Catharine Robb Whyte – Letters

4 all talk to Mrs Nitobe at once. Miss Thompson took us downstairs to see the house and other Seiko pictures. They had one picture of a deer on a snowy slope that was perfectly lovely and several others, very beautiful. We are supposed to go and see Mrs Nitobe again before going to Kyoto.

In the evening, it being a fairly warm spring night we walked on the Genza?. We tried to find a restaurant that seemed to be nearby but had a very funny time. The addresses are all blocks not streets, or else squares, and you have to just look for a place. The names are all in characters so that doesn't tell us anything. We looked hoping to have the name written both ways, but had no luck, so being near a sort of post office, we went in and enquired. Yes yes a boy would speak English and tell us. The boy appeared and dashed out into the street we following. He walked half a block to a busy corner and stepped on the curb, Pete on one side I on the other. He raised his arm and pointed, not a word, he lowered it again. We waited, he raised it started to say something, but didn't, and again p???led lowered his arm. Pete tried to help by sugesting "next street left," not a word, so I suggested "next street right" still nothing. We stood this way I don't know how long. The boy concentrating evidently but to no avail. I almost got giggly for after about five minutes it looked as if we never would be able to get away, far less get directions. We didn't know what to do for he didn't even try to speak, just stood thinking. Suddenly again the arm went up, and this time there was a torrent of English. It surprised us so that though it was in perfect sentences and all the proper directions, we couldn't understand what it was all about. It stopped as abruptly as it began, the boy bowed low very politely and we bowed too, and he returned to the office. We procceeded [sic] across the street and the first turn to the left which we vaguely remembered, for what else could we do. However we were no further ahead so asked a girl in a little

5 {printed letterhead:TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS "IMPHO TOKYO" Imperial Hotel Tokyo} street. She was very polite and smiling but didn't know what we wanted. However she pointed to a little very Japanesey house across the way. Its rather hard to tell what is inside, as from the top of the door pieces of torn cloth hang down to about two or three feet above the ground. You can walk through but can't see through. Pete poked his head inside and it looked so clean + neat and fascinating that I followed. There was a little vestibule all very Japanese, stairs on the right a counter or rather windows with several men in a sort of kitchen behind preparing fish dishes, a few stools one could sit on at a sort of counter. Much bowing and the proprietress tried to understand what we would like and we equally unsuccessfully tried to tell her. It ended by our being ushered into a tiny room, removing our shoes first. The room was really just big enough for us, a red laquered table in the center, the kabi???ia and flowers behind me. The rest screens. The Japanese lady left us shut in the little room and then the screens were slid back and she produced a menu, of course in characters, however she decided what we wanted. First we had some sort of pickled oysters. At least Pete thought they were more like oysters than anything else, and they had a funny sort of consistency. Anyway we decided they must be a great delicacy so ate them with enjoyment Then an electric plate was attached and a most delicious sort of fresh chowder brought in. All kinds of vegetables in it and large pieces of delicious fish. We also ordered Saké and then had rice and tea. There were also sort of pickled vegetables and a delicious bean jelly cake dessert, very delicate and the beans were in the filling. The whole thing was beautifully served. Always the wooden chop sticks one breaks apart.

6 and the dishes were very interesting pieces of pottery, interesting and lovely pieces. At the end the lady rought two funny? looking things, a combination of small china pot + spittoon combined, or what might be called a spittoon with a handle and set into the open part was a cup of hot water. She demonstrated what they were for but somehow the meal was too good to spoil with a mouthful of hot water, so when she went out we poured a little water into the part with hande and pretended we had used it. No doubt it is an excellent custom. However it is hard to get used to it all, especially tooth picks, though everyone does it very nicely. When we paid the bill the lady had been so awfully nice about showing + explaining things and all that Pete gave her a little extra, but she refused to take it and would only keep 10% of the total bill. They couldn't have been nicer and there was much bowing when we went out.

