between　them。　　All　had　open　fronts；　so　that　the　occupations　of　the
  inmates；　the　〃domestic　life〃　in　fact；　were　perfectly　visible。　　Many
  of　these　houses　were　roadside　chayas；　or　tea…houses；　and　nearly　all
  sold　sweet…meats；　dried　fish；　pickles；　mochi；　or　uncooked　cakes　of
  rice　dough；　dried　persimmons；　rain　hats；　or　straw　shoes　for　man　or
  beast。　　The　road；　though　wide　enough　for　two　carriages　（of　which　we
  saw　none）；　was　not　good；　and　the　ditches　on　both　sides　were
  frequently　neither　clean　nor　sweet。　　Must　I　write　it？　　The　houses
  were　mean；　poor；　shabby；　often　even　squalid；　the　smells　were　bad；
  and　the　people　looked　ugly；　shabby；　and　poor；　though　all　were
  working　at　something　or　other。
  The　country　is　a　dead　level；　and　mainly　an　artificial　mud　flat　or
  swamp；　in　whose　fertile　ooze　various　aquatic　birds　were　wading；　and
  in　which　hundreds　of　men　and　women　were　wading　too；　above　their
  knees　in　slush；　for　this　plain　of　Yedo　is　mainly　a　great　rice…
  field；　and　this　is　the　busy　season　of　rice…planting；　for　here；　in
  the　sense　in　which　we　understand　it；　they　do　not　〃cast　their　bread
  upon　the　waters。〃　　There　are　eight　or　nine　leading　varieties　of
  rice　grown　in　Japan；　all　of　which；　except　an　upland　species；
  require　mud；　water；　and　much　puddling　and　nasty　work。　　Rice　is　the
  staple　food　and　the　wealth　of　Japan。　　Its　revenues　were　estimated
  in　rice。　　Rice　is　grown　almost　wherever　irrigation　is　possible。
  The　rice…fields　are　usually　very　small　and　of　all　shapes。　　A
  quarter　of　an　acre　is　a　good…sized　field。　　The　rice　crop　planted　in
  June　is　not　reaped　till　November；　but　in　the　meantime　it　needs　to
  be　〃puddled〃　three　times；　i。e。　for　all　the　people　to　turn　into　the
  slush；　and　grub　out　all　the　weeds　and　tangled　aquatic　plants；　which
  weave　themselves　from　tuft　to　tuft；　and　puddle　up　the　mud　afresh
  round　the　roots。　　It　grows　in　water　till　it　is　ripe；　when　the
  fields　are　dried　off。　　An　acre　of　the　best　land　produces　annually
  about　fifty…four　bushels　of　rice；　and　of　the　worst　about　thirty。
  On　the　plain　of　Yedo；　besides　the　nearly　continuous　villages　along
  the　causewayed　road；　there　are　islands；　as　they　may　be　called；　of
  villages　surrounded　by　trees；　and　hundreds　of　pleasant　oases　on
  which　wheat　ready　for　the　sickle；　onions；　millet；　beans；　and　peas；
  were　flourishing。　　There　were　lotus　ponds　too；　in　which　the
  glorious　lily；　Nelumbo　nucifera；　is　being　grown　for　the
  sacrilegious　purpose　of　being　eaten！　　Its　splendid　classical　leaves
  are　already　a　foot　above　the　water。
  After　running　cheerily　for　several　miles　my　men　bowled　me　into　a
  tea…house；　where　they　ate　and　smoked　while　I　sat　in　the　garden；
  which　consisted　of　baked　mud；　smooth　stepping…stones；　a　little　pond
  with　some　goldfish；　a　deformed　pine；　and　a　stone　lantern。　　Observe
  that　foreigners　are　wrong　in　calling　the　Japanese　houses　of
  entertainment　indiscriminately　〃tea…houses。〃　　A　tea…house　or　chaya
  is　a　house　at　which　you　can　obtain　tea　and　other　refreshments；
  rooms　to　eat　them　in；　and　attendance。　　That　which　to　some　extent
  answers　to　an　hotel　is　a　yadoya；　which　provides　sleeping
