JINRIKISHA DAY S IN JAPAN

ELIZA RUHAMAH SCIDMORE

Waga kuni no Yamato sh ima ne m rdzur u h i wa ;

Motokosh i h ito mo. awoga zar ameya .

In the ancient Yamato island. my native land, the sun r ises

Must not even the Wester n for e igne r r eve r ence?"

A nc ient 7apzm ese Poem .

I cannot cease fr om p r aising these Japanese . Theyar e tr uly the de l ight of my hear t."

ST. FRANCIS XAVIER.

R E V I S E D E D I T I ON

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK AND LONDON

H ARPE R B RO T H E R S PU B L I S H ER S

1 9 0 2

Copyrigh t 1 891 , by HARPER BROTHERS .

PREFAC E

TH IS book has o n ly a t t emp t e d to p re sen t som e

o f the ph ase s o f the n ew J ap an as they app ea red

t o o n e who was b o th a t o u r i s t an d a fo re ign res i

d en t in tha t c o un t ry . No one p e rso n can se e i t a l l,

no r comp reh e n d i t , as the J i n rik i sha spe ed s t h ro ugh

c i ty s t re e t s a nd o v e r co u n t ry ro ad s , n o r d o an y t w o

p eop l e e nj oy j u s t the sam e e x p e ri e n ce s , see t h i ngs

in the sam e l igh t , o r d raw the sam e co n c lu s i o n s a s

t o th i s rem ark ab l e p eop l e . J ap an i s so ine x h au s t

i b l e and so fu l l o f su rp r i s e s t h a t t o the l ast d ay o f

h is st ay the t o u r i st a n d t h e re s id e n t a l i ke a re con

fro n t ed by som e n o v e l ty t h a t is y e t who l ly comm o n

and u su a l in th e l i fe o f the J ap ane se .

The sc i e n t i s t s , s cho l a rs , a n d sp ec i a l i s t s , the p oe t i c

and t h e p o l i t i c a l w r i t e rs , who h ave w r i t t e n so fu l lyo f J ap an , hav e om i t t e d m any l i t t le th i ngs wh i c h

l e a v e the p l e asan t e s t imp re ss i on s o n l igh t e r m i nd s .

Each d e cad e p re sen t s a n ew J apan , a s t h e w ond e r

ful emp i re app roach e s n e a re r t o m od e rn an d Eu

topca n s t an d ard s in l i v i ng , and ,in becom i ng o n e o f

the e igh t gre a t c i v i l i z e d w o rld -pow e rs , J ap an h as

p u t a s id e m uch o f i t s med iaava l and O r i en t a l p ic t

u r e sque ne ss .

iii

Pr ef a'

ce

B ew i ld e red by i t s no ve l ty a n d s t rangene ss , t o o

m an y t o u r i s t s com e an d go w i t h l i t t l e k n ow l edge

o f t h e J ap a n o f t h e J ap an e s e , an d , b eho ld i ng o n lyt h e m od e rn i z ed se ap o r t s an d t h e c ap i t a l , m i ss m anyu n iq u e an d d i st i n c t ly n at i on a l s igh t s an d exp e r i

e nce s th a t l i e c l o se a t h an d . The bo ok w i l l h av e

att a i n ed i t s o bj ec t if i t h e lp s the t o u r i s t t o se e b e t

te r th e J apa n t h a t i s u n ch ang i ng , an d if i t g i v e s

t h e s t ay -at-hom e re ad e r a gre a t e r in t e re s t in those

fasc i n a t i ng p e op l e a n d t h e i r l o v e l y h om e .

U n fo r t u n at e ly , i t is imp o ss i b l e , in a ck n ow ledg i ngthe k i n d n ess o f t h e m an y J ap an ese fr i e n d s an d ac

qua intance s , who se cu red m e so m u ch e n j oym e n t

a nd so m any d e l igh t fu l exp e r i en ce s , t o b eg i n t o

g i v e t h e l ong l i s t o f t h e i r n am es . E ac h fo re ign

v i s i t o r m u s t equ a l ly fe e l h im s e l f i n d ebted t o t h e

w h o l e rac e fo r b e i ng J ap a n e se,and

,th e re fo re , t h e

m o st i n t e re s t ing p op u l at i o n in th e w o r ld , an d h is

ob l iga t i o n is t o t h e w h o l e p eop l e as m u ch a s t o

p art i c u l a r i n d i v i d u a l s .

S i n c e t h e fi rs t ed i t ion o f t h i s b o okwas p ub l i sh ed ,the t re a t i e s h av e b e e n re v i sed , ex t ra- t e rr i t o r i a l i tyan d th e p assp o rt sy st em h av e b ee n ab o li sh ed , and

a p ro t e c t ive t a r i ff ad op t ed ; the ra i lw ay has b ee n

ex t e n d ed t o Nikk o,t o Na ra , from end t o e nd , and

tw i c e ac ro ss,th e m a i n i s l an d ; fo re ign h o t e l s h a ve

m u l t ip l i e d in s e ap o rt s an d m ou n t a in re so rt s ; th e

gu id e-bo ok has b een m od e rn i z ed , m ad e m o re com

p an ionable an d i n t e re s t i ng ,a nd a v as t l i t e ra t u re

h a s b e en add ed t o t h e su bj ect— J ap a n . Th e fa l l in

the p r i ce o f s i l v e r, th e adop t i o n o f the go ld st a n dIV

Pr ef ace

a rd, and the in c re as ing a rmy o f t o u r i s t s have m o re

t h an d o ub le d t h e co s t o f l i v i ng an d o f a l l t h e p rod

ucts o f a r t i n d u s t ry . J ap a n has t w i c e se n t v icto r ious m i l i t a ry exp ed i t i o n s t o t h e m a i n land , and i n

t h e re l i e f o f the l ega t i o n s a nd t h e occu p a t i o n o f

Pek i ng has p ro v ed h e r so ld i e rs fi rs t in va lo r,d is

cip l ine , eq u i pm e n t , an d in h um an i ty t o t h e co n

q u e re d,and t h e re w as ab u nd an t ly d i sp l ay ed t h a t

h igh p ass i o n o f p at r i o t i sm wh i c h t h e J ap an e se pos

sess in gre a t e r d egre e t h an any o th e r p e op l e .

J ap an , s ix t im e s re v i s i t ed , i s as fu l l o f ch arm an d

n o ve l t y as wh e n I fi rs t w en t a sh o re from t h e w reck

o f t h e Tak l'

o.

E . R . 5 .

WASH INGTON ,D C M u r r /z

,1 890.

Al a rm, 1902.

C O NTENTS

PAGE

THE NORTH PACIFIC AND YOKOHAMA

YOKOHAMAYOKOHAMA—CONT I N UEDTHE ENV I RONS O F YOKOHAMAKAMAKURA AND ENOSH IMA

TOK IOTOK I O—CONT INUEDTOK IO FLOWER FEST IVALSJAPANESE HOSP I TAL IT I ESTHE JAPAN ESE THEATRETHE I MPERIAL FAM I LYTOK IO PALACES AND COURTTHE SU BURBS O F TOK I OA TRI P TO N IKKO

CH IUZENJ I AND YUMOTOTHE A SCENT OF FUJ IYAMATHE DESCENT O F FUJ IYAMATHE TOKAIDO—I

THE TOKA IDO—I INAGOYALAKE B IWA AND K IOTOK I OTO TEMPLESTHE MONTO TEMPLEs AND THE DAIMONJ I

THE PALACES AND CASTLEK IOTO S ILK INDUSTRYEMBRO IDER IES AND CURIOS

v ii

Com‘em’

s

PoTTERIEs AND PAPER WARESGOLDEN DAYSSENKE AND THE MERCHANTS ’ D INNERTHROUGH UJ I TO NARANARAOSAKAKOBE AND AR I MATH E TEA TRADETHE I N LAND SEA AND NAGASAK I

. IN THE END

I NDEX

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

O LD COURT COSTUME Fr ou l z'

sp z'

ecc

FUJ I YAMAJAPAN ES E CH I LDRENAT KAWAWATHE

‘SEM I'

S CAG EPoETs BEN EATH THE PLUM -TREES

A U YENO TEA -HOU SEI R IS GARDENS AT HOR I K I R IAT KAME I DOI N DANGO-ZAKA STREETTEA BLOSSOMSCHOPSTICKs— FIGS . I AND 2

CHOPST ICKs— FIG. 3

TH E NESANS AT TH E HO ISH IGAO KA

MATSUDA , TH E MASTER O F CHA NO YU

DANJ l RO , THE GREAT ACTORIN THE PALACE GARDENSIN TH E PALACE GARDENSI N THE PALACE GARDENSPLAN OF EMPEROR ’S PR IVATE APARTM ENTSIMPER I A L SAKE-CUP .

INTER IOR O F THE IYEM ITSU TEMPLEGATE-WAY O F THE IYEYASU TEM PLEFARM LA BORERS AND PACK-HORSEPU BL IC BATH-HOUSE AT YUMOTO

I l lustr a tz'

ons

THE SHOJOTHE GREAT P INE-TREE AT KARASAKI

THE TRUE-LOVER’S SHR INE AT K IOM IDZU

THE THRON E OF 1868

KABE HABUTA ICH I R I MENEB I SU CH IRIMENK INU CH I R I MENFUKUSA

MANJ IMITSU TOMOYE

I N NAMM IKAWA’

S WORK-ROOMPICK I N G TEAIN THE KA SUGA TEMPLE GROUNDSPR IESTESSES AT NARAFARM LABORERS

J INRIKISHA DAYS IN JAPAN

CHAPTER I

THE NORTH PAC IF IC AND YOKOHAMA

ALL the O rien t is a surprise to the Occidental . Everyth ing i s strange

,with a certain un real i ty th at makes one

doubt half h is sensat ions . To apprec iate J apan on eshould come to it from the main- l and of Asia . FromSuez to Nagasak i the Asi at ic s i ts dumb and contentedin his d irt

,rags

,ignorance

,and wretchedness . After

the muddy rivers,dreary fl ats

,and brown h i l l s Of Ch ina,

after the desol ate shores of Korea,with the i r un love ly

and unwashed peopl es,J apan i s a dream O f Parad ise,

beaut ifu l from the first green i sl and off th e coast to thel ast p icturesque h i l l-top . The houses seem toys

,the i r

inhabi tants dol l s,whose manner of l ife is clean , pretty,

art i st i c,and d i st inct ive .

There i s a greate r d ifference between the people of

th ese idyl l i c i s l ands and of the two countries to westward , than between the phys ical ch aracter ist ics of thethree kingdoms ; and one recogn i zes the Japanese asth e fine flower of the Ori ent

,the most pol i te, refined ,

and aesthet ic Of races,h appy

,l ight-hearted

,friendly, and

attract ive .

The bold and irregul ar coast is r ich in color, the perenn ial green Of the h i l l-s ide i s deep and soft, and theperfect cone of Fuj iyama against the sky completes thelandscape

,grown so fami l i ar on fan , l antern , box , and

7z'

nr zlézlréa Day s in yapa fz

p late . Every-day l i fe looks too theatrical,t oo ful l of

art ist ic and decorat ive effects,to be actual and serious

,

and streets and shops seem set w ith del iberate ly stud iedscenes and careful ly posed groups . Half consciouslythe spectator wai ts for the be l l to r ing and the curtai nto drop .

The voyage across the North Pacific i s lonely andmonotonous . Between San Francisco and Yokohamah ard ly a passing sai l i s seen . When th e Pacific Mai lS teamsh ip Company establ i shed the Ch in a l ine the i rsteamers sai l ed on prescr ibed routes

,and outward and

homeward bound Sh ips met regul ar ly in mid -.0cean

Now,when not ob l iged to touch at Honolu lu

,the cap

tain s choose the i r route for each voyage,ei ther sai l ing

straight across from S an Franc i sco,i n 37

° to Yokohama

,in 35

°2 6

'

N.,o r

,fo l lowing on e Of the great C ir

cles farther north,thus l essen t ime and distance. On

th ese northern merid i an s the weather is Often cold,

th reaten ing,or stormy

,and the sea rough ; but the stead

in ess Of th e winds favors th i s course , and persuades thesh ip’s Officers to shorten the long course and more certain ly reach Japan on schedule t ime . Dwel lers in hotC l imates d isl ike the sudden t rans iti on to cooler waters,and some voyagers enjoy i t . Fortun ate ly, i cebergs cannOt float down the Shal low reaches O f Bering S tra i tbut fierce winds b low through the gaps and passes int he Aleut i an I sl and s .Canadian Pacific steamers, start ing on th e 4gth par

al l el,often pass near th e shores of Attu , th e l ast l i t t l e

fragment Of e arth sw inging at the end o f the great Aleut ian chain. The sh el ter wh ich those capabl e n avigators,M r s . Leek s and Mrs . Alesh in e , had the luck to find in

their memorabl e journ ey, mariners decl are to be M idway I sl and

,a ci rcu l ar dot Of l an d in the great waste ,

wi th a long,n arrow

,outly ing sand-bar, where schooners

h ave been wrecked,and castaways rescued after month s

Tbe [Var /ll Pa cific a nd Yokohama

of imprisonmen t . The steamer’s course from San Franc isco to Yokohama varies from 4500 to 5500 mi les , andthe j ourney takes from twe lve to e ighteen days . FromVancouver to Yokoh ama i t i s bu t e leven d ays .When the sh ip

’

s course turn s percept ib ly southwardthe mi ld weather of the J apan S tream i s fe l t . In winterth e fi rst S ign of l and i s a d is tan t s i lver dot on the hori~

zon,wh ich in summer turn s to blue or v iolet

,and grad

ua l ly en l arges i nto the taper ing cone o f Fuj i , sloping upward in fau lt l ess l i n es from the water’s edge . One mayapproach land many t imes and never see Fuj i

,and dur

ing my first six months in Japan the match less mountai nrefused to Show herself from any po in t Of vi ew. CapeKing

,terminat ing the long pen in sul a th at shel ters Yeddo

Bay,shows first a l i ne of purpl e cl iffs , and then a front

of terraced h i l l s,green w ith r ice and wheat, or golden

with grai n or stubble . F leets of square-sai l ed fish ingboats d r ift by, the ir crews , in th e loose , flapping gownsand un ivers a l blue cotton head-towel s Of th e J apanesecool ies

,easi ly working the broad oar at the stern . At

n igh t Cape King’s welcome beacon i s succeeded by Ka

non sak i’

s l antern across the Bay, Sagami

’

s bright l ight,then the myriad flashes of the Yokosuka n avy-yard

,and

l ast the red bal l of the l igh t-sh ip,marking the edge of

the shoal a mi le outs ide th e Bund , or sea-wal l , of Yokohama . When th i s craft run s up i ts s ignal-fl ag a Un i tedS tates man - Of -war, i f th ere be one in port, fires twoguns

,as a s ignal that the American mai l has arrived .

Dayl igh t reveal s a succession of terraced h i l l s , cleftby n arrow green val l eys and narrower rav i nes ; l i ttl e vi ll ages

,their c l usters Of thatched roofs shaded by pine ,

palm,or bamboo ; fishing-boats always i n the foreground ,

and sometimes Fuj i cl e ar - cut again st the sky, its baselost now and then beh i nd the overl apping h i l l s . I nsummer Fuj i ’s purpl e cone shows only ribbon str ipes ofwhite near i ts apex . For the rest of th e year i t is a

yz'

i zr z'

kz’

sfia D ay s in 7am”

s i lvery,sh i n ing v i s ion

,r ival led only by Mount Rain i er

,

which,pale w ith eternal snows

,r i ses from th e dense

forests of Puget Sound to gl ass i tsel f in those green waters .Yokoh ama d is appoin ts the travel le r

,after th e sp len

d i d panorama Of the Bay . The Bund,or sea-road

,wi th

i ts c l ub-houses,hotel s

,and res idences front ing the wa

ter,i s not Or ien tal enough to be very p icturesque . I t

is too European to be Japanese , and too Japanese to beEuropean . The water fron t

,wh ich suff ers by compar i

son with the massive ston e bu i ld ings Of Chinese ports,is , however, a cred i tab l e contrast to our unt idy American doeks and quays, notwi thstand ing th e low t i ledroofs

,b lank fences

,and hedges . The water l ife is v ivid

and spectacular. The fleet of b lack merch an t steamersand wh ite men -Of-war, th e ugly p ink and red can al-steamers

,and th e c rowding b rigs and barks

,are far outnum

bered by the fleet of sampans th at inst antly surroundthe arr iving mai l . S team- l aunches , serving as m ai l-wagon and hote l omn ibus, snort, puff, and wh i stl e at th egang-ways before th e buoy is reached ; and volub l e boatmen keep up a steady ozz , ozz , zo/zz

’

zz,zo/zz

'

zz,to the strokes

of the ir crooked , wobbl ing oars as they scul l i n and out .Four o r five thousand people l ive on the sh ipp ing in theharbor

,and in ferryi ng th is popu l at ion to and fro and

purveying to i t th e boatmen make the i r l ive l ihood . S tr ictpol ice regu l at ions keep them safe and peaceab le

,and th e

harbor imposit ion s of other coun tries are unknown . On

many Of th ese sampans the whol e fami ly ab ides, th ewomen Cook ing over a h andful of Ch arcoal in a smal lbox or bowl , the ch i ldren pl aying in corners not ocenp ied by passengers o r fre ight . On gala days, when thesh ipp ing is decorated , the h arbor is a beaut ifu l s igh t ; o rwhen the salutes of th e fore ign fleets assembl ed at Yokohama ar e returned by th e guns of the fort on KanagawaHeights

,and the a i r t ingl es w ith exci temen t. S i nce

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

T/ze Nor /ll. Pa afic a nd Yokokaw a

‘

the annexat ion of the Ph i l ippines th e American Asiat icflee t has been ful ly occupied in tha t arch ipel ago

,and

the vessel s seldom vi si t Yokohama,o r remain for any

t ime . The acqu is ition of We i-hai -Wei gave the Brit i shfl eet a northern stat ion , and that, with the perpetualb reak-up and cri s i s in Ch ina

,keeps those sh ips and the

fleets o f al l n at ion s close ly to th at coast . Nagasak i ’scoal -mines make i t th e great port Of naval cal l and supply ih Japan .

A mole and protected harbo r wi th stone docks ha sbeen bui l t w ith the money final ly returned to Japanby the Uni ted S t ate s

,afte r being shameful ly withhe ld

for a quarte r o f a centu ry,as ou r share of the Sh imono

sek i I ndemn i ty Fund . The outer harbor l ie s so Opento th e prevai l ing south -east w inds that lo ad ing and un

loading i s Often delayed for days,and l anding by l aunch

es o r sampans is a wet process . The Bay is so sh al lowthat a st i ff wind quick ly sends i ts waves breaking overthe sea-wal l

,to subside again in a few hours into a mir

ror- l ike calm . The h arbor has had its great typhoons,

but does not l i e in the centre Of those dreaded c i rcu l arstorms that wh irl up from th e Ch ina seas . Deflected toeastward

,th e typhoon sends its syphoon ,

or wet end,to

fi l l the ai r with vapor and drizz le,and a smothering

,mi l

dewy,exhaust ing atmosphere . A fi lm of mist covers

everyth ing,wal l - paper loosen s

,glued th ings fal l apart

,

and humani ty wil ts .Yokohama has i ts d ivi s ions— the Settl ement, the Bluff ,

and Japanese Town— each of wh ich i s a considerablepl ace by itsel f. The Sett l ement, or region original ly setapart by the Japanese in 18 58 for fore ign merchants ,was made by fi l l ing in a swampy val ley Open ing to theBay. This Se ttlement , at fi rst separated from the Tokaido and the J apanese town O f Kanagawa , has becomethe cen tre of a surround ing Japanese popu lat ion of ove re ighty thousand . I t is bui l t up cont i nuously to Kana

D ay s in 17am”

gawa Bridge,two m iles farther north

,on the edge of a

bold b luff,where the TokaidO— the East Sea Road

lead ing up from K ioto,reache s the Bay . In d ip lomat ic

papers K anagawa is st i l l recogn ized as the name Of thegreat port on Yeddo Bay, al though the consu lates, banks,hotel s

,c lubs

,and business streets are m i le s away .

At the Izatooa ,or l and ing-pl ace , the trave l ler i s confront

ed by the that b ig , two-wheeled baby-carri ageof the country

,which

,i n vented by an American

,has been

adopted al l over the East . The j in rik i sha (or kur zmza,

as the l inguist and the upper C l ass more pol i te ly cal l i t)ranges i n price from seventeen to forty dol l ars, twentybeing the average cost of those on the pub l ic s tands .Some thrifty cool ies own their veh icl es , but the greaternumber e ither ren t them from

,or work for

,compan ies

,

and each j inr iki sh a pays a smal l annual t ax to the Gove r nment. An unwritten rul e Of the road compel s thesecarriages to fol low one another in regulated s ingle fi l e .

The,

o ldes t o r most honored person rides at the head ofthe l ine

,and only a boor would attempt to change the

order of arrangement . Spinn ing down the Bund , at atari ff SO moderate that the American can ride for a weekfo r wh at h e must pay in a day at home , one finds the jinr ik i sh a to be a comfortab le , flying arm-chair— a l i tt l e pr ivate

,portable throne . The Cool ie wears a loose coat

and waistcoat,and tights of dark-bl ue cotton

,with straw

sandal s on h is bare feet,and an inverted washbowl of

straw covered w ith cotton on h i s h ead . When i t rainshe is converted in to a prick ly porcup ine by h is strawrain-coat

,or he don s a queer apron and cloak of O i led

paper,and

,pul l ing up the hood of the l i t tl e carri age

,

t ies a second apron of Oi led paper across the knees ofh is fare . At n ight the shafts are ornamented with a paper l antern bearing h i s n ame and h i s l icense number ;and th ese glowworm lights

,fl i tt ing through the streets

and country roads in the darkness,seem on ly another

8

T116 Nor t/z Pa czfic a nd Yoko/tame:

expression of the J apanese love Of the picturesque . Inthe country , after dark, they cal l warn ings of ruts , holes ,breaks in the road

,or coming crossways ; and the i r cries,

runn ing from one to another down the l ine,are not nu

musical . To th is smi l ing, pol i te , and amiable l i tt l e ponyone says Hoy oka for for “ take care

,

S ukos/zz'

ma le/ for s top a l i tt le,and Sor o .

’ for slowly.

The last command is Often needed when the cool i e,lean

ing back at an acute angle to the shaft,dashes down

hi l l at a rap id gai t . J inr ik i sha cool ie s are said even tohave asked extra pay for walk ing slowly through the fascinating streets of open shops . I f you experiment withthe j inriki sh a on a leve l road , you find that i t i s on ly thefi rst pul l that i s h ard ; once started , the l itt le carri ageseems to r un by itse l f. The gait of the man in th e Shafts

,

and h is he ight,determ ine the comfort Of the ride . A

ta l l coo l ie ho lds the shafts too h igh,and t i l ts one at an

uncomfortab le angle ; a very short man makes the bestrunner

,and

,with big toe curl ing upward

,wil l tro t along

as regularly as a horse . As one l ooks cl own upon thebobbing creature below a hat and two feet seem to constitute the whole motor.The wa r aji , or sandal s

,worn by these coo l ies are

woven of r i ce straw,and cost l ess than five cents a

pai r. I n the good old days they were much cheaper.Every vi l lage and farm-house make them , and every shopsel l s them . In thei r manufacture the big toe i s a greatass istance

,as th is h igh ly trained member catches and

holds the strings wh i l e the hands weave . On co untryroads wrecks of O ld waraj i l i e scattered where the wearer stepped out Of them and r an on , wh ile ru ts and mudholes are fi l led with them . For long tramps the fore igne r finds the waraj i and the foot,or d igit ated stocking,much better th an h i s own clumsy boots , and he t ies themon as overshoes when he has rocky paths to cl imb . Coo

l ies often d ispense with waraj i and wear heavy tabi , with9

D ay s in yapan

a strip of th e a lmost indestruct ib le lzecfiz'

ma fibre for theso les . The h echima i s the gourd wh ich furn i shes thevegetab le washrag

,or looffa sponge of commerce . The

snow-wh ite cotton tab is of th e better cl asses are made animportan t part of the i r costume .

Those cool ies who pul l and push heavi ly loaded cartso r drays keep up a hoarse Chant , wh ich corresponds tothe chorus Of s ai lors when haul ing ropes .H oz

'

a’a f

” they seem to be crying,as they b race their feet

for a hard pu l l,and the very sound of i t exhausts the l i s

tener . I n the Old days peopl e were nearly deafened withthese street choruses

,but thei r use is another of the he

r edita r y customs that i s fast dying out. I n mountaind istr ict s one’s ch air - bearers wheeze out

“5 0 r ib s/2a !

H o r ib s/1a !”o r

“f lo s/za / [to r 1m!” as they cl imb the

steepest path s,and they cannot keep step nor work vig

o r ously without the i r ch ant .

CHAPTER I I

Y O K O H A M A

THE Sett l ement is bounded by the creek,from whose

Opposi te s ide many steep h i l l-roads -wind up to the Bl u ff,where most of the fore igners h ave the ir houses . Theseblu ff - roads pass between the hedges surround ing trimvi l l as with thei r beauti ful ly set gardens

,th e i rregular

numbering Of whose gates soon catches the stranger’seye . The fi rst one bui l t being number one , the otherswere numbered in the order of the i r erect ion

,so that

h igh and low numeral s are often side by s ide . TO COO

l ies,servants

,pedd lers

,and purveyors

,fore ign residents

are best known by the ir s t reet - door numerat ion and“ Number four Gen tleman

” and “ Number five Lady1 9

Yoko/zama

are recurren t and adequate descript ion s . So wel l usedare the subj ects of i t to th i s convict system of identificat ion th at they recognize the ir friends by the ir a l ias asread ily as the nat ives d

_

o .

Upon the Bluff stand a pub l i c h al l,United S tates and

Brit ish marine hosp itals , a French and a German hospital

,severa l m iss ionary establ i shments

,and the houses

of the l arge American miss iona ry commun ity. At the extreme west end a colony of Japanese florists has pl antedtoy

- gardens fi l l ed with vegetab le m irac les ; burlesquesand fantasie s Of hort icu l ture ; dwarf - t rees, a hundredyears O ld , that cou ld be put in the pocket ; huge s ingl eflowers

,and marve l lous masses of smal ler b lossoms ;

cherry-trees that bear no cherr ie s ; pl um-trees that bloomin midwinter

,but h ave ne ither leaves no r fru i t ; and roses

— th at favor ite flower wh ich the fore igner brought withh im—flower ing in Cal iforn ian profus ion . A large bus iness i s done in the exportat ion of Japanese plants andbulbs

,encased in a thi ck coat ing of mud

,which makes

an ai r-t ight case to protect them during the sea-voyage .

Ingen ious fern p ieces are p reserved in the same way .

These grotesque th ings are produced by wrapping inmoist earth the long

,woody roots Of a fine-l eafed variety

of fern . They are made to im itate dragons, junks, temples

,boats

,l anterns

,pagodas

,bel l s

,bal l s

,c i rcles , and

every fam i l iar Obj ect . When bough t they look dead . I fhung for a few days in the warm sun ,

and occas ional lyd ipped in water

,they change in to feathery, green Objects

that grow more and more beaut i fu l , and are far moreart i st ic than our one conven t ional h anging-basket . Thedwarf - trees do not stand transportat ion wel l , as theyei th er d ie or begin to grow rap id ly.

The Japanese are the foremost l andscape gardenersin the world

,as we Occ idental s , who are st i l l in that

barbari c per iod where carpe t garden ing seems beauti fu land des irable

,Shal l in t ime d iscover. The i r gen ius has

D ay s 7apcm

equal pl ay in an area of a yard o r a thousand feet,and

a J apanese gardener wi l l doubtless come to be consid

ered as necessary a part Of a great American establ i shment as a French maid or an Engl ish coachman . Fromgenerat ions Of nature- loving and flowe r -worsh ipp ing ahcestor s these gent le fo l lowers of Adam ’s profession havei nheri ted an i n t imacy with growing th ings, and a powerover them that we cannot even understand . Thei r veryfarm ing is art i st ic garden ing, and their garden ing h alfnecromancy.

On h igh ground,beyond th e Blu ff proper

,st retches

the race-course,where spring and fal l there are runn ing

races by short—l egged,shock-headed pon ies

,brough t from

the Hokkaido,the northern i s l and

,o r from Ch in a . Gen

tlemen j ockeys frequen t ly ride thei r own horses in flatraces

,hurd le-races

,o r steepl e-chases . The banks close

,

a general hol iday reign s th roughout th e town,and Often

the Emperor comes down from Tokio . Thi s race-courseaffords one Of the best v iews of Fuj i

,and from it curves

the road made i n early days for the so le use Of foreigners to keep them off the Toka ido

,where they had more

th an once come in confl ict w ith trains Of travel l ing nobles . Th is road leads down to the water’s edge , and ,fol lowing the shore of Miss i ss ippi Bay

,where Commo

dore Perry’s sh ip s anchored in 1 8 58 , strikes across a r iceval ley and cl imbs to the Bluff again .

The farm-houses i t passes are so p icturesque that onecannot bel ieve them to have a u t i l i tar ian purpose . Theyseem more l ike stage p ictures about to be rol l ed awaythan l ike actual dwel l ings . The new thatches are brightly yel low,

and the O ld thatches are ton ed and mel lowed,

setwith weeds,and dotted with l itt l e gray-green bunches

of “ hen and ch ickens,

” whi le along th e ridge-poles i s abed of growing l i l ies . There i s an O ld wife’s tal e to theeff ect that the women’s face-powder was formerly madeof l i ly-root

,and th at a ruler who wished to stamp out

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n r zléz'

s/za D ay s i n 7apan

a pair of b ig sl eeves . These goods are woven in theusual th irteen - inch Japanese width , al though occas ional lymade wider for the fore ign m arket. A Japanese kimonois a simple th ing, and on e may put on the fin i shed garment an hour after choos ing the c loth to make it. Thecut never varies

,and i t is st i l l sewn with basters’ sti tches,

although the use of fore ign flat- i rons obviates the n ecess ity Of ripping the kimono apart to wash and i ron i t .The Japanese flat- i ron is a copper bowl fi l led wi th burnmg charcoal , which , with its l ong handle , i s real ly a smal lwarming-pan . Bes ides th is contrivance

,there is a flat

arrow poin t of i ron w ith a shorter h andle , whicn doessmal ler and quite as ineff ectual service .

To an Am erican,noth ing is s impler than Japanese

money . The y en corresponds to our dol l ar, and is madeup of one hundred sen

,wh i le ten r z

'

n make one sen . The

yen i s about equal in value to the Mexican dol l ar, and isrough ly reckoned at fi fty cent s gold U n i ted S tatesmoney . O ne says dol lars o r yens ind iscrim inate ly

,a l

ways m ean ing the Mexican,wh ich i s the curren t co in of

the East . The old Copper coins,th e tin and the oval

tempo, each with a hole i n the m idd le , are d i sappearingfrom circulat ion , and at the O saka m int th ey are mel tedand made into round sens . O ld gold and s i lver coinsmay be bought in the curio shops . I f they have not l i t tl eOblong si l ver on ,

or a long oval gold no ban,the S i lversmith

wi l l Offer to make some,which wi l l an swer every purpose

When you ask for your b i l l , a merchant takes up hisframe of Sl id ing buttons— th e sor oban

,o r abacus— and

plays a clatter ing measure b efore he can te l l i ts amount .The soroban is infal l ibl e , though slow, and in the head Ofthe educated J apanese

,crowded with thousands Of arb i

tr ary characters and words , there i s no room for mentalarithmet ic . You buy two toys at ten cents ap iece . C l atter

,cl atter goes the soroban , and the calcu l ator asks you

for twenty cents . Depending

'

entir e ly on the soroban,14

Yoko/1mm:

they seem unab le to reckon the smal lest sums withouti t,and any peddle r who forgets to bring his frame may

be puzz led . The dealer in o ld embroider ies wi l l twi stand work h is face, scratch h i s head , and move h is fingersin the ai r upon an imagin ary soroban over the s implestaddi t ion

,d ivis ion , and subtract ion . At the bank

,the

s/zr ofir has a soroban a yard long ; and merchants say

that i n book-keeping the soroban is invaluabl e,as by its

use whol e col umns of figures can be added and provedin less t ime th an by our mental methods .

By an iron bridge,the broad street at the top of Ben

ten Dori crosses one of the many canal s extend ing fromthe creek in every d irect ion

,and form ing a net-work Of

wate r passages from Missi ss ipp i Bay to Kanagawa . Be

yond the bridge is Isezakicho , a half m il e of theatres,s ide-shows

,merry-go -rounds , catchpenny games , candy

shops,restaurants

,second - h and C lothes bazaars

,laby

r inths of curio,toy, Ch ina , and wooden - ware Shops .

Hundreds Of perambul at ing restaurateurs t rundle thei rl i tt l e k itchens along

,or swing them on a pole over thei r

shou lders . Dealers in ice- cream,so cal led

,abound

,who

wi l l sh ave you a glass of i ce,Sprinkl e i t w ith sugar

,and

furn i sh a m inute teaspoon with wh ich to eat i t . Thereare m en who sel l sooa

,a nat ive vermicel l i

,eaten with

pungent soy ; and men who , for a penny, heat a big gridi ron

,and give a smal l boy a cup of batter and a cup of

soy, with wh ich he may cook and eat h is own gridd lecakes . There the people

,the m iddle and lower classes ,

present themselves fo r study and admirat ion , and th espectator never wearies Of the outs ide dramas and panoramas to be seen in th i s merry fai r.

Pretty as she i s on a p ictured fan , the l iving Japanesewoman i s far more sat isfying to the aesthetic sou l as shepatters a long on her wooden c logs or straw sandalsThe very poorest

,in her s ingle cheap cotton gown , or

‘5

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s/za D ay s i n yapan

kimono,is as p icturesque as her r icher s i ste r in s i lk and

crape . With heads el aborate ly dressed , and folds Of gaycrape

, or a gl i ttering hai r-p in thrust in the smooth Ioopsof blue—bl ack h air

,th ey seem always in gal a array ; and ,

rain o r sh ine,never protect those el aborate co iff ures with

anyth i ng l ess ornamental th an a paper umbrel l a,except

In winter,when the maf ia

,a yard of dark crape l ined

wi th a contrast i ng color, i s thrown over the h ead , conce al ing the whol e face save the eyes . A singl e h air-pinOf tortoi se - shel l

,sometimes tipped with coral or gold

,is

al l that respectab le women of any cl ass wear at one t ime .

The heavily h ai r-p inned women on Cheap fan s are notmembers of good society ,

and only ch i ld ren and dancinggirl s are seen in th e fantast ic flowers and tr ifles sold ata hundred shops and booth s in th i s and every street.The l i tt le chi ld ren are the most Characteri st ical ly Jap~

anese Of al l J apanese sigh ts . Bab ies are carried aboutti ed to the mothers’ back , o r to that of the i r smal l s iste rs .They sl eep with the ir h eads rol l ing hel p l ess ly round

,

watch al l that goes on wi th thei r b l ack beads of eyes,and

never cry . Their sh aven crowns and gay l i tt l e k imonos,

thei r wise,serene countenances

,make them look l ike

cab ine t curios . As soon as she can walk,the Japanese

gi rl h as her dol l t ied on her back , unt i l she l earn s tocarry i t stead i ly and carefu l ly ; after th at the baby brother or s i ster succeeds the dol l

,and flocks of these comica l

l i tt le people,with lesser peop le on the i r backs

,wander

l ate at n ight in th e s treets w ith the i r parents, and the i r

funny doubl e set of eyes sh i ne in every aud ience alongIsezakicho .

These out-O f—door att ract ion s are constan tly changing.

Nat ive i nvention s and adaptat ions Of foreign ideas continual ly appear .

“ Pigs in clover and pot-hook puzz lesfol lowed on ly a few weeks beh ind thei r New York sea

son ,and street faki rs Offer perpetual novel ties . O f jug

gle r s the l in e i s endless, the i r performances fi l l i ng in ter

Yokofia nza

ludes at theatres,com ing between the courses of great

d in ners, and supplying entertainment to any garden party or flower fete in the homes of rich hosts . More cunn ing than these gorgeously Cl ad j uggle rs is an o ld man

,

who roams the vici n i ty Of Yokohama,wearing poor cot

ton garments,and carrying two baskets O f properties by

a pol e across h i s Shou lders . O n a street corner,a l awn

,

a pi azza,o r a Sh ip ’s deck , he sets up h i s baskets for a

table,and performs amaz ing feats w ith the aud ience en

tir e ly enci rcl ing h im . A hatful of coppers suffi c iently r e

wards h im,and he swal lows fire , spi ts out eggs , needl es ,

l an terns,and yards of paper-ribbon , wh ich he twirl s into

a bowl,converts i nto actual soba, and eats , and by a

magic sentence changes th e remain ing verm ice l l i i ntothe l ance- l ike l eaves of the iris p l an t . This magicIan

has a sh rewd,foxy o ld face , whose grimaces , as wel l a s

h is pan tomime,h is capers

,and poses

,are tricks in them

selves . His chuckl ing,ripp l ing stream Of talk keeps h i s

Japanese aud itors convul sed . Sword walkers and knifeswal lowers are plenty as blackberri es

,and the phono

graph is conspicuous in Ise zakicho ’

s ten ts and booth s .The sceptic and invest igator wastes h is t ime in the e ffortto penetrate the Japanese j ugglers ’ mysteries . O nce , ata d inner given by Governor Tateno at O saka

,the fore ign

guest of honor determ ined to be cheated by no Opt icaldelusions . He hard ly winked

,so c lose was h is scrutiny

,

and th e juggler played d i rectly to h im . An immenseporcel ai n vase having been brought in and set i n them iddle of the room

,the j uggler

,crawl ing up

,l e t h im sel f

down into i t s lowly . For half an hou r the scept ic d idnot rai se h i s eyes from the vase

,that he had fi rst proved

to be sound and empty, and to stand on no trap-door .After th is pro longed watch the rest

'

o f the company assai led h im with l aughter and jeers , and pointed to h i ss ide

,where the o ld juggle r h ad been seated for some

minutes fann ing h imsel f.19

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sfza D ay s in japa n

CHAPTER I II

YOKOHAMA— CONT I NUED

IN th e Settl emen t, back of the main street , the Ch inese have an i l l-smel l i ng corner to themse lves . Thei rgreasy wal l s and d irty floors affron t the dain ty dol l dwel li ngs across the creek

,and the a iry l i tt l e box of a tea

house,whose l antern s swing at the top of the pe rp en

dicu lar bluff beh ind them . Verm i l ion paper, baggyclothes

,pigtai l s

,h arsh voices

,and vi l e Odors reign in

th i s Ch inatown . The names on the s igns are curios it iesin them sel ves

,and Cock Eye , t ai l or, Ah Nie and Wong

Fai,l ad ies ’ tai lors

,are the Poole , Worth , and Fel ix of the

fore ign commun i ty . O n ly one Japanese has a great reputation as dress-maker, but the who le gu i ld i s moderate lysuccessfu l

,and prices are so low that the Bri t i sh and

French houses Of Yokoh ama cannot compete with them .

There i s a l arge j oss—house near the Ch inese consul ate ,and at the i r m idsummer

,autumn

,and New-year’s fest i

val'

s the Celest ial s hold a carn ival of l an terns,fi r e -crackers

,

incense,paper-flowe r s

,varn ished pigs

,and cakes . The

Japanese do not love these canny ne ighbors,and half

the strictures Of the passport l aws are designed to l imit the i r hold on th e bus iness of th e country . The Chinese are the stronger and more aggressive peopl e

,th e

h ard - he aded financiers of th e East,h and l ing al l the

money that c i rcu lates th is s ide of Ind i a . I n every bankCh inese shroff s

,or experts

,test the co ins and make the

actual payments over the counters . The money-ch angersare Chinese , and every business house h as its Ch i nese

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s/za Day s in 7afian

fe l l in to thei r pl aces i n th e tab leaux wh ich tu rn Homur a

’

s ch ief street into one end less panorama of Japaneselower-c l ass l i fe .

Half -way up one of the steep roads,cl imbing from

Homur a to th e Bl uff , i s th e famou s s i lk store of Ten abe

Gengor o ,with i t s dependent tea-house o f Segiyama , best

known O f al l tea-houses i n Jap an , and rendezvous for thewardroom offi cers Of th e fleets of al l n at ion s

,s ince Te

n abe’s uncle gave O ffic ial welcome to Commodore Per ry .

When a war-sh ip i s in port,th e a iry l i tt l e l an tern-hung

houses cont inuously send out the mus ic Of the kofo andth e samz

’

sen,th e banj o

,bones , and z ith er, choruses of

song and laughter,and the measured h and-cl appi ng th at

procla ims good cheer in Japan . Ten abe herself has nowlost the perfect b loom and beauty of her younger days ,but with her low

,s i lver-sweet vo ice and fasc inat ing m an

ner, she remains the most charming woman in al l Japan .

I n these days Tenabe presides over the s i lk store on ly,leaving her si sters to m anage the fortunes of th e teahouse . Tenabe speaks Engl i sh

,French

,and Russi an ;

never forgets a face,a name

,or an inc ident ; and if you

enter,after an absence of many years

,she wi l l sure ly

recogn ize you , serve you sweets and th imble -cups Of pal e

ye l lOw tea , and say a’ozo

,(1020

,

“ please,please

,

” with graceincomparabl e and in accents unapproachable .

Both l iving and trave l l ing are del ightfu l ly easy inJapan

,and no hardsh ips are encountered in the ports

o r on th e great routes of travel . Yokoh ama has excellen t hotel s ; the home of the foreign residen t m ay be

Q ueen Anne , or Colon ial , i f h e l ike , and the m arketsabound in meats

,fi sh , game, fru it s, and vegetables at

very low prices . Imported suppl i es are cl ear because ofthe cost of t ransportat ion . Besides the fru i ts of our cl imates , there are the bz

'

zoa,or loquat

,and the de l icious kaké

,

or Japanese pers immon . Natu ral i ce i s brough t fromHakodate ; art ificial ice i s made in al l th e ports , th e

Yoko/zama

Japanese being as fond of iced dr i nks as Americans .Three dai ly Engl i sh newspapers

,weekly mai l s to Lon

don and New York , three great cab le routes , e lec tricl ights

,breweries

,gas , and water -works add ut i l itarian

comfort to idea l p icturesqueness . The summers are hot,

but i nstead of ou r eccentric vari at ions of temperature,

the mercury stands at and 90° from July to Sep

tember. With the fresh monsoon blowing stead ily,that

heat i s endurabl e , howeve r, and the n igh ts are comfortable . J une and September are the two ny noa z

'

, or rainyseasons

,when everyth ing i s damp

,C l ammy

,st icky

, and

miserable . I n May, heavy cloth ing is put away in sealedreceptac l es , even gloves be i ng pl aced in a ir- t ight gl assor tin , to preserve them from the ru inous mi ldew . Whi leearthquakes are frequent, J apan enjoys the same immun ity from thunder-storms as our Pacific Coast .There i s no servant problem ,

and house -keep ing is adel igh t . Both Ch inese and J apanese

,though unfam i l iar

with weste rn ways,can be trained to surpass the best

European domest ics . Service so swift, noise less , and

perfect i s e l sewhere unknown . I ndeed,cooks as wel l as

but lers are adj usted to so grand a scale of l iv ing thatthe ir employers are served with almost too much formality and el aborat ion . The art of fore ign cookery hasbeen handed down from those exi l ed r/af s who cameout wi th the fi rst envoys

,to insure them the one attai n

abl e sol ace of existence before the days of cab les andregular steamships . There i s a native cuis ine of greatexce l l ence

,and each legation or Club chef has pup i l s , who

pay for the privi l ege of studying under h im ,whi le the

ord i nary k itchene r of the treaty ports i s a more sk i l fu lfunct ionary than the profess ional cook of American Cit

ies . Such cooks do the i r own market ing, furn ish withoutcomplaint e l aborate menus th ree t imes a day , serve ad inner party eve ry n ight

,and out o f the i r monthly pay,

ranging from ten to twenty Mexican dol l ars , supply the ir3 3

7z'

n r iéi s/za D ay s i n 7afia n

Own board and lodging. The brotherhood Of cooks helpeach other in emergenc ies , and if suddenly cal l ed uponto feed twice the expected number Of guests , any o ne of

them wil l work mi rac l es . He runs to one fe l l ow-craftsm an to borrow an extra fish

,to anothe r to beg an en t re

’

e ,a sal ad

,o r a sweet, and helps h imse lf to table ware as

wel l . A bache lor host i s Often amazed at the fine l in en ,the array Of s i lver

,and the many courses se t before h im

on the shortest not ice , and l earns afterwards that e veryth ing was gathered ih from neighboring estab l ishmen ts .

E l sewhere he may mee t h is own monogram or crest atthe tab le . Bache lors keep house and entertain wi th l esstrouble and m ore comfort th an anywhere e l se i n theworld . To these sybari tes

,the “ boy,

” with h is rustl ingkimono

,i s m ore than a second se lf

,and the soft-vo iced

ama/zs,or m aids

,are the del ight Of woman ’s ex istence .

The musical l anguage contributes not a l i t t l e to thecharm of these peop l e

,and the chattering servants seem

Often to be speak ing I tal i an .

After the Restoration many samur a i,or warriors

,were

ob l iged to adopt household service . One of these at myhote l h ad the face of a Roman senator

,with a Rom an

dign ity Of manner qu ite out O f keep ing with h is broomand dus t-p an

,o r l ive ry of dark-bl ue t igh ts

,smooth vest

,

and short b louse worn by al l h i s c l ass in Yokohama .

When a card for an imperi al garden party arrived,I

asked Tatsu,my imperi al Rom an

,to read it for me . He

took i t,bowed low

,sucked in h is b reath many t imes

,and

,

muttering the l ines to h imself,thu s trans l ated them Mi

kado want to see M issy,Tuesday

,three O ’clock .

” When acurio-dealer l eft a p iece Of porce l ain

,Tatsu

,always cr i t

ical of purch ases,went abou t h i s dut ies s lowly

,wait ing

fo r the favorabl e mom ent to give m e,in hi s broken Eng

l i sh,a dissertat ion on the o ld wares , the i r marks and

qual i t ies,and h is Op in ion Of th at part icu l ar specimen

Of blue and wh i te . He knew embroideries,understood

24

Yoko/zama

pictures,and was a l iving dict ionary of Japanese ph rase

and fab le . A pai r Of Korean shoes procured me a lecture on th e ancien t rel at ions between Japan and Korea

,

and an epi tome of the i r contemporary h isto ry .

Soci al l i fe in these fore ign ports presents a del igh tfu lfusion of Engl i sh , cont inental , and O rien ta l customs .The infal l ib le Bri ton , represen t ing the l argest fore igncontingency, h as transferred h i s household order uhchanged from the home i sl and

,yield ing as l itt l e as pos

s ib le to the exigencies of cl imate and environment . Theet iquette and hours Of society are those of England

,and

most of th e Am erican residen ts are more Engl i sh in

these matters than the Engl ish . J oh n Bul l takes h i sbeef and beer wi th h im to the tropics or the poles ind iffe r ently, and in h is presence Jonath an abjures h i s p ie ,and out l aws the words “ guess

,

” “ cracker,

” “ trunk,

”

baggage,

” “ car,and “ canned . H is East I nd ian ex

pe r iences of a cen tury have taught the Bri ton the bestsystem Of l iving and care-taking in hot or malaria l countr ies

,and he th rives in J apan .

In the smal l fore ign commun i t ie s at Yokohama, Kobe,and Nagasaki the contents of the mai l - bags

,soc ial

events,and the perfect ion Of phys ical comfort comprise

the interests Of most of th e res idents . The fr ict ion of al arge commun i ty, with i ts dai ly exci tements and aff airs , thede l ights of western art

,mus ic

,and the drama

,are absent

,

and society n atura l ly narrows into cl iques,sets

,rivalries ,

and smal l a ims . I f most res iden ts d id not affect ind ifference to th ings Japanese

,l i fe would be much more ih

te r esting. As i t is,the Ol d settl er l i stens with an air of

superiori ty,amusemen t

,and fat igue to the enthusi asm

of the new-comer . Not every fore ign residen t is fami liar w ith the art of Japan , nor wi th i ts h istory, rel igion ,or pol i t ical cond it ions . I f the m iss ionaries, of whomhundreds reside in Yokohama and Tokio , mingled morewith the fore ign residents

,each class would benefit ; but25

yin r zléisna D ay s in yapa n

th e two sets seldom touch,the missionaries keep to

themsel ves,and the l ives of the other extra-terri tor i al

peop le cont inual ly shock and Offend them . Each set

holds extreme,unfair

,and prej ud iced views Of the other

,

and aff ords th e n at ives arguments again st both .

Social ly, Tokio and Yokohama are one commun ity,

and the e ighteen m i les of ra i l road between the two donot h inder the exchange of vis i ts or acceptance Of inv itation s . When the Min isters of S tate give bal l s i n TOkio

,special m idnigh t trai n s carry the Yokoh ama guests

home,as they do when the C l ubs o r th e naval Officers

entertain at the seaport town . With the coming and going of th e fleets of al l n at ion s great act ivi ty and varie typervades the soci al l ife . In the increasing swarm Oftouri st s some pr ince , duke , or celebri ty i s ever arriving ,visi tors Of lesser note are countless

,and the European

dwel lers in al l As iat ic ports east of S ingapore makeJapan the i r pl easure-ground , summer resort, and san itar ium . That o rder Of touri st known as the “ globe-trotter

,

”

i s not a wel come appari t ion to the permanent fore ignresident . His generous and refined hosp i tal ity has beenso often abused , and i ts rec ip ients so Often show a halfcontemptuous condescen sion to the ir remote and uncom

prehended hosts , th at le tters of i ntroduct ion are lookedupon with dread . Now that i t h as become common forparents to send diss ipated young sons around the “Horn ”

and out to Japan on sai l ing vesse ls , th at they may reformon the voyage , a new-comer must prove h imse lf an inval id

,if he would not be avoided after he confesses h av

ing come by brig or bark . Bal l s , with the mus ic of navalbands

,and decorat ion s of bamboo and bunt ing

,are as

beaut iful as bal l s can be p icn ics and country excurs ion sen l iven th e whole year ; and there are perenn ial d innersand dances on board the men-of-war .Those East- Ind ian con trivances

,th e (In! and the (nif

book,furn ish a part i al check on n at ive servants . The

26

Yokoaama

average residen t carries l i ttl e re ady money,but write s a

memorandum of whatever he buys,and hands i t to the

sel l er i n stead of cash . These ch it s are presented monthly ; but the system tempts peop le to s ign more ch its thanthey can pay. Th is k ind of account-keeping is more ge neral in Chinese ports

,where one may wel l obj ect to r e

ce ive the leaden- l ooking Mexicans and ragged and d irtynotes Of the local banks . When one sends a note to an

acquaintance h e en ters i t in h i s ch it-book,where the per

son addressed adds h i s i n it i al s as a rece ipt, or evenwrites h i s an swer. The whol e soci al mach inery i s regulated by the ch it-book

,wh ich may be a source of d iscord

when its i ncaut ious en tries and answers l ie Open to anyPau l Pry .

Summer does not greatly d i sturb the l ife of soc iety .

Tenn is,rid ing

,boating

,and bath ing are i n form

,whi le

bal l s and smal l dances occur even in Ju ly and August .At niany places in the mountains and along the coastone may find a cooler ai r

,with good hotel s and tea

houses . Some famil ies ren t country temples near YOkohama fo r summer occupat ion

,and enjoy someth ing

between the habi tua l Japanese l i fe and Adirond ack camping . The sacred emblems and temple accessories areput in the cent ral sh rin e room

,screen s are d rawn , and

the sanctuary becomes a spac ious house,open to the ai r

on al l s ides , and capable of being d ivided in to as manyseparate rooms as the fam ily may requ i re . O ften thepriests set th e images and al tar-pieces on a h igh shelfconcealed by a curtain

,and give up the whole pl ace to

the heret ical tenants . I n one instance the broad al tarshel f became a recessed s ideboard

,whereon the gi lded

Buddhas and Kwannons were succeeded by bottle s , decanters

,and gl asses . At another temple i t was stipo

l ated th at the tenants shou ld give up the room in fron to f th e al tar on a certai n ann iversary day, to al low theworsh ippers to come and pray .

7znr z1és /za D ay s in

CHAPTER IV

THE ENV IRONS OF YOKOHAMA

THE environs o f Yokoh ama are more i nterest ing andbeaut ifu l than those Of any Other fore ign sett l ement, afford ing an i nexh aust ib le variety of t ramps , r ides, drive s,rai l road excursion s

,and sampan trips .

At Kan agawa proper th e Toka ido comes to th e bay’sedge

,which it fo l lows fo r some d istance through doub le

rows of houses and Spl end id o ld sh ade—trees . Back of

Kanagawa’

s bl u ff l i e the O ld and h al f-deserted Bukenjitemples

,crowded on rare fete d ays wi th worsh ippers,

me r r ymakers, and keepers Of booths , and at quieter t imesserv ing as favori te p i cn i c grounds for fore igners .On the Toka ido

,j u st beyond Kanagawa

,i s the grave

Of Richardson,who was k i l led by th e trai n of the Prince

of S atsuma, September I 4, 1 8 62 . Although foreigners

had been warned to keep off the Tokaido on that day,

the foolh ardy Briton and h i s friends del iberately rodein to the daim io ’s trai n

,an affront for wh ich they were

attacked by h is retainers and severely wounded,Rich

ar dson h imself being left for dead on th e road-s ide,wh il e

the rest escaped . When the train h ad passed by,a

young girl r an out from on e of the houses and coveredthe body with a p iece of matt ing, moving i t in the n igh tto her house

,and keeping i t conceal ed unt i l h i s fr iends

cl aimed i t . A memori al stone,i n scribed w ith Japanese

characters,marks the Spot where Richardson fe l l . S ince

th at t ime the k ind ly b l ack-eyed S usan ’s tea-house h asbeen the favori te resort for fore igners on th ei r afternoonrides and drives . S usan i s a tal l woman

,with round

2 8

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yinr ikis/za D ay s in yap an

leaves in th e ki tchen of the house ind icated th at themaster enjoyed th i s ambr osia l

l

feast habi tual ly, and perhaps dropped the ye l low shreds in h is sa /éé cup to prolong h is l i fe and avert cal am it ies, as they are warranted

AT KAWAWA

to do . Beyond Kawawa l ies a rich si lk d istri ct,and al l

the region is marked by thrift and comfort,s igns Of th e

prosperity that attends s i lk-ra is ing commun it ies .From Negi sh i , where Yokohama

’s creek debouches30

Tae Env i r ons of Yokonama

i n to Miss iss ipp i Bay,one looks across to Sugita

,a fish

ing vi l lage with an ancient temple set in the m idst ofpl um-trees and cherry-trees th at make it a p l ace of fete sin February and Apri l

,when those two great flower fes

tivals of the empire,the b lossom ing of the p lum and the

cherry,are Observed . From the b l uff above Sugita, at

the end of the watery cresen t,i s a superb view of the

Bay and its coun tless sharp,green head lands . Wherever

the view i s fine some Japanese fam i ly h as encamped ina to igbo , the least l i tt l e mat Shed of a house

,furn ished

with a charcoal braz ie r,hal f a dozen tea-pots and cups

,

and a few low benches covered w ith the al l-pervadingred b lanket . Thei r nat ional pass ion for l andscape andscenery draws the Japanese to pl aces h aving fine prospeets

,and a thrifty woman

,with her fami ly of ch i ldren ,

turn s many a penny by means of her comfortabl e seatand good cheer for the wayfarer . Japan is the p icn icker’sown country

,whether h e be nat ive o r fo re ign . Every

where, cl imbing the mounta in-tops,or crouch ing in the

val leys , h idden in the innermost fold s Of th e h i l l s, orperched on the narrowest and remotest ledges overhanging the water

, one finds the tea-house, o r i t s summer com

pan ion , the tateba , with i ts Open s ides and S immeringkett l e . Everywhere hotwater

,tea

,r ice

,frui ts

,eggs

,cups ,

plates , glasses, and corkscrews may be h ad . Theseth ings become so much a matter of course after a t ime,that the touri st must ban i sh h imsel f to China, to value ,as they deserve

,the cl ean Japanese tea-house

,and the

view-command ing tateba with its s imple comforts .Sugita

’

s plum-t rees Abud i n January,and blossom as

mi ld days and warm suns encourage,so that the last

week Of February finds the dead-l ooking branches clothedwith c louds Of starry wh ite flowers . The blossomingplum-tree i s Often seen when snow is on the ground , andthe h awthorn pattern of Old porcel ain s i s on ly a conventional representat ion of pale blooms fal len on the seamed

7in r zléis/za Day s in yapan

i ce of ponds or garden l akel ets . The plum is the poet’s

tree,and symbol ic o f l ong l ife , the snowy blo ssoms upon

th e gnarled,mossy

,and unresponsive branch es showing

th at a vi tal current st i l l an imates i t , and the heart l ives .At New-years a dwarf-pl um i s th e ornament of everyhome

,and to give one i s to wish your friend l ength Of

days . (f ore,the p lum b lossom

,has a fresh

,del icate

,el u

s ive,and pecu l iar fragrance

,which in the warm sun and

Open air i s almost i ntoxicat ing , but in a c lo sed room becomes heavy and cloying . The blossoming of the p lumtree i s the first h arb inger of Spring, and to Sugita regula r ly every year go the court l ad ie s , many princes , a ndgreat Off i c i al s to se e those b i l lows Of bloom that l i eunder the Bluff

,and th e p ink and crimson clouds Of trees

before the old temple .

During the rest Of the year l ittl e heed is paid to Sugita’s exi stence

,and the smal l fi sh ing v il l age in the curve

of the Bay, with it s gr een wal l Of b luff s , i s as qu ie t as inthe days when Commodore Perry’s fleet anchored O ff i tand Treaty Po in t acqu i red its name . With the blossomsSugita puts on i t s ho l iday air

,te a-houses Open

,tateba

spring from the earth , and scores-Of low

,red-blanketed

benches are scattered th rough the grove,signal s of te a

and good cheer,equivalen t to the i ron tab les and chai rs

Of Paris i an boulevards . S trings Of sampans float i n toshore

,l i nes Of j inrik ish as fi l e over the h i l l s

,zealous p i l

grims come on foot, and horsemen trot down the long,hard beach . The t iny h amlet Often h as a thousand visitor s in a day, and the pretty l i tt l e nesans

,o r tea-hou se

maids,patter busi ly abou t wi th the ir trays Of tea and sol id

food,welcom ing and speed ing the guests

,and l ooking

—quain t , Odd , and charming maiden s th at they arel ike so

'

many tablea ux a ir/a nts with the i r scan t kimonos,

vol uminous sleeves,ornate co iffures , and p igeon-toes .

Notwithstanding the crowds,everyth ing i s decorous

,

qu iet,and orderly

,and no more refined p leasure exis ts

3 2

Tne Env i r ons of Yoko/l ama

than th is Japanese beat i tude of s it t i ng los t in revery andrapturous contemplat ion of a blossoming tree

,o r i nd i t ing

a verse to 211728 no li ana,and fasten ing the b i t of paper to

the branches . In th is Utopi a the spri ng poem is neve rrejected

,nor made the subj ect of cruel jokes . The winds

fan i t gently, i t h angs consp icuous , i t i s read by h im whoruns

,but it i s not immortal , and the first he avy rain

l eaves it a wet and wi thered wreck, soon to fal l to theground and d isappear .Just outs ide the templ e -door i s a plum-t ree whose age

is lost in l egend . I ts bent and crooked l imbs and proppedup branches sustai n a th ick-massed pyramid Of pale rosepink . The outer bough s droop l ike a weep ing-wi l low

,

and the ir flowers seem to be sl ipping down them l ikerosy ra in -drops . Poets and peers

,dreamers and plod

ders,cool ies

,fishermen

,and the unsp iri tual fore igner

,al l

admire th is love ly tree,and its wide arms flutte r w i th

poems in i t s praise . Al l around the thatched roof of th eO ld temple stand pl um -trees covered wi th f r agant blossoms— Snow wh i te

,palest yel low

,rose

,or deep carna

t ion-red . The Shel tering h i l l back o f the temple i s crowded with gravestones

,tombs

,tab l ets

,and mossy Buddhas ,

S i tt ing calm and impass ive in tangl es Of grasses and

vines under the shadow of anc ient trees . A wide -Sp r eading pine on the crest of the h i l l i s a famous l andmark,whence one looks down on th e flower-wreathed vi l lage ,th e golden h ow of the beach cu rving from headland toheadland

,and th e bl ue bay fl ash ing with hundreds of

square whi te sai l s . I t i s a p lace for poesy and daydreams

,but the foreign visi tor ded icates i t to luncheon ,

table-talk,and mater ial sat isfact ion s

,and

,perhaps , the

warm sun and ai r, and the m i ld fragrance of the p lumblossoms aid and abet the i nsat i abl e p icn ic appetite .

Al l th i s part o f Japan i s O ld , a nd ri ch in temples ,shrines

,and picturesque vi l l ages , with a net-work Of na r

row roads and sh ady by-paths lead ing through perpetua lC 33

yinmk isna Day s i n yap an

scenes of sylvan beau ty . Thatched roofs, whose r idgepol es are beds Of l i l ies

,sh aded by glor ified green p l um es

Of bamboo-trees,tal l

,red-barked cryptomerias , crooked

pines,and gnarled camphor-trees

,everywhere charm the

eye . Litt l e red temples,approached th rough a l ine of

p icturesque tor ii— th at ske leton gate-way th at makes apart of every Japanese view or p icture— red shrines nol arger than marten boxes ; ston e B uddhas , s itt i ng crosslegged

,ch ipped

,broken-nosed

,headless, and moss-grown ;

odd stone table ts and lan tern s crowd the h edges andbanks of th e road-s ide

,snuggle at th e edges Of groves,

or stand in the corners of rice fields .Fair as the spring days are

,when the un iversal green

mantl e Of the earth i s adorned with airy drifts of plumand cherry-b lossoms

,th e warm

,mel low sun sh ine

,glor i

ous t in ts and clear brigh t air Of autumn are even faire r.O ne may forget and forgive the Japanese summer forthe sake of the weeks th at fol l ow

,an Ind ian summer

wh ich Often l asts without break for four mon th s afterthe equ inoct i al storm . Except that Fupyam a gleamswh iter and wh i ter

,there i s no suggestion of winter’s ter

r or s,and only a p leas ant cri spness in the bracing and

i ntoxicat ing ai r. When the maple le aves begin to turn,

and a second rose-blossoming surpasse s th at of June inco lor

,prod igal ity

,and fragrance

,autumnal Japan i s the

typ ical earth ly Paradis e . Every val l ey i s a floor of golden ri ce stubb le

,every h i l l—side a tangle of gorgeous fo l i

age . The pers immon-trees h ang ful l Of b ig golden kake,

sea and Sky wear thei r in ten sest bl ue , and Fuj iyama’s

lovel in ess Sh ines out against th e weste rn Sky . I n am ongthe yel lowing stubb l e move bl ue-cl ad farmers w i th wh itemushroom hats . Before the farm-houses m en and wom

en swing thei r flai l s,beat ing the gra i n spread out on

straw matt ing . The rice straw,whether bunched in

pretty Sheaves,t ied across poles

,l ike a New-year’s fringe

,

or stacked in col lars around the tree-t runks , i s always34

Tno Env i r ons of Yoko/l ama

decorat ive . Meditat ive oxen , drawing a primi t ive ploughmade of a po inted st ick, l oosen the so i l fo r the new pl an ting

,and tiny green wh eat-Shoots, first of the three regu

lar crops of the year, wait for the warm win ter sun thatOpens the p lum-blo ssoms .Above and beyond Sugita i s M ine

,a templ e on a

mO IInta in-top,with a background of dense pine forest

,

a foreground of bamboos , and an o ld priest,whose suc

ce ssfu l use of th e moxa bri ngs sufferers from long d istances for treatment . A brid le—path fo l lows fo r severalm i les the kn i fe-edge Of a ridge command ing nobl e viewsOf sea and Shore

,Of the b lue H akone range

,i t s great

sentine l Oyama,and Fuj i beyond . The h igh ridge Of

M ine i s th e backbone Of a great promontory runn ingout i nto the se a

,the Bay of Yeddo On on e s ide and

Odawara Bay On the other. Square s ai l s of unnum

bered fish ing-boats fleck the b lue hori zon,and the v iew

seaward i s unbroken . O ver an old race—course andarchery - range of feudal d ays the path leads

,t i l l at a

sudden tu rn i t st rikes in to a pine forest,where the

horses’ hoofs fal l no ise less on th ick carpets o f dry p ineneedl es

,and the cave - l ike twi l igh t

,cool ness

,and st i l l

n ess seem as solemn as in that wood where Vi rgi l andDante walked

,before they vis i ted the circles of the other

world .

A steep pl unge down a s l i ppery,cl ayey trai l t akes th e

rider from the melancholy darkness to a sol i tary forestclear ing

,with low temple bui ld ings on one S ide . Here

,

massed against feathery fronds Of gian t bamboos, bl azeboughs of fine - l eafed maples

,al l v ivid c rimson to the

tips . While the priests bri ng saké tubs,and the amado

,

or outs ide shutters of the i r house,to make a tabl e , and

improvi se bench es with various temple and domest icpropert ies

,v i si tors may wander through the forest to

open space s,whence al l the coasts Of th e two bays and

every val ley of the province l i e v i s ib le,and a column of

35

yin r iki s/za D ay s in yapan

smoke procl aims the l i ving volcano on Osh ima’

s i s land,

far down the coast .Groups Of cheery p i lgrims come chatteri ng down from

the forest,unt ie the i r sandal s

,wash the i r feet

,and d i s

appear w ith in the templ e ; where th e O ld pr iest wri tessacred characters on th ei r bared backs to i ndicate wherehis attendant sh al l p l ace the l umps Of st icky moxa dough .

Another attendan t goes down the l in e Of vict ims and

touches a l igh t to these cones , which burn wi th a s low,

red glow,and h i ss and smoke upon the flesh for agon iz

i ng seconds . The pri est reads p ious books and casts upaccounts

,wh i le the pat ien ts endure w i thout a groan to r

tures compared with wh ich the searing w i th the wh i tehot i ron s Of Parisi an moxa treatment i s comfortable .

The M ine priest h as some secret Of compos it ion fo r h ismoxa dough wh ich h as kept i t in favor for many years

,

and almost the on ly reven ue Of the temple is derivedfrom this source . Rheumatism

,l umbago

,and paralys i s

yi e ld to the moxa treatmen t,and the J apanese resort to

i t for al l thei r aches and i l l s,th e cool ies’ backs and l egs

be ing often finely patterned with i ts scars .The prospect from Mine’s promontory i s r ival led by

that at Kanozan,d irect ly across th e Bay

,on e Of th e

h ighest po in ts on the long tongue Of separat ing l and .

Here are Splend id old temples,almost unvi s i ted by fo r

eigners, but the glory of the p lace i s th e v iew of th en inety-n ine val leys

,of Yeddo Bay

,th e ocean

,and the

ever - dominant Fuj iyama. Every Japanese knows thefam ous l andscapes of h i s country

,and the m ent ion of .

these n inety-n in e val leys and the thousand p in e - c l adi sl ands of Matsuyama brings a l igh t to h is eyes .

At Yokosuka,

fifteen m i les below Yokoh ama,are th e

Government arsen al,navy - yard

,and dry docks

,with

their fleets Of war-Sh ips that put to sh ame the Americansquadron in Asiat ic waters . The Japanese Governmen thas both cofi str ucted and bought a n avy ; some vessel s

36

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7z'

nr zléis/i a D ay s in 7aoan

CHAPTER V

KAMAKURA AND ENO SH IMA

THE contemporary Yankee might an t ic ip ate th e s agereflect ions of th e future New Zealander on LondonBr idge were there left enough ruin s of the once greatc i ty of Kamakura to s it upon ; but the mil i tary cap i talof the M idd le Ages has melted away in to rice field s andmil let patches . One must wrestl e seriously with th epolysyl l ab ic gu ide-book stories Of th e Shoguns

,regents

,

and heroes who made the glory of K amakura, and at

tracted to i t a popul at ion of five hundred thousand,t o

repeop le these lone ly tracts wi th the sp lend id m i l it arypageants of wh ich they were the scene .