After that we walked on the Gei?za. Saw what I though were squids but are really snakes, ground into powder. There were men with the most adorable miniature trees, no higher than four or five inches, but with plum blossoms blooming. How they ever do it I don't know. The same kind of m iniature cactus that one sees in Boston, the cactus about one inch high but at home it is just the leaves you bury, but here the tiniest cactus has a cunning little pottery pot and always a bud or blossom. Lovely ones too, yellow red pink, all colors. I could hardly believe they were real. We saw an old man who had little tame birds, and in spite of the noise and confusion of people horns trolley cars and all they seemed very well behaved. Hopped onto his finger, stood on top of a tennis ball that rolled around and stayed on branches of miniature trees. He also had an owl that did whatever the man wanted it too. None of them were in cages. They almost seemed hypnotized they acted so well.

7. {printed letterhead:TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS "IMPHO TOKYO" Imperial Hotel Tokyo} Thursday April 5th was the day at Mr Hotlas when they performed the tea ceremony at the Priests, about which I wrote you in great detail, and that evening I wrote you + Pete did fetues?.

Friday we had another lesson and then in the late afternoon went down to Yokohama by train. We were afraid we might be too late to go to the C.P.R. but it stays open idefinitely [sic], stores never close and often offices stay open until all hours. The mail had just come in and while it was being sorted we talked to Mr. Herbert, the second in command there so to speak. He told us of a wood artist who we could go to see working. Also about the trip up through Korea and Manchuria to Pieping. It is so safe now for travelling that they have resumed a trip that they haven't had for eleven or maybe sixteen years. It costs 50 dollars gold which is more reasonable than we expected. We will decide later about going, but don't you dare worry about us. We shan't go to India if it will be too hot and we don't want the plague any more than you want us to have it. You know from our point of view and reading papers it would seem as if you were in twice as much danger of being shot in the states as we are of getting either shot or sick here. You really mustn't worry for if you could see how we travel and all, you would know how safe we are.

Loads of love always and I'll try to get a _________

Thursday This didn't get mailed so I will try to finish it now. Friday evening we went to the "Pres Hoover" but found Miss James wasn't a passenger after all. However we saw the mate Carl Hawkins and had a very nice talk with him. He was busy looking after the loading of cargo, but

8 we managed to have a long chat on the stairs. We also caught another glimpse of Bill, ?id + Merthcri? that Friday morning as I was waiting for Pete in the lobby I saw a man come in who looked exactly like Tough Bill, one of the Hawaiian boys. I couldn't believe it was him and he looked the same way about me, but we were both right. a Mr Bragg (who we later found out from Mr Pennet?) is a partner of Mr Smith? who lead the large family on the ?Leerline? etc. and he liked Bill in Honolulu and decided to take him round the world as a body guard. He's over six feet and very strong. They won't be back until after Congress is through this year. It's really funny how one runs into people. We had Sukiyaki at a very nice restaurant on teh pier run by the Imperial Hotel and it was so good that yesterday when we were down there we went again. Had a waitress who spoke English asked where we came from. Had been to New York to visit her uncle and stayed in Banff for ten minutes, having gone across Canada by train!

{X}Saturday was our last lesson which I wrote about. It was nearly five when we got back and we were pretty tired for it really was very tiring sort of work. It meant lots of concentration as well as the sitting on our knees and drinking a heap of tea. However we went to a movie to see some Viennese dancers who are staying here. However the attractive person we were sure was the ballerina, wasn't, and the dancing was rather disappointing I thought. Very modern and an awful effort evidently. "Alice in Wonderland" was the movie which I thought also a bit disappointing. It could have been so much better. "Midnight Mary" was very good though. Movie shows here last four hours, so we missed the first half.

