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BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
wKEm
JAPAN ITS
ARCHITECTURE, ART, AND
ART MANUFACTURES
JAPAN ITS
ARCHITECTURE, ART, AND
ART MANUFACTURES BY
CHRISTOPHER DRESSER Ph.D., F.L.S., etc.
LONDON LONGMANS, GREEN, AND
CO.
NEW YORK SCRIBNER AND WELFORD 1882
Printed hy R.
&
R. Clark, Edinburgh.
PREFACE. An
apology
Japan.
is
We
needed
adding to the number of our books on
for
have heard of the ways of the Japanese, of the
pecuHarities of their manners, of their feasts and festivals, of the
food they eat, and of the aspect of the country in which they
My
excuse for writing
An
architect
is
and
a simple one
ornamentist
—
I
by
am
a specialist.
and
profession,
knowledge of many manufacturing processes,
live.
I
went
to
having
Japan
to
observe what an ordinary visitor would naturally pass unnoticed.
As
a specialist, and a specialist only,
When
public notice.
grapher that
I
in
Japan
I
I
submit
edifices,
me
;
but also architectural
engaged the best ornamentist
in
volume to
engaged the best native photo-
could find to take views for
only architectural
this
thus
I
got not
details.
also
I
Kioto to make coloured drawings
of temple decorations for me.
Many public
will
be surprised when
know almost
I
say that as yet the English
nothing, and even our architects very
little,
Coloured illustrations are needed to
of Japanese architecture.
give anything like a complete idea of the glories of Buddhistic art
;
yet
I
hope that
my
book may throw some
little
light
on
Japanese building, and do something towards revealing the fact that
Japan has had a great architectural chromatic
illustrations.
history, although I
Ornament springs from
have no
architecture.
I
PREFACE.
vi
have therefore endeavoured to trace
and
ventional ornament
Drawings of to us
but
;
known
and other peoples associated with
;
that just as the Greeks, Moors,
their architecture certain conven-
is
the
To me
case.
to the time that
I
my
book
from climatic
I
the
fact
was almost
visited the country, although
had been an earnest student of Oriental In
;
Japanese have a national style of conventional
yet this
unknown up
and development
flowers, of birds, of fish, of insects, are all familiar
tional forms, so the
ornament
origin
brought before the English reader.
is
not generally
it is
its
know, the growth of native con-
for the first time, so far as I
I
art for nearly thirty years.
attempt to explain how the architecture resulted
and
religious
influences,
and how the ornaments
with which domestic objects are figured, and the very finish of the objects themselves, are traceable to religious teachings.
As
a guest of the nation,
I
was not only permitted
to enter
sacred edifices (some of which had never before been trodden
European
but
feet),
had also opportunities
I
For the
of art industry.
privileges enjoyed
a debt of gratitude to the I
members of
studying
I
by
all
forms
shall ever feel
under
for
the Japanese Government.
had also the honour of presentation to His Majesty the Mikado,
who
himself ordered that
should have every
I
facility for
seeing
what I wished. While and
Japan
in
this record
me
taken for
I
made
a daily record of what
was roughly
illustrated.
I
saw and did
about a thousand photographs, some being
had a multitude of small coloured drawings ments.
I
visited
sixty -eight
manufacturers engaged
in other industries.
mens of work from most of the
As
potteries,
the country, to
and I
fifteen
twelve.
I
of temple orna-
some
scores
of
also brought speci-
factories visited.
to the temples and shrines,
in
made
;
bought or had
by eighteen, the others about nine inches by
inches
finest
either
I
I
saw about a hundred of the
say nothing of the crowd of temples
PREFACE. nestled together on the top of I
studied minutely.
thousand miles
but
;
vii
Mount Koya-zan, many
In seeing these things
my
I
of which
travelled about
two
stay was short, being limited to four
months. I
mention these
facts so that the
opportunities of study, and
now
I
reader
may
must leave
judge of
my book
in
my his
hands. I
am much
indebted to the painstaking care of Mr. Hundley,
who has drawn
the illustrations on
wood
for
me, and to Mr. G.
Pearson, the well-known wood engraver, who has cut the blocks.