The pla in Of Kamakura is a semic ircl e,bounded by

h i l l s and facing the Open Pac ific,th e surf pounding on

i t s long yel low beach between two noble promon tori e s .The Da i Butsu

,the great bronze im age o f Buddha

,

wh ich h as kept Kamakura from S inking ent irely in toObscurity duri ng the centuries of i ts decay

,stands in a

t iny val ley a half-mile back from the shore . The Ligh tOf Asi a i s seated on the lotus flower

,h i s h ead ben t for

ward in meditat ion,h is thumbs joi ned , and h i s face wear

ing an express ion of th e most ben ignant calm . Thi s i sone of th e few gr eat

’

show-pieces in J apan th at i s bad lypl aced and lacks a proper approach . Seen

,l ike the tem u

ple gate-ways and pagodas of Nikko, at the end of a longavenue Of trees

,or on some heigh t s i lhouetted agains t

the sky,Dai Butsu (Great Buddha) would be far more

impos ing. With in the image i s a temple forty-n ine feet38

Kama ku r a a na’Enos/Inn a

in heigh t ; and th rough an atmosphere th i ck with incensemay be read the ch alked n ames of ambi t ious touri s ts

,

who h ave evaded the pri ests and left thei r s ign atureson the i rregular bron ze wal l s . An al loy Of tin and a l i ttle gold is m ingled w ith the Copper, and on th e joi nedthumbs and hands, over wh ich vis i tors cl imb to s it forthei r photographs

,th e bron ze i s pol i shed enough to Show

i ts fine dark t i nt . The rest O f the statue i s dul l andweather—stained

,i t s r ich inc rustat ion d i sclos ing the seams

where the huge sections were welded together.A pretty l andscape-garden

,banks of blossoming plum

trees,and th e usual l eper at the gate-way furn ish the ac

customed temple accessories , and Buddha broods andmed itates serene in h is qu iet sanctuary . The photograph ic sk i l l Of the pri est br ings a good revenue to thetemple

,and a fund i s be ing Slowly raised fo r bu i ld ing a

h uge pavi l ion above the great deity,l ike that wh ich stood

there three hundred years ago . During his six centuriesof holy contempl at ion at Kamakura , Da i Butsu h as e ndured many d isasters . Earthquakes have made h im nodand sway on the lotus pedestal

,and t idal waves have

twice swept over and destroyed the shel tering temple,

the great weigh t and th ickness Of the bronz e keeping thestatue i tse l f unh armed .

Kamakura i s h istoric ground , and each Shrine h as i tsl egends . The great temple of Hach iman

,the God of

War,remains but as a fragment of i ts former Sel f

,the

bui ld ings stand ing at the head of a h igh Stone-embankedterrace

,from wh ich a broad avenue o f trees runs straigh t

to the sea, a m i l e and a hal f away . Here are the tombof Yo r itomo and the cave tombs of h is fai th fu l Satsumaand Chosen Daim ios ; and the priests guard sacred ly theswo rd o f Yo r itomo

,that Of Hach iman h imse lf

,the he l

met of Iyeyasu,and the how of Iyem itsu .

In the spr ing,Kamakura i s a del ightfu l resort

,on

whose dazzl i ng beach cl imate and weather are al together39

yi n r iéisna D ay s in yapa n

d i fferent from those Of Yokohama or Tokio . I n summert ime

,the steady south wind

,O r monsoon

,blows straight

from the ocean,and the p ine grove betwee n th e hotel

and shore is musical all day long with the pensive soughof i ts branches . In wi nter i t i s open and sunny, and thehot sea-water baths

,the ch arming walks and sai l s

,the

o ld temples and Odd l i tt l e v i l l ages , attract hosts of visito r s .

On brigh t spring morn ings men,women

,and ch i ld ren

gather sea-weed and spread i t to dry on the sand,after

which i t i s converted into food as de l icate as our Icel andmoss . Both farmers and fishermen glean th i s s al ty h arves t

,and after a storm

,whol e fami l ies co l lect th e flotsam

and j etsam of kelp and sea -fronds . Barelegged fishe rmaidens

,with blue cotton kerch iefs t ied over the i r he ad s

,

and baskets on thei r backs,roam along the Shore ; ch i l

dren dash in and out of the froth i ng waves,and babies

rol l conten ted ly in th e sand ; m en and boys wade kneedeep in th e water

,and are drenched by the breakers a l l

d ay long,with th e mercury below in Sp ite of the

warm,brigh t sun .

’

Women separate the h eaps of seaweed

,and at interval s regal e thei r dripp ing lords w ith

cups of hot tea,bowls Of rice , and sh redded fi sh . I t i s

al l so gay and beaut i fu l , every one i s S O merry and hap

py, that Kamakura l i fe seems made up of rej o ic ing and

abundance,with no darker S ide .

The poor in J apan are very poor,gett ing comparat ive

comfort out of smal l er means th an any other c ivi l i zedpeople in the worl d . A few cotton garmen ts serve fo ral l seasons al ike . The co ld winds of winter n ip the i rbare l imbs and pierce the i r few th icknesses Of c loth

,and

the fierce heat of summer torm ents them ; but they en

dure these extremes w ith sto ical good-nature,and enjoy

thei r lovely spring and autumn the more . A thatchedroof

,a straw m at

,and a few cotton wadded f utons

,or

comfo rters, afford the Japanese l aborer shel te r, furn iture,40

Kamakur a a na’

Enosni /na

and bedd ing,wh i l e r ice , m il l et , fi sh , and Sea-weed consti

tute h i s food . With three crops a year growing in h i sfields

,th e poor farm er supports h i s fam i ly on a patch Of

l and forty fee t square ; and with th ree hundred and s ixtyvarieties of food fish swimm i ng in Japanese waters

,the

fi sherman need not starve . Perfect c l ean l iness Of personand surround ings i s as much an accompaniment of pove r ty as Of riches .Beyond Kamakur a

’

s golden bow l ies another beachth e st rand Of Katase

,at the end of wh ich ri ses Enosh i

ma,the Mon t St. Miche l Of the Japanese coast . Eno

Sh ima i s an i sland at h igh t ide , ri s ing precip itously fromthe sea on al l s ide s save to th e l andward , where the prec ip ice fron t i s cl eft w i th a ' deep wooded r avine

,

'

that runsout into the long tongue Of sand connect ing with theShore at l ow t ide .

Like every other i sl and Of legendary fame, Enosh ima

rose from the sea in a s ingl e n ight . I ts tute lary gen iusi s th e goddess Benten

,one of th e seven household de i

t ies of good-fortune . She i s worsh ipped in temples andshrines al l over the woody summit Of the i sl and

,and in

a deep cave Open ing from the sea . Shady paths,moss

grown terraces,and stai rcases abound

,and l i ttl e tea

houses and tateba offe r seats, cheering cups of tea, andenchanting views . The near shores

,the l im i tless waters

of th e Pacific, and the grand sweep of Odawara Bay aff ordthe finest sett ing for Fuj iyama anywhere to be enj oyed .

Enosh ima’

s crest i s a very Forest of Arden,an en

chanted pl ace of lovely sh ade . The m ping ravine wh ichgives access to i t holds on ly the one street

,or foot-path

,

l ined wi th tea-houses and sh el l- sh ops,al l a-flutte r with

pi lgr im flags and banners . The she l l s are cut i nto wh ist les

,spoons

,toys

,ornaments

,and hai r-pin s ; and t iny

pink ones of a certain variety form th e petal s of mostperfect cherry blossoms

,wh ich are fastened to natural

branches and twigs .

yznz‘

zh klza D ay s in yapan

The fish d inners of Enoshima are famous,and th e

Japanese,who h ave the gen ius of cookery

,provide more

del ic ious fish di shes than can be named . At the manytateba set up in temple yards or bal anced on the edgesOf prec ip ices

,conch -she l l s, fi l l ed wi th a b lack stew l ike

terrapin,s immer over charcoal fires . Th is concoct ion

has a tempting smel l , and the p i lgrims, who pick at theinky morsel s wi th the i r chopst icks, seem to enjoy i t ; butin th e est imat ion Of the foreigner it adds one more tothe l i st Of glut i nous, i ns ip id preparations with wh ich theJapanese cuis ine abounds . The great mar ine curiosi tyof Enosh ima i s the gian t crab, wi th i ts body as large asa turt le

,and c l aws measuring ten , and even twelve , feet

from tip to t ip . These crustaceans are said to promenade th e beach at

'

n ight, and glare with phosphorescenteyes . Another interesting Japanese crab

,th e D oryiope

gamma,comes more often from the In l and Sea . A

man ’s face i s d ist inct ly marked on th e back of the she l l,

and , as the legend avers , these creatures i ncarn ate thesoul s of the faithf ul samurai , who, fol lowing the fortunesof the Tai r o clan

,were driven into the sea by the vieto

rions Min amoto . At certai n ann iversary season s,wel l

known to true bel ievers,the sp i ri ts of these dead war

riors come up from the sea by thousands and meet together on a moon l i t beach .

Enosh ima must have become the favori te summerresort Of the region

,h ad not the whol e i s land been te

se rved as an imper ial dem esne and Site fo r a sea-Shorepalace . When typhoon s rage o r storms sweep in from theocean

,b i l lows ring th e is l and round with foam

,spray

dashes up to the droop ing fol iage on th e summit,the air

i s ful l O f the wi l d breath and w i lder roar of the breakers,

whi l e th e very ground seems to tremb le . The underground shrine of Benten i s then closed to worsh ippers

,

and looking down th e sheer two hundred feet of rock,

one sees on ly the wh i r l and rage of waters that hide the43

en trance; When these storms rage,vis i tors are some

t imes imprisoned for days upon the is l and . At low t ideand in ord inary seas Ben ten ’

s

'

sh r ine i s eas i ly entered bya ledge of rocks

,th e hard th ing being the cl imb up the

long stone stai r-ways to the t0p of th e i s land again .

Guides are numerous,and an old man o r a smal l boy

general ly attaches h imse lf to a company of strangers,

and i s S O friend ly, pol i te , and amiabl e , th at, after escorting i t unb idden round the isl and

,h e general ly win s h is

cause,and is b idden to mom ma r u (go sigh t-seeing) as

escort and interpreter.

CHAPTER V I

TOKIO

THE fi rst view of Tokio , l ike the first V i ew of Yokohama, d isappoints the travel le r. The Gin za

,or main

busi ness street,start ing from the bridge opposi te the

stat ion , goes straigh t to N ihombash i , the northern endof the Tokaido

,and the recogn i zed cen tre of the c ity

,

from which al l d istances are measured . Most Of theroadway i s l in ed w i th convent ion al houses of fore ignpattern

,with the i r curb-stones and Shade-t rees

,wh i le the

tooti ng tram-car and the ratt l ing oa s/za, or l igh t omn ibus ,

emphasi ze the i ncongru it ie s Of the scene . Th is i s notthe Yeddo Of one’s dreams

,nor yet is i t an O ccidenta l

c i ty. I ts stucco wal l s,wooden col umns

,gl aring ShOp

windows,and genera l ai r of t awd ry im i tat ion fai rly de

press one . In SO l arge a c ity there are many corners,

however,wh ich the march Of improvement h as not reach

ed , odd , unexpected, and J apanese enough to atone fo rth e rest .

43

yinr zlézsna D ay s in 7am”

Through the heart of Tokio winds a broad Sp iral moat,

enci rcl ing the pal ace i n i ts i nnermost ri ng, and reach ing,by canal branches

,to the river on i t s outer l i n es . In

feudal days the Shogun’s castl e occup ied the i nner r i ng,

and with in the oute r rings were the y a s/zikis, or spreadout houses

,of h i s daimios . Each gate-way and angle of

the moat was defended by towers,and th e whol e region

was an impregnabl e camp . Every daimio in the empi reh ad h is yash ik i in Toki o

,where h e was ob l iged to Spend

S ix month s of each year,and in case of war to send h is

fam i ly as pledges of h is loyal ty to the Shogun . TheTokaido and the oth er great h ighways Of the emp irewere always al ive wi th the train s of these nobl es

,and

from th i s m igratory hab it was deve loped the passion fortravel and excu rsion th at an im ates every cl ass Of theJapanese peop l e . When the Emperor came up fromKioto and made Tokio h i s cap ital

,the Shogun ’s pal ace be

came h i s home,and al l the Shogun ’s property reverted to

the crown,th e yash ikis Of th e daimios be ing confiscated

for government use . In the o ld days the barrack bu i ldings surround ing the great rectangl e Of the yash ik i werethe outer wal l s

,protected by a smal l moat

,and furn ished

with ponderous,gab le - roofed gate -ways

,drawbridges

,

sal ly-ports,and proj ect ing w indows fo r outlooks . These

barracks accommodated th e samurai,or sold iers

,attached

to each daimio,and with i n the ir l in es were the parade

ground and archery range,the res idence of the nobl e

fami ly,and the homes o f th e art i san s in h i s employ .

With the new occupat ion many yash ik i bu i ld i ngs wererazed to the ground

,and impos ing ed ifices in fore ign

styl e erected for governm ent Offi ces . A few o f th e O ld

yash ik i remain as barracks,and thei r wh ite wal l s

,rest ing

on black foundat ions , s uggest the monotonous streetviews of feudal days . O ther yash ik i have fal l en to baseruses

,and s ign-boards swing from th ei r wal l s .

Modern san itary sc ience has p lucked up the m i les of44

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7z’

n r zfiéisna D ay s in 7ap an

A large foreign colony i s res iden t in Tok io,th e dip lo

mati c corp s,th e great numbers of miss ionaries, and

those emp loyed by the Governmen t in the un ivers i ty,

schoo ls,and departments const itut ing a l arge commu

mi ty . The miss ion ary sett l emen t now ho lds the Tsuk i j i.d istrict n ear the rai lway stat ion ; that p iece of madeground along the shore first ceded for the exc l us ive oc

cupation of fore igners . Besides being malar i al , Tsuk i j iwas formerly the rag-p ickers’ d istrict

,and i t s select ion

was not compl imentary to the great powers,al l Of whose

l egat ion s have now left i t . To res ide outs ide of Tsuk ij iwas permitted to non -Off i c ial s in extra-terri tor i al timeson ly when in Japanese employ. Any who chose to l ivein Tokio were claimed as teachers by some kind ly Japanese friend

,who became respons ib le for the stranger’s

conduct . Before the revi s ion of the t reat ie s with fore ignpowers

,wh ich compacts became operative July 17, 1 8 99 ,

a fore igner co u ld not go twen ty - five mi les beyond at reaty-port w ithout a passport from the Japanese foreignoffice i ssued after a personal appl icat ion to h i s l egat ionin Tokio . Each p l ace wh ich he wished to vi s i t h ad tobe n amed

,and immed iately upon h i s arrival at a tea

house,the d i strict pol iceman cal l ed for th e passport and

regi stered the stranger . Any o ne attempt ing to travelw i thou t a passport was promptly escorted to the nearestt reaty-port . European touri s ts h ad a fo rmidable l i st Ofrules Of conduct wh ich the i r m in isters exhorted them toObserve — that they should not quarre l , deface monumen ts

,destroy trees o r sh rubs

,break windows

,or go to

fi res on horseback . The American touri s t was t rustedto behave withou t such m inute instruct ions

,and at Kobe

cou ld v is i t the Kencho and ask a perm it to v is i t K io towi thout the intervent ion of h is con su l— a recogn i t ion of

the freedom and independence Of the American ci t i zenand a tribute to the ind ividual sovere ign ty of h i s n at ion

,

concern i ng whi ch a Japan e se poet wrote46

Tokio

Wha t ar e those s t r ange ly-clad be ingsWho move qu ick ly fr om o ne spo t O f in te r es t to anotherL ike bu t te r flies fl it t ing f r om flowe r to flower ?

These a r e Am ericans .

They a r e as rest less as the ocean ,

In one day they w il l learn mo r e of a ci tyThan an inhabi tan t w ill in a year .

Ar e they not extr aordinary p e r sons ?

Al l th e legation s are now on the h igh ground in th ewestern part O f the C i ty near the castl e moats . Al l l ega~

t ion bui ld ings are owned and kept up by the i r respectivegovernme nts . The J apanese Governmen t

,having o ffered

to give the land i f the Un i ted S tates wou l d e rect a permanen t l egat ion

,final ly bu i l t and ren ted the presen t

st ructure to the great republ ic before i t was purchased .

The Engl i sh possess a -whole co lony of bu i ld ings inthe midst o f a l arge wal l ed park

,aff ord ing Offices and

res idences for al l the staff. Germany,Russ ia

,France

,

and the Netherl ands own handsome house s wi th grounds .The Ch inese legat ion occupied pa rt Of an o ld yash ik iunt i l a beauti fu l modern str uctri r e repl aced the spreadout-house of such picturesqueness , and i ron gri l l es succe eded the quain t

,O ld pea-green and verm i l ion gateway .

The Show pl aces of Tokio are the many governmen tmuseums at Uyeno Park

,the many mortuary temples o f

the Tokugawa Shoguns at Sh iba and Uyeno,the popular

templ e O f Asakusa,and the Sh in to templ e at the Kudan

,

with i ts race-course and V iew Of the Ci ty ; but the Kanda ,the Kameido

,the Hach iman temp les

,many by - streets

and queer corners,the out-door fairs

,the pedd le rs

,and

shops give the explorer a . bette r understand ing o f th el i fe Of the people than do the great monuments . Hereand there he comes upon queer O ld nameless templeswi th ancient trees

,stones

,lante rns

,tanks

, and u rns thatreca l l a forgotten day O f re l igious influence , when theypossessed priests

,revenues

,and costly al tars.

47

yznr ikis/za Day s in yapan

An army of j inriki sh a cool ies waits for passengers atthe stat ion

,and among them is that Japanese Mercu ry,

the winged heeled Sanjir o , he Of the shaven crown andgun -hammer topknot of samura i days . His b iographyincludes a tou r Of Europe as th e servant Of a Japaneseoffic i al . On return ing to Tok io he took up the shafts ofh i s (f u r l/ma again , and i s the foun tain-head of local newsand goss ip . He knows what stranger arrived yeste rday

,

who gave d inn er part ie s , i n wh ich tea -house th e “man-Of

wa r gent lemen ” h ad a ga s/l a dinner, where your friendspaid vis i ts

,even what they bought

,and for whom cour t

or legation carri ages were sent . He te l l s you whosehouse you are pass ing, what great man i s in V iew,

wherethe next matsuri wi l l be , when the cherry b lossoms wi l lunfold

,and what p l ays are com ing out at the Shintom iza .

Sanjir o i s cyclopaedi c at th e theatre , and as a templegu ide h e exhales eccl es iast ical lore . To take a passenger on a round Of Offici al cal l s

,to and from state bal l s or

a pal ace garden party,h e finds bl i ss unal loyed

,and h i s

expl anat ion s pluck out the heart Of th e mystery Of Tok io .

“ M ikado s m amma,

’’ pratt les Sanjir o i n h is baby Engl i sh

,as h e trots past the green hedge and qu iet gate of

the Empress Dowager’s palace , and “Ten/10 S am

” hemurmurs

,in awed tones

,as the lancers and outriders Of

the Emperor appear .First, he carries the touri st to Shiba , th e Old monas

te ry grounds that are now a publ ic park . Under theshadow of century-old p ines and cryptomeria stand themortuary temples Of the late r Shoguns

,superb edifices

abl aze with red and gold lacquer,and set with panel s of

carved wood , spl endid in color and gi ld ing,the gold tre

fo i l O f th e Tokugawas Sh in ing on every ridge - pole andgable . These temples and tombs are lesser Copies ofthe magn ificent shrines at N ikko

,and but for those orig

ina ls would be un ique . O n a rainy day,th e green shad

ow and gloom , the cawing o f the ravens that l ive in th e48

old p ine-trees , and thei r s low fl igh t,are solemn as death

itse l f ; and the so l i tude of the dripping avenues and courtyards

,broken on ly by the dron ing priests ar prayer

,and

the musica l vibrat ion s of some bel l or sweet-voiced gong,

invi te a gen tl e mel ancholy. O n such a day,th e priests

,

in terrupted in th e i r s tatuesque repose , o r the i r pensiveoccupat ion of s ipp ing tea and whiffing t iny p ipes in s i lentgroups around a braz ie r

,d isp lay to vi s i tors the al tars and

ce i l ings and j ewe l l ed wal l s with pa instak ing minuteness,

glad of one ripp le of exci tement and one l egi t imate fee .

Led by a lean,one -toothed priest

, you fol low,s tock ing

footed,ove r l acquer floors to behold gold and bronze

,

l acquer and in lay ing,carving and co lo r

,golden images

s i tt ing in golden shadows,ensh rined among go lden lotus

flowers,and sacred emblem s . In one temple the clear

,

soft tones of the bronze gong,a bowl e ighteen inches in

d iameter and a l ittl e leSS in depth,v ibrate on the a ir for

three fu l l m inutes before they d ie away.

Up mossy stair-ways,between massive embankments

,

and through a Shady grove,th e pries t ’s c logs scrape

no is i ly to the hexagonal templ e,where ' th e ashes of

H idetada , the Ni Dai Shogun,Iyeyasu

’

s son,l ie in a

great gold l acquer cyl i nder,the finest exist ing specimen

Of the l acquer of that great art age . The quiet of Sh iba,the solemn background of giant trees, the deep Shadowsand green twi l igh t of th e groves, the hundreds of s tonel anterns

,the ponds Qf sacred lotus, th e success ion of

dragon-guarded gate-ways,and carved and gorgeously

colored wal l s,crowd the memory with lovely pictures .

Near a h i l l-top pagoda command ing views Of the Bay andof Fuj i

,stands the tateba Of a Cheerfu l fami ly, who bring

the vis i tor a te le scope and cups Of cherry-blossom tea.

A colony Of floris ts Show garden s ful l of wonderfu lp lants and dwarf- trees

,and then Sanjir o minces, I th ink

more bette r we go see more temples and we go , sp inn ing past the gi an t Sh iba gate and up the road to Atago

o 49

7z’

nr iki sna D ay s i n 7a‘oan

Yama,a t iny templ e on th e edge of a precip i tous h i l l

top , approached by men’s stai rs

,an air- l ine fl ight of broad

steps,and women ’s stairs , curving by broken fl igh ts of

eas ier sl ope . A leper, with scaly, wh ite skin and h ideousu lcers

,extends h i s m iserab le h and for alms

,and p ict

ur esque , white-C l ad p i lgrims , with staff and bel l , go up

and down those breath less fl igh ts . The tateba,with thei r

rows Of l anterns,where the n esans

‘ Off er tea of saltedcherry b lossoms

,that unfold aga in into pe rfect flowers

in the bottom of the cup,overh ang the precip ice wal l

,

and look down upon the Sh iba quarter as upon a rel iefmap .

A breath less rush of two miles or more st raight acrossthe c i ty

,past flying shops

,bes ide the toot ing tram-way

and over bridges,and Sanjir o runs in to Uyeno Park , with

i ts w ide avenues,enormous trees

,and h alf - h idden tem

ple roofs . The ground s lopes away steep ly at the l eft,

and at the foot of the h i l l l i es a lotus l ake of many acresth at i s a pool of b lossoms in midsummer . A temple anda t iny tea - house are on an is land in the cent re

,and

around the l ake the race-course is overarched with che rr y

-trees . Great tori i mark the path s and sta i rs lead ingfrom the Shore to the temples above .

At Uyeno are more tombs and more sanctuari es,av

enues Of l anterns,bel l s

,and dri nk ing - fountains

,and a

b lack , bul let-marked gate-way, where the Yeddo troopsmade thei r l ast s tand before th e Restorat ion . Near th i sgate -way i s the sturdy young tree pl anted by Genera lGrant . Far back in

,

the park stand the mortuary templ es, Splendid monuments Of Tokugawa ri ches and power, though the most splendid , here as at Sh iba, have beendestroyed by fire .

When th e Tokio Fine Arts C l ub holds one of i t s loanexh ib it ion s i n i ts Uyeno Park house

, Sanjir o i s inexo r able, deposi ts h is fare at the door-way, Shows th e way tothe t icket - Ofli ce , and in s ists upon h is seeing the best

50

work of the great art i sts . The noble c lub -men contribute Spec imens from the i r col lect ions of l acquer

,porce lain

,

ivories,bron zes

,and kakemonos . Beh ind glass doors

h ang kakemonos by the great art i sts , and J apanese vis i to r s gaze wi th reverence on the masterpieces Of the Kanoand Tosa schoo l s . The great art t reasures Of the empireare sequestrated in private hou ses and godowns

,and to

acquire fami l i ar i ty wi th them,to undertake an art educa

tion in sem iannual instalments by grace of th e Fine ArtsC l ub , is a d iscou raging endeavor. I t would be morehopeful to seek the Boston Museum of Fine Arts

,th e

Brit ish Museum, or Mr . Walter s

’

s Bal t imore gal leries,

which contain an ep itome of al l J apanese art . At theTokio C lub , however, works Of Sosen and Hokusai , thetwo masters of the l ast century

,are often exh ib ited .

Sosen pain ted in im itable monkeys, and conno isseurs ofto-day “award h im the tardy fame wh ich h i s contempo r ar ies fai led to give . As a ru le

,fore igners prefer Hokusai

to al l other masters,and they search Old book- Shops in

the hope of stumbl ing upon one of th e i nnumerablebooks i l lustrated and sometimes engraved by th is p r ol ific genius . His gen ius never l acked recogni tion

,and a

century ago al l feudal Yeddo went wi ld over h i s Newyear’s cards

,each one a characterist ic and un ique bi t of

landscape,caricature

,or fan tasy. His fourteen vol um es

Of M angwa , or rough sketches, and hi s One HundredViews of Fuj i are most cel ebrated ; but wonderfu l ly el ever are h is j okes

,h is giants

,dwarfs

,demons

,gobl in s

,and

ghosts ; and when he d ied , at the age of n inety, he s ighedth at he cou ld not l ive long enough to pa in t someth ingwh ich he Should h imse l f est eem . After the visi t to theclub Sanjir o t akes h is patron to the tomb of Hokusai , ina near-by temple yard , and shows the brushes hung upby despa iring and prayerfu l art ists

,who would fol low his

immortal methods .

East of Uyeno stands the great Asakusa temple , shrine51

yin r i/éi s/za D ay s in japan

Of one Of th e most famous of the th i rty - three famousKwannons of th e emp ire, th e great p l ace of worsh ip forthe masses

,and the centre Of a Van ity Fai r unequal l ed

e l sewhere . Every stree t l ead ing to the templ e groundsi s a bazaar and merry fai r, and theatres , S ide shows ,booths

,and tents, and al l the devices to en trap the id le

and the p leasure-seeking,beset the p i lgr im on h i s way

to the sanctuary. In flo r ists’garden s are shown marvel s

of flo r icultur e,in the ir ponds swim gold -fish with won

de r ful ly fluted t ail s,and in tal l bamboo cages perch

Tosa ch icken s with tai l feathers ten and twelve feetlong. Menageries draw the wondering rustics , and theypay the ir Coppers for the privi lege of to i l ing up a wood ,canvas

,and pasteboard Fuj iyama to V iew the vast p la in

of th e c i ty lying al l around i t,and on t imbered S lopes

enj oy toboggan ing in midsummer. Penetrat ing to th erea l gate -way

,i t i s found guarded by giant N iO

,whose

gratings are Spotted w ith the paper prayers that the worsh ipfu l h ave chewed in to bal l s and reverently thrownthere . I f the paper wad st icks to the grat ing

,i t is a fa

vor able omen,and th e bel iever may then turn th e vener

abl e o ld prayer-wheel , and farther on put h i s Shoulderto the bar

,and by one ful l turn of the revolvi ng l ibra ry

of Buddh i st scriptures endow h imself wi th al l i ts in te llectual treasure .

The soaring roof Of the great temple i s fitly shadowedby camphor- trees and cryptomeri a th at l ook the i r centur ies

‘

of age,and up the broad flagging th ere passes the

ceaseless train of bel ievers . O ne buys corn and feedsthe hundreds of pigeons

,messengers of the gods

,who

l ive secure and petted by al l the crowds in the great euclosure

,or pays h i s penny to secure th e re lease of a cap

t ive swal low,th at fl i es b ack every n igh t to i ts owner .

At the foot of the steps the pi lgrim begins to pray, and ,

ascending,mumbles h i s way to the al tar . The colossal

money-box,wh ich i s s ai d to gather in over a thousand

52

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gunman/m D ay s in yapan

i nnumerabl e Odd not ions,queer toys

,pretty h ai r -pin s

,

curios,and indescr ibab l e tr ifles , every n igh t in the year.

The Japanese hair-pin,by

-the -bye , is a dangerous van ity ,the babies often twi st ing themselves into th e range of i tspoin t

,and the mothers impal ing them on i t in Sh ak ing

them up h igher on thei r backs and t igh ten ing th e bandsthat hold them . The comic and ingen ious toys , embodying th e S implest pr inc ipl es of mech an ics

,and by th e

aid o f a l itt le runn ing water, or th e heat Of a candle , performing wonderful feats

,are such tr ifles Of bamboo , th i n

p i ne,paper

,or st raw

,as American ch i ld ren wou ld destroy

at a touch . Yet the more tru ly c ivi l i zed Japanese l it t lepeop le p l ay wi th them for weeks ; and they toddle homewith m inute wicker cages of semi

,or cicada

,on one finger,

content to hang them up and l i sten peaceab ly to thestr ident captives’ ch i rping m i—mi-mi al l day long .

The first week Of March is gal a t ime fo r the smal lgirl s of Japan

,when the ir [f ina M afsur i , or Feast Of Dol l s,

i s ce lebrated . Then do toy Shops and dol l shops doub lein number and take on dazzl ing features , whi le ch i ldrenin gay hol iday clothes animate the streets . Litt l e gi rl sw i th hai r el aborate ly dressed

,t ied with gold cords and

brigh t crape,and gowns and gird le s of th e brightest

colors,look l ike walk ing dol l s themselves . The t i n ie st

toddler is a quain t and comical figure in the same longgown and long S leeves as i ts mother

,the gay-patterned

kimono,the brigh t inner garments showing the i r edges

h ere and there,and ol u

’

s shot w ith gold threads,mak

ing them i rres ist ib l e . Noth ing could be gentler or sweeter than these J apanese ch i ldren

,and no pl ace a more

charming pl ay-ground for them . In the houses of th er ich the Dol l s’ Festival i s second on ly to the New Yearin i t s importance . The fami ly don the i r r i chest cloth ing

,

and keep open house for the week . The choicest pictures and art tr eaSur es are d i spl ayed

,and with these the

h ina or images th at h ave been preserved from grand54

THE SEM I’S CAGE

mothers’ and great - grandmothers’ t ime , handed downand added to with the arr ival of each baby daughter .

These dol l s,represen t ing th e Emperor, Empress, noble s,

and l ad ies of th e o ld Kioto court, are somet imes n um

bered by dozens,and are dressed in correct and expen

s ive c loth ing. During the hol iday the dol l s are ranged

ss

f7in r zléisna D ay s in i7apan

in a row on a she l f l ike an al tar or dai s,and food and

gifts are pl aced before them . The t iny l acquer tables,

with thei r rice - bowls , teapots , cups, plates , and trays,are m in iature and exqu is ite l ikenesses of the fami ly furn ish ings . Each dol l has at le ast i ts own tab le and d ishes

,and often a ful l set of tab leware , with wh ich to enter

ta in other dol l s,and amazing prices h ave been paid for

sets of gold and carved red l acquer d ishes , or theseLi l l ipu ti an sets in wonderful metal-work . After the festival is over, the host of dol l s and thei r belongings areput away unt i l the next March ; and when the beau tifu limages emerge from the storehouses after the i r long h idi ng they are as enchanting as i f new . Noth ing betteri l l ustrates i nheren t J apanese ideas of life and enjoyment ,and gen tleness of manners , than th is b ringing out of all

th e dol l s for one l ong fete week in the year,and the

h anding them down from generat ion to generat ion .

On the fi fth day of th e fifth mon th comes the boys’

hol iday. The outward S ign is a tal l pol e surmountedwith a bal l of open basket-work

,from wh ich hang the

most natural- looking fish made of cloth or paper. Sucha pole i s set before every house in which a boy has beenborn during the year, o r where there are young boys,and some patri archal households d isp l ay a group of polesand a schoo l Of carp flying in the a ir. These nobor i

,as

the paper carp are cal l ed,are of course symbol ic

,th e

carp be ing one of the strongest fi sh,stemming currents

,

mounti ng water-fal l s, and atta in ing a great age . Manyof these nobor i are four or five fee t in length , and a hoophold ing the mouth open lets th em fi l l and float with as

l i fe- l ike a motion as if they were flapping the i r fins inthei r own element . Ih-doors

,images and toys are set out

in state array— min i ature warriors and wrestlers , spears ,banners

,and pennants

,and al l th e decorat ive parapher

n al i a that once enri ched a warrior’s train . In al l c l assesChi ldren

'

s part ies and p icnics prevai l. The schoo ls a r e56

given up to out-door exerci ses,and every sunny morn ing

process ions of youngsters fi l e by,with banners and co l

ored caps to d ist ingu ish them , and go to some park or

parade-ground for exerc ises,dri l l s

,and ath let ic games .

Bes ides the publ ic schools maintained by Governmen t,

there are scores of private school s and m iss ion school s .

With i ts h igher inst i tution s reach ing up to th e ImperialUn iversi ty

,with i ts speci al school s of l aw

,medic ine

, en

ginee r ing, science , and the arts, Tokio Off ers the bes teducat ion to the youth of Japan . T he publ ic-schoo l system i s the equal of that of th e Un i ted S tates

,and the

Governmen t employs fore ign teachers in even the r e

mote st provincial school s . At a k indergarten the aristocr atic pupi ls , with a repose of manner i nheri ted fromgenerat ions of courtly and dign ified ancestors

,t rot in

,in

the i r l i t t le long-s leeved kimonos,l ike a M ikado Opera

company seen through the wrong end Of an Opera-glass,

s it down demure ly around low tab les , and fold thei rh ands l ike so many O ld men and wom en Of the k ingdomOf Li l l iput . There i s no t i ttering

,no embarrassment

,nor

self-consc iousness and these grave and serious miteswi l l take the b locks from the teachers wi th a reveren tbow and presen t them to other ch i ldren w ith anothe rformal sal ute

,quite as the i r grandfathers m ight have

done at court In some of the girl s’ school s the oldJ apanese methods are fol lowed

,and they are taught the

t radit ional et iquette and the c/za no y a ,to embroider, to

write poems,to arrange flowers

,and to p l ay the sam isen .

The koto,once almost Obsol ete

,i s restored to favor, and

girl s del ight to touch th is sweet-toned,hori zontal h arp.

The great summer fest ival i s the Opening of the river.Th is i s the beginn ing of th e n ightly water fétes on theSumidagawa , and in the innumerabl e tea - houses thatl i ne i ts banks . Th is fete

,appoin ted for the last week o f

J une,is Often postponed to the more sett led season of

J uly. Flat-bottomed house-boats,with open s ides , awn

57

7z'

nr ziéisna D ay s in yapan

i ngs hung round wi th l antern s, and sturdy boatmen ate i ther end of the craft

,go up the river by hundreds and

thousands at sunset,gl id ing outvf r om th e creeks and ca

nals that everywhere in tersect th e c i ty. The gl i tteringflee t gathers in the broad stretch of stream lying betweenthe Asakusa bash i and the Ryogoku bash i , and these twobridges are b lack wi th spectators . The rows Of teahouses l in ing both shores Spread red blankets over thebalcony rai l ings

,and h ang row upon r ow of l antern s

along balust rades and eaves . With the i r r ooms th rownwide open to the water

,they themselves look l ike great

l anterns . Every room of every house has its d inner party, the tea-house of the Thousand Mats be ing

'

engaged

month s before hand,and every ma iko and gei sh a bespo

ken . Boats command doub le prices , and nearly everyboat has i t s fam i ly group l itt le Ch i ld ren in ho l iday dress

,

thei r e lders in fresh si lk,crape

,gauze

,or cotton k imonos

s itt i ng on the red floor-C loth,e ach with a tray of dol l s

d ishes,fi l l ed with th e morsel s of dainty th ings th at make

up a Japanese feast,and s ake’ bottles ci rculat ing free ly .

The l i nes of l an terns shed a rose-co lored l ight over al l ;and at one end a pretty maiko goes through her gracefu lposes

,the company keeping t ime with her in rhythmical

h and - cl app ings . Peddlers of fru i t,candies

,fi reworks

,

and sake’

; performing j ugglers , acrobats , and storyt el lers ; floating restaurants

,theatres

,s ide-Shows

,and boat

loads of music i ans row in and out among the rest . Talk,

l aughter,and the wai l ing notes of sam isens fi l l the ai r

wi th a hum that swel l s to cheers and roars as the swiftrockets fi l l the ai r wi th bal l s

,fountains

,sheaves

,sprays

,

j ets,and trai l s of l ight ; or fiery dragons

,wriggl ing mon

ste r s,rai nbows, and waterfal l s s h ine out on the dark

nigh t sky. Although saké flows everywhere,there i s no

drunkenness or d isorder to degrade these gent le,cheer

ful merry-makers .

Fires are among the thri l l ing but p icturesque expe r i

58

Toéio

ences of c i ty l i fe , confined ch iefly to the win ter month s .The annual losses of Japan through conflagr ations arevery great

, and Tokio has been destroyed many t imes .The fl imsy l i tt le straw-matted

,wooden houses are always

ready to b laze ; and if a l amp exp lodes , a braz ier upsets ,or a spark fl ies

,the whole pl ace is in flames

,wh ich leap

from roof to roof unt i l the quarter i s k indled . Each t imea burned di strict i s rebu i l t th e streets are widened

,a

measure wh ich preserves property but ru ins pictu resqueness

,for the broad thoroughfares

,l ined wi th low

,nu

painted bui ld ings,make the modern J apanese c ity mo

notonous and un interest ing .

The d iminut ive J apanese dwel l ings,of toy- l ike con

struct ion,rest on corner posts set on l arge rocks

,and

made stable by thei r heavy roofs of mud and t i les . Firesare stemmed on ly by tearing down al l bu i ld ings in th epath Of the flames

,which i s done as eas i ly as a house of

cards i s overturned . A rope,fastened to one of the up

righ t corner posts,brings the structure down with a crash

,

whi le the heavy roof covers i t l ike an extingu isher . Theord in ary c i ty house or shop may h ave twelve feet of

fron tage,and even a second story seldom raises the roof

more than fifteen fee t from the ground . To hear of athousand houses be ing burned in a n igh t i s appal l ing,but a thousand of these Li l l iput ian dwel l ings and thei rm icroscop ic l andscape gardens wou ld not cover morearea than two or three blocks Of a fore ign c ity.

Each sect ion or ward has a h igh tower or l adder, witha long bel l

,and from th is l ookout the watchman gives

the al arm or the near pol iceman sounds the fir e-bel l .Pandemon ium fol lows

,for a more excitab l e be ing than

the J apanese does not ex is t,and the fir e-hel l ’s clang i s

suggest ive of many sad and terrible experiences . Besidesthe munic ipal fire brigade with the i r l adders and handpumps

,each ward maintains private watchmen and fir e

men . These watchmen roam the i r beats from dusk to59

mar row : Day s i n yapan

dayl ight,j ingl ing the loose i ron rings on the tom of their

long staff s . Throughout the n igh t the watchman’s cl ink

ing rings are heard at half-hour interval s or Oftener . Thepol icemen

,on th e contrary, go about quiet ly , l urk ing in

Shadow to pounce upon malefactors and fore igners; m istaking the fir e—guard ian for the const ab l e, have poi ntedmany jokes at h is noisy progress .When the al arm - bel l c langs

,friends rush to help

friends in s aving their effects, and th ieves make themost of the opportun ity. Blocks away from the fi reagitated people gather up mats

,screens

,bedd ing , cloth

ing,and cook ing uten si l s

,and hurry from the ne ighbor

hood . Then does the S impl ic i ty of J apanese l i fe j ust i fyi tse lf. No cumbrous furni ture i s rol led out, to be brokenin the trans it ; no tab les , ch airs, or clumsy beds areru ined in the saving. One smal l hand-cart holds thero l l Of wadded comforters and gowns that compose thebedding of th e fam i ly

,their cloth ing

,and the ir few other

effects . The sl id ing paper-screens are sl ipped from thei rgrooves

,the th ick straw-mats are taken from the floor

,

and th e household departs , l eaving but the roof, cornerposts

,and rough floor beh ind them . Process ion s of these

refugees stream away from the burn ing quarte r,and the

heart of the spectator goes out to the poor peop le,who

,

with so l itt l e , l ive so cheerful ly and suffer so bravely .

The emblems or ral ly ing banners always carried byn at ive fi r e - compan ies aston ish foreign eyes . Glorifieddrum -majors’ sticks , gigant ic c lubs , spades , hearts, diamonds , bal l s , crescents , stars , or puzzl es , are borne aloftby the color-bearer of the detachment

,who stands in the

m idst Of smoke,sparks

,and the th ickest of the hurly

burly, to Show where h is company i s at work . Thri l l ingtal es are to ld of th ese Casab i

'

ancas remain ing on . roofsor among flames unti l engul fed in the blaz ing ru ins

.

Somet imes carpenters begin to bui ld new hab i tat ionson the st i l l smok ing ground

,stepp ing gingerly among

60

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yznr zléi sna D ay s in 7ap an

the roofs . A smal l house ratt l es as if the earthquakefish had come out of the sea and se i zed it as a terri erdoes a rat . Pebbles grate in garden path s , t al l evergreens snap the ir top s l ike swi tches

,bel l s ring, clocks

stop,and peop le rush frant ical ly to open spaces or

streets .The Japanese seldom drink water

,al though they

Splash,dabble

,or soak in i t h alf the t ime ; yet men

who are working In moats or lotus-ponds,grubb ing out

the old roots or stalks, and dripp ing wet to the i r waistsand Shou lders

,wi l l qu it work on rainy days . In Yoko

hama harbor,cool ies who load and un load l ighters

,and

are in and out of water cont inual ly, Often refuse to workwhen a shower begin s but a wet day brings a new aspeet to the streets

,and fai r weather h as no monopoly of

picturesqueness . The unoccup ied women with bab iest ied on the ir

'

backs,an apparent ly large le i sure class

,are

always gadding about the town with the aimless unconcern of hens

,tak ing no account Of the weather

,and en

j oying the Open air regard less of the barometer . Ch i ldrenare equal ly ind ifferent

,and j i nr iki sh a cool ies

,al though

they draw the hoods and t ie the i r passengers in snug anddry with o i l-paper or rubber aprons, trot along cheerfu l ly,with the i r too scanty cotton garments more abbreviatedthan ever. They subst itute for an umbre l l a a huge flatstraw plate of a hat , and instead of putting on galoches

,

they take Off even thei r straw sandal s and r un barefooted

,tying up the b ig toe with a b it of rag or wisp of straw

,

apparently by way of decorat ion . Those pedestrians whowish to be state ly and dry - shod thrust thei r bare fee tinto a half - s l ipper arrangemen t of wood and Oi l -paper

,

perched on two wooden rests three inches h igh,add ing

th i s cubit to the ir stature .

When the rain-drops patter the shops are a del igh t,

and the great S i lk bazaars of Echigoya and Da i Maru,

the Louvre and Bon Marché of TOkio,are as entertain

62

Tokz'

o

ing as a theatre . Both occupy corn ers on great thoroughfar es , and h ave wav ing curtain s of bl ack clo th , withcrest and name in wh ite, as the on ly wal l o r screen fromthe street . The on e vast open room of the first storyi s revealed at a gl ance . The floor proper of th i s greatapartment

,rai sed a foot and a half from the stone walk

surround ing i t,i s covered with the usual straw - mats

,

th e un iform gl i sten ing surface extend ing more than sixtyfeet e ither way . Here and there salesmen and accountants, the book - keepers being al so cash iers

,s it at low

desks,where they keep thei r sorobans

,money

,and en

r ions ledgers . There are no she lves nor counters,and

in groups on the mats S i t women with beaut iful ly-dressedh air

,and men in sober si lk garments, in spect ing the

heaps of rainbow fabri cs strewn about th em . Smal lboys bring out arm -l oads and baskets of S i lks from thegodowns

,for no stock i s ever i n sight unt i l th e purchaser

asks for i t . I t i s et i quette for these smal l boys to hai land cheer the arriving and depart ing cu stomer, and theyd rone out some n asal chorus . We once l i fted the streetcurta in at Da i Maru’s on a rai ny day to find the wholematted area deserted of customers . Immed iately thebattal ion of smal l boys sprang to the ir feet , and , deafening us with a chanted cant ic l e , hurr ied to the cornerwhere a steaming bron ze urn

,various tea-caddies , and a

shelved box ful l of tea-sets provide patrons with cups o famber-t in ted nectar. For an hour these myrmidons r anto and fro

,baskets were carried back and forth , and gold

brocades suppl ied sun l igh t and rainbows for a gloomyday. Al l these prec ious brocades come in length s of fourand a hal f yards for the broad obi s or sashes that areone secret of her looks in the to i let of a Japanese woman .

Those woven o f S i l k alone are as th ick as leather andsoft as crape

, and the massed gold threads , wh i le gl i sten ing l ike pl ates of chased metal

,give st iff ness but not

hardness to the fabrics . When the woof threads are left63

Wa r n-M a Day s in 7apa n

in th ick,sh aggy loops on the under s ide , not cut away

in any economical fash ion , these are y esso n is/zikis,the

choicest of al l J apanese stuffs , and valued from s ixty toone hundred and twenty dol lars for the s ingle obi l ength .

The Nakador i i s a half-mile- l ong street of curio and

second-hand shops,wh ich j ust before the New Year con

ta in thei r best bargain s,and no one can hold to the safe

ty of h i s j inriki sh a through th at st raigh t and n arrow path ,beset by every temptat ion of o ld porcel ain s

,l acquer

,and

embroideries . Peddlers wi l l gather from these Shops andcarry packs twice thei r own s ize

,to Spread thei r con

tents out in the room of a customer . Their wares are sotempting and cheap that the beholder can not res i st them

,

after a reformat ion of prices,and th at peddle r who comes

twice has marked h i s v ict im for h is own . On certaindays of th e week a rag fair i s he ld on the Yanagiwar a .

Vendors i n rows h alf a_

mile long s i t under the wi l l owt rees on the canal bank, with neat p i les of Old cloth ing,scraps of cloth

,and ornaments for sale . Between Sh iba

and the railway stat ion is a rag al l ey,a Pe tticoat Lane of

old cloth ing,but most of i t i s foreign and unpicturesque

,

even in the flying gl impses to be caught from a j in r ik i sh a.

I n“

curio-hunt ing the experienced buyer invariably r e

pl ies faéa i,

“too much ,

” to wh atever price the dealernames . I f intent on the b argain he may add taka san

taka i,

“ al together too much .

”Osor osni taka i

,or to/zo

mon i taka i , inexpressib ly,unspeakably dear

,

” somet imes serves to abate th e price by reason of th e dealer’samazement at hearing those cl ass i c and grandi loquen twords brough t down to common usage .

Once I vis ited th e most ch arm ing of old-clothes shops,

one where theatrical wardrobes were kept ; but Sanjir ocou l d not

,or would not remember i t, and I never r e

turned . The shopmen were sober and serious automata,

whose counten ances were stol id and imperturb abl e , andone might as wel l h ave bargained w ith the h igh-priest

64

Tokio Flow er Festiva ls

for the ve i l of the temple, as h ave offered them les sthan they asked . They sat

,smoked

,and cas t ind ifferen t

gl ances at us wh i le baskets of gorgeous raiment wereborne i n

,and aff ected to look up the prices in a book of

records . After bait ing me long enough,and bringing

me to raise my off er,th e t rio of partners would sudden

ly clap the i r hands, say someth ing in concert , and del iver me the art ic le . I t was al l as prec ise ly ordered andacted as a set scene on the stage

,and I longed in vain

to ass is t at other acts in the un ique drama.

CHAPTER V I I I

TOK IO FLOWER FESTIVALS

WITH al l i ts fore ign SOph istication s, flower worsh iph as not d ied out i n the J apanese cap ital . The cal endari s d iv ided into the t ime of th e camel l ia

,th e pl um

,th e

cherry, the wi stari a, th e lotus, th e Chrysanthemum,and

the maple . O range b lossoms and tea blossoms alon eare om itted among the spec i al flower fest ivals

,and the

Japanese as natural ly refer to the t ime of the cherr ybloom ing o r of maple- l eaves

,as we to Spring or autumn .

They infuse i nto these fest ival s a sent iment and fee l ing,

a sp irit and gayety,inherited from generat ion s of flower

lov ing ancestors,who made th ei r aesthet ic pilgrimages

year after year to see th e acres of wonderful flowers inthe d iff eren t suburbs of each c ity . By the old calendar,the first unfold i ng of the pl um-t rees

,the true awakening

of the season s,marked the new year. In the change

from the Chinese method O f reckon ing to the Gregorian ,

the J apanese J anuary fe l l to a churl i sh mood of nature ,when only late Chrysanthemums , camel l ias , and ind oordwarf - t rees can bloom . But every door -way is th en

I 65

yin r zléisna Day s in 7ajoan

arched with evergreens and flowers ; pine and bamboo ,bound with braided straw ropes

,are set befo re the

house ; t assel s of r ice straw are festooned across theeaves

,and l antern s hang in rows . The emblemat ic rice

cake,prawn

,orange

,and fern - l eaf are fastened above

the l in tel,the handsomest screen i s brought forward ,

and more emblems and a large bowl fo r cards are set

out at the entrance . Th i s i s the season when al l debtsare paid

,whi le general v is it ing and feast ing occupy th ree

days . Everybody says to everybody el se,S/zinen ome

a’eto

,

“ I w i sh you a happy New year ; o r,M an za i

r aku,

“ Good luck fo r ten thousand years . Everybody sends h is friend a presen t— a basket of frui t, ora dumpl ing of red bean s or rice dough

,wrapped in cer

emon ia l paper. The streets of Tokio , crowded withmerrymakers and l ighted at n igh t by thousands of lantern s and torches

,ho ld out-O i-door fai rs without number,

and from palace to hove l r un sounds of rej oici ng ; yetth i s j oyous homage to the Sp iri t of l ife i s paid in midwin ter

,when snow-flake s may Shroud the bloom ing ca

me l l ia - trees,though the c lear

,bright I nd ian - summer

weather often l asts unt i l after the n ew year . Winter,a

long calam ity el sewhere in the same lat i tude,i s on ly the

d isagreeab le i nciden t o f a few weeks in Central J apan .

A fortn igh t,a month

,Of mel t ing snows

,co ld rains

,and

du l l skies,and lo ! th e branches of th e wi thered

,old

bl ack p lum - trees are starred wi th fragrant wh i te flowers . For a few days a hazy calm hushes the ai r

,sounds

are vei led,l ight i s softened

,and spring has real ly come

,

no matter how many su l l en re l apses i t may suff er beforethe glorious Apri l c loud-burs t of cherry blossoms decksth e empire in wreath s of wh ite and pink

,and fi l l s th e

people with joy. And thi s l i nked sweetness long d rawnout, th i s gentl e season

'

of del igh t,l asts from the bu rst ing

of the plum blossoms in February to the end of thenyubai, or rainy season of June .

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yin r iéisna Day s in yajfian

iant th rongs are the marvel lous trees . From the wi ld,

i ndigenous dwarf seed l ing of the mountain s h ave beendeve loped countless variet ies

,culm inat ing in that wh ich

bears the pink -t inged doub le b lossoms as large as a hundred - l eafed rose

,covering eve ry branch and twig with

th ick rosettes . A fain t fragrance ari ses from these Sheetsof b loom

,but the s trange glare of p ink ish l igh t from the i r

fai r canopy dazzl es and d i zz ie s the beholder. The cherr y

-blossom Sunday of Uyeno Park is a hol iday of theupper m iddle C l ass . One week l ater

,the doub le avenue

Of blossom ing trees , l in ing th e Mukoj ima for a m i l e alongthe river bank

,i nvi tes the lower cl asses to a very d i ffer

ent cel ebrat ion from th at of the decorou s,wel l-dressed

throng driving,walking

,p icn icking

,and tea drink ing nu

der the famou s trees . NO warn ing to keep Off th e grassforb ids the ir wandering at wi l l over the great park

,every

foot of whose ground is h is toric,whose trees are ancien t

,

whose avenues are broad and wind ing,and whose woods

are as dark as the forest primeval . Temple bel l s soft lyboom

,raven s croak

,and happy vo ices fi l l the ai r.

Not the Bois, the Casc ine , or the Th ier Garten canvie with Uyeno on th i s b lossom S unday. Down everypath and avenue are v istas of flowery trees

,l ofty and

wide spreading as vas t oaks and elms,and th rough thei r

snowy branches sh ine thousands of t e r snowy branches

,or countless sol itary trees gleaming against green

b ackgrounds . The wide lotus l ake be low Uye’no reflects

the wh ite wonder th at enci rcl es the race -cou rse,and the

temple roofs on th e t iny i sl ands are smothered in pinkbranches . Under the great grove of cherry - trees teahouse benches are set C lose

,and there the people l unch

and d ine and sup ; and though sake flows freely,th e

most confirmed drinker i s on ly a l ittl e redder,a l itt l e

h app ier,a l it tle more loquaciou s than the rest . Czars

and kaise rs may wel l envy th is O riental ru ler,whose

subjects gather by thousands,not to th row bombs and

Tokz'

o Flower Festiva ls

riot for bread or the d ivi s ion of property,but to fal l in

love with cherry-trees,and write poems in the ir praise .

At the cherry-blossom season espec ial ly his inborn pass ion for flowers and l andscapes Shows itse l f in prince

,

poet,peasant

,merchant, and cool ie . Tatte red beggars

gaze entranced at the fai ry trees,and princes and m in

iste r s of state go to vis i t the famous groves . Bullet insannounce

,qui te as a matter of course

,that Prince Sanjo

o r Count I to has gone to Nara or Kioto , a three days’

j ourney,to see the blossom ing tr ees ; wh ich is as if Bi s

marck o r Gladstone shou ld in terrupt h is cares of stateto undertake a p i lgrimage to a d istant rose show.

Later in the season the careful ly tended trees in thepal ace grounds put forth their b lossoms , and sovereignand court iers h ang poems on the i r branches , wh ile thespring garden party gathers th e whole court c ircl e underthe a i s les of b loom in the pal ace grounds of Hama Rikiu .

Every cit i zen who has a garden gives an out-door fete,and flowe r -bordered cards invi te guests to see the nativesakura

,or the cer isier s of the d ip lomat ic set.

The ce lebration of th e Mukoj ima , an avenue alongthe east bank of the Sumidagawa , l ined for more thantwo miles with double rows of cherry - t rees, bel ongs tothe lower ten thousand . On Sunday, wh ich i s Offi cial lya day of rest

,the water i s dotted with hundreds of boats,

and so lemn l itt l e pol icemen keep the hol iday -makersmoving along the shore . Friends recogn iz e each otherin the crowd by some d ist inctive art ic l e of c loth ing .

One process ion of j inr iki sh as wi l l l and a group withheads t ied up in gayly-figu r ed towe l s al l a l ike , o r bits offigured cotton folded as col l ars around the necks of the i rkimonos . Boat-loads of men

,partly d i sgu i sed by thei r

quee r head - dresses,are scul l ed and poled along the

banks,shou t ing and s inging, cl apping and strumming

the sam isen , with an enti re abandon that is the wonde rand envy of the Anglo-Saxon . Every reve l l e r has h is

73

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ki sna D ay s in 7apa n

saké gourd , o r t iny tub s lung over his Shou lder, wh ich heempties and refi l l s , as long as h i s money and consciousness l ast . Every man Off ers friend

,neighbor

,and stran

ger a cup of the cheering sp iri t . One booth in three i sa saké stand, and pyramids Of straw-covered saké tubsstand before every te a-house . Th is saké

,o r rice brandy

,

tastes and looks l ike the weakest Sherry,al though i t

scents the ai r with alcohol ic fumes . Made everywherein Japan

,the saké disti l l ed from the r ice of the broad

Osaka p lai n i s most esteemed by connoi sseurs for a pecul ia r ly de l icate flavor . As i t i s th e one l iquor th at doesnot improve wi th age

,the newest i s the best, and is kept

in wooden tubs c losed with sp igots,and drawn Off i n to

Open-mou thed porce la in bott les,wh ich are set in hot wa

ter i f warm saké is des i red . The Japanese drink i t froml i ttle shal low porcel ain o r l acquer cups that hold barely atablespoonful

,but by repet i tion they imbibe p ints . I ts

fi rst eff ect i s to loosen the tongue and l imber the j o in ts ;i ts second to turn the whole body a flami ng red .

Mukojima’

s carn ival rival s the saturna l i a Of the an

cients . Th is spring reve l affords another resemblancebetween th i s aesthet ic people and the old Romans

,and

one half expects to find a flower-crowned statue of Bacchus in some love ly l i tt l e l andscape garden bes ide theMukoj ima . Men dance l ike satyrs

,cup and gourd in

h and,o r

,extending a hand

,make orat ion s to the crowd

natura l actors,orators

,and pantom imists every one of

them . But, with al l th i s i n tox icat ion , only glee and affec

t ion man ifest themse lves . NO fight ing,no rowdyism

,no

rough words accompany the Sp ring saturnal i a ; and thelaughter is so infections, the ant ics and figures so com

i ca l,that even sober peop le seem to have tasted of th e

insane cup . At n ight lantern s swing from al l the rowsof tea-houses

,booths

,and fairy branches

,and inte rm ina

b le Japanese d inners are eaten,with beaut ifu l maiko and

ge isha pos ing and gl id ing, twanging the samisen and74

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yinr ini slza D ay s in 7zrpa n

only a great swaying tasse l fou r feet in length draws a“Na r a lzozlo f

”

(wonderful)from the connoi sseurs . Who lefami l ies come to spend the day on the borders of thel itt le lake, s ipping amber tea, toss ing moe/zi to the l azygoldfish

,or s i tt ing in p icturesque groups on the low

platforms under the canop ies of flowers fluttering wi thpoems and lanterns . The temple i s an cient

,and the

grounds are ful l of t iny Sh rines,stone l anterns

,tab lets

,

and images , and dwarfed and curiously trained p ine -trees ,with a h igh

,hump-backed l i ttle bridge

,over wh ich

,in the

Ol d days,on ly priests and grandees migh t walk . Golden

carp,venerabl e old fe l lows, th ree or four fee t in l ength ,

show an orange nose now and then above the surface ofthe pond . The people cal l these pets by cl apping theirhands

,and the golden gourmands swim from one horn

of plenty,fi l l ed with moch i

,or ri ce-cakes

,with wh ich they

are fed,to another. At Kasukabe

,on the O shuka ido

,

north-east of Tokio,i s the most famous wistari a in th e

empire . The vine i s five hundred years O ld,with pen

dent b lossoms Over fifty inches long,and trel l i ses cov

eri ng a space of four thousand fee t,and th i ther poets

and pilgrims reveren tly go .

I n August occurs the one great lotus Show now seenin Tokio , when the lake below Uyeno Park shows acresof blu i sh - green pl ates of l eaves starred with p ink andwhite b lossoms

,and the enchanted beholder looks down

from the bridges and tea - houses of the l i t t le i sl andsstraigh t in to the heart of th e great flowers . The castl emoats no longer Show thei r acres of lotus

,and the mimic

salutes no longer r ing around the ci tadel,as when those

myriad b lossoms of Buddh a Opened w ith agent le no iseunder the first warm rays of the sun . There i s a lovelylotus—pond back of the Sh iba pagoda

,just seen as the

j inriki sha wh irl s along the Shady avenue skirt ing i t,but

the lotus of th e moats was th e summer glory of Tokio .

’

The flower was not alone to b lame for mal ari al exha78

Tokio Flower Festiva1s

lations, as the contest st i l l rages between th e two s idesof the c i ty, as to whether the vapo rs from the moats , orthose from the exposed mud flats and made ground ofthe Tsukij i sect ion , are most pern ic ious .The fest ival of the tian

,or Chrysanthemum

,in autumn

,

decks the who le empire with red,wh ite

,and ye l low flow

ers . The s ixteen-petal l ed Chrysan themum is the imperialor government crest ; and the Emperor

’s birthday,th e

th ird of November, coming in the he ight of the season ,is made a gal a—day in every p rovince

,and the occas ion ‘

of gorgeous flower shows . The Western m ind is fi l ledwith envy to d iscover th at the wide - spreading

,sp icy

flowers se l l i ng here for a few coppers each,cost as many

do l l ars under new names across th e wate r. Dango-zaka,

d ismissed with a l i ne in the guide-book, is more p ictur esque ly Japanese in autumn th an any other suburb of

Tokio . A commun ity of florists tend,prune

,dwarf

,and

cult ivate the i r Ch rysanthemum pl ants in obscuri ty unt i lthe blossoming t ime makes Dango-zaka a gay fai r . Theunique product ions of thei r gardens are set pieces of

flowers on a gigan t ic scale . Under matted sheds,wh ich

are so many temporary stages w ithou t footl ights, groups

with l ife-s ized figures are arranged,whose faces and hands

are of wax or composi t ion,but whose clothes

,the ac

cessor ies,and scenery are made of l iv ing flowers

,trained

so c lose ly over a framework th at the mech an i sm is noteven suspected . The pl ants form ing the flowe r -piecesa r e taken up with al l the ir roots

,wrapped in straw and

cloth s,propped up inside the ske leton framework

,and

watered every day . The flowers,drawn to the outs ide

and woven into place , produce a so l id surface of color,and are shaded with the most natural eff ects . Thetabl eaux represent scenes from h istory and l egend , andfrom the l atest pl ays

,o r even i l l ust rate the l ast emo

tional crime of the .day . Here are seen whole mountai n

sides of flowers,with water - fal l s of wh ite b lossoms

I 8 1

IN DANGO-ZAKA STREET

spread ing into floral streamsand Chrysanthemum womenl e a d i n g C h r y s a n t h e m u m

horses,ridden by Ch rysanthemum men across Ch r ysan

themum bridges . Gigant ic flowers,microscop ic flowers

,

pl ants of a s ingle b lossom ,and s ingl e p l an ts of two hun

dred blossoms,have bamboo tents to themselves . Tout

ers i nvi te on e to en ter, proprietors ch ant the story ofthei r p ictures

,and the s ide-show

,the juggler

,th e fakir

,

and the peddler make the bann ered and lanterned lanesa gay and innocent Babel . Al l c l asses v is it Dango-zaka,

82

TEA-BLOSSOMS

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n r ikisna Day s in yapan

over the flowers as any of h is patrons , and quite as d iscrim inat ing an admirer . Instead of stopping to restafter h is long pul l to that h i l ly suburb , he fo l lows h i spassenger

,point ing ou t beaut ies and marvel s, approving

and exc laiming with contagious enthusi asm .

In November, with the bri l l i an t maple - l eaves,th e floral

year ends . The coquette sends her lover a l eaf or brancho f maple to sign ify that , l ike i t, her love h as changed .

Both the tea-plan t an d camel l i a are in b loom , but therei s no rej o ic ing in their honor

,and flower -worsh ippers

count the weeks unt i l the pl um shal l b loom again .

CHAPTER IX

JAPAN ESE HOSP ITAL IT I E S

AMONG Japanese v irtues stands hosp i tal i ty,but

,unt i l

th e adopt ion of fore ign dress and customs by th e courtnobles

,no Japanese al lowed h i s wife to rece ive general

v i s i tors,or entertain mixed compan ie s . The

'

Japan esei s

,consequent ly

,a born cl ub-man

,and makes th e club

house a home . The Rokume ikwan,or Tokio Nobles’

C lub,i s the most d ist ingui shed of these corporat ion s .

Its presiden t i s an imperi al prince,and it s members

are d iplomats,nob l es

,official s

,r ich ci t i zens

,and res i

den t foreigners . The exqu is i te houses and gardens ofthe smal ler

,purely Japanese clubs

,are perfect specim ens

of nat ive archi tecture,decorat ion

,and l andscape garden

ing . By an arrangement of s l id ing screens,the houses

themselves may aff ord one l arge room or be dividedinto many smal l ones

,besides the tiny boxes in which

are celebrated the r ite s of ch a no yu,or ceremon i al tea .

Their e l aborate d inners,l ast ing for hours

,with j ug

86

yapa nese Hosp ita l i /ies

gle r s, dancers , and musici an s between the courses, arevery cost ly . Rich men di splay a Russ i an prod igal ity inente rt ain ing

,which was even grea ter in feudal t imes .

A day or two after arr iving in J apan i t was my goodfortune to be a guest at one of these unique entertai nments

,given at the Koyokwan ,

or Maple Leaf C l ubhouse

,on th e h i l l-s ide above the Shiba templ es . We

arr i ved at three o ’clock,and were met at the door by a

group of pretty nesans, o r maids of th e house , who, taking off our hats and shoes, led us

, stocking-footed , downa Sh in ing corridor and up sta i rs to a long, low room ,

usual ly d ivided into three by screens o f dul l go ld paper .O ne whole side of th i s beaut ifu l apartment was open tothe garden beyond a rai led balcony of pol i sh ed ced ar

,

and the view,across the maple- trees and dense groves

of Sh iba , to the waters of the Bay was enchant ing . Thedecorat ions of the c l ub-house repeat the maples that fi l lthe grounds . The wal l screens are painted with del icate branches

,the r amma ,

or panel s above the screens,

are carved wi th them,and in the outer wal l and bal cony

ra i l are l eaf-sh aped open ings ; The dresses of the pretty nesan s

,th e crape cush ions on the floor

,the porce la i n

and lacquer d ishes,the saké bott l es and the i r carved

stands,the fan s and bon-bons

,al l d i splay the maple- l eaf.

In the fakonama,or ra i sed recess where the flower-vase

and kakemono,or scro l l p icture

,are d i sp l ayed

,and that

smal l da is upon wh ich the Emperor would s it i f he evercame to the house

,hung a shadowy paint ing, wi th a sin

gle flower in a bronze vase .

Before each guest we re set the ta lmleo ban ,a tray hold

ing a t iny Izioac/zi w ith l ive coal s ly ing in a cone of ashes ,and a section of bamboo stem for an ash-rece iver. Thencame the tea and sweetmeats

,inevitable prel ude to al l

good cheer. Next the nesan s set in fron t of each gues tan ozen

,or table

,not four inche s in height , on wh ich

stood a covered lacquered bowl contain ing the fi rst87

man'

s-am D ay s i n 7apan

course,a t i ny cup of soy, or piquant bean sauce , i n

wh ich to d ip morse l s of food , and a long enve lope cont ain ing a pair of wh ite p ine chopst icks . The master of

FIG. I

the feast broke apart h is chopsticks,which were wh i ttled

in one piece and sp l i t apart for on ly h alf the ir l ength,to

Show th at they were unused,and began a n imble pl ay

wi th them . In h i s fingers they were ench an ted wands,

and d id h is b idding promptly ; in ours they wobbled ,made x ’

s in th e ai r,and depos ited morsel s in our laps

and upon th e mats al ternately. The nesans giggled, and

th e host almost forgot h is Japanese decorum,but the

company pat ien t ly taught us how to brace one chop88

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n r i/éis/za D ay s in 7af an

with bri l l i an t map le -l eaves and broad ob is of gold brocade

,th e loops of the i r b lue - bl ack hair th rust ful l Of

golden flowers,and waving gold fans painted with gay

maples . To the mel ancholy accompan iment of the ge ish a,they danced the song of the map le- l eaf in measures th atwere only a S low gl id ing and ch anging from one perfectpose to another. Watch ing these rad ian t creatures inthei r gracefu l movements

,we were even deaf to the soft

booming of the templ e bel l s at th e sunset hour, and theanswering croak of the mighty raven s .These maiko and ge ish a

,profess ional dancers and

S ingers,are necessary to any en terta inmen t

,and are

trained to amuse and charm the guests with thei r ac

comp l ishments,the i r w i t

,and sparkl ing conversat ion ;

l end ing that attract ion,brightness

,and ch arm to social

l ife , wh ich wives and daughters are permitted to do inthe O ccident . The maiko dan ces as soon as sh e 15 old

enough to be taught the figures and to chan t the poemswh ich exp lai n them ; and when she begins to fade , shedon s the soberer att i re of the geish a

,and

,s itt i ng on the

mats,p lays the accompan iments for her successors and

pupi ls . U nt i l th i s modern era,th e geisha were the ‘ most

h ighly educated of Japanese women,and many of them

made bri l l i an t marriages .Long before the beauti fu l band had fin ished the ir

poem and dance of the four seaso ns, twi l ight h ad fal l en .

