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Imperial Hotels, Ltd. Tokio.
Imperial Hotel and Villa.
May 4th, 1907.

Dear Colonel Hecker,

Two weeks ago I went to the beautiful country place of Mr. Hara, near Yokohama, called "San no tani" and excepting one day, remained steadily until this morning, when accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Morse and Miss Watson of Evanston, I came to Tokio. The two weeks spent with the Haras and their wonderful art collection were unique. A very pretty house and garden with servants etc., etc., together with Mr. Hara's collection of paintings, pottery, statuary, lacquer and bronze was devoted to my personal use and for the entertainment of any people whom I might wish to entertain or have entertained.

I had the pleasure of looking after Mr. and Mrs. Charles Swift and Miss Irene Swift one day and Charlie can tell you what the place is like.

The art collection is magnificent and its study was of great importance to my little store of information on such matters. Then, too, the seclusion was precious in that it kept dealers and other unwelcome touts and evil spirits away from me and gave me a rest which I found was more necessary than I had thought. This generous entertainment was most unexpectedly thrust upon me and even now, I am at a loss to understand why. Other entertainment of embarrassing kinds, at Kobe and Kioto, disturbed me very much, in fact, quite sickened me of modern Japan. But at last, I have stopped it completely, I hope.

I have arranged to live independent of the whole gang of dealers and to accept no courtesy from any one of them unless I ask for it myself. This course, I found absolutely imperative, for reasons which I will explain when we meet. Beginning tomorrow, I take up my study at the Museum here and in all the Diamyio and other private collections in Tokio. From two to three weeks will be so occupied and then I shall go to Nara, Koyosan and Kioto for the balance of my time in Japan. I have secured passage on the "Siberia" sailing from Yokohama, June 29th, via San Francisco, and should reach Detroit about July 20th. During the two remaining months in Japan, I hope to learn much about certain