Both these gentlemen have exerted themselves
manner I
have also to acknowledge the services of
I
to
the kindest
to render the illustrations such as I wished.
acted as
book
in
my
amanuenses, and thus rendered
be written during a long and painful
most of the
suffered while
willing assistance
Tower
was of great value
Cressy,
NoTTiNG Hill, London, W., Oclobcr
1
letter -press
88 1.
to me.
my it
daughters,
who
possible for the
illness
from which
was prepared.
Their
CONTENTS. PART
I.
CHAPTER
I.
— The Grand Hotel — Sights — —Japanese — Sachi—Yedo, or Tokio — Letter-writing—The Castle—Winter Japan — Temple Pages 1-18 of Shiba — Tombs of the Shoguns
Yokohama
in the Streets
^Jinrikishas
.....
hospitality
in
CHAPTER —A — Eating
Yokohama
fire
in
— A Japanese banquet— — Hara-kiri —The Mikado— The
....
— The Hamagoten palace
CHAPTER Preparation for long journey
—A
feast night
— Kioto —The
Year
19-62
HI.
to
antiquities
CHAPTER sacred dance
New
— By water Kobe— Entrance of —The Mikado's
Awadji, Sanda, Arima, Nara
The
— Music — Tokio firemen
^Japanese dancing-girls
the hotel
a live fish
Japanese matting
n.
the .
Mikado .
into
Kobe .63-103
IV.
royal collections
— Osaka
104-12:
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER The Japanese Calendar zan
— Splendour
Return
to
Osaka
— Wakayama—Japanese
of shrines and of scenery
— Feast of the god of
cold and Japanese vegetation
— Sakai — News of
riches
.
CHAPTER Temple
of Kioto
—^Japanese estimate
Lacquer-work gaura
—Value
— Kamiji-yama
.
.
— Koya-
Salsuma
Pages 124-140
VI.
— Picnics — Honest workmanship — Tea-drinking ceremony— Otsu — Futami-
.
.
.
CHAPTER Tidings of rebellion
revolt in
of Christianity
of Corean ware .
V.
.
141-170
.
VH.
— — Yokkaichi—Manufactures of Nagoya — Comparative estimates — Castle of Nagoya— Sidsuoka— Fujiyama— Return Yokohama Ise
of wealth and skill
to
171-196
CHAPTER A
Shinto festival
......
— Nikko— The
and police supervision
Vni.
great Sanctuary
— Arrival
CHAPTER A
Japanese blue-book carpets, etc.
at
Tokio
—Japanese reports
IX.
.......
— Object
of
my
visit
197-213
— Exportation
of ginger
— Manufacture
of
214-224
CONTENTS.
PART
11.
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
321-344
HI.
.....
The Lacquer Manufactures
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
Minor Manufactures of Japan
415-430
VI.
by which Fabrics receive Pattern
CHAPTER
368-414
V.
.....
The Metal Manufactures.
345-367
IV.
.....
The Pottery Manufactures
Pages 225-320
n.
...... CHAPTER
On the means
I.
.....
Religion and Architecture
Analogies and Symbols
xi
.
.
431-449
VII.
.....
450-466
JAPAN: ITS
ARCHITECTURE, ART, AND ART MANUFACTURES.
PART
I.
CHAPTER
I.
— The Grand Hotel — Sights the Streets —Jinrikishas —^Japanese hospitality — Sachi — Yedo, or Tokio — I>etter-writing — The Castle —-Winter Japan —Temple of Shiba — Tombs of the Shoguns.
Yokohama
in
in
It was on the 26th day of I
first
As
saw Japan.
December
at
in
the morning that
yet this strange country was enveloped
a soft mist above which the sun was
we could undulating and richly wooded
the mist dispersed
and gorges nestled
6.30
little
see that ;
that in
only just the
land was
some of the
picturesque villages
spots palm-trees, with their
plumous
rising,
;
in
but as
pleasantly
valle}'s, fissures,
sheltered
that in
tops, rose high
above the
houses that found shelter beneath them, and that junks of quaint aspect ploughed the shallow waters of the coast.
A
cry arises from the Japanese passengers,
looking to the I
left
(for
look in the direction
The undulating
we have in
who
several on board)
are earnestly
— Fujiyama!
which they gaze, but see no mountain.
land in front
is
perfectly distinct,
and
out on a background of gray-and-white cloud which
behind
it
;
but
I
see no mountain.
of Japanese friends,
I
thrown
rises
high
the guidance, however,
look above these clouds, and there, at a
vast height, shines the immaculate ^^
Under
is
B
summit of Japan's
peerless
JAPAN
2
cone.
