from the Editor’s Note-Book

On our way from Tokyo to Kobe to attend the general meeting, Brother Field and I stopped over one day at Kyoto, the former capital of the empire. This is an interesting city. Among the things which every visitor desires to see are the Imperial Palace, the Great Buddha and the Great Buddha Bell, and some of the many temples.

As the apostle Paul found the city of Athens full of idols, so we found Kyoto. There are large temples and small temples, there are Buddhist temples and Shinto temples, and in all these temples and in many little shrines there are images of all sorts and kinds. In one temple it is said that there are over thirty thousand images of the goddess of mercy, and as I walked around this great aggregation of abominations, I could but feel the great need of making known to the people of Japan the God of mercy who really has compassion upon those who are out of the way. Such a knowledge would show the utter worthlessness of all these gods “which see not, nor hear, nor know.”

Not the least interesting thing in all these cities in the far East is the city itself and the dress and habits of the people themselves. While their customs, which they have followed for centuries, seem perfectly natural to those who follow them, they seem very strange to one from the Western world, and often appear grotesque, and possibly border on the ridiculous. Many of these things, however, are quite difficult to put into words, as they are the little things of every-day life which depend upon the special surroundings and local color for the right setting.

Our experience at a Japanese hotel at Kyoto may give some insight into the differences in the home life. Having arranged for our stay, we were shown to our room, but it was first necessary to remove our shoes and put on sandals, as Japanese houses are not constructed or furnished with reference to our heavy shoes with the possibility of nails protruding.

Our room was about ten by fifteen feet in size. The floor was covered with mats about three inches thick, made of straw. These mats constitute the floor covering in all Japanese houses, and it is therefore impracticable to use furniture having pointed legs, such as tables, chairs, stoves, etc. The only piece of furniture in our room when we first entered it was a small bureau. Later, however, a small charcoal stove in a wooden case, which suggested warmth rather than furnished it, some mats to sit on (all the Japanese sit on the floor), and the outfit required to make a bed on the floor were brought in. Among the things furnished was a Japanese night-robe, or kimono. A small tray or table, about six inches high, but with no legs, on which we found tea and cakes, was set near our mats. It was impossible to protect ourselves from intrusion at any time, day or night, as three sides of our room consisted of sliding screens which could be moved by any one on either side at any time. We were not disturbed, however. The sheets were fastened to the covering, which is one very thick quilt. The pillows were round and hard, being made by filling a small sack with rice chaff.

Our room opened on to the main street, and was directly opposite the railway station. Just as we were getting up the next morning, and while Brother Field was decidedly deshabille, the Japanese maid slid back the screen on the front side of the room with a cheery “Ohayo” (Good morning), thus bringing us into full view from the street. When we were ready to wash, we were shown to a place fitted up for this purpose, but neither towels nor soap was furnished.

A breakfast of Japanese food served in Japanese style was brought to our room. The basis of the meal was boiled rice, but instead of milk or fruit juice to accompany it, we had various native relishes, some of which I tasted, and some of which I accepted on general appearances without testing them. We also had eggs cooked somewhat after the style of scrambled eggs, but sweetened. No bread was served. We could have all the rice we desired, but a limited supply of the other eatables. Here I had my first experience in the use of “chop-sticks,” the only kind of table silver in use among the native people of the far East. Solving the problem of using these peculiar instruments of pleasure is usually attended with some trying experiences on the part of the foreigner, and I was probably no exception to the rule, but still I was able to handle the food, although it may not have been done elegantly. The bill for our stay was made out in due form, and we left the hotel with a pleasant “Sayonara” (Good-by).

In addition to the usual places of interest which are visited by tourists, we found it worth the while to study life in some of the most busy streets. These narrow thoroughfares are crowded with all sorts and conditions of men, women, and children, while the shops (the most of them are quite small), with their whole fronts open to the street, and usually a good display of wares in the street itself, present interesting sights which are constantly changing. In one of these streets we found a German selling leaflets treating upon health topics. As he could speak some English, I learned from him that he had been in the principal cities of America, but he did not seem to know of our sanitarian work. He stated that he was able to sell quite a large number of the leaflets.

When we arrived in Kobe that evening, we were heartily welcomed by Dr. S. A. Lockwood and his associates, and as I rested in a comfortable bed, I thought that, after all, the Western ideas of home comforts are not to be despised.

W. W. P.