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Japanese kneels, makes deep bow. [[red underline]] Kondo [[/red underline]] says [[red underline]] he expresses welcome and apologizes that [[/red underline]] he cannot offer better and hopes I shall excuse him for ^[[m]]any deficiencies in the feast  Then Geishas bring little black lacquer trees on which is placed several little trays and cups of lacquer containing soup, sweets, raw fish red and white same as Nippon Club in New York. We all sit on a flat cushion, [[strikethrough]] wit [[/strikethrough]] crossed legs. A little stand with crescent shaped cushion to rest our elbows on. Some, like [[red underline]] Shiohara [[/red underline]] place the little stand before them and rest both elbows on it. [[red underline]] Hashi [[/red underline]] sticks [[red underline]] instead of fork. [[/red underline]] Some remarks made right and left and translated, [[provoques?]] laughter. [[strikethrough]] Then next little [[/strikethrough]] Little [[strikethrough]] cups [[/strikethrough]] porcelain cups of Saké. filled four small porcelain bottle by Geisha. Geisha sits before each
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guest and watches what he wants al the time fanning ^[[with little hand fans]] the guests and ceremonially removing a fly deftly with a fan. Everything very decorous. Geisha's dressed in usual japanese dress. look very serious. and all are homely. altho' cleanly appearing. Strange styles of dressing their shiny black hair. Custom of washing glass of saké in bowl of water then drinking from it. New trays with new supplies follow. This time food arranged like a little miniature garden, trees [[tiny?]], water plants and some simple flower on stems etc. Then weird discordant noise; same as xylophone repeated beating etc. Geisha's enter; all look sad and serious; sit at other end of room in one row. 3 have samishan 3 others simply sing, monotonous [[strikethrough]] unharm [[/strikethrough]] disharmonious repeated song. seems like mourners.
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Transcription Notes:
"Samishan" could refer to Japanese stringed instrument shamisen.