ITS ARCHITECTURE,
:
have seen almost every alpine peak
I
in
the land of Tell
Como
have viewed Monte Rosa from Zermat, Aosta, and
I
have gloried
mountain so pure impressive in
its
in
but never before did
;
imposing
form, so
its
beauty, as that at which
not wonder at the Japanese endowing
do not wonder
I
—
home
mountain
for surely this
Rounding
in
its
we now
see a
I
grandeur, so gaze.
do
I
with marvellous powers
it
;
cone around which clouds love to
this vast
at
sleep being regarded as the
storm,
Jungfrau and the pre-
the wild beauty of the
in
cipitous heights of the Matterhorn
;
I
;
of the dragon is
—
the
demon
of the
one of nature's grandest works
!
promontory we soon enter the bay of Yokohama,
a
two cannon, and drop our anchor.
fire
a few minutes
In
ship
come on board, and
officials
some seek
to take passengers or merchandise on
some bring out servants of the company
A
describe.
scene of
life
and
to
shore,
which our ship
to
belongs, and others a variety of things which
the
Some belong
surrounded by a score of native boats.
is
hotels,
certain
is
impossible to
activity thus springs
up around us
it
A
of a character so novel as to be both interesting and amusing.
small steam-launch
is
now moored
to the side of our great vessel,
and General Saigo, the commander-in-chief of the Japanese army, who is on board, invites me to step into the launch and accompany
him on shore
:
the launch
is
a
Government boat which has been Accepting the kind invitation
sent to convey the General to land.^ I
am
who
soon seated is
in the boat,
where we
with that
warm
affection
towards their children
unknown
in
for his child
;
fellow than he caresses
little
which the Japanese but there
is
I
and
I
is
yet
feel
that the
little
show
at all times
kissing,
for kissing
fellow has not received
almost long to kiss him myself
soon
in
motion, and
in
a
San ?"ranciscu by arrangement, so
that
we might
I
The screw
few minutes
General .Saigo was reluming from America, where
missioner for Japan at the Philadelphia exhibition. at
no
him
is
the East, and while the General manifests his love
launch
his due,
^
No
a cheerful smiling-faced urchin about two years old.
sooner does the father see the
little
find the son of the General,
I
all
of our
stand on
he had acted as the com-
met General
.Saigo
and
his party
travel together to his country.
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, a
land which, as a decorative
intense
desire to
see,
artist,
whose works
who
admire, and amidst a people
have
I
my
hotel
somewhat resembling shuts back.
and
It
slender
now
I
have already learned to
I
hood that
cab, only with a
two somewhat large wheels,
lightly built, has
is
With the
civilisation.
get into a jinrikisha, a vehicle
hansom
a small
years had an
are saturated with the refine-
ments which spring only from, an old view of reaching
for
3
united together by a tie - piece near their drawn by a man who gets between the shafts
shafts
extremities.
It is
and most ably acts the part of the best of ponies, or sometimes by two, or even three men.
In the latter cases the
tandem
principle
is
adopted, and the leaders are attached to the vehicle by thin ropes.
As soon enough
as to
am
I
my
seated in
contain
my
coolies (for
I
have two)
astonishing,
if
not alarming, and
to the
Grand Hotel
—
which
carriage,
is
scarcely large
somewhat cumbrous body, off with a
set
speed which
my tandem certainly
is
soon find myself at the entrance
I
a European house
—where
I
secure
my
room
(terms three and a half dollars or fourteen shillings a day, including
everything save Breakfast
fire
and wine).
morning was
this
somewhat
neglected,
the
for
excitement of nearing land after a twenty-one days' sea-voyage
had lessened our appetites.
seemed impossible to spare time
It
meal when, with the movement of our vessel through
for a hearty
the water, shifting scenes both strange and beautiful were constantly
presenting themselves
exhilarating shine,
to
our sight.
The
keen, fresh,
the cloudless sky, the bright and cheering sun-
air,
and the gallop through the wind
caused nature to assert
itself
my
in
tiny carriage had
and demand some refreshment
for
the inner man. Sitting
down
hurried meal.
to table at the hotel
Fish,
sequence, as though while
potted
I
entrees,
were
sitting in
grouped on dishes were meats, and Keiller's
partook of a somewhat
I
and joint were presented
tins
in
due
the Grand Hotel at Paris of
Crosse
;
and Blackwell's
Dundee marmalade and jam.