Ann’ans

,or saucers of oil

,burn ing on high stands ins ide

square paper l antern frames,made Rembrandtesque ef

fects . Everyth ing was lost in shadow but the figures ofthe maiko mov ing over the sh in ing mats . One t iny gir lof th irteen , be longing to the house , s l ipped in and out

with a bronze box and snuff ers,and

,kneel ing before the

andous, Opened the paper doors to n ip o ff bi ts of thew icks . The ch i ld

,a min iature beauty

,was grace i tself

,

gentle and shy as a kitten , blushing and quaint ly bowingwhen addressed .

9°

yapa nese Hosp ita l ities

I t was six hours after the entrance of the tabako bon sbefore the guests rose to depart . Al l the troop o f maidens esco rted us to the door, and after endless bows and

farewel l s, sat on the mats in match l ess tableaux , thei r

sweet say ona r as r i nging afte r us as ou r j in riki shas wh irled us down the dark avenues of Sh iba.

Cha no yu migh t wel l be a rel igious ri te , from the r everen ce wi th which i t i s regarded by the Japanese , and aknowledge of i ts forms is part of the educat ion of amember of the h ighest c l asses . Masters teach its m inute and ted ious forms

,and school s of ch a no yu ,

l ikethe sects of a great fai th

,d ivide and di ff er. The cha no

yu ceremony i s h edged round with the most awesome ,e l aborate

,and exal ted et iquette of any custom in pol i te

Japanese l ife . Weddings or funeral s are s imple aff airsby compari son . The cha no yu is a compl icat ion of al lsoc ial usages

,and was perfected in the s ixteen th centu

ry, when i t was given i ts vogue by the Shogun H ideyosh i .Before th at it had been the divers ion of imperial abbots ,monarchs ret i red from business

,and other id l e and se

cl uded occupan ts Of the ch arm ing vi l las and mon asterie saround Kioto . Hideyosh i

,th e Taiko

,saw i n i ts preci se

forms, end less ru le s, minut iae, and st i l ted conventiona l l

t ies a means of keeping h i s daim ios from conspi raciesand quarre ls when th ey came together. I t was an ageof buckram and beh avior

,when sol emn i ty const ituted

the first rule of pol i teness . Tea dri nking was no tr iv i a linc ident, and t ime evident ly h ad no value . The daim iossoon invested the ceremony with so much luxury and

extravagance th at H ideyosh i i ssued sumptuary l aws,and

th e greatest simpl ic i ty in accessories was enjo ined . Thebowls in wh ich the tea was made had to be of the plaine st earthen-ware, but the votaries evaded the ed ic t byseeking out the Oldest Chinese or Korean bowl s , or thosemade by some ce lebrated potter . Tea - rooms were re»

9 !

yinr iéis/za Day s in yapan

str icted to a certain s i ze— six feet square the en trancebecame a mere trap not three feet h igh ; no servantswere permitted to assi st the host

,and on ly four guests

m igh t take part in the six-hour or al l-day- long ceremony .

The places of the guests on th e mats , with rel ation to thehost

,the door

,and the tokonoma, or recess , were strict ly

defined . Even the conversat ion was ordered , th e objectsin the tokonoma were to be asked about at cert ain t imes,and at certai n other t imes the tea ~ bowl and i t s aecom

p an iments were grave ly d iscussed . Not to Speak Of themat al l would be as great an evidence of i l l - breed ing asto refe r to them at the wrong time .

The masters of_

cha no yu were revered above schol arsand poets . They became the friends and in t imates ofEmperors and Shoguns , were enriched and ennob led , andthe i r descendants receive honors to th is day. O f thegreat school s and methods those of Senke

,Yabunouchi,

and Musanokoji adhere most c lose ly to the origi n alforms . Thei r first great d iff erence i s in th e use of th ei nward or the outward sweep of the hand in touch ing or

l ift ing the utens i l s . Upon th i s d ist inct ion the d i lettant iseparated

,and the var iat ions of the many school s of to

day arose from the origina l d isagreement . To get somein sight into a curious phase of Japanese social l ife

,I took

l essons i n ch a no yu of Matsuda,an em inent master of

th e art,pres id ing over the ceremon ial tea-rooms of the

Hoishigaoka club-house in Tokio .

There cou ld be_

no more ch arming pl ace in which tostudy the etiquette of tea drinking

,and the master was

one of those mel low,gentle

,gracious men of old J apan ,

who are the perfect flower of generations of cul ture and

refinement i n that most ae sthet ic country of the'

world .

In the afte rnoon and even ing the Hoish igaoka , on theapex Of S anno h i l l , i s the resort of the nobles, scholars,and l i terary men

,who compose i ts membersh ip

,but in

th e morn ing hours , i t i s a l l dapp led shadow and quie t.gz

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7in r zléisna Day s in japan

suda rep len ished the fire in the square hearth in th efloor

,dusted the edges wi th an eagl e’s feather

,and

dropped incense on the coal s .

‘Then he pl aced the ironkettle

,fi l led with fresh water from a porcel ain j ar

,over

the coals,and showed us how to fo ld the square of pur

pl e s i lk and wipe each art ic l e of th e tea-serv ice,how to

scald the bowl,and to rinse the bamboo wh isk . For

cha no yu, tea- l eaves are pounded to a fine powder,one

,

two,o r three spoonful s Of th is green flour be ing put in

the bowl,as the guests may prefer a weak o r a strong

MATSUDA , THE MASTER OF CHA NO YU

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yapanese Hosp i l a lities

decoction . Boi l ing water i s poured on the powder, andthe mixture beaten to a froth with the bamboo wh isk .

This th ick,green grue l

,a rea l purée of tea

,is drank as a

loving - cup in the usu elza ceremony, each one t akingthree sips , wip ing the edge of the bowl , and pass ing i tto h is ne ighbor . The measures and s ips are so exactth at the l ast one dra ins the bowl . Made from the finestleaves , th is beverage is so strong that a pro longed courseof i t wou ld shatter any but Japanese nerves .I t i s in the precise management of each implement, in

each pos it ion of the fingers,in the del ibe rat ion and cer

tainty of each movement,th at the art of cha no yu l ies ,

and its practice must be kept up throughout the l i fet imeof a devotee . Even with al l the fore ign fash ions

,th e old

ce remonial r i tes are as much in vogue wi th the upperc lasses as ever

,and the youth of both sexes are careful ly

trained in their forms .

Much less preten tious and forma l are the eel d in nerswi th wh ich J apanese hosts somet imes de l ight the i r fore ign friends , as wel l as those of thei r own nat ion al i ty .

Even S ir Edwin Arnold h as celebrated the del ights ofeels and rice at the Golden Koi

,and there are other

houses where the de l ic ious d ish may be enjoyed . Whenon e ente rs such a tea-house

,he is l ed to a tank of squ irm

ing fresh-water ee l s,and i n al l seriousness b idden to

po in t out the object of h i s preference . Uncertai n as

the lottery seems,the cook

,who stands by with a long

knife in hand,qu ickly understands the choice made

,and

sei z ing the wriggl ing vict im,carries i t o ff to some sacri

ficial b lock in th e k i tchen . An ee l d inner begins withee l o soup , and bl ack ee ls and wh ite eel s succeed one another ih as many rel ays as one may demand . The fishar e cut in short sect ions

,spl i t and flattened

,and bro i led

over charcoal fi res . Black eel s,so cal l ed , are a rich

dark brown in real ity,and th e co lor is given them by

95

7inr iéi sna Day s in 7apa n

d ipp ing them in soy before broi l i ng ; and wh i te eel s are

the b its broi led without sauces . Laid across bowl s of

snowy rice,the ee ls make as pretty a d ish as can be

served on e , and many fore igners bes ides the appreci at iveEngl i sh poet h ave paid tribute to the i r excel l ence . Aneel d inner in a r iver-bank tea-house , with a j uggler or afew maiko to en l iven the waits between the courses, ismost del ightfu l of Tok io feasts .

CHAPTER X

THE JAPAN ESE THBATRE

SATURATED with the refinements of an o ld c ivi l i zat ion

,

” as D r . Dresser says, and possessing al l other artsi n perfect ion

,i t i s not surpri sing th at the Japanese

drama should b e so wel l worthy of i t s people . Thetheatre has reached i ts present development slowly andwith d iffi cul ty. Caste d ist inct ion s hi ndered i t s r ise

,

actors rank ing next the eta,or outcast cl ass in feudal

days,and the p lay-houses of such degraded be ings lying

under ban . O n ly the middle and lower cl asses patronized them ,

nob l es never attend ing any pub l ic exh ibit ion s,

and al l women be ing excluded .

In th e golden age of th e Tokugawas th e drama beganto win recogn it ion ; theatres were bu i l t by the Shogun ;the marionette Shows , th e fi rst departure from th e NOKagura

,gave way to l iving actors and real i sm succeeded .

I n the great social upheaval and rearrangement of cl assesfol lowing the Restorat ion

,actors rose a l ittl e in soci al

esteem and gained some rights of ci t i zen sh ip . But a hother quarter of a cen tury wi l l h ard ly rank the dramat icw ith the other arts and honor i t s interprete rs . Noblemen now attend the theatre

,but actors never receive

an i nv itat ion to the ir c lubs . A few years s ince,Tokio

96

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7in r iéislza D ay s in 17apan

actual l ines,and the fu l l t ransl ation of a No programme

for the D uke of Edinburgh , on h i s vi s i t to Japan , busiedthe interpreters Of th e Brit ish Legation for days , withthe aid of al l the O ld nat ive poets and schol ars i n Tokio .

The NO i s a tri l ogy, occupying four or five hours of

th ree success ive day s . The first set Of scenes i s to pro

p itiate the gods ; th e second to terrify ev i l Sp i rits andpun ish the wicked ; and the th i rd to glor ify the good ,beaut ifu l

,and p l easant . The a’r amon

'

s per sona: are gods,goddesses

,demons

,priests , warriors, and heroes of ear

ly l egend and h i story, and much of the act ion is al le

gor ica l . By a long gal lery at the l eft th e actors ap

proach the elevated pavi l ion or platform of th e stage ,wh ich is without curta in or scenery, and almost withoutpropert ies . The audience s i ts upon th e matted areasurrounding th e th ree s ides of th e stage . Flute , drum,

and p ipes p l ay continuously,and a row of men in Old

ceremon ial dress s it statuesque at‘

one S ide of the stage,

chant ing and wai l ing the expl anatory chorus throughoutthe performance . I n the great scenes the actors wearmasks of th in l acquered or gi lded wood

,and val uabl e

co l lect ions of such ancien t dance masks are preservedin temples and yashikis . The costuming is superb

,the

old brocade and cloth - of—gold garments Show ing th ecourt costumes of centur ies ago

,and the great fam i l ies

and monasteries hold the i r ancien t No costumes as ch iefe st treasures .The actors ente r at a gai t that out-struts the most

exaggerated stage stride ever seen,the body held r igid

as a statue,and the foot

,never whol ly l ifted

,s l id ing slow

ly along the pol ished floor. These buckram figures,mov

i ng with the so lemnity of condemned men,ut-ter the i r

l ines l ike au tomata,not a muscle nor an eyel ash moving

,

nor a fl icker of express ion crossing the unmasked countenance . Thei r tones are unspeakably d istress ing

,n asal

,

h igh-p itched,fal se tto sounds

,and many performers h ave

98

TIto yapanese Tlzea tr e

ru ined and lost the i r vo ices , and even burst b lood-vesse ls

,in the long-continued , unnatural s trai n of the ir rec i

tatives . The ch i ld ren who take part equal th e o ldestmembers in thei r gravity and woodenness . I n somedel ightfu l scen es the demons

,with h ideous masks and

abundant wigs of long,red-S i lk h ai r, spread del iberate and

convent ional te r ror among the buckram grandees , and ,stamping the stage wi ld ly

,l eap ing and whi rl i ng, re l ieve

the long -drawn seriousness of the tri logy . I t i s on lywhen the performers are without masks that the sceneis recogn ized as i ntent ional ly a l ight and amusing farce ,wh i l e the roars of the aud ience are el ic i ted by state ly,ponderous

,and time-honored puns

,and p lays upon words

that a fore igner cannot apprec iate .

Fine representat ion s of th e . No may be seen at theKoyokwan c lub-house in Tok io , and in the aud ience sone beholds al l the bureaucracy, the court c i rcles , and agathering O f ari s tocrat ic fami l ies not e l sewhere to be encountered .

The exist ing theatre and th e legit imate drama are notyet th ree centurie s O ld

,and the name s/zioa i

,mean ing

tu r f p l aces,or grass plot, impl ies the same evolut ion

from out-door represen tat ion s that the occ idental dramabad . There is no Shakespeare

,nor Corne i l le

,nor

,in

deed, gny famous dramat i s t, whose works survive from

an earl ier day, to al ign the stage wi th l i te rature and

make its h i story. Authorsh ip is rarely con nected withthe plays

,and authors’ royal t ies are unknown . Many

of the novel s of Baku have been dramat i zed , but mostOften anonymously . Plays are usual ly written in thesimple r ni r akana

,or runn ing characte rs

,in which l ight

romances and books for women are written,and th i s fact

alone shows the esteem in which d ramatic l i teratu reis held . I nc idents in hi story

,l ives of warriors

,heroes

,

and saints furn ish themes fo r the drama, and al l the

common legends and fai ry tales are put upon the stage .99

yin r i lezlsna Day s i n yapan

That great cl ass ic,the aff ecti ng h istory of the Forty

seven Ron ins,

”is always popular, and the c rack-brained

hero isms Of the days Of ch ival ry fire the Japanese h eartnotwithstand ing its pass ion for the fore ign and modern .

The tr i al s,tortures

,and miracles Of the early days of

Buddhism,and the warl ike h i stor ies of th e great feudal

houses,furn ish tragedies and sensat ional and spectacu

l ar pl ays without end . There are,al so

,romant ic melo

dramas,emot ion al dramas

,and comed ies of del ic ious hu

mor and sat ire .

New plays,wh i l e rare

,are not theatrical even ts , and

fi rst n igh ts by no means ind icate success or fai l ure .

The pl ay is tried on the aud ience,changed

,cut

,and a l

te r ed as actors,manager

,scene - pain te r

,carpente r

,and

patrons des i re , without con s iderat ion of the author’s

r ights or fee l ings .I once asked a great star who h ad wri tten h is pl ay.

I do not understand,” said the tragedian ; and a by

stander explained th at the manager had cut reports of atheft

,a murder, and a Sh ipwreck from a newspaper, and ,

d iscuss ing them with the star,evolved the out l i nes of a

connected p l ay and decided on the p rincipal scenes andeff ects . A hack wri ter was then cal led in

,who

,under

d ictat ion,shaped the p lot and d ivided i t into scenes .

The managerial counci l e laborated it further,al lotting

the parts,and the star then composed h i s l i nes to su i t

h imsel f. In rehearsal the p lay was rounded , th e d ict ional tered , and each actor d irected to write out h is own

part,after wh ich a ful l t ran scrip t was made for the

prompter .AS to the authorsh ip of the pl ay of the For ty-seven

Ron in s ,” he said : “ That is our country’s h istory . We

al l know the story of thei r l ives and glorious death s,and

many nove l i sts and poets h ave wri tten of them .

”

“ But who made i t in to a drama ?”

Oh,every theatre h as i ts own way of representing

I OO

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7in r iézls/za D ay s in yapan

women . In the in terl udes,where j ugglers and acrobats

entertai n the aud ience,women are somet imes seen

,and

,

in t ime , pl ays wi l l be cast for both sexes , and female starswi l l Sh in e . The infan t prod igy i s known to the Japanese stage

,and in some wonderful ly pretty and affecti ng

scenes in the “ Ron in s l itt le ch i ldren utter the i r l inesand go through thei r parts with great n atural ness .The great theatre of Tok io i s the Sh intom iz a

,a long

,

gabled bu i ld ing,ornamented above the row of entrance

doors by pictures of scenes from the p l ay. The streeti s l in ed with tea-houses

,o r restaurants , for a p l ay is not

a h ap -h azard two-hour after-d inner i nc iden t . A mangoes for th e day

,careful ly making up h i s theatre party

beforehand,the plays generall y beginn ing at e leven

O ’c lock in th e morn ing,and end ing at e ight or n ine i n

the even ing. After a Short r un the hours during wh ichthe great actors appear and the great stage eff ects aremade become known , and the spectator may t ime h i sv is i t accord ingly. I t i s bad form for a Japanese Of posit ion to go to the th eatre door, pay for a box, and enteri t . He must send a servant

,at l east a day beforehand

,

to on e of the tea-houses near the theatre to engage i tsattent ion s fo r the day

,and th rough it s agency secure a

box . The tea-house people are the t icket specul ators inl e ague with th e box-off i ce . At the proper hour,th e partyassemble at the tea-house

,and give orders for the lunch

,

d inner,and frequent teas to be served during the day .

The tea-house attendants conduct them to the ir box,and

at each intermission come to see what i s wanted,bring

ing in at the d inner-hour the l arge l acquer e/zoz o boxesw ith thei r courses of v iands

, _that the i r patron s may d ine

comfortab ly where they s it. Everybody smokes,and

each box has i ts l i tt le tabako bon,with i ts cone of glow

ing coal s to l igh t the t iny p ipes,th e rat-tat Of the p ipes

,

as the ashes are knocked out,Often making a chorus to

the act ion .

Tli e yapa fl ese T[tea /r e

Theatre bu i ld ings are l igh t and fl imsy wooden str ucto

ures,with straw -mats and matt ing everywhere . They

are al l al ike— a square auditorium with a s loping floor,

a s ingl e low gal le ry,and a stage the ful l w idth of the

house . The floor space is d iv ided into so-cal led boxesby low rai l ings , th at serve as bridges for the occupantsto pass in and out. Visi to rs always s it on the floor

,each

box be ing s ix fee t square and designed fo r four people .

The gal l ery has one row of boxes at e i ther s ide,severa l

rows fac ing the stage,and beh ind them a pen ,

whe r e themul t i tude stand and l i sten , paying one or two coppersfo r each act . Th is gal le ry o f the gods is cal led the “ deafseat

,

” but the deaf hear wel l enough to be vociferous .The theatre-goer takes a check for h i s shoes

,and racks

hanging ful l of wooden clogs are the ornaments of thefoyer. With in the bui ld ing are booths for the sale offru its

,tea

,sweets

,tobacco, toys , hair-pin s , photograph s

of the stars,and other not ions , so that a box-party need

not leave the house in pursu it of any creature comforts .

The venti lat ion i s too good, and the l ight and open con

st ruct ion inv ite s wintry d raughts .Charges are made in detai l , and the fol lowing i s on e

bil l presented for a party of seven at a Yokohama theatre . N0 charge was made for the two fam i ly servantswho came and went at wi l l .

Adm ission (seven

Carpe t ing. cha ir s , etc

M esse nge r

Tea and confe ct ione ry .

Pe r simmons , figs , and gr apeEe ls and r ice ,

etc. (seven persons).Tea-house .

Pr esents to servan ts .

Rece ived paymen t ,Fukkuya .

103

7z'

fl r zléz'

s/za D ays i n yap fm

There i s always a drop-curtain,general ly ornamented

with a gigantic characte r or sol i tary symbol,and often

nowadays covered with p icturesque advert isements . Fo rmerly

,so much of the p l ay was given by day that no foot

l ights and few lamps were used . In those good o ld daysa black-shrouded mute hovered about each actor after

'

dark,hold ing out a candle at the end of a long st ick to

i l lum inate h is features,that the aud ience m ight see the

fine pl ay of expression . With the adopt ion of kerosenethe stage was suffi cient ly l igh ted

,and the Shin tom iz a

has a ful l r ow of footl ights , wh i le the use of e l ectri ci tywi l l soon be general . The black mutes act as supersthroughout al l p lays where changes are made or propert ies mance uvr ed wh i le the curtain i s up .

The actors enter the stage by two long,rai sed walks

through the auditorium , so that they seem to come fromwithout . These raised walks

,on a leve l w ith the stage

and the head s of the spectators in the floo r boxes,are

cal led the lama or fl ower-walks,and as a popular

actor advances h is way i s strewn with flowers . The ex itsare sometimes by the hana m ich i and sometimes by thewings

,accord ing to the scene .

The min iature scale of th ings Japanese makes i t poss ibl e to fi l l a real scene with l ife-l ike detai l s . The stagei s always l arge enough for th ree or four actual houses tobe set as a front . The hana mich i i s suffi ciently broadfor j in r iki shas

,kagos , and pack - ho rses

,and with the il

lumination of dayl igh t the unreal ity of the p icture van

i shes,and the spectator seems to be look ing from some

tea-house balcony on an every-day street scene . Garden,

fo rest,and l andscape effects are made by us ing potted

t rees,and shrubs uprooted fo r t ransp l ant ing . The ever

ready bamboo is at h and and the tal l dragon—grass,and

th e scene-pain ters produce extraord inary i l lus ion s in thebackgrounds and wings . Some of the fines t stage p ictures I h ave seen were in Japan

,and its stage ghosts,

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7z'

n r z'

éz'

saa D ay s in yapan

Death is general ly accompl ished by edged tool s, and theant ics of the fencers, the wonderfu l endurance of thehacked vict ims

,and the streams of red pain t and red si lk

ravel l ings that ooze forth de l igh t the aud iences , whoshout and shriek thei r Ya ! Ya !

” and Yefi .

’ Yea !”

The swordsmen are often acrobats and j ugglers in d isguise

,who en l iven the extended s l aughters wi th thr i l l ing

tour s def or ce. Seyfp aku the honorab le death , or fra r a -éz'

r z'

as i t i s most commonly known , i s a lways rece ived withbreath less i nterest and wi ld applause

,and the se l f-d i s

embowel l ing of th e hero, with a long l ast orat ion , st i l lseems to th e Japanese someth ing fine and heroic and

the most complete revenge upon an i nsu l t ing foe .

The deta i l and minuteness with wh ich everyth ing isexpl ained

,and the endless et iquette and ci rcuml ocu t io n

,

are thoroughly J apanese . Littl e is left to the im agin at ion. i n their dramat ic art

,and an ord inary p l ay h as more

sub-plots and characters than one of D ickens’s nove l s .

With the rapid adopt ion of new customs,th e theatre i s

becom ing the on ly conserver of th e old l i fe and manners .

I f the J ap anese stage has its b lood- and- th under and

i ts t ank drama,i t h as al so its mil l inery p l ay. The cos

tumes alone are often worth going to see,and the m an

agers announce the appearance of h istoric brocades andarmor worthy of

'

museums . Danj i ro owns and wears asacred coat of mai l th at belonged to one of the Ronins

,

and h is appearance in i t i s th e s ignal for the maddestapp lause . S uch treasures of costume and of armor arebequeathed from father to son

,and from ret i ring star to

favori te pupi l . As tokens of h igh approval r ich and noble patrons send to actors rare costumes

,swords

,p ipes

,

and art icl es of personal use . Exci ted Spectators eventhrow such tributes upon the stage . One approving fore igner

,see ing the rain of hats

,coats

,obis

,and tobacco

pouches,once tossed h is h at down . Later the manager

and the actor’s val et returned the h at and asked for ten106

DANJIRO , THE GREAT ACTOR

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yzh r ibz'

saa D ay s'

7apan

for a part,the great actor s i ts on th e mat before a l arge

swinging mirror. Except for a ch aracter face l i tt l e d i sguise i s used

,as dayl ight spoi l s i ts effect . Th ree o r four

meek valets wai t upon th is spoi l ed and wh imsical oldautocrat

,and the whole theatre staff attends . The value

of h is wardrobe , kep t i n immen se covered bamboo baskets

,i s very great

,and i t s care a ser iou s matter. Part of

i t was once stolen,and when the whole Tokio pol ice force

succeeded in restoring i t Dan j i ro announced th at he cou ldn ever again wear what the touch of a th ief h ad defiled .

Genoske , fourth of h is n ame and l ine,and Sodanje , a

cousi n of Dan j i ro,equal ly prove the h ered ity of Japan

ese gen ius , a nd are favori tes of th e Tok io pub l ic . Youngactors p ay the great stars for the privi lege of j o in ingthe i r compan ies

,and studying the ir methods . Danj iro

i s said to rece ive th ree thousand dol lars from the Sh intom iza th eatre for the year o r season , wh ich l asts fromearly fal l unt i l after the cherry b lossoms . H is connect ion with the Shintom iz a is l i ke that of a socz

'

eta z’

r e withthe Coméd ie Francai se . Yet h e pl ays in other Tokiotheatres

,has fi l l ed engagements in other c it ies

,and ev

e rywhe r e rece ives from perqu is ites, fees, and gifts moreth an th e amount of h is sal ary .

The Japanese art ist i s ful ly aware of th e aid ingen iousadvert i sing may lend to gen ius . D rawing- room engagements do not yet contr ibute a part of th e i ncome of agreat actor but such a one was once b rought to drinktea at a '

for e ign house , and ob l igingly rec i ted from h i sgreat role s

,and through the in terprete r

,t alked most in

te r estingly to u s of h i s art and stage business . I n a fewd ays th e n ative newspapers

,the vern acul ar p ress

,as

the Brit i sh dai l ie s term i t,contained accounts of a great

entertainment offered th is favorite actor by some foreignres idents

,and the s impl e afternoon tea of s ix people was

lost to v iew in th e descript ion of the e l aborate banquetand attending crowd .

1 10

Tbe Imper i a l Fam i ly

The Government exerci ses a certain censorsh ip of thestage

,as of the press

,suppress ing an obnoxious play , and

arrest ing manager and company if necessary. No al l usion s to presen t pol it i cal events are a l lowed

,and the au

tho r ities permi t the express ion of no d isturb ing ideas .The Tokugawas exerc ised th is

'

censor ship towards theplay of the For ty

-seven Ron in s,

” because its main ar

gument and many of i ts scenes reflected too clearly thecorrupt practi ses of the Shogun ’s court . Even its n amewas changed , and , unt i l the Restoration , i t was presentedas th e (Loyal League), and the scenesstrayed far from historic fact. S i nce the new era, managers advert ise the i r representat ion s as most c losely following the actual records

,and every fresh contribut ion

from historian or an tiquarian is avai led of.

CHAPTER X I

THE IMPER IAL FAM ILY

EUROPEAN sovere ign s and reign ing fam il ies are parvenus compared to the rul er and the imperial house of

Japan ,which shows an unbroken l ine from the access ion

of J immu Tenno,the first Emperor in 660 B .C .

,down to

the present son of Heaven , Mutsu H ito , one hundredand twenty-fi r st Emperor of his l in e .

During the feudal period,the Emperors

,vi rtual ly pri s

oners of the ir vassal s,the Shogun s , l ived and d ied with in

the yel low pal ace wal l s of Kioto,knowing noth ing of

the i r subjects,and unknown by them . Af ter death

,each

was deified under a posthumous appe l l at ion,and there

his h i story ceased . Too sacred a be ing to be spoken ofby h i s person al name

,at the men t ion of h is t i t l e al l J ap

anese make an unconsc ious reverence even now . When

7zh r z’

kz'

sfza Day s in 7am”

h i s patronymic was written,i t was purposely l eft incom

p lete by the omiss ion of one stroke of the writ ing-brush .

In the spoken language , th e ruler i s the Shujo , the Heika

,or th e Tenno , whi le in the written l anguage he i s the

Tenno,th e Kote i

,o r th e M ikado . The Empress i s the

Kogo in both the spoken and the wri t ten l anguage , andthe honor ific sama fol lows al l of these imperial appel l at ion s .Mutsu H ito

,the most s ign ificant figure i n J apanese

h i story,was born in the Kioto pal ace

,November 3 , 1 852 ,

and,t aught and trained as imperial pr inces h ad been be

fore h im,suOceeded to the throne after the death of h i s

father,February 1 3 , 1 8 67. I n th e fo l lowing autumn the

Shogun sent in h is formal res ignat ion , gave back the supreme power to the r igh tful ru ler

,and ret ired to O saka.

In February,1 8 68, th e Emperor , n ot yet s ixteen years of

age,rece ived the fore ign envoys in the K ioto pal ace with

uncovered face ; then , defeating the rebe l l ious Shogun atO saka

,removed h is cap ital to Yeddo

,and chose the n ame

Meij i (en l igh tenment), to des ignate the era of h is re ign .

As seen at the rare court funct ion s,at m i l i tary reviews

,

and races,the Emperor i s easi ly the central figure . Tal l

er th an the average of h is race,and possessing great d ig

mi ty and maj esty,h i s s low

,mil i ta ry step and t rai l ing

sword eff ectual ly conceal th e unequal gait rheumat i smsomet imes obl iges . He wears a trim‘

med beard,and h i s

features,more decided and strongly marked th an is usual

w ith the ari stocrat i c type of Japanese countenance,wear

a calm and composure as truly O r iental as imperi al . In

publ ic he wears th e un iform of general i ss imo of th e army,

a heavi ly-frogged and br aided one of dark-blue broadc loth in winter

,and of wh ite duck in summer

,with a

gold-mounted sword and many decorat ion s . I n recogn ition of the honors and orders conferred upon h im byother royal t ies, the Emperor bestows the cordon andjewel of th e princely O rder of the Chrysanthemum . The

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séa D ay s in 7afian

a broad and most l iberal educat ion for a maiden evenof h igh degree .

Upon h er marri age,an extraord inary l ife opened be

fore the l itt l e Empress,demand ing a very unusua l ac

tivity and study, cou rage , adapt iveness, and compr ehen

s ion . She i s poet ic as wel l as practi cal , and her poemsare not on ly traced on imperi al screen s and kakemonoin autograph characters

,but several of th em have been

set to music as wel l .Even now

,her Majesty i s more del icately pretty th an

her younger s i sters,al though for years an inval id . She

i s short i n stature,s l ender

,and smal l

,with the long

,oval

face and refined features of the ideal ari s tocrat ic type ofJapanese beauty . At her marri age

,she sh aved her eye

brows,pain ted two sh adowy suggest ion s of them h igh

up on her forehead,and bl ackened her teeth

,in accord

ance with Japanese custom ; but after a few years , sheceased to d isfigur e hersel f in th i s way. I t was an event

,

in 1 873 , when she gave her fi rst audience to the envoys’

wives . I t cost the court Chamberlain s months of studyto arrange for the appearance of the Emperor and Empress together

,to reconci l e the preten sion s of th eir su i te s

as to rank and precedence,and to h armon ize the Occi

den tal , ch ivalrous ideas of deference to women with theunflattering est imate of the O rien t . When

, on the dayof the declarat ion of the new const i tut ion (February 1 1

,

the Emperor and Empress rode s ide by side inthe same state carriage through the streets of Tok io

,

and when,th at n igh t

,he off ered h i s arm to lead her to

a twin arm-chai r in the state d in ing-hal l,a new era was

begun in Japanese h is tory .

The Empress h as her secretaries and readers,and

gives a part of each day to i nformal aud iences . She

vi s its her school s and hosp ital s,and makes l iberal pu r

chases at chari ty bazaars . She exerc i ses in the'

saddl ew ith in th e palace grounds

,and drives in a b rougham

T/ze Imper i a f Fam zZy

with hal f-drawn curta ins , her men on th e box wearing adark-bl ue l ivery with red cords and fac ings

,s i l ver but

tons, and cocked h ats .

THE PALACE GARDENS

One of th e twoannual imperial garden -part ies i s givenwhen the Ch rysan

th e m um s a r e i n

bloom , and the other at the t ime ofthe cherry blossoms

.

The et iquette of these i s qu ite simple,al though an ap

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court . A few days before the fest ivi ty each guest r e

ce ives a l arge Chrysanthemum -bordered card :

November7

By or der of the ir Majesties , the Empe r or and Emp r ess , the M inister of S ta te for the Househo ld Depar tmen t p r esen ts his comp l im en ts to and asks the ir company at th e

“Chrysan themum

Par ty at the gar den of the Impe r ia l T empor ary Palace on the 8th

inst . , at 3 o’

clock in the afte r noon .

O n an accompanying sl ip are th ese in struct ions

F r ock -coa t requir ed .

To a l igh t at the Kur umayose afte r en te r ing the pa lace ga te .

This car d to be shown to office r s in a t tendance on a r riva l .No pa r ty to be he ld if the day happen s r a iny .

The guests h aving assembled in the gardens at thehour ind icated

,th e K im igayo

,or n at ion al anthem

,an

nounces th e approach of th e imperial personages . TheEmperor

,the Empress

,and the ir su i te

,passing between

the rows of guests and the flower-tents,l ead the way to

marquees on the l awn,where a

'

co l l at ion is served,th e

Emperor address ing a few remarks to the m in i sters andenvoys as he greets them . Somet imes speci al present at ion s are made

'

to h im and the Empress,and often the

Empress summons an envoy’s wife or a peeress to her,

whi le she s i ts at table . Afte r anoth er tour of th e flowe rtents

,the company

,fo l lowing the imperial l ead , desert

the gardens . C al ls of ceremony must be made upon th ewife of the premier with in one week after th ese part ies .When the Empress and her l adies wore the o ld dress

the garden-part ies at the palace were wonderful ly p ictur esque and dist inct ly Japanese . I t was my good fortuneto attend the Chrysanthemum fete of 1 8 85, when theEmpress and her su ite made the i r last appearance inthe red Izakama and loose brocade k imonos of the o ldregime . The day was warm

,with the bri l l i an t autumnal

t ints pecul i ar to Japan,cl ear and sunny. There were

rows of Chrysanthemum beds in the Asakasa gardens,1 16

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Tbe [z/zp er i a l Fam i ly

shielded from sun and wind by matted awn ings,screen s

,

and s i lk hangings,and al l the myri ad flowers were at one

even and perfect period of unfolding . Under si lk ten tsby themselves stood s ingle p l ants bearing from two hundred to four hundred blossoms each , every blossom ful land symmetrical .The peeresses wait ing in th at sunny garden were

most bri l l i an t figures,rival l ing the glow of the flowers

in the i r sp lend id o ld brocade robes . At last came theEmpress and the whole gorgeous train of her attendants

,fol low ing th e shore of th e mirror - l ike lake

,past

camel l i a hedges to the espl anade of the uppe r garden o fth e great Asakasa park. As the Emperor was housed .

by i l lness,the Empress

,fo r th e firs t t ime

,conducted a

general court ceremony alone . Her costume con sistedof the loose hakama

,or d ivided skirt, of the heaviest

scarlet s i lk,under a long loose kimono of du l l he l io

trope,brocaded with convent ional wi star ias and the

imperia l crests in wh ite . No outer obi , or sash , wasworn

,and the neck was closed h igh with surp l ice fo ld s

of rainbow - t in ted s i lks . Many under -k imonos of fine

white and scarle t s i lk showed beneath the long,square

sleeve s of the heavy brocade kimono . The imperialhair was st iff ened into a th i n h alo beh i nd the face , fal ling thence to the wai st

,but t ied here and there wi th bit s

of s i lky wh ite rice-paper,l ike that of a Sh in to priestess .

Above her forehead shone a l itt l e go lden ornamen t inthe shape of the 110-0, o r phce n ix, and she carried a para501 and an old court fan of painted st icks of wood , woundwith long cords of many-co lored s i lks . The d ign i ty andmajesty of the l itt le woman were most impress ive . Everyhead bowed low

,and when she had passed eyes were

l i fted to her reverent ly and admiringly. Al l the princesses and peeresses fo l lowing her wore a s imi lar costume ,many of the ir brocade kimonos being s tiff ened with embroider y and gold th read , and making dazzl ing eff ects

” 9

yzh r zlézs/za D ay s in 74pm

of co lor. When,in the bri l l i an t sunset flush

,th e impe

ri al trai n retraced i ts steps,i ts kaleidoscop ic flashes of

wh ite and gold and color reflected in the st i l l l ake , andshowing vividly as the l ad ies formed in a semic ircle on

th e l awn,whi le the Empress wi thdrew to her apart

ments,there ended a ser ies of p ictures so beaut ifu l th at

they seemed an i l l us ion of the imagination .

Before the fol lowi ng Apri l Pari s fash ions had set in

with great rigor,and al l th e soft, pink reflection s from

the clouds of cherry b lossoms in the Hama Rik iu palacegarden could not give the groups of l i tt l e women indark

,ugly

,close-fitting gowns any l ikeness to the beau

t ifu l assemb lages of other years . Gone were poetry and

p icturesquen ess . Progress and Ph i l ist i a were come .

Except for the costumes of the Ch inese and Koreanlegat ion s

,and that of th e Ch inese M in ister’s w ife , with

i ts cap - l ike ornaments of fi l igree and pearl s, and t inyj ewel led sl ippers

,noth ing Oriental or As iat ic in aspect

remained to that court gathering .

The Empress ordained and defended th is ch ange ofdress in a famous court c ircul ar

,whose ch ief argumen t

seemed to be that the alterat ion f rom the si tt ing andkneel ing et iquette o f th e Orien t to the standing et i

quette of the Occident required western fash ion s forwomen as wel l as men . Every lover of the p icturesqueprotested

,but i t was suspected that th is m an ifesto was

a sh rewd pol it ical move of Coun t I to ’s to convince thetreaty powers that the J apanese do not di ffer from otherc ivi l i zed people . Shou ld the sacr ifice of the old l ifeand the beaut iful n ational dress h elp to secure forJapan a revis ion of the sh ameful and unj ust treat iesfor ced upon her from 1 854 to 1 858 , and promote thepo l i t ical l iberty and commercial prosperi ty of the country, the Empress

’s p atriot ic i conocl asm may be just ified .

The sacredness of the imperi al person long postponedher Majesty’s change of fash ion

,as no ignob l e dress

129

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Tlze Imper ia l Fam i iy

maker could be al lowed to touch her. Countess Ito , thec lever wife of th e premier

,and l eader of fore ign fash ion s

at court,was final ly chosen as l ay figure

,to be fi tted nu

t i l a model could be made . The Empress now wearsEuropean dress al together

,conduct l i ttl e short of heroic

for one accustomed on ly to the loose,s imple

,and com

for table garments of her country. Her gowns are madeof Japanese fabrics

,and a l ace school under her patron

age suppl ie s her with flounces and t r immings . At indoor s tate ceremon ies

,l ow bod ices and cou rt train s are

prescribed,and the Empress wears a t i ara , n

’

zrier e, and

innumerabl e ornaments of d iamonds . The court l ad ies,who formerly wore no ornaments but the singl e longhair-p in and the go ld bal l s and tr ifles on th e obi cord ,have been sei zed by a truly American craze for d iamonds,and great ly covet the new O rder with cordon and jewe lled star l ate ly establ ished by the Empress .In adopt ing the expens ive fore ign dress court l adies

ruth le ssly sacrificed irrepl aceab le heirlooms of rich old

brocades and embroideries . For a long t ime the i r countenances and mien betrayed the d iscomfort of the new

d ress,but they soon acqu ired ease with fam i l i ari ty , and

no Japanese woman,in her first Pari sian gown

,was ever

such a burlesque and caricature as are the fore ign v is i tors who essay the kimono

,and

,bl ind to the r id iculous,

are photographed with its fold s and ful ness al l aw ry .

Only two fore ign women have I ever seen who cou ldwear J apanese dress graceful ly in the Japanese way, withful l regard to the mean ing wh ich each color

,fo ld , pucker,

and cord impl ies .Asahiko, the Empress Dowager, one of th e Kujo fam

i ly of kugés , and o f Fuj iwara descen t, mainta ined the oldorder and et iq uet te and made few concession s to the

new ways . She never appeared at state funct ions , butthe lad ie s o f her su ite , in beau t i fu l ceremon i al dresses ,were sometime s seen at Koyokwan No performances .

1 23

71’

7zr z'

ézsfia D ay s in yam”

when given for one of her state ch arit ies . She spen th alf the year at her summer palace at Hayama

,and at

her death in January, 1 897, was buried beside th e Em

pe r or Komei at the Senyuji templ e in Kioto wi th a m idn igh t Sh in to servi ce . The most rigorous cou rt mourni ng was observed for one year

,even m i l i tary bands be ing

forbidden to p lay.

The Empress Dowager had n omin al ch arge of the imperi a l nurser ies i n the Nakayama Yash iki

,where the ch i l

dren of th e Emperor and h is in ferior wives remain unti lth e ir fourth o r fifth y ears . These w ives are a l l of kugeb irth

,and h ave establ i shments wi th in the pal ace en clos

u re . They are an O rien tal survi val,of wh ich l i ttl e i s said

or defin i te ly known,al though they st i l l h ave a fixed rank .

Th e Empress Haruko has n o ch i ldren,and Pri n ce

Haru,th e C rown Prince

,i s the son of th e Emperor and

M adam e Yan agiwar a . Five imperi al princesses are l i vi ng

,but ten imperial ch i ld ren h ave d ied . Prince Haru

was born"

September 6,1 879 , procl aimed he ir apparent

August 3 1 , 1 8 8 7, and e lected C rown Prince November 3 ,1 8 89 , d ispossessing as h ei r to the th rone Prince Ari sugawa Takehito

,a young cousi n

,who had been adopted by

the Emperor in th e absence o f any d i rec t he i rs . Prin ceHaru attended th e Nobles’ school

,rec i ted in cl asses with

other boys,and enj oyed a more democrat i c l i fe than h i s

ancestors could h ave d ream ed of. He i s qu ick , energe t ic ,and amb itio us

,progress ive i n al l h i s v i ews

,enthu si asti c

and t ire less in h i s occupat ion s . With a n atural ly del icate const i tu t ion

,h i s good hea l th h a s been th e unceasing

obj ect of th e devoted German a nd Japane se court phys ic ian s

,and he has always been exempt from court func

t ion s and th e weari som e publ i c dut ies of th e hei r apparen tin other empi res . H is m arr iage to the Prin cess S ada ,daughter of Prince Kuj o

,took place at the Imperia l Pa l

ace in Tokio i n May,i

_goe , and the b i rth of Prince M ich iin Apri l, 190 1 , was cause o f rejo ic ing to the emp ire .

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7in r zléis/za D ay s in ffafia }:

and European arch itecture , decorations , furn ish ings, andideas

,the pal ace is a j umb le of unsat i sfactory incongru

i t ie s,nobody being found to a dmir e th atched roofs and

e lectric l ights,part i t ion wal l s of s l id ing paper screens

and steam-heat ing apparatus, a modern bal l—room ,and a

No dance pavi l ion al l s ide by side .

Each lofty state apartment i s a bu i ld ing by itse lf,th e

outer gal l eries on the four s ides be ing the corridors th attouch other corridors at thei r angles . Plate-gl ass doorsin maroon lacquer frames , with superb metal mountings,take the p l ace of the usual paper s/zojz

’

; but with the loweaves and the l igh t enter ing from the l eve l of the floor

,

the rooms need al l the i r Ed ison l amps . Unfortun ate ly,

th e best examples of n ation al decorat ive art are not preserved in th i s nat ional pal ace . On ly the r ich ly panel l edce i l ings are at al l J apanese or worthy the i r p lace . Thefamous embroidered cei l ing and embroidered wain scoting in the great drawing-room ,

and some makimonos inthe private rooms

,exh ib i t the best Kioto needle-work .

Th is wonderfu l ce i l ing, cost ing ten thousand dol lars,i s

p ane l l ed wi th yard-squares of go ld-thread tapestry,upon

wh ich are embro idered crest- l ike c i rc les of various flowers . The wain scot ing i s green damask wrought w ithfru its

,and the wal l s of the drawing-room are hung with

a neutra l - t in ted damask .

The bea ut ifu l Japanese woods and the marvel lou sJapanese carvers were set aside , that the steam factor iesof Hamburg might supply the cheap and ugly oak fur n iture of the banquet~hal l . The state table

,seat ing one

hundred peop l e , surrounds three s ides of a square . Theimperia l arm - ch airs are at the m idd le of the board

,

fac ing e laborate buff ets, fram i ng pai nted tapestry-panel sof the most tawdry German design . The bal l-room hasa cost ly i n la id floor, and i s decorated in wh ite and gold .

The throne-room has noth ing Japanese but th e crests inth e panel led cei l ing. A large gi lded arm - chair s tands

126

Tobio Pa la ces and Cour t

on a red-carpeted dais,with canopy and cu rt a i ns of red

plush , the sacred sword and seal rest ing on l acquer ta~

bles bes ide i t . At court funct ion s the Empress.stands

on a dais below and to the right of the throne,with the

imperi al pr inces and pri ncesses grouped about her . Themembers of the d ipl omatic corps are p laced at the Emperot’s l eft

,the m in i sters and h igher oflicials fi l l the

space fac ing the throne , and th e imperi al guard l ine thegal le ry corridors that su rround the throne-room .

I n the private apartments of the Emperor and Empress moquette carpets

,plush furn iture , and easy-ch ai rs

confess fore ign influence and etiquette . The old rul esof the simpl ic ity of a Sh into sh rine in the sovereign ’sdwel l i ng are observed in l eav ing al l th e wood-work un

painted,wh ile wax-candles and open grates repl ace the

elec tr ic bu lbs and gi lded rad iators o f the offi c ial parts ofthe palace . Some of the private rooms displ ay exquis i tepanel led and coffered ce i l ings of pure wh i te p ine , or thebeaut ifu l gray bog-wood . Each su ite h as one room in

pure Japanese style,and a t iny box for celebrating th e

r i tes of ch a no yu with afavored four. The Em

pe r o r’

s s l eep ing-room i sthe same un l igh ted

,un

ven t i l at ed d ark c l o s etwh ich h i s ancestors used .

Th is sleeping-room i s Ein the accompanying d iagram , su r rounded byrooms occupied at n igh tby h is attendants

'

and

gu ards .Above th i s floor i s a

su i te of stud ies,l i brar ies

,

and secretaries ’ rooms , al l fin ished in the same exquis i tewoods, that show the ir natural grai n and color . There

"1

yin r z'

ei s/za Day s in yapan

i s a separate su ite of room s fo r th e Emperor’s to i l et and

wardrobe,a rob ing and d is robing room ,

and an exqui s i teJapanese bath ~ room with i n l aid floor and wal l s . Thesovereign uses the regular oval wooden tub of h is peopl e

,wh ich i s fi l l ed from a wel l in th e adjo i n ing cour t by

means of the prim i t ive bucket and rope . The screensin the se p rivate rooms are undecorated , or at the moston ly flecked with gold - l e af. From t ime to t ime , by special command , art ist s wi l l decorate these , and squares ofcolored pape r put here and there upon them invite theautograph poems of th e tea-drinking improvisators .

Somewhere in th e recesses of the pal ace i s a ch ape lor Sh in to shrine , but the offi c ial s are very ret icent concern ing i t . I t i s known that the mortuary tab lets of theEmperor’s ancestors are there

,s imple i/za i , or pieces of

p in e wood,upon wh ich are writ ten th e posthumous

n ames o f the deceased rulers . Ofli cia l bul let in s oftenannounce th at a newly appointed m in iste r

'

of the cab in et,or a diplomatic offi cer about depart ing for h is post i s“ ordered to worsh ip

.

th e cenotaphs in the imperi al ch ape l

,

” before an aud ience w ith the Emperor . Presumably,

such devot ion s are a form equ iva len t to the oath of al le

giance in other countries . Upon the ann ive rsaries of

the death of certa in of h is ancestors,on the days of the

spring and autumn fest ival,when the first r ice i s sown

and harvested,as we l l as before any great ceremon i al

,

i t i s announced th at the Emperor wi l l worsh ip in the imperial chape l . The aged Prince Kun i Asahiko i s con

ductor of d ivine services to the imperial fami ly ; buteveryth ing about that s imple

,formal state re l igion i s

baffl ing and incomprehensible,and no on e knows what

form the Sh in to servi ces in the palace assume .

The Emperor used to give a Japanese banquet on themorn ing o f h is b i rt hday to princes

,min isters

,and eu

voys . Chopst icks were used,and the imperi al heal th

was drunk from sake-cups of fin e egg-she l l porce l ain,

1 28

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yin r iéis/i a Day s in 7afia rz

j o i n ing the new pal ace,i s a supreme example of the Jap

anese landscape gardener’s art .For the support of these pal aces and th e expen ses of

the imperial fam i ly the Imperi al Household Department’sexpend itures were 3 ,

ooo,ooo yens in 1 8 89 and 18 99 .

Tokio court ci rcl es have,of course the i r fact ion s and

cl iques,th ei r wars and triumph s

,and the favor of th e

sovere ign i s th e obj ect of perp etua l scheming and intr igu ing.

The peerage of Japan numbers e leven princes , th i rtyfour marqu ises

,eigh ty-n i ne counts

,th ree hundred and

s ixty-th ree vi scoun ts,and two hundred and twen ty-one

barons . Al l kuge’ fami l i es are in th i s n ew peerage , andsuch daimios of the Shogun ’s court as give a id and a l legi

ance to the Emperor,o r made honorable surrender in the

conflict of 1 8 68 . Rank and t i tl e were conferred uponma rry

l of the samu ra i a l so,the l eaders in th e work of th e

Restorat ion,and the s tatesmen

,who have advi sed and

led in the wonderful progress of these last twen ty y ears ;but th e old kugés have never brought themselves toaccept the pardoned daim ios and ennobl ed samura i ofother days . I t i s the O riental vers ion of the rel at ionsbetween th e Faubourg St. Germain , th e ar istocracy of

th e emp ire,and the bureaucracy of the presen t French

republ ic .

The imperial princes of th e blood,al l nearly rel ated

to the Emperor,rank above th e ten created pri nce-s, who

head the l ist of the nob i l i ty . Five of these ten p ri ncelyhouses are th e old Gosekke

,the first five of the on e

hundred and fifty-five kuge fam i l i es compri s ing the o ldKioto court . With the Gosekke , wh ich incl udes theIch ij o

,Kujo

,Takatsukasa, Nij o, and Konoye fami l ie s,

rank,s ince 1 8 8 3 , the houses of Sanj o, Iwakura, Shimad

zu,Mori

,and Tokugawa

,sh aring with them the privi lege

of off er ing the bride to the he i r-apparen t.The Emperor v is its personal ly at th e houses of th ese

130

Toh’

o Pa la ce: and Cour t

ten princes , and recent ly the Tokugawas enterta inedh im with a fenc ing-match and a No dance in old style

,

the costumes and masks for which had been used atTokugawa fétes for centuries . I n accordance with otherold customs , a sword by a famous maker was presentedto the guest of honor

,and a commemorative poem of

fe r ed i n a gold l acquer box . Yet th e head of the Tokugawa house is a gr andson of the Shogun who first r efused to treat wi th Commodore Perry

,and son of Ke ik i

,

the arch rebe l and last of the Shoguns,who for so long

l ived forgotten as a private c i t i z en on a smal l e statenear Shidzuoka, keep ing al ive no fact ion , awaking nointerest— atta in ing, in fact, a pol i t ical N i rvana .

Under new t i t l es the old fiefs are los t s igh t of and

old associ at ion s broken up . The marqu i ses,counts

,and

barons of to-day are s l ender, dapper l i tt le men , wearingthe smartest and most i rreproachable London clothes

,

able to converse in one o r two fore ign l anguages on thesubj ects that in terest cosmopol i tans of thei r rank in

other empires, and are wi th d iffi cul ty ident ified withthe i r feud al t it les . The Daim io of Kaga h as becomethe Marqui s Maeda

,his s ister married the Emperor’s

cousin,and the great yash ik i of the ir ancestors h as

given way to the bu i ld ings of the Imperial Un ivers ity .

The Daim io of S atsuma is now Prince Sh imadzu . I t i snot easy to associate these modern men-about-town

,who

dance at state bal l s , who p lay b i l l i ards and read the fi l esof fore ign newspapers at the Rokume ikwan

,who pay

afte rnoon cal l s , attend teas , garden-part ies , d inners , concerts

,and races ; who have taken up poker and tenn i s

w i th equal ardor , and are v ict imi zed at ch ari ty fairs andbazaars

,with the i r pompous , state ly, two-sworded , bro

cade and buckram bound ancestors .There are great beaut ies , favorites , and soci al l eaders

among the l ad ie s of the court c irc l e,and the change in

the i r soc i al pos i tion and personal importance i s incr edl ’l

7zh r iéz’

sfia Day s in 7am);

ible . Japanese matrons,who

,a few years ago , led the

most qu iet and secluded existence , now pres ide wi thease and grace over l arge estab l ishments , bui l t andmaintained l ike the offi cial res idences of London or

Berl in . Their struggles with the d iffi cu l t ie s of a newl anguage

,dress

,and et iquet te were hero ic . Mothers

and daughters stud ied together with the same Engl i shgoverness

,and princesses and d ip lomats’ wives

,return

ing from abroad,gave new ideas to the ir friends at

home . Two Japanese l ad ie s,now foremost at court

,

are graduates of Vassar Col lege,and many h igh ofli cia ls

a r e happi ly married to foreign wives ; American , Engl i sh

,and German women having assumed J apanese

n ames with the i r wedd ing vows . The court has i tsre ign ing b e auty in th e wife of the grand maste r of ceremon ies

,th e r ichest peer of h is day, and representat ive

of that fam i ly wh ich gave i ts n ame to the finest por cel a i n known to the ceramic art of the emp ire .

Tokio society del igh ts in dancing,and every one at

court dances wel l . Leaders of fash ion go through the

ouaa’r il/e ci

’

lzofmeur,with wh ich state bal l s open

,and

fol low the ch anges of the l ance rs w ith the exactness ofso ld iers on dri l l , every step and movement as preci sean d fin ished as the bending of the fingers in ch a n o yu .

The care l ess fore igner who attempts to d ance an unfa

mil i ar figure repents h im of h is fo l ly . Japanese pol i teness is i ncomparab l e , but the sedateness, th e preci s ion ,and exactness of the other dancers in the set wil l r eproach the b lu nderer unti l he fee l s h imse lf a crimin al .The bal l i s the more u sual form of s tate ente rtainments .The prime-min is te r gives a bal l on the n igh t of theEmperor’s b irthday

,and the governor of Tok io gives a

bal l each w inter . From time to t ime the imperia l p rincesand the m in isters of state off er s im i lar entertainments

,

and every l egat ion h as i ts bal l-room . The members ofthe d iplomatic corp s are as much in socia l un ison w ith

x3:

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yz'

fl r zléi s/za Day s in 7aja i z

CHAPTER X III

THE SUBURBS OF TOKIO

THE suburb s of Tokio are fu l l of hol iday resorts forth e peopl e and the beaut ifu l v i l l as of nobl es . To thenorth—east

,in O j i

,ar e th e Governmen t chem ical works

and paper m i l l s,where rough b its of mulberry-wood are

turned into papers of a dozen kinds,the si lk ies t t issue

paper,smooth

,creamy writ ing - paper

,th i ck p archment

,

bristo l—board,and th e th i n paper for art i st s and etchers .

On a sheet of the heavi est parchmen t paper I once stoodand was l ifted from the floor

,th e fabri c showing no mark

of ren t or strain , and i t i s wel l n igh impossib l e to teareven a transparen t Oji lette r sheet . The Oj i te a-househ as a famous garden

,and in autumn Oji

’

s h i l l-s ides b lazewi th co lored map les

,and then the hol iday makers mark

the p lace for th e i r own .

Waseda,the northern suburb

,conta i n s an old temple

,

a vast,gloomy bamboo -grove

,and the v i l l a of Countess

Okuma, to whose gen ius for l andscape-garden ing i s al sodue th e French Legation ’s parad i s e of a garden

,in the

heart of the c i ty,that pl ace hav ing been Count Okuma

’

s

town residen ce before he so ld i t to the French Government . From Waseda

’

s r ice fie lds a greater marve l grew.

Meguro,south of Tok io

,i s a p l ace of sen t imental p i l

grimage to th e lovers of Gompach i and Komur asak i,th e

Abelard and He loise of the East,around whose tomb the

trees flutter w ith paper poems,and prayers . I n the tem

ple grounds are fal l i ng streams of water,beneath wh ich

,

summer and w in ter, pray ing p i lgrims stand , to b e thuspumped on for the i r s ins .

’

S imi lar pen itents may be seenx34

Tbe Subur bs of Tobio

at a l it tle temple n iched in th e b luff of Miss i ss ippi Bay.

Meguro has an annual azal ea fete and a celebrat ion ofthe maple- l e af

, and i t s res iden t nobles, among whom is

General Saigo , give feasts in honor of the season’s blooms .

The Sengakuji templ e , near Shinagawa, i s a s acredspot and shrine of ch ival ry, th e buri al-p lace of the Fortyseven Ron in s ; and here come pious p i lgr ims to say aprayer and leave a st ick of burn ing incense

, and view theimages and re l ics in the l i tt l e templ e .

Near Omori,half-way between Yokoh ama and Tok io ,

Professor Morse d i scovered the she l l -heaps of p r ehis

tor ic man . The neighborhood i s made beaut i ful by oldgroves

,old temples and shrines

,t iny vi l l ages

,picturesque

farm-houses,and hedge- l i n ed roads

,wh i le Ikegami

’

s temples sh in e upon the h i l l th at stands an evergreen is landin the l ake of greener rice fie lds o r golden stubb le . Hered ied N ich iren

,founder of th e Buddh ist sect bearing h is

name . For six centur ies these splendid temples h averesounded with the chantings of h i s priesthood

,who st i l l

expound his teach ings to the letter . The Nich iren sec tis the largest , r ichest, most i nfluen t i al , and aggressive inJapan . They are the Pro testants and Presbyter i an s ofthe Buddhist re l ig ion ; firm

,h ard , and unre lent ing in

the i r fai th,rej ect ing al l other creeds as fal se

,and zeal

ously prose lyt ing . Nich i ren was a great schol ar, who ,poring over Ch inese and S an scri t sutras, bel ieved h imself to h ave di scovered the true and h idden mean ing ofthe sacred books . H is l abors were co lossal , and thoughex i led

,imprisoned

,tortured

,and condemned to death ,

he l ived to see h is fol lowers increasing to a great bodyof true bel ievers

,and h imsel f establ i shed as high-priest

over the temples of Ikegami . In th e popul ar play Ni

ch iren,

”

one has th ri l l i ng evidence of what the p iou sfounder and h i s d isc ipl es endured .

On th e twelfth and th i rteenth of each October speci a l

services are held in memory of Nich iren , which thou‘35

jfiur ibz'

sba D ay s i n yapan

sands of peop le attend . On th e first d ay of th i s matsurithe ra i lway is crowded with passengers . Bonfir es andstrings of l anterns mark the Omori stat ion by n ight

,and

by day the neighbori ng matsuri is announced by tal lbamboo poles

,from wh ich spring whorl s of reeds covered

with huge paper flowers . These gi an t flower-stalks arethe convent ion al s ign for fest ivi ties

,and when a row of

them is pl anted by the road-s ide, o r paraded up and

down with an accompan imen t of gongs, th e hol iday sp ir itresponds at once . The quiet coun try road is blockadedwith hundreds of j i nrikishas going to and return ing fromIkegam i

’

s terraced gate-ways. Men,women

,and ch i l~

dren,priests

,beggars

,and pedd lers pack the h ighway.

The crowd is amazing— as though these thousands of

peopl e h ad been sudden ly conj ured from the ground,or

grown from some magic ian ’s powder— for noth ing couldbe qu ieter than Omori lanes on al l the other days of th eyeanAlong the foot-paths of the fie lds women in t ight ly

wrapped k imonos with b ig umbre l l as over th e ir beaut iful ly-dressed heads ; young girl s with the scarl et pett icoats and gay h air-pins ind icat ive of maidenhood l itt legi rl s and boys with smal ler brothers and s i sters strappedon the i r backs

,trudge along in s ingl e fi l es

,high above

th e stubble patches,to th e great matsuri . In farm-house

yards persimmon-t rees hang ful l of mel low,golden fru i t

,

and the road i s l i teral ly l i ned with th ese apples of theHesperides . Pedd l ers s it on the i r heel s beh ind the irhe aped persimmons and busi ly ti e straw to the shortstems of the frui t, th at the buyer may carry h i s purchasel ike a bunch of giant golden grapes . Fries

,stews

,bakes

,

and gri l l s scent the ai r w i th savo rs, and al l sorts of l i t t l ebal l s and cubes , pats and cakes, l umps and ro l l s of eatab les are set out along the country road . A queer so rtof sea-weed scales, sta ined brigh t red , is the chewinggum of the East, and finds a ready market.

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yinr ibisba D ay s i n yapau

at the head of the steps . The Spl endid in terior i s amass of l acquer, gi ld ing, and col or, th e panel led ce i l inghas an immense fi l igree brass b aldaqu in hanging l ike afrosted canopy over the heads of th e priests

,and a su

pe rb al tar, al l images , lotus - l eaves,l ights

,and gi lded

doors,dazz les the eye . Under th e baldaqu in s it s the

h igh-priest of the temple, who is a b ishop of the l argestd iocese in Japan

,wh i le at e i ther s ide of h im more than

two hundred celebrants face each other in rows . Thepriest ly h eads are shaven

,th e smooth faces wear th e ec

stat ic,exal ted express ion of devotees purified by vigi l

and fast ing,and over the i r white or yel low gauze k imo

nos are t ied besas,or cloaks of r ich brocade . The

l esser h ierarchy appear in subdued co lors— gray,pur

ple,russet— but the head priest i s arrayed in gorgeous

scarlet and go ld,and s its before a read ing-desk

,whose

books are covered wi th squares of s imi lar brocade. Heleads the chanted service from a parchment rol l spreadbefore h im

,at certai n p l aces touch ing a s i lver - toned

gong,when al l th e priests bow low and ch ant a response

,

s i tt ing for hours immovab l e upon the mats,i nton ing an d

read ing from the sacred books in concert . At interval se ach raps the low l acquer t ab l e before h im and bendslow

,wh i le the b ig temple drum sounds

,the h igh-pri est

touches h i s gong,and slowly

,beh ind th e l igh ts and in

cense clouds of the al tar,the gi lded doors of th e shri ne

swing open to d iscl ose the precious image of s ain tedN ich iren . On al l s ides stand the fai thful

,extending

the i r rosary -wrapped hands and mutter ing the N ich iren e’s speci al form of prayer : “Nauru 77250 120 r eu ge

bio (Glory to the salvat ion-bringingbook, the b lossomof doctrine).After seven hours of worsh ip a last l i tany i s uttered ,

and the process ion of prie sts fi l es th rough the groundsto the monaste ry

,stopping to sel ect from the two hun

dred and odd pairs of wooden clogs, wait ing at the edge138

Tbe Subur bs of Tobio

o f the temple mats,each h i s proper pair. The h igh~

priest walks near the middle of the l in e underneath an

immense red umbrel l a . He carri es an el aborate red lacqne r staff

,not un l ike a croz ier

,and even h i s clogs are

of red lacquered wood . The service in the temple suggests the forms of the Roman Church

,and th i s Buddh is t

card inal , in h is red robes and umbre l la, is much l ike hisfe l low-dign itary of the West .

To ci t i zen s of the Un ited S tates Ikegami h as a pecu liar i n terest . When the American man-of-war Oneida wasr un down and sunk with h er offi cers and crew by th eP . an d O . steamer B ombay ,

near the mouth of YeddoBay, January 23 , 1 870, our Government made no e ff ortto rai se the wreck or search it

,and final ly so ld i t to a

Japanese wrecking company for fifteen hundred do l l ars .

The wreckers found many bones of the lost men amongthe sh ip ’s t imbers

,and when the work was ent ire ly com

pleted , with the i r vo luntary contribut ion s they erected atabl et in the Ikegami grounds to the memory of the dead

,

and celebrated there the impress ive Buddh ist sega kz

(feast of hungry soul s), in May , 1 8 89 . The great temple was in ceremon ial array ; seventy - five priests inthe i r richest robes assi sted at the mass

,and among

the,congr egation were the Americ an admiral and h i s

ofli ce r s,one hundred men from the fleet

,and one sur

vive r of the so l itary boat’s crew th at escaped from the

The Scriptures were read,a service was chanted

,the

Sutra repeated , i ncen se burned , the symbol ic lotus-l eavescast before the al tar

,and after an address in Engl i sh by

Mr. Amenomo r i expl a in ing the segak i, the processionof priests walked to the table t in th e ground s to chan tprayers and burn incen se again .

No other country,no other re l igion

,off ers a paral l e l to

th is experience ; and American s may wel l take to heart139

yin r ibzs/za Day s in 3af an

the exampl e of p iety, ch ari ty, magnan imity , and l ibera li ty that th is company of hard-work ing J apanese fi she r

men and wreckers h ave set them .

CHAPTER X IV

A TRIP TO N IKKO

THE Nikko mountain s,one hundred mi les north of

Tokio,are th e favorite summer r esort of fore ign res i

den ts and Tokio offic i al s . The ra i lway now reachesN ikko

,and on e no longer t ravel s for th e l ast twenty-five

m il e s i n j in rik i sh a ove r the most beaut ifu l h ighwa y , l eading through a n unbroken avenue of over-arch ing treesto the v i l l age of Hach i—i sh i

,or Nikko .

O n th e very hottest day of th e hottest week of August we packed ou r bor z

’

s,the te lescope baskets wh ich

consti tute th e Japanese trunk,and fled to th e h i l l s .

Smoke and dus t poured in at th e car w indows , th e roofcrack led in the sun

,th e green groves and luxurian t

fields th at we wh irl ed through qu ivered with heat, anda chorus of grasshoppers and scissor s~gr inde r s deafenedus at every h al t . At Utsonom iya i t was a fe l icity to sitin the upper room of a tea-house and dip our faces andho ld ou r h ands in bas ins of coo l spring-water, he ld forus by the sympathet ic n e sans . They looked perfect lycool

,fresh

,and unruff led in th ei r c l ean b lue-and-white cot

ton k imonos, for the Japanese, l ike the creol es, appearnever to fee l the heat of summer

,and

,i ndeed , to be

whol ly ind iff erent to any weather . The same plac idUtsonomiya bab ies , whose l i tt l e sh aved heads bobbedaround helpl ess ly in th e b laze of that m idsummer sun ,

I h ave seen equal ly serene w ith th e ir bare skul l s redden ing, uncovered , on the frost iest w in ter morn ings.

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ur ibis/za D ay s in 7apa n

way,make the on ly break in the long avenue . With its

d ivid ing screens drawn back , the O sawa tea-house wasone long room ,

with only s ide wal ls and a roof,the fron t

open to the st reet, and th e b ack facing a garden wherea stream dashed through a l i l iput i an landscape

,fe l l in a

l i l iput ian fal l,and r an under l i l iput i an br idges . At the

street end was a square fi rep lace , sunk in the floor,with

a big teakett l e sw inging by an i ron cha in from a beamof the roof

,teapots s itting in the warm ashes

,and bi ts

of fowl and fi sh skewered on chopstick s and set up inth e ashes to bro i l before the coal s . The cool ies

,s i tt ing

around th i s ki tchen,fort ified the i r muscl e and brawn

with th imb le cups of green tea, bowl s of r ice , and a fewshreds of p ickl ed fish . We

,as their masters and supe

r iors,were p l aced as far as poss ibl e from them

,and p ie

n icked at a table in th e pretty garden . After the severeexert ion of s i tt ing st i l l and lett ing the cool ies draw us

,

we restored our wasting t i ssues by rich soup,meats

,and

al l the st imul at ing food that might be thought morenecessary to the l aboring j in riki sh a men .