  accommodation　and　food　as　required。　　The　licenses　are　different。
  Tea…houses　are　of　all　grades；　from　the　three…storied　erections；　gay
  with　flags　and　lanterns；　in　the　great　cities　and　at　places　of
  popular　resort；　down　to　the　road…side　tea…house；　as　represented　in
  the　engraving；　with　three　or　four　lounges　of　dark…coloured　wood
  under　its　eaves；　usually　occupied　by　naked　coolies　in　all　attitudes
  of　easiness　and　repose。　　The　floor　is　raised　about　eighteen　inches
  above　the　ground；　and　in　these　tea…houses　is　frequently　a　matted
  platform　with　a　recess　called　the　doma；　literally　〃earth…space；〃　in
  the　middle；　round　which　runs　a　ledge　of　polished　wood　called　the
  itama；　or　〃board　space；〃　on　which　travellers　sit　while　they　bathe
  their　soiled　feet　with　the　water　which　is　immediately　brought　to
  them；　for　neither　with　soiled　feet　nor　in　foreign　shoes　must　one
  advance　one　step　on　the　matted　floor。　　On　one　side　of　the　doma　is
  the　kitchen；　with　its　one　or　two　charcoal　fires；　where　the　coolies
  lounge　on　the　mats　and　take　their　food　and　smoke；　and　on　the　other
  the　family　pursue　their　avocations。　　In　almost　the　smallest　tea…
  house　there　are　one　or　two　rooms　at　the　back；　but　all　the　life　and
  interest　are　in　the　open　front。　　In　the　small　tea…houses　there　is
  only　an　irori；　a　square　hole　in　the　floor；　full　of　sand　or　white
  ash；　on　which　the　live　charcoal　for　cooking　purposes　is　placed；　and
  small　racks　for　food　and　eating　utensils；　but　in　the　large　ones
  there　is　a　row　of　charcoal　stoves；　and　the　walls　are　garnished　up
  to　the　roof　with　shelves；　and　the　lacquer　tables　and　lacquer　and
  china　ware　used　by　the　guests。　　The　large　tea…houses　contain　the
  possibilities　for　a　number　of　rooms　which　can　be　extemporised　at
  once　by　sliding　paper　panels；　called　fusuma；　along　grooves　in　the
  floor　and　in　the　ceiling　or　cross…beams。
  When　we　stopped　at　wayside　tea…houses　the　runners　bathed　their
  feet；　rinsed　their　mouths；　and　ate　rice；　pickles；　salt　fish；　and
  〃broth　of　abominable　things；〃　after　which　they　smoked　their　tiny
  pipes；　which　give　them　three　whiffs　for　each　filling。　　As　soon　as　I
  got　out　at　any　of　these；　one　smiling　girl　brought　me　the　tabako…
  bon；　a　square　wood　or　lacquer　tray；　with　a　china　or　bamboo
  charcoal…holder　and　ash…pot　upon　it；　and　another　presented　me　with
  a　zen；　a　small　lacquer　table　about　six　inches　high；　with　a　tiny
  teapot　with　a　hollow　handle　at　right　angles　with　the　spout；　holding
  about　an　English　tea…cupful；　and　two　cups　without　handles　or
  saucers；　with　a　capacity　of　from　ten　to　twenty　thimblefuls　each。
  The　hot　water　is　merely　allowed　to　rest　a　minute　on　the　tea…leaves；
  and　the　infusion　is　a　clear　straw…coloured　liquid　with　a　delicious
  aroma　and　flavour；　grateful　and　refreshing　at　all　times。　　If
  Japanese　tea　〃stands；〃　it　acquires　a　coarse　bitterness　and　an
  unwholesome　astringency。　　Milk　and　sugar　are　not　used。　　A　clean…
  looking　wooden　or　lacquer　pail　with　a　lid　is　kept　in　all　tea…
  houses；　and　though　hot　rice；　except　to　order；　is　only　ready　three
  times　daily；　the　pail　always　contains　cold　rice；　and　the　coolies
