Catharine Robb Whyte – Letters

Watkins but we couldn't find a suitable wooden box and so sent it with yours to you . and could you do it up together with the box of five Japanese dolls and send it to her marked from Pete? She's a great favorite of his as you know. I think there is a Lau hala hat in the box too which maybe you could use in the garden and inside this are two paper leis given to us by Mabel as a parting gift. We'd like to keep them and sent them to Concord to give you an idea what a lei is like. The toy {striked through 'Pete'} for you Pete saw and decided you should have it. We had such fun playing with it we began thinking of what little girl would like one and thought of Margee. Thats why we got the two. One for you and one for her. The one for you we had on our bureau for several weeks. In another

Monday we took the car back and were much relieved to have that affair settled,

for when we bought it, one of the inducements for buying it was the good resale

value it would have and then when we went back the salesman promptly forgot

what he had said before. Pete '& I ?' felt like swindlers but decided to stick to our

facts though it ruined two days for us dickering. We knew we were in the right,

but it was merely the fact of the salesman over talking & making rash promises.

However, Mr Campbell the head man was very nice and straightened it all out

for us. When we went down Monday who should we run into but Jeremy Wilder.

he works there and we never knew it. he was great and wanted us to go to his

house for cocktails Wednesday. which we did.

Most of Monday and Tuesday we packed. I did up inummerable packages of

books and a few old clothes, pasted Pete's sketches in a book etc. We had lots

of paper but no string, so in

I think I told you about the picnic of Canadians at the beach on the other side

of the island, and the same day going to dinner at Joe 'Eckana's?' As we were

waiting to go to the 'Potty?' Commander of Mrs Nichols called. Aunt Nela's

friends and of course were terribly nice, wanting us to come out for meals etc.

We asked them to dinner on Sunday night at the hotel when Joe Kamakana

would sing and they seemed to enjoy the Hawaiian music as much as we did.

Sunday afternoon we went to a cocktail party at the [F......], and we back in time

to meet them and the Moores joined us for another cocktail and then we six sat

together for dinner which was fun. [E......] eating with other friends. After dinner

the Nichols came over to our room to see some photographs and we got out

books and all sort of things. had a grand time and they went back about eleven

'or?' later.

Insisting we come to their house for Japanese Sukyaki some time before leaving.

R.M.S. "Empress of Japan" and the Pacific. Thursday, March 22, 1934,

Dearest Mother,

Its hard to know where to begin as everything happened in the

last few days before leaving Honolulu, and ever since boarding the boat we

have been industriously reading "Japan Day by Day". We have found it

intensely interesting and it will mean so much to us to have read it before

going there. I have made notes of all the people mentioned and places to

refer to if necessary - Anyway we can talk more intelligently of what grandpa

did when he was there and will be able to appreciate things more. Knowing

some thing of what to look for and expect.

I guess I'd better tell you first of some of the things that happened in our last

week in Honolulu.

By this time it was nearing lunch time and so we went {word struck out: 'back'} to the Miyaokas' house. You would like it, it is in a rather quiet neighborhood, has a charming garden all around the house and is very sunny and pleasant. It is an old house and in Japanese style, but they have some foreign furniture, chairs tables desk and book cases full of law books at one end of the house. We left our shoes in the vestibule and put on soft slippers which they have for guests and themselves too. Mrs Miyaoka was there before us and again was in Japanese costume. The best way to describe the house is to try and draw it. As you entered you left you shoes {left column drawing of house print including fence outline, pencil drawing with description 'front door', 'bath', 'book case', Mrs Miyaokas' room'} {right column} then turned left and walked along {right column} a sort of outdoor verandah. The {right column} windows or sliding screens were {right column} mostly openend and had glass {right column} panes. This verandah was about {right column} eight feet wide and extended {right column} around the two sides of the house {right column} then inside this making the room {right column} partitions were sliding screens {right column} with paper panes. These were also {right column} slid back so the whole side of the house seemed open into the garden. The shrubbery inside the fence shutting out the rest of the city. The cases of books and all were crowded into one end of the house a beautiful gold screen hiding them from view. Mr Miyaoka has recently moved his work to the house instead of having an office besides and is not taking any new clients but only doing work for retaining business. He feels he is getting older and so gradually will do less practising. The large room has a dining room table & chairs and rugs over the straw matting. There was a Kakimona hanging in the shrine place, a budda and a vase with bridle wreath and tiger {word struck out: 'lille'} lily. It ws all very

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nice and comfortable. On the porch was a desk Mr Miyaoka used, a small table really. I was asked if I should like to wash up and was shown into the little room marked {illegible} off the porch away from the house. I was a bit disconcerted not knowing the proper procedure for it was the real Japanese style. A sort of well with stone sides was on the right of the door. a wooden railing around it and a plank across one end with a bamboo bucket and dipper - towels on a rack as well. So I carefully washed my hands by pouring ice cold water on them, and then made my appearance. only to find the hot water was waiting for me in the bathroom at the other end of the house. The wash stand was very low and lined with a silvery metal, set in this was a shallow metal basin filled with warm water, so I had a real wash after all. The water is heated in a tiny tub with a cover. charcoal being put into a place at the back. and then the water is dipped out. They also have a real Japanese tub and Mrs Miyaoka removed the boards from the top so I could look inside. there is a stove for charcoal to heat the bath water. Its really a very pleasant system.