When we started again , with a l l th e tea-house staffs inging sweet sayonaras, a glow in th e east foreto ld ther is ing moon

,and a huge stone tori i at the end of the vi l

l age loomed ghost ly against the b l ackness of the forest .The gl ancing moon l igh t shot st range sh adows across th epath

,and we wen t wh irl i ng th ro ugh th is latt ice of l ight

and darkn ess in st i l l n ess and sol i tude . The moon roseh igher and was h idden in th e l eafy

,

arch overhead,and

before we real ized that its faint l igh t was fad ing,came

flashes of l igh tn ing,th e rumble of approach ing thunder

,

and a sudden crash , as the flood of rain struck the t reetops and poured through . The hood s of the j inrik i sh aswere drawn up

,th e o i l-papers fastened across us, and

through p i tch darkness'

the cool i es raced along . Vividflash es of l igh tn ing showed the th ick

,white sheet of rain

,

wh ich gusts of wind bl ew in to our faces,wh i le insid ious

143

A Tr ip to Nikko

s treams s l ipped down our shoulders and gl ided into ourl aps . Putt ing the i r heads down , the cool ies beat thei r wayagainst the ra in for two more soaking m ile s to Imaich i ,the l ast vi l l age on the road , on ly five m i le s from Nikko .

The tea - house into which we turned for shel ter wascrowded with be lated and storm~bound pi lgrims comingdown from the sacred p l aces of N ikko and Chiuzenji .Al l Japanese are talkative

,the lower in stat ion the more

loquacious,and the whole cool ie company was chatter

ing at once . As the p lace was too comfort l ess to stay in ,we turned out again in the rain

,and the cool ies spl ashed

away at a walk,th rough a darkness so dense as to be fe l t .

At m idn igh t our seven j in rik ish as rattl i ng in to the hote lcourt

,and fourteen cool i es shout ing to one another as

they unharnessed and unpacked , roused the house andthe who le neighborhood of Nikko . Awakened sleepersup

-stairs looked out at us and banged the screens angr ily, but no sounds can be deadened in a tea-house .

To the trave l ler the tea-house presents many phasesof comfort, i n terest , and amusemen t al together wan t ingin the convent ional hote l

,which i s

,unfortunate ly

, becom

i ng common on the great routes of travel . The d imens ion s of every house in the empire conform to certainunvarying ru les . The verandas

,or outer gal leries of the

house , are al ways exactly three feet wide . A fore igner,

who i nsi sted on a n ine-feet-wide veranda,entai l ed upon

h is Nikko carpenter many days of pain ful thought,pipe

smoking,and con ference wi th h i s fe l lows . These me

chau fes were utterly upset in th ei r calcul at ions . Theysawed the boards and beams too long o r too short

,and

final ly produced a very bad , un -Japanese p iece of work .

The floors of these gal l eries are po l i shed to a wonderfu lsmoothness and surface . They are not varn i shed

,nor

o i led,nor waxed , but every morn ing rubbed with a c loth

wrung out of hot bath-wate r which contain s o i ly matterenough to give, in t ime , th i s pecu l iar lustre . Three years

to

yz'

ur zléis/za D ay s i n 7am”

of dai ly rubb ing with a hot‘cloth are requ ired to give a

sat i sfactory resul t,and every subsequent year adds to

the richness of tone and pol ish , unt i l old tea-houses andtemp les d isclose floors of common p in e looking l ike rosewood

,or s ix-century-old oak .

The are a of every room is some mul t ipl e of threefeet

,because the soft tatami

,or floor -mats , measure

s ix feet in l ength by three i n w idth . These are wovenof common straw and rushe s, faced with a close lywrought mat of r ice-straw . I t i s to save these tatamiand the pol i shed floors th at shoes are left outs ide thehouse .

The th ick screens,ornamented wi th sketches or poems,

th at separate one room from another, are th e f usuma ;th e screens sh utt ingoff the veranda, pretty latt ice framescovered with rice-paper th at admit a pecu l i arly soft l igh tto the rooms

,are the s/zojz

'

,and in the i r managemen t i s

involved an e l aborate et iquette . In Open ing or closmgthem

,wel l-bred persons and trained servants knee l and

use each thumb and finger with ordered prec i s ion,wh i l e

i t i s possib le to convey s l ight,contempt

,and mortal in

sul t in the manner of h and l ing these sl id ing doors . Theouter veranda i s c losed at n igh t and in bad weather byamados, sol id wooden screens or shutters , that rumbl eand bang the ir way back and forth in the ir grooves .These amados are without windows or ai r-holes

,and th e

servants wi l l not wi l l i ngly leave a gap for vent i lat ion .

“ But th ieves may get in,or the kappa !

” they cry,th e

kappa being a myth ical an imal always ready to fly awaywith them . In every room is pl aced an andon

,or n ight

l amp . I f one cl ap h is hands at any hou r of the twentyfour, he hears a chorus of answering bet! bet

"s and

the thump of th e nesans bare feet,as they r un to attend

h im . While he talks to them,they keep ducking and

saying He/z ire/z wh ich pol i te ly s ign ifies th at they aregiving the ir whole attent ion .

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bis/za Day s in yapan

made at a fixed price for each day,with everyth ing in

cluded , as at an American hote l .Foreigners trave l l i ng away from the ports take with

them a guide,who acts as courier

,cooks and serves the

meal s,a nd asks two and a hal f yens a day wi th expen ses .

Thus accompan ied,everyth ing goes smooth l y and ea s i ly ;

room s are found ready,meal s are served promptly

,show

p l aces open the ir doors,the best conveyances awai t th e

travel ler’s wish,and an encyclopaed ic interprete r i s a l

ways at h i s elbow . Wi thout a gu ide or an experiencedservan t

,even a res iden t who speaks the l anguage fare s

h ard ly. Like al l O r ien tal s, the Japanese are impressedby a ret inue and th e appearan ces of weal th . They wearthe i r best c lothes when travel l ing

,make a great show,

and give l iberal t ips . The foreigner who goes to theNakasen do or to remote provinces alone

,t rust ing to the

phrase - book,finds bu t l itt l e con s iderat ion or comfort .

He ranks wi th the cl ass of p i lgrims,and th e guest-room

and the choicest d ish es are not for h im . The guid e mayswind le h i s master a l i tt l e

,but the comforts and advan

t ages he secures are wel l worth the cost . Al l th e guidesare wel l- to-do men with t idy fortunes . They exact commiss ion s wherever they bring custom

,and can make or

break l andlo rds o r merchants if they choose to combine .

Some travel l ers , who , th ink ing it sh arp to deprive thegu ides of th ese percentages, have been l eft by them ind istan t provinces and forced to make the ir way alone

,

have found the rest of th e j ourney a success ion of impos ition s

,d iffi cu lt ies

,and even of real h ardsh ips . After

engaging a gu ide and hand ing h im th e passport,th e

t ravel le r h as only to enj oy Japan and pay h is b i l lat the end o f th e j ourney . The guides know. morethan th e guide - book ; and with I to , made famous byM iss B ird

,Nikko and Kioto yielded to u s many pleas

ures wh ich we shou ld otherwise h ave missed . An ac

quaintance w ith M iyashta and h i s sweet - potato h ash146

Nibleo

made the Toka ido a straigh t and pleasan t way ; andMoto’s j ud ic ia l countenance caused Nikko

, Ch iuze nji,a nd Yumoto to d i sc lose un imagin ed beau t i es and luxur ies ; and Utaki always marshal led the impossible a ndthe unexpected .

CHAPTER XV

N IKKO

OF al l Japan ’s sacred places, Nikko , or Sun’s Brigh t

ness,is dearest to the J apanese heart . Art, arch itecture ,

and landscape-garden ing add to Nature’s opulence,h i s

tory and legend peopl e i t with ancien t sp lendors,and al l

the l and i s ful l o f memories . “ He who has not seenN ikko cannot say Kekbo f

”

(beauti fu l , splend id , superb),runs the J apanese saying .

With its forest shades, i ts vast groves , and lofty avenues

,i ts hush

,its calm re l igiou s ai r

,Nikko i s an ideal

and dream-l ike pl ace,where rulers and prel ates may wel l

long to be buried,and where priests , poets, scholars , ar

tists, and p i lgrims love to ab ide . Each day of a whol esummer has new charms , and Nikko

’s s trange fasc inat ion but deepens with acquaintance .

The one long stree t of Hach i - i sh i,or lower Nikko vi l

l age,ends at the banks of the Dayagawa , a roaring

stream that courses down a narrow val ley , wal led at i tsupper end by the bold , bl ue bar of Nanta isan , the sacredmountain . Legend has peopled th i s val ley of th e Dayagawa with imposs ible be ings — gian ts

,fairies

,demons

,

and monsters . Most of the national fai ry stories beginwi th

, O nce upon a t ime in the Nikko mountai ns , and

one half expects to meet imp or fay in the green shadows . Mound bu i lde r and preh istoric man had l ived the i rsqual id l i ves here ; the crudest and earl ies t forms of r el igion had been observed in these forest sanctuaries long

147

yiur i/ei sba D ay s in yapcm

before Kobo Dai sh i induced the Sh into priests to bel ieveth at the i r god of th e mounta in was but a man ifestat ionof Buddha . Everyth ing procl aims a hoary past— treesmoss - grown stones, battered images , crumbl ing tombs ,overgrown and forgotten graveyards .

Each summer h alf th e Tokio legat ions move bodi ly toNikko

,and temp les, monastery wings, p riests

’ houses,

and the homes of the dwel l ers in the upper vil l age arerented to fore igners in ever- in creas ing numbers . Nikkoh ab itat ions do not yet bring the prices of Newport cottages

,but the extravagant rate of th ree and even five

hundred yens for a season of three months is a J apane se equ ivalen t . Besides the fore igners

,th ere are many

Japanese res iden ts ; and , wh i le the C rown -Prince occupies h i s summer pal ace

,he is da i ly to be met i n the

s treets,the forest path s

, o r templ e grounds . The wh itecl ad p i lgrims throng h i ther by thousands during Ju lyand early August

,m arch p icturesquely to the j ingle o f

thei r s taff s and bel l s round the great temples , a nd

t rudge on to the sanctuary on Chiuze nji’

s shores wi th inthe shadow of holy Nanta isan .

Two bridges cross th e Da iyagawa , and l ead to thegroves and temples that make N ikko

’

s fame . One bridgeis an every-day affai r of plain

,unpainted t imbers

,across

wh ich j inriki shas rumble nois i ly,and figures pass and r e

pass . The other i s the sacred bridge,over wh ich only

the Emperor may pass,i n l i eu of th e Shoguns of old , fo r

whom it was reserved . I t is bui l t of wood , covered withred l acquer

,with many brass p lates and t ips , and rests

on foundation pi l es of Titan ic stone columns, j o ined bycross - pieces of storie , careful ly fi tted and mortised in .

Trad ition maintain s th at the gods sen t down th i s rainbow bridge from the clouds in answer to saint ly prayer .Its sanct ity is so careful ly preserved , th at when the Em

pe r or wi shed to pay the h ighest conceivable honor toGeneral Gran t

,he ordered th e barrier to the bridge to

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yin r z'

bi sba Day s i n ffafia fl

H is grandson,Iyem itsu, was the next and on ly other

Shogun in terred at N ikko , and h i s temp le fairly rival sthat of h is ancestor .At each shrine ri se b road ston e s teps lead ing to the

fi rst and outer court-yards,where stand the magnificent

gates,exqu is ite ly carved

, set with superb metal p l ates .

and al l abl aze with color and gi ld ing , The eye i s confused in th e infinite detai l of structure and ornament

,

and the intricacy of beams and brackets uphold ing theheavy roofs of these gate-ways . Wall s of red l acquerand gold , with carved and colored panel s topped withblack tiles, surround each enclosure , and through innerand outer courts and gate - ways

,growing ever more

and more splend id , th e vis i tor approaches the templesproper

,the i r soaring roofs

,cu rved gables

,and ridge-pol es

set with the Tokugawa crest in gold,sh arp cut against

the forest background . At the lowest step h is shoesare taken off

,and he i s permitted to wander s lowly

through the magn ificent bu ild ings on th e soft,s ilk-bor

dered mats . Rich ly panel l ed cei l ings,l acquered p i l l ars ,

carved wal l s,and curtai ns of the finest spl i t bamboo be

long to both al ike,and in the gloom of i nner rooms are

marve l s of carv ing and decorat ion,only half vi s ibl e .

Both temples were once spl endid w ith al l the emblems and trapp ings of Buddh ism ,

redolent w ith in

cense,musical w ith bel l s and gongs

,and resounding al l

day wi th ch anted services . But after the Restorat ion”

when the Sh in to became the state rel igion and the Emperot made a p i lgrimage to Nikko , Iyeyasu

’

s temple wasstripped of i ts sp lend id al tar ornaments

,banners

,and

symbol s,and the s imple m irror and b its of paper of the

empty Sh in to creed were subst i tuted . In the dark chapelbeh ind the fi rst room there remains a l arge gong

,whose

dark bowl rests on a si lken pad,and when soft ly struck

fi l l s the p l ace w ith ri s ing and fal l i ng,recurring and wav

er ing,tones of sweetness for five whole m inutes

,wh ile

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D ay s in 7apan

colored carvings represent ing groups of monkeys witheyes

,or ears

,o r mouth covered w ith the ir paws— the s ig

n ification being tha t one shou ld nei ther see , hear, norspeak any ev i l . I n one superb ly - carved gate-way is al itt le medal l ion of two tigers, so cunn ingly stud ied andworked out that the curving gra in and knots of the woodgive

“

al l th e softly -shaded stripes of thei r vel vet coats andan effect of th ick fu r . One sect ion of a carved columnin th is gate i s purposely p l aced ups idedown

,th e bu i lder

fearing to complete so perfect and marvel lous a p iece ofworkmansh ip . Above another gate-way curl s a comfortable sleep ing cat

,wh ich i s declared to w ink when rai n i s

com ing,and th i s wh ite cat h as as great a fame as any

th ing along the Daiyagawa.

The strangest h i erophant in Nikko is the priestesswho dances at the temple of Iyeyasu . She looks h er threescore years of age, and i s al lowed a smal l temple to herse lf

,where she s i ts , posed l ike an al tar image , with

~

a bigmoney-box on th e sacred red steps before he r

,i nto wh ich

the p ious and th e curious toss thei r offerings . Then thepr iestess ri ses and solemn ly walks a few steps th i s way

,

a few steps that way,poses before each change

,sh akes

an el aborate sort of baby’s rattl e w ith the righ t-hand , andgest icul ates with an Open fan in the left-hand . The se

date walk to and fro,the movements of the rattl e and

fan consti tute th e dance, after wh ich th i s aged M iriamsits down

,bows her h ead to the mats

,and resumes her

statuesque pose . She wears a nun-l ike h ead-dress of

wh ite m its l in,and a l oose wh ite garment wi thou t obi ,

over a red pett icoat,the regu lar costume o f the Sh in to

priestesses . She seems always amiabl e and ready torespond to a conc i l iatory co in , but the vi s itor wondersth at the cool and shaded sanctuary in which she s i ts,with nearly the whol e fron t wal l making an Open door,does not st iff en her aged jo ints with rheumatism and endher dancing days .

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entice the exp lorer to ever-new surprises . At desertedand s i len t sh ri nes heaps of pebb les , bits of paper

,of

strip s of wood pain ted wi th a sacred character attestthe presence of prayerfu l p i lgr ims, who have sough tthem out to reg ister a vow or pet i t ion . Tiny red shrinesgleam j ewel- l i ke in the far shadows, and fal len cr yptom e

rias make mounds and ridges of en tangl ed vines amongthe red-barked gia

‘

nts st i l l stand ing. Above a water-fal l,al l th in ribbon s and j ets of foam

,are more old temples,

where p i lgr ims come to pray and touri st s to admire,but

where no one ever despoi l s the unguarded sanctuarie s .I n one of these bu i ld ings are l ife-s i ze images of th egods of thunder and th e winds . Raiden

,th e thunder

god , is a b right - red d ivin i ty w ith a ci rcle o f drumssurrounding h is head l ike a halo

,a fierce countenance

,

and two goaty horns on h is forehead . Futen,the god of

winds,has a grass-green skin , two horny toes to each

foot,and a b ig bag over h is shou lders . A fine heavy

roofed red gate-way and bel l -tower d is t ingu i sh anothercluster of t emp les in th is st i l l forest nook

,the i r al tars

cove r ed .with gi lded images . One Open shrine,wh ich

shou ld be the resort of j i nrik i sh a men,i s ded icated to a

muscu l ar red deity,to whom votaries off er up a pair of

sandal s,beseech ing him for vigorous legs . The whol e

p l ace i s hung over with wooden,st raw

,and tin sandals ,

minute or co lossal . Then down th rough the wood,past

a hoary graveyard,where abbots and monks of N ikko

monaster ies were buried for centuries before the Shogun s came

,one return s to the Futa-ara temple and Iye

m itsu’s first gate-way .

I n our wanderings we once happened upon an old

and crowded graveyard,with sp lend id trees sh ading the

mossy tombs and monumen ts . The stone l an terns,

Buddhas,and images were past count ing

,and one gran

ite dei ty,under a b ig sun -hat

,h ad a kerch ief of red cot

ton t ied under his ch in . H is benevolen t face and158

flaming robes were stuck al l over with t iny b its of

paper,on which the fa i th ful h ad wri tten thei r peti t ions ,

and the l an tern s beside h im were heaped wi th prayerstones . A H indoo looking de ity near by sat with upl i fted knee

,on wh ich he rested one arm and supported

h is bent and though tfu l head .

A hund red stone represen tat ives of Buddh a sit inmossy medi tat ion under the shadow of the river bank

,

l ong branches trai l i ng over them and vines c lamberingabout thei r anc ien t brows . Time has rol led some fromthe i r lotus pedestal s, beheaded others , and coveredthem al l with wh ite l ichen s and green moss

,and Gam

man,as th i s row of Buddh as i s named , i s the st rangest

sigh t among the many strange sigh ts of the river bank .

Custom ordain s th at one shou ld count them ,and no two

pe rsons are bel ieved to h ave ever reco rded the samenumber of images between the bridge and Kobo Da ish i

’

s

open sh rine .

There is an eta v i l l age j ust bel ow Nikko , peopled bythese outcasts

,who fol low the ir desp ised cal l ing of hand

l ing the carcasses of an imal s and dressing leather andfurs . Their degradat ion seems to resul t not more fromthat Buddh ist l aw wh ich forbids the tak ing of an imall i fe

,than from the legendary bel ief that they are the de

scendants of Korean pr i soners , l ong kept as executionersand purveyors fo r th e imperia l fal cons . Colon ies o f etasl ived for centuries wi thout part or lot in th e l ives of the irh igh-caste neighbo rs . After the Restorat ion , the powerof th e great noble s was curtai led

,and with the gradual

freeing of the lower c l asses from the tyranny of castethe e ta becam e a ci t i zen , protected by law . Prej ud icest i l l confines h im to h is own vi l l ages

,but when he l eaves

them salt is no l onge r sprinkled on the spot where hestand s to purify i t .The most h arrowing s i tuat ion of the old romances

was the fal l ing in l ove of a noble with a beaut ifu l eta159

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gi rl . Now the eta ch i ldren attend the Governmen tschool s on the same terms as the i r betters . But th isl iberal ity was of slow grow th , and in one province , wherethe st iff -necked parents w ithdrew the i r ch i l dren becauseof the presence of th ese pariah s, th e governor enteredhimse lf as a pup i l

,s i tt ing s ide by s ide with the l i tt l e out

casts in the same c lasses,after wh ich august demonstra

t ion of theoret ica l equal i ty caste d ist inct ions were al

l owed to fade .Nikko becomes a great curio mart each summer

,the

curios h aving,n atura l ly

,a rel igious cast ; and bel l s,

drums,gongs

,in cense-burners

,images

,banners , brocade

draperies,and priest ly fan s make a part of every ped

dle r’

s pack,each th i ng

,of course, being cert ified to have

come from the sacred treasurie s near by. The souve

n i rs,wh ich the most h ardened tourist cannot res ist buy

ing, are the N ikko spec ial ties of trays,cups

,boxes

,and

teapots of carved and lacquered wood,and of curious

roots , decorated with Chrysanthemums o r i nc i sed sketcheso f the Sacred Bridge . The Japanese eye sees possib i l it ies in the most unprom ising knot

,and the J apanese

h and hol lows it in to a casket,o r fi ts i t with the spout

and handle that turn it i n to a teapot . Al l the v i l l agestreet is l ined with these wooden-ware shops

,al ternating

w ith photograph and curio m art s .Vis i tors to N ikko always buy i ts y uoki , a candy made

of chestnuts and barley-sugar,wh ich comes in s l abs an

i nch square and s ix inches long,wrapped in a dried bam

boo sheath,and put in th e dainty l ittl e wooden boxes

wh ich make J apanese purch ases so attract ive . I t i s l ikea dark-brown fig—paste , and has a flavor of marronsgl aces and of maple -sugar . Flocks of ch i ldren , with bab ies on the i r b acks

,hover about th e yuok i shOp i n upper

N ikko , and if the touri s t bestows a box on them ,the i r

comical bobs and courtesies,the ir funny way of touch

ing the forehead with th e gift during al l the bowing, and160

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i n the cascade,was soaked fo r an hour and th en poured

into the furiously boi l ing rice-pot . The brush fire underthe stone frame of the kett le was raked out

,and when

the steam came on ly in in terrup ted puffs from under thecover

,th i s was l i fted to show a pot ful l to th e brim o f

snowy-wh ite grain s. A soup h ad meanwh i l e been stewing

,a fi sh h ad been b roi led over charcoal

,and

,with tea,

the noonday d inner was re ady. At some hour of th eday off erings of r i ce and food were mysteriously pl acedon the steps of the t iny shrine to the fox-god

,ch ief orna

ment of the farther garden . Towards sundown camesupper

,and then th e l igh t ing of th e lamps . Shadow

p ictures on th e shoj i repeated the act ion s and groupingswith in

,th e sp l ash of water betrayed the fami ly bath

,an d

when al l,from grandfather to baby

,had been boi led and

scrubbed , th e amados banged , and the performance wasove r unti l sunrise .

CHAPTER XVI

CH IUZENJ I AND YUM OTO

THE I nqu is i t ion should have been put in possessionof the Japanese kago as a lesser pun i shment for heret ics

,

so exqu i s i te and ins id iou s are its tortures . Th is kago i sa sh al low basket with a h igh back

,s l ung from a pol e car

r ied on the shoulders of two men,and in the mountains

and remote d i st ricts i s the on ly mean s of trave l,except

by pack-horses . The J apanese doubl e the i r knees and

s it on thei r feet w ith great d ign ity and apparen t comfort ;but the greater s ize o f the fore igner

,h is st iff j o i nts and

higher head,preven t h i s fi t ti ng into the kago ; nor i s he

much better off when he gets astride,dangl ing h i s long

legs over the edges . Moreover,he not On ly knows th at

he looks r id iculous,but suff er s the pangs of consc ience

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Day s i n 7apa n

pl atform that const i tutes the floor of th e on e room , andbring the tray with i ts t iny tea-pot, th imble cups, and d isho f barley-sugar cand ies . For the refreshment on e l eavesa few Coppers on the tray, and in mountain j aunts , wherethe trave l ler walks to escape the kago and spare th e cool ies

,these t iny cups of pal e yel low tea are very stimu

l at ing . Each tateba command s some part icu l ar v iew,

and even the p i lgrim who i s t ramping the provinces andl iving on a few cents a day

,wi l l be found ind it i ng poems

to the d ifferen t water-fal l s and gorges h e looks down upon .

The head of th e pass affo rds a magn ificent view of th eval ley two thousand feet below

,and presen t ly the wood

l and path i s fol lowing the border of the l ake and comesout i nto the open o f Chiuz enji vi l l age . Chiuzenji Lake,three m i les wide and e ight m i le s long

,i s surrounded by

steep and th ickly-wooded mountain s,the great Nantaisan

grandly soaring n ine thousand feet above the sea,t aper

ing regul arly as a pyramid and forested to the summ it .Nantaisan i s a sacred mountain

,a temple at i ts foot

,

shrines a l l a long the ascent,and at the top an al tar on

wh ich repentan t murderers offe r up the i r swords . EachAugust come hosts of p i lgrims in wh ite clothes and hugestraw

.

h ats,with p ieces of straw matt ing for rai n-coats

bound across the i r shoulders— devout sou ls,who

,after

purificat ion in the lake,pass under the tor i i

,say a prayer

in the templ e,and painful ly c l imb to the summit . Only

at such fixed seasons may vi s i tors ascend th e mountain,

each one paying twenty cents for th e privi lege of to i l ingup i ts end less fl ight of steps . With these fees the priestskeep the underbrush trimmed and the path wel l c l eared

,

and where the holy guard ian unbars the gate and mot ion s one upward

,begin s the fl ight of stone s ta i rs th at

extend , with few breaks or z igz ags , stra igh t to the top .

The whole way i s st rewn with the cast-off sandal s of theseason , and great heaps of th e waraj i of past years l iehere and there .

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The pi lgrims sleep in Government barracks in the vi llage

,a few coppers securing a mat on the floor and the

use of the common firepl ace . Thei r vow to Nanta isan

be ing accompl ished,they make the hal f -c i rcu i t of the

lake,to vi s i t the h idden shrines and temples of the forest

shores,and then trudge to Yumoto for i ts hot sul phur

bath s and scenery,or home to the i r r ipen ing rice—fie lds .

From across the water Ch iuzenji vi l lage looks a smal l ,yel low patch

,lying between the unbroken green s lope of

Nanta isan and the great lake . I ts five tea-houses r i sestraigh t from the water

’

s edge , each wi th a tripl e row ofouter gal leries overlooking i t . The way o f l i fe at theTsutaya , Idzumiya, Nakamarya , and the rest i s much moreJapanese than in the frequented inns of Nikko . Chairsand tables are conceded to fore igners

,but eve rybody

must sleep on the floor,wash face and hands in the com

mon wash-basi n in the open court, and go about the housestock ing-footed

,or wear the st iff , hee l les s , monkey-sk in

sl ippe rs furn ished by the inn . To cal l a se rvan t one

claps h is palms,and a long - drawn “ Hei announces

th at the rosy-cheeked mountai n maid h as heard,and the

gent le swaying of the house procl aims th at she i s runn ing up the sta i rs . The wash ing of rice

,vegetabl es

,

fish,kitchen utensi l s

,and fam i ly cloth ing goes on from

the s ingl e pl ank of a pier runn ing from the lowest floorof the house . Each inn has a s imi lar p ie r

,where soc i a

bl e maiden s chatte r as they sti r and wash the rice inbamboo baskets . The servants of the houses take thewhole lake for wash - h and basi n and tooth - brush cup

,

and the p ier is a smal l stage , upon wh ich these localcompan ies p lay the i r unstud ied parts .

As the finest country walk i n England is agreed tobe that from S tra tford to Warwick , so is the way fromChiuzenji to Yumoto the finest country walk in Japan

,

for i t s e igh t m i les of infin ite variety . First,the broad

fOOt- path wanders for two mi les along the shores of167

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Lake Chiuzenj1, wh ich , however, appears on ly in gl imp sesof p lacid b lue th rough the dense forest, al l st i l lness, coolness

,and enchan tment . Then it emerges at the head of

the l ake in a grove of p ine-trees she lter ing a rust ic teahouse , wh ich overl ooks the b it of low beach known asthe I r is S trand

,and al l the grand amphi theatre of mount

a ins wal l ing in Chiuz enji . Farther on are Hel l ’s Riverand the Dragon Head cascade

,where a moun tain st ream

sl ides i n many a separate r ibbon down mossy ledges .Thence the foot-path cl imbs to a h igh p l ain covered withtal l grasses and groves of lofty p ines— the famous RedPl ain

,dyed once with the b lood of a conquered army,

and t inged with each autumn ’s frost to the same deephue again . From the border of th i s p l ain r i se sombremountains

,Nantaisan a gian t among th em

,with green

and purp le vei l s of shadows and a crown of floating clouds .

No sign of h abi tat ion o r cu l t ivat ion marks th e h igh p l ain,

wh ich , with i ts lonel iness and its scat tered p ines , i s somuch l ike the val l eys of th e h igh S i erras . Everywhereel se in Japan the country i s wooded and shaded and cu ltivated from water’s edge to mountai n-top ; but in w inter al l the region above N ikko i s deserted

,and deep

snows in the passes shu t i t off from the res t of th e world .

Tea-houses cl ose,th e peop le flee to the val ley for warmth ,

and on ly the coming of spring and th e touris t restores i tagain . Even those w izards

,the Japanese farmers

,do

not attempt to subdue these so l i tudes,whose wi ld beau

ty del igh ts the whol e people .

Beyond th is lonely p l ai n the way cl imbs seven hundred feet along the face of a p recip i tous h i l l to th e leve lof Yumoto Lake

,wh ich there narrows to a few feet and

s l ips down the rocks,a mass of foam ,

spray,and steam .

The lake— smal l,uneven

,wal led by perpend icul ar mount

ain-slopes and forests— is a st i l l m i rror of these superbheights, one of wh ich , Sh i rane-san ,

i s a s lumbering volcano . Vaporous sulphur springs bubb le th rough the hot

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and inviol ateness of the bath -room . I n a h igh - cl assJapanese house

,or at the best tea-houses

,th i s i s an

exquis i te ly art ist ic nook,w i th cement wal l s and floors

,

in l aid wi th fan tast ic stones and b its of porce l a in . Theoval tubs are of pine

,bound with w ithes

,and Wh i te with

scouring. The doors are general ly sl id ing pape r screenswithout locks, and th e wooden wal l , or door, i f there beone , is fu l l of fantast ic ho les and t iny w indows w ith nocurtai n . O ften the bath-house i s a detached pavi l ion

,

to wh ich you are expected to walk in a special bathgown

,or ukata

,meeting

,on the way

,household and

guests,who are always ready for a fri end ly chat . Eu

r opeans can h ard ly make a Japanese servant understand that in the ir order of arrangements

,the bath and

the bath -room are for the use of One person at a t ime .

The Jap anese wooden tub i s vast ly better than the z inccofli n s and marb l e sarcoph agi in wh ich we bathe . Thewood keeps th e water hotter and is pl easante r to thetouch . On e kind of tub h as a t iny stove with a longp ipe in on e end

,and with a mere handful of charcoal

such a tub i s fi l l ed with boi l i ng water i n the briefestt ime . Many bathers h ave lost thei r l ives by the carbonicac id gas sen t off by th is ingen ious contrivance . A Japanese hot bath i s on ly a poin t or two from boi l ing. Then at ives bear th is temperature w ithout winc ing

,and

O

W i l ls tep from th i s scalding caldron out - of - doors

,smok ing

along the h ighway on a frosty day,l ike the m an whom

D r . Gr iffis describes . Our grave and statuesque l andlord at Yumoto

,who sat l ike a Buddha beh ind h is low

table and held court wi th h i s m in ion s,once appeared to

u s st al king home in the starl igh t wi th al l h i s c lothes onh is arm . His stride was as stagey and majest ic as ever,there be ing no reason

,in h is consc iousness

,why he

should l ay off h is d ign ity with h i s garments,they r ep r e

sent ing to h im'

the temporary and accidental,not the

real enve lope of the pompous o ld sou l .170

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closer to earth,Yumoto streets resound with the wai l ing

wh istl e of th e b l ind Shampooer, or amah . These amahare found everywhere— in the largest c iti es and in th esmal lest mountain vi l l ages— and

,whether men o r women

,

are never young,or even m iddle-aged . Theirs i s an in

defini te,unsci ent ific system of massage

,and thei r ma

n ipulations often leave the ir ch arges wi th more l ame andach ing muscles th an before . But the amah are an in st itution of th e country, and Yumoto streets would ringwith the ir dreary music

,and our screens would be s l ipped

as ide by many an i l l-favored crone , as soon as i t wast ime for the usual even ing bath s to be p repared at thetea-houses .

Upon another vi s i t to N ikko and Ch iuz enji in l ateO ctober there was a more Sp lend id autumnal pageantth an the most gorgeous h i l l -S ides of America had everShown me . Frost had done i t s most wonderfu l work

,

and th e ai r was exh i l arat ing to in tox icat ion . The clearand bri l l i an t weather moved the coo l ies to fri sk

,play

,

and ch an t l ike ch i ldren— even that d ign ified l i ttl e man,

I to,rel axing h i s gravi ty to fro l i c l ike a boy , and to pry

bowlders over the edges of precip ices to hear them crashand fal l far below . Chiuzenji looked a vast, flawlesssapph ire

,and Nantaisan was a mosaic of r ichest Byzan

t ine co lor ing . K egon-no-taki

,the fal l of th ree h undred

feet by wh ich the waters of Ch iuz enji drop to the val leyin the i r race to the Da iyagawa , seemed a col umn of snowin i ts l i tt l e amphi theatre hung with autumn vines andbranches . But we dared not remain , for already Yumoto was closed and boarded up for the season

,and on

any day the fi rst of th e b lockad ing snows of wintermight Shut the door of th e on e tea-house l eft open atChiuzenji, and end the trave l from th e Ashiwo Copperm i nes .

T/i e Ascent of Fuj zy ama

CHAPTER XV II

THE ASCE NT OF FUJ IYAMA

IT was i n the th i rd week of July th at we made ourlong-talked-of ascen t of Fuj iyama. There were n ine ofus

,al l to ld

,four stalwart men , three val ian t women , and

two incomparabl e Japanese boys , o r valets . For fortym i le s we steamed down the old l ine of the Tokaido ,

‘

drawing nearer to th e sea in its deep indentat ion of

Odawara Bay, and to the bl ue bar of the Hakone rangethat fronts the ocean . At Kodzu we took wagonettesand ratt l ed over the pl ain and up a val ley along the Tokaido

,ch i ldren being snatched from under the hee l s of

the horses,and cool ies

,with po les and baskets over the i r

shou lders,gett ing entangled with the wheel s a l l the way .

A Japanese drive r i s a most reckl ess Jehu,and th e

change to j inriki shas,after the wi ld ten-mi le charge up

the val ley,was be atific . Ascend ing a n arrow canon , and

round ing curve after curv e,we saw at last the many

l ights of M iyanosh ita twink l ing against the sky .

Miyanosh ita, the great summer resort, is the del ightal ike of Japanese and foreigner. I t has excel l ent hote l skept in western fash ion

,clear mountai n a i r

,minera l

springs and beautiful scenery,and i t i s the ve ry cen t re

of a most inte rest ing region . Al l the year round its hote l s are wel l patron ized , th e m idwinter cl imate be ing aspec ific fo r the mal aria l poi son of the ports of southernCh ina . Famous , too , i s the wooden -ware of M iyanosh ita, where every house is a shop for the sal e of Japanese games , household u tens i l s , toys and tr ifles , al l madeo f the beaut ifu l ly-grained nati ve wo ods , pol i shed on a

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whee l wi th vegetabl e wax . Exqu is ite mosa ics of a hund red broken pattern s amaze one with the i r n icety of

finish and cheapness,and no one escapes from the vi l

l age without buying .

Guides and cool i es h ad been engaged for us at M iyanosh ita, and at s ix o

’clock, on the morn ing after ou r arri

val,th e th ree kagos of the l ad ie s were carr ied out

,and

th e four caval iers,the two boys

,and S ix baggage coo l ies

fo l lowed . The broad path z igzagged upward to th enarrow

,knife - edge ride of the mountain range known

as the O Tomi Toge pass . From its summi t we lookedback along the ch eckered green val ley to Miyanoshi taand Hakone Lake

,with the Emperor ’s i s l and palace .

Looking forward across a checkered plain,we saw Fuj i

yama r ise straigh t before us,i ts obst inate head st i l l

h idden in cl ouds . Dropp ing quickly to th e level of thep lain

,we reached Gotemba

,and

,changing to j inr ikishas,

were whi rled away to Subash iri, six mi les d istan t .

Trains of descend ing pi lgrims and farmers,perched

h igh on th e backs of pack-horses,smi led cheerfu l ly at

the process ion of fore igners bound for Fuj i,and at each

rest - house on the way women and ch i ldren,petr ified

w i th aston i shment,stood staring at us . Black C inders

and blocks of l ava announced the nearness of th e vol

cano,and th e road became an i nky tra i l of coal-dust

th rough green fields . Banks of sco r ix, l ike the heaps ofcoal-dust around col l ieries

,cropped out by the road- s ide

,

and the wheel s ground noi s i ly through the loose,coarse

S lag . The whole of Subash iri,crowd ing the p icturesque

street of a typica l J apanese vi l l age,welcomed us . I n

th e stream of runn ing water,on e i ther S ide of the broad

h ighway danced , wh irl ed , and spouted a l egion of mechan ical toys

,some for the ch i ldren

’

s p leasure,and

others turn i ng the fly—brushes hung over counters of

cakes and sweetmeats . The p lace looks in perpe tualfete

,with the hundreds of p i lgrim flags and towels flut

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c inders cut th r ough _

boot-so les so qu ickly that fore ignerst ie on these waraj i to protect the ir Shoes

,al lowing e igh t

pairs of th e queer galoshes fo r the ascen t and descen tof Fuj i . From Umagayesh i , the path goes up throughwoods and stunted underbrush and on over bare c inder and l ava, pursu ing the even Slope of the mountainw i thou t cl ip or z igzag to break th e steady c l imb . Threesmal l Sh in to temples in the woods inv ite p i lgrims topray

,pay tribute

,and have the ir staff and garments

marked w ith a sacred seal . Beyond these temp l es , tenrest-houses

,or stat ion s, stand at even d istances along

the path,th e first

,o r n umber on e

,at the edge of th e

woods,and the tenth at the summit . Priests and sta

t ion-keepers open the i r season late in June,before the

snow is gone,and close in S eptember . In the midsum

mer weeks the whol e mountain-S ide i s mus ical wi th thet inkl ing bel l s and staffs of l ines of wh ite—cl ad p i lgrims .Notwi th stand ing thei r p icturesqueness

,th ese devotees

are obj ect ionab le compan ions,as they fi l l tea-houses

and mountai n stat ion s,devou r everyth ing eatabl e

,l ike

swarms of locusts,and bear about with them certai n

smal ler p i lgrims that make l ife a burden to h im who follows after . Nearly th i r ty thou sand p i lgrims annual lyascend Fujiyama . These p ious palmers are ch iefly fromthe agricu l tural c l ass

,and they form mutual p i lgr image

associ at ion s,paying smal l an nual dues

,from the sum of

which each member in turn h as h is expenses defrayed .

They trave l in groups,each man furn ished w ith h i s b i t

of st raw matt ing for bed,rain -coat

,or Shel ter . They

carry,al so

,cotton towels marked with the crest of the i r

p i lgrim soc iety,to be hung

,after usi ng

,at temple water

tanks,or as ad vert isements of th ei r presence at the tea

houses wh ich they patron ize . At each new shrine theyvis i t the priests stamp the i r wh ite c loth ing with the redsea l of th e temp le .

Fuj iyama is i nvested w ith legends, wh ich these p i l !178

TIze Ascent of Fujiy ama

gn'

ms unquest ion ingly accept . I t i s said to have ri senup in a single n igh t two thousand years ago , when agreat depression appeared to the southward

,wh ich the

waters of Lake Biwa immed iately fi l led . For a thousandyears pi lgrims have to i led up the weary path to pray atthe h ighest shri ne and to suppl icate the sun at dawn .

Fuj i-san ,the goddess of th e moun ta in

,hated

,i t i s said

,

her own sex, and stor ies of devi l s , who sei ze women andfly off in to the air wi th them , sti l l deter al l but the mostemancipated Japanese women from making the ascen t .I t was after Fuj i-san had quarre l led with al l the othergods that she se t up th is lofty mountai n of her own

,

where she might l i ve alone and in peace . No horse ’sfoot i s al lowed to fal l on the steep approaches to h erc loudy throne , and even the sand and cinders are so

sacred,that whatever dust is carried down on the p i l

grims’ feet by day i s mi racu lously returned by n ight .Even to dream of th e peerless mounta in i s a promi se ofgood-fortun e

,and Fuj i

,with the ci rc l i ng storks and the

ascend ing dragon , symbol izes success in l i fe and tr iumph over obstacles .

Unti l the year 1500, Fuj1 wore a perpetual smokewreath

,and every century saw a great eruption . The

l ast,in 1707, cont inued for a month , and threw out the

loose c inders,ash es

,and l umps of baked red cl ay that

st i l l cover the mountain . Ash es were carried fifty m i les,

damming a river'

in the i r p ath,covering the pla in at i ts

base s ix fee t deep with c inders , and forming an excr es

cence on the north s ide , wh ich st i l l mars the perfectsymmetry of the cone .

Umagaye shi, or Tu rn Back Horse , i s four thousandfeet above the sea , and the other e igh t thousand feetare surmounted in a d istance of fi fteen mi l es . We des i red to reach S tat ion Eight by four o’c l ock ; ei ther toSleep there unt i l th ree o ’clock the next morn ing

,or to

push on to th e tenth and last stat ion , rest there , and see

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bis/za D ay s in 7apa n

the sun ri se , from th e door-way of th at summi t resthouse . Our two Colorado mountaineers h ad faced theS lope l ike Ch amois

,and were leap ing the rocks wal l ing

the first stat ion,before the female cont ingen t h ad left

the tori i . O f the fifteen cool ies accompanying uS , th reewere assigned to each woman , with orders to take her tothe top if they had to carry her p ickaback . After an

estab l i shed Fuj i fash ion , on e cool ie wen t fi rst w ith arope fastened around the cl imber’s waist

,wh i le another

pushed her forward . Aided st i l l further by tal l bamboostaff s

,we were l i teral ly h aul ed and boosted up the

mountain,with on ly the personal respons ib i l i ty of l i ft

ing our feet out of the ashes .For the first three or four m i les , th e path led through

a dense,green bower, carpeted with vines, and starred

w i th wi ld flowers and great patche s of wi ld strawberr i es .S cal ing moss-covered log steps , we passed through temp les w ith go/zez

'

,or prayer papers

,hanging from the gates

and doors,and bare Sh in to al tars with in . At one shrine

,

th e sound of our approach ing footsteps was the S ignalfor bl asts from a conch-shel l horn and thumps on thehanging drum

,and th e priests , in the i r purple and wh i te

gowns and bl ack pasteboard h ats, gave us a cheerfu lwelcome

,and many cups of hot barley-tea . At our r e

quest,they stamped ou r cloth i ng with b ig red ch arac

ters,th e sacred sea l or crest of th at holy stat ion

,and

sold us the regul at ion pi lgrim ’s st aff , branded with thetemple mark . The o ld priest

,to dazz l e us with h is ac

qu i r ements, and to Show h i s fam i l i ar ity . with fore igncustoms

,gl ibly pl aced the price of th e alpenstock at

“Sen tents .

”

The forest ended as suddenly as if one had steppedfrom a door-way

,and a S lop ing dump of bare l ava and

c inders stretched upward endlessly ; the whole cone vi sible

,touched with scudd ing bi ts of th in wh i te clouds .

Every d ike and seam of l ava between the forest edge180

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n r ziéz'

sba D ay s i n yap a n

straigh t upward . A seam of hard l ava soon gave ussecure foothold

,but presen tly became a net-work of t iny

cascades . My cheerfu l l i t t le cool i e,in h i s saturated cot

ton su i t, tri ed to en courage me , and pass ing the ropearound a horn of l ava at one breath ing-stop , poi nted up

ward,and assured me that there was clear sunsh ine

above . Glancing along the slop ing lava-track,we saw a

foam ing crest of water descend ing from those sunny up~

l ands,and h ad barely t ime to cross i ts path before the

roaring stream came on and cut off retreat .After two hours of hard cl imb ing in the b l inding rain

and driving wind,we reached the She l ter of S tat ion Num

ber Eigh t,ch i l led and exhausted . Th is hut

,a log-cab in

faced w ith huge l ava blocks,i t s low roof hel d down by

many bowlders,and i ts wal l s five feet in th ickness

,con

s i sts of one room about twelve by th irty feet in S ize.Two doors looked Sheer down the precip i tous mountainslope

,and a deep w indow

,l i ke th at of a fortress

,was set

in th e end wal l . The square firep l ace,sunken in the

floor,h ad its b ig copper kett l e swinging from a crane

,

and the usual stone frame for the ri ce-kett l e . When thedoors were barred and braced w ith p l anks again st th efury of the storm

,the smoke

,un abl e to escape

,nearly

bl inded us . Our dripp ing garments and the cool ie s’

wet cotton c lothes were hung to dry on the rafters overth e firepl ace

,where they s lowly dripped . The master

of Number Eight had opened h i s rest-house on ly fivedays before

,and with h is young son and two servants

found h imself cal led on to provide for us wi th ou r reti nue of Seven teen servan ts

,fo r four young cadets from

th e n aval co l lege in Tokio,storm - bound on the ir way

down the mountain,and a dozen p i lgrims— forty - two

peopl e in al l .Warmed

,and comforted w ith a stray sandwich , we

were gl ad enough to go to bed . Each of us receivedtwo futons

,one of wh ich made the mattress and the

1 82

Tbe Descent of Fujzyama

other the covering,wh i le basket-l id s served for pi l lows .

The floor was cold as wel l as har d , and the rows of cotton towels

‘

hung on the wal l s by preced ing pi lgrims flutte r ed in the draughts from the howl ing b lasts that Shookthe so l id l itt l e h ut . The shri ek and roar and mad rushesof wind were terri fying

,and we were by no means cer

ta in that the l i ttl e s tone box would hold together unt i lmorn ing. One h anging-lamp Shed a fan tast ic l igh t onthe rows of heads unde r the blue futon s, and the st i l ln ess of the S even S l eepers present ly befe l l the lone lyShe l ter.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE DESCENT OF FUJ IYAMA

FROM Saturday unt i l Tuesday, th ree end less days andas many n igh ts, the wh irl ing storm kept us pri son ers inth e dark

,smoke-filled rest-house . What h ad been the

amus ing inc iden ts of one stormy n igh t became our intolerable rout ine of l i fe . Escape was imposs ib le , evenfor the hardy moun taineers and pi lgr ims at the otherend of the hut

,and to unbar th e door for a momentary

out look threatened the demo l i t ion of th e shel ter. Atempest at sea was not more awfu l in its fury , but ourears became final ly accustomed to the roar and h i ss ofthe w ind

,and th e persi stent blows i t dea l t the structure .

The grave problem of provis ion ing the p lace i n t imeconfronted us, and after ou r one day

’s luncheon wasexh austed , i t became a quest ion how long the maste rof the stat ion cou ld provide even fish and r ice for fortypeopl e .

The two boys, or va lets , b rough t by the i r sybari temas ters

,like al l J apanese servants out of the ir grooves,

183

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bz'

sba Day s in yapan

were utterly he lpless,and l ay sup ine i n their corners

,

covered,head and al l

,with futon s . The al ti tude, th e co ld,

o r the d i l emma paralyzed the ir usual ly n imb le facu l ties,and ou r cool ies were far more useful . We cou l d not

stand upright under the heavy beams of th e roof, and as

the floor p l anks h ad been taken up here and there tobrace the doors with

,walking was d ifficu l t in that dark

abode . Whi le we grew impatien t in ou r cage,th e four

l i t t le n aval cadets sat,o r lay, quiet ly in thei r futons , hour

after hour,talk ing as cheerfu l ly as if th e sun were sh in

ing, thei r prospects hopeful , and the ir summer su it s ofwh ite duck designed for the Eighth S tat ion ’s phenomenal c l imate . Th roughout our i ncarcerat ion th e coo l iesdozed and waked under the i r futons

,S i tt ing up only long

enough to eat,or play some ch i ld i sh game, and dropping

back to reckon how much per d iem would accrue toth em without an equ ival en t of work . When we foundthat th e smoky fi rep l ace off ered some warmth

,we sat

around th e sunken box with our feet in th e ashes andh andkerch iefs to our eyes to keep out the b l ind ing smoke .

In that i n t imate ci rc le we learned the cook’s secrets,

and watch ed h im sh aving o ff h is b i l lets of dried fi sh witha pl an e

,stewing them with mush rooms and season ing

with soy and saké . Th is compound we found so goodth at our flattered l andlord brought out hot saké and ins i sted on an exchange of heal th s. We not iced that inthe m idst of th i s hosp i tal i ty he went and made some offet ing or other at h is l i t t l e household al t ar and , writ ingsometh ing in a book

,re turn ed more ben ign and friendly

than ever. The preparat ion of red bean and barley soups ,two sweetened messes that on ly a Japanese could eat,and the bo i l ing of r ice seemed never to stop . Twice aday th e b ig copper caldron was set on i ts ston e frameh alf ful l of bo i l i ng water . When it bubbled most furiously over a brushwood fi re

,a basketfu l of fresh ly washed

and soaked r i ce was poured in . I n a half-hour the cali 34

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7'

inr ibis/za D ay s in yap an

cab in,with one smal l door and a ten - i nch firep l ace

where sake was warm ing for us .Hardly h ad we arr ived when the wind rose, the clouds

Shut down,and again the rain drove in dense and whirl

ing Sheets . The adventurous ones,who h ad pushed on

to the edge of the crate r to look in , were ob l iged tocreep back to safety on the ir h ands and knees

,for fear

o f being swept over i n to th at cauldron of boi l i ng cloudsand mist . I t was no t ime to make the c i rcu i t of the crater’s r im with its many Shrines , or descend the path-way

,

guarded by tori i,to th e crater’s bed . We hurr ied through

the formal i t ies at the temp le,where the benumbed priest

branded the alpenstocks,stamped our handkerch iefs

and c lothing,and gave

‘

us p ictured cert ificates of our

ascent to th at poin t . Then began a wi ld S l id ing andplunging down a Shoot of loose cinders to S tat ion Number Eight

,where the l andlord produced a book and read

ou r three-days’ board b i l l from a record of many pages .Everyth ing was chanted out by i tems

,even to the saké

and mushrooms th at h ad been pressed upon us as acourtesy

,and it was on ly after many appeal s for the sum

tota l that he inst inct ively ducked h i s h ead and namedfifty

-e igh t dol lars for th e seven of us . Then en sued adeaf en ing attack of remonstrances from men and valets

,

threats and invect ives i n Japanese and Engl ish , l ast ingunt i l the inn-keeping Shylock agreed to take th irty doll ars, rece ived th i s moiety cheerfu l ly, and bade us adieuwith many protestat ions of esteem .

Rubber and gossamer ra i n - c loaks were worse th anuseless in th at wh irlw ind

,and haste was our one nece s

s ity . D ress Sk irts were sodden and leaden masses,and

m ine be ing hung as an off ering to Fuj i-san , a red Navajobl anke t replaced i t

,and enve loped me completely. A

yel low - cl ad cool ie secure ly fastened h is rope,and we

S l ipped , and pl unged , and ro l led down a shoot of loosec inders . S ink ing ank le—deep

,we trave l led as i f on run

186

Tbe D escent of Fujiy ama

ners through the wet ashes,sl id ing down in m inutes

st retches that it h ad taken us as many hours to ascend,

and stopp ing only at one or two rest-houses for cups ofhot tea

,wh i l e we staggered and stumbled on through

rain that came ever harder and faste r.At Umagayesh i, where the dripping party waited for

more tea,the sun came gayly out and seemed to laugh

at our pl igh t . The sudden warmth , the greenhouse steamand softness, were most gratefu l to u s afte r our hardsh ips i n the clouds . At Subash ir i we put on the fewdry garments we h ad been fortunate enough to leave beh ind us . The tea-house w indows framed vignettes of

Fuj i,

'

a clear blue and purple cone in a rad i an t,cloud

dappled sky . With the p rospect of a hot day to fol low,

i t was decided to push on to M iyanosh i ta,t ravel l ing al l

n ight,the kagos be ing as comfortable as the flea- in fested

tea-house,and the men of our party be ing obl iged to

walk on unti l they reach ed dry boots and clothes .Though th e cool ies grumbled , stormed , and appealed ,they had enjoyed three days of absol ute rest and fu l lpay at Number Eigh t

,and the walk of forty-five miles

,

from the summit to Miyanosh i ta,is not an unusual j aun t

for them to make .

At Gotemba’s tea-house we found our compan ions inmisfortune— th e l itt l e m idsh ipmen— whom we jo ined infeas t ing on what the house cou ld offer . The old womenin attendance

,yel low and wrink led as th e crones of ivory

netsukes,were vastly in terested in our Fuj i experiences

and d i lap idated costumes,and gave us rice , fi sh , sponge

cake , tea, and saké . At midn ight we roused the cool iesfrom the i r five-hour rest, and prepared for the fifteen -mi lej ourney over O Tom i Toge pass . The l i tt l e midsh ipmensl id th e screens and beck oned us up to the l i l iput ian balcony again .

“ I t i s the n igh t Fuj i,

” sa id one of them ,

softly, point ing to the dark viole t cone , striped withit s ghostly snow

,and i l l uminated by a sh runken ye l

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yin r z'

bi sba D ay s i n japan

low moon that hung fantast ic above 0 Tomi Toge’swal l .With our commander-in -ch ief perched h igh on a pack

horse,whose chair-l ike sadd le l eft h is r ider’s heel s rest

i ng on the neck of th e an imal , and the kago cool ie sS l ipping and floundering through the bottomless mud o f

the roads,we once more started on our way. The whol e

country was dark,s i l ent

,and deserted

,and the on ly au

d ible sound was the ch atter of our army of cool ies, whoch irped and frol icked l ike boys out of school . The n ightai r over the rice-fie lds was warm and heavy

,and seemed

to suffocate us,and fi r e-fl ies d rifted in and out among

th e rushes and bamboos . Deep,roaring streams fi l l ed

the ch anne l s that h ad been mere s i lver th reads of wa

te r a few days before . The cool ies could barely keepthei r footing as th ey waded waist-deep in th e rushing water

,and at every ford we half expected to be

drowned .

At th e summit of the pass we dismounted,and the

cool ies scattered for a long rest . The sacred moun tainwas clear and exqu is ite in th e pal e gray of dawn ; andwh il e we watied to see the sun r i se on Fuj i

,a d irty

brown fog scudded in from the sea,crossed th e h igh

moon,and i n stan tly the p l ai n faded from view and we

were left,i so lated Brocken figures

,to eat our four-o’clock

b reakfast of dry bread and choco late,and return to the

kagos . Everywhere we encoun tered traces of a h eavystorm

,the p ath being gul l i ed and washed in to a deep

d itch with h igh banks,whose heavy- topped

,wh ite l i l ies

brushed in to the kagos as we passed . Half asleep,we

watched the green panorama u nfo ld ing as we descended,

and at e igh t o’clock we were set down in Miyanosh ita .

Nesans r an h ither and th ither excited ly,to b ring coffee

and toast,to prepare bath s

,produce th e luggage we had

l eft beh ind , and mi ldly rehearse to the other domesti csthe aston ish ing story of ou r adven tures . By noon

,when

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yin r ibi sba D ay s in yapan

de layed the open ing of the whol e l i ne unti l 1 8 89 . Beforethe iron horse had cleared al l p icturesqueness from theregion three of us made the j in r iki sh a j ourney down theTokaido .

The Tokaido h aving been the great post-road andh ighway of the empire for cen tur ies

,with daim ios and

their trains cons tant ly travel l i ng between th e two cap ital s

,i t s vi l l ages and towns were most important

,and each

suppl ied accommodat ions for every c l ass of trave l lers .Al l the world knew the n ames of the fifty-three post stat ion s on th e route, and there i s a common game , wh ichconsists - ia qu ick ly repeat ing th em in thei r order backward or forward . As the rai l ro ad touched or l eft them

,

some of the towns grew,others dwind led

,and new pl aces

sprang up . Each vi l l age used to have its one Speci al occupation ,

and to r ide down the Toka ido was to behold insuccess ion the various i ndustries of the emp ire . I n one

pl ace on ly s i l k cords were made,i n another the fine ly

woven straw coverings of sake cups and l acquer bowls ;a th i rd produced basket—work of wist ar i a fibres, and afourth shaped ink-stones for writ ing-boxes . I ncreasedt rade and steam commun icat ion have in terfered wi ththese local monopol ies

,and one town i s fast becoming

l ike another in i t s i ndustri al d ispl ays .May is on e of the best months for such overl and tr ip s

in Japan,as the weather i s perfect

,pi lgrims and fleas

are not yet on the road,and the rainy season is d is tant .

The whole country i s l ike a garden,with its fresh spr ing

crops, and the long, Shaded avenue of trees is everywh eretouched with flam ing azaleas and banks of snowy b l ackberry blossoms . The tea-house and the tateba everywhere invi te one to rest and watch the un ique p r ocess ion s of the h ighway

,and away from fore ign sett lements

much of the o l d J apan i s l eft . Tea is everywhere in evidence in May. I t i s be ing p icked in the fields

,carted

along th e roads,so ld

,sorted , and packed in every town ,

190

TIre Toba ido

wh i le charmi ng nesans with trays of t iny cups fairly l inethe road .

From M iyanoshita’

s comfortable hote l the two fore ignwomen and the Japanese gu ide started on the fi rst stageof the Tokaido trip in pole-ch ai rs , carried by four cool ieseach . The a

’

anna son,or maste r of the party

,scorn ing

such eff eminate devices, strode ahead with an alpenstock

,a pith he lmet

,and russet shoes

,wh i le the provi

s ion-box and general luggage,

fi l l i ng a kago,fol l owed

afte r us . We were soon up the h i l l in a bamboo-sh adedlane

,and then out over the grassy upl ands to th e l ake of

Hakone . The s inging cool ies strode along, keep ing evenstep on the breath less ascents

,past the sulphur baths of

Ash inoyu and to the Hakone Buddh a— a giant bass-re l ie fof Amid a scu lptured on the face of a wal l of rock

'

n ichedamong the h i l l s . The lonely Buddha occupies a fi t p l acefor a contemplat ive de ity— summer suns scorch ing and

win ter snows drift ing over the stony face unh indered . Aheap of pebbles in Buddha’s lap is the register of p i lgr ims’ prayers .At H akone vil lage

,a s ingl e street of th atched houses

bordering the shore of Hakone l ake,the narrow foot

path over the h i l l s j o ins th e true Tokaido,a stone -paved

h ighway shaded by doub l e rows of ancien t trees,a for

est ai s l e recal l i ng, fo r a b rief journey,th e avenue to

Nikko . The Ch rysanthemum-crested gates of the Em

pe ror’

s i s land palace were fast shut,and Fuj i ’s cone

peeped over the Shoulders of enci rcl ing moun tain s , andreflected its image in th e almost bottomless l ake— an an

cient crater,whose fi res are forever ext ingu ished . Here

we t ied straw sandal s over our shoes and tr ied to walkalong the smooth flat stones of the Tokaido ,

but soonsubmi tted to be carried again up the ascent to Hakonepass , wh ich looks southward over a broad val ley to theocean . Pack-horses , with the i r cl umsy feet t ied in strawshoes

,were l ed by bl ue-bloused peasants

,the i r heads

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yin r ibi sba D ay s in 7apa n

wrapped in the inevi tabl e b lue- and-wh ite cotton towel,

along the stony road,that h as been worn smooth and

s l ippery by the straw-covered feet of generat ions of menand horses .

From the Fuji no ta z'

r a (terrace for viewing Fuj i), i nthe vi l lage of Yamanaka, we looked sheer down to thep la in of M ish ima and saw

,almost beneath us

,the town

that wou ld mark the end of our day’s j ou rney. The vi ll ages of Sasaba r a and M itsuya have each a singl e rowo f houses on e i ther s ide of the road repl aci ng the Shadetrees of the Toka ido

,and

,l ike al l Japanese v i l l ages , they

overflow with ch i ldren,to whom [jz

’

n san,th e foreigner

,

is st i l l a m arve l .Mish ima i s a busy

,prosperou s l i tt l e town

,with a gay

main street and shops overflowing with straw hats , baskets

,matti ng

,rain -coats

,umbrel las

,touri s t and p i lgr im

necess i t ies . Shops for the sale of fore ign goods are nume r ous

,and bes ides the fami l i ar cases of “ Devoe

’

s

Bri l l i an t O il for Japan,150

° test,

” American t rade i sadvert ised by p ictures of the Waterbury watch , and longh anging s igns decl ari ng the meri ts of the Americant ime-keepers sold at th ree y en apiece . Even th e ch iefof the j inrikisha men

,who came to make th e bargai n

for wheel ing us down the Tokaido,pul led out such a

watch to te l l us the t ime of day .

Mish ima’s best tea-house,wheredaim ios rested in the

o lden t ime,i s a most perfect Specimen of J apanese

arch itecture,fu l l of darkly-Sh in ing woods

,fantast ic w in

dows, and t iny courts . In one of our rooms the tokonoma held a kakemono

,with a poem wri t ten on i t i n

giant characters,and th ree tal l p ink peon ies springing

from an exqu i s ite bronze vase . I n another, smi led awooden image of old Hokor okojin ,

one of the householdgods of l uck

,and on a low l acquer t ab le rested a l arge

l acquer box contai n ing a rol l of writ ing-paper, the inkbox

, and brushes . These,with the soft mats

,a few s i lk

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yin r z’

bisba Day s in 7am}:

four i nches h igh . R ice i s bo i led in quan titi es largeenough to last for one , or even two days . I t i s heatedover when wan ted

,or hot tea i s poured over th e col d

rice after i t i s served . Our gu ide cooked al l our food,

l aid our h igh tab le w ith i ts proper furn ish ings , and wasassi sted by the nesans in carrying th ings up and downthe Stai rs . In a smal l room Opening from the offi ce twogirl s were sort ing the landlord ’s new tea j ust brough t infrom the country. They sat before a l arge tabl e rai sedonly a few inches from the floor

,and

,from a heap of th e

fragrant leaves at on e end,scattered l i ttle h andful s th in ly

over the l acquer top . With the i r deft fingers they sl idto one S ide the smal lest and finest leaves from the tipsof the n ew shoots of the p l ant

,and to the other S ide the

l arger and coarser growth,doing i t a l l so quickly and

sure ly that i t was a p leasure to watch them . I n anothercorner of the ofli ce two other l i tt l e maids were putt ingcl ean cases on al l th e p i l lows of th e house . The Japanese p i l low i s a wooden box, with a l i tt l e padded ro l l ontop

,which i s covered with a fresh b i t of soft

,white mul

berry-paper each day . The bath room was as access ib leas the k itchen

,without a door

,but w ith gl ass screens

,

and one l arge tank in wh ich three o r four cou ld sociablyd ip together . Here were Sp lash ing and talking unt i lm idn igh t

,and steam issued forth cont i nu al ly

,as guests

and the household staff took the i r turn . The landlordrequested the mascul in e h ead of ou r party to use a Spe

cia l tub th at stood in an al cove of the ofli ce , a fo ld ingScreen about three feet h igh being set up to conceal h imfrom th e popu lous prec incts of offi ce

,corridor , garden ,

and main street . A too vigorous sweep of h is stalwartarm , however, knocked down h is defence , and d ropp ingto h is ch i n in the water

,he cal l ed for help ; whereupon

the two maids,who were sort ing tea

,ran over and set the

barr ier up again , as n atural ly as a foreign servant wouldp lace the fi r e-screen before a grate.

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o

In old Toka ido days the home bath-tub was often setbes ide the door - step

,that bathers m ight lose noth ing

that was going on . Government regu l at ion s and sternpol icemen have interfered with th i s prim it ive innocency

,

except in the most remote d istricts,and th ese O rien ta l

Arcad ian s are obl iged to wear certain prescr ibed figl eaves

,al though they curta il them as much as poss ibl e

in warm weather, and d ispense wi th them when beatingoutwheat ears in the i r own farm-yards

,and tread ing the

rice - mil l in - doors . Privacy is unknown to the lowerc lasses , and in warm weather their whole l ife is l ived out

of-doors . With the ir open-fronted houses,they are h ard

ly in-doors even when under the i r own roofs . O n pleas

ant morn ings women wash and cook,mend

,sp in

,reel

,

and set up the threads fo r the loom on the open roads ide , and often bring the clumsy wooden loom out-of

doors,th rowing the bobbins back and forth

,wh i le keep

ing an eye on the i r ne ighbors’ doings and the travel l ingpubl i c . O ne run s past mi les of such groups along theToka ido

,a nd the h uman interest is never want ing in any

landscape p ictu re .

From M ish ima southward the country i s most beautiful

,Fuj iyama s tanding at the end of the broad val ley

with the spurs of i ts foot-h i l l s runn ing down to the sea .

This Yosh iwara p lain is one wide wheat-fie ld,golden in

May - t ime wi th its fi rst crop,and th e Toka ido ’

s l i nemarked w ith rows of p icturesque pine- trees ris ing fromlow embankments bri l l i ant with b looming bushes . In

the v i l l ages each l i ttl e th atched house i s fenced withbraided reeds

,enclos ing a few peonies

,i ri s beds

,and

inevitab le Chrysanthemum plants . The ch i ldren,wi th

smal ler ch i ld ren on the i r backs,ch ase

,tumble

,and pl ay

,

cage fir e-fl ies , and braid cyl inders and hexagonal puzz le sof wheat straws and in sun sh ine or in rain , i nd iff eren tlyst rol l along the road in the aimless

,unce rt a in way of

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yin r ibisba D ay s in yapan

Beyond the poor, unfragrant town of Yosh iwara,a

creaking,springing bridge leaped the torrent of a r iver

fed by Fuj i ’s snows and clouds . I n the good old days,

when the travel l er sat on a smal l square pl atform,car

r ied h igh above the Shou lders of four men,to be ferr ied

over,these bearers often stopped in the most dangerous

pl ace to extort more pay— which was never refused .

Above the river b ank the road cl imbs a ridge,traverses

the t in iest of r ice val l eys , and then fo l lows the oceancl i ff s for hours . Th is Corn iche road , overh anging thesea , presents a success ion of pictures framed by thearch ing branches of anc ient p i ne-trees , and the long Pacific rol lers , pound ing on the beach and rocks

,fi l l the

ai r with the ir loud song. At sunset we came to the o ldmonastery of K iom i ide r a, h igh on the terraced front ofa bold cl i ff. C l imb ing to a gate -way and bel l towerworthy of a fort ress , we roused the pri ests from the ircalm meditat ion s . An act ive young brother in a wh itegown flew to Show us th e famous garden with its palmtrees and azaleas reflected in a t iny l ake , a smal l waterfal l descending musical ly from th e h igh mountain wal lof fo l iage beh ind i t . S uperbly decorated rooms

,where

Shogun s and daim ios used to rest from the i r j ourneys,

l ook out on th i s green shade . The mai n templ e i s alofty ch amber with stone flooring and gorgeous al tar

,

sh ady,quiet

,and cool

,and a corner of the templ e yard

h as been fi l l ed by pious givers w ith hundreds upon hundreds of stone Buddhas

,encrusted wi th moss and l ichens

,

and pasted bits of paper prayers .All thro ugh those first province s around Fuj i the gar

den fences, made of bamboo , rushes , twigs , or coarsestraw

,are braided

,i n terl aced

,woven and t ied in i ngen

ious devices,the fash ion and pattern of ten changing

complete ly in a few hours’ ride . Th i s region i s the h ap

py hunt i ng-ground o f th e art i st and photographer,where

everyth ing is so beaut iful , so p icturesque, and so art i s196

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bz’

sba Day s in yapan

dark-red l acquer t ray, under whose t ransparen t surfacelay darker sh adows of cherry blossoms . The eye of theconnoisseur was qu ick to descry the tray

,and when the

woman said i t had been bought in the town,we took

j in rik ishas and hurried to the address She gave . The

guide exp la ined minute ly,the Shopkeeper brough t out

a hundred othe r k inds and co lors of lacquer,and ch i l

dren r an in from home workshops wi th hard ly d riedspecimens to Show us . Al l th e afternoon we searchedthrough l acquer and curio Shops

,and final ly despatched

a cool ie to the temple to buy the old woman ’s property.

