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Updated: June 19, 2025
Only Fujinami Takeshi, the son and heir, with his wife Matsuko, was absent. There had been some further trouble in the family which had not been confided to Asako, but which necessitated urgent steps for the propitiation of religious influences. The Fujinami were followers of the Nichiren sect of Buddhism.
They gave generously; they entertained hospitably. Good-humour ruled the household; for husband and wife were old partners and devoted friends. Count Saito brought his nephew and secretary, a most agreeable young man, to see Asako. The Count said, "Asa Chan, I want you to tell Mr. Sakabé all about the Fujinami house and the way of life there." So Asako told her story to this interested listener.
The chattering, the bargaining, the clatter of the geta became more terrifying even than in daytime. It was like being in the darkness in a cage of wild beasts, heard, felt, but unseen. The evening breeze was cold. In spite of the big wooden fireboxes strewn over their stall, the Fujinami were shivering. "Let us go for a walk," suggested cousin Sadako.
But no sooner had Geoffrey turned away to pay another visit than he became aware of a slight commotion. He glanced round and saw Mr. Fujinami, senior, in a state of absolute collapse, being conducted out of the room by two members of the family and a cluster of geisha. "What has happened?" he asked in some alarm. "It is nothing," said Ito; "old gentleman tipsy very quick."
When the Fujinami returned to Tokyo, the wing of the house in which the unfortunate son had lived, had been demolished. An ugly scar remained, a slab of charred concrete strewn with ashes and burned beams. Saddest sight of all was the twisted iron work of Takeshi's foreign bedstead, once the symbol of progress and of the haikara spirit.
You only have to write a letter, which Mr. Ito will give you. Then I can become quite Japanese again, and Mr. Fujinami can take me back into his family. Also you will be free to marry an English girl. But don't have anything to do with Miss Smith. She is a very bad girl. I shall never marry anybody else. My cousins are very kind to me. It is much better for me to stay in Japan.
Asako, arrayed in a Japanese kimono, and to all appearance as Japanese as her cousin, was sitting in the Fujinami tea-parlour. She had not understood much of the lesson in tea-ceremony at which she had just assisted. But the exceeding propriety and dignity of the teacher, the daughter of great people fallen upon evil days, had impressed her.
Fujinami San," Tanaka went on, happy to find his mistress, to whom he was attached in a queer Japanese sort of way, interested and responsive at last, "old Mr. Fujinami San, he also go to mountain with geisha girl, but different mountain. Japanese people all very roué. All Japanese people like to go away in summer season with geisha girl. Very bad custom. Old Mr.
"I do not think it would be so difficult. What might be proposed is a geisha trust." "But even the Fujinami have not got enough money." "Within one month I guarantee to find the right men, with the money and the experience and the influence." "Then the business would no longer be the Fujinami only " "It would be as in America, a combine, something on a big scale.
"Then I will tell you the whole story of the Fujinami. About one hundred and twenty years ago our great-great-grandfather came to Yedo, as Tokyo was then called. He was a poor boy from the country. He had no friends. He became clerk in a dry goods store.
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