January 25th 1966

10-1, Rokorohuso-cho
Ashiya City
Nr Kobe, Japan

My dear Mum and Dad,

The days are still flashing by - I can't imagine where the weeks go to .  Caroline is writing to you but keeps saying "I'm too busy today".  The girls do get quite a lot of homework and rarely have time to watch television, which is probably a good thing!

We were all very pleased with our Xmas gifts - I thought that I was managing well with stockings but once Elisabeth came home with her brace I realised that my stock was quickly dwindling.  However careful I am I still manage to catch my stockings on that brace so I try to wear trousers as often as possible but I can't really go shopping in Kobe with them.  The Japanese stare enough as it is but to see a foreigner in slacks gives them the giggles! - my friend Diana who is nearly 6ft tall is the object of great interest, as the locals just stand in the streets and stare.  You would imagine they would see enough foreigners in Kobe which is a large port, to be used to them but this just isn't so.  It doesn't do to be self conscious in a place like Japan.  Of course, the Japanese women often wear trousers - you rarely see the kimono as it is too expensive and the younger girls prefer Western clothes.  These are expensive enough - it would give you the horrors to see the prices.  The shoddiest winter coat will be Yen 18,000 (£18) and suits the same.  For anything to compare with an average British made coat you would pay £40 or £50.  Fortunately nothing would fit me anyway so I make my own!  Even this isn't cheap as you seldom see wool sold for less than £2 a yard - it is common to see wool in the shops marked at £36 a yard (or even more!).  I can't imagine who buys it but of course there are many wealth Japanese.

The girls were very pleased with their mittens and the dolls clothes.  It has turned very cold and the snow is coming down outside and it looks as though we are in for some heavy falls of it, as the sky is that horrid leaden colour and it seems very still outside.  Our swimming pool was frozen solid yesterday.

I don't know what to suggest for Susan and Elisabeth unless I get the "Ted" doll that they both want  to go with the "Barbie" doll or perhaps a little umbrella.  Anyway I will look around but toys are not very good here at all.  Mostly inflatable animal or battery cars which the girls are not interested in.  The "Barbie" dolls (like Cindy) are really the only things worth buying and there is a limit to how many they can have!  Most of Japan's products are exported - sold cheaply and the home market pays as everything is so expensive.  I often have food parcels sent in from Hongkong and even with packaging and posting it is still cheaper than buying in Japan.  Also the Japanese have the American idea of making nothing to last - i.e. I paid a £1 for a very small milk saucepan which looked cheap but was the best of a poor lot and within two weeks the handle fell off!  Fortunately the Bank were paying.  The other thing which infuriates Peter is that none of the handles are heat resistant!  I had to buy a new kettle so I sought the latest model - but the handle stills gets red hot so Peter has wrapped it up in string because he refuses to use a pot holder!

Our new maid started yesterday - she seems very pleasant but you never know what they are thinking and she might leave for the oddest reasons.  Anyway I shall make the most of her while she is with us.  There seem to be so many things to do outside of house etc.  Yesterday I went to the U.S. Consuls  house to a fare-well tea party for the wife of the National City Bk manager.  Today Mrs Tada, our Japanese advisor's wife, is coming to lunch and then we are going to the Kobe Womens Club which meets every Tuesday afternoon during the winter months.  I think we are having a demonstration of wigs today which should be interesting.  Maybe I shall come home as a blonde!

We had a nice long letter from Dorothy last week, giving us all the news.

We drove up to Kyoto last Sunday and took the girls to one of the Silk shops where they have men weaving.  Adrienne is learning about this at school so she was very interested to see the silk worn, models, etc.  Apart form all the silk for sale in the shop they have a lovely little garden with pond which has the most enormous and colourful carp.  The girls though they were wonderful - especially as you can stroke the tops of their heads.

Afterwards we drove to Otsu, at Lake Biwa, through the mountain pass.  Quite a bit of snow about and the small village house looked very attractive with long icicles hanging from their roofs.  On the way down to Otsu we came across a troupe of monkeys by the roadside.  They were very tame and took peanuts out of the girls' hands.  One or two carried babies fo of course the girls were very thrilled.  Adrienne is now a Brownie (American style) and Caroline a Junior Girl Scout - both packs being run at the school.

I wonder if you would like to get "Swallows and Amazons" by Arthur Ransome for Caroline's birthday.  I intended writing for it but you might like to get it instead.  Caroline is very fond of adventure stories and I think she would "Swallows and Amazons".  I know I loved reading all that series.  She enjoyed the book you sent - she has read a lot of the Classics as the school library has them - also I can sometimes buy the cheap editions by the Oxford Press which the Japanese schools use for their English classes.  Caroline is very fond of Enid Blyton's "Secret Seven" series - she is in great demand at school because she has one or two of them.  They are adventure stories and about her age level, fairly light when she reads them for relaxation, as they have a fairly advanced reading programme at school.

The girls enjoyed "Mary Poppins" it made a nice outing for them during the school holidays.  Caroline has only read the "Mary Poppins" from which the film was made but there are several others although there are several out now in a shorter or easier to read version.  The originals are quite good reading.

Well it is nearly time to collect Mrs Tada, our driver is sick (again) so I must go out into the snow.

My mother and father sound very thrilled with the house - what a good thing my father's foot has healed up.  He must have felt very miserable over Xmas.

The girls all send their love and many thanks for the presents.

Love from us all
Margo and Peter.