Hours afte rwards he returned wi th a brand-new , brightred horror, and the message that

“ the m istress cou ld notsend the honorab le fore igner such a poor o ld t ray as that . ”

The fine Sh idzuoka baskets,wh ich are so famed e lse

where,were not to be found in Shidz uoka ; our tea-house

was un interest ing, and so we set forth in the rain,unfurl

i ng b ig fl at umbre l l as of oil-paper, and whirl ing awaythrough a dripp ing l andscape . Rice and wheat a l te rnated with dark -green tea-bushes

,and cart- l oads of tea

chests were bearing the firs t season’s crop to market .The ra in d id not obscure the lovely l andscape

,as th e

p la in we fol lowed turned to a val l ey, the val l ey narrowedto a ravine

,and we began cl imbing upward

,whi l e a

mountai n - torren t raced down bes ide us . One p ictu

r esque l i tt l e v i l l age in a shady hol low gave us gl impsesof S i lk-worm trays in the houses as we went wh irl ingthrough i t. The road

,wind ing by z igzags up Utsono

miya pass,sudden ly en tered a tunne l S ix h undred feet

in length,where the j in rik i sh a wheel s rumbled nois i ly.

On cloudy days th e pl ace i s l igh ted by l amps,but on

sunny days by the sun ’s reflection from two bl ack lacque r boards at the entrances . The device i s an o ld onein J apan

,but an American paten t has recent ly been is

sued for the same th ing,as a cheap mean s of l igh t ing

sh ips’ hold s wh i le h and l ing cargo .

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Tbe Toba ia'o

On the other S ide of Utsonomiya pass th e road windsdown by steep z igzags to the vi l lage of Okabe , notedfor its trays and boxes made of the pol ished brown stemof a coarse fern . We bought our spec imens from an

oracu lar woman,who del ivered her remarks l ike the

l ines of a part, her husband meekly echoing what she saidin the same dramatic tones, and the whole scene be ingas stagey as if i t had been wel l rehearsed beforehand .

From the moun tains the road drops to a rich teacoun t ry

,where every h i l l -s ide is green wi th the th ick-set

l i ttle bushes . At h arvest-t ime cart- l oads of basket-fir ed ,or country - dried

,tea fi l l the road to the ports

,to be

toasted final ly in i ron pans,and coated wi th ind igo and

gypsum to sat i sfy the taste of American tea - drinkers .

I n eve ry town farmers may be seen d icke ri ng with themerchants over the tough paper sacks of tea that theybring in , and with i n the houses groups si tt ing at lowt ables sort the leaves in to grades wi th swift fingers .At Fujiyeda , where we took refuge from the inc r eas

i ng rai n,th e Spl ash ing in the l arge bath-room of the tea

house was kept up from afternoon to m idn ight by theguests

,and con tin ued by the fami ly and te a-house maids

unti l four o ’clock,when the early ri sers began thei r ah

l ut ions . A consumptive priest on the other s ide of ou rth i n paper wal l s h ad a garrulous shampooer about m idn ight and a refect ion later

,and we were glad to resume

the ride between ‘tea fie lds at the earl iest possibl e hour.At Kanaya, at the foot of Kanaya moun tai n , the tea

house adjo ined a school-house . The school-room haddesks and benches but no walls

,th e screens being al l

removed . The teacher ca l led the pupi l s in by c l appingtwo st icks together

,as in a French theatr e . Spying the

fore igners, th e ch i ldren stared , obl iv ious of teacher andblackboard , and the teacher , afte r one good look at th ei tinerants , bowed a courteou s good-morn ing, and let th eOff ende rs go unpun ished .

l 99

yz’

n r ibzsba D ay s in 74154 7:

Up over Kanaya pass we to i led Sl owly, reach ing at l asta l i t tl e eyrie of a tea-house , where the l and lord po intedwith equal pride to the view and to several pai rs of muddyShoes belonging

,he said

,to the honorab le gentlemen

who were about p iercing th e mountain under u s wi th arai lway tunne l . Under a Shady arbor IS a huge

,round

bowlder,fenced in carefu l ly and regarded reveren tly by

humble travel l ers . Accord ing to th e l egend i t used tocry at n igh t l ike a ch i ld unt i l Kobo Daish i

,the i nventor

of the J apanese syl labary,wrote an in scr ipt ion on i t and

quie ted i t forever . No less famous th an Kobo Daishi’

s

rock i s the midzu ame of th i s Kanaya tea-house,and the

dark brown sweet i s put i n dainty l itt le boxes th at arethe souven irs each p i lgrim carr ie s away with him .

Farther along the main road,with i t s arch ing shade

trees,th e glossy dark tea-bushes gave way to square m i les

of r ice and wheat fie lds . Here and there a patch of in

ten se green verdure showed the young blades of r ice almost ready to be transpl anted to the fie lds

,whence the

wheat h ad just been garn ered,th e r ice giving way in turn

to some other cereal,al l farming land in th is fert i le r e

gion bearing th ree annual crops .A few vi l l ages Showed the proj ect ing roofs pecu l i ar to

the province of Totom i , and then the pretty tea-house atH amamatsu qui te en ch an ted u s after our experiencesw ith the poor accommodat ion s of some of th e provincia ltowns . A rough curbed wel l in the court-yard

,with a

queer paraso l of a roof h igh over the sweep,a pretty

garden al l cool,green Shade

,a st ai r-way, steep and h igh ,

and at the top a long,d im corridor

,with a floor of sh i n

i ng,d ark bey oba

’

wood . Th is was the p lace th at madeus wel come ; even stock ing-footed we half feared to treadon those bri l l i an t ly-pol i shed boards . Our balcony overlooked a th ird charming garden

,and each l i tt l e room h ad

a dist inct ive beauty of wooden cei l ings,recesses

,screens

,

and fancifu l w indows .3 00

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yinr ibi sba D ay s in 7apan

waters . The Toka ido rai l road crosses the lake on a h ighembankmen t

,wh ich was sodded and covered wi th a l at

t ice-work of straw bund les , wh i l e seed was sown in th ecrevices more than a year before the road cou ld be used .

The whol e ra i l road,as we saw in pass ing i ts completed

sect ions,is so l idly bui l t w ith stone foundat ion s and stone

bal l ast,and intended to last for centuries . The Japan

e se se ldom hurry the mak ing of pub l ic works,and even

a rai l road does not in spire them with any feveri sh activ

i ty . Not unt i l the l ast de tai l and stat ion-house was finished was the l ine opened for t ravel

,and fo l lowing so

nearly the route of the o ld Toka ido,through the most

ferti l e and picturesque part of Cen tral Japan,i t keeps

always in s ight Fuj iyama o r the ocean .

In the course of the afternoon plan tat ion s of mulherr y

-trees came in S ight . Loads of mulberry branches andtwigs were be ing h auled i n to the vi l l ages and sold byweight

,th e rearers of s i lk-worms buying the leaves and

pape r-makers the stems for the sake of the i n side bark .

C l imb i ng to one h igh pl ateau , we rested at a l itt l e rust icshed of a tea-house

,commanding a superb view down a

great ragged rav ine to the l ine of foam break ing at itsbowl der strewn en trance

,and so on to the l im it le ss

ocean . One of the j in riki sh a coo l ies preceded us to th ebenches on the overhanging balcony

,and

,kindly poin t

ing out the Speci al beaut ies of the scene, took off h i sgarments and Spread them out on th e rai l in th e matterof-fact

,unconscious way of true Japanese innocence and

S impl ic ity of m ind .

The guide-book cal l s the st retch of country beyondthat h igh-perched tea-house a waste region

,

” but nothing could be more beaut iful than the long r ide throughp ine fores t and bel ts of scrub-pine on th at uncul t ivatedp l ateau , always overlook ing the ocean . At one poin ta temp le to the goddess Kwannon is n iched among tower ing rocks at the base of a narrow cl iff, on whose sum

203

Tbe Toba ia’

o

mit a co lossa l statue of the dei ty stands h igh again st th esky. Fo r more th an a century th is bron ze goddess o fMercy has been the obj ect of p ious p i lgrimages, the p i lgrims clapp ing the i r hands and bowing in prayer to al lthe th irty~th r ee Kwannons cu t in th e face of the sol idrock-base on which our l ady of p ity stands .We reached the long

,dul l town of Toyoh ash i at dusk

,

to find th e l arge tea-house crowded with travel l ers . Tworooms looking out upon a sul t r y h igh-wal led garden weregiven us

,and for d in ing-room a t iny alcove of a place on

one of the m iddle courts . Th is room was so smal l andclose that we had to leave the screens open

,though th e

corridor l ed to the l arge bath-room,where hal f a dozen

people spl ashed and chatte red noi s i ly and gentlemenwith the i r clothes on thei r arms went back and forth before our door as if before the l i fe c l ass of an art school .The noise o f the bathers was kept up gayly

,unt i l long

after m idn igh t,and no one in the tea—house seemed to

be sleep ing. By four o ’clock in the morn ing such acough ing

,blowing

,and sputtering began in the court

beside my room that I final ly sl id th e screen s and lookedout . At least a dozen lodgers were brush ing thei r teethin the pictu resque l i tt le quadrangl e of rocks

,bamboos

,

and palms,and bath ing face and hands i n the l arge

stone and bron ze urns that we had supposed to be orn amental on ly. Later

,the grave l was covered with scores

of the wooden st icks of tooth-bru shes , beaten out i nto atasse l of fibres at one end , and with many boxes empt iedof the coarse , gritty tooth-powder wh ich the Japaneseuse so free ly .

The last day of our l ong j i nriki sh a ride was warm,th e

sun gl ared on a wh i te,dusty road

,and the coun try was

flat and un interest ing . Each l i t tl e town and v i l l ageseemed dul l er th an the other. Wheat and rape werebe ing h arvested and spread to d ry

,and in the farm -yards

men and women were hatchel l ing,beat ing out the grain

203

7z’

n r ibisba D ay s in 7apa n

with fla ils,and winnowing i t in th e prim i t ive way by

pouring i t down from a fl at scoop -basket held h igh overhead . Nobody wore any clothes to Speak of

,and the

whol e popu lat ion turned out to watch the amaz ing spectacl e of fore igners standing spe l l-bound unt i l our jin r iki sbas had gone by .

At Arimatsu vi l l age we passed th rough a street ofShops where the curiously dyed cotton goods pecu l i ar tothe p lace are sol d . For several hundred years al l Arim atsu has been tying knots down the l ength s of cotton

,

tw i st ing i t in ske i ns , and wrapping i t regul arly wi th adouble - dyed ind igo thread

,and then

,by immers ion in

bo i l ing water,dye ing the fabric in curiou s l i n es and star

spotted pattern s . A more clumsy and prim i t ive way ofdye ing could not be imagined in th i s d ay of steam- loomsand ro l ler - pr in t ing

,but Ar imatsu keeps i t up and pros

pers .

At sunset we saw the towers of Nagoya cast l e i n th ed istance

,and after crossing the broad pl ain of r ipen ing

rape and wheat, the coo l ies sped through the town at afearfu l pace and deposi ted us , dazed , dusted , an d weary,at the door of th e Sh iur ok indo, to enj oy the beaut ifu lroom s j ust k ind ly vacated by Pr ince Bernard

, of S axeWeimar.The Sh iur ok indo i s one of the h andsomest and largest

of th e tea-houses a fore ign er finds, i t s interior a l abyrinthof rooms and su i te s of rooms

,each w ith a balcony and

pr ivate out look on some pret ty court . The wal l s,th e

screens,recesses

,cei l ings

,and balcony rai l s afford stud

ies and model s of th e best J apanese interior decorat ions .

The sam isen ’s wai l and a cl apping chorus announced th ata great d inner was going on

,and in th e broader corridors

there was a pass ing and repassing of peopl e arrayed inhote l k imonos .As the wise t rave l ler carr i es l i tt le baggage

,th e tea

houses furn ish their cu stomers wi th ukatas, or p l ai n cot204

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yinr zléz’

sba D ay s i n 7apan

twen ty-five cents to cover the expen se of h i s board andlodging. They earned at an average one do l l ar and tencents for each day

,but out of th i s paid the ren t of the

j in riki sh a and th e Government tax . Where two men anda j in r iki sh a cover one hundred and e ighty m i le s in fourdays they rece ive th i rte en dol l ars in al l

,wh ich i s more

th an a farm laborer receives i n a year. AS a rule,th ese

cool ies are great gamblers and spendthrifts,with a fond

ness for saké . Our headman was a model cool ie,sav

ing h i s money, avoid ing the saké’bottle,and regarding

h is Sp l end id muscle as invested cap ital . When he walkedin to co l lect h i s b i l l

,he was clean and sh in ing in a r us

t l ing S i lk kimono,such -as a wel l-to-do merch an t m igh t

wear. I n th i s we l l-dressed,d ist ingu i shed- l ook ing person

,

who sl id the screens of our s i tt ing-room and bowed to u sso graceful ly

,we hard ly recogn i zed our trotter of the

b lue -cotton coat,bare knees

,and mushroom hat . He

explai ned that the other men cou ld not come to thankus for ou r gratu i t ies because they h ad not p roperc lothes . In making h i s final and lowest bows h i s sub

stantial American watch fel l out of h i s s i l k bel t with athump ; but h e rep l aced i t in its ch amois case w ith theassurance th at noth ing hurt i t

,and th at i t was wi th the

noon gun of Nagoya castl e whenever he came to town .

CHAPTER XX I

NAGOYA

IN th i s d ay of French un iforms , Gatl ing -guns,and

foreign tact ics,i t is on ly in Nagoya th at the gar r i son

occup ies th e old castle ; th e fortress , with its gates an dmoats

,remain s unchanged

,and the bugle - cal l s echo

dai ly around the quaint ly - gab led citadel . In the great2%

parade-grounds outs ide the deep inner moat r i se fore ignlook i ng bar racks and offi ces

,and dumpy l i tt l e so ld iers

in wh ite-duck coats and trousers and v isored caps standas sentries on the fixed bridges

,and in the portal s of the

huge,heavy-roofed

,i ron-cl amped gate-ways . O f course

these gu ards should be men in old armor, with spearsand bows

,and the alarms shou ld be given on hoarse

toned gongs o r conch - Shel l bugles,as in feudal days .

I nstead,the commandant of Nagoya has on h i s staff

young nobles of old feuda l fam il i es,who speak French ,

German,or Engl i sh

,as they have been taught in fore ign

m il itary schoo ls . A dapper l i tt le l i eutenant,in spotless

gloves and an e laborately - frogged wh ite un i form,con

ducted us along the deep moat,over the bridge

,and un

der the great gate of the c itade l,whose stones

,t imbers ,

and iron clamp ings would defy a dozen med iaeval arm ies .Gay chatte r about la bel le Pa r is

,wh ich the l i ttl e lieuten

ant had learned to adore in h is student-days , echoed un

der the yet more ponderous i nner gate,and the ghosts

o f th e o ld warriors must have groaned at the degeneracyof th ei r sons .Below the frowning citadel i s an old pal ace , wherei n

the son of Iyeyasu,th e first Pri nce of Owari , l ived in state

and entertained the Shogun ’s messengers . The emptyrooms are musty and gloomy from long neglect

,but th e

beautiful ly-carved and colored ce i l ings,and the screens

and recess wal l s,decorated by famous art ist s w i th paint

ings on a ground of th in nest go ld -leaf,remain the sol e

re l ics of h i s Spl endor.The great donjon tower of the c itadel

,r i sing in five

gabl ed stories , is surmoun ted by two golden dolph in s ,the pride of Nagoya . Made over two hundred yearsago

,each sol id goldfish is valued at e igh ty thousand dol

l ars , and many legends are attached to them . A covetous ci t i zen once made an enormous k ite wherewith to flyup and steal the c ity 's treasures

,but he was caught and

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yinr ibz'

sba Day s i n 7apa n

put to death in boi l ing oi l . The golden pets were neverd isturbed unt i l one of them was taken down and sen twith the Governmen t exh ib i ts to the Vienn a Exposit ionin 1 8 73 . On th e return voyage i t sank to th e bottomof th e se a with the wrecked steamer M l . Like the oldl acquers and porce l ain , the golden dolph in su ff ered nosea change, and , after a few month s

’ immers ion,was

brought up and returned to it s h igh perch on th e tower,

wh i le al l Nagoya rejo iced to see i t flash ing in the sun

once more .

The donjon tower i s a fine exampl e of th e o ld arch itecture

,and th e mass i ve jo i sts of keyak i would bu i ld

barracks for twenty regiments . I n sid e the tower is an

in exhaust ibl e wel l,cal led th e “ Golden Water

,

” wh ich,

in t ime of S iege , would enabl e a r ice-prov is ion ed garr ison to hold out for years . Up a stai r-way of massivet imbers one cl imbs, h al f in darkness to the top , to lookdown

'

upon the broad Nagoya pl ai n, the blue bay, andth e busy port of Yokkaich i oppos i te

,in the sacred prov~

i n ce of I se .

Commercial ly, Nagoya i s best known as the centre ofa great pottery and porce l ain d istr ict, Seto in Owari being as famous as S t aff ordsh ire in England . In the S etosuburb porcel ain c l ay i s found

,and s i l ica exi st s i n large

quant it i es a few m i les away. From the cast le tower onesees the smoke of cont inuous l in es of ki l n s surround ingthe val l ey

,and al l th e ware i s sen t in from these vi l

l ages to Nagoya for d istr ibut ion . Here the finest eggshel l porcelain

,rival l ing the French ware

,i s made

,much

of i t going to Yokohama to be decorated for the fore ignmarket . Seto i tsel f has given its n ame to al l porce lain ,and especi al ly to the pal e

,gray-green ware so common ly

u sed in J apanese household s. O ld green Seto ware i sh igh ly esteemed

,both for i ts soft t in t ing and its pecul i ar

gl aze,suggest ing j ade or l acquer to the touch more th an

hard,ki ln-burnt porce l a in . The bulk of th e commoner

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curio shops are not en t i rely stripped of the ir best th ings .AS Owa r i

’

s pri nces exchanged porcel ain s l iberal ly withth e daim ios of Hizen and Kaga, some rare pieces of o ldImari and Kutani are often ch anced upon , as the impove r ishment of great fam i l ies , and the rage for fore igndress and fash ions

,tempts the better c l ass to part with

heirlooms . Whol e af ternoons wore on as we made ourway in to the graces of certai n curio dealers

,th at they

might d isclose the i r j ealous ly-guarded treasures . Theseo ld men of Nagoya h ave a real affect ion for the beaut iful th ings of th e past, made before any fore ign demandshad corrupted and debased the n ative art . Once conv inced of th e in te l l igen t in terest of the ir customer, th eowners - proudly Open the go-down

,and th e swords

,the

l acquer,and th e porcel ain s appear

,and

,l i fted from the i r

boxes,stripped of cotton and s i lk wrappings

,are setfo rth .

These o ld deal ers are men whol ly of the past,who medi

tate and smoke long over an off er,and if they agree to

the price solemn ly and Slowly c l ap the i r hands as a rat ification of th e terms . Four t imes we p assed by the largestcur io sh0p in Nagoya, l ed by the tea-j ars and boxes inthe fron t to suppose th at i t was on ly the abode of a teamerch an t . When we h ad accidental ly bought some choicetea there , we were i nv ited back to a court, where two godowns were crowded with old porcel ai ns and l acquer.Near by was anothe r Shop where arms

,armor, Buddhas ,

altar-pieces,sain ts

,images

,carvings

,candlest icks

,koros

,

robes, trapp ings , and al l th e paraphernal i a of priests,“ tem

ples, warriors, and yash ikis were heaped up on the floorand hung overhead .

The cool ies had been anx ious about our rate of progress on the l ast Tokaido days

,fearing to m iss the great

matsur i of the Nagoya year,wh ich

,ce lebrat ing the deeds

of the founder and patron saints of th e c i ty, has beenmaintained with great pomp and splendor fo r centur ies .The process ion was to take four hours in passing

,and

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our l andlord engaged places for us in the house of a shoedealer in th e main street . The deal er in gear and a

’zor z

'

deal t on ly in those nation al foot coverings , but, y ield ingto foreign fash ions

,had set up a sign of

SHOES THE SHOP.

The Sl id ing screen s of the front wal l of the room overthe Shop were removed

,and bright-red bl ankets th rown

over the l edge and Spread out on the eaves of th e lowerstory . Al l the houses were open and decorated in th i ssame way

,and lanterns hung in rows from the eaves and

from uprigh t posts at the door-way .

The worthy shoe-dealer’s bl ankets and lante rn s werej ust l ike h is ne ighbors”

,but when three fore igners ap

pear ed at the low bal cony, th en the mult itude stoppedand stared open-mouthed at that unusual Spectac le , andwe d ivided popul ar in terest with the process ion as longas we remained there . Pol icemen were perp lexed between the i r duty of making the crowds move on and the i rown pleas ure of h aving a look at the strangers . Sold iersfrom the garri son stared by hundreds

,and the pol ice

men requested them to depart,as wel l as the rust ics and

townspeopl e . Pol i cemen rank much h igher,in a way

,

than the sold iers,the guard ians of the peace be ing near

ly al l d escendants of the old samurai , the two-sworded ,privi leged retainers of feud al days

,wh i le the common

sold ie r i s en l i sted from the farm l aborers ; and one quickly sees how much more regard the lower c l asse s h ave forthe gunsa than for the so ld ier .The process ion began w ith h igh orn amental wooden

cars, or alas/1a , set on wheel s hewn from s ingle blocksof wood

,and d rawn by ropes , to wh ich every pious per

son was supposed to lend a h and . Regul ar cool i es wereengaged for the steady wheel-horse work

, and sang awi ld chorus as men wi th stout st icks pried the clumsy

3 1 !

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whee l s up for th e first turn . The corner posts and up

per ra i l ings of the d asha are l acquered i n black or red,

and fin ished with p l ates of open work brass,or e l abo~

r ately- gi lded carvings . The s ides are hung wi th cur

tains of r ich old brocade o r pain ted cloth , and the rai ledtop is a stage, on wh ich puppet-Shows and tab l eaux r ep r esent scen es from mytho logy and l egend . On one carRaiden

,th e red Thunder God , mounted on a rearing

charger,Shook h i s c i rc le of drums

,and Suzume

,th e

priestess,repeated her sacred dance before th e cave .

Comic scenes took best w ith the aud ience , however, andthe j ol ly o ld s/zojo, men who come up from th e bottomof the sea for a reve l on Shore , wear ing mats of brigh t ‘

red h ai r and gowns of gorgeous br ocade,

‘

we r e receivedwith greatest favor . They l ad led ou t saké from a deepj ar

,and final ly stood on the i r h eads on the r im of the

j ar and drank from the depth s . There were on ly twelvedash a in l i n e

,but they stopped every fi fty feet wh i l e the

puppets were put th rough the i r performances .Succeed ing the cars came a da im io’s train , preceded

by herald s in quain t,mediaeval costume

,and presen ting

every ph ase of the old- t ime parade . Ch inese sages andinstructors

,Korean prisoners , falconers and priests walk

ed in l ine after the d aim ios,who were mounted on horses

h alf h idden in c l umsy but beaut ifu l old trappings . Themen i n whi te s i lk gowns and lacquer h ats , who took thedaimios ’ places at the head of th e l ine

,are descendants

of those great fami l ies of the prov ince , whose membersh ave ridden in Nagoya’s matsuri parades for centuries .After them came an end less l ine of men in armor

,th e

su i ts of mai l be ing e ither hei rl ooms of the wearers or

provided from the rich stores of such th i ngs owned bythe temple . The armor surpassed the treasures of curioShops , and the dents and cuts in the cui rasses and he lmets attested the i r ant iqu ity . Having sat from eleveno’clock unt i l three in th e upper room with the family of

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yz’

n r ibzsba Day s in 74pm

in thei r r ichest costumes . As the guests were Japanesethe feas t was made a fore ign d inner of as many coursesas our guide and magic i an , M iyashta , cou ld conjure fromNagoya

’

s markets and the Sh iur ok indo ’

s k itchen . Our

three friends rustled in early,cl ad in ceremon ial s i lk

gowns,each with his fam i ly crest marked in t iny wh ite

c ircles on the backs and sleeves of h i s baor z'

, o r coat .At every p raise of Nagoya, wh ich the in terpreter repeated to them on our behalf

,th ey rose from thei r h igh

chairs and bowed profoundly. At table the pl ay of thekn i fe and fork was as d iffi cu l t to them as the chopstickshad once been for us

,but they carr ied themselves

through the ordeal w i th d ign ity and grace, and hero ical ly ate of al l th e d ishes passed them .

Towards th e end of th e d inner a gorgeous paroquetof a ch i ld appeared on ou r Open balcony. Her kimonowas pal e b l ue crape

,painted and embro idered with a

weal th of Chrysanthemums of d iff eren t co lors . Her obi,

of the heaviest crink led red crape,h ad fl ights of gray

and wh ite storks al l ove r i ts d rooping loops,and the

neck-fold was red crape woven with a Sh immer of goldthread . Her face was wh i te with rice -powder

,and he r

hair,dressed in fan tast ic loops and puff s, was t ied with

bits of red crape and gold cord,and setwith a whole d i a

dem of S i lver Chrysan themums . She came forward smi li ng wi th the most ch arming mixture of ch i ld l ike shynessand maidenly sel f-possession

,becoming as much inter

e sted in our curious fore ign dresses as we in her sp lend id att ire .

Presently,against the background of th e n ight, ap

pe ar ed another dazz l ing figur e — O ikoto,th e most be

w i tch ing and popul ar maiko of the day in Nagoya . She ,

too , was rad i ant in gorgeously-painted crape , a red and

gold striped ob i,and a crown of s i lver flowers . O ikoto

h ad the long,narrow eyes

,th e deep ly-fringed l ids

,th e

nose and contour of face of Egypt ian women . Her h and

and arm were exqu is i te , but i t was her soft voice , herd reamy smi le

,and slowly l ifted eyel ids that led us cap

t ive . O ikoto san and the t iny maiko fluttered aboutthe table

,fi l l ing gl asses

,n ibb l ing sweetmeats

,answering

quest ions,and accepting our frank admiration with grace

incomparabl e . Two more bri l l i antly - dressed beautie sentered

,and w i th them the two ge i sh a and the i r instr u

ments . O ne of the ge ish a, O Suwo san , was sti l l a beauty, who entered with a qu iet , l angu id grace and d ign i ty,and whose marvel lous bl ack eyes bad magic in them .

The gei sh a struck the samisen s with the ivory st icks,

the wai l ing chorus began,and there succeeded a fan

dance,a cherry blossom - dance

,and an autumn -dance

,

th e four bri l l i ant figures pos ing,gl id ing

,moving

,turn ing

,

ris ing,and s inking slowly before our enchanted eyes .

On e dance demanded quicker t ime , and the dancerssang with the chorus

,cl app ing the i r h ands soft ly and

toss ing thei r lovely arms and swinging sleeves . Thethree gentlemen of Nagoya jo ined in th at paean to thecherry blossoms and th e bl ue Sky

,accen ting the verse

wi th the i r measured chant ing ; and one of them,tak ing

part in a musical d i al ogue,danced a few measures in

l ine wi th the maiko very wel l and gracefu l ly.

The clos ing dance— a veritable j ig, with wh irl s andj umps

,rap id hand-clapping

,and chant ing by the maiko

— ended in th e dancers sudden ly th rowing themselvesforward on thei r h ands and stand ing on the i r heads

,

thei r feet against the screen s.“ That is what we cal l the foreign d ance : i t i s in for

e ign style , you know. You l ike i t asked the in terprete r ou behal f of our guests ; and our dann a san h ad the

temeri ty to answer that i t was very wel l ’done,but that i t

was now going out of fash ion in America .

After the seven dances the maiko stood in a p ictur esque row again st the ba lcony rai l and fanned themselves unti l supper was brought ia for them and set on

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7z’

nr zbzslza D ay s in 17am”

low tab les,whereon were p l aced many cups and bowls

and t iny p lates,with the absurd b its and dol l s’ port ion s

that const i tute a J apanese feast .The i ncongruous and commercial part of the geish a

and maiko performance came in the Shape of a yard - l ongbi l l

,on wh ich were traced charges of seventy-five cents

an hour for each maiko, wh ich inc luded th e two accom

pan ists, and the j inrik i sha fares to and from th e en ter~

tainment. Unwr i t ten custom requ ired of us the supperfor the performers, and a l i ttl e gratu ity or souven ir toeach one .

When we begged the lovely O ikoto for her photograph,

Sh e proudly brought us one wh ich Showed th at exqu is i tecreature transformed into a dowdy horror by a fore igngown and bonnet

,wh ich the Nagoya photogr apher keeps

on h and for the use of h is customers .

CHAPTER XX II

LAKE B IWA AND K IOTO

AFTER th e pace of th e j i nrikish a the s low trai n fromNagoya to Nagahama

,on Lake B iwa

,seemed to attain a

d i zzy speed . Ris ing con tinual ly,we reached a h i l ly r e

gion where the road-bed crossed a chain o f t iny val leys,penetrated mountain-tunnels

,and cut th rough p ine for

ests and bamboo groves .At Nagah ama we rested in a lake-Side tateba , conten t

w ith the glorious vi ew,and in no way eager to search

for i ts famous babe crapes . Lake B iwa, with long, wooded Slopes runn ing down to the Shore

,and mountain s bar

r ing al l th e horizon,with smooth water and a bl ue sky,

offers S ixty m i le s of ch arm ing sa i l . Li tt l e thatched-roofvi l l ages, and the wide sweeping gab les of temples Show

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7z’

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sba D ay s in 7apa n

The greatest s igh t of Biwa,and on e of the wonders of

Japan,i s the o ld p in e- tree of Ka r asak i

,which has stood

for three hundred years on a l i tt l e h eadland a couple ofmi les above O tsu

,with a t i ny vi l lage and a Sh into tem

ple al l i ts own . I ts trunk i s over fou r feet i n d iameter,

and,at a height of fi fteen feet, i t s boughs are trained lat

e r al ly and supported by posts, so that i t looks l ike abanyan -tree . The branches

,twisted

,bent

,and looped

l ike writh ing dragons,cover mor e th an an acre of ground

with thei r canopy . The t ips of the bough s reach farout over the water

,and the sens i t ive Japanese h eat a

pecul iar music in th e s ift i ng of th e ra in-drops th roughthe fol iage in to the l ake . H igh up in th e tree i s a t inyshrine

,and th e p i lgr ims cl ap thei r h ands and stand w ith

c lasped palms,turn i ng the i r faces upward as they pray .

A heavy ston e wal l p rotects th is sylvan patri arch fromthe wash ing of storms and floods .Under the b ranches a legion of smal l vi l l agers

,in t i

mating by pantom ime the i r des i re to d ive for penn ies,

untied the i r bel ts a nd dropped the ir so l i tary cotton garments as unconcerned ly as one migh t take off h at orgloves . They fro l icked and capered in the water as muchat home as fi shes and as loath to leave i t . Flee ing fromth is body of too attached fo l lowers

,we were wh irl ed

down the road to O ts u to eat the famous B iwa trout,

pass ing on the way a woman , who sat at ease in her bathtub by her own door-step

,calm ly scrubbing herse l f wi th a

bag of r ice bran,and contemplat ing her neighbors

,the

road,and the l ake scenery the wh i l e .

O n Mount H iye izan ,by the .ru ined Buddh ist temples

and monasteries,the American miss ionaries of diffe ren t

denominat ion s h ave a long - estab l i shed summer camp,

where they enj oy a sort of Japanese Chautauqua ci rcle,the ir tents and bui ld ings the only S igns of h ab i tationwhere once stood hundreds of temples with thei r thousands of priests .

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7in r ibi s/za D ay s i n yap an

hostler y . Yaami, proprietor of th i s p icturesque hotel,

i s a personage i ndeed . He and h is brother were professional guides unti l they made the i r fortunes . Thei rshrewd eyes saw further fortunes in a Kioto in n

,where

fore igners migh t find beds, ch ai rs , t ab l es , kn ives, forks,and foreign food , and th ey secured the old Ichir iki teahouse

,midway on the s lope of Maruyama, th e moun tai n

wal l i ng in Kioto on the e ast . The Ichir iki te a-housewas the pl ace where O i sh i Kura no Suke

,the lead er of

th e Forty - seven Ron in s , p l ayed the drunkard duringthe two years that he l ived near Kioto , before he avengedthe death of h is lord . With it-was bought an adj o in ingmonastery

,belonging to one of th e temp les on Moun t

H iye iz an ,and these two original bui ld ings h ave expand

ed and risen story upon story,wi th det ached w ings here

and there,unt i l the group o f tal l wh ite bu i ld ings

,with

the wh i te flag float ing h igh up i n the m idst of Maruyama’s fo l iage

,i s qu ite cast l e - l i ke . Whi l e the obnox

ious fore ign treat i es were i n fo rce,no fore igners except

those in J apanese employ were al l owed to l i ve i n K i oto,

o r even to vi s i t i t with out a passport , and th is securedYaam

‘

i in h is monopoly . AS a matter of fact,Yaami i s

not th e fam i ly n ame o f th e two pleasant and —prosperous - l ook ing men who walk about in s i lk k imonos

,wi th

heavy gold watch - ch ain s wound abOut the i r broad S i l kbel ts , and who h ave th e i nnocen t faces of young ch i ldren , save for the Shrewdness of the i r eyes . Yaam i i s th ecorrupt ion . of Yama Amida (Hi l l of Buddha), wh ich i sthe n ame of th e hotel

,and the two men belong to the

Inowye fam ily, a cl an not l ess numerous in J apan thanth e Smith s of Engl i sh - Speak ing countries . In parts ofthe house one finds rel ics of m‘onastery days in d im oldscreens of fine workmansh ip

,and there i s a stone-floo r ed

kitch en , vast as a temple , with cooks serious as priests,wield ing strange sacr ific ial kn ives

,and who

,in m idsum

me r, wear an apron on ly , apparently as a profess iona l

Lake B iwa a nd Kioto

badge rather th an as a garment . The mombon ,or gate

keeper,s its

,sp ider- l ike

,i n a web of h is own

,a mere

dol l ’s house by the gate-way. I n o lden t imes, and evento day

,in l arge estab l i shments , the momban announces

an arrival with strokes upon h i s gong, but th i s pa r ticul ar functionary correspond s more nearly to the Pari s ianoctr oi . Al l who enter the gates answe r for themselvesand pay tribute

,o r they are forever barred out. Even

cool ies d isgorge the ir b l ack-mai l to the co lony of fleetfooted b rethren who hold a val uab le monopoly at Yaami ’s gate

,and in gui lds and labor organ i zat ion s the

O rient i s ages o lder and wiser th an the Occiden t .Al l of Mar uyama

’

s s lope i s holy ground and pleasureground . Tea—houses and bath - houses are scattered inbetween the great temples

,and prayer-gongs and pious

hand - clapp ing are heard in unison with sam isens andrevel lers ’ songs . Praying and pleasuring go together,and the court-yard of the Gion temple at the foot of theh i l l i s l ined wi th monkey-shows and archery ranges

,and

in the rid ing-schoo l s the adventurous may,for a few cop

pers,mount a jerky horse and be j ol ted around a shady

ring. There,too

,are m any rows of images of fierce

,

red - cloaked Uaruma,the Buddh ist sain t

,who sai l ed

agr oss from Korea on a rush - l eaf. He sat facing awa lb fo r n in e ye ars

,and wore o ff h i s l ower l imbs , and

now h is image,weighted wi th lead

,is the target for

merry bal l-th rowers,and i s seen in eve ry quarter of the

empire .

From the ai ry gal leries on Maruyama the ci ty l i es below one l ike a re l ie f map . The r iver

,the Kamogawa

,

crossed at interval s by long bridges,cuts the c i ty in two .

From each bridge a street runs straigh t on to the‘

westward . By day these thoroughfares look l ike furrowsploughed through the so l id pl ai n i l ed roofs ; butat night they sh ine with tho s and l antern s,and the i r na r row wavering l ineg of fire look l ike so many

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7in r ibzsba Day s i n 17apa n

torch l igh t procession s,and the river i s on e broad bel t of

l igh t .I first saw K ioto on the l ast day of th e Gion matsuri

,

a fest iva l wh ich l asts for a month and brings a l l thepopu l at ion out-of—doors in to one quarter during the eveui ng. By dusk a babe l of music and vo1ces h ad ari sen

,

wh ich fin al ly d rew us down the steep and shady road,

and th rough the great stone tori i,to the Gion ’s preci ncts .

The court-yard was almost deserted , and looki ng throughthe great gate-way to Shij o S treet the view was dazz l i ngand the Shouts and chatter deafen ing. The narrow stree twas l ined with rows of l arge wh i te paper lan terns hanging above th e house doors

,and r ows h anging from th e

eaves . Lan terned booths l ined‘

th e curb,whil e humbler

venders Spread thei r wares on th e ground in the l igh t offlaring torches . C rowds Surged up and down , every man

carrying a paper l antern on th e end of a Short bamboost ick— the l i teral l amp for the feet— women bearing smal ler lantern s

,and ch i ldren del ight ing themselves w ith gay

ly—colored paper Shel l s for t iny cand les . Boys marchedand ran in long Single fi les

,Sh out ing a measured ch ant

as they cut the ir way through the crowd and wh irledgiant l antern s and b l az ing torches at the end of long

poles .From Gion gate to Shi j o b ridge the street was one

wavering,gl i ttering l in e of l igh t

’

,and crowded sol id ly

with peopl e . Where the street n arrows near the bridgethere is a region of theatres and s ide - Shows, and therebanners and p ictures

,drums and shout ing ticket-sel lers ,

and a denser crowd of peopl e gathered . A loud shoutand a measured chorus heralded a group of men carryi ng a Brobd ingnagi an torch

,a gian t bamboo pol e bl az

ing fiercely at i ts lofty t ip . The crowd su rged back tothe wal l s as the torch -bearers ran by and on to the m iddle of Sh ij o bridge

,where they waved the burn ing wand

in fiery s ignal s to the other bridges th at the real p r oces224

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7z’

n r ibz’

slza Day s i n

and al l the wh i le we wandered there the peopl e watchedand fol lowed with a respectfu l curios ity th at amused butcou ld not annoy . Attracted by the beaut ifu l face of ayoung girl just w i th in th e curtained door of a side-show,

we paid the on e cent en trance fee to see the conj urers .The ten t was empty when we entered , but such a streamof nat ives poured in after us as to de l igh t the proprietorand encourage the music i an s to pound out more violen ta irs . A few miserable poodles were made to walk on twolegs and otherwise d iscomfort themsel ves at the b idd ingof the beaut iful girl

,whose strange soft eyes and l ovely

face were set off by an el aborate co iff ure, a coronet ofs i lvery hai r-p in s

,and a kimono of gray s i lk shot with

many t inse l th reads . We foreigners found the faces andhol iday garb of the people more i nterest ing than the performance , and the nat ives in turn seemed equal ly ab

sorbed in watch ing uS . Horse-Shows,where daring but

terrified Japanese bestrode steeds and ambl ed three t imesaround the ri ng for a penny

,puppet-Shows

,juggler-Shows

,

and peep-shows drew us in turn from on e end of th e r iverbed fai r to the other

,and when too weary to walk we

remounted to the bridge to admire afresh th i s feastof l anterns

,unt i l a t midn igh t we sough t the groves of

Maruyama.

CHAPTER XX II I

K I O T O T E M P L E S

KIOTo i s seen at i ts best in summer-t im e,in th e fulness

and color of i t s out-door l ife . Though the great p la in of

the c i ty bakes and qu i vers in the sun,th e heat i s no

greater th an in other c i t ies . The v iews from Maruyamaare always enchant ing, and th e sunset sky i s not love l ierth an the dawn , when al l the h i l l-S ide l ies in cool , green

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K ioto Temp les

sh ade,when the oppos i te mountain -wal l wears a vei l of

rose and l i l ac,and the a i r above the plain of gray roofs

is fu ll of fi lmy mists and t iny smoke-wreaths .Al l travel lers are abroad at sunrise or i n the early

morn ing,for by ten o ’clock the sun b lazes down with

fury,and hum ane peopl e kee p th ei r j inriki sha cool ies

and themse lves ln-doors . Wi th the coo l i ng dusk mos

quitoe s swarm from al l these gardens and h i l l-s ide groves ,and the vict im fan s and s l aps unti l he creeps for safetyunder h i s mosquito - net

, wh ich , unhapp i ly , does not exelude the n imble flea, whose ravages test both h i s eu

durance and h is temper . At sunrise al l the temples inKioto open thei r gates for the fi rs t mass

,and at dawn

pi lgrimages to these sacred Spots may begin,the odo r

and s i lence of th at dewy hour adding to the ir peace andsanct ity.

Al l the way from Yaam i’

s to the Yasaka pagoda andthe Kiomidzu temple the h i l l-s ide i s covered wi th templeand monaste ry grounds

,the way leading th rough broad

,

tree-shaded avenues and n arrow paths by bamboo grovesor evergreen th ickets . Wide

,flagged walks and grand

stai r-ways fo l low the terraces to temples and be l l-towers,

screened by open -work wal ls and approached th roughmonumental gate-ways made beau t ifu l by carving

,gi ldi

i ng and paint ing,in l a id metal s

,and fine t i l es . Cross ing

from one temple enclosure to another, the walk extendsfor two mil es along the brow of the h i l l th rough beaut ifu l grounds . The park-l ike demesne of H igash i O tan i ,with its imperi al tombs , adjoi ns Yaam i

’

s,and next i t i s

the Kota iji, with i ts noble avenues . At the end of onebroad path-way, traversing the upper part o f th e Kotaijigrounds

,the Yasaka pagoda

,with i t s five stor ies of cur v

ing roofs and gabl es hung with o ld bron ze bel l s,stands

l ike a picture in the arch ing frame of green . These vencrabl e pagodas

,thei r wal l s covered with wondrous carv

ings and bracketi ngs, faded to dim red and tarn ished1 27

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gold , with the gray and wh i te t i l es of the ir p icturesqueroofs h alf overgrown with mosses and v ines

,th e topmost

ridge fin ished with a tapering , Sp ira l p iece of i ron,de

l ight the lover o f the p icturesque . Yasaka’

s crackedand tongueless bel l s have long ceased to swing and ringwi th eve ry breeze

,but they give an airy and fantast ic

touch to the fine o ld structure . The pagoda dates fromthe Sixth cen tury, and for twe lve h undred years i ts foural tars have heard the prayers of fai thfu l Buddh ists

.The

early l ight gi lds its easte rn wal l,and the rich sunset

makes of i t a pal ace of the imagination . To me i t seemedmost beaut if u l on e l ate afternoon

,when

,hurrying down

the steep step s of a narrow street beh ind i t,I saw i ts

outl ines, del icate and strong, against a glowing orangesky.

Al l about th e pagoda and the neighboring slopes ofK iom idzu are potte ries and Shops for the sale of th echeap porcel a in and earthen-ware th at p i lgr ims and vis ito r s are prone to buy on thei r way to and from the temples .The em inence i s known as Teapot H i l l

,and the long

,

steep street l ead ing from Goj o b ridge to the K iom idzugates is l ined on e ither S ide of i t s h i l ly h alf-mile withch in a Shops . There on e may col lect h i s th ree hundredand Sixty-five teapots in an hour , and few leave withouta souven ir of Kiom idzu porce l ain , be i t from Kanz an

’

s orDohach i

’

s godowns of exqu is i te wares, or from the longrows of charm ing l it t le open Shops. K iomidzu is thecentre of the porcelain-makers’ d istrict

,as the manufact

ur er s of faience are grouped together in th e Awataquarter

,a mi l e beyond

,and beh ind the l itt l e shop—fronts

and b lank wal ls are busy work-rooms and burn ing ki ln s .The founding of th e Kiom idzu temple i s lost in fable ,

and its l egends are many and confusing. Al l the Japanese ru lers

,warriors

,and Shoguns have had someth ing to

do with the pl ace,and every foot of i ts enc losure i s h is

toric. It is the popu lar templ e of the people, enshr in328

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h al f-r in s . Thus provided,the pi lgrim cou ld bestow h i s

p ious alms on each group of priests, and if he fol lowedthe pol i te custom of wrapp ing any money gift in a b i tof soft paper, the priests could not tel l whether he h adth rown S i lver or copper. With in the temple ground stateba were crowded with feasters and ten - drinkers

,

dozen s of fru it-stand s were p i led wi th s l ices of wate rmelon

,and fans pain ted w ith K iom idzu scen es were

sold on eve ry s ide .

I ns ide the temp l e i tsel f the scuffl e of clogs and mutte r ings of p ilgrims drowned al l sounds s ave the S i l verynotes of th e gongs . O n th e image - covered al tar, onehundred and n inety feet in length

,ve i led by c louds of

i n cense , were d imly vi s ib le the gi lded statue of the d iv ine Kwannon

,the Speci al p atroness of K iom idzu

,and

th e figures of th e priests . I t was not easy to p ick one’sway among the knee l ing mul t i tudes off ering th ei r fervent prayers ob l iv ious to al l surround ings . As one p i lgrim departed th e rest crowded forward

,con t in u ing the

beseech ing “Namu Amida B utsu”

(Hear me , GreatLord Buddh a) wh ich they mutter so rap id ly that on ly along—drawn “Na - na - na - na - na - a - a

” i s aud ib le as theypress th ei r palms together and wind thei r beads aroundthe ir h ands .I n the second templ e

,or Amida

,were more candl es

,

i ncense , and priests , and more kneel ing people . At theend of th e h anging pl atform of th i s temple i s a smal l

,

l att i ced Sh rine ded icated to Kamnosube -no-Kami,th e

goddess who watches over lovers . He who would makesure of th e affect ions of h i s beloved buys a printedprayer from the priest

,rol l s i t i nto a narrow strip

,and

then , w ith th e thumb and l ittl e finger of th e right-hand,

t ies i t to Kamnosube-no-Kami ’s grat ing,and implores

her a id . I f any other finger s are used to t ie th e knot,o r i f they even touch the prayer - paper

,the charm is

broken and the goddess i s deaf. Whi le we looked on

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among the most ancient , surrounded with wa l l s of Titan icbowlders

,. is the Dai Butsu temple

,with its huge image

of gi lded wood , and its fal len bel l , whose i nter ior wouldmake a temp le in i tse lf. A stone monument

,the M imi

zuka , covers the heap of thousands of human ears, cut byH ideyosh i ’s general s from the heads of enem ies S l ai n inthe Korean expedit ion , sal ted and brough t home as proofof prowess . Last i s th e Sanjiusangendo , or Hal l of theTh irty-three Thousand Buddhas

,wh ich

,with its rows and

rows of tal l gi lded statues , is a curious p lace , but less l ikea sanctuary th an a who lesale warehouse of sacred images .Nor thwar d from Yaam i’s the chai n of temples extends

along the leafy h i l l-S ide,first among them being the great

Ch io in sanctuary, on e of the largest , oldest, and richestin Kioto . I t s co lossal gate-way

,i ts long avenues

,great

stone embankments,terraces

,sta i rcases , and groves of

ancien t trees procla im its age and end less honors .

S tretch ing over surrounding acres r un the ye l low wal l s ofi ts monastery grounds and priests ’ houses . The Ch ioin ’

S

al tar 1s a mass of carved and gi lded ornaments surrounding a mass ive golden Shri ne

,whi le the cei l ing and wal l s

of the vast in terior are hard ly less Splendid . Occas ionalworsh ippers kneel in the vast matted hal l muttering the i rprayers

,but usual ly on ly a sol itary old pri est i s seen in

dustr iously hammering at a drum ,Shaped l ike a huge

,

round S le igh-bel l . From five o’c lock in the morn ing nut i l t he temple closes at four in the afternoon the h ard

,

mechan i cal t/zunb, tbunb never stops . A n ice old woman,

who must be a profess ional mender,j udging by he r ia

cessan t patch ing and darn ing of bl ue-cotton garmen ts,takes care of the shoes wh i le v i s i tors roam through thetemple stocking-footed ; and proudly does She poin t out ,among the bracketed eaves

,the sun-umbrel la wh ich the

great bu i lder of the temple purposely left there . Back ofthe main temple are other Shri nes and sui te s of recept ion-rooms, with screens and cei l i ngs decorated by fa

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Ki oto Ternp les

mous art i sts,and qu iet corners where abbot and p ri e st

may S it and look upon the exqui s i te l i tt l e gardens .I f I were a good Buddh ist I should say a prayer or two

to the Ch io in ’

s great bel l , an i nverted cup of bronzee ighteen feet in height

,breath ing music so sweet th at i t

th ri l l s th e l i stener,and ringi ng so se ldom that no one

wi l l i ngly m isses its vo ice . Th is be l l h angs by it se lf ina Shady place at the top of a long stone stai rcase , and i sstruck from the out s ide by a swinging wooden beam thatbrings out soft reverberat ions without j ar or clang. Th i shuge hammer i s uncha ined on rare days of the month atthe sunri se hour

,and in th e st i l lness of dawn one can

not te l l whence the sound comes . I t i s in the whole a i r ;under one ’s feet

,or t ingl ing and beat ing with i n one ’s

body,whi le yet the ear seems to drink in the very ec

stasy of sound .

About Nanjenj1 s lofty gate-way are clustering tea-bushes , and between it s ancient shri ne , i t s tombs , and p ictur esque bel l~tower modern engineering has brought theaqueduct from Lake Biwa , the long tunne l emerging fromthe h i l l-s ide back of the bu i ld ings . Further on are Iyekando

,with its l otus lake and verdant cemete ry ; Niyakuoji

’

s

pretty garden and cascade ; and Shish igatam i, Sh inn iodo ,and Yosh ida

,each with i ts d i st inct ive charm and

'

inte r est.

The way from these sacred places,passing through the

potte r s’ d ist rict of Awata , and coming suddenly out on alevel of rice fields

,with Kur odan i

’

s pagoda and groveris i ng l ike an is land from the i r m idst

,has been l ikened

to the abrupt t ran sportat ion from Rome to the Campagna . Kurodan i is a beaut if ul old sanctuary

,and th e

steep h i l l on wh ich stands its great pagoda is an idealBuddh i st burial-ground . Tombs

,stone tablets

,and l an

terns , and hund reds of images of Buddha, in stone and

bronze , crowd again st each other, and some priest o r p i lgrim , ever pictu resque , is always moving up or down thebroad gray stai rcase .

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CHAPTER XX IV

THE MONTO TEMPLES AND THE DAIMONJI

As an evidence of the vital i ty of thei r faith th e Mon toBuddh i sts po in t to the i r great new temple in th e southe r n part of the c ity. Th is H igash i Hongwanji (EasternTemple) was e igh t years in bu i ld ing, at an enormou scost

,and i s th e l argest templ e in Japan . The squared

trunks of keyaki-trees that support floor and roof are of

a fine,close grain

,that l asts fo r centur ies without pain t

or preserving process . A co l l ect ion of th ick b lack ropeshangs from the beams

,al l of them made from th e ha ir

of p ious women too poor to offe r other contr ibution s .The largest rope i s five inches in d iameter and two hundred and fifty feet long

,th e hai r, wound in a dozen sep

arate strands around a slender co re of hemp , h av ingbeen given by three thousand five hundred of the p iou smaids and matrons of the province of Ech izen . Hereand there in th is giant cab l e are pathet ic threads of

wh ite hair,the rest be ing deep b lack . Each summer

pious men came to give thei r days’ l abor to the templewhen they had no money. The best workers in woodfrom several provinces

,craftsmen descended from gen

e r ations of wood-carvers,were brought together to l abor

fo r several years on th e decorat ive panel s,carv ing from

sol id b locks of hard keyak i wonderfu l b i rd s and flowe r s, curl ing waves and dash ing spray— des igns ful l ofmovemen t and l ife .

This Shin , or Monto sect of Buddhi sts , i s one of therichest and l argest . I t s temples are a lways bu i l t in the

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touch themse lves,and use th e rosary in prayer ; and h igh

mass at the Hongwanji might almost be h igh mass atSt. Mark’s . Mass is celebrated at five o ’clock on everymorn ing of th e year

,and al l day worsh ippers may come

to knee l and pray before the al tars . On th e first andfifteen th days of each month speci al services are he ld attwo o’c lock in the afternoon , and every J anuary recursa week of prayer in honor of the founder of the Sh insect

,when priests come from al l parts of th e emp ire to

the mother-temple . The fortn igh tly afternoon servicesconsi st of read ings from the sacred scriptures

,and the

chant ing of Japanese and Chi nese sacred poems by sometwenty priests in b l ack gauze stol es ; a l arger chorus,h idden beh ind the central shri ne and altar

,j o in ing in

and respond ing . The h igh-priest , in a card inal and go ldbrocade kesa

,s i ts d i rect ly facing the sh rine

,and at ia

te r vals touches th e swinging pl ate of bronze used as agong in the order of worsh ip . The go lden shrine

,i n a

great gi lded alcove,or ch ancel

,bears count less gi lded

lotus flowers and candel abra,and s l ender co lumns of in

cense r i se from the pr iests’ low read ing-desk . At theconclus ion of th e ch anted service the doors of the shrin eare opened

,and th e sacred image d isp l ayed in a s i l ence

broken on ly by low strokes on th e gong. Then th epri est s fi l e away

,and th e faithfu l

,fl ocking in to the va

cant p l ace beh ind the rai l,and kneel ing where th e pri ests

h ave knel t,prostrate themse lves

,rub thei r rosaries in

the ir palms,and repeat with ecstat i c fervor the invoca

t ion : Namu Amida B utsu (Hai l , Great Lord Buddha).Every year

,on the temple steps , th e contribut ion s of

rice from distan t provinces are stacked h igh in thei rcyl indr i cal straw bales

,themselves emblems of abun

dance . This r ice i s sen t as an annual tr ibute from diffe r ent parts of the emp ir e to the head—temple of th e sectat Kioto, to be used for offerings in the sanctuaries, forthe priests’ food

,and fo r alms to the poor.

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T/ze Al on /o Temp/es a nd t/ze Da zmonj z

The present h igh -priest h as a longer genea logy th anthe Emperor

,and i s the seventy-th ird of his fam i ly , in

d irect success ion,to l ive in the same Kioto yash ik i . Be

s ides h is eccles i ast ical rank , he i s a nobl eman of thefirst order, and moves in the imperial c i rcle , h is modernbrougham with l i veried men be ing often seen driving inand out of the palace enclosures in the western end ofthe c ity . Bes ides h i s temple services

,he d irects the

large col lege wh ich the Hongwanji maintains for theeducat ion o f young men fo r the priesthood and fo r ad

vanced phi losoph ical stud ies for l ay students . I n i tsl ibrary i s a vast l i terature of Buddhism ,

the scrol l s ofs i lk and paper in boxes of price less gold l acquer fac ingthe neatly-bound vol umes of S innett , S ir Edwin Arnold ,and other fore ign writers . The col lege employs teachersof al l European l anguages

,and intends to send mission

ary workers to European countries . O ne of the priest lyi nstructors

,Mr. Akamatsu

,spent several years in Eng

l and,and has made comparat ive re l igion s h i s great study.

Th is admirabl e schol ar i s an adm irable talker as wel l ,and eve ry student o f Buddh ism in J apan i s refe rred toh i s vast stores of informat ion . The breadth and l iberal i ty of Mr. Akamatsu’

s views are shown in hi s bel ief inthe brotherhood of al l re l igion s

,the i r l ikeness

,and the i r

convergence towards “ th at far-off , d ivine even t, towardswh ich the who le creat ion moves . ” I t was he who drewup and tran sl ated that new canon of h is faith

,which in

tr oduced passages from the S ermon on the Mount,and

who explained th at these contained exactly the Buddhist tenets . The Shin Buddh i sts are cal led the Protestan ts of th at faith . The priests may marry

,and are not

requ ired to fast , to do penance , make pi lgrimages , orabsta i n from an imal food . They bel ieve in salvat ion byfaith in Buddha, and in those ever - higher transm igrat ion s o f the sou l wh ich final ly attain N irvana . Thei rpriests maintain that the presence of Christ ian m ission

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aries h as made no d ifference w ith the i r people,th e schol

arly and inte l l igent seeing th at the two fai ths d iffer on lyi n a few art ic l es and pract ices . For the lower orders

,

th ese sp iri tual shepherds declare Buddh ism to be thebetter re l igion

,i t s pract ice for cen turie s h aving made

the masses the gentl e,kindly, pat ien t , and contented

soul s th at they are . On e pri es t , sent to Eu rope to studythe effects of Christ ian i ty, reported th at v ice, crime , andmisery were greater there than in Japan

,and th at the

bel ief of the west seemed less able to repress those evi l sthan the bel ief of th e e ast . These Monto pri ests

,too

,

express broad views about the reciproci ty of nation s andthe fai r exchange of miss ion aries . Now th at Engl ishc lergymen and th inkers st udy Buddh i sm in th e mon aste r ie s of Ceylon , avowing th ei r acceptance of the art ic l eswith much sacred ceremony, Monto apost les may yetpreach to th e people of Engl and and America . How

ever th is m ay be,the priests do not fear the proselyt ing

l abors of the Doshisha teachers in Kioto,and speak

warmly of its good works,and part icu larly of i t s hosp i

tal and t rain i ng-school fo r nu rses .

In 1 8 85 the first Ameri can m i ssionaries came to Kioto

,and as the sacred ci ty i s beyond the treaty l im it s

,

the co l lege and hosp i ta l are mai ntained under the n ameof the Dosh isha company

,and the fore igners engaged

in the work are osten s ib ly in Japanese employ . Backof the Chri st i an Japanese

,who stands as pres ident of

th i s company,are the r ich M ission Boards

,wh ich furn ish

the money,and direct i ts expend iture and th e method

of work . Each teacher in the Dosh isha school i s real lya m iss ionary

,and ou t s ide the cl as s-room carries on ac

t i ve evange l ica l work . Schoo l bu i ld ings,hosp ital

,and

res idences for the fore ign teach ers a ll'

f r ont on the h ighyel low wal l s of th e imperial palace grounds

,s ign ificant

test imony to the changes that have come,the barr iers

and prej ud ices that have given way . The school is240

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c irc les of the cap it al , h i s system of h igher ph i lo sophyappeal ing strongly to those cultivated th inkers and menof l etters .The common peopl e

,l ike the ignorant of o ther races,

do not at al l comprehend the re l igion they do profess,observing it s forms as a h ab it or a matter of b l ind con

vention,and ce lebrat ing i t s e ven ts with ceremon ies and

decorations,fest ival s and ann ivers aries , whose sign ifi

cance they canno t exp lain . Japanese streets sudden lyb lossom out with flags and lantern s at every doo r-wayand along mi les of eaves

,and i f you ask a Shopkeeper

what th is rej oic i ng means,he wi l l rep ly, Waka r z

'

masm,

”

or S/zz'

r z'

masen (I do not know). Then some learnedman te l l s you that i t i s the ann iversary of the death ofJ immu Tenno

,or the autumn fest ival , when the first r ice

of the garnered crop i s offered to the gods by the Em

pe r or in the pal ace chapel , by the priests at every Sh into shrine

,and at every househo ld a l tar i n p ious homes

,

or some other trad i tion al occasion kept as a Government hol iday ,

C lo s ing the Government offices on Sunday, and making th at a day of rest, was a matter ofpract ical conven ience mere ly

, and th e resul t of theadopt ion of a un iform calendar w ith the rest of theworld , and a modern m i l i tary estab l i shmen t on

'

foreignmodel s .One of the festival s of a re l igious ch aracter wh ich i s

understood by the peop le,and is, perhaps, the most r e

markabl e of al l K ioto’

s great summer i l luminat ions, i sthat of the Da imonji , at the end of the Bon Matsuri , orFest ival of the Dead . Accord ing to Buddh i st be l i ef

,the

Sp i ri t s of the departed return to earth for th ree days inmid-August , vi s i t ing the ir fam i l ie s and earth ly haunt s,and fl i tt ing back to the i r graves on th e n igh t of the th i rdday. Duri ng the cont inuance of the Bon Matsuri , lanterns and paper strips are hung in front of those housesin wh ich a death has occurred during the year

,and bur n

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monjz’

i ng tapers and bow ls of food are set before the l itt lehouseho ld shrines . Al ike in the backs of shops

,in th e

humblest abodes,and in vi l l as and nob l e yash ik is, l ights,

off eri ngs,and fragrant incense welcome back the dead .

In the cemeteries the bamboo st icks at each gravestoneare dai ly fi l led with fresh flowers, and on the n igh t ofthei r return the sp iri t s are gu ided to the i r rest ing-placesby the l igh t of lanterns and oi l-tapers burn ing throughout these c i t ie s of the i r s i len t h ab i tat ion . This beaut ifu l custom

,sanct ified by the observance of many centu

ries,i s t i nged wi th l it t le sadness, and the l ast n igh t of

the Festiva l of the Dead is th e great Fest ival of Lantern s

,the most b ri l l i an t of the long, gay, fan tast ic Kioto

summer .We were k ind ly invited by a Japanese gent leman to

wi tn ess the i l lum inat ion from the upper story of a pagoda—l ike schoo l-house

,that rose h igh above al l the roofs

in the heart of the c i ty. Two hundred ch i ldren werech i rp ing and chattering in the open-s i ded cl ass-rooms ofthe lower floors

,al l eager to see the Da imonji, the great

s ignal-fi r es on the h i l l s . Al l sat on the i r hee ls in orderly rows , and s i lent ly bobbed to the mats at s igh t of us ,go ing on afterwards wi th the i r merry babb le

,wh ich al l

through the summer even ing floated up to us in happychorus .

As dusk gave way to dark,we beheld a gl immer of

l ight l ike a waving torch on th e s ide of the mounta i nthat stands l ike a tower beyond Maruyama . Anotherand another flash shone out again st the dark face of

Da imonji-yama’s long slope

,unt i l the flames j o ined and

l i nes of fi re r an upward,touched

,crossed

,and fi nal ly

b lazed out in th e gigant ic wri tten character Da i,in out

l i ne not un l ike a capi tal A . Next a j unk appeared infie ry out l i nes on the slope no rth of the c i ty ; anothermyst i c characte r glowed on the next h i l l ; and to thenorth-west a smal ler Da i showed , l i ke the reflect ion of

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th e first huge symbol . Pu l l i n the west gleamed a torn ,a p i l l ared gate-way of fire . From every house-top and

from the bridges came the shouts of enthusiast i c spectator s , and the ch i ldren in the rooms below us twi tteredl ike a box ful l of sparrows . For centuri es the pri ests ofmountai n temples h ave taught thei r s imple pari sh ionersto l ay the i r gathered firewood in the proper l in es

,and

regular trenches mark the course of each device . Thelonger l i nes of the b ig Dai are each a h alf-mile in l ength

,

and the five m i les’ di stance of our point of V iew dwarfedthem to perfect proport ion s . These fiery symbol s burnedfor h alf an hour before they began to wave r

,and long

after the ir images st i l l danced a nd burned in our vi s ionagainst the succeed ing b lackness .

Down in the c i ty the crowds surged through th e lanterned streets

,each adding the i l l um inat ion of h is hand

l an tern to the scene . The r iver—bed was al l recross ingl ines and arches of l ights , and m yri ad po ints of uncovered flames were reflected in the waters . The h i l l- s idestwinkled and glowed with th e i nnumerab le torches i nthe cemeteri es , and thus , l ighted back to the i r tombs byal l th e c i ty and th e h i l l—s ide

,the Buddh ist Sp i rit s rest

unti l the next m idsummer season recal l s them to the irj oyous Kioto .

CHAPTER XXV

THE PALACES AND CASTLE

K ror o remain s fai thfu l to i ts trad it ion s,and yields

but slowly to the fore ign fash ions wh ich absorb Tokio .

Toki o has n ineteen th -century pol i t i cal troub les,even dem

agogues and hare-brai ned students, that unruly young element , th e sod a,keep i t in a state of agi tat ion , and somet imes appeal to th e old two-handed sword, the dagger,

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to and fro of ancien t official s, much restamping and r e

cording,before he is led through the prec inct by an at

tendant . Even with th is guaran tee,th e severe and state

ly old guardi ans , in the i r ancien t dress and tonsure, seemto look on the i ntruder wi th susp ic ion .

The Japanese gas/w i s not exact ly tran sl ated by theword palace

,

”and i s merely a greater yash ik i

,or spread

out house, consti tut ing the sovere ign’s res idence . This

gosho cons ist s of so many separate roofed , one -storywooden bui ld ings as to make a smal l v i l lage . Each room

,

or sui te of rooms, occup ies a d ist i nct bu i ld ing, i t s outs idegal l ery or veranda forming the corridor

,and i t s s l id ing

screens the i nner wal l s . Each bu i ld ing has the greatsweeping roof of a temple

,the bel ief in the d ivin i ty of

the Emperor,and h i s head sh ip of the Sh into fai th , r e

quiri ng that h is actual dwel l i ng shou ld be a temple,r igid

ly s imple as a Sh in to shrine, with thatched roof and un

painted woods . These c l ustered houses are the surviva lof the old nomad camps of Asia

,as the upward curving

gab les of the roof are a permanent form of thei r saggingten t-tops . The pal ace has suffe red from many fires

,the

last occurri ng in 1 854, but each rebu i ld ing has fo l lowedthe original mode l s

,and the gosho looks j ust as i t d id

centuries ago . The same straw mats,open ch arcoal bra

z ie r s, and loose saucers of o il in paper l amp—frames, in

viting a confl agrat ion there as in th e humb lest J apanesehome .

The walk around th e outer gal l eries and connectingcorridors takes half an hour

,and one must go stock ing

footed , o r in the curious s l ippers furn ished by the guard ian s . In summer th e recessed and sun less apartmen tsare cool and d im

,but win ter makes them b itter ly co ld

and forlorn . Except fo r two thrones,there i s noth ing

to be cal l ed furn iture in th e pal ace . The s i lk-borderedmats of the floor, the pain t ings on the s l id ing screens

,

the fine metal p l ates on al l the wood-work,the i rregul ar

246

Tlte Pa la ces and Ca stle

ly-she lved recesses

,quai n t windows , curious l att ices, and

r ich ly-panel led ce i l i ngs const i tute i ts adornmen ts . Al lthe wonderful kakemonos

,vases, and curios were stored

in godowns when the Emperor left Kio to, and the seal shave not s ince been broken . On the screens in th e private apar tments are many autograph poems, wri tten bycourt poets o r imperia l improvisators . The tea-roomsand the garden tea-houses show how importan t were thelong-drawn ceremon ies of ch a no yu in those l e i surelydays of the past .The courts surround ing the state apartments are sand

ed quadrangles,thei r surfaces scratched over in fine pat

tern s by the gardeners’ bamboo rakes for the easydetection of strange footprints . I n the court-y ard beforethe o ld aud ience hal l a cherry-tree , a w i ld o range-tree ,and a sacred bamboo

,a l l emblemat ic

,grow at ei ther

s ide of the broad steps . In the middle of the wide,

temple - l i ke apartment command ing th is court standsthe sacred wh ite throne of past centuri es

,a square ten t

or canopy of wh ite s i lk,with rich red borders at the

edges of the overl apping curtains . Two antique Ch inesedogs guard the throne . On New-year’s Day, and at rareinterval s when th e Emperor gave audience to h is vassalj ai ler, the Shogun , he sat on a s i l k cush ion wi th i n theclosed tent

,and on ly his vo ice was heard

,speak ing in

the quavering, long-drawn tones st i l l used by the actorsin the No dance . The imperi al princes stood at e ithers ide of the throne, the kuge and offi c ial s of the h ighestrank kne l t on the steps

,and th e lowest o ffi cial s in at

tendance,the file or “ down to the earth ” subjects

,

prostrated themse lves on the sands of the court,wh i le

the mournfu l and muffl ed tones of the sacred voicesounded .