It was then lunch time and we sat down at the table. Each of us was brought a square wooden tray about a foot square. On which was a wine glass, soon filled with some red wine. The {word struck out: 'chap?'} wooden chapsticks on a little green china rest an inch long in the shape of some vegetable. In one little cup was a delicious thing. large white beans with a rather sweet taste and cold. Also cold was some spinach in another cup with very fine grated dried fish on top. Both of these things were delicious. Then a bowl of soup was brought in

in covered laquer bowls. A delicious clear soup with little balls of meat, chicken I think and two mushrooms as well. It was very hot and I still eating this when a bowl for each of vegetables, also covered, was brought in. There was a piece of Taro, boiled or steamed, which is much like Hawaiian Taro which they make poi out of - Also several spears of Japanese asparagus and another similar vegetable. Then a plate each of the most delicious broiled eel and a cup of rice to go with it. I was pretty nearly full by this time, together with wine and warm saki. but still there was a sort of cold slaw dish with delicious sauce, and then tea followed by a regular dumpling. sort of sticking ginger - bread stuff with red beans in the center. It was quite a meal but I managed to eat everything but all my salad.

Mr Miyaoka had to pay his respects at a funeral near-by (they live right next the cemetary.) and while he was gone. out away, top hat and all, Mrs Miyaoka showed us some of her work and that of her teachers and then got out her paper and paints {word struck out} ink and brushes, and showed us how it was done and Pete had a chance to try his hand at it. really doing remarkably well. We are going to take lessons the first of April from her teacher in the evening, and they have told us we may use a room in their daughter in laws house which is across the lane. Pete is very anxious to learn how to paint as the Japanese do, and we are both going to try, it is such a wonderful opportunity. We had tea at four, some little {word struck out: 'size'} rice things and too sweet cake and then it was time for us to go. Mr Miyaoka having a car to send us back in. It was such a pleasant day. I do wish you had come with us. there is so much you would enjoy.

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We were back here about five - thirty and wondered what to do in the evening and found that the show across the street was Japanese lasting 4 hours starting at six. At first we didn't know what to do. but in the end got the man at the office to write down that we wanted 2 seats etc and across the street we went about seven. It is a very modern theater, more so than any but Radio city I guess. Has a stage twice as wide as the Metropolitan, perfectly tremendous, and goodness knows how many in the audience. We managed to get 'good?' seats corresponding to the last row in the opera house in Boston on the floor, and we saw only four other white people. I don't know which was more interesting the play or the audience. The first part of the show was really a modern Japanese musical comedy with music and dancing. We were in time to see the hero fight off eight man with a sword, the whole thing being so well planned and rapid that it appeared to be a fight but no one was hit. You could see each one fling at the other in turn and the other act as if he'd been hit though the weapen came only within a foot of him. It was very funny. Then the finale exactly like our musical comedy kind. After this there was an intermission and the next was a long play. We stayed until the end and the National Anthem was sung, inspite of sitting directly under the cold air ventilator. The scenery was much like Opera in the older days though some scenes were quite lovely. The Japanese & Chinese costumes were lovely but the European ones rather funny. We understood two words during the whole evening "Arigato" and "Sayonara" but as Pete said it

was one time he didn't mind when children yelled during the play. It seems the custom for people to bring the children on back in arms or on foot, and after three hours they either started to cry or went to sleep. I guess only one in a hundred actually cried but that was enough - One little boy went out during an intermission and came in the dark, got down the wrong aisle and couldn't find his parents so stood at the top of said aisle and cried as if his heart would burst. One old man was very kind but nothing would stop this little boy - After a bit (it rather upset the audience nearby) the father appeared out of the middle of the audience and the boy was carried off. The same thing happened later to a little girl. The girl 'usher?' Taking her outside finaly. It was all lots of fun. Plenty of lovely costumes and elaborate hair dressing, and even lots of men in costume - It was 10.30 when we got back here and only cold supper served at that hour in the Grill room. We hadn't had any supper having eaten so much lunch. We ordered a sandwich each. Pete deviled egg, I chicken. It took some time and then in came a plate each piled high with Sandwiches - eight each! I never saw such a lot. four full sized work mens sandwiches cut in half.

This morning we were going to the bank fairly early but on going down the hall saw in the opposite hall much gold braid, Epaulets and all on blue uniform. We decided it must be the First Minister to Japan from Manchukuo {last letter struck out}, who according to the paper was to arrive this morning. Down in the lobby there was quite a bit going on, ten or more photographers with cameras and flash light bulbs. Men in cutaways and top hats. Officers with swords and medals. Only three of these. Mr Sheng Hsiao - Hsu, Premier of the Manchukuo government is the right 'title?' according to the paper. We sat down a minute to see what would happen. One man came along with a bright blue uniform. gold braid and all and a helmet with a brilliant orange

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[sp....tly] plume hanging down on all sides. Sort of a waterfall affect. There was one Officer with 10 medals spread in one large row across his chest and a sword too. There were only two or three soldiers, all with brown uniforms, officers caps with a wide brilliant band around the stiff part above the visor - Most of the men seemed to very squeaky boots and for some time we sat at the entrance to the hallway leading to his apartments and watched the people who went in to pay their respects and all. Someone told us that the Premier would be coming out at eleven so we decided to wait and watch - One very imposing politician (Im sure) came out. the tall hat frock coat and all, even to a light blue and silver order on {word struck out: 'the'} his breast. He was so impressive he had to walk slowly. At one time all the camera men were shown up onto the balcony and flashes of light indicated that the Premiers picture was being taken. Just before eleven a man in long dress of dark blue or black and a short coat & Jacket, beautifully made & fitted. black silk high shoes and a sort of square black hat with a little red pom - pom on top came down, then went back. and in a few minutes there was a shuffle of feet, a great many frock coats and in the midst another man, older than the first, and really very fine looking & kindly and in the same Manchukuo costume. More frock coats or cut aways following. A few brown uniforms swords and speers. and they were by, but it was rather fun to see.

We then took a 50 sen taxi. (15 cents really) to the bank several miles through [...uheeding] traffic - where we