Sunday was the day of the painting party to which Mr Hotla had invited us. His subscribers party. The subscribers pay so much and go to the party during

(I'll send the rest later today)

9 {printed letterhead:TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS "IMPHO TOKYO" Imperial Hotel Tokyo} during the day. Mr Hotlas pictures which he has painted on 12 inch square cards, are hung around the room and his friends six or more artists paint all day on the floor to entertain the guests. In the end they get {carat:one of }Mr Hotla's paintings and I believe one of the other artists. They draw lots for them. The artists in turn have parties and Mr Hotla paints at them, but the money taken in all goes to the man who's [sic] party it is, rather a nice idea. Mrs Miyaoke had said that she would go with us which was very nice, and then we got a note saying that they would call for us at 11,30 taking us to a real Japanese meal first. We really hadn't meant them to take us for dinner as we were going to Yokohama in the morning to see the "Empress of Britain" come in. However they have been so kind we didn't like to refuse + {pencilled:X}couldn't very well any how.{pencilled:┘} It was a day. We were up at six having tea in our room and were at the Pier in Yokohama before eight. The boat was in ahead of time and first tied up. It really is the largest ship I ever saw. In fact has the highest mast of any ship but in tonnage is a little less than some. Still entering at the dining saloon level it looked enormous. We had to wait some time as they were having some trouble over some lady having been seen from shore on the inland sea taking pictures of a fortified area, however it was impossible to find out who she was.

We were soon allowed on and found Lucy Kerr not awake and so had breakfast with Harry Pollard. He was terribly surprised to see us not knowing we were anywhere near Japan. We had coffee + toast with him and heard a few scraps of news of Banff. Then we went to wake Lucy who was pretty surprised too, and while she was

11 {printed letterhead:TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS "IMPHO TOKYO" Imperial Hotel Tokyo} I should have written you that evening if things had happened differently. I do know that we had some very interesting tasting dishes, different kinds of raw fish we dipped in sauce, another dish with mussells [sic] and bamboo, another with livers or some thing strung? on pieces of wood like toothpicks, Sake with it all and tea at the beginnning and in the end, a salt watery drink made by salting cherry blossoms buds, which opened when the boiling water was poured on them. They looked very pretty floating in the water, but though the drink was suppposed to aid digestion I didn't like it awfully well. I remember now we started with lima beans rather sweet in a dish. It was all beautifully served by three or more girls, their hair in the old fashioned way. I really think the girls look prettier as they wear their hair now. We also had fresh strawberries which are grown all the year in certain sections. The plants are put in high walls (sloping) facing south. The berries have so much flavor, are very large and wonderful.

After lunch all the ladies were put into one car to be taken to the subscribers party, and Pete + Mr Penmet? were left standing on the sidewalk with Mr Miyaoka. They walked, luckily Pete knew the place we were going. We spent a long time turning round in a square, for everwhere was crowded with people for they were celebrating the birthday of Budda [sic]. So the men got there way ahead of us by walking.

The last few days newspaper men have been calling on us and leaving cards, for we are never in, and Friday night Pete went to the office for something and they caught him. They had heard we were here and wanted a picture of us. Pete said as I was the Grand daughter they didn't need him, so he didn't have to be taken. They had called us in the morning

12. for an interview but we were going to Mr Hotla's. They said they would go there but luckily didn't. Friday evening they told us they had telephoned or seen Mr Hotla and he had given them a drawing of ours, and had told them they could go to the Subscriber's party and take us actually painting. We could nothing about it and decided the best policy was to be as nice as possible to them.

Well Sunday soon after we got to the party, Mr Miyaoka came up with a card and introduced us to the newspaper men. They seemed very nice, asked us about our opinions of Japanese art etc. Mr Miyaoka said that as I was the granddaughter etc of grandpa they wanted a picture etc. I told Mr Miyaoka that I didn't mind as long as it wasn't taken in the room where all the people were, as I didn't like to be the center of attention. Nothing happened for quite a time Mrs Miyaoka was busy showing the Pennits everything and I was left to talk with the reporter. He seemed more in favor of modern french painting and I tried hard not to say anything I shouldn't. Then it seemed to be time to have the picture taken, and Pete said he didn't want to have his taken (and goodness knows niether [sic] of us did, but if we could had to have one taken it was better I should be the one.) and whether Mrs Miyaoka heard that I don't know, but anyway she started talking to the Reporter in Japanese. I thought everything was allright [sic] and stood by sort of smiling. Then I noticed everyone was gathering round and some were smiling and Mr Miyaoka wasn't. So I turned away having no idea what was happening. The words grew louder, more people gathered about and then Mr Miyaoka came up. Mrs Miyaoka said something and the Reporters left. I have never been more embarrassed, and could do nothing. All we knew was that the Photographers had been sent away, and by this time every one in the room knew more about it than the Pennets + us. They didn't know what was wrong and niether [sic] did we. Mrs Miyaoka had asked Hr Hotla to paint three pictures for the Pennets and as he