When the Emperor gave h i s fi rst aud iences after th eRestorat ion , i n 18 68

,be occupied a newer throne in th e

Shish inden, a large aud ience ha l l w ith a lofty ce i l ing247

yin r z'

éz'

s/za D ay s in 7apa iz

supported by round wooden columns . On th e lowerpart of the rear wal l are some very old screens paintedwith groups of Ch inese and Korean sages . The floor i sof pol ished cedar

,and the throne i s l ike that of h i s an

cestor s, but with the curtain s ro l led up from the frontand two sides . I t stands on a dai s, guarded by th e Chinese dogs brough t as t roph ies from Korea

,and ho lds

THE THRONE OF 1 868.

with in i t a s imple lacquered chair,with lacquer st ands

for th e sacred sword and seal . After those aud iences of1 8 68 th e Emperor trave l led to Tokio in a gold- l acqueredflor z

'

mon , or closed l i tter, guarded by a trai n clad in the248

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property to the crown . The Kinkakuji (th e gold -cov

ered pavi l ion) and th e Ginkakuji (the s i lver- covered

pavi l ion) stand at opposi te s ides of the c ity, each surrounded with l andscape-gardens

,from wh ich nearly al l

Japanese gardens are cop ied . Both are as ol d as theAshikaga Shoguns , and both are now monasteries . TheK inkakuji i s the l arger, and was even more Splend id before i t was despoi l ed of so many rare and h istoric s tonesand garden orn aments

,but the pl ace is st i l l a parad i se .

Yosh imitsu,th ird of the Ashikaga Shogun s, bu i l t th e

K inkakuji, and th i ther the great Ash ikaga ret ired to endh is

'

life . Th is refuge figures in the many novel s of th et ime of the Ash ikagas

,when the War of th e Ch rysanthe

mums,th e J apanese War of th e Roses

,raged

,and

the Emperors wi th the kugés suff ered actual want andprivat ion . The memory of th i s th i rd Ash ikaga is ah

horred,because he paid tr ibute to Ch in a and accepted

from that country in return th e t i t l e of “King of Japan ;but

'

he so fostered l uxury and art that some of h is otherS ins are forgiven h im . The pretty l i tt le pal ace at thel ake’s edge

,with it s golden roof and l acquered wal ls

,

has successful ly withstood the centur ies,and i s st i l l in

tact . In th e monaste ry bu i ld ings n ear th e gate-way areShown many wonderful kakemonos and screens

,and in

one court i s a p ine - tree trained in th e sh ape of a j unk,

hul l , mast, and sai l perfect ly reproduced in the feathery,l iving green needl es of th e tree . I t i s most in terest ingto see how the p at i en t gardeners h ave bent

,i n terl aced

,

t ied , weighted down , and propped up the l imbs and twigsto produce th i s model

,with the s low l abor of a century .

To the Ginkakuji ret ired the d ign ified Yosh imasa ,

eighth of the Ash ikaga Shoguns, to found a monasteryand to med itate

,unt i l wi th Murata Sh ink io

,th e priest

,

and Soam i, the pain ter, he evo lved th e m inute and e l aborate ceremon ies of ch a no yu . The weather—beatenboards and finely thatched roof of th e fi rst ceremon ia l

3 50

T/ze Pa laces a nd Ca stle

tea-house in Japan , bui l t before Columbus set sai l forth e Z ipangu of Marco Po lo

,are greatly revered -by J ap

anese vis i tors . Beauti fu l is the way to the Ginkakuji, pastthe h igh wal l s and gate-ways of monaste rie s

,past th e

towering gates of countless temples,up the i r long sh ad

ed avenue s,and on by bamboo groves and terraced ri ce

fie ld s . You buy wooden admiss ion t ickets for ten sen ,

wh ich you give to a l i tt l e acolyte,who opens the i nne r

gate-way . This cfiz'

sa z'

bonze san (smal l pri est)migh t h avebeen twelve years o ld

, but looked not more than fivewhen I first knew h im

,and from shaven head » to s an

daled foot he was a Buddh i st priest in min i ature . Th isShinkaku

,lead ing the way to the l ake w i th solemn

countenance and hands pr imly cl asped before h im , sud

den ly broke forth in to a'

wild , s ing - song ch an t,which

recited the names of the donors of the rocks and lanterns to the great Ash ikaga Yoshimasa . He made ustake off our Shoes and creep up th e steep and anc ien tstai r-way of th e Ginkakuji to see a b l ackened and venerable image of Am ida . Morning , noon , and n igh t servicei s said before the al tar in the l i tt le o ld temple by th el ake

,and thi s smal l p rie st burns i ncense

,p asses the sa

cred books,and assi sts the wrinkl ed and aged pri ests in

the Observances of the Zen sect of Buddh i sts . Back of

th e monastery bu i ld ings is a lotus pond , where the gr eatp ink flower - cups fi l l th e ai r with perfume

,and every

morn ing are set fresh before Buddha’s Shrine .

Going westward from Kioto the travel ler crosses ri cefie lds

,ski rts a long bamboo hedge

,and comes to the

summer palace of Katsura no Miya,a rel ic of the Tai

ko'

s days . An aunt of the Emperor occup ied i t unt i lhe r recent decease

,and to th at is probably due its per

fectpreservat ion . An ancient samura i w i th shaven crownand s i lken garments receives

,with a dozen bows

,the

handf ul of offi ci a l papers that const i tute a perm it to vi s i tthe imperia l demesne . Dropping his Shoes at the steps,

as :

yz‘

n r z'

éz‘

sfia Day s in yapan

the vis itor wanders through a labyrinth of l i t t le rooms,each exqu is i te

,S imple

,and charming, with i ts golden

screens and go ld-flecked ce i l ings . The irregu larly she lvedrecesses

,the c/zz

'

ga z’

dana of each room,the ramma, the

latt ices and windows,are perfect model s of J apanese taste

and art ; and th e Ta iko’

s crest i s wrough t in S i lver, gold ,and bronze on al l the mount ings

,and i s pain ted and

carved everywhere . The open rooms look upon a lovelygarden, and path s of flat- topped stones l ead through thet iny wi lderness of l ake

,forest

,th icket

,and stream ; over

old stone bridges , stained and l ichen-covered,to pictu

r esque tea-houses and pavi l ion s , overh anging the l ake .

S tone Buddhas and stone pagodas stand in Sh adowyplaces

,and stone l an terns under dwarf p ine-t rees are r e

flected in the curve of every t iny bay . I t i s an ideal Jap_

anese garden,with the dew of a m idsummer morn ing on

al l the spider webs,and on ly the low note of th e grass

hoppers to break th e st i l l n ess .Although al l touri sts spend a day in Shoot ing the rap ids

of th e Oigawa , i t seems to me a waste of prec iou s Kiotot ime and a performance out of harmony w ith th e sp iri t ofthe pl ace

,although in May the b loom ing azaleas cause

th at wi ld and n arrow canon to bl aze w ith color. Theflat-bottomed boats dart through the seven -mi le gorgeand dash from on e peri l of Sh ipwreck to another, j ustsaved by a dextrous touch of the boatmen

’

s poles,which

fi t i nto hol es in th e rocks th at they themse lves h ave worn .

The flooring of the boats is so th i n as to ri se and fal l withthe pressure of the water

,in a way th at seems at fi rst

most alarming. The passage ends at Ar ash iyama,a steep

h i l l c lothed with p ine,maple

,and cherry-trees

,wh ich in

cherry-blossom t ime, or in autumn , i s th e great resort ofal l K ioto, whose pleasur ings th ere form the theme of halfthe gei sh a’s songs and th e accompanying dances . Fromthe tea-house on th e oppos ite b ank the abrupt mount~

ain-S ide Shows a mat of densest fol iage . A tori i at the25:

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nr zlézZs/za D ay s in 7apa 7z

orated Skin . Back,breast

,arms , and th ighs are often

covered w ith e l aborate tattooed p ictures i n blue,red , and

black on the raw - umber ground . H is ph i losophy ofdress is a S imple one . When the weather i s too hot towear clothes they are left off

,and a wisp of straw for th e

feet,a loin-cloth

,and a huge fl at h at , a yard in di ameter,

weighing less than a feather,are enough for h im . When

there i s no money to buy raiment he tattoos h imse lf w ithgorgeous p ictures

,wh ich he would never h ide were there

not watchful pol icemen and Government l aws to compelh im into some scanty covering .

The d iet of these cool ies seems whol ly i nsufficient forthe tremendous l abor they perform— r ice

,pickled fish

,

fermented rad ish,and green tea aff ord ing the th in nutr i

ment of work ing-days . Yet the most sp lend id spec imensof physical heal th are reared and kept in pri ze-fightingcond it ion on what would reduce a fore igner to invalidism i n a week . I remember th at wh il e rest ing on e hotmorn ing under Sh inn iodo’

s great gate -way,my cool ie

,

who by an unusual ly early start had been interruptedin h is breakfast of one green appl e

,asked for some tea

money . I watched the h ungry pony wh i le he treated h i scompan ions to a substan t i a l repast of tea and watermelon . S t rengthened and recuperated

,he came back

,

shouldered camera and tripod,and as h e walked down

the hot flagging, compl acen tly p icked h is teeth wi ththe sharp po in t of one tr ipod st ick m a toothp ick fourfeet long !

K1t S i lk I ndustr y

CHAPTER XXVI

K IOTO S ILK INDUSTRY

K ror o remain s the home of the arts , al though no longer the seat of government . Fo r centur ies i t m in is teredto th e luxury of the two courts, wh ich gathered togetherand encouraged hosts of art i st s and art i san s , whose descendants l ive and work in th e o ld home . Kioto S i lksand crapes

,Kioto fans

,porce lai ns

,bronzes

,lacquer

,carv

ings,and embro ideries p reserve the i r qual i ty and fame

,

and are dearer and better t han any other .S i lk i s th e most val uab le art ic l e of export wh ich Japan

produces,and raw s i lk to the value of th i rty mi l l ions of

yens goes annual ly to fore ign consumers,wh i le the home

market buys nearly seven m i l l ions o f yens’ worth of manufactur ed fabri cs . The Nish ij i n quarter of Kioto andthe Josho d istri ct, north-west of Tokio , are the great s i lkcent res of J apan

,a nd any si l k merch ant

,fingeri ng a crape

gown,wi l l te l l in stan tly wh ich of the r ival d i str icts pro

duced i t . Recently Kofu,west of Tok io

,ahd Hach ioj i

,

twenty m i les south,have become important centres of

manufacture as we l l . The si lk market h as its fluctuat ions , i t s pan ics, and i t s dai ly quotat ions by cab le ; butraw S i lk has so i nherent a value th at i t is a good col lateral securi ty at any bank

,and the s i l k-broker is as wel l

establ i shed and importan t a pe rsonage in the mercant i leworld of the O rient as the s tock-broker in th e O ccident .Next to speci e or gems

,si lk i s the most valuable of com

mod ities i n proport ion to its bu lk , the cargo of a S inglesteamer often represen ting a value of two mi l l ion do l lars

zss

7z'

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s/za D ay s in 7apan

i n gold . The U n i ted S tates i s the greates t con sumer ofJapan ’s raw S i lk . In 1 8 75 fifty

-th ree bales on ly o f rawsi lk and cocoon s were sh ipped to Am eri ca . I n 1 8 78

there were two thousand th ree hundred and th irty-sixbales

,i n 1 8 8 7 some Sixteen thousand eight h und red and

s ixty-four bal es,and i n 190 1 th e export of raw si lk to

America amounted to forty seven thousand six hundredand sixty-two bales . Our share of th e raw s i lk i s nearlyal l consigned to Paterson

,N . J . With th e open ing of th i s

great fore ign trade,s i lk i s cl earer to the Japanese con ~

sumer th an twenty years ago ; and whi le i t still'

fur n ishe s

the ceremoni al d ress,and is th e choice of the rich

,cot ton

and,of l ate

,wool h ave taken i ts p l ace to a great exten t .

E verywhere the rear ing of the worms goes on . Thes i lk d istr icts and vi l l ages are al ways thr iving, prosperous

,and t id i ly kept

,forming peacefu l and contented

commun it ies . Each house becomes both a n ursery forth e worms and a home factory

,where every member of

the fam i ly engages in the work . Wages in S i lk d i strict srange from eight to twenty cents , i n Un ited S tates gold ,for a day’s work of e ighteen hours , the h igh er pr ice being

'

paid to the most expert and experienced only . Thehouses are al l spacious

,kept most exqu is i te ly c lean

,ven

tilated,and held to an even temperature . Sh eets of pa

per coated w ith eggs,and look ing l ike so much sand

paper,wi l l in a few days fi l l th e wait i ng trays wi th t iny

wh ite worms . The mulberry- l eaves h ave to be choppedas fine as dust for these new-comers

,which are dai ly

l ifted to fresh trays by mean s of chopst icks,th e fingers

being too rough and strong for such de l icate h andl ings .Fo r a week at a t ime the t iny glutton s crawl and eat

,

then take a day and n igh t of sl eep,maintai n ing th is r ow

t ine for five weeks,when

,having grown l arge enough

,

they begin to wind themse lves'

up i n cocoons . Then thecauldron of boil ing water and the wh irl ing reel ch angethe yel low bal l s in to great ske ins of sh in ing S i lk

,ready

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that seemed harm less as water, but murdered sleep .

Everywhere we found a new garden more enchant ingthan the l ast

,and everywhere the way in wh ich work

room and ki tchen,l iv ing room and sales- room were com

bin ed ; women , ch i ldren , fam i ly, workmen , and servantswere ruled over by the master of th e home and factory

,

offered a curious study in pol i t ical economy and patr iarch al government .U nti l th e Emperor

,and fin al ly the Empress and court

l adie s abandoned the nat ional dress,th e court-weaver of

brocade remained a con s iderab le personage,for h e and

h is ancestors h ad been both tai lo rs and dress-makers tothose august personages . We v i s i ted the beaut ifu l garden and l an te rn-hung verandas of th i s art i st i c dictator,and s ipped tea

,fanned the wh i l e by atten t ive maids

,

whi le the stout,d ign ified

,and prosperous h ead of th e an

c ient house and our Japanese offi cia l escort conversed .

Afterwards we were shown the books of brocade ands i lks manufactured for the imper ia l fami ly and court .The gorgeousness of some of th ese

,espec ial ly the b laz

i ng red brocade,st i ff with pure gold thread and covered

with huge designs of th e imperi al Chrysanth emum,or

the Pau lown ia crest of the Emperor’s fam i ly,fa irly daz

z led us . We saw the pattern of the old Emperors’ ceremon ial robes

,and pattern s des igned by past Empresses

for the i r regal att i re . Several of these were of a puregolden yel low

,woven w ith many gold threads ; one de

sign hal f covered with fine,ske leton bamboos on th e

sh immering,sun sh iny ground . The Spl endid fabrics that

bear the imper ial crest may be woven on ly for the reigning fami ly, and the i r furn iture -coverings

,draperies

,and

carriage - l i n ings are as careful ly made and guarded asbank-note paper. Squares of th ickest red S i lk, wroughtwith a s i ngle gold Chrysanthemum

,are woven for the

Fore ign O ffi ce , as cases fo r state papers and envoys’

credent ial s . Rol l s of the finest wh ite s i lk were ready to258

K ioto 5171? Industry

be made in to undergarmen ts for th e Emperor, who , never wearing such art ic les tw ice

,obl iges h i s tai lor to keep

a l arge supply ready and these garment s that h ave oncetouched the sacred person are h igh ly treasured by loyalsubjects .

The weaver exh ibi ted flam ing s i lks covered with hugepeon ies

,or fine maple-leaves, or c i rcles of writh ing dra

gon s,wh ich the outs ide m il l ion may buy if th ey choose ,

but not a s ixteen-petal led Ch rysanthemum are they privi leged to obtain from h im in any way . I n d i scuss ing thechangeableness of the American taste

,Kobayash i and

h i s staff wondered that the mass of our people d id not

car e for S i lks that would wear fo rever,rather than for

the cheap fancies of the moment . The Japanese cl ingto the real ly good th ings th at h ave stood the test of acentury ’s taste

,and J apanese l ad ies h ad a pride in wear

ing the brocade th at had been thei rs for a l i fet ime andthei r mothers ’ before them . In nob le fami l ies i nheritedceremon i al dresses are as h igh ly treasured as the pl ateand j ewe l s of European fami l ies , though they are now

se ldom worn . Roll s of such S i lks and brocades wereoften presen ted by Emperor and Shogun to thei r courtie r s, and th e common saying, He wears rags

,but h is

heart i s brocade,

” attests the esteem in wh ich these n i

s/n'

kis (brocades) were held in o lden t imes , and those

y esso with the i r reverse a loose rainbow of woofth reads

,are far removed from the th in , fiat, papery, char

acte r less st uff s known as Japanese brocades in the cheapfore ign trade .

A heavy si lk tapestry, pecul i ar to Japan , al though suggested by Ch inese model s

,i s best woven now at the

Dotemachi Gakko , an industr ial school fo r girl s , mainta ined by the Government . The art h ad nearly d iedout when the aged tapestry-weaver was brough t to theschool and given a cl ass of th e most promising pupi l s .The fabric is woven on h and - frames

,th e design being

’59

7zh r zléz'

s/za D ay s i n 7apan

sketched on the wh ite warp th reads , wrought i n withshuttles or bobbins, and the threads pressed down with acomb . Each p iece of the design i s made by i tse lf

,and

connected by occas ional cross threads,or br ides

,as in

l ace . The fabric i s not dear , con sidering i ts superiorbeauty and durab il i ty, as compared to th e moth- invi t ingtapestr ies of the Gobel in s and Beauvais, and conven

tional and cl ass i c des ign s are st i l l fo l lowed , the old dyesused

,and gold thread l avish ly in terwoven .

The gold th read employed in weaving brocades andtapestries i s e ither a fine thread wound with gold fo i l

,

a strip of tough paper coated with gold - dust,or threads

wound with common gold - paper. The fineness andqual i ty of the gold affec t the cost of any materi al i n towh ich i t enters

,and in ordering a fabric or a p iece of

embroidery one st ipul ates c lose ly as to the gold- threademployed . The fine gold - wires of Russian brocadesare very rarely used

,because of thei r greater cost . The

manufacture of gold thread i s an open secret,and wom

en are often seen at work in th e s treets , stretch ing and

twisti ng the fine go lden fi l aments in length s of twentyand th i rty feet .The old dyers were as much masters of th e ir craft as

the o ld weavers ; and in try ing to match the colors i n ap iece of yesso n ish iki

,I once went the round of Pari s

Shops and dress -makers’ establ i shments in vain . Nothing they aff orded would harmon ize wi th the soft tonesof th e o ld dy‘es . A dist ingu ish ed American conno isseur

,

wish ing to dupl icate a cord and tasse l from on e of h iso ld l acquer boxes

,took i t to a Paris i an cord-maker . The

who le staff looked at i t, and the proprietor asked perm iss ion to unrave l a b it

,to decipher the twi st and obtain

some long threads for the dyer. But wi th mon th s oft ime al lowed h im , he cou ld not reproduce the colors norbraid a cord l ike th e origi n al

,nor even retw ist the Jap

anese cord he had unravel l ed .

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yin r i f'zs/za Day s in japan

the Japanese have produced a dozen ki nds,each wr in~

kled,cockl ed

,waved

,and cri nkled m d i fferent ways . The

great Joshu d istrict produces not as many k inds of crapeas Kioto

,and N ish ijin

’

s l ooms are bus ier each year,weav

i ng drapes as l igh t and th i n as gauze,or as heavy and

soft as velvet ; some costi ng only th i rty or forty centsa yard

,and others two and three do l lars for an arm ’s

length . The soft,th ick

,heavi ly - r ibbed ka l e lzabuta i

,

KABE HABUTAI

once kept for ceremon ia l gowns and the favorite gift s ofthe great , i s most expens ive , having heavier th reads andl arger cockles than other crapes

,and never showing

crease o r wrinkle . Plai n crape,or c/zz

'

r imen,d i ffers as the

fineness of thread and the closeness of weaving add to it sweigh t . E l u

'

sa clzz’

r z'

men might be cal led r cp auseé, fromthe scale- l ike convex it ies of i t s surface

,and i s a most

fasc inat ing fabric . Finest and most exqu i s i te of al l i s262

the lustrous kinu clzir imcn, or crinkled s i lk, which shows

C“

only the finest l ines and paral le l r idgings marking it ssurface lengthwise . Used ch iefly for the care less ly t iedobi of th e bath kimono, or as obis/zime

,tied over the

CH IRIMEN

womens’

heavy sat i n and brocade ob i s to keep the i r st ifffolds in p l ace , these stringy scarfs add a last art i st ictouch of color to a costume . Kinu ch irimen shrink shalf its width , but loses noth ing in length in the bath ,and a tan a yard wide ranges from e igh teen to twentyeight dol lars in price . Ka raoke clzi r imeu i s p la in crapedotted over with knots or proj ect ions in d iff erent colors

,

a resul t arr i ved at by processes s im il ar to those employed at Ar imatsu for dyeing cotton goods

.

Hzmama i, so l i t t le known outs ide the home market

,i s

a most art i st ic fabri c, rough ly and loose ly woven of thethr eads of the wi ld , mounta i n S i lk-worm,

that i s fed on

7in r i l‘islza D ay s in 7apa n

oak - leaves . Yamamai h as th e natural yel low color'

ofthe cocoons

,is cons idered both a cure and prevent ive

of rheumat i sm,and is often worn at the command of

foreign phys i c ian s . I t i s softer to the touch th an theCh inese pongee, not be i ng weigh ted wi th the clay dressing of Shantung pongees, wh i le much h eavier than theInd i an tussores , al l three of these fabrics be ing theproduct of th e same wi ld oak-sp i nner .The painted crapes of K ioto , speci al ly des igned for

ch i ldren ’s hol iday dresses and ob i s,are works of art

,ln

the manufacture of wh ich the old cap i tal holds a lmost amonopoly . Al l th e elaborate processes of pattern ing

EBISU CH IRIMEN

such crapes were shown us one morn ing at N ishimur a’sgreat estab l i shment . First

,on a square of wh i te crape,

wrung out i n water and pasted down at the edges on aboard , the out l i ne of the princ ipa l des ign was sketched

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7in r iki slza D ay s in yapa n

a troop of men,women

,ch i ldren , and j1nr ikishas, al l

with glowing lanterns,

figuring as s i lhouettes on Sanjiobridge .

When a whole tan of crape i s to be painted , much ofthe design may be stenci l l ed through perforated cardboard

,but

,in general

,th e best pa in ted crapes d i sp l ay

free-hand sketches,with pattern s n ever exact ly repeated

,

nor exact ly match i ng at th e edges . After the genera loutl in e i s sketched

,the tan

,sewn together at the ends

,

is made to revolve hori zon tal ly on two cyl i nders , l ike arol l er towel

,pass ing before a row of seated workmen

,

each of whom adds a s ingle co lor,or app l ies the resi s t

,

”

and S l ips i t along to the next . S i tt ing on th e mats,the

sol es-of h is feet turned upward in h i s l ap,in a pose th at

a c ircus contort ion ist migh t envy,each workman has a

glowing h ibach i at h is knees,over wh ich h e dri es h is

own work . And such work ! Hazy rainbows on m i stysk ie s

,fl ights of b irds

,Sh adows of trees and rushes

,

branches of pines and b lossom ing twigs,comical fig

u res , an imals , and fantast ical ch imeras , kale idoscop ic arrangem en ts of the most v ivid color s . the eye can bear .These pain ted crapes are beyond compare

,and the Eng

l i sh and Dutch im i tat ion s in printed del aines fal l ab

sur dly short .Fol lowing the Ch inese example

,Kioto s i lk -weavers

now make s i lk rugs equal l ing the famous ones of Pe

kin . Even when new they h ave a finer bloom andsheen th an the ol d prayer-rugs of western Asia

,but their

des igns , fi rst made from the suggest ions of an Americanhouse , are ne ith er J apanese , Turki sh , nor at a l l O rient al , nor do they al low the best eff ects to be obtained .

At two dol l ars a square foot,these th ick

,soft rugs make

the costl iest of floor cover ings in a country where thecotton and hemp rugs of O saka se l l fo r a few cents asquare foot, and the natural camel

’s-hair rugs of NorthCh ina for e igh teen cents a square foot .

266

Embr oider ie s a nd Cur ios

CHAPTER XXV I I

EMBRO IDERIES AND CUR IOS

THEIR range of st i tches, thei r ingen ious method s andcombinat ion s

,and the vari ety of eff ects attained with th e

needl e and a few strands of co lored s i lk , eas i ly place theJapanese fi rst among al l embroiderers . Although Ch in ataught them to embro ider, they far surpass the Ch inesein des ign

,co lor

,and art ist ic qual i t i es , whi le they attain

a m inute and mechan ica l exactness equal to the sou lless

,expression less prec is ion of the best Ch inese work .

They can s imulate the hair and fur of an imals, th eplumage of b irds

,the hard scal es o f fi sh es and drag

ons , th e bloom on fru i t, the dew on flowers,the muscles

of bodies,t i ny faces and hands

,th e patterned folds of

d rapery,the clear reflect ion of l acquer

,the gl aze of po r

ce lains,and th e patin a of bronzes in a way imposs ible to

any but the J apanese hand and needle . Somet imes theycover the whol e groundwork with couched designs in aheavy knotted s i lk

,and th i s pecu l i ar embroidery has the

name of kin/tan nu itsuké. Wi th floss s i lk,with twis t

ed si lks,with French knots

,and with gold and s i lver

thread , couched down wi th d ifferen t colored s i lks , withs i lk threads couched , and with conceal ed couch ings , aneed le-worker attain s every color eff ect of the pain ter ;nor does the embroiderer d i sdain to use the brush , orto powder and spatter h i s des igns with gold

,nor to en

cr oach upon the p l ast ic art by h i s wonde rful model l ingof rai sed su rfaces , rival l ing the scul ptor with h is counterfei t faces . H is invent ion and ingenu ity are inexhaustible , and the modern craftsmen preserve al l the ski l l ofthei r ancestors .

267

yz'

n r zk i s/za D ay s in 7apa n

The o ldest exist ing p iece of J apanese need le-work isthe manda l la of a n un ,

kept at Tayem a temple in Yamato

,which is certa in ly of . the eigh th cen tury

,al though

l egend ascribes i t to the d ivine Kwannon . P ieces of

equal an tiqu i ty, doubtless, are in the sealed godowns ofNara temples

,but very l i tt l e i s known of them . The

latest triumphs of th e art, p iece s showing the l im i t ofth e needl e’s poss ib i l i t ies

,are the ornamental panel s and

makemono executed fo r th e Tokio palace,and

- otherwork by th e same art is ts exh ib ited at Pari s in 18 89 .

Th is exh ibi t ion work was executed under imperia l command at Nishimur a

’

s,the largest S i lk-shop in Kioto, a

p l ace to wh ich every vis i tor i s p i l oted forthwi th . Sol idbrown wal ls

,b lack curtain ed doors

,and the crest of

th ree hexagons are a l l that one sees from wi thout ; butthe crest i s repeated at door-ways across the street andaround corners

,unt i l on e real i zes wh at a v i l lage of crape

weavers and painters,ve lvet-weavers and embroiderers

,

i s set in th e heart of K ioto by th i s one fi rm . The masterof the th ree hexagons has taken innumerab l e medal s,gold

,s i lve r

,and bronze

,at home and abroad

,and

,in r e

sponse to every i n vi tat ion to make a national exh ib it,Governmen t commands are sen t h im at Kioto . Theblank outer wal l s and common en trance

,the bare rooms

with two o r th ree accoun tants s i tt i ng before low desks,

do not i nd icate the treasures of godown and Show-roomthat l i e beyond . In an inn er room

,wi th an exqu is ite

ce i l i ng of i nterl aced p ine shavings,curtain s

,kakemono

,

screens,and fukusa are heaped h igh

,wh ile others are

con t inual ly brough t in by the smal l porters . In sp i te ofthe repu tat ion and the art i st ic poss ib i l i t i es of the establ ishme nt

, i t sends out much cheap , taste l ess , and in

fe r io r work to meet the demands of fore ign trade,and

of the touri st s who des ire the so-cal led J apanese th ingsthey are used to see ing at home .

For the old embro ideries,those Sp l end id rel ics of th e

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yin r iki s/za D ay s in 7am”

colors , and on the b ack of such p ieces one often foundpoems, sacred verses , and fervent vows, written by thepious ones who had made offerings of them to thetemples .The stores of fukusas seemed i nexh aust ib le a few years

ago , and I can remember days of del ight i n th at i ll-smel l

FUKU SA

i ng old corner of Awata,when one out of every five fuku

sa was a treasure, wh i le now there are hardly five goodones in a hundred of those needle p ictures

.The finest

work was l avi shed on these squares of sat i n o r crape,279

Enzor oicler zes and Cu r ios

wh ich former et iquette demanded to have l aid over theboxes contain ing gifts or notes

,both box and fukusa to

be duly adm ired and returned to the sender . These ceremon ia l cloth s were part of the trousseau of every brideof h igh degree , and o ld fami l i es possess them by scores .

The n icest et iquette ordered the choice of the fukusa ,and the season , the gift, the gi ver, and the receiver wereconsidered in select ing the part icu lar wrapping . Thegreates t art ist s have made des igns for them

,and a few

celebrated o nes,beari ng Hokusa i

’

s s ignature , are ownedby European col lectors . The crests of the feudal fami l iesbecome fami l i ar to one from the ir constan t repet i tion on

fukusas . Numbe r le ss J apanese legends,and symbol s as

wel l,constan tly reappear

,and no two are ever exact ly

al ike in des ign or execut ion,however often one may see

the same subj ect t reated . Equal ly popular are al l thesymbols of long l ife— the pine

,the plum

,the bamboo ; the

torto i se with the fringed shel l th at l i ves for a thousandyears ; the peach that took a thousand years to ripen ; th estork, the old man and woman under the p ine- tree ha i ling the ri s i ng sun— and al l

,when wrapping a gi ft

,equal

ly convey a del icate ly expressed wish fo r l ength o f days .The fierce old saints and d iscip les

,who with the i r drag

ons and t igers l ive on o ld Satsuma surfaces , keep com

pany with the sages who rode through the a i r on storks,

torto i ses,or carp

, o r stand unrol l ing sacred scro l l s beneath bamboo groves . And the Seven Household Godsof Luck

,the blessed Sh ich i Fukujin , are on the fukusa

as wel l . There smi l e Daikoku,the god o f riches

,upon

h is rice-bags,hammer and purse in hand ; Ebisu , the god

of plen ty, with his l i tt le red fish ; Jur ojin ,the serene o ld

god o f longevity,with h i s m it red cap, wh ite beard , staff ,

and deer ; h igh-brewed Fukur okujin , lo rd of popular i tyand wi sdom ; Hotei , spi ri t of goodness and k indness ,sack on back , fan in hand , and ch i ldren cl imb ing and

tumbl i ng over h im ; b lack-faced B ishamon . god of war271

yz'

n r zks /za Day s in yapan

and force,hold ing h i s l ance and min i atu re pagoda ; and

Benten Sama, goddess of grace and beau ty,playing the

l ute .

I b ka r a B uné,the good luck sh ip

,the New - year’s

j unk,with dragon beak and s i lken sai l , bearing rich

gifts from the unknown land,i s another favori te subj ect .

To sleep wi th takara bune’s image under one’s woodenpi l low on New-year’s n igh t i nsures good- l uck and gooddreams for the rest of th e year . Q u i te as S ign ificant arethe taka r a mono, th e anc i en t and c lass i c good- l uck symbols

,wh ich are the hat, h ammer, key, straw coat, bag or

purse,sacred gem o r pearl

,the scro l l s

,th e clove

,th e

sk ippo, o r seven prec ious th i ngs , and the weights . Theseemblems

,i ntroduced everywhere , fi l l flower-ci rcles

, or thespaces and groundwork of geometrica l des ign s

,and are

always rece ived w ith favor . The Shoj o,who have drunk

sake unt i l the i r hai r has turned red , the rats and the radi sh

,the cock on the temple drum

,poems in superb let

tering,al l ornament the fukusa

,and there the myster ious

manjz’

,or hook- cross

,and the mitsn tomoyé, o r three com

mas curved with in a ci rc le are cont i nual ly reproduced .

This manj i i s the Svast ik a,or Buddh i st cross of In

d ia,wh ich appears in th e frescos of th e Pyram ids and

the Catacombs,in Greek art

,in Etruscan

tombs,i n the embroideri es and m issal s of

med iae val Europe,in the S candin avian de

sign known as Thor’

s h ammer,in old Eng

l i sh heraldry, i n th e Ch inese symbol cal ledthe “ tablet of honor

,and on i nn umerabl e

temple ornaments .Five of the o ld daim io fam i l ies h ad the man j 1 as thei r

crest,and i t came to Japan from Ch in a and Ind i a

,along

with the Buddh i s t re l igion . O n o ld armor,flags

,and war

fan s i t i s constantly found , and i t i s the sign of l i fe , of thefour e lements, of ete rn i ty ; the porten t of good- l uck

,th e

tal isman of safety from evi l sp i r its,and an amulet against

2 72

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7z'

n r iki ska D ay s in i7apan

sun to th icken and bl acken , may be seen dai ly in th estreets of any J apanese c i ty . New lacquer is so po i sonous to many persons that the cu rious are con ten t towatch at a d istan ce

,wh i l e th e workmen apply coat after

coat,set the art ic l e in a moi sten ed box to dry s lowly,

and grind ing and pol ish ing surface after surface,add

those wonderfu l d ecorat ion s th at resu l t in a trifle l ighta s air and prec ious as gold or gems .The incense-Shop i s on e of th e cho icest and most

tru ly Japanese of curio-Shops . I t looks,from the street

,

an every-day aff air ; but after prop it i at ing the attendantsby a purch ase o f perfume

,the inner weal th i s revealed

in rooms fi l led with the choicest old wares . The sal esmen tempt the v i s i tor w i th rare kor os

,or i ncense - burn

ers,and

,in an el emen tary way

,th e master pl ays the dai

m io ’s o ld game of the Twenty Perfumes . He sprinkleson the h ibach i ’s glowing coal s some l itt l e bl ack morsel sin the shape of l eaves

,b los soms

,or characters ; scatter

ing green part ic l es,brown part ic l es

,and grayish ones

and showing the ignorant al ien how to catch the ascending col umn of pale-b lue smoke in the ben t h andc lose the fingers upon i t

,and convey i t to th e nose .

You cannot te l l wh ich odor you prefer,nor remember

wh ich dried part icl e gave forth a part icul ar fragrance .

The nose i s bewi ldered by the commingl ed wreath s andmixed cathedra l odors

,and the maste r chuckles del ight

ed ly .

There are certain curio- shops of an even more exal tedkind , unknown to touri sts , and reserved to J apaneseconnoi sseurs and to those few em inent fore ign residentswho , i n taste and appreciat ion , are J apanese . There

,

l i tt l e tea-j ars, anc ien t tea-bowl s , and ornaments for theink - box del igh t those to th e manne r born

,and com

mand great prices ; and there one sees th e prec ious ironpots of Riobondo l i fted from brocade bags

,and anc ien t

p ieces of wrought and in l a id bronze and iron,o ld he l

2 74

Embr oider ies a nd Cur ios

mets and swords,such as are to be found nowhere

el se .

Tokio and O saka rival th e K io to makers of the finermodern meta l - work , al l three c i t ies h aving been equalcapital s and centr e s of weal th and luxury in the feudaldays

,when the armorer was the warrior ’s right - hand .

The descendants of th e anc i en t metal-workers of K iotosti l l l abor at the o ld forges

,and marvel s of art , as we l l

as of patien t l abor,come from the various workshops of

the town . Both o ld and new design s are employed tobeautify new combinat ion s of metal s , but at the presentday the metal - workers ’ art expends itself on trifl ingth ings . I n stead of adorn ing armor and weapon s andfash ion ing the ir exqui s ite orn aments , the art i sts

’ tasteand ski l l must be l avi shed on vases , placques, i ncenseburners

,h ibach is

,water-pots

,and flower-stands

,and the

countless cheap tr ifles and specimen s of bijouter ie madefor exportat ion . I n the coloring

,cutt ing

,and in l aying

of bronze the J apanese are un ri val l ed ; but fo r th e greatmetal-work o f the empire the stud en t of nat ive art mustv i s i t p rivate col lec t ion s and the t reasures of the greatcurio-Shops .

Feuda l l i fe invested swords and armor with the i r h ighes tate , and gave the armorer h is rank . The fine temperof th e old blades has long chal lenged European admiration , and the sword - guards

,the kn ife - hand les

,and th e

m i nute orn aments of the h i l t are beyond compare . Sen

riment, l egend , and poetry gl ori fy the sword , and theed ict of 18 71 , wh ich forbade thei r use as weapon s , iacreased the i r value as rel ics

,and brought thousands of

them i n to the curio marke t . In rich and noble fam i l iesthey have always been treasured

,but col l ection s of fine

blades are found in othe r countries as wel l , and thenames of Mur amasa and Masamuné and the M ioch infami ly, are as wel l known as that o f Benvenuto Ce l l i n ito co nnoi sseurs of metal-work anywhere .

27s

r iki ska D ay s in yapa n

In the earl ier uncommercial ti mes l itt l e d i st i nct ion wasrecogn ized in the comparat ive value of metals . Thei rfi tness for the purpose requ i red , and the e ffect ivenes s ofthei r t i n ts and tones for carrying out ornamental de~

s igns,were what the art i st cons idered . One metal was

as easi ly wrought by h im as another . I ron was l ike c l ayin h i s competent h ands , and he moulded , cut, and hammered as he w i l l ed

,us ing c0ppe r , gold , s i l ver, i ron , t in ,

z i nc,l ead

,and antimony s imply as p igrrients, _

and comb in ing them as a pai n ter wou ld h is co lors . The wel lknown m oan/n

,or m ixed copper and S i lver, an d slzakua

’

o

o r mixed i ron,copper

,and gold

,are only general n ames

for th e great range of t i nts and tones,shad ing from

tawn iest - yel low to darkest - brown and a purpl e - black,

and from s i l ver-whi te to the darkest stee ly-gray. S i l verand go ld were in l ai d wi th i ron

,th e h arder metal upon

the softer,and sol id lumps of gold

,S i lver

,and l ead are

found encrusted in bronze in a way to defy al l knownlaws of the fus ion of metal s . Wh i l e good

,

and even marvel lons work i s st i l l done

,the o ld sp ir i t isgon e

,and the

objects of to—day seem almost unworthy the art l avi shedon them .

The magic m irror i s s t i l l manufactured in Kioto,and

al though the touri st i s often assured that i t does notexi st, i nnumerable specimens prove that th e face of acommon pol i shed stee l m i rror

,of good qual i ty

,wil l reflect

the same des ign as that rai sed in re l ief on i t s back . Withsmal l m irrors ten i n ches in diameter

,as wi th the l argest

,

in thei r el aborate l acquered cases, one may throw ,

witha ray of sun l ight

,a clear-cut image on wal l or cei l ing .

The pressure of the uneven surface at the back,th e va

r ying density of the metal , and the eff ect of pol i sh ing,al l comb ine to give th i s curious at tr ibute to these kagami

, which are gradual ly giv ing pl ace to fore ign glass andqu icks i lver.

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7i n r i kis/za D ay s i n 7afia n

to wh ich softly - toned and s imply - decorated ware i ti s no more l ike than i s a Henri Deux tazza to a Limoges garden - stool . K inkoz an turns out al so a coarses/zzffioy aki , o r cloisonneé en amel , some on faience andsome on copper ground ; and the blue-and-wh i te-gownedyoung man wi l l l ead on e past garden and godown

,and

Show on e every stage and process of the manufacture ofthe d i fferen t wares . The potters s it i n l i tt le open al

coves of rooms , each with h is low whee l and heap of

clay before h im . One o ld man S i ts with h i s feet doubledup before h im ,

h i s righ t foot locked fast in th e bendof the left knee , and the left foot l aid so l e upward on

the r igh t th igh,in th e impossib le att itude of so many

Buddhas . This posi t ion h e main tai n s with comfort forhours

,and th i s l ean , bald - headed

,old man

,wearing

noth ing but a loi n-cloth and a pair of huge,round

,owl

i sh spectacles,i s as interest ing as h i s work . He puts a

handful of wet gray cl ay on th e whee l before h im,mak

ing it revolve wi th a dexterous touch of th e hand,wh il e

he works the lump of cl ay into a th ick,broad bowl . With

h is fingers and a few l i tt l e st icks h e soon stretches thebowl upward

,n arrows it fo r a neck

,broaden s and flat

tens it a l i ttle at the top , and presen tly l ifts o ff a gr acefulvase and sets i t on a board with a row o f others . In ari

other p l ace the workmen are gri nd ing and working thecl ay in another

,preparing the gl aze and applying i t

,

and near them are the k i ln s in every stage . In a further

gar den the decorators are at work,each w ith h is box of

brushes and colors bes ide h im,the vase being kept in

h alf - hori zon tal pos it ion before h im by a wooden . rest .Each piece goes from on e man to another

,beginn ing

with the one who sketches the design s in faint outl ine,

thence passing to h im who does the faces to a th ird whoappl ies the red

,to a fourth who touches in th e d i aper

work and traceries, and so on to the man who l iberally bestows the gild ing. Last ly

,two women s lowly bur

278

Potter i es a nd Paper I’Va r es

n i sh th e gold by rubbing i t over wi th wet agates or carne l i an .

At the other houses faience,i n an infin ity o f new and

strange designs and extraord in ary colo rs i s seen , eachless and less J apanese . Al l these Awata potters workalmost ent irely for the fore ign market

,and the i r nove l

t ies are not d isclosed to th e v is i tor,nor sold in Japan

,

unt i l they have had thei r vogue in the New York andLondon markets . From those foreign centres come iastr uctions as to shapes , colors , and designs l ikely to provepopular for anothe r season

,and the ceramic artists ab

jectly fol low these foreign model s . All th i s helps to confuse a stranger ; for, though the wares are named for thedi s tricts , town s, and provinces o f thei r supposed nat ivity, he finds them made everywhere el se— Satsuma

,in

three or four places outs ide of S atsuma ; the Kaga ofcommerce, almost anywhere except in Kaga ; wh ile un

decorated porcel ai n is brough t from France by sh ip -loadsto be decorated and sent out again , and eve rywhere thedebasing eff ect of im i tat ion and of th is yie ld ing to fore ign d ictates appears .Cart- loads , car- loads, and sh ip loads of screen s go from

the great ports to fore ign countri es,and in Kioto the

larger proport ion of these are manufactured . Whetheroyobzz, th e Screen , i s a purely J apanese invent ion , o r avariat ion of the h inged door easi ly suggested to anyprimit ive people who can watch Nature ’s many trapdoors and h inges

,th i s people certain ly makes most per

s i sten t use o f i t . Twenty d iff eren t k inds may be seen inone ’s dai ly rides past the l i ttl e open houses

,but n ever

does one d i scover the abomination s in coarse gold th readon black sat in grounds so common in our count ry andso high ly esteemed . The four-fold o r s ix-fold screen ofa Japanese house has i ts plain s i lk

,paper

, or gold-l eafsurface

,covered with one large design or picture extend

ing over the whole surface , i n stead of the narrow panels279

yznr ikzlska D ay s i n yapan

and patches of separate p ictures wh ich Western taste demands . In great establ i shments and monaster ies thereis a tsui taté or fl at

,sol id screen of a s ingle panel , with i n

the main door-way o r vest ibu l e— a survival of a Ch inesefash ion

,i ntended l ess to baffl e inquis i t ive eyes th an to

keep out evi l spi r i ts and beasts . Pecul i ar to K ioto arescreens on wh ich phosphorescen t paint i s used . A favor ite design for these i s the rice field at dusk

,starred

with fl ickering fir e-fl ies,whose l igh ts glow the more as

th e room darken s . A half century ago Gioksen ,the ar

tist,ach ieved great fame with these phosphorescen t fir e

fl ies ; and recently the idea has been revived , with a fineprom ise of be ing vulgari zed

,grow ing coarser and cheaper

in execut ion and poorer in qual i ty,to meet the demands

of the barbarian markets of th e O cc iden t . In th e New

year week,when each fami ly brings out i ts choicest

screen s,the d ispl ay in the best st reets i s an art exh ibi t ion .

S creen s of a l l sorts are more importan t in summer l ifeth an c loth ing

,and

,of necessi ty

,are greatly re l ied on in

th e absence of garments . S creens wi th t iny windows inthem shel ter the undressed cit i zen and give h im gl impsesof th e road , and screen s w ith a variety of She lves andhooks bring a whol e k i tchen to th e S ide of th e hib ach ion a w indy day. Among summer screen s

,th e common

e st i s the sua’a r e

,or curtain of reeds or t i ny bamboo

jo ints strung on th reads . The waving of these stringsand the i r t inkl ing sound are supposed to suggest thefreshness of the st i rring breeze, and the Japanese imagination tran sforms the b its of cryst al

,strung here and

there,i nto cool rain -drops s l ipp ing down the bamboo

stems . The taste of the fore ign buyer h as vulgari zedth e sudare

,which i s often a n ightmare of crude design

and worse color , weigh ted w ith gl as s beads of every co lo r

, and even made ent ire ly of beads . The sudare in th estreet s of a Japanese town i s almost as surely a Sign of

a sh0p where sh aved ice and cool ing drinks may be had ,280

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yin r iki ska D ay s in 7ap an

or k iog i , made of twenty-five broad wooden st icks strungtogether

,and wound with heavy s i lk cords , and as long

as the Empress retained the o ld dress she and her l ad iescarried these heavy and useless artic le s . The sue/zir o, orwide -end fans of the p rie s ts, were a special ty of Kiotoand Nara

,and the sueh iro accompan ied every gift at

New Years,wedd ings

,and ann ivers ar ies , as cert ain ly as

the red and gold cords and oddly fo lded l it tl e papersnow do . The gumoa i uck izoa , heavy war fans , often wi thiron or bronze outer-st icks , went with each su i t of armor ;and the l arge oblong uchiwa

,descend ing from priests to

No dancers and to umpires in games and contests, wereequal ly wel l ~known product ion s of Kioto . Fans serve aninfini te variety o f purposes and speak a l anguage in th i sl and of the i r own

,and no season or cond it ion of l i fe is

without i ts m in istration s . The farmer w innows h i s grainw ith a fan

,the housewife bl ows up the ch arcoal fi re with

a fan,and gardeners

,s i tti ng for hours on patien t heel s

,

w i l l soft ly fan h al f-open flowers unt i l every petal un fo lds .Fo r specific gifts

,Spec ific des igns and colors appear.

On e fan may be offered to a l ady as a decl arat ion of love .

Another serves as her S ign of di sm issal , and the Japanese are often amused to see fore igners m i sapply the language and et iquette of fans .

Although gas and el ectri c i ty l ight every J apanese c ity,

and Americ an and Russ i an kerosene come in who le cargoes , the manufacture oi paper l antern s i ncreases apace ,for now al l th e quarters of the globe demand them . Con

str ucting the fl imsy frames i s a S le igh t-of-hand proce ss,

and with the same deftness the old l an tern-makers dashon des igns , characters, and body-colors ,with a bold brush .

But one must l ive in J apan to apprec iate the softenedl ight of l anterns , and in the l avi sh and general n ightlyuse of them learn al l the fairy- l ik e and splendid effectsto be obtained with a bi t of paper

,some wisps of bamboo ,

and a l ittl e vegetab le wax poured around a paper wick .

284

Potter ies and Paper Wa r es

Cotton goods are l arge ly manufactured in Kioto , andat al l seasons the upper reaches o f the Kamogawa

’

s

broad,stony bed are white with bleach ing cloth . The Ka

mogawa’

s water, wh ich i s bette r for tea-mak ing, for r icebo i l ing, and for m ixing dyes than the water of any otherstream in J apan , i s al so sovereign for bl eaching, and i t sbanks are l ined fo r a long d istance wi th dye ing estab l i shments . The river-bed , paved with stones under each of it sgreat bridges

,i s dreary

,wind-swept, and co lorl ess in win

ter-t ime,as compared to its summer bri l l iancy ; but in Jan

uary i t i s the p lace of th e k ite-flye r s, and H ideyosh i’s

bron ze-rai led Shij o bridge— the southern e nd of the Tokaido

,the centre from wh ich al l d istances are measured

— commands a view of an unexampled aeri al carn ival .Thousands of giant k ite s float upward

,and the air i s

fi l led with a humming, as they soar, sweep , and c i rc l eover the c ity l ike huge bi rds .

’

Kite combats take pl acein mid-ai r, and strings covered wi th pounded glass out

other strings,and let the h al f-an imate paper birds and

demons loose . J in riki sha cool ies on bridges and streetsmust dodge the hanging strings , and boys r un over andi nto each other wh i le watch ing thei r ven tures ; but thetrad itional k i te-flying grandfathers whom one reads aboutin Western prints are con sp icuous by th ei r absence .

There i s a game of batt ledore and Shuttl ecock muchplayed at the same season by the gi rl s

,the batt ledore a

flat wooden padd le ornamented wi th gaudy pictures o fJapanese women . The game i s a pretty one

,and the

girl s are wonderfu l ly graceful in playing i t , th e longs leeves and the flying obi-ends tak ing on express ive ac

t ion when the se charming maidens race and leap throughits changes .Kioto i s not without it s theatres and pl aces of amuse

ment,ever ready to begu il e on e from the s ight-see ing

and shopping rounds . I ts great actor i s Nakamura,and

i t maintai ns an academy for the t ra in ing of maiko and283

yz'

n r ikislza D ay s i n 7apan

geisha,where every Spring there i s a long-drawn—out fes

tiva l o f dances to help on the rej o icings of the che rryblossom season . But i t s great p l ace of amusemen t

,i t s

Vani ty Fair,i s th e narrow theatre o r Show street runn ing

from Sanjio to Sh ij o S treet, j ust beyond the bridges .This thoroughfare i s l in ed al l th e way with rows ofshops

,l abyri nth ine bazaars

,stal l s

,and booths

,theatres

,

S ide - shows,peep - shows , puppet - shows , wax -works

,jug

gle r s , acrobats , wrestl ers , t rain ed an imal s, s tory- te l lers ,fortune-te l lers

,al l explo ited by the vo ice and d rum of

thei r loquacious agen ts at the door-way . No j inr iki sh asare al lowed to r un on th i s h ighway

,and day and n igh t

,

morning and midnigh t,i t i s fil l ed wi th st ro l l ing peopl e

and pl ay ing ch i ld ren . In winter i t i s a cheer ing refugefrom th e w ider

,wind-swept streets

,and in summer days

i t is coo l and Shady, th e pavemen t constan tl y sprink l ed ,and the l igh t and h eat kept out by mat awn ings stretched across the narrow road -way from roof to roof

,i n

Ch inese fash ion . At n ight i t i s th e bus iest p l ace i nKioto

,even with the r ival att raction of the r iver - bed ;

crowded with revel l e rs,torches flaring

,drums and gongs

sound ing , th e h igh -

p i tched , n asal vo ices , of the Showmen s ing - songing the ir stories and programmes ; andpedd lers

,pi lgrims

,priests

,men

,women

,and ch i ldren

,

and the strangers wi th i n the i r gates,making up the

throng . O nce wh en a gi an tess was on exh ib i t ion in

a ten t the spectators,i n stead of be ing awed by her he

roi e eigh t feet of he igh t,were convu l sed with l aughter

at s igh t of her. Every movemen t of the co lossus sen tthem in to fresh spasms . I t was l ike a person ificat iono f some netsuke group to see th i s huge creature

,with

h ai r-p in s l ike clubs,and clogs as l arge as a door-step

,

stand ing with folded arms,wh i l e p igmy vis i tors c l imbed

up to perch l ike i nsects on her shoulders .In th is ever-Open market on e may buy the tai l l ess cats

of the country ; forlorn , sp irit l ess creatures , staying at

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7z’

n r iki ska D ay s i n yapa n

dear,and th at smal l alcove w ith the b lack tabl e gives l i t

t l e h int of what l ies beyond . The more fortunate v i s i torfo l lows the master through a dark recess to a l arge roomwith two sides open to the garden , and a t iny balconyoverh anging a lake let . He cl aps h i s h ands

,and b ig

go lden c'

arp ri se to the surface and gobble the moch ith rown them . In th at l i tt l e parad ise , barely S ixty feetsquare

,are h i l l s

,groves, th ickets , i s l ands, promontories,

and bays,a bamboo - sh aded we l l

,and a Shrine

,wh i le

above the farthest screen of fol iage ri se the green s lopesof Maruyama .

A Japanese friend,who described Namm ikawa as

“ the most Japanese and most i n terest ing man in K i

oto,

” took us to drink te a w ith h im in th i s ch arm ing garden

,and

,on the hottes t afternoon of a hot Kioto sum

mer,we noted ne ither t ime nor temperature unt i l the

creep ing Sh adows warned us to depart . O ld Japan seemed to re l ive in the atmosphere of that garden , and a ch ano yu was no more fin i shed than the S imple tea-cer emony the master performed there . By th e old et iquette aJ apanese gentleman never intru sted to any servant themaking of te a for a guest

,nor al lowed the fine art of

that s imple,every-day process to be exerci sed unseen .

The tea-t ray,brought and set before th e master

,bore a

t iny j ewel- l ike tea -

pot of old Awata,and the t iny c/oi

sonné cups with pl ain en amel l ed l in ings were as rich lyco lored as the ci rcle of a tul ip’s petal s , and small er far.With them was a smal l pear-sh aped d ish

,not un l ike our

gravy-boats,a beaut ifu l bron ze midzu tsugz

'

,or hot-water

pot,and a l acquer box hold ing a metal tea-caddy fi l led

wi th the finest l e aves from Uji tea -gardens . Taking ascoop of yel lowed ivory, carved i n the sh ape of a gi an ttea- leaf

,our host fi l l ed the l i ttl e tea - pot w ith loosely

heaped l eaves,and h aving decan ted the hot water i n to

the l itt l e pear - Sh aped pitcher to cool a l i tt l e,poured i t

upon the tea - l eaves . Immediate ly he drew off the2 86

Golden Day s

palest amber fluid,half fi l l ing each cup

, and presentedthem to us , rest i ng on l eaf-shaped stands o r saucers ofdamascened metal . The tea was on ly lukewarm whenwe rece ived i t, but as de l icate and exqu is i te ly flavored asif d ist i l led of violets

,as rich and smooth as a syrup

,th e

three S ips of i t const i tut ing a most powerfu l stimul an t .In the d i scuss ion of tea-making th at fo l lowed

,our Jap

anese mento r explai ned to us th at to the epicu reantea-d rinkers of h is country, bo i l i ng water was an abomination

,as i t scorched th e leaves

,drove out th e fine

fragrance in the first cl oud of steam , and extracted theb i tte rness in stead of the sweetness of the young leaves .I t may be wel l enough to pour bo i l i ng wate r on thecoarse b lack tea of China’s wi ld sh rub, said th is del igh tful Japanese

,but th e del icate le af of ou r cul t ivated tea

plan t does not need i t .With the tea our host off ered us large flat wafers of

r ice and fancy confect ion s in the shape o f most el aborate asters and Chrysanthemums

,too art i s t ic to be eat

en without compunct ion . The cups were refi l led withthe second and stronger decoction

,which set every nerve

t ingl i ng,and then on ly were we permitted to see the

t reasures of Namm ikawa'

s creat ion . From box andsi lken bag with in bag were produced vases

,whose l ines

,

co lor,l ustre

,and bri l l i an t in tricacy of design made them

beauti ful beyond prai se . They were wrough t ove r withfinest tracerie s of gold , s i lve r, and copper wi res , on

grounds of dul l Naples ye l low,soft yel l owi sh -green

,a

darker green,or a rich deep -red

,wonderfu l to behold

,

the pol i shed surface as even and flawless as th at of afine onyx .

One by one some smal l e r pi eces were b rough t in,i n

l i tt l e boxes of smooth wh ite pine,beaut ifu l ly made

and joi ned . Namm ikawa opened first the cotton wadd ing

,then the inevi tabl e wrapping of ye l low c loth

,and

l ast ly the s i l ken covers , and hand led with a tender rev287

7z'

nr ikis/za Da us in yapan

e rence these exqu is i te creat ion s of h i s gen ius, eve ry one

of wh ich,when pl aced on i t s low teak-wood stand

,Showed

faul tl ess . For two years h is whol e force was at work onthe two S ixteen- inch vases wh ich went to the Pari s Expos i tion

,and four years were given to the Emperor’s

o rder for a pai r for h i s new pal ace . These bore th eimperial emb lems

,and dragons wri thed between ch rys

an themums and th rough convent ional flower -ci rcle s andarabesques

,and the groundwork d ispl ayed the splend id

red,green

,russet

,mott led gold

,and gl isten ing avanturine

enamel s,whose secret Namm ikawa hold s . For it i s not

on ly in h i s fine des ign s,but in th e perfect composit ion

and fusing of h is enamel s and the gem- l ike pol i sh th atth i s great art i st excel s al l r ival s .In another garden

,concealed -by a b amboo hedge , is

the t iny l aboratory , and the one work-room where lessthan twenty people

,al l to ld

,execute th e maste r’s de

IN NAMMIKAWA’

S WORK-ROOM288

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7inr iki slza D ay s in yapan

suspects th at they are buying to sel l again . I t i s h i sdel ight to hand th e prec ious art icl e to i ts n ew owner, enj oi n ing h im to keep i t wrapped in s i l k and wadd ing, andalways to rub i t careful ly to remove any moi sture beforeputt ing i t away . He caut ion s v is i tors , when they attemptto handle the precious p ieces in his Show - room

,not to

touch the enamel led surface w ith the h and,the metal

base and col l ar bei ng left free on each p iece for th atpurpose . Nor must two pieces of cioz

'

sonné ever be knocked together

,as the enamel i s a lmost more bri tt l e th an

porce l a in . Curiously enough , th i s great art i st u ses nomark nor S ign -manual . “ I f my work w i l l not declare itse lf to be m ine

,th en the marki ng wi l l do no good

,

” hesays ; and , indeed , hi s cloisonné i s so un l ike the crudeand commonpl ace en amel s exported from Japan by sh iploads for the foreign market

,that i t does not need th e

cert ificat ion of h i s name .

Nammikawa has the face of a_

sain t,or poet— gentle ,

refined,and intel l ectual— and h is beaut ifu l manner and

perfect courtesy are an inh er i tance of the o ld J apan .

H is earl ier days were not sain tly,al though they may

h ave been poet ical . He was a personal attendant ofPrince Kune no M iya

,a brother of Pr ince Komatsu

,and

cous in of th e Emperor,and was brought up in the old

court l i fe w ith i ts atmosphere of art and l e i sure . Thee legant young court i er was noted for h i s gayety and improviden ce . He remained in Kioto when the court movednorthward

,and al l at once ceased h i s d iss i pat ion s

,even

put t ing as ide h is pipe,to devote h imse lf to experiments

in the manufacture of cloz'

sonné,for wh ich he had always

had a pass ion . In h is laboratory there i s a squarep l acque

,a b l u ish b ird on a wh i te ground d i apered wi th

coarse wires , wh ich was h is fi rst p iece . One can hard lybel ieve that on ly fifteen years intervene between th i scoarse, almost Chinese , specimen of h is work , and the

vases for the Emperor’s pal ace . From the start he threw29°

Golden D ay s

h imsel f into h is profession with his whole soul and Spir i t .I ncessant experiments in the so l i tude of h is l aboratoryand work-room at n ight, and the zeal and pat ience of aPal i ssy at the furnace, conquered h is province . He isst i l l constan tly studying and expe riment ing

,and always

fi res h is p ieces h imse lf, keep ing long vigi l s by the l i tt l eki ln in the garden .

Hurry and money-making he despises . Gaz ing dre ami ly out i n to h is garden , Namm ikawa decl ared th at he hadno ambit ion to have a large godown

,a great workshop

,

and a hundred workmen ; that he a lways refused to takeany large commissions or commerci al orders

,or to promise

a p iece at any given t ime . Neither good art nor goodwork can be commanded by tuohey, he thought, nor

'

d id

he want h i s men to work faster, and therefore less careful ly

,because greater prices are off ered h im for haste .

I t was h i s pleasure , he sa id , to take years for the execut ion of a s i ngle p iece that might stand flawless beforeal l connoi sseurs

,and rece ive its j ust reward of prai se or

medal s . The lat ter are dearer to h im than any sum ofmoney

,and in h is own garden he finds happ iness with

them .

There is a Namm ikawa of Tokio who is not to be confounded with th i s Kioto art i st . The Tokio ename l lerhas an ent i re ly d i ff eren t style , a s imple des ign thrown ina broad style upon an unbr p ken groundwork, eas i ly distinguishing h i s work from any other ; but Namm ikawaof Tokio deals d i rect ly wi th the trade

,even contract i ng

wi th fore ign curio dealers for seasons of work , and makesrepl icas of h i s exqui s i te pieces by the score for them .

Imitators of his style have ari sen , and al ready manycheap pieces , copying h i s best mode l s , can be purchasedin fore ign cit ie s .The idl ing most de l ightfu l of al l in Kioto is go ing

over and over again to the same places , doing the sameth ing repeatedly

,and arr i ving at that happy and em i

29 1

7in r iki ska D ay s in 7apan

n ently

’

Japanese frame of mind where haste enters not ;time i s forgotten , days s l ip by uncounted , and l im itscease to be . The sp r ing days , when th e ra i n fal l s ingauz iest mist— the rain th at is so good for young riceor summer days, when the sun scorches the earth andburns one’s very eyebal l s , seem to bring the most nubroken le i sure and longest hours in any agreeabl e refuge .

S i tt i ng on Yaam i’

s veranda, with the great p l ai n ofthe c i ty wreathed in m ists or qu iveri ng in heat

,I h ave

recogn i zed my indebtedness to Grith s,D resser

,Mitford

,

Morse,and Rein , those authori t i es on al l th i ngs Japan

ese,not to ment ion Murray and h i s ponderou s gu ide

book,whose weight and polysyl l ab ic pages st rike terror

to the sou l of the n ew-comer . Grith s I read,unt i l Ta ir o

and M inamoto,H ideyosh i and Iyeyasu

,grew as fam i l iar

as Wil l iam the Conqueror and the Declarat ion of I nde

pendence Dresser’s text and i l lustrat ion s were a con

stant de l ight and i l lum inat ion,exp la i n ing the incomp r e

hen s ible and poi nt i ng to h idden th i ngs ; and Morse’s

yapanese Homes l aid bare the i r myster ie s,and made cv

ery fence,roof

,rai l

,cei l ing

,and wal l t ake on new feat

ures and expression . Rein ’s i s the encyclopaedia, andhe the recorder, from whose statements there is no ap

peal,and to h im we turned for everyth ing . I t i s on ly

on the sacred so i l that the student gets the true valueand mean ing of th ese books ; wh i l e noth ing so nearlyexpresses and expl ai n s the charm of th e count ry as thatprose idyl

,Perc i val Lowel l ’s Soul of tbcE r r E ast

,nor so

perfect ly fit s one’s moods on these long, l ei sure days , andM itford’s Ta les of Old y ap an are of ceaseless de l igh t .In th i s J apanese atmosphere the trave l ler fee l s what

h e mi sses through h i s ignorance of th e vernacu l ar,and

is even i nsp i red with a des i re to study the l anguage ; buta l i tt l e sk imming of the grammar usual ly brings downthat vaul t ing amb it ion . I t i s easy to p ick up words andphrases for ord inary use

,as al l servants understand some

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y’

in r iki s/za D ay s in 7ap an

D i al ects and local i sms contr ibute st i l l further to confus ion of tongues . A hibach i in Kioto i s a skz

'

bac/zz'

in

Yokohama,as a H irado vase is a Skz

'

r ado one . Whenyou inquire a price

,you say ikur a for

“ how much ”in

Yokoh ama,and nambo in Kioto .

.Al l around Tokio the

g has the sound of ng, or gamma nasal , and th i s n asaltone of th e capital i s another poin t of conformity withthe modern French .

Everywhere in Japan an i nfini ty of n ames be longs tothe s imp lest th ings . Twenty-five synonyms for r ice aregiven in Hepburn ’s smal l er d ict ionary

,al l as d iff erent as

possib l e . Rice in every stage of growing, and i n everycondit ion after harvest ing

,has a d ist i nct name , with no

root common to al l . End less mi stakes fo l l ow any inex

actness of pronunci at ion . The numera ls , z'

ck i,ui

,san

,sk i

,

go, r oku , kacki,ku

, jn , are eas i ly memori zed , andlearn ing to count up to one hundred i s ch i ld ’s p l ay compared to the struggle w ith French numeral s . I t i s notnecessary to say “ four t imes twenty

,ten

,and seven

,

”be

fore n inety—seven is reckoned ; that is s imply ku ju s/zic/zi,

or n i ne ten s and a seven . Twenty i s nz’

jn , th irty i s san

ju ,fifty i s go ju , and so through the l ist . The ord ina l

numbers h ave da z'

prefixed or ban added, and“ fourth ” i s

then yo ban . That ic/zz'

ban means “number on e,

” and nz'

ban, number two

,

”s urpri ses peop le who had supposed

that Mr. I ch i Ban and Mr. Ni Ban owned the great Japanese stores th at used to exi st in two American c it ies . Afterlearn ing the plai n card in al and ordinal numbers

,th e neo

phyte must remember to add the sy l lab le s/zz'

ki whenment ion ing any number o f an imal s

,n in for peopl e

,ken

for houses, so for sh ips, cko for j i nr ik ishas, ka i fo r gl assesor cups of any l iqu id

,lzon for long and round ob j ects

,ma i

for broad and flat ones,tsu for l et ters or papers

,sa tsu for

books , zoa for bundles or b irds . Any infract ion of theseru l es gives another mean ing to the in tended ph rase

,and

the sl igh test var iat ion in i nflect ion changes i t qu i te as

294

Golden Day s

much . I f you want three ka r ama s, you say kur uma san

c/zo,

”and five pl ates are “

sa r a go mo i .” To say simply

sa iy o (yes), or zye (no), i s i nadm iss ible . The whole statement must be made with many flourishes

,and frequen t

dc goza r imasus adorn a gentleman’s conversat ion .

I f a curio dealer asks whether you wish to see a kor o,and you look for the word in the lex i con , you find th atkoro means

,accord ing to Dr . Hepburn ’s d ic t ionary

,t ime

,

period of t ime,a cyl indrica l wooden rol ler used in moving

heavy bod ies,th e elders

,old people

,t iger and wol f

,i .e. ,

savage and cruel,stubborn

,bigoted

,narrow -minded

,a

road,a j ourney

,a censer fo r burn ing incense

,and the sec

ond or th i rd sto ry of a house . So , too, kiku may mean aChrysanthemum ,

or a compass and square,a rul e

,an

establi shed custom,the moment or p roper t ime ; fear, t i

m idity, and a score of other th ings . The ch ief compensat ion s of the l anguage are i ts s imple

.

and unvarying rulesof pronunc iat ion , eve ry syl l ab le being even ly accented ,every vowel mak ing a syl l able

,and

,pronounced as con

tinental vowels are , givi ng music to every word .

The written language i s the study of another l i fet ime .

Having the Ch i nese wri tten l anguage as i ts bas i s,th e

Ch inese, Japanese , and Koreans can al l understand oneanother in th i s form common to al l

,though not in the

spoken tongue . I t is common to see Chinese and Japanese cool ies wri t ing ch aracters in th e ai r

,in the dust

,or

in the palms of the i r hands,and seeming to make them

se lves i nte l l igib le in th i s cl ass ical sign l anguage . Thewri tten l anguage has the katagana , or square characte rs ,and the h iragana

, or“ grass ” characters

,the l atter s im

p le r and more nearly correspond ing to our script or r unn ing hand .

The eff orts of scholars are now turned to Romaicis ingor transl iterat ing the Japanese sounds and characters ,and express i ng them by the common alphabe t of Lat inand Anglo-Saxon people , bas ing i t on phonetic Spe l l i ng.

