upon them in Tōkyō, they seemed to be always out or some thing, and they never asked us to anything, and we are so disappointed, because what we should have enjoyed, of all things, would have been to see a nice Japanese home,—see how they live,—and it seems so odd, too, after all we did for them. Of course, we got an invitation to the Imperial Garden Party and to the Birthday Ball; but that is different." These, or something like these, are the expressions of disappointment which we have heard drop from the lips of not a few intelligent ladies visiting Japan, nor have we always found it easy to make them appreciate the situation. If the Japanese couple in question are removed, temporarily or permanently, from official life, they are almost certainly in reduced circumstances. When they were in Europe, they dressed a l'européenne, lived altogether a l'européenne. Now they can do so no longer; not improbably they do not even care to do so, but when in office, found the having to do so rather a constraint. They went to see you in London as great folks; you come to see them at Tōkyō when they have shrivelled into small folks. They feel a delicacy about asking you to their house, for fear you should be uncomfortable squatting on the floor,—for fear, too, lest you should inwardly make comparisons unfavourable to them or their country. Our Anglo-Saxon idea is to let the foreign visitor take pot-luck with the home circle. Well-bred Japanese are more formal, official life having helped to make them so. If they cannot make ready for you a kid, they would rather say "not at home." The result is unpleasing; yet there is no intentional breach of hospitality. How hospitable this nation can be, has been demonstrated over and over again by the reception accorded to notabilities political, literary, and journalistic. But there, once more, it is officialdom that has stepped in, money has been granted by one of the public departments, action has been directed from headquarters. In fact, officialdom is an overwhelming element in Japanese society, it is the dominant element: without official assistance, nothing can be done. Anglo-Saxons will be apt to judge such want of
