Adventure Magazine Cover — page 192: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

190 Kamakura is doubtless out of the running since it was affected by the earthquake. I hope the old market with its sign of ‘‘Beef, lamb and hen meat” hasn’t gone. ' There are Suma and Maiko on Osaka Bay, west of Kobe, far enough to escape any influx of tourists, yet near enough to draw upon Kobe for supplies. The environs of Kobe itself offer some good living- chances. Nikko and Lake Chuzenji are possibilities. There are places in the Hakone district, also at small shore towns bordering the plain at the foot of Fuji- san. I’ve noticed several beautiful spots in this last-named section, but can not recall names of towns now. Karuizawa, in the mountains northwest of Tokyo, always has been a popular Summer resort for Ameri- can residents of Tokyo and Yokohama and com- fortable in every way. There’s a general exodus for it in early Spring and many stay very late. I fancy it might be habitable and delightful the year round. It practically escaped the earthquake effects. The American residents in Japan may declare that some of the smaller places are im- possible; but if you are on track of the unusual, investigation won’t harm and may turn up just what you want. My advice—if you have not friends in Japan now—would be to put up in Kobe at some inex- pensive hotel, like the Pleasanton or the Tor, for a time. Then investigate through the hotel man- agement, friends and acquaintances, the Japan Tourist Bureau, Thomas Cook & Son, and watch the daily papers for advertisements of houses to rent in various parts of the empire. It has been the custom for Europeans going home on leave for six months or a year to rent out their houses all fur- nished and with servants. Such a house and garden, say for a family of two or four, equipped with a cook and house-boy, should be procured for about 150-200 yen per month —more or less in proportion to size, surroundings, location, etc. I understand that 400 yen per month will easily cover the entire cost for a family of three or four living modestly. This all means in European quarters. Unfurnished houses used to be obtainable at much less expense. It may be possible to get a native house for around 30 yen per month. Furnishing can be done quickly and inexpensively at the auc- tion-sales always going on in the ports—for these watch the daily papers. People going home to Europe or America put their furniture up for sale. Inquiry amongst acquaintances will usually bring to light good servants. A cook’s wages may be 20-30 yen, and a boy’s 15-30 yen per month. These figures may be run up or crowded down ac- cording to style of living. I’ve read recently of a bachelor who got a native ten-room house in an “ample garden” for 20 yen per month. Food I can’t tell much about. The native foods are fairly inexpensive and are good mixers in a diet, all but milk—that’s generally pretty poor. It’s in process of improvement by the Government, however. H. C. L. struck Japan and hasn’t de- parted yet. The great disaster has knocked living conditions, in a sense, “galley west.” Many Europeans and Americans are making their headquarters at Na- goya and Kobe now, the latter place taking over Yokohama’s business and burdens for the time Adventure being. Many who lost their possessions are being sent back to America or to Europe by various relief associations. It is really a poor time to visit Japan. However, personally I should reckon the cost of living there in good style with servants at about what it might cost in any city in the States without servants. About the temples I can’t say anything, for I know nothing of them. I like Archie Bell’s books, and no doubt he’s correct about this temple- renting. If the priests would sell the temple furnishings—and I’ve purchased some myself—I see no reason why they should hesitate to rent the temples. In old feudal days the temples were the foreign travelers’ homes, I believe, so the priests were the “‘inn-keepers.”’ I am under the impression that the dog quarantine is not strict. A friend of mine took one in the last time I was over, and I don’t recall any difficulty. This year’s Year Book lists no such quarantine, though it does list some agricultural animals as under quarantine. It also shows an alarming in- crease of dog cholera in Japan. The dog I mention contracted cholera there and my friend had to leave him in the dog hospital in Tokyo—the man himself had a business engagement in Budapest. I never heard how the dog came out. The steam- ship company with which you contemplate sailing will give you the correct information on dog entry. The Japan Tourist Bureau has an office at 165 Broadway, N. Y. C., and may be able to give you more information on this living business, only you'll have to take it with grains of salt. The native son is apt to bejoptimistic in such matters, though at times remarkably helpful. If you should find a nice, picturesque temple for rent over there, I’d really like to know about that. Seems to me it’d be rather of an experience to live in a nice old, god-haunted temple—bells a-ringin’ at midnight—incense-perfumed air blowin’ from nowhere—and— Etcetera, etcetera. It might bea dream of Heaven without half trying. If you run across them in shoals I’d be inclined to try it myself. When you get something for nothing, don’t make the other fellow pay the pqst- age on it. The Inca Country HERE the foot-hills—foot-hills, mind you—are twelve thousand feet high: Question: —“Having never before availed myself of the ‘A. A.’ service I thought I would pick on you, first attempt. Have always been more or less interested in the Lake Titicaca region of Peru, supposedly the site of most of the old Inca activities. I was wondering what conditions were like down there at date. Such as population, kind of people, climate, disease and attitude of populace toward whites. Also living conditions in the Titicaca region (near lake). What ground thereabouts is as yet open to the adventurer, and what chance would one have with the gold of the ancient Inca city? To your knowledge, is it true that there are islands in the lake that sometimes disappear beneath the TOO in C@