Dear Schweboo

Thank you for mail and the fax. And,I am sorry for the reply's slowing. We also are keeping the picture postcard from you. However, information of having been bought in 1907 became us and it became reference very much. We wish to express our gratitude for your goodwill

 Masamitsu Kondo Marketing department Vice-chief Ando Cloisonne Co.,Ltd.

(copy of email received from Marketing Department of J Ando Cloissone Co. Ltd in 2005)

This hand tinted photograph taken in Yamaguichi - shows a young girl dressed in a brightly coloured kimono leading a courtesans’ procession

In 1907, my grandfather visited Japan. He travelled around the country for three months travelling variously on trains, boats and on horseback. He made friends with his Japanese hosts, ate their food and learned their language - not knowing that his sons would end up fighting against the Japanese during WWII - and that one would not survive the war.

THE NATIVE FOOD IN JAPAN - notes written by AT Frost in 1907

 “Unlike the Chinese, the Japanese are bad cooks and suffer accordingly.  Their beef and chicken is too tough for words - it is just like leather. No teeth could get more than a dent on either one or the other.They don’t ‘eat’ their rice - they bolt it.  To see a coolie at  his meal is not a pretty sight but one wonders at the size of their throats The coolie sits on his ‘hunkers’ with a bowl of rice held to his lips with one hand and in the other he holds a pair of chop-sticks, and in a few spasmodic gulps the bowl is empty.  The natural result is that dyspepsia is a national complaint. Alcohol is a digestive and relieves the discomfort for a time, so the Japanese drink some ‘sake’ with their meals.  This drink is a fermented liquor made from rice and drunk warm.  As it is a sort of beer, tasting rather like bad sherry, the Japanese took to the European lager very quickly. If the Japanese become a wealthy nation, then they may rival the Germans as beer drinkers.They have a very strong sauce with which they deluge all meat dishes, not at all unlike Worcester Sauce. It makes one very thirsty.  Raw fish sounds nasty, but is quite palatable especially in the Kyoto district where trout is both good and plentiful. It tastes like soused fish.  Daikon is the Japanese substitute for cheese, but is worse than the Gorgonzola.  The taste is that of horseradish gone bad. The yokan, or bean, is quite good  It is also very sustaining.  In the form of  ame it is one of their most pleasant kind of foods. On the whole the Japanese food is not sufficient for the ordinary European - more bulk than quality.” 

My grandfather’s luggage - about to be carried on the bamboo pole by two hired hands.