GLIMPSES OF JAPAN 
Photo by W. W. Chapin 
PILGRIMS IN TEMPLE COURT: K1OTO (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 
