St. Louis is Turning Japanese

I’ve had the idea, somewhere in the back of my mind, to someday open a Japanese-style Bed and Breakfast. First of all I’d rehab an old house, maybe a Victorian, and decorate the upstairs rooms with furnishings and furniture from the Far East. Downstairs, I would have the dining area; of course, featuring whatever food they have for breakfast in Japan. There would be an adjacent meeting room that would be rented out for corporate meetings and functions. (If you are a business traveler, why stay in a hotel?) At the front of the house would be a gift shop featuring imported gifts and fine Japanese incense. As a matter of fact, incense would be a central theme of the bed and breakfast; a sample would be left in each of the rooms instead of the traditional piece of candy. The shop would also incorporate some of the other traditional arts of Japan such as a selection of teas and gifts relating to Origami and Ikebana maybe even a Bonsai tree or two.

In the basement there would be a gym for working out and maybe space where massages, Tai Chi, and Aikido lessons would be offered. Outside, in back of the house, would be a traditional Japanese garden with lots of rocks and free flowing sand and water. And finally, to top it all off, there would be a Japanese bath.

To come to fruition, dreams such as these have to have mental justification as well as the obvious financial support. Then you have to find the people to make it happen. It can be argued that the midwestern city of St. Louis is developing something of an Oriental flavor. The annual Japanese Festival is coming up around Labor Day and it’s one of the largest in the country. The Missouri Botanical Garden, where the festival is held every year, boasts one of the most spectacular Japanese Gardens in the country and quite possibly in the world. (A ticket to the garden could be included in the price of the bed and breakfast.) Our Asian population is growing faster than any other segment, and Eastern furnishings and decorations for the home are a hot ticket item. Images of the Buddha and Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, are selling big at one of the area’s top importers, MacroSun International. People have become more open to other cultures and using Asian images and symbols, not only from China and Japan, but from other Asian countries as well. These include India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Korea. Another reason is that furniture companies that once produced items in the United States are moving their production facilities overseas. In 2005, for example, China imports accounted for some $12 billion in home furnishings.

In the garden, the elegant Japanese maple has become the ornamental tree of choice in St. Louis. The wide variety of colors and shapes of these trees make them ideal as specimen trees as well as fitting in well with shrub borders and groupings. You can even train the smaller varieties into bonsai shapes. Fall or early winter is the best time to plant your new Japanese maple. Another bonus is that these trees are highly resistant to disease and insect damage. And as great as these little trees look, you’re sure to find one of the 400 varieties that you will like.

So there will be a beautiful Japanese maple in my garden out back of the bed and breakfast, right next to the pool. Maybe it’ll be a “Crimson Queen” with colors of crimson and fall color of scarlet, or a “Waterfall” which turns a red-tinged orange. Anyone willing to front me the startup money?