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National Geographic : 1911 Nov
Contents
GLIMPSES OF JAPAN Photo by W. W . Chapin PILGRIMS IN TEMPLE COURT: KIOTO (SEE PAGE IOOI) to be considered, no mortar, stone, or brick enters into their make-up, even underground foundation being dispensed with. The outer enclosing walls are of solid wood, and the windows and parti tions are lattice frames covered with opaque paper, and all slide in grooves. This permits throwing the entire story into one room (see page 979). These doll-houses make the neatest, daintiest abodes one can imagine, and their sim plicity of furnishing appeals to the American housewife as ideal, Rugless floors inlaid with thick straw mats, each three feet wide by six feet long and soft enough to form the foundation of a com fortable bed when supplemented by thick padded quilts, afford one the choice of having his bed made up in any part of the room he may prefer. As walking on these straw mats with wooden sandals or street shoes would soon break the straw and make the mats ragged and unattractive, besides tracking in dirt, street footwear is left in the entry. In temples and inns this incon venience to foreigners is sometimes avoided by the keepers providing felt socks to draw over the shoes. No furniture interferes with sweeping and there is little to dust, since these sensible people do not make homes mu seums of art and curios. A small fire proof building is provided conveniently near, known as a go-down, in which is stored all of the surplus family posses sions of bric-a-brac and valuable cloth ing. Some of the living-rooms have a little alcove and shelf, with a vase or a piece of bronze, a scroll hung on the 969
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