I
confess that while these luxuries were in the most perfect state of preservation,
and
in
every sense enjoyable,
I
was disappointed
in
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
4
seeing such familiar forms of food instead of the tentacle of an octopus, the succulent shoot of a bamboo, the
some other such natives dainties Having finished my meal,
who
my
to act as
is
as
looked
I
am
I
secretary while
fin for.
by a gentleman
joined
am
I
of a shark, or
the country,
in
by
Prince Henri of Liechtenstein, and by Prince Alfred Montenuovo
(two Austrian princes with
whom
from San Francisco), and we
start for a walk, the secretary
We
guide.
nestle
all
villas
—
being our
Yokohama,
character half English and half Japanese
in
Here
lovely gardens, and on to the native town.
in
strange and quaint beyond
is
have been a fellow-passenger
pass through the European settlement of
where beautiful
—
I
The shops
description.
are
without fronts and their floors are raised above the ground by one high step
they are matted, and the goods are displayed on
;
so-called " stage
stands which resemble the
Strange
on
eye
the
every
wonder.
We
interest
which
is
a
ball
looked taken
We
at every turn.
for
her
to
hit
smiles
things,
to
we
— is
a
little
girl
bounces
ascending from
pass by a
which
canal
the is
and on which the strangest of boats of a
enter the precincts
we
Buddhist Temple, but we
off before
home by
the bluffs," from which
crossing
meet
look,
must take our boots "
greenhouse.
a
of
ball
We
again.
hill,
of
we admire, we amusement at the them common, meet us
we
stop,
:
and turns round while the
ground
;
in
at
watch children play,
tunnelled through a float
We
side.
are
"
strange people, strange objects
of food,
articles
cross the threshold.
we have
We
return
a glorious
view of the town and the bay, and by a road which, bordered
by curious fences where strange
(Figs,
trees
i
to 15),
abound.
I
winds
way through
its
nurseries
need scarcely say that we have
enjoyed our walk more than words can
tell.
Indeed
it
would
be almost impossible to describe the impression of novelty
minds
left
some notion of the aspect things I of may remark made by one strange repeat a " of the Austrian princes during the stroll. Had we died," he on
our
said,
"
and
;
risen
be more strange.
but
to
give
the
reader
from the dead the scene presented could not
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, The
me, and at 8.30 we set out again
princes dine with
time
this
bears a lantern, as
it
by one man, who now dark, and off we go at almost the
is
We
pace of a race-horse.
;
drawn
each
jinrikishas,
in
5
laugh heartily at the shouts of the
men, the bobbing of the lanterns, the shaking of the vehicles,
and the excitement of the furious
we
Here our conductor orders be added
are to
room
for us a native repast, to
which
the pleasures of music and the dance.
The
but there
square,
plain
a
is
European
is
windows, and the doors have European the
and on the mats stand
floor,
glass
these primitive and insignificant
which a Japanese room
and two small
to serve the
is
afford the
fires
warmed.
tables, while
We
vessels
kneel in front of us on the
the natives,
is
who
shortly
brought
in,
rests a dish of sliced raw, unsalted fish, with
being arranged
vinaigrette
veait
if
much
and placed
On
fish
and the condiments are almost
comes
fried fish,
Sachi, although is
in
its
and with
varies
it
European
leaves.
We
taste the dish after
much
sa)-,
tasteless.
made from in quality
;
in
made
it is
not
and
in this
rice.
It is
England as a Like
it is
now
spirit,
alcoholic
all
qualities,
as
we do
drunk both cold and warm, but
hot by admixture with water, but
condition
After the raw
and the Japanese estimate
excellence by flavour, aroma, and other
our port and other wines.
mouths by
the viands have the
hot sachi.
generally regarded
a white beer
reality
drinks, sachi
the
condiments of various
unsuccessful attempts at getting the food to our
the aid of the chop-sticks, but strange to flavours,
in
this tra}-
compliment to us strangers, but chop-sticks
are supplied instead of knives and forks.
many
now been
the French dish of Tcte de
garnished with
tastefully
plates are used out of
like
come
music and dancing,
their
centre of the group of kneeling female attendants.
all
and
;
only means by
Preparations having
floor.
completed, a large lacquer tray
kinds,
(called
are favoured with Chinese
amuse us by
repast, or to
the
Mats cover
fasteners.
two brazen
in
each containing a few bits of ignited charcoal
hibachi),
chairs
one room of which we
front of a large house, into
alight in
enter.