13. {printed letterhead:TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS "IMPHO TOKYO" Imperial Hotel Tokyo} doesn't paint at his own party, he went off in one corner to do it. I felt I had caused a lot of trouble and wasn't very comfortable being stared at, so joined them setting beside Mrs Okura who is a charming lady, very quiet and very nice. I tried to ask her and she sort of whispered that the reporter had said something very rude to Mrs Miyaoka and she had sent him away. I tried to catch either Mr or Mrs Miyaoka's eye to show I was sorry, but couldn't do that as they were sitting opposite me on the other side of Mr Hotla. After In the meantime a man wanted Pete to paint a picture in his book so he went off to do that. After Mr Hotla finished they all left Mrs Miyaoka asking Mrs Okura to take us home. who was so awfully nice about it all, but we didn't know whether she wanted to stay or go and that was hard. Really I never knew anything to get so upset. We had been looking forward to the party all week and then to have it turn out that way. Another most embarrassing thing was that on Tuesday we had admired a picture in the exhibition and Mrs Miyaoka had found out it was painted by a friend of Mr Hotlas, and Sunday they wanted to know if we were going to buy it. That too was embarrassing as it is a large screen and we have no way of taking it home anyway, and have no way of explaining that we didn't ever think of buying it. I don't know whether Mr Miyaoka just doesn't understand or what it is. We have liked her so much. She is very pleasant and genial, and yet keeps getting us into things we have no intention of doing. On the way home in the car Pete asked Mrs Okura what had happened, and she said Mr Miyaoka had told the man, the reporter, that we were her guests at the party, and that he had no right to take

14 our pictures without first asking her permission, and then he had evidently said something very rude during the conversation and Mrs Miyaoka had told him to leave, and he had. The funny part was that Mr Hotla had invited us, and then in the end we were left for Mrs Okura to look after. It would have been so much better had they told us that they wanted to entertain the Pennets and postponed the dinner, for we could have then enjoyed the party. As it was we were sort of left in the background, then made a scene over, and then left to Mrs Okura. I really did feel badly, for Mrs Miyaoka didn't even give me a chance to say I was sorry or thank her for lunch, and as far as the party was concerned we had practically no chance to watch the painting or anything. The friends of Mr Hotla and Mr Hotla himself were very nice to us and we could only bow and say "Arigato" in way of explanation. We soon left and when we reached the hotel invited Mrs Okura to tea. We were in the midst of that when the others came in and joined our table, and we had a second tea all together. I tried to thank the Miyaokas when they left, but wasn't too successful and we haven't seen them since, though Mr Miyaoka sent us the newspaper clipping, a short note and a copy of his letter to you. So I don't know what out position is. We had invited them to lunch or dinner some day but no definite date was set. We can't decide on talking it over what was the matter. Mrs Miyaoka must have misunderstood, or else doesn't approve of newspapers, for Mr Miyaoka seemed so pleased to have the reporters taking our pictures etc. Maybe Mrs Miyaoka also likes to run things a bit, I don't know. After the Miyaokas left and the Okuras, we sat a minute to talk with the Demuths. Mrs Demuth went to a shop across the street and we waited for her to come back. Mr Pennett brought a friend over so we conversed with Priscilla. Then cocktails were suggested. In the meantime Pete had gone to the