3 95

yznr iki s/za D ay s i n jap an

Volapuk,th e new un iversal l anguage of al l n at ion s, off ers

great d ifficul t ies to the Japanese , for al though Sch l eyer,its i nventor, kind ly left out th e r , wh ich the Ch inese cannot pronounce

,he left in th e l

,wh ich is a correspond ing

stumbl ing-block for the J apanese , who i s se ldom a naturall i ngu ist .

CHAPTER xxx

SEN KE AND THE MERCHANTS’ D I NNER

IT requ ired an el aborate negot iat ion extending throughtwo weeks

,as wel l as the t actfu l a id of an offi cer of the

Kioto Kencho to arrange fo r me a ch a no yu at the houseof Senke, the great maste r of the ol des t school of th atart . SenkeWas about going to Uj i to choose h i s teas ;he was ch anging h i s teas ; he was airing h i s godowns , andhe sen t a dozen oth er excuses to preven t h i s nam ing aday. Not unt i l i t h ad been expl ai ned ful ly to th is greath igh-priest o f the sol emn ity th at I h ad stud ied ch a no

yu with h i s pup i l , Matsuda , and th at , knowing that Matsuda h ad first s tud ied the Hor i no l/y

'

i imethod,I was pur

su ing the art to i ts fountai n-head,to make sure that no

heterodox vers ion of the Senké method had betrayed myinexperience

,would he con sent to rece ive me .

S enke i s a descendan t of Rikiu,th e instructor and

friend of H ideyosh i , th e Taiko . For years they p r actised the outward ri tes together

,and wrote poems to

one another,unti l H ideyosh i admired R ikiu’

s beaut ifu ldaughter. Rik iu refused her to h im

,and estrangement

fol lowed . Rikiu had bui l t a Spl end id gate-way for th eDa itokuji temple, wi th i n wh ich , as was th e fash ion of thetime , he had placed a smal l wooden Statue of h imsel f.Taiko Sama, r id ing th rough with h i s tra i n one day, was

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n r iki slza D ay s in 7apan

l i ly in a bron ze vase, were the orn aments of the tokonoma .

Senké,now past seventy years of age

,rece ives few

pupi ls h imse lf,but nei th er he ‘

nor h is h andsome son of

about th irty years i s whol ly incur ious as to the strangefash ions that h ave en tered the country s ince the Restor ation . We bowed with the profound solemn i ty of

mourners,but with the vigi l ance of spies we watched

Senké as he bui l t the fire , l aid on th e wh ite azalea ch’

arcoal

,dropped some ch ips of sandal-wood

,and boi l ed h i s

h istoric i ron kettl e . Then fo l lowed the feast of manydel icate d ishes— te a ; bean—soup ,

with b its of egg-p lant ;raw fish with sh reds of daz

'

kon and fresh ginger ; taisoup

,with sea - weed and mush rooms ; broi led at

,with

s/zoy u ; bamboo - soup ; dried S/zikoku s almon ; bro i l edbirds ; Kaga walnuts , preserved in a th ick syrup , andother d ishes ; each course accompan ied by rice, andending with barl ey - water . An old i ron sake-

pot andshal low red lacquer sake- cups were passed around withthe various d ishes

,and we gravely p ledged one ano ther

and the master who served us . When the dried fi sh wasbrought in my Kencho friend n ipped off some choiceb its with h is chop st icks and off ered them on a paper toour host

,who ate them

,and put the paper in h i s s l eeve .

At the end of the feast the fi rst guest— the on e S i tt i ngnearest the tokonoma— wiped al l h i s bowl s and d ishesc lean with paper

,wh ich he put i n h is s l eeve

,and we fo l

lowed h i s example . With the th i rteenth course we gathered up our t ray of sweets and ret ired to the garden

,

wait ing there unt i l soft strokes on an old bel l cal led us

back to the ro om,wh ich h ad been swept

,and the p ict~

ure and vase i n the tokonoma changed . S enké,too

,h ad

repl aced h is dark gauze k imono by one of pal e - bluecrape , and sat i n a reveren t att i tude . Wi th i nfinite del iberat ion he went through the solemn rites

,and duly

presented us each with a bowl of green gruel more b itter298

Senke and tbc M er ckants’

D inner

th an quin ine,twelve spoonful s of powdered tea be ing

the measure used . This was h is koi elza . The usu chawas a less strong decoct ion

,demand ing a simpl er cere

mony,and was served in a bowl passed around for al l to

s ip from in turn . Previous study enabled us to note inte lligently every movemen t of th e o ld master, and thes ign ificant pos i tion of each thumb and finger

,hand

, e l

bow,and wrist , as th e venerabl e arti s t of cha no yu ex

empl ified the grace and n icet ie s of the “ outwardschooL

At th e proper t ime we asked the h istory of the implements used in the ceremony . The na tsume

,o r tea

bowl of Raku ware , in Jo-o shape,belonged to Rikiu,

Jo-o h aving been the teacher of Rik iu, and the arb iterof the form of many implements of ch a no yu. Thel ittl e bamboo s l ip wi th a flat

,curved end

,wh ich l ifted

the powdered te a from its box,was cut by Rik iu . I t

bears no decoration or mark,and is of th e ord inary

shape ; but th i s commonplace c/za sbaku cannot bebough tfor even two hundred dol l ars . The Emperor Komei

,

father of th e presen t Emperor, was taught by the e lderSenke

,and bequeathed to h i s master various autographs

and an incense -box of great an t iqu i ty . Driven thoughh e is by the sp iri t of in novat ion and progress

,th e pres

ent Emperor occas ion al ly enj oys a few qu iet hours atcha no yu . The Empress i s most accompl i shed in i tsceremon ial . and del igh ts in th e l i ttl e poems wh ich guestsare always expected to wri te for the host .When the moment arri ved fo r the production of these

tr ibutes at Senké’s tea,our Japanese friends dashed

them off in an i n stant,as if

,with the return to thei r cer

emonial s i lk gowns , they had returned to the habit s ofthought of old J apan

,when poetry fi l l ed the a ir . But

one of them wh ispered , to encourage us ,“ I have been

thinking i t these two weeks .

"

With regret we saw cka i r e (tea-caddy), cba wan (tea3 99

7znr ikiska Day s in 7am”

bowl), elza sen (tea - wh isk), and ch a sh aku (teaspoon),t ied up in the ir precious brocade bags , and , with p rofound obei sances

,we took leave of Senké

,feel i ng th at

fo r a day we h ad sl ipped out of our century, and almostout of our planet , so un l ike i s the ch a no yu to any otherfunct ion in th i s i rreveren t , p ractical , and push ing era.

O f our fr iend , who h ad dra in ed two or th ree bowl s ofi t,we asked

,

“ Does not th i s strong tea make you nervous

,keep you awake

,give you th e cka ui yotta , or te a

tremens“ O h no

,he answered ; I do not dr ink enough of

i t . I am very careful . But my friends,when they be

gin th e study of Engl ish and foreign branches , find thatthey must stop drinking i t . The Engl ish seems to bringinto act ion many nerves th at we do not use

,and the

drink is p robably exci t ing enough in i tse l f. ”

Foreign teachers say the same th ing, and at the Do

sh ish a school tob acco must be given up , though , next totea

,i t i s the great necess i ty of th e Japanese .

K ioto’

s maiko and geish a perform ances are, of course,more Splendid than those of any other c ity . The greattrain ing- schoo l of maiko conforms to the cl ass ic t rad it ion s

,and cri t i cs and connoi sseurs assembl e at the Ka

bur enjo th eatre each spring when the famous Kiotodance

,the M iakodor i

,i s g iven by troops of maiko .

Did I not possess th e ocul ar proof of a fan and a fewsouven irs I could bel ieve the fete wh ich I saw to h avebeen but a m idsummer n igh t

’

s dream . A cl ub of th egreat merch ants of th e c i ty

,wish ing to do honor to two

Tokio offi ci al s, devised a d inner, or gei sh a party, and included the i r American fri ends . The even ing was one of

th e heaviest,hottest

,and sul triest of th e Kioto summer

,

and, after the sun sank in a bed of mist

,swarmed with

myr iads of mosqu i toes . Later,the ful l moon poured

down a flood of s i lvery l igh t that seemed to quiver withheat , yet , appare l l ed i n our uncomfortable regul at ion cos

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nr ikiska D ay s in 7ap an

s low grace,they kne l t and set before us the ozens , or low

l acquer tables,hold ing cups, bowl s , chopsticks, and nap

kins.Two tiny maiko then entered wi th l arge trays of

sweetmeats,and the master of ceremon ies l ifted off with

h is chopst icks and set before us sect ion s of confect ionery — waves and fan - tai l ed goldfish

,an impression ist

sketch in sugar of ripp l ing water fi l l ed wi th d art ing fish .

O n Nabe sh ima and Owari p l ates , and in l acquer and porce la in bowls, were served innumerab l e courses— soups,omelet

,l i ly bulbs

,ch icken

,smal l b i rds

,j el l ies

,many un

known and del ightfu l d ishes— and with each remove,

r ice,l i fted from a fine

,red-l i ned

,gold l acquer r i ce box

furn ished with a b ig l acquer spoon worth six S i lver ones .Tai

,the sterlet of Japan

,the arb i trary accessdr y of any

great feast,whose curiously sh aped bones are symbols

of hosp i tal i ty and abundance,was accompan ied by a

peppery sal ad,and fol lowed by more b irds

,by bamboo

Sprouts,and a stew of becke-de-mer

,before the appearance

of the p iece de r esistance.

The maiko advanced in a broad l ine,two of them

bear ing a large tray on wh ich l ay a magn ificent carp,

st i l l breath ing,and w ith h is scales sh i n ing as if ju st

drawn from the water . The master of ceremon ies advanced

, and , rece iving the tray from the maiko, set i ton the mats and turned i t sl owly around for al l to behold . AS the maiko ret i red al l l eaned forward to watchthe nob le carp

,as i t l ay qu iver ing on i t s bed of moss

and cresses , with a b ackground of greenery l ike a trueJapanese garden . Th is custom of serving the l iving fishat a feast i s a survival of a trad i t ion al usage that foreigners se ldom witness . Morsel s of the fish were presen tly l i fted from its back and passed to th e company .

To us the performance was a k ind of cann ibal ism possessing a horrib le fascin at ion

,but th e ep icures u ttered

sounds expressive of apprec i at ion as they l ingered overthe del ic ious morsel s . A sudden j ar or turn ing of the

302

Senke and ike AI er cka nts'

D inner

t ray made the carp writh e,and left upon us a sense of

gui l ty consen t and conn ivance wh ich l asted for days .Rice and ee ls were next served , another soup , more

fowl,and then

,with sponge-cake , fru i ts, and add it ion al

cups of tea,the feas t concl uded . Centur ies ago the

Portuguese taught the Japanese to make sponge - cake ,and now th ey surpass in the art even a New Englandhouse-keeper with “ facul ty.

” With each course thereh ad been an exchange of sake-cups and the dri nk ing ofinnumerable heal th s

,with amaz ing e laborat ion of et i

quette . Each guest must accept the proff ered pledge,

extend i t to be fi l l ed , touch the forehead , drink , empty,and return i t to the giver

,that he may repeat the same

rout ine . The guests in the ir rustl ing garments movedabout the mats

,s i tt ing before one and another i n turn

for a l itt le ch at and an exchange of sake-cups , and formal speeches and responses were made as well .Throughout the feast the gei shas twanged the koto

and the samisen , and the maiko in pain ted crapes andgorgeous brocades danced w ith choral accompan iment .The i r broad obi s were t ied in Osaka fash ion

,in long

.

butte rfly loops that spread the golden and gl isten ingfabric al l over the back of the i r scant , cl inging k imonos .These love ly young creatures s lowly posed

,th rough

dance after dance , bending, swayi ng, and turn ing withexqu i si te grace

,moving thei r golden fans in t ime with

the wai l of the inst ruments and the pl aint i ve burden ofthe song explain ing the pantom ime . I t was a strangescene —th e room

,open to the summer n ight

,hung round

with crimson l an tern s and l ighted wi th the soft glowfrom the tal l andous ; th e l ine s of s i t t ing figures in the i rr ich s i l k garments

,and the dark face s l ost in reve rie as

they fol lowed the mazes of the golden-robed dancers .

After the d inne r and between thei r d ances the maikoseated themse lves before the guests to en tertain themwith the ir wi t and bad inage

,to fi l l the saké-cups

,and to

303

yin r zk iska Day s in yapan

let the company admire them . Raiha was the n ame ofone d emure beauty

,who inqu ired of us which one of

them was lovel iest accord ing to our fore ign standard s .Whi le we cons idered

,some became coquett ish and fu l l

o f l i t t l e Japanese ai rs and graces , but whatever sparkleand expression they th rew in to thei r eyes , th e meekestlook wa s given to the whole face by th e broad touch of

carmine on the lower l ip . The final decis ion gave Raihathree of the foreign votes , and the one di ssenter conformed when our Japanese friends assured him th at shewas the re ign ing profess ional beauty of Kioto . And wethought her shy, di st ingu i shed manners , her s i lver th readof a voice

,and her demure eyes and sm i l es more charm

ing even than her lovely face .

At m idn igh t,when a monastery be l l was softly boom

-ng from the mountain-S lopes,we began our ad ieus .

Nearly one hundred and forty bows were to be made byeach of us

,for

,afte r bowing th ree or four t imes and say

ing sayonara to each of our hosts,we had to b id ad ieu

to the lovely maikos and acknowledge the salutat ion s ofthe tea - house attendants . When we sat down at thedoor-way to h ave our shoes put on

,we were d i zzy enough

to be gratefu l for th e fann ing th at th e tea—house gi rl s bestowed upon us . A chorus of sayon aras accompan ied usas we fol lowed the cool ies wi th thei r long lantern s out

through the tor i i and into the b lack shadows of the temp le grounds .

CHAPTER XXXI

THROUGH UJI TO NARA

AN early morn ing start,with many j i nrik ish as and

t andems of cool ies a wi ld spin through the s treets,past

shops , temple gates and wal ls ; by the i nnumerab le tor i i sand l an terns forming arches and vistas in th e groves of

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Tlzr oug lz Uji to Na r a

In ari,the great temp le of the fox-god

,and we came out

on the p lai n beyond Fush im i ; then an i rregu lar,h il ly

coun try,green with anc ient pine and bamboo groves ,

every open val ley and h i l l - s ide set with low,green

mounds of tea-bushes ; sandy , wh ite roads, c l ear rushing streams

,and we were in the heart of Uj i

,the finest

tea d istri ct of Japan .

Groups of bobb ing h ats beside the tea-bushes,carts

loaded wi th sacks and baskets of te a-l eaves ; trays of

toasting tea leaves with in every door -way,a de l icate

rose- l ike fragrance in th e ai r ; women and ch i ldren sorting the cr0p in every vi l lage ; and th is was the tea sea

son ln'

its heigh t . Here were bushes two and th reehundred years old yield ing eve ry year the ir certain h arvest

,and whole h i l l-s ides covered wi th matted awnings

to keep from scorch ing or toughen ing in the hot sunthose de l icate young leaves

,wh ich are dest ined to be

come the costly and exqu is ite teas chosen by the sovre ign and h is richest subjects .Then we toi led up bush-covered steeps to cross e le

vated r iver -beds ; rode through towered floodgates of

d ry watercourses,down to the green pl ai n the i r los t

waters h ad fed ; through vi l l age stree ts, and past manya picturesque tateba , in one of wh ich stood a l i tt l e ye llow Cupid in the sunsh ine th at fi l tered th rough a wi star i a trel l i s ; and so on through ever-changi ng countryscenes to the famous view of Nara’s temples

,t rees

,and

pagodas .Nara A mountai n-s ide covered with giant trees bound

together by vines and o ld creepers ; an anc ien t forestseamed with broad avenues

,where the sun l igh t fal l s in

patches and deer l ie d rowsing in the fern ; double andtripl e l i nes of moss-covered stone lanterns mass i ng themse lves together, the i r green tops d im in the dense Sh adow ; temple s twe lve centurie s old the booming of be l l s,and the music of runn ing wate r .

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7z°

n r iki slza D ay s in 7apan

Nara ! The ancien t cap ital , th e crad le of Buddh ism,

and st i l l the holy pl ace of p i lgrimages ; i t s forest p ath sechoing the j ingl e of the devotees ’ r inged staff s, themutter of the i r prayers

,and the cl ink of the ir copper

off erings at the templ e gates . A pl ace of st i l l ness anddreams ; an Arcad ia, where th e l i tt l e ch i ldren and thefawns p l ay together

,and the an t lered deer eat from

one’s hand,and look up fearl ess ly wi th the i r soft human

eyes . O ld Sh in to temples , where the priestesses d ancethe sacred measures of Suzume before the Sun Goddess’scave ; temples where Buddh a and Kwannon s it in gi lded glory on the lotus, and l igh ts , i n cens e, and bel l s accompany the sp l end id ceremon ies of th at fai th .

The great ant iqu i ty of Nara makes the magn ificenceof Nikko

,with i ts Shogun ’s tombs

,seem almost parvenu .

I t i s th e good-fortune of the o lder fane that i ts d i stancefrom th e ra i l road— twenty—six mi les— saves i t from th erush of progress and the stream of touri sts .

‘

The founder of Nara rode up to th e mountain on adeer to choose a res idence for h im sel f

,and ever s i nce

the deer h ave been petted and protected . Groups of

them,ly ing under th e trees

,perm it themse lves to be ad

mired,and feed ing part ies turn the i r pretty pointed

heads to look after the vis i tor. The does and fawns,

however,h ide in th e dark fern - covered ravines . Al l

through the forest and templ e grounds are l i tt le thatchedhouses

,where tea for man and corn-meal fo r deer are

sold,together with the l itt l e carved images and deer-horn

toys for wh ich Nara i s famous . I t i s a p i ty th at theJ apanese name for deer is such a harsh

,unmusical word

as s/zika , wh ich even the l it tl e ch i ldren , who toddle afte rthe pretty creatures with out- stretched h ands

,cannot make

musical . Plump l i ttl e country maids,wi th thei r t ied-up

sl eeves , are heard from sunri se unt i l dusk cal l ing up thedeer to be fed— “K0 ! ko f ko f ko l

”

(Come ! come ! come !come and at the word K0 even the fattest and beav

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yz’

n r iki ska D ay s in yapa n

certai n number of years , and they may leave th e priesthood i f they wish . Al l th e brotherhood wear the loose

,

flowing purple t rousers,wh ite gauze coats

,and b l ack

,

he lmet-sh aped caps p rescribed by the Sh in to rules andbesides making the morn ing and even i ng off erings tothe gods

,and conduct ing Spec ial ceremon ies on t he two

purificat ion days of th e year, th ey p l ay the ancien t fluteand drum

,and chant a hymn wh i le th e sacred dance i s

given . For a poet ic, ph i losoph ical , meditat ive , or lazy man

noth ing cou ld be more congen ial than th i s l i fe. Hurry,

novelty,and the rush of events come not near Nara

,wh ich

is in the l and “ where in i t seemed always afternoon .

The pi lgr ims,who t rudge from th e most d is tan t p rov

inces with be l l and beads and staff , make up the greaternumber of vis i tors , and the i r wh ite garments, Straw san

dals,cloaks

,and hats

,are of a fash ion centuries old .

Bands of these votaries go through the temple courts,

in ch arge of vo lub le gu ides , who intone a descript ion of

the places in th e way of thei r craft th e world over. Oneor two old men seem always to be sauntering up the longavenue

,stopp ing frequently to res t, praying at every

shrine,and muttering to themse lves prai ses of th e sacred

pl ace . Thei r wrink led faces glow with p leasure,and

they del ight in watch ing the deer, to whom the t ink l e ofa pi lgrim ’s bel l o r i ron -ringed staff is always a promiseof cakes .To the anti quari an

,Nara i s fu l l of i n terest . The

temples , founded in th e seventh and e ighth centuries,were the first Buddh i st sanctuaries i n Japan ; Buddh ism ,

com ing from I nd ia by way of Ch ina and Korea,having

found its fi rst home here when Nara was the imperia lcap ital . Four empresses and th ree emperors held thesceptre between 708 and 78 2 , and al l th e reg ion is h istoric ground . The great c i ty

,that covered the p l ai n for

centuri es after that imper ial d ay,has sh runken to a smal l

provinc ial town,st i l l e loquent of the past . The Sh in to

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Tlzr oug /z Uji to Na r a

temples,as thei r ru les provide

,have been rebu i l t every

twen ty years,the origin al bui ld ings be ing exactly dupl i

cated each time , so that, in the ir freshness and perfectrepair

,they look now as th ey d id a thousand years ago .

The Buddhi st shri nes have been burned,rebu i l t, h al f

abandoned at t imes ; and in recent years,s ince the i r

l and s were taken from them and thei r revenues withheld ,have suff ered ser ious ly. The larges t image of Buddh ais the Nara Dai Butsu . The seated de ity, 63 fee t inhe igh t

,was set upon h is lo tus pedestal in 749, and once

the head of the statue fe l l off and was broken , and twicethe temp le burned and melted it . The temple ensh r ini ng the bronze dei ty i s now d i lap idated , and the hugecorner beams and brackets of the roof are braced witht imbers

, so that an earthquake would be l ike ly to overset the holy place .

The great two-storied gate-way of th e Da i Butsu temple has stood for e leven centuries and more , and i s ap icturesque

,weather -beaten o ld structure , apparently

strong enough to res i st the assaul ts of another thous andyears . Co lossa l Nio , wi th h ideous countenances, standon guard in n iches, and with in i s a l arge green courtyard

,and a closed gal lery on th e two sides that connect

the gate-way with the temple— the c lo i ster of a Europeancathedral . A huge bronze lantern

, one of the earl ies texamples of such work , is said to have long containedthe sacred fire brough t from Ceylon . The great Buddhait se l f i s d isappo int ing

,because seen too near. The face

i s s ixteen feet long and over n ine feet wide,and the ex

pression is not calm,sou l fu l

,and med itative

,as Buddh a

in Nirvana should b’

e , but heavy and stol id , with a hard ,unmed itat ive stare . The gi ld ing with wh ich the statuewas once covered has worn away with time

,leaving i t as

dark and blackened as befi ts its Hottento t countenance .On the great h alo

'

are images S ix and eight feet h ighth at look l ike pygmies .

y in r ikis/za D ay s in f apan

Beh ind the Buddh a i s a museum of ant iqu it ie s con

nected in som e way with the temp le and i ts foundersand patrons . Here are kept the carpenters’ too ls withwhich the first temple was bui l t , and preh is toric- lookingfragments of bronze and iron to wh ich the stranger findsno cl ew . A door of the palace whereon Kusunoki , theCheval ier Bayard of Jap an , wrote a farewel l messagew i th h is arrow when he wen t away to h is l ast b att le

,

images,carvings

,old armor

,weapons

,and trapp ings

,

afford the J apanese v isi tor much del ight .’

But the realt reasures of Da i Butsu are the re l ics l eft to i t by one ofthe Nara Emperors

,who bui l t a substant i al log store

house in the enclosure , and bequeathed to the templ eeveryth ing h i s palace contained . Palaces were smal l inthose days

,and thei r furn ish ings scanty ; but the cloth

ing,household eff ects

,and orn aments of the dead ben

e factor were brought to th i s storehouse and careful lyseal ed up . Every summer

,after the rainy season ends

,

the treasures are ai red,the inventory verified

,and the

p lace sealed up again . Three of the greatest nobles ofthe empire are associated with the h igh-pri est i n the careof these Nara rel ics

,and th e storehouse can on ly be

opened by an imperia l order transmitted i n the handwri ting of the emperor. O nly royal o r great ly d ist iné

guished vis itors may ask th is p rivi l ege , as i t i s a greattroub le and expen se to get the guard i ans together. Its

val ue as a col l ect ion and as a p icture of the l ife of th ee ighth c entury i s hardly appreciated by the Japanese ,who ch iefly reverence i ts sacredness as connected wi ththe person of an early Emperor . An imperi al commi ss ion , made up of o ffi cers of the imperial household andof art connoisseurs

,exam ined

,cl ass ified

,and catalogued

the treasures of the Nara and Kioto temples in 1 8 8 8 .

Mr. Kuki , l ate J apanese m in ister to th e U n i ted S tates ,and pres ident of th is commiss ion

,had even th is imperi al

treasure - house Opened and the prec ious re l ics photo;

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7inr ikiska Day s in 7apan

Near the base of the h i l l , but h igh enough to com

mand a wide prospect,runs a n arrow road l ined with

l i tt l e tea-houses and toy-shops where souven irs are sold .

Nara is famous for i ts cut l ery and i t s I nd i a ink,and

swords,daggers

,knives and sci ssors are so ld by Shop

men whoperform extraord in ary feats to test th e temperof thei r b l ades . I ndi a ink pressed into fan tast ic shapes,and wri t ing - brushes made of deer’s h ai r, are careful lyt ied up in the p i lgrim’s wal le ts, w i th th e famous l i ttl eNara n ingio, or images carved in wood . The Nara n ingios always represen t the l egendary priests and peopl ewho founded Nara

,and in these carv ings the rural art

ists d ispl ay great talent, g1v1ng wonderfu l express ion tothe tiny faces th at are left rough faceted as fi rs t ch ippedoff with the kn ife .

These tea - houses and Shops in terpose a n eutral andworld ly barr ier between th e c luster of Buddh ist establ ishments at the one s ide and the region of Sh intoismbeyond . From the tea - house gates the road makes acurve off into the wistari a- tangled forest to conduct jinr ikishas to the lower level

,but th e p ilgrims descend

,ia

stead,four long fl igh ts of rough stone step s

,th at are

wonderful ly p icturesque w i th th ese quain t moving figures and the queer l itt le Shops th at hang to the bordersof the stairs

,cl imb ing up and down the h i l l w ith them .

At the foot of the steps the road reappears, crossi nga narrow creek-bed on a h igh bridge that gives one

beaut iful v iews of a dark l i tt le ravine,across wh ich th e

trees nearly meet and th e ancient creepers are loopedand knotted . A l itt l e red shrin e and a path l ined withstone l an tern s mark the beginn ing of th e temple enclosu re, dense woods r i s ing at one s ide of th e stone l an tern sl ight ing the path to the ancien t Sh into San ctuary of Ka

suga, and open gl ades stretch i ng out at the other. Afew shops and te a-booths break th e l ine of l antern s onone s ide the road i s canopi ed with a great wi stari a tre l

3 14

Tlzr oug /z Uji to Na r a

lis, and a spring bubbl es up in a stone basin in th e m idstof rock-work almost h idden in shade and moss . Wearyp i lgr ims stop in th i s gratefu l shade to drink and to restthemselves at any hour of the day .

Pass ing the stal l for the sacred wh ite pony of the godsand some bright ly-painted red wooden bu ild ings

,one eu

ters a great court-yard wi th lan tern s hanging from theeaves of the bu i ld ings and gal leries surrounding i ts fours ides

,through whose doors are vis ible on ly a m irror and

many-folded papers pendent from a straw rope . Th i ssymbol i sm su ffi ces the bel ievers

,who knee l devoutly be

fore it and toss in thei r coppers as a pre lude to the i rprayers . Beside the sh rine i s the treasury of the temple

,contain ing famous swords

,the gold -moun ted armor

and helmets of great heroes , and lacque r-boxes hold i ngprec ious wr it i ngs and paint ings . The quee r sadd lesworn by the deer at the old matsuri s are preserved

,and

yards of panoramic paint ings on s i lk,dep ict ing those

Splend id pageants of the old days , when‘

the EmperorSen t h is represen tat ive down to wi tness the parade

,and

even the deer took part . The cl osed shrines,scattered

through th e forest,are qu ite as impress ive as the holy of

hol ies in th is temple,and here the bareness and empti

ness of Sh into worsh ip strike the beholder . Each of th efour l i tt le red chape l s in a row has a fine bamboo curtai n conceal i ng the i nterio r

,and the m iddle chapel i nto

wh ich the p i lgrims may look as they pay and pray, presents to the ir gaze on ly a screen painted with myth ica lbeasts . A large covered pavi l ion in the court-yard wasprovided for th e conven ience of praying daim ios in th et ime when p iety was spectacu l ar

,and when the whol e

ret inue of a great man assi sted at h i s devotions . In an

other pavi l ion the towns-people burn beans and sow themabroad every winte r to drive away evi l sp i rits .

Every twent ieth year the priests pl an t t rees to furn ishfurther t imbers

,but in Kasuga

’

s court are two famous3 15

7z'

n r iki slza Day s in 7a15a n

old cryptomeri a,now too sacred to be fel l ed even fo r

such pu rposes,and one , enmesh ed in the co i l s of a wis

tari a,i s a marve l even in Nara . Without the Square ,

heavy-t imbered,red gate-way of the court two avenues

meet,both l ined wi th rows and rows of tal l stone l an

terns covered w ith moss and overhung with the densefo l iage of the meet ing trees . One avenue leads to asmal le r temple

,and the other

,dropping by a fl igh t of

stone steps,tu rn s to the r ight and descends in a long

slope,bordered wi th regiments of stone l anterns

,to a

large red tori i . Thence i t pursues its way, bordered st i l lwi th mass ive l anterns

,fo r th ree-quarters of a m i le to the

greater tori i,marking the l im it of the s acred grounds

and the beginn ing of the v i l l age s treets . O th er l an ternl ines

,path s

,and staircases j oin i t

,and a b ronze deer

,

s i tt ing among rough,mossy bowlders under a dense can

opy of trees and creepers , pours a stream of pure springwater into a gran ite b as in . There are more th an th reethousand of these ston e l antern s along the Kasuga ap

p r oaches , al l of them gifts from daimios , nob les, and richbel ievers ; and in days when the temples were rich andfai th prosperous

,they were l ighted every n ight . At pres

ent i t i s only during great fest ival s that wicks and saucersof oi l are set i n al l the l an tern s

,but some sixty points of

flame fl i cker n ight ly in th e dense shadows by the Kasugagate , giving most wei rd eff ects .From Kasuga gate th e upper avenue of l an

'

terns leadsto the Wakam iya shrine , d ed icated to the early gods ofthe Shin to re l igion . He r e the old custom of th e sacreddance is kept up

,and a group of young priestesses i s in

wait ing to repeat the measures danced by Suzume beforethe Sun Goddess’s cave i n preh i stor ic t imes . The l i t t le

'

min istran ts are al l between the ages of n ine and twel ve ,t imid , gen tl e , and harm less as the deer th at often strayin and wa tch them . The i r dress is th e o ld costume of

the imperial court— a p icturesque lower garment o r d i3 16

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Tk r oug lz Uji to Na r a

vided skirt of the brightest cardinal-red S i lk , and a wh itek imono

,with square sleeves and poin ted neck fi l led with

al tern ate fo lds of red and wh i te. When they dance theywear loose k imonos of white gauze , painted with thewistar ia crest of the Kasuga temple

,th e fron t of the

gauzy garment h alf covering the red skirt,and the back

pieces t rai l ing on the mats . Thei r faces are p lasteredso th ickly with wh ite pain t that they lose al l express ion

,

and,fo l lowing the old fash ion

,the ir eyebrows are sh aved

,

and two t iny b l ack dots h igh up in the m iddle of thei rforeheads take the pl ace of them . Wi th l ip s heavilyrouged

,the countenance is more a mask than a human

face . The hai r, gathered together at the back of th eneck

,i s t ied wi th loops of gold paper

,and then

,fo lded

in soft wh ite paper,al lowed to hang down the back .

Long hair-p ins,with cl usters of wistaria and red camel

l i a,are thrust across the top of the head

,and fastened

so that they stand out l ike horn s over the forehead . In

detai l the costume i s not pretty,but in i t s general eff ect

i t is s ingularly brigh t and p icturesque .O ne may have as many sacred dancers and as long a

dance as he wi l l pay for,and as soon as th e money i s

rece ived the two priests get into thei r ceremoni al wh itegowns and high b lack h ats

,and

,s itt ing before the an

c ient drums,ch ant

,pound

,and b low on dolefu l pipes an

accompaniment for the l it t l e dancers . The sacred dancei s solemn enough

,and each dancer h as a fan and a bunch

o f bel l s, from wh ich hang long str ip s of bright-coloredsi lks . They advance , retreat, gl ide to right and l eft , rai sethe i r fans, shake the i r sacred baby-ratt le s, and , with fewchanges in the measure , repeat the same figures andmovements for a certain length of t ime . I f one paysmore money they repeat the same th ing

,and the prie sts

can wai l the end less accompan iment by the hour. Tous the dance was S imply a curious custom ; but the d evont ol d p i lgrims , who h ave boar ded up the ir money for

3 19

yznr iki ska D ay s in ffafian

the journey for month s and often years , fee l i t to be a so lemu and sanct ified serv ice . I t i s path et i c to see th e irfaces glowing and the ir eyes fi l led with tears at th e finespectacle th at IS so rare an event in the i r l ives , and whichcrowns their summer p i lgrimage to the old sh rines of theirfaith .

CHAPTER XXX I I

NARA

IN'

the last week of June,the proprie tor of the tea -fie ld

beneath our ve randa conducted a second picking of h isstumpy l itt l e bushes . From sunrise unti l dusk rose achorus of ch i ld ren’s vo ices beyond the hedge . The firstand best crop having been gathered weeks earl i er wi ththe fi rst fir e - fl ie s

,th i s h ubbub accompan ied on ly th e

glean ing after the harvesters . I t was a pretty pictu re inthe foreground of the magn ificent view— these l itt l e b l ueand white figures in huge wash -bowl h ats

,with touches

of brigh t red here and there in their costumes . Theheadman sat comfortably under a fig—tree , with no clo thing to speak of

,smoked h i s p ipe

,and watched the young :

ste r s at work . When they toi led up to h im with ful l b askets , be weighed the load with a rude stee lyard and sentthem back , so that some of the tea-pickers were alwaysmoving up and down the paths between the compactrows of bushes

,and grouped about the patri arch under

the fig—tree . The leaves were spread in the sun al l dayand carried off at n igh t in l arge sacks and baskets . Walking out th rough the woods on e day

,with two l ittl e red

gowned priestesses from the Kasuga templ e,we came

upon a tiny vi l l age , and there found the same tea- l eavesbeing toasted in shal low paper- l i ned baskets over charcoal fires . The attendants rubbed and tossed the fra

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7'in r ikis/za Day s in yapan

in K i oto , but al l the inmates assume the same pri ests’

dress and shave thei r heads, and we i nferred th at al l thesix hundred Buddhist nuns in the emp ire were equal lyugly .

At the edge of the l itt l e town of Nara is a l arge pond,

where in a court romance of the e igh th century decl aresa lovelorn maiden to have d rowned hersel f fo r s ake of afickle Emperor. Above th i s h i storic pond stands a fineold five-story pagoda

,and the scattered bu i ld ings rem ain

ing from what was once a great Buddh ist estab li shmen t .Th is Kobukuji temple dates back to the year _ 71 0, buthas been burned and rebu i l t agai n and again . After thedownfal l of the Shogun s

,who were Buddh i sts

,the res

tor ation of th e Emperor to power made Sh in to th e es

tabl ished fai th . In th e zeal at tend ing the rev ival_

of

Shin to , Buddhi sm was almost l a id under a ban . Buddh ist pri ests h id themselves

,and Buddh i st p i ctu res

,stat

ues, and books were concealed . Moreover,the craze for

foreign fash ion s induced a con tempt for the o ld templesand pagodas . Two of the bu i ld ings of Kobukuji weretorn down and th e statues in th em destroyed . Ropeswere even pl aced about the beaut ifu l o ld pagoda

,wh ich

would have met the fate of the Col umn Vendome h adnot the saner c i t i zen s leagued together to preserve it.I n th i s calmer day, th e J apanese of whatever fai th lookupon th i s ancien t pagoda, the old be l l , and the venerab le bu i ld ings of the Buddhi st establ i shmen ts as the prideof Nara .

The town of Nara i s a wel l-kept l i tt l e provinc i al sett l ement, but with noth ing especi al ly ch aracteri st ic or i n terest ing in i ts cl ean streets . On e goes to see th e bl ackgnomes at work , knead ing th ei r dough of rapeseed -oi l

,

soot, and glue , pressing i t in to mou lds, baking i t, andsupplying the country wi th i ts best wri t ing ink . Whil ethe Japanese ind ia- ink i s not equal to the Ch inese i nk

,

some of i t i s very expens ive . I t requ i res a connoisseur

Na r a

to te l l why a st ick th e si ze of one’s l i ttle finger Shouldcost one or two dol l ars at the manufacture r

's shop,wh i le

a cake three or four t imes as l arge,and apparen tly of the

same substance,should be on ly a ten th of that price .

The few curio-shops offer almost noth ing to the most d i l igen t searcher

,and the town i tse l f makes smal l cl aim

upon the average vis i tors , who come to see the templesand enjoy the surroundings and the view from the sacredgr oves on the he ights . I n the l i ttl e row of tea-housesalong the brow of M ikasayama, one is in th e m idst ofNara’s real l ife and atmosphere

,and in the detached

pavi l ion s and houses scattered through the i r gardensthe vi s itor is confron ted with the most attract ive phasesof a J apanese travel ler’s ex is tence . The exqui s i te sim

plicity and beauty of these t iny houses, with the i r encircl ing gal l eries

,al l the four s ides open to the ai r and

view,the si l ence of . th e garden , broken on ly by the

trickl ing water as i t fal l s from bamboo pipe to bronzebas in or t iny l akelet, render i t an Arcadi a . For a smal lsum one may h ave one of these t iny houses to h imself

,

a dainty box for cha no yu, and a do l l’s ki tchen aecom

panying each pavil ion . O n sunny days the garden i s asmal l parad i se

,with th e moving figu res of guests and at

fendants always giving a human in te rest to the pictur esque bits of l and scape . On rainy days the p icturesare as many , but done in soberer tones . O n those rai nyJ une days

,when there were few smart showers

,but a

steady,pers i sten t

,fine dri z z l e th at l eft everyth i ng soaked

with moi sture,the domesti cs patte red about our garden

from house to house, perched on the ir h igh woode ric logs

,with the i r sk irts tucked h igh above the i r bare fee t

,

twirl ing huge o i l -paper umbrel l as above the i r heads .At n ight they came to close our amados no is i ly, and tohang up the mosquito-nets of coarse ly-woven green cotton— nets the S i ze of the room itse lf, fastened by cordsat the four corners of the ce i l ing, and exha l ing the musty ,

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yinr ziki s/za Day s in yapan

mildewed odor th at belongs to so many th ings Japanese,and is so i nevitabl e in the rainy season. From al l thefol i age mosqu itoes swarmed by myriads, and a candleflame attracted winged th ings that on ly an en tomologi stcould name insects so smal l and l ight th at on e breathedthem ; gorgeous golden green beet l es , r ival l i ng the irBraz i l ian congeners ; and huge bl ack stag-horn beet le sth at deal t one a sharp b low with the force of thei r coming . At n ight, too, the domest ic rat asserted itse lf, andth is pest and d isturber of tea-house l ife ran r io t in th eempty chamber between the beaut ifu l wooden cei l i ngs

PRIESTESSES AT NARA324

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yznr iki ska Day s in yapa n

deep in the mud and water, st irring the muck aroundthe young Shoots

,and tearing up th e water-weeds wi th

iron hooks . No other grain requ ires as much care as

rice,and from th e fi rst transp l an ting from the seed-bed

unt i l the ears of grain are formed , there i s cont inuousgrubbing in the m ire of the paddy fie lds . The legion sof frogs that l ive in them share the i r abode with horrib l eslugs

,snai l s

,blood-suckers

,and st ingers of many k inds ,

again st whose assaul ts the poor farmers wrap the ir legsknee-high with many th icknesses of cotton cloth . F01lowing the leve l pl ai n and skirt ing instead of surmounting the bold mountain—spur

,al l the twenty-six miles from

Nara to O saka r an th rough rice fields . Eve r y l i tt l e squareof dyked paddy-fie ld had its workers . In some th e fi rstp lough ing was being done ; i n others the water was be ingworked into th e so i l ; and , farther on ,

men and women,

standing ankle - deep in th e muck,were sett ing out the

t iny green shoots . Here and there laborers were tread :

ing water - wheel s to pump water from th e lower to thehigher level s, or with long sweeps d ipp ing it s lowly upfrom wel l s .There are seven great Buddhist monaster ies around

Nara, al l more or l ess in decay,but al l possessing rel ics

of great h istoric i nterest and val ue . S evera l of themShow thei r whi te wal l s

,l ike fortresses

,high on the m ount

a in-side , and in them l inger the remnan ts of a on ce richand numerous priesthood— the ir sacred retreats be ing soremote and in accessib le that not h alf a dozen fore ignershave ever vis ited them .

Horinj i , half -way to O saka,i s the l argest of these

Nara monasteries , and i t s pagoda and Hondo are theoldest wooden bu i ld ings in J apan . Both were com

p leted i n the year 607, and both are in tact, sol id , andfirm enough to endure for twel ve centur ies more . To

students of Buddh ism , Horinj i i s a Mecca , on accoun t ofi t s weal th of scriptures

,statues

,pictures

,and re l ies

,dat

3 26

ing from th e t ime when’

that fai th h ad j ust been introduced from Chin a. To art connoisseurs its i nterest isun ique because of i ts old Hondo

,contain ing frescos ex

ecuted by a Korean arti s t at the t ime of i ts e rect ion,

which,with one exception , are the on ly frescos proper

in J apan,and among the few pain t ings executed on a

surface erect befo re the art i st . Al l other paint ings inJ apan— kakemono

,panel s o f screens

,and sect ion s of

ce i l ings o r wal l space— are done with the wood,paper

,

or si lk lying on the floor before the seated art i st . TheseHorinj i frescos are d im and faded

,and on ly pale wra i th s

and suggest ion s of haloed sai nts,here a head and there

a bit of drapery,can be made out. In recen t years at

ten t ion h as been cal l ed to these works . By imperialcommand an art ist came down from Tokio to copy themand when the Imperi al Art Commission came from the i rNara work to in spect and catalogue the Horinj i treasures

,Ogawa, thei r photographer, spent two days at work

making flash v light exposures in the dark in ter ior of theHondo .

Among th e sacred rel ics of Horin j i i s th e veri tabl eeyebal l of Buddha

,the legacy of the ho ly Shotoku Tai

sho ,the Emperor who founded Horinj i , and left to i t

statues of h imself, carved by h is own hand at d i ff eren tages . Shotoku Taisho talked when he was four monthsold

, and a l it tl e l ater conversed in eigh t langu ages al lat once . I t i s th erefore easy to bel ieve th at when th i sprodigy o f legend was a year old , and , turn ing to theEast , with clasped h ands repeated the invocat ion of h i ssect— “

i’Vamu Am ida B utsu (Hai l , or Hear us, Great

Buddh a !)— he found th i s prec iou s re l ic o f Buddha ’sbody

,the eyebal l

,i n h i s hands . That he knew i t to be

an eyebal l i s not the l east part o f th e miracle , as i t looksmost l ike the t iny

,d i scolored pearl o f a common oyste r.

The eyebal l of Buddha i s shown every day at h igh noon,

a spec ial mass be ing chanted by the priest'

wh i le the re l ic3 37

yz‘

n r i kiska D ay s i n yap a n

i s d ispl ayed . For a considerat ion,and for the welfare

of the temple treasury, the mass may be repeated at anyhour

.The ce lebrant

,a very old pr iest, when cal led from

the mon astery,came i n Sp lend id appare l of brocade and

gauze,and entering the l i tt le temp le, knel t , touched a

s i lver - voiced gong,and prayed before a gi lded shrine

w ith c losed doors and a weal th of golden lotus ornaments . Then he s lowly drew forth from an al tar recessa l arge bundle

,covered with rich red and gold brocade

and t ied wi th heavy s i l k cords,l aid i t reveren tly on a

low table before the al tar,and

,with a muttered chan t of

prayer,unt ied and laid back bag after bag of o ld bro

cade,each l ined wi th s i lk of some contrast ing color and

t ied with th ick cords . After th e n inth bag was opened,

an uprigh t case,covered with more brocade

,appeared

,

l i fting which,the priest produced a l itt l e rock - crystal

rel iquary,and set i t upon a golden lotus as a pedestal .

The rel iquary was i n the sh ape of th e convent ionalBuddh i st tomb— a cube, a sphere, and a pyramid , pl acedone above the other— and the b its of flawless c rystalwere held together by si lver wires . In the ho l low spherel ay the d ingy rel ic

,th at rattl ed l ike a pebbl e when it was

turned for on e to see i t . The holy man never oncepaused in h is muttered chant from the time he l ifted th eprecious bundle from the al tar unt i l he h ad repl aced the tens i lken wrappings and setthe sacred rel ic back in its n iche .

I n one of the bui ld ings are queer oven-shaped hump sin the floor, covering secret ch ambers, where for twelvecenturies offerings of gold have been dropped for th erebu i ld i ng of the temples in case of fire . These hoardscannot be touched except on the occurrence of the ca

lam ity feared , and the p riests even res i sted the wish of

th e Imperi al Art Commission to bre ak open the vault sto exam ine the co in s be l ieved to be there . A Boston artconno isseur, who vis i ted Horinj i a few years ago, andfound i ts priests poor and it s art treasures in need of

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yinr iki ska Day s in 7af an

of the Inl and Sea . O n these vast al luvi al flats rice i sst i l l the main crop

,and th e saké made from i t i s consid

e red the best in the empi re . Al l over th is emerald p lai n ‘

the farmers could be seen at work , the i r wide h ats showing l ike so many big mushrooms when the wearers , sunkdeep in the muck of the paddy fields, bent over the i rwork . On the prai rie- l ike leve l of th e p lain the i rrigat ingsystem is S imple and ingen ious . Everywhere the farmerswere plaster ing up the l i tt l e dikes that keep the waterwith i n its l imi t and pattern the p l ai n wi th a gigant iccheck -work of narrow b l ack l ines and serve as foot

w alks from field to field . No fences or h igh barriersbreak

.

the even level,and those strange contr ivances

,th e

pr imi tive Persian water - wheel s,may be seen every few

rods . This Pers ian wheel , with i ts r ow of hanging boxes,

i s put in motion by a man who cl imbs i t i n treadm i l lfash ion

,the boxes scooping up th e water from the lower

l evel and d ischarging _the ir burden into a trough at the

top, whence the stream flows from fie l d to field by almostimperceptibl e ch anges of level . The wheelman wearson ly the lo in-cloth prescribed by l aw and a wisp of bluetowe l knotted about h i s head . Occasion al ly he fasten sa b ig paper umbre l l a to a l ong bamboo pol e

,and pl an ts

i t where i t wi l l cast a smal l shadow on h im,but usual ly

he tramps h i s uncomplain ing round in the b laze of th etropical sun

,a so l i tary and pathet ic

,but h igh ly p ictu

r e sque figure,i sol ated thus on the vast green p l ain . More

O riental,even , are the groups at the wel l s , shaded by

straw mats or umbrel l as on l ong pole s,wh i le they work

the same long wel l-sweeps as the Sh adoofs of the N i le .

Far off,l ike an i sl and in th is sea of green

,r ise the

castl e towers and the pagoda - tops of O saka, and fo rhours we hardly seemed to gain upon the vi s ion

,but th e

runners , saving them sel ves fo r a l ast effort and taking aSip of te a in th e suburbs , raced down through the s treetsand over the bridges at a gait never before equal l ed .

33°

Osaka

CHAPTER XXXIII

OSAKA

OSAKA,th e great commerci al ci ty of Japan’

,with i ts

popul at ion of over soul s,stretches out its square

mi le s of gray-roofed houses at the edge of the pl ai n ,where the wate rs of the Yodogawa reach Os aka Bay .

Bars and shal l ows prevent large vessel s from reach ingthe ci ty

,and Kobe-H iogo , twen ty mi les across the arc of

the bay,i s i ts seaport . The branch ing r iver and th e in

numerable canal s intersecting the ci ty h ave given O sak athe name of the Ven ice of Japan as if a trad ing ci ty

,

bu i l t on a leve l pl ain , with canal s too w ide and housestoo low and dul l in color to be in the l east p i cturesque

,

could be con sidered even a poor re l at ion of the Brideof the Sea .

” The Ch icago of Japan is a fi tter ti t le,for

if no pork-pack ing estab l i shmen ts exi st , the who le commun i ty i s as en erget ical ly absorbed in money-mak ing

,th e

yen,in stead of the almighty dol l ar, be ing the god ch iefly

worsh ipped,and Osaka ’s Board of Trade the most ex

cit ing and busy one in the empire .

O saka has been prom inent i n the h istory of Japanfrom the very earl iest t imes

,and at the t ime o f th e

Restorat ion th e rebel Shogun made h i s l ast stand andfough t h i s l ast batt l e at O saka cast l e . The next greateven

‘

t in O saka’s annal s was the flood of 1 8 8 5, whichwas without paral le l in th i s coun try o f floods . Duri ngthe l ast weeks o f the ra i ny season o f June the rain fel lin torren ts for more than a week

,and a typ hoon , sweep

i ng the region , deluged th e adjoin ing provinces . LakeBiwa rose many feet above it s usual level . th e riversdoubl ed and redoubl ed the i r s i ze , and the whole Osaka

33 1

yi n r iki ska D ay s in 7ap an

pl a i n was a l ake . The rivers having been raised art ificia lly above the leve l of the surround ing count ry forthe i rrigat ion of the r ice fields

,the i r banks and l evees

mel ted away before the rush of waters , and the pl ain wasscoured by swift currents runn ing e igh t and fifteen feetdeep over the rice fields . Farm-houses and vi l lages d isappeared in a day, and the wretched peopl e saved themselves and the i r few effects by tak ing to boats and raftsor seek ing refuge in trees . After two weeks of h ighwater and cont in uing rain s

,the flood subs ided and the

wreck was more apparen t . A few farmers , by repl ant ingand careful tend ing

,obtai ned crops th at se ason

,but

hundreds and hundreds of the homeless and dest i tutewere she l tered and fed in th e unused barracks at O sakacast l e .

In the ci ty i tse lf on ly the cast l e and a few busin essstreets were left above water

,and thousands of houses

and godowns were ru ined ; th e mud - wal l s under th eheavy t i l ed roofs co l l aps ing l ike card - houses in th ecurrent . On e hundred and for ty

~six bridges were carried away, and , for a t ime , boats were the on ly veh ic lesand means of commun icat ion . The suff ering and dest itution were terrib le

,and Osaka’s many industries were

paralyzed . But i n the shortest t ime after the subs idenceof the waters temporary br idges and ferries were establ ished

, embankments patched up, houses rebu i l t , andthe ci ty returned to its busy ways . Except fo r the mudstained wal ls and the heaps of drift and débri s on rooftops , l i t t l e reminded one of th e d isaster as we spedthrough the stone-paved streets . House-boats wen t upand down the r iver each even ing with ge ish a and maikoS inging happi ly , and koto and sam isen r inging on th e a i rt i l l m idn igh t . Jiute i

’

s queer hotel,a fore ign inn ups ta irs

and a Japanese tea-house be low stairs,was th e sce ne of

as much feast ing as eve r,and the recuperat ive power of

O saka’

s people surpr i sed one at every turn .

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yinr ikislza Day s i n 7apa n

an un fai l ing supply for the garr i son at al l t imes andthrough many sieges .

Return ing to headquarters we‘

met the commandantin such a beaut ifu l snow-wh ite un iform , covered wi th somany fine l ines of wh ite braid , as must make

“ any man

regret having to l ay i t aside for the d ark and sombrewin ter regim ental s . The bowing and in terch ange of con

ve ntional ly courteous greet ings between the commandantand the two Tokio offi cia l s whom we accompan ied was acharming exh ib it ion of the old et iquette

,j ust a l i ttl e mod

ified by the new. The cool,sh ady room

,where tea and

cake and wine awaited us, h ad been bui l t on the foundat ions of the o ld house where H ideyosh i l ived , and i ts inte r ior was panel l ed and ce i led wi th wondrous paint ingsand carvings brought from one o f the Ta iko ’

s dis tan tcast les . Before i t s tood a pine - tree

,pl anted by the

daughter of that Napoleon of Japan , and there h ad beenenacted the bri l l i an t dram a of feudal life wh ich J udi thGautier has immortal i zed in T/ze Usurp er , a story wh ichinvests O saka’s cast le w ith romance .

Then we spent two scorch ing hours in the gun -foundery and arsenal outs ide the castl e wal l s

,where the ma

ch inery was German from Chemni tz founde r ie s , an d theguns were made on I tal i an model s . No fore igners werevi sible about the p lace

,and the mach i nery was managed

by Japanese workmen .

Next to i t s arsenal, Osaka

‘

takes pride in i ts m in t,wh ich is l arger and better suppl ied wi th mach ine

'

ry th anany of the Government m in ts in the U n ited S t ates . Anarmy of workmen and workwomen in un iform tend themach ines

,and melt

,cast

,cut

,stamp

,weigh

,and fin ish

the coins, wh ich , under th e val ues of yens and sens, correspond exact ly to our co inage of dol l ars and cents .

The mint possesses a fine col l ect ion of co in s,i ncl uding

the co in s and medal s of al l countries,as wel l as a com

p lete set of Japanese coin s from the earl i est days .334

Osaka

Another i n terest ing Government inst itut ion i s the bazaar for the exh ib it ion and sale of goods of O saka manufactur e . All Japanese c i t ies h ave these kakur ankwa i

(exposi t ion), but no other i s on so great a scale and socrowded with beauti fu l th ings as th is one . There one

may see al l th at any workshop turn s out o r any deale r h asfor sal e without the ted ious process of bowing

,taking

o ff one ’s shoes , and s i tt i ng in ta i lor-fash ion for an hourbefore the desi red art icles are shown . Al l the good s aremarked in pla in figures

,and th e fixed price obviates the

bargain ing and the ratt l e of the soroban . There is an ad

miss ion fee of a few coppers , and a percentage i s chargedon al l sales to support the inst i tut ion . One may spenda day in th e l abyrinth of rooms studying O saka’s manyindustrie s ; and everyth ing, from go ld and s i lve r ware

,

crapes,brocades

,l acquers

,enamels, porce l ain s and carv

i ngs to food preparat ion s , paten t med ici nes , and imitat ions of fore ign goods , i s to be found there . There i seven a department of p lants and flowers

,a hal l of antiq

uitie s,a section of toys , acres o f ch in a shops , and Spec

imens of eve ryth ing made, so ld , o r used in th at bustl i ngci ty . Even ing br ings e lectric l ights and a mi l i tary band

,

and th i s industri al fa ir is made popul ar and profi tab leal l the year round .

O saka is the centre of great i ron , copper, and bronzeindust ries . I ts art i sts decorate the finest modern Satsuma in microscopical ly fine des igns

,and the mark of

Giok sen,of O saka , on t i ny vase or koro stamps the piece

as the best exampl e of the day . The soft yel low andr ich ly - toned wares of Idzum i ki ln s find the i r marketthrough O saka , and the carving o f blackwood in to cabinets and stands , or mounts , for vases and tokonoma o r

n aments , i s h eld almost as a monopoly by a gre at company of O saka art i sans . Its book trade and dry-goodstrade are very great

,and its ch ief s i lk - sto re

,wh ich is

‘ S t i l l purely J apanese , d isplays the cho icest fabric s ofass

yin r ikis/za Day s i n 7apan

Kioto looms,and stuff s that on ly after much search ing

are seen elsewhere . The straw goods trade is an im

portan t one , and its paper i ndustrie s are on an evengreater scale . Fans are exported from Osaka by mil lion s

,the Un i ted S tates tak ing one fan for each inhab

itant of the great republ ic .

S tamped leather i s another product of Osaka, but isch iefly exported to Trieste, to be made up there and atVienna into the pocket-books

,portfol ios

,card and cigar

cases that cost so much in American j ewelry and sta

tione ry stores . At Toyon o’s,the l argest l e ather factory

,

squares of stamped leather were Shown us in more thana hundred des igns of bugs

,b irds

,and fish

,covering the

ground,each p iece

'

of l eather being about twenty-fou rinches square

,and sel l ing at one or two dol lars fo r the

Singl e p iece . Larger p ieces,stamped with l arge and el ab

orate designs in gold o r co lors,and used for the fore ign

trade as pane ls fo r wal l decorations,mounted to ten and

fifteen dol lars each , th e S ize and qual ity of the l eatherand work of the art i st enhancing th e price . The cos t ofone of the l arge square brass d ies from wh ich the impression s are made averages one hundred and fi fty dol~l ars . In the o ld days the two—feet-square surface of brasscould be engraved in th e finest al l - over des igns for h alfthat sum . The leather i s stamped from these d ie s by ah and-press , and afte r the stamping workmen sit on thei rheel s and color the designs

.

An industry pecu l iar to O sak a is th e manufacture o f

floor rugs o f cotton or hemp . These O saka rugs weremuch esteemed in feudal d ays

,when the daim io had the

monopoly and sen t them as gifts ; but in these prosaicdays a stock company and a large factory supply thehome market and the great fore ign demand for theseinexpens ive and pleasing artic les

.

Half the ka ir os . Sold in Japan are marked with mO saka manufacturer

’

s name , and in co ld weather or in3 36

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7in r ikis/za D ay s in 74pm

wel l known as i ts industries , and i ts j1nr ik isha runnersare reckoned the swiftest in the emp i re . The l at ter sp inover the stone-paved streets and bridges and round corners at a terri fy ing pace

,al l for s ix cents an hour, and

usual ly speed the depart ing guest to th e stat ion e arlyenough to al low h im a half-hour at th e l i tt le tea-housesin the park

,to eat cubes of the superl at ive O saka sponge

cake . The maiko and ge ish a of th i s southern capital arerenowned for the ir grace, beauty, and wit ; the i r t aste inarranging the obi and dress ing the h air ; thei r cl evernessin invent ing new dances ; and the ehte r tainments i nwh ich they figure

,under the lan terned awnings of th e

house-boats as they float up and down th e river at n igh t,

are un ique among such fetes .There are many r ich and spl end id temple s i n Osaka

that seem to have suff ered l i tt le s ince the protect ion of

the Shogun and the court were w ithdrawn . Osak a,To

kio,and Kioto, the th ree capital s, are the th ree rel igious

centres ; and the Buddh ist e stab l i shments , the extensiveyel low-wal led monastery grounds in th e d istrict beyondthe O saka castl e are worthy of a capital . The numbersof priests in th e streets, the thousands of summer p i lgr ims

,and the scores of shops for the sale of temple or

naments , al tar furn i sh ings , rosari es, and brocade tri angles for the shelf of household images , give a certainsacerdotal aspect to the busy town . O ne temple possessesmany rel ics of the Forty-seven Ron in s

,and at i t s annual

matsuri,when these are exh ibi ted

,th e surrounding courts

are almost impassab le with th e crowds and the merryfai r . The twin Monto temples are splend id structures

,

and pri ests from the K ioto Hongwanjis often ass i s t intheir ceremon ial s .

As one approaches Osaka from Nara,Tenn0j1

’

s roofsand pagoda are seen at the same moment with the cast l etowers . This pagoda i s one of the few .in Japan wh ichv is itors are al lowed to c l imb

,and contains enough wood

338

Osaka

and rough t imber to bui ld twen ty l ike i t after occ identalmethods . Such steep and cl umsy stai rs and l adders areharder to cl imb than mounta in s ; for the cl imber crawl sover and creeps under heavy beams

,and fa i rly twists

h imself upward,gett ing an occas ional peep dovim the

dark wel l-ho le,where the bu i lders ' secre t is h idden . Vis

i tor s wonder how pagodas are made to stand in an earthquake country

,and why these spindl ing ed ifices shou ld

be bu i l t up without regard to the inevit abl e tremble , unt i l they see in th e hol low chamber

,or wel l

,an exagge r

ated tongue or pendul um hanging from the topmostbeams .Th is tongue

,made of heavy beams bol ted together in

a mass,i s equal to about h alf the weigh t of the whol e

structu re . I t descends nearly to the base of the pagoda,and at the shock of an earthquake the l arge pendulumslowly swings

,th e structure sways

,and sett les back safe ly

to its base .

In a tal l sheathed bel l-tower n ear the pagoda there i sa most interest ing shrine where parents hang the garments of s ick and dying ch i ldren . The whole in t er ior isfi l l ed with l i tt le kimonos and b ibs

,and the long rope of

the gong overhead i s covered wi th them , whi le tearfu lwomen c l uste r round the pr iests in the smal l interior

,

and a con t inuous serv ice seems to go on before theal tar. In the court-yard a large ston e water-t ank

,sunk

a few steps and covered with a pavi l ion roof,conta ins a

stone tortoi se pouring a con stan t stream of water intothe reservo ir

,on whose surface the fa ith fu l , buying

wooden shavings or prayer-papers from the pr iests,cast

these pet i t ion s and go away content .O thers fi l l l i tt l e bottl es with the water and carry i t

home as a specific against many i l l s . In a pond near byl ive hundreds of tu rtles . The kamé c l imb up on woodenpl at forms in th e pond and sun themse lves , but at thecl ap of the hand and the s igh t of popped beans float ing

339

7z'

n r iki ska D ay s i n 17apan

about,the who le colony d ive off and swim towards the ir

benefactor.Al l around Tena 1 are the yel low wal l s Of the mon

aste r ies , with min iature moats and heavy gate-ways , andth is quarter is a rel igious c i ty by i tsel f, which was oncea separate suburb with a popu lat ion of

CHAPTER XXXIV

K O BE A ND A R I M A

TRAVELLERS had cause to rejo ice when th e Tokaidorai l road made i t a twenty-four hou rs’ j ourney on dry l andfrom Tokio to Kobe

,th e fore ign sett lement adj o in ing

the ancient town of H iogo . I t is almost always a m'

i serable t rip by water

,notwithstanding the beauty of Fuj i

and the coast . Chopping seas, cross-currents, and un

expected pitch ings and mot ion s d is turb the equ i l ibr iumeven of an Old sai lo r

,and the trip to Kobe Often l ays

h im low,wh i le smi l ing skies and seem ingly smooth wa

ters seem to make a mock Of h im . When typhoonssweep

,the province of K ii i s a magnet for them

,and

frightfu l seas rage around th at point wh ich guards the entrance to the In l and Sea .

Kobe'

, as the port of O saka and Kioto , and the out letof the great Yamash i ro tea-d istri ct

,i s an importan t pl ace

commerc i al ly ; i t s growth more th an equal l ing Yoko~

hama‘

s since the open ing Of th e port . Beginn ing withless th an nat ive i nh ab itants in the town of H iogo

m 1 8 68,i t had ri se n to more th an in 1 8 87, and toin 1 900 . The foreign trade Of 1 8 8 8 amounted

to in 1900 to O f wh ich $60 ,were imports

,and were exports .

Ships Of al l nat ion s l ie at anchor in i t s busy harbor,and

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yin r ikislza Day s in'

yapan

for l egions of ch i ldren , and during matsu ri s i t i s crowdedwith booths and S ide-shows . H iogo, mean ing arsen al ,figures prominent ly in ancien t h istory

,and here Kusu

nok i M asashige , th at ideal hero and mode l of ch ival r icvalor

,fough t the l ast b att le of th e War of the Ch rysan

themums and establ i shed the sovereignty of th e Emperor Go-Daigo in the fourteenth century . Kusunoki

’

s

memory i s worsh ipped eve rywhere,but the Nanko t em

ple in H iogo i s ded icated to h is memory , and on ann ive r sar y days i ts matsuri s are bri l l i an t and p icturesqueaff ai rs . Besides th is great Sh into temple

,H iogo has a

Buddhist establ ishmen t of equal importance— the Sh in~

koj i,outside whose sanctuary s i ts a co lossal bronze

Buddha of seren e,majest ic coun ten ance

,i t s gran ite

pedestal ri s ing as an i s l and in the m idst of a lotuspond .

Properly speak ing,the M inatogawa l ies in H iogo, bu t

where ancien t H iogo ends and modern Kobe be gin s nomortal can see . The Motomach i

,the main street of

Kobe,winds its n arrow length from the banks Of the

M inatogawa to the Foreign Concess ion,beyond wh ich

warehouses , tea - fi r ing godowns , and foreign res idencesstretch and spread in every way outs ide the n arrow l imi ts of the tract conceded to al ien residen ts in the treat ies .Kobe means “ head , o r gate of god

,

” probably i n reference to its posi t ion at the entrance of th e I n l and Se a .

While so p icturesquely placed i t i s th e model fore ignsettl ement of the East

,and the mun ic ipal counci l— a

mixed board of consul ar and n ative O fficials— has neveral lowed its right to th at fame to be quest ioned . A prettypark down in the heart of the Concession

,shaded w ith

ancient camphor-t rees and ornamented by hedges,groups

o f palms , thatched summer-houses , and a be l l - tower, wasonce the execut ion - ground of H iogo . A smal l templethat stood near i t h as given way to a l arge tea-fir ing godown , and nat ive ch i ldren tumble and p lay where the

342

Kobe’ a nd A r i /nu

headsman used to b ind muti lated bod ies or ghastly headsto h igh poles and set them up at the corners

,af ter imme

morial usage . The park,or recreation-grounds for the

fore ign colony , l ies , bes ide the long embankment of another e levated river - bed on the Oppos i te s ide from theM inatogawa .

Every gap in the Kobe’

h i l l s leads to some love ly l itt leva l ley

,and orange groves dot the h i l l-s ides. In one green

ravine are the fal l s of Nunobiki, where a c lear mountai nstream takes two long plunges down sheer gran ite wal l s ,drops i n foaming cascades past O ld r ice-mil l s

,and courses

on over the S loping pl ain to the sea . The Moon templeSh ines

,a wh ite spot

,far up towards the summit o f the

steep,green mountai n , and , with the more access ible

fal l s,off ers the two favori te po ints for v isi tors ’ excur

s ions . Farther along the brow of the h i l l s tands theGold Bal l temple , a wh i tewashed structure , look ing l ikean exaggerated count ry meeti ng-house

,with i ts roof sur

mounted by a gi lded sphere, and with noth ing even sugge sting Buddh ism in its appearance . Whi le i t i s an eyesore to every one e lse , the nat ives , who contributed themoney to bu i ld th is monstros i ty of what they cons iderfore ign arch itecture

,are del ighted with i ts un ique and

b izarre appearance . Around i t l ies a populous graveyard

,many O f the stones gray with the mosses O f centu

rie s . O thers , newly erected , are fami ly memorial s , beari ng the n ames of those members al ready buried therewrit ten in black characters, and the names of the l ivingin red . I t is a curious custom ; but to the Japanese , whoeven point with pride to the red letters of thei r own nameson th ese fami ly monuments , i t is rat ional and righ t . C r e

mation i s the funeral rite preferred , and up a narrow vall ey beh ind the temple i s the crematory, much used bothby rich and poor. The process is s imple and inexpen

s ive,and the vis i tor always encounters some funeral trai n

accompany ing a body to th at l itt le wh ite temple of fi re ,343

7z’

n r iki ska D ay s in yapan

or some fami ly group bearing the ashes down to thecemetery fo r final rest .A l ine of tea - houses bands the brow Of th e h i l l ; in

numerab le Shinto shri nes lost among the p ine-trees Showthei r long l in es Of tori i at th e edges of the groves ; andat another po int the school s and homes of the l argeAmerican m iss ionary co lony make a sett lement quite tothemselves .