  heat　it　by　pouring　hot　tea　over　it。　　As　you　eat；　a　tea…house　girl；
  with　this　pail　beside　her；　squats　on　the　floor　in　front　of　you；　and
  fills　your　rice　bowl　till　you　say；　〃Hold；　enough！〃　　On　this　road　it
  is　expected　that　you　leave　three　or　four　sen　on　the　tea…tray　for　a
  rest　of　an　hour　or　two　and　tea。
  All　day　we　travelled　through　rice　swamps；　along　a　much…frequented
  road；　as　far　as　Kasukabe；　a　good…sized　but　miserable…looking　town；
  with　its　main　street　like　one　of　the　poorest　streets　in　Tokiyo；　and
  halted　for　the　night　at　a　large　yadoya；　with　downstairs　and
  upstairs　rooms；　crowds　of　travellers；　and　many　evil　smells。　　On
  entering；　the　house…master　or　landlord；　the　teishi；　folded　his
  hands　and　prostrated　himself；　touching　the　floor　with　his　forehead
  three　times。　　It　is　a　large；　rambling　old　house；　and　fully　thirty
  servants　were　bustling　about　in　the　daidokoro；　or　great　open
  kitchen。　　I　took　a　room　upstairs　（i。e。　up　a　steep　step…ladder　of
  dark；　polished　wood）；　with　a　balcony　under　the　deep　eaves。　　The
  front　of　the　house　upstairs　was　one　long　room　with　only　sides　and　a
  front；　but　it　was　immediately　divided　into　four　by　drawing　sliding
  screens　or　panels；　covered　with　opaque　wall　papers；　into　their
  proper　grooves。　　A　back　was　also　improvised；　but　this　was　formed　of
  frames　with　panes　of　translucent　paper；　like　our　tissue　paper；　with
  sundry　holes　and　rents。　　This　being　done；　I　found　myself　the
  possessor　of　a　room　about　sixteen　feet　square；　without　hook；　shelf；
  rail；　or　anything　on　which　to　put　anythingnothing；　in　short；　but
  a　matted　floor。　　Do　not　be　misled　by　the　use　of　this　word　matting。
  Japanese　house…mats；　tatami；　are　as　neat；　refined；　and　soft　a
  covering　for　the　floor　as　the　finest　Axminster　carpet。　　They　are　5
  feet　9　inches　long；　3　feet　broad；　and　2。5　inches　thick。　　The　frame
  is　solidly　made　of　coarse　straw；　and　this　is　covered　with　very　fine
  woven　matting；　as　nearly　white　as　possible；　and　each　mat　is　usually
  bound　with　dark　blue　cloth。　　Temples　and　rooms　are　measured　by　the
  number　of　mats　they　contain；　and　rooms　must　be　built　for　the　mats；
  as　they　are　never　cut　to　the　rooms。　　They　are　always　level　with　the
  polished　grooves　or　ledges　which　surround　the　floor。　　They　are　soft
  and　elastic；　and　the　finer　qualities　are　very　beautiful。　　They　are
  as　expensive　as　the　best　Brussels　carpet；　and　the　Japanese　take
  great　pride　in　them；　and　are　much　aggrieved　by　the　way　in　which
  some　thoughtless　foreigners　stamp　over　them　with　dirty　boots。
  Unfortunately　they　harbour　myriads　of　fleas。
  Outside　my　room　an　open　balcony　with　many　similiar　rooms　ran　round
  a　forlorn　aggregate　of　dilapidated　shingle　roofs　and　water…butts。
  These　rooms　were　all　full。　　Ito　asked　me　for　instructions　once　for
  all；　put　up　my　stretcher　under　a　large　mosquito　net　of　coarse　green
  canvas　with　a　fusty　smell；　filled　my　bath；　brought　me　some　tea；
  rice；　and　eggs；　took　my　passport　to　be　copied　by　the　house…master；
  and　departed；　I　know　not　whither。　　I　tried　to　write　to　you；　but
  fleas　and　mosquitoes　prevented　it；　and　besides；　the　fusuma　were
  frequently　noiselessly