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Show INTRODUCTIO In travelling through the more remote distrits of Japan on the narrow, rough, an often dangerous roads, passing endless processions of carts, jinrikisha and pedestrian along almost continuous lanes of low-built houses zmd villages, the Occidenta tourist cannot but observe two dominant features - the absence of chimneys o the houses and.shaps, and the use of great quantities of handmade paper fi everyday puy[mt The rooms of Japanese houses are heated by large, heasy eartherseare bowls fnown as Iubadu in cach ofwhich several pieces of charcoal burn with a red glo within a nest of sand or asbestos, the charcoal being desterously put in place by th st of omamental brass chop-sticks. T the visitor from the Qccident, accustomed. t central heating supplemented by roaring wood firs within huge chimneys, the Japanes methodof heating seems cheerless and inadequate, but n the limination of complicat heating devices and chimneys the Nipponese have dispensed with one of the mos expensive features of house construction. It is doubiful, however, if the native people huddled about the small charcoal fires, are ever wholly warm during the cold, dam winter months, as they are constantly rubbing their hands above the hibachi in a effort to absorb what Little heat may arise. There is also little solid consiruction i their houses. The living quartors of Japanese homes are fairly large. m,mmmm or two sides of each room made up of small, oblong lattice of light wood over whic Ppaper is pasted, auamg the entrance of light but preventing all vision, from eithe the insid or the outside. Even in the north countyy the Japanese houses and inns hav only these thin [m]u"r windows to separate the meagre indoor comfortafforde by thei charcoal heaters from the «Iv[edsnoww banks and the cold winds from the mountains While Japanese house cir artistic paper windows may not be adequate i material comforts fr s, e ofm Umllcul could, mm a great deal from l/xes:Iumi) artisans, more especiall have developed papermaking and.eudaptcd itt - the Japanese Digitalimage© 2004 Marriott Library, Universiy of Utah. All ights reserved |