Kobe i s a lmost ent irely given up to th e trade in ch eapgoods for the fore ign market . The streets are l in ed andthe shops fi l l ed with such porcela in

,bron ze

,paper

,and

lacquer monstros it ies ; such burle sques of embroideryand n igh tmares of color as crowd the Japanese stores inthe c i ties Of America, ch ief customers of th i s trade . OneCh icago import ing house takes more of such goods ahnua l ly than the whol e k ingdom o f Belgium

,one of the

oldest,richest

,and most densely popu l ated countries

of Europe . The curio-shops proper h ave d imin i shed innumbers as the rage for fore ign trade i ncreased , unt i lthere remains almost alone the estab l i shment of ano ld samurai , who st i l l retains the shaved crown and gunhammer one Of h is class . Desp is ing modern ways andbusiness s ign s

,th i s on e s imply hung a huge sword over

h i s gate-way and left h i s customers to stumble upon h imacc iden tal ly, push the i r way th rough a rubb ish and lumber-room , and pursue thei r unguided path across the garden . Of recen t years even th i s O ld conservat ive h asrelented a l i ttl e and made h is en trance more p lai n ly al l uring ; but formerly each comer fe l t the exc itement of d iscovering some j ealously h idden treasure-house . With in ,there i s st i l l a room ful l of O ld saddles

,state kagos

,

mil i tary trappings,and banners ; a pl ace crowded with

spears, l ances, and colo r standards ; a ch amber p i l ed h ighwith brocade gowns

,un iforms and temple h angings ;

hundreds of carved and gi lded Buddhas,d iv ine Kwan

nons more or less battered and worn,and hoards Of old

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road now in some wi ld ravine , and agai n runn ing upsome emerald rice val ley. Al l the way we met pr imi t ive

ox—carts carrying the i r loads down to Kobe, each driverbearing an equal ly heavy load hanging from the ends

Of a pol e across his shoulders . The'

oxen’

s horns werebound with fan tast ic b its of red c loth , the ir feet shodwith straw sandal s ; and the cart was braked on theSlopes by the mai n force and strength of the driver exerred agam st a long tongue or pol e th at al so servedto gu ide i t . These p l ac id , easy-go ing oxen , with th e i rh ard-working drivers walk ing bes ide them

,afford some

of the best pictures of the O ld road-s ide scenes . Smal lboys trudged at thei r fathers’ heel s wi th bund les of haskets or firewo od over thei r shoulders

,and women carried

their share of the fami ly load .

When the bamboo groves and rice fie lds Of Arima’sne ighborhood appeared

,the paddy fields

,ly ing terrace

below terrace on a round ing h i l l-s ide in waving, i rregul arl ines

,easi ly suggested the terraced basin s around the

Yel lowstone hot Springs ; the Japanese farmer uncon

sciously repeat ing, in l arger outl ines of vivid green , whatthe overflowing waters have buil t up in snowy depos i tsin the Montana Park . Arima

,wh ich l ines th e sides of

a steep gorge through wh ich a w i ld moun tain - streamdashes

,i s as p icturesque as a mountai n v i l lage in Swit

ze r land . The houses are bu il t almost one on top Ofanother

,with n arrow

,wind ing streets

,where the h eavy

proj ect ing roofs almost meet . S tone steps e ase th esteep slopes for the vi l l agers

,and the cl atter o f clogs

and the sight of the peasants go ing up and down thestair-ways , h alf-h idden by the loads of grass or straw on

their backs, recal l s im i lar p ictures in the crooked l i t tlemounta in h amlets of Northern I taly . At th e tea-housewe wandered th rough an intricate garden before reaching th e steps of the detached pavi l ion , on whose bal conywere chairs and h ammocks

,and before wh ich loomed a

346

FARM LABORERS

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yznr ikiska D ay s in japan

CHAPTER XXXV

T H E T E A T R A D E

S INCE Commodore Perry Opened J apan to the worldh is countrymen have been consuming more and more ofi ts teas each year

,the Un i ted S tates and Can ada being

almost her on ly customers,England and Russi a

,the

great tea-drinking countrie s of Europe , buyi ng hard lyenough to serve as samples . »Each year the Un i tedS tates pays over for the nerve-racking greentea of J apan . Besides th e price of the tea

,a trifle Of

goes to Japan fo r raw s i lk and cocoons . In

return,Japan import s from America in kero

sene,

in raw cotton,and in flour

and mach inery . In 1 8 8 9 Japan’s imports from the Un ited

States amounted to and its exports to th i scountry to wh i l e i t s import s from Englandhad a value of and i ts exports to England

a balan ce o f trad e d i sturb ing to Americancommercial pride . Meanwh i le Russ i an petro leum arrivesby sh ip-l oads

,and

,h andled by the largest Engl i sh fi rm

in the East,i s be ing pushed and sold by th e smal l es t

retai le rs at le s s th an the S tandard O il Company ’s fluid .

The tea - plan t, as every one knows,i s a h ardy ever

green of the camel l i a fami ly . I t grows a th ick andsol id ly-massed bush , and at a first gl ance at a fie ld regular ly dotted and bordered w i th the round bushes sett ing closely to the ground

,one might eas i ly mistake i t

for box. I n the spring the young leaves crop out atthe ends Of the shoots and branches

,and when the

whole top of the bush i s covered with pale golden -green350

T/ze Tea Tr ade

tips,general ly in May, the fi rst pick ing takes p lace .

The second picking belongs to the fi r e -fly Season inJune

,and after that great fest ival tea comes in from

the p lantat ions in decreasing quant it ie s unt i l th e end ofAugust . The choicer qual it ies of tea are never exported

,but consumed at home . Cho ice basket -fi r ed tea,

such as is used in the homes of the r ich and wel l-to—doJ apanese

,sel l s fo r one and two dol l ars a pound . There

are choicer,more careful ly grown and prepared teas

wh ich cost as h igh as from seven to ten dol l ars a pound ;but such teas are Sh aded from the hot sun s by mattedawn ings

,and the p icker, going down l ines of these care

fu l ly tended bushes,nips Off on ly the youngest l eaves or

buds at the tip of each Shoot . The average tea,bough t

by the exporters for sh ipment to the U ni ted S tates andC anada, i s of the commonest qual ity, and accord ing toJapanese trade stat ist ics

,th e average value i s e leven cents

a pound as i t stands,subj ect to the export duty and ready

for sh ipmen t abroad . There are often sal es of wholecargoes O f J apan tea at auct ion in New York for . fi fteencents a pound . Fam il ies who buy th is same brand fromthei r grocers at forty or sixty cents a pound may j udgeto whom the greater profi t s accrue .

Japan tea came in to market as a ch eaper substi tutefor the green teas of Ch in a

,those careful ly rol l ed young

hyson s and gunpowders of our grandmothers ’ fancy . Europe h as never rece ived the J apan teas with favor

,but

the bulk of American importat ion s i s J apanese,and the

taste for bl ack tea i s being cul ti vated very s lowly in thegreat republ ic . Fo r green tea

,the l eaves are d ried Over

hot fires almost immed iate ly after p icking,l eavi ng the

the in e , or active princip le of the l eaf, in ful l st rength . Fo r

black tea, the leaves are al lowed to wi l t and ferment inheaps for from five to fourteen days , or unt i l the leaf turnsred , and the harmful propertie s of theine have been part lydestroyed . The Oolong tea of South Ch ina i s nearest to

as:

7inr ikiska Day s in yapan

green tea,i t s fermen tat ion be ing l imi ted to th ree or five

days on ly,whi le the rich ly-flavo r ed black teas Of North

Ch ina, from the Hangkow,Ningchow

,and Keemung d is

tr icts , are al lowed to fermen t for twice that period to prepare them fo r th e Russ ian and Engl i sh markets . Thechoicest Of these black teas go to Russ ia , a part of th ecrop st i l l be ing carr ied by camel train s from the end of theGrand Can al near Pek in to the terminus of th e trans-S iberian rai lway . I t i s al so sh ipped by steamers to Odessa ;and as the tea is thoroughly fired and sealed in ai r-t igh tpackages

,i t makes no difference in the qual i ty of the in

fusion afterwards whether the tea chests were j o l ted bycamel caravans from Tungchow to I rkutsk

,or p i tched

about m a sh ip’s ho ld— much as caravan tea is celebratedi n advert isemen ts for th e American pub l ic .

The Japan ese Government made experiments in th emanufacture of black tea in th e p rovince O f Ise

,but the

results were not sat i sfactory,and no further eff orts h ave

been made to compete in th at l in e with Ch ina . Japanwi l l conti nue to furn ish the world ’s supply of green tea

,

but as the demand for such st imul ants decl ines,a great

prob lem wil l confront i ts tea-farmers .Kobé and Yokoh ama are th e great tea ports

,each one

drain ing wide d istr icts,and the i r streets be ing fragrant

w ith the pecu l i arly sweet Odor of toast ing tea- l eaves al lsummer l ong.

At Kobé th irteen fi rms, of which on ly two are Amer ican , are engaged in the tea- trade . In

'

Yokohama thereare twenty - eigh t firms

,th i rteen be ing Engl i sh

,eleven

American , two German , and two J apanese . On e Am ericanfi rm has in vented mach i nery for firing and coloring thetea, the leaves be ing tossed and turned by in an imate i roninstead Of by perspi ring cool ie s . About a hal f dozenfi rms now employ m ach inery for dry ing and color ing th i sgreen tea , but al l o f them al so use the Old hand process,and toast the leaves over ch arcoal pans . Several thou

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years,severe nerve and stomach troubl e be ing brought

on by the con stant s ipp ing Of so much powerfu l st imus

l ant . O f course they command h igh sal aries . Aston i shing stories are told Of the acuteness of the i r sense oftaste and the certainty of thei r j udgments . Their decis ion sets the price

,and the d ickering wi th the J apanese

commiss ion merchant i s always sett led by the tea-taster’sest imates .In the tea-fir ing godowns the dried leaves are stacked

in heaps as h igh as a haystack , when i t makes a sol id ,cohes ive mass

,th at can be cut Off l ike hay with a paten t

h ay-kn ife . I n nearly every case the firing i s supe r in

tended by a Ch inese compradore , and h i s assi stants areJapanese .

_

The tea-fir e r s bring thei r cooked r ice and the i r ownteapots wi th them

,and sn atch refreshmen t whenever

there i s a l ul l in the work . They are se arched at n igh twhen they leave

,and with the sweet s impl ic i ty of ch i l

d ren they keep on trying to secrete the leaves, alwaysbe ing caught at i t . The ir work consi sts in stand ing overround iron pots sunk in a brick framework for the th i rteen hours of a day’s work

,and st i rring and tossing tea

l eaves . There -are charcoal fi res under the i ron pans,and al l day they must l ean over th e hot i ron and brick.

The tea i s given th is extra fir ing to dry i t thorough lybefore i ts long sea-trip

,and at th e same t ime i t i s “pol

i shed ,”or coated with i nd igo

,Pruss i an bl ue

,gypsum ,

andother th ings wh ich give i t th e gray lustre that no dri e dtea-l eaf ever n atural ly wore , but that Americ an tea-drinkers ins ist on h aving. Before the tea- l eaves are put inthe pans for the second fi r ing men

,whose arms are dyed

with indigo to the e lbows,go down the l in es and dust a

l i tt le of the powder into each pan . Then the tossi ng andst irring Of the l eaves fol lows

,and the dye is

,wor ked thor

oughly into th em,the work being regulated by overseers ,

who determine when each lot h as been fired enough . I t354

T/ze Tea Tr ade

requ i res a certain train ing to keep the tea-l e aves in con

s tan t mot ion , and i t i s steady , ene rget ic work .

Thi s sk i l led l abor i s paid for at rates to make theKnigh ts of Labor groan

,the wage l i s t showing

,how

ever, a ri se in the scale Of prices s ince the fal l in theprice Of si l ver and the increased cost Of l iving throughout Japan . D uring the four busy mon ths O f the teaseason the fir e r s are paid the equ ivalen t of fourteenand s ixteen cents , Un i ted S ta tes gold

,for a day ’s

work of th i rteen hours . Less expert bands,who give

the second fi ring , or pol i sh ing,rece ive twe lve cents

a day . Those who sort and final ly pack the tea,

and who work as rap id ly and automat ical ly as mach ines

,get the immense sum O f twenty cents a day .

Whole fam i l ies engage in tea-fir ing duri ng th e season ,earn ing enough then to support them fo r the rest of theyear ; or , rather, pinch ing for the rest of th e year on whatthey earn during th is brief season . I n autumn l it tl e te ais fi red

,but the whole force of workmen can be h ad at the

shortes t notice,though the godown may have been c losed

for weeks . One compradore,not ified at e leven O ’clock

at n igh t th at tea must be fi red the next day to fi l l acab le order

,had four hundred cool ies on h and at day

break,many of them summoned after m idn igh t from

thei r v i l l ages,d istan t over seven m iles from the godowns .

This mysterious underground telegraphy in the servants’

quarters i s one of the aston ish ing th ings of the East .Tea-fir ing begins at s ix o

’clock in the morn ing, th ecoo l ies c l atter ing into the sett lements on the ir woodenclogs at dawn , and going home at dusk . They wai t patiently outside the compounds unti l the lord ly Ch inamancomes to summon as many workers as he wan ts for theday

,whether two hundred

,th ree hundred

,o r four hun

dred . Al l these gu i ld s in the O r ien t h ave the i r establ ished rule s of precedence among themse l ves ; each oneknows his rights and h is pl ace , and desperate as may be

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yin r ikislza Day s in 7apan

thei r need of the smal l p i ttance , there i s no push ing orfighting . Foreigners who l ive near godowns compl ai nof the babbl e Of the cool ies before dayl igh t , and a teafi r ing godown always decl ares i ts nearness by the con

fused hum of the several h undred chee r fu l voices al l daylong . The Japanese lower c l asse s are the most talkativepeople under th e sun

,and rows of j i n ri ki sh a cool ie s

never sit quie t ly in wai t ing, l ike th e red-nosed Par i s i ancabmen

,doz ing or read ing feu i l l eton s

,but are always

j'

abbering,l augh ing

,pl aying games and tr icks on one

another. The long,hot day’s work does not check the

tea-fir e r s ’ loquaci ty in th e leas t,and at dusk they are as

sociab le as at dawn . O ne frenz ied res iden t, whose doorsteps

,window-s i l l s

,and Sh ady curb-stones were favori te

rest ing - pl aces for the tea -fir ing cool ie s , determ ined toknow the subj ects d iscussed with such earnestn ess andsonorous phrases . H is interpreter reported on threeconsecut ive morn ings th at

,for three . mortal hours

,one

group Of ten cool ies, si tt ing on pat ien t heel s,cheerfu l ly

d iscussed th e com ing rice crop .

Ph i l anthrop is ts see fi t to drop a tear over the l i ves ofthe workers in the tea -godowns

,although the se v ict ims

seem as cheerfu l and wel l sat isfied with the i r l ot as human beings can be . The women and young girls arerather p icturesque w ith the i r b lue cotton towels foldedover their heads

,and as the J apanese have remarkably

pretty h ands, the pl ay of the ir fingers in the movingstreams of tea - l eaves i s p leasant to watch . How theyendure the slow

,ki l l ing heat Of th e ch arcoal fi res in tor

r id weather, on thei r d ie t of tea, r ice , and shreds of co ldfish , i s a marvel to i ndol ent, meat-eat ing fore igners . Thepathet ic s igh ts are the women with young babies on the irbacks trudging home from the godowns at sunset

,th e

bab ies having been danced around on the backs of Olderch i ldren in the godown -yard al l day

,or l aid down in some

safe corner near the mother’s ch arcoal-pan . I asked a356

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yin r ikiska D ay s i n 7apa n

peri shable.Wi th th e except ion of the Pacific M a i l

steamers runn ing to San Franci sco , Engl i sh and J apan

ese sh ips carry al l th i s tea to America . The tea steamers d i scharging cargo at New York usual ly l oad th ere forLiverpool

,and arrive in Japan in t ime for th e next season ,

or somet imes make two trips to New York in one season .

Whi l e the tea i s mov ing freights are h igh , but in th e au

tumn they decl ine . Sai l ing vessel s n o longer carry tea ,and the glory of the American fast c l ipper Sh ip s i s but atrad ition

,a romance of the Eas te rn trade . The greatest

m arket for Japan teas in Am erica i s now centering atCh icago in stead o f New York , and propheti c tea-merch ants expect to h ave San Franci sco become the headquarters and great d istr ibuting-poin t .

CHAPTER XXXV I

THE INLAND SEA AND NAGASAK I

IN making Six t rip s th rough th e In l and Se a I haveseen i ts beaut ifu l shores by dayl igh t and moonl igh t andin al l season s — clothed in th e fi lmy green of spring,golden w ith ripened grain or stubble

,b lurred w ith th e

haze of midsummer heat,and clear in th e keen

,m idw in

ter winds th at,sweep ing from the enc irc l ing mounta in s

,

st ing with an arct ic touch .

My first sai l on i t s enchanted waters was a Septemberhol id ay

,the d im horizon and purp le l ights prophesying

Of the autumn .

_ From sunrise to dark , sh adowy v istasopened , peacefu l Shores S l ipped by, and heigh ts andi s lands rearranged themselves . The coast of southeastern A laska is Often compared to the I n land Sea , butthe narrow channel s

,wi ld canons

,and mounta in -wal l s

of the Al aska passage h ave no counterpart in th i s Area358

Tlze In la nd S ea a nd Nag a saki

d ian region . The land locked J apanese water i s a broadlake over two hundred m iles long

,fi l l ed wi th is l ands,

and she l tered by uneven shores . I ts j agged mounta in sof i nten sest green nowhere become wi ld enough to d i sturb the dream - l ike calm . Its verdan t i slands l ie i ngroups

,the channe l i s always broad and pla in

,and Signs

of h uman l ife and ach ievement are always in sigh t .Along the shores stretch ch ai ns of vi l l ages

,with stone

sea-wal ls,castl es

,and temples soaring above th e c l us

te r ed roofs or peeping from wooded slopes , and the terraced fields of r ice and grain s ridging every h i l l to i tssummit and covering every lower l evel . S tone l an tern sand tori i mark the way to temple groves , and cemeteriesw ith ancien t Buddhas of gran ite and bronze attest thatthese l it t le commun i ties are cen turies Old . Junks andsampans l ie anchored in fleets

, o r creep id ly across thewater

,and smal l coast i ng steamers thread thei r way in

and out among the i s l ands . The ra i lway fol l ows thewest shore o f the sea

,touch ing many o ld cast l e towns

,

most importan t o f which i s H i rosh ima,whose great c ita

de l i s army headquar ters,and was occupied by the Em

pe r o r during the war o f 18 94—95. The ch ief naval sta

t ion of the empire i s a t Kure , a few mi les away , and thenaval col l ege i s o n the i sl and of Etajnn a . The sacredi sland o f M iajima

, fac ing H irosh ima , i s one o f the S a nkei , or three most beaut ifu l S ights of Japan . M iajima i s

‘

more enchant ing and idyl l ic than Na ra,and off ers more

of l andscape beauty , of picturesque arch itecture , Of h istoric and l egendary interest th an the others Of the Sanke i— e ither “ the thousand pine -c lad i s land s Of Matsush ima ,

”in the bay o f Sendai

,or “ the Bridge o f

the fa i ry pen insula o f Ama-no- I—Iash idate , in the bay ofM iyazu . NO one has been born

,no one has bee n a l

l owed to d ie,on M iajima , and formerly no woman could

set foot there , al though the great temple and its ga l l e ries

,buil t on pi les in the water and approached by boats

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n r ikz'

slza D ay s i n yapa n

through a gi an t’ torn in the water, i s ded icated to th eSh into goddess , I tsukush im a , and her two s i sters . Hundreds Of vot ive l an tern s l i ne the shores and a r e f tc

quent ly l igh ted ; Sacred deer roam everywhere , and th epl ace is so idyl l i c and peacefu l th at on e cannot r e a l iZethat every wooded poi nt and he igh t conceal s a battery

,

and that Sketch ing and photograph ing w ith in th i s fort ified area are as rigorously proh ib i ted as i n France andGermany .

At Sh imonosek i , th e I n l and Se a ends, and sh ips passout by th e narrowest of its channel s— a channe l thatbo i l s w ith t ide-rips and acro ss wh ich a chai n once he ldal l craft at bay . New forts repl ace the o ld on es bombarded by the combined Engl i sh

,Dutch

,French

,and

American fleets in September,1 8 68 . The “ Sh imono

sek i Affai r i s con spicuous in th e annal s of the scandalous d iplomacy and in tern ati onal bul lying that h as consti tuted the pol icy Of Christ i an n at ions i n thei r r el at ion swith Japan . The Uni ted S tates d id , indeed ,

make a lateand lame apology for i ts d isgraceful sh are in the p lundering of a weaker peopl e

,by restoring i ts port ion of

the indemn i ty,th us tard i ly acknowledging the inj ust ice

o f i t s conduct .As trave l i n creases

,th e harbor of Naga sak i wi l l be

everywhere known as one of the most pi cturesque inthe world . Green moun tain s

,terraced and wooded to

thei r very summits,h ave parted far enough to le t an

a r m of the se a cl eave its way in l and,and ch ain s of i s l

ands with prec i p itous shores guard the en trance of thetortuous reach . The town seem s to h ave run downfrom the ravines and spread i tse l f out at th e end O f thein le t, and templ es, tea -houses

,and the v i l l as of fore ign

residen ts cl i ng to the h i l l -S ide and dot th e grove s on theheigh ts .Nagasak i lost commerc i al importance fo r some years

after the Open ing of the port Of Kobe’,S ince that took

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n r ikis/za D ay s in 7apan

Whi le Nagasaki was the first port Opened to foreigners

,i t now h as fewer fore ign res iden ts th an any other.

There are l arge miss ion establ i shments, but , outs ide of

the ir commun ity,the society open to the consu l s and

merchants is very l im i ted when the barbora i s empty of

men-of—war. Thei r vi l l as on th e heights are most luxur ious

,and the views these command down the narrow

fio r d and out to the ocean entrancing . Life and movement fi l l th e h arbor below . Sh ips, j unks, and sampanscome and go ; bel l s strike in chorus around the anchorage-ground ; whist les echo , bands p l ay, salut ing and S ig

na l ling flags sl ip up and down the masts,and the bang

and long - ro l l ing echo Of the sh ips’ guns make mim icwar. At night the harbor l igh ts are dazz l ing, and theshores twinkl e to the very h i l l-tops . The crowded mastsOf native junks are as trees hanging ful l of golden

,glow

ing spheres , and e lectric flash- l ights from th e men -o i—wari l luminate sect ion s Of h i l l and town and harbor n iches .The Nagasak i win ter is de l ightfu l— cl ear

,bright

,sun

ny days continual ly succeed ing; each other ; but in sum

mer-t ime the cl imate leaves much to be des i red . Theair is heavy with moisture

,and when the thermometer

registers 90° there i s a steamy

,green-house temperature

th at encourages the growth of th e hundred variet i es offerns that amateur botan ists col lect on these h i l l s . Thisdamp heat is exhaust ing and wearing

,trying to temper

and patien ce,and ann ih i lat ing to starch and art ifici a l

crimps . Man S energy fai l s w ith h i s co l l ar,and al though

al l the sights Of the emp i re were j ust over the h i l l,the

touri st would miss them rather th an go to see them .

Everyth ing mi ldews then ; boots taken off at n ight arecovered with green mould in the morn ing

,gloves spot

and sol id ify, and fungi gather on any c loth ing packedaway . Every morn ing, on balcon i es and cloth es- l ines , isaired and sunned the cloth ing th at neverthel ess mi ldews .

O n ly a strong sense of reverence for a hero ’s memory36 2

Tlze In la nd S ea and A'

ag a sab’

can then lead one up the terraces of the pub l ic gardensnear the O Suwo temple to see the tree that Genera lGrant set out . When he came to Nagasak i

,both the

Genera l and Mrs . Grant p lanted trees to commemoratethe vi s it

,and h i s autograph ce r t ificate record ing the

event was cut in fac-sim i le on the face of the l arge,i rregu lar stone between the two sap l ings . Though thet rees have been most careful ly tended

,one d ied and h ad

to be rep laced,but both now promise to spread into a

generou s shade . At the tea-house where the great Japanese d inner was given by the local governor, with maikoand ge ish a and jugglers performing between the courses

,

they sti l l preserve the floor-cush ion on wh ich thei r i l lust rions guest was seated

,and bri ng i t out to show to ta

vor ed Americans . To the J apanese,General Grant and

Commodore Perry mean America ; nor cou ld we h avesent them bette r types th an the great sai lor who peaceably opened J apan to the world

,and the greater soldier

who made use of war on ly to insu re enduring peace .

The Portuguese and Dutch have left reco rds of th ei roccupancy here in th e sixteen th and seventeen th centuries . Francis Xavier and the Jesu i t fathers who suc

ceeded h im converted thousands of J apanese to Christian ity, and though i t h ad been supposed that thepersecut ions and tortures under Iyeyasu had destroyedthe Christ i ans , the open ing of th e country af te r theRestorat ion d iscovered whole commun i t ies of them nearNagasak i

,who re tained the i r be l ief

,wore the pecul iar

dress prescribed for them by the Jesuits,knew the prayers

and forms , and made the s ign of the cross . Noth ing inthe B ook qf /ll a r ty r s exceeds the torture s and sufferingof these C hrist ians , who would not deny the i r re l igion ,nor tread upon the paper p icture of Chri st, as theywere bidden to do . The tr ad it ion goes that at Pappenbe rg, the precipi tous l i tt l e i s l and at the mouth of theh arbor, thousands of converts were forced by spear

363

yz‘

n r ziéz'

sfia Day s in 7apan

poin ts i nto the sea,but the best scho lars and authori t ies

now d iscred it th i s wholesale horror, of whi ch no trustworthy record exist s .From 1641 the Dutch l ived as prisoners on th e l i t t l e

is land of Desh ima, where the porcel ain bazaar now stands ,suffering incred ible restr ict ion s and hum i l iat ions for th esake of monopol i z ing th e trade of the country . Nagasaki ’s ch i ldren and beggars st i l l fo l low strangers withthe shout

,

“Hollander r an ! Hol lander r an !” as a r e

membr ance of those fi rst fore ign res iden ts , and in curioshops queer clocks and orn aments show the adaptationand im itat ion of many Dutch art ic le s by th e Japanese .

The fact of Nagasaki’

s be ing on ly a port of cal l makesits curio market fluctuate in proport ion to the numberof merchantmen and men - of -war in port . When theharbor is fu l l

,no res ident vi s it s th e curio-Shops

,whose

prices always soar at such t imes . Torto ise-shel l carving i s a great industry of the p lace

,but porcel ai n is st i l l

the speci al ty of th is southern province,where the art was

fi rst in troduced . Those wares of South Japan knownancient ly as Nabesh ima and H irado are the finest ofJapanese porcel ain s

,the ir b lue and wh ite beauty be ing

s imply perfect . The potters who brought th e art fromKorea and Ch ina sett l ed in S atsuma and H izen , andthe ki ln s of Ar i ta and Kagosh ima are st i l l fi ring . TheDutch carried the Ari ta ware to Europe under then ameof H izen . Th is porce l ain i s now more common ly te rmed Imari

,wh i le Desh ima i s another general n ame for

the modern product,and Nabeshima and H irado are

the word s used by connoi sseurs in vaun t ing prec iouswares . This confus ion o f names misl eads the travel l er,who cannot at once d i scern that H izen i s th e name of

th e province ; Ari ta of the town where the‘

potte r s l iveand the k i l ns are at work ; Imar i of th e port from wh ichi t i s sh ipped ; Nabe sh ima th e fam i ly n ame of th at daim i oof H izen who brough t the potters from Korea ; and H i

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D ay s in 7apan

a time sh ip - loads of porce l ains , bronzes, and l acquerwere sold for a song ; fine be l l s go ing for sh ip bal last

,

and sh ips’ cooks us ing ver i tab le o ld S atsuma j ars to puttheir dripp ings in . But that t ime i s not now. A col lec

t ion of old Satsuma late ly gathered up in Europe by aJapanese buyer brough t five t imes its cost when d isposedof i n Japan . Some notion of the weal th of art works ,and of the great stores th e country con tained in theold days

,may be conveyed by the dra in of the se twenty

years,s ince Japanese art began to revol ut ion ize the art

world . The Restorat ion,the S atsuma rebel l ion

,the

adoption of foreign dress for th e army and the court,

each sen t a flood of rare th ings into the curio marke t,

and hard t imes st i l l b ring forth treasures . The greatcol lectors and connoisseurs are now so general ly knownthat sacr ifices of choice curios are made d irect ly to themby private sale

,and not in the open market . Govern

men t has begun to real i ze the i rrecoverab l e loss of th ecountry

,and the necess i ty of re tain ing what st i l l r e

mains,and l i sts and photographs are being made of al l

art t reasures stored in the Government and templ e godowns th roughout the emp ire . Much has been destroyed by fi re , of course , and i t is said that the pri eststhemselves have put th e torch to thei r temples at theapproach of the offi cial commiss ion th at wou ld h ave di scovered what priceless temple treasures they had soldin t imes of need . All the Buddh i st establ ishments suffeted loss of revenues after the Restorat ion

,and on ly

by secretly d ispos ing of th e sacred objects in the godowns were many priests kept from starvat ion .

Whi l e the Dutch were th ere,Nagasaki had a l arge

trade with Ch in a, and st i l l does a great bus ines s wi ththat country in th e exportat ion of dried fish . I t smel l sto heaven al l along the Bund

,and in the court-yards of

the large warehouses men and women turn i n th e sun

and pack into bags ob long brown th ings th at might be366

Tlze In la nd Sea a nd Nag a saki

e i ther the b i l l ets of wood used in cri cket, or old bootsole s . These hard b locks are the dried bon i to wh ich ,sh aved on a plane, stewed , and eaten wi th rice , are astaple of food in both countries , and not unpal atab le , aswe found wh ile storm-bound on Fuj i .Almost al l th e coal used in Ch in a and Japan

,and by

the Asiat ic fleets of the d ifferen t nation s , comes from them ines on the i s land of Takash ima, at the entrance of

Nagasak i’s fiord-l ike h arbor . Cargoes of i t h ave beensent even to San Franci sco wi th profi t, al though th i s softa nd very d irty fue l i s much inferior to the Austral iancoal . The Takash ima m ines and the d ry - dock at Na

gasaki are owned by the M itsu B ish i company, whichretained those propert ies when i t sold i ts steamsh ip l in eto the Governmen t

,and the coal -mine bri ngs i n two

mil l ion yen a year to i t s owners . I t s deepest shaft i son ly one hundred

’

and fi fty feet down,and barges carry

the coal from the mouth of th e sh afts to the wait ing sh ip sin h arbor .In 18 85, th e year of the great chol era ep idemic, the

vi l l age of min ing employés was almost depopu l ated . Theharbor was nearly deserted

,th e American and Engl ish

mission stat ion s were closed,and the m issionaries and

the i r famil ies fled to Mount H iye izan . O n ly th e Cathol ic fathers and the nuns remained

,much to the concern

o f the governor and offi cia l s , who begged them to go .

O n our way to Ch ina we touched at Nagasak i wh i l e theepidemic was at its he igh t

,but no passenger was al lowed

to go ashore , and al l day we kep t to the decks that weresaturated with carbo l ic ac id . I t took six hours to coa lthe sh ip , and from noon to sundown we beheld a watercarn ival . As the fi rst coal-barge drew near

,a man in the

a i ry summer costume of the harbor count ry— wh ich con

s isted of a rope around h is waist— j umped over the s ideand swam to the stern of our steamer. He was l ike abig , brown frog k icking about in the water, and when he

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came dripping up the gang-way the faith ful steerage steward gave h im a carbol ic Spraying with h is bucket andbrush . The barge was h auled up alongside and madefast

,and our

,

consignmen t of coa l was passed on boardin half-bushel baskets from hand to hand along a l ineof chanting men and women . Noth ing more prim it ivecou ld be imagined

,for

,with b lock

,t ack l e

,Wind l ass

,steam

,

and a donkey engine on board,i t took a hundred pairs

of hands to do the i r work . At the end of each hourthere was a breath ing Spel l . Many of the women wereyoung and pretty

,and some of them h ad brough t the i r

ch i ldren,who

,throwing back the empty baskets and

hel pi ng to pass them along the l ine,thus began the i r

l ives of to i l and earned a few penn ies . The passengersthrew to the grimy ch i ldren al l the smal l Japanese co in sthey possessed

,and when the sh ip swung loose and started

away the ir cheerfu l l i tt l e sayonaras long rang after us.

CHAPTER XXXVII

IN THE END

AND after a fore igner h as spen t month s or years inthe m idst of these charming peopl e

,what has h e discov~

ered them to be ? What does th e future hold for them ?

To what end d id Commodore Perry precip i tate uponthem the struggl e and fermen t of the n ineteenth cen

tury ? The presen t generat ion ceas ing to be what the irforefathers were

,what do th ey expect of thei r descend

ants ?'

I s our world thorough ly to occidental i ze them,

or wi l l th ey slowly orien tal i ze us ? Which civ i l i zat ion i sto hold

,and wh ich i s the better ? These are th e un so lv

able problems that cont inual ly confron t the thoughtfu lobserver.

368

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7z'

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sna Day s in 7apan

does he understand the people,and the less do 'h i s facts

contribute to any expl an at ion . Their very origin[i s mys

te r ious , the i r Ainos th e rock on wh ich ethnolog ists founder. The ir phys ical types present so many widely d iff ering pecul i ari t i es th at one cannot bel ieve in any commonsource

,o r in the preservat ion of the race from outs ide

influences for so many centu ries . Some coo l ie possessesthe fine ly-cut features

,perfect ly-model l ed surfaces

,and

proudly-set head of a Roman emperor . Some peer exh ibits th e features, th e stol id i ty, and the slow,

guttura lart icu l a t ion of a S ioux Indian , and i t is common to see

cool ies iden t ical in figure and countenance wi th the nat ive races of th e north-west coast of America . One

'

groupof ch i ldren might come from an Alaskan vi l l age

,and in

anoth er group frol ic th e counterparts of Rich ter’s fi sherboys of I taly. At t imes the soft

,musical speech flows

l ike I tal i an ; at other t imes it i s rough and harsh , andrumbles with con sonants .Thei r very simpl ic i ty

,th ei r ch i l d l ike naivete

,dece ives

one into a convict ion of thei r opennes s,wh i le a myste

r ions,i nvi s ible

,unconquerable b arr ier r i ses forever be

tween us and them . The d ivergence of l i fe and thoughtbegan in Western As i a too many ages s ince for the racesth at fol lowed the sett ing sun to find

,at th is l ate day

,th e

clew to the race th at sought the source of the sun ’s r is ing .

China, wh ich once gave the Japanese the ir precepts andmodel s and teachers

,shows now more d iffe ren ces than

resemblanc es . Far as the pupi l s h ave departed fromthe trad it ion s of the instructor

,there yet remain s a celes

t ial conservat i sm,a worsh ip of dry formal i ty

,and a r e

spect for th e convent ional wh ich the new order overcomes but s lowly . The miss ionaries i n Ch in a, who h aveto contend against the apathy o r open host i l i ty and thehorribl e surround ings of the native popu l at ion

,great ly

admire the J apanese,and envy the i r col l e agues who l ive

in s o beaut ifu l a country,among so cl e an , courteous , and370

I n the End

friend ly a peopl e,so eager to learn and so quick to ac

quire . It is t rue that fore ign merchants and offi c ial s inCh in a l aud the superior qua l i ti es of the Celest ial , andinfe r a supe r ficial ity and want of ser iousness in the J apanese ; but the al ien who has dwel t in J apan experiencesa new homesickness when he exch anges a Japanese portfor one across the Ye l low Sea , with Nank ing in steadof Nippon servitors about h im . The J apanese makean unconscious appeal to a sen timent deeper than mereadm irat ion

,but the secret of th e fascin ation they exe r

c ise defies analys is .Pol i tical ly and soc i al ly

,the Japanese copy the exam

p les of the western world ; and th e Restorat ion , with itscon sequences, fu rn ishes the most aston ish ing pol it icalproblem of the century. The sudden abandonment ofthe old order

,the upspringing of a whole n ation armed

tap-a -p ie in modern panoply of peace , has been too amaz

ing to be at once accepted,at least among Europeans

,as

a rea l and permanent cond it ion of th ings . I f Europecannot take the Un ited S tates seriou s ly afte r a wholecentury of steadfastness

,much less can i t comprehend

an al ien nat ion l ike Japan i n a brief score o f years .A const i tut ion and a parl i amen t h ave been volunta

ri ly given to a peopl e who had h ard ly chafed under autoc r atic forms

,or even demanded a represen tat ion . I ts

mi l i tary and naval estab l i shments,i t s pol ice organ iza

t ion,and its civi l service are model led upon the best of

many fore ign mode l s . I ts educat i on al system is com

p le te , an admirable union of the best of American , Engl i sh , and German methods . Its postal e stabl ishment

,

it s l igh t-houses,telegraphs, rai lways, hosp itals equal those

of the West . And al l th i s was accompl ished,not by

slow gr owth and gradual development , the frui t of longneed , but almost overn ight , voluntari ly , and at a waveof the imperial magici an's wand .

Th is new birth,th i s sudden change from feuda l i sm

37:

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l a'

slza Day s in yapa n

and the M iddle Ages to a const i tut iona l Governmen tand the n ineteenth century of Europe and America

,i s a

un ique spectacl e . This spectac l e — th i s unparal le ledeffort of a peopl e to l ay as ide what they were born toreverence and fol low

,because al ien customs seemed to

prom ise a greater good to a greater n umber— th i s spectacle

,which shou ld have ch al lenged the admirat ion

,the

sympathy,and th e generous a id of western nat ion s

has been met a lmost by the i r opposi t ion . A weakerpeople

.

grop ing towards the l igh t, l earn ing by the saddestexperiences

,has been hampered , bound , and forced from

its chosen way by the Christ ian n at ion s , who have takeneve ry sh amefu l advantage of superior strength and as

tuten ess . Unj ust treat i es were forced upon the Japanese at a t ime when they could not protest

,and when

they could nei ther understand nor foresee the workingsof them . Backed by a d isp l ay of n aval strength

,these

treat ies were pressed upon the l itt l e n at ion,and by the

bul ly’s one argument a revis ion of these unj ust agreements h as been den ied them for these th i rty years ; although the Japan of to-day, i t s cond it ion s and institut ions are

,i n no one part icul ar

,what they were at the

t ime of the fi rst negot i at ion s . Pathet i c have been thestruggl es of ci t i zen s and statesmen

,wh i le th e most h igh

sp i ri ted of races h as been forced to submit to pol i t icaloutrages or face the consequences of war— the impos it ion of yet h arder terms by th ei r oppressors . Limitedin its revenues by these very treat ie s

,Japan can the less

consider war with unscrupulous western powers . TheGovernment , in i t s efforts to secure fore ign train ing forits peopl e

,h as been fleeced

,imposed upon

,and hood

winked , through its ignorance of fore ign ways . Reluetau t ly admitt ing the pe r fidy of on e people , the Japanesehave turned to another . I n consequence

,they are be

rated for thei r ficklen ess and l ove of ch ange,and t aunt

ed with the fact th at American , Engl i sh , and German37:

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D ay s in 7afia n

Women have come out of the i r guarded seclus ion , andenjoy a social ex istence and importance

'

and a l egalequal i ty, and the i r educat ion al opportun i t ies are everenl arging . Marriage l aws

,d ivorce l aws

,and property

l aws secure to them rights greater than some Europeanwomen hold . The fami ly l i fe and authority remain un

changed,and the pr ivacy of the home is j ealously guard

ed,no fore igner penetrat ing to th at s acred centre . The

fami ly ceremon ies and fest ival s are ob served as punctiliously as ever. The nob i l i ty and th e ofli cial cl ass l eadthe socia l l ife of Europeans , but the conservat ism of themiddl e or merch ant c l ass st i l l c l i ngs to the old order,wh ich another century may find almost unch anged .

The art of J apan h as al ready revo lut ion ized the weste r n world

,l eaving i ts impress everywhere . The quick

appropriation of J apanese ideas and express ion s marksan era in th e Occident as d ist inct as th at of the Renaissance . For al l her giv ing with fu l l h ands

,we can return

noth ing to th i s most art-loving of n at ion s . Western examples and teach ings

,and th e ignorant demands of west

ern trade, h ave wrought art i st ic h avoc in the I sl and Empire . Wherever fore ign orders h ave been rece ived

,th e

s implest work has so deteriorated,has been so vulgar

ized and cheapened,that recognized eff orts are now

making to arres t th i s degradat ion of th e nat ional art .Cult ivated Japanese , appal led at th i s resul t of westernteach ings , encourage art i sts and art i sans in th e study ofn at ional masterp ieces and the pract i ce of th e old methods ,and the l abors of these publ ic-sp iri ted cit i zen s are ablyseconded by the Governmen t . The foreign professor ofdrawing, with h i s hard penci l s and h is pl aster casts , i s afunct ionary of th e past . To-day the youth of Japan holdsto h is own writ ing-brush

,and begin s

,as aforet ime

,with

the one stroke, two stroke , and three stroke sketch es thatl ie at th e root of the o ld masters’match less ar t. S trangely enough , al l percept ion of the beauty and re l at ion of

374

In Me End

color seems to leave the Japanese when'

they use fore ignmaterial s . The people who h ave al l the i r l ives wroughtand used and worn the most h armon ious combinat ion sof co lor in their garments and household goods, wi l l excoute monstros it ies in Berl in wools in p l ace of the r icho ld fukusa , and comb ine the crudest and most host i lehues with unconcern . The very use of foreign furn ishings or utensi l s seems to abate the n ational rage fo rclean l iness

,and in any tea-house that asp ires to be con

ducted in fo reign fash ion , one discovers a dust , d isorder,shabb iness

,and wan t of care th at is whol ly un -Jap

anese .

Nor in other ways has contact with fore igners wroughtgood to these peop le . Conservat ive fami l ies have beenmort ified and humi l i ated by what seems to them theroughness and vu lgari ty of the manners of the ir son sand daughters who h ad been educated abroad . Manygen tlemen even

,i n Tokio

,long refused the ir daughters

a fore ign educat ion for th i s reason . The m iss ion-school sfor girl s found i t necessary to engage masters of cha no

yu and of nat ive deportment and et iquette , to in structthe pup i l s in thei r ch arge . Among the lower c l assesthe decay of courtesy, under foreign influences , wasrap id . The bold

,impert i nent

,i l l-mannered cool ies and

nesans of the treaty ports are as un l ike as possib le tothe same people in i n terior or remoter towns .I f th e people are to lose thei r art

,the fine finish of the ir

manners, the simpl ic ity of l iv ing, al l the exqu is i te charmof th ei r homes

, Commodore Perry shou ld be rated as the irworst enemy . I f they refine and make better what theynow rece ive from the Occ ident

,as they d id with what

China gave them long ago,is i t not poss ible th at Japan

wi l l surpass the world in the next century ? Al readythe art workshop of the globe

,has i t no greater miss ion ,

as trave l brings al l countries nearer togethe r,th an to

become the pl ay-ground and hol iday country of al l na375

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t ions,occupying the same relat ion to bo th hemispheres

th at Switzerl and does to EuropeSurely some better lot than that awaits th i s charm ing

people,who so qu ickly w in th e admirat ion

,sympathy

,

and aff ection of the stranger th at is with in th e ir gates .

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Bund ,Nagasaki , 366 .

Yokohama , 3 , 4 ,8 .

CABLES , te legraph ic,Came ls , 165, 352 .

Camphor, 52 , 34 1 .

Canada , 351 .

Canad ian Pacific Co . , 2 .

Can ton ,26 1 .

Cape K ing, 3 .

Caravan , 352 .

Car p , 78 , 193 , 286 , 302 , 303 .

Castle,Kioto ,

249 .

Nagoya , 206—208 .

Osaka , 33 1—334 .

Shidzuoka ,197.

Tokio ,1 25.

Ca tacombs , 272 .

Ca ts , 154 , 284 .

Ceme te r ies,158 , 243 . 244 , 343 ,

36 1 .

Ceylon , 240, 3 1 1 .

Cha no yu , 9 1 , 1 32 , 250,

Chape l , the Impe r ia l , 1 28 .

Charcoa l,170 , 337.

Chautauqua,2 18 .

Chem n i t z , 334.

Che r ry blossoms , 69- 74 ,252 , 253 .

Chicag0. 33 1 . 344 .

Chickens, 52 , 285.

Chi ld r en , 4 ,16

, 54.

China. I . 20

. 3 1 . 47. 1 20. 250.

272. 3 10. 327. 351 . 352, 364.

367. 371 , 375~

Ch ina town,20.

Ch inese,20

,65, 1 13 , 120 , 1 35,

238 , 247, 248 , 26 1 , 272 , 284 ,

295, 322 .

Ch ioin temple ,234,

235.

Chir imen,262—264.

Chi t,26 .

Ch it-b ook,26 .

Chiuzenji , 165—167.

Cholera , 254 , 367, 368 .

Chops t icks , 8 8 , 1 28 , 2 14.

Ch r ist iani ty , 240 , 241 , 363 .

Ch r ysan themum, 29 , 65, 8 1 , 85,

95, 260 .

O r de r of the . 1 1 2 .

Ch rysan themum ,Wa r of the

,

250 , 342 .

C itade l , 333 .

C l ima te , 22 ,23 , 362 .

C lipper ships , 357.

Coal, 36 1 , 367, 368 .

Coins , 14 , 328 , 334.

Co lum bus , Ch r is topher, 25.

Comp r ador es , 2 1 , 355.

Concession ,for e ign , 342 .

Cons t i tu tion , the n ew,1 14 , 371 .

Consu ls, 46 .

Coo l ies , 8 , 9 , 205, 206 , 253 , 254,

Cour t Ci r cle ,13 1 , 132 .

costume , 1 16 ,

3 16 .

Cr abs, 42 .

Cr apes , 1 3 , 26 1 , 267.

co t ton ,1 3 , 283 .

Cr eche , 357.

C r ema tion , 343 .

C r oss,Buddhist , 272 .

C r yp tomeria , 141 , 309 , 3 16 .

Cupid , 307.

1 19 ,120

,

DAI BU’

I‘

SU, 38 , 234 , 3 1 1

—3 13 .

Daidokor o Mon,245.

Daikoku , 137, 271 , 273 .

Da i Maru , 62 .

Da imios , 44, 141 , 2 1 2 , 272 , 3 15.

Da imonji , 242—244 ,265, 36 1 .

Da itokuji , 296 .

Da iyagawa ,147, 148 , 154,

174.

Dancing, 90 ,132 ,

1 54 , 2 15, 252 ,

Dango- zaka

,8 1

,82 .

Danj i r o,105, 109.

Dar uma,223 .

Dasha,2 1 1 .

D eclar a tion of Independence,292.

of New Consti tu tion ,1 14.

Dee r, 307—3 10.

Deshim a , 364.

D ialects,

’

294.

Divor ce , 374.

Dohachi,228 .

Dosh isha , 240 ,241

Dotemach i Gakko , 259.

378

Index

Drama , the , 96 , 100 . Fujiyama , 1 , 3 , 12, 34, 35, 41 ,

D r ama tic l itera tur e , 99—101 . 49

—51 , 175—189 , 19 1 , 192 , 195,

D r ess er, D r . C . , 96 ,292 . 196 , 202 .

D ry-docks , 36 1 , 367. Fujiyeda ,

199 .

Du tch , the , 364, 366 . Fuj iwar a , 123 .

Dye ing, 204 ,205, 260 , 26 1 , 28 3 Fuk iage gar dens , 1 29 .

354. Fukur okojin ,271 .

Fukusa ,270—272 .

EARTHQ UAKE-ZS , 6 1 . Fune r a ls , 2 1 , 139 .

Ebisu ,264 , 271 . Fushim i , 237, 307.

Ech igoya ,62 . Fusuma , 141 .

Edinburgh ,Duke of , 98 . Fu ta-ar a , 158 .

Educa t ion , 57, 240,241 , 371 , Fu ten , 158 .

373 . 375. Fu ton .145. 173 . 1 82 .

Ee ls , 95.

El Capi tan , 333 .

lectr ic l igh ts , 23 , 104 , 126 ,28 2.

Embroide r ies , 267, 26 8 .

Empero r , the . See M utsu H i to .

Empr ess, the . See Har uko .

the Dowager. See Asahiko .

Ename l , clo isonne'

, 209 , 278 , 28 529 1.

Enge i Kyoka i, 97.

Enosh ima , 38 , 41 , 42 .

Eta . 96 .159 . 373 .

E tr uscan ,272 .

Execu t ion-gr ound , 342.

Eyebal l , Buddha'

s , 327, 328 .

FACE-POWDER, 12 .

Fa ie nce , 277.

Fans,28 1

, 366 .

Farm-houses , 12 .

Feas t o f Do lls , 54 .

of Lan te rns , 243 .

Fe st iva l , boys’

, 56 .

F ine A r ts C lub , Tokio , 50 .

F i r efl ie s , 18 8 , 280 , 320 . 351 .

F ires , 59 .

F ish , 40 . 42 ,285, 366 .

F lash-l ight , 327, 341 , 36 2 .

F leas , 145.

F leur -de-l is , 77.

F loods , 33 1 , 332 .

F lor ists , 1 1 , 49 , 8 1 .

Flower fest ivals , 65- 86 .

Frescos , 327. 170 , 292.

Fruits , 22 .

Fuji-sari , the Goddess , 176 ,186 .

GAMMAN ,1 59 .

Garden ing,1 1 .

Garde n -parties , Impe r ial , 1 15,1 16 .

Ga te-keeper , 223 .

Ga tl ing-guns , 206 .

Gau t ie r , Jud ith , 334.

Ge isha , 90 , 2 13 , 269 , 284, 300

303 . 332 . 337Genjt Monoga tar i , 22 1 .

enoske , 10 1 , 1 10 .

Gian tess , 284 .

Gi lbert and Sull ivan , 269 .

Ginkakuji , 249 .

Gin za , 43 . 53Gioksen ,

280, 335.

Gion temple , 223- 225, 301 .

Gobe lins , 260 .

Go-Da igo , the Empero r , 342 .

God s , S even Househo ld , 271 .

Gojo br idge , 228 .

Go ld Bal l temp le , 343 .

Go lden Ko i , 95.

Gold-thr ead , 260 .

Gompach i and Komurasak i , 134.

Gosekke , 130 .

Gotemba ,176 ,

1 87.

Grammar, Japanese , 292 .

Gr an t . Genera l U . S . , 50 , 129 ,

363 .

Gr eek , 272 .

Gr e en tea, 351 , 3 2 .

Gr ifli s , Rev . \V.

Guides , 146 .

Guilds , 223 , 264. 355.

Index

Gunpowde r tea , 351 .

Gunsa ,2 1 1 .

Gwar iobai , 69 .

HACH I-ISH I , 140 ,147.

Hachiman, 39 , 4 1 , 3 13 .

Hachioj i,255.

Ha ir-p ins , 16, 54.

H akoda te , 22 .

Hakone, 35, 175, 176 , 191 .

H ama Rik iu, pa lace of , 129.

Hamama tsu , 201 .

Hamana,lake of , 201 .

Hana m ichi,104.

Hangkow , 352 .

H a r a k ir i ; 106 , 297.

Ha r i Shin, 345.

Ha r u,the Cr own Pr ince , 1 24.

Har uko , the Emp r ess , 1 1 2—1 14 ,

124.299

Hayashi , 273 .

H echima,10.

H e loise and Abe lar d , 134.

Henri Deux, 278 .

H epbur n ,Rev . J . C . ,

294,295.

H ibach i,87, 265.

H idetada, 49 .

H ideyoshi , 91 ,

H igashi Hongwanji , 236 .

O tan i,227.

H ikone,2 17.

H ina Ma tsur i, 54.

H iogo . See Kobe.

H ir a,Moun t , 221 .

H ir ado ,294 , 364, 365.

H ir akana , 99 , 295.

H ir oshima, 359 .

H iyakudo , 3 13 .

H iye izan ,Moun t

,2 17, 2 1 8 , 222

249. 345H izen ,

2 10, 364.

Hoishigaoka , 92 .

Hokka ido, 1 2.

Hokor okojin ,192 .

Hokusa i, 51 , 271 .

Hol idays , 53 .

Homur a, 21 .

Honchodor i,13 .

Honmar u,1 25.

Honolulu ,2 .

Hor iuji , 326—328 .

Hosp ita ls , 1 14, 371 .

Ho te i,271 .

Hot springs , 169 ,170,

173,

349House-boa ts , 57, 58 , 332 , 338 .

Househo ld Gods, 271 .

Hyson , 351 .

ICE , 22 ,280.

Ichijo Takada,1 13 , 1 30.

Ichir ik i , 222 .

Idzum i ware , 335.

Iha i,128 .

Ikeda ,273 .

Ikegam i , 77, 135, 136 .

Ikeshima, 360 .

Ima ichi , 143 .

Imari,210, 364, 365.

Incense,274.

India,272.

Ink , 32 1 .

In land Sea , 42 , 330 , 340—342,

In sects,

284, 324.

I r is, 77.

I r ku tsk , 352.

Ise,208

, 352.

Ise zak icho,15.

Ishiyama , 2 1 8 .

Ito, Coun t , 1 20 ,

130.

Coun tess , 1 21 .

Iyekando , 235.

Iyem itsu , 39 ,149 , 1 53 .

Iyeyasu. 39 . 49. 149 .150. 157.

Iwakura ,130.

JACQ UARD ,257

Japan S tream , 3 .

“ Japan ese Homes , by Pr of.S . Mor se , 292.

J immu T enno,1 1 1 .

J ingo Kogo , 28 1 .

J in r ikisha, 8 , 9 , 205, 338.

Jiute i , 332.

0-0,299 .

osho,255, 257.

Jugg le r s, 19, 137, 226.

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I ndex

Lotus , 451 78 1233 ! 342 '

Low e l l , Pe rciva l , 292 .

Luck emblems , 179 , 272.

Luck , gods of,271 .

MAEDA,Ma rquis , 13 1 .

Maiko . 90.2 13 . 284. 300

-304.

332 . 337Mandal la ,

268 .

Manj i,272 .

Manjiuji , 273 .

M arco Polo ,251 .

Ma r r iage , 1 13 , 374.

Ma r uyama ,222 , 223 , 243 , 253 ,

Masamune,275.

Masonry , 334.

Ma tsuda , 92 , 296 .

Ma tsur i , 2 1 , 53 , 165, 197, 2 1 1 ,

224. 229 .242 . 342. 36 1

M ecca, 326 .

M egur o ,134,

135.

M e ij i, the e ra of , 1 12 .

M e ta l-work ,275, 276 , 335.

M iajima , 359 .

M iakodor i, 300.

M idw ay Island ,2 .

M idzu am e, 37, 200.

M iide r a,2 17.

M ikado,1 12 .

M ikasayama, 3 13 , 323 .

M i l ita r y , the , 45, 133 .

M im izuka, 234.

M inamo to,292 .

M ina togawa , 341 , 342 .

M ine, 35, 36 .

M in t . 14. 334.

M ioch in,275.

M i r r or,magic , 276 .

M ishima, 192

—195.

M issa ls,272 .

M issionar ies , 1 1 , 2 1 8,240,

M ississippi Bay , 1 2 , 15, 3 1 , 135,373 .

M i tfor d,A . B . ,

292 .

M ito yash iki , 133 .

M i tsu B ish i Company , 367.

M i tsuya , 192 .

M i tsu tomoyé, 272, 273 .

M iyanoshi ta , 175, 176 , 187, 1 88 ,191 .

M iyashta ,147, 2 14.

M OM S. 44. I 97. 207. 333Mom ban ,

223 .

Mome’

,257.

Monaste r ies , 227, 234, 250 , .326 ,

340.

M on tana, 346 .

Monsoon,23 .

Mon to se ct,236—240.

Moon temp le , 343 .

Mor i,1 30.

Mor se,P r of . E . S . , 135, 292.

Motomachi, 342.

Mound bu ilde r s,147.

Moxa. 35. 36 . 257

Mukojima, 70 , 71 , 74.

Mulbe r r y ,134, 202 .

Mu r a ta Shink io,250.

Mur amasa,275.

Mur r ay'

s Guide-book,

Mur usak i Sh ikibu ,221 .

Musanokoji , 92.

Museum s , 47, 3 12 .

Mu tsu H i to,the Empe r or , 1 1 1 ,

292.

NABESHIMA, 105, 153 , 302 , 364,

365.

Nagahama,2 16 .

Nagasak i , 1 , 360—368 .

Nagoya ,204, 206

—2 16 .

Nakador i , 64.

Nakamur a,283 .

Nakasendo , 146 .

Nakayama Yash iki , 124.

Namm ikawa,285—291 .

Nanjenji , 235.

Nanko temp le , 342 .

Nanta isan, 48 , 166

—168 , 174.

Napole on , 334.

Nar a , 268 , 282, 304, 307

—327,

Navajo ,1 86 .

Negishi , 30.

Nesan, 32 ,

87, 88 , 140,141 , 167,

New spape r s , 23 , 1 10 ,133 .

New

382

Index

New York ,279 ,

28 1 , 357.

Nichiren, 135, 138 .

igwatsudo , 3 13 .

Nihombashi , 43 .

Nijo,125. 130 , 249 .

Nikko, 38 , 48 , 140 , 147, 19 1 ,

308 .

N i l,steamer, 208 .

Ningchow , 352 .

Ningio , Nara, 3 14.

Nirvana ,13 1 , 239 , 3 1 1 .

Nish i Hongwanji , 237—239 , 338 .

O tan i , 233 , 30 1 .

Nishij in , 255, 257.

Nishimura,268 .

Niyakuoji , 235.

Nobor i, 56 .

No Dance . 96—9 8 , 13 1 , 269 .

Nor the r n Pacific Railroad, 358 .

Nume r a ls , 294.

Nunobiki , 343 .

Nuns, 321 , 322 , 329 , 367.

Nyuba i , 23 .

0 8 1.63 . 90. 1 19.

2 14.283 . 303 .

O ct r o i,223 .

Odawara Bay , 35, 41 , 175.

Odessa , 352 .

Ogawa , 327.

Ogi , 28 1 .

O igawa , 252 .

O iko to,2 14.

Oji , 134.

Okabe , 199 .

Okuma, Coun t and Coun tess , 134.

Omaha , 360 .

Omor i,135, 136 .

Oneida, 139 .

Oolong tea , 351 .

Osaka , 14 , 1 12 , 237, 266 . 275,28 1

. 303 . 3 13 . 326 . 329-340 .

O sh ima , 36 .

O sh iukaido , 78 .

O Sawo , 2 15, 363 .

O T om i Toge pas s , 176 , 187. RACE-COURSE,12 , 35, 47, 5Q

O tsu , 2 17, 2 18 , 22 1 . Ra iden , 158 , 2 12 .

Owa r i , 207—2 10 , 302 . Ra iha , 304 .

O xen, 346 . Ra ilr oads , 140 , 189 , 202 , 371 .

Oyama , 35. Ra ins , 18 2 , 18 8 ,198 , 199,

O zen , 87. 292 , 33 1 , 332.

PACIFIC Mai l S teamship Com

pany . 2 . 358 .

Pacific O cean , 1 .

Pack-hor se ,165, 188 , 19 1 .

Pagoda . 49. 149 . 227. 228 . 322.

Palaces, 125

- 130 ,244—253 , 28 8

3 1 2. 334Pape r , 134 , 277.

Pappenberg, island of, 363 .

Pa r is . 268 , 28 8 .

Pa r l iamen t , 371.Passpor ts , 46 .

Pa te n ts , 352 .

Pa te r son,N. J . , 256 .

Peerage , 130.

Peking,266 , 352.

Peony , 77.

Perfumes,274.

Perry , Commodore Ma t thew Calbr a ith , 12 . 23 . 32 . 37. I 3 1 . 363.

368 . 369 . 373. 37s.

Persimmon , 22 , 136 .

Pho tograph ,196 ,

2 16, 285, 327.

Picn l,257.

P ike '

s Peak , 1 8 1 .

P ilgr ims , 148 , 166 , 167, 176 , 178 ,18 2

, 229 , 230 , 308 , 3 10 , 3 19 ,

338 .

Plum blossoms , 3 1 , 66 , 67.

Poems. 33 . 47. 69. 299 .

Po l iceman , 2 1 1 .

Pongee ,264 .

Porce la in , 208 , 209 , 228 , 364 , 365.

Po r tuguese , 303 , 363 .

Po t tery . 209 . 277- 279 . 364. 365

Pr e ss, the , 133 .

Pr iestesses , 154, 308 , 3 16 , 3 19 ,

32 1 .

Priests,2 1

, 49 , 135, 138 , 139 , 154.

230 . 237. 238 . 3 10. 3 15. 3 19.

Pr ince s , 130.

Pyr amids , the , 272 .

Index

Raku,299 .

Rape -seed,203 .

Ra ts,272 , 324 , 325.

Red P lain,the

,168 .

Re in, J . J . ,

292.

Resist , 265.

Restor a tion , the , 24 , 50, 133 ,150,

R ice,1 2

,238 , 251 ,

R ichar dson affa ir,28 , 360.

Rikiu ,296 , 297, 299.

Riobondo ,274 .

Rip Van W ink le ,29 .

R ising Sun ,O r de r of the , 1 13 .

R ive r -bed,Kio to ,

225, 244.

R ive r fete , T ok io , 57.

Rokume ikwan, 86 , 13 1 .

Romaicising, 295.

Ron ins , Fo r ty - seven ,

222, 338 .

Rose-jar , the ,209 .

Rugs , 266 , 336 .

100,

SAGAM I , 3 .

Sa igo , Gener a l , 135.

Saikio,221

,245.

Saké, 74 , 128 , 303 , 330 .

Sakur a,69.

Sam isen , 22, 73 , 74, 89 , 215,

223 . 303. 332

Sampan , 4 .

Samur a i; 24. 44. 251 . 341 . 342 .373 .

Sandals, 9 .

San F r ancisco,2, 3 , 358 .

Sanjir o , 48—50.

Sanjiusangendo ,234.

Sanjo,Pr ince

, 73 , 130.

br idge ,225, 284.

Sa tsuma,28

, 13 1 , 271 , 277, 279 ,335. 364. 365.

Scandinavia, 272 .

Schleye r , 296 .

Schools. 57. 199 .

243 . 375.

S cr eens, 141 , 279 , 280 , 327, 329 .

S ea -weed, 40, 136 .

S egaki , 139.

Segiyama ,22.

Semi, 54.

Sengakuji , 135.

Senke, 92 , 296

—300 .

Se rmon on the Moun t , the , 239.

Se r van ts, 23 , 24.

Se ta B r idge , 221 .

Se to ,208 .

Shaku ,26 1.

Shakudo,276 .

Shampooer , 174.

Shiba . 47. 48 . 78 . 87Shibuich i

,276 .

Sh ichi Fukujin ,271 .

Shidzuoka,1 3 1 , 197, 198 .

Shijo br idge , 224 ,225, 28 3 , 284.

Shimadzu ,1 30,

1 3 1 .

Shimonosek i, 7, 359 , 360.

Shinagawa ,1 35, 369 .

Shinkaku ,251 .

Shinkoji , 342 .

Sh inn iodo ,235, 254.

Shin to , 1 19 , 1 28,1 50 ,

225, 241 ,

308—3 10, 3 13

—3 16 , 342 .

m iza,102

, 1 10.

Sh ippo ,272 .

Shi r ane san, 168 .

Shi r o ,1 25.

Sh ish igatam i , 235.

Shiur okindo ,204.

Shogun .the

. 44. 45. 49 . 96 . 1 1 1 .1 1 2

,1 25, 1 29 , 1 30 ,

13 1 ,14 8

1 50.158 . 192 . 196 . I 97. 207.

22 1.228

.245. 247. 249. 250.

Shoj i,141 .

Shojo , 2 1 2 ,2 13 ,

272.

Sho toku ,Ta isho , 327.

Sh r ofl , 1 5.

Shugakuin ,249 .

S iber ia , 352 , 36 1 .

S i lk ,255—271 .

b r oke r , 255.

m ar ke ts,255, 266 .

r aw,256 ,

257, 350.

worms,198 , 256 .

shops , 257, 258 , 268 ,

335S ingapor e ,

26 .

Soami,250 .

Socia l life,25, 26 ,

13 1—133 .

Sodanje , 1 10.

384

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I ndex

U r aga , 37.

Usurper, the , by Judi th Gaut ie r , 334.

Utsonom iya , 140 ,141 .

pass , 198 .

Uyeno. 47. 50. 51 . 70. 78

VANCOUVER, 3 .

Van i ty Fa ir, 52 ,284.

Vassar Co llege ,132 .

Ve lve t,26 1 .

Ven ice o f Japan ,the , 33 1 .

Vienna,208 , 336 .

Volapuk ,296 .

Vo lcan ic e r up tions , 179 .

Vot ive offe r ings , 137, 158 , 166,

229 . 329. 338 .

WAGES,23 , 146 , 205, 206 , 256 ,

355.

Wakam iya , 3 16 .

Wa lte r s,Mr. W . T . , 51 .

Wa r aj i, 9 .

Waseda , 134.

W il l iam T e ll,197.

W il liam the Conqueror, 292 .

W istar ia, 77, 309 .

Women’

s d r e ss , 16 , 63 , 90 ,1 19 ,

123 . 214.283 . 303 .

Wr est ler s, 337.

XAVIER, St. F r ancis, 363 .

Z IPANGU , 251 .

Z ukin,16 .

THE END

YAAMI,22 1 , 222 , 227, 292.

Yabashi,22 1 .

Yabunouch i , 92 .

Yamama i,263 , 264.

Yamanaka,192 .

Yam ashiro , 340 .

Yama to , 268 , 3 13 .

Yan igawar a ,64 .

Yasaka pagoda ,227, 228 .

Yash ik i , 44 , 97, 245.

Yeddo Bay , 3 . 8 , 35, 36 .

Ye l lows ton e,the , 346 .

Y e sso n ishik is,64 ,

259 .

Y odogawa , 33 1 .

Yokkaich i,208

,209 .

Yokohama,2—4 , 7, 36 ,

208 , 28 1 ,294. 340. 352 . 353 . 365

Yokosuka, 3 , 36 .

Yor itomo, 39.

Yoshida, 235.

Yosh imasa,250.

Yosh iwar a p lain ,195.

Yumo to ,162 , 167

—170, 173174.

Yuoki,160.

BY A . H . SAVAGE LANDOR

IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND. An Accoun t of aJ ou rne y i n to Tibe t, Cap tu re by the T ib e t an Lamas andSold i e rs

,Imp r i sonmen t

,Tortu re

,and U l t im ate Re le ase

,

brough t abou t by D r . W i l son and the Pol i t i ca l PeshkarKarak S ing-Pal . W i t h the Governmen t Enqu i ry andRepor t and oth er Offic i a l D ocumen t s

,by J . LAB K IN

,

Esq.

,Deputed by th e Gove rnm en t of Ind ia. W i th

O ne Photog ravu re,E i gh t Colored Pl a t es , F i f t y Ful l

page and abou t One Hund red and F i f t y Tex t I l lust rations

,and a Map f rom Sur vey s by the Au thor. 2V ol s.

8 vo,C lo th

,O rnam ental

, U ncu t Edge s an d Gi l t Tops,89 00.

A very remarkable work from whatever point of v iew itmay her ead ,

and one wh ich w i l l insure its au thor a d istinct and prom i nentp lace among European trave l lers of the n ine teenth century —N. Y.

Ma i l a nd Exp r ess .

It is a book easy to read and hard to put down , for the scene is

constan t ly changing , the ac tion is fu l l of surp rises, and the de

scr i ptions of scenery enhance the significance of the occurrences described —New Yor k Tr ibune.

T ibet, the forbidden land , is not fam i l iar ground ,and an oh

serve r as competen t as Mr . Landor has much to te l l q uite apartf rom h is th ri l l ing p ersona l exp eriences . He writes we l l , and h isp ho tographs and draw ings g ive excel len t v iews of some of the

grandes t scenery in the world and some of the most p icturesq ueth ings and peop le . He te l ls a p lain man ly tale , w ithou t aff ecta t iono r bravado,

and it is a book tha t w i l l be read w i th i nterest and ex

c iteme nt, even in those p ar ts o f it wh ich only describe a journeythrough an unknown reg ion —London Times.

HARPER 85 BROTHERS, PUB LI SHERS

NEW YORK AND LONDON

W The above wor k wi ll be sent by mai l , p ostage p r epa id , to a ny

pa r tof the Un ited Sta tes, Ca nada , or Mexico ,on r eceip tof the pr ice

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