In about fifteen minutes
run.
offered to us.
is itself
warmed
;
Native Drawings of the Fences which bound Garden?
Native Drawings of the Fenxes which eol'nd Gardens.
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
8
cups are usually small earthen vessels of about two
Sachi
diameter,
inches in
cups, or deep saucers.
empty
to the guest
moments cups
if
he
is
after being placed
to drink the
hot water for a few
in
warm.
sachi
serving- maid
second
a
much resembling in character shallow teaThey are without handle, and are offered
pours
empty
Into these
warm
the
from
sachi
a
delicately-formed china bottle.
Following the
and sea-weed
my
and
is
fish
and the wine a dish of sea-slugs with herbs
served, but the mollusc
as tough as leather,
is
powers of mastication are altogether overcome.
the repast, music begins with the samasin
drums
(horizontal harp), together with certain
(the
the taiko), while girls dance to the weird sounds
being graceful but strange.
This over, there
we all leave, take our drawn home at almost lightning
songs, after which
and are
On some
the following morning
care.
tsudzumu and
—
their
motions
singing of native
places in the jinrikishas, speed.
begin to
I
is
After
and the coto
(banjo),
make
observations with
Yesterday everything was so new that impressions
resulted chiefly from general effects, or curious incidents, while details
were passed almost unnoticed.
I
now, however, seem to
be more able to mark accurately what comes before me. ing on the steps of our hotel,
I
noticing the nature of the building in which
taken
up
my
To my
abode.
Stand-
glance upwards with the view of I
have
for the present
astonishment what
I
yesterday
regarded as a solid stone edifice turns out to be a mere wooden
framework bearing on is
This hotel
is
its
surface thin slabs of stone, each of which
through and
drilled partially
is
hung on two common
beautifully situated, having
looking the sea, from which
it
made road. On its As I stand on these
have above
deepest blue, an
right
is
steps
I
ocean
reflecting the azure
is
its
chief face over-
separated by a broad and well-
a canal which here meets the ocean.
rippled
me
a cloudless sky of the
by the smallest of waves, and
The white
of the heavens above.
picturesque boats reflect the rays of the sun, hidden
view by the house crispness,
in front of
due to the
nails.
which
I
stand
slight frost of the
;
night,
of
sails
from
my
while the air has
which makes
it
a'
in
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
the highest degree exhilarating.
and
though
tea, as
instead of being
i
were
I
me
quite
At
reckless fashion.
" field
had a perfect
While asked
me
passed
my
During
and
irresistible,
5.15
day
"
I
my
walk buy,
I
many
find
I
view
curios
a truly
fear, in
tired,
having
amidst the shops.
my room
was dressing. Prince Henri came into
I
London,
set out to
home somewhat
return
ham, eggs,
fish,
table in
I
him and Prince Montenuovo second day in Japan.
to join
find
I
my own
at
2,000 miles from home, and then
the shops and their contents. that are to
breakfast off
I
sitting
9
the following scraps noted
my
in
at dinner.
diary
and
Thus
under date
December 27th. It is customary here to go to a shop to select a number of goods, and then to ask the owner to send all the objects selected to your house, or hotel, for
decide upon at your
you
to look over
The people here are most polite and charming while we were making purchases tea was served to is
by no means
and
strong,
is
;
at
one place
The
us.
tea
pale yellow (almost amber) in colour,
drunk without milk or sugar.
is
and
leisure.
It
is
is
lit
served in small cups
without handles or saucers.
The
native
town of Yokohama
European quarter has
dark
at night
with gas, while the
The
streets.
foreign
settler
objects to a gas rate.
The next morning the northern
Yokohama length,
Japan
is ;
capital)
(the
I
go by appointment to Yedo (Tokio, or
by 9.34
train.
The
port of Tokio) with Tokio
well built,
and
is
eighteen
miles in
one of two railways now existing
the other railway connects
southern capital).
railway connecting is
The Yokohama
Hiogo (Kobe) with Kioto railway
is
in
(the
of specially narrow
gauge, and the carriages are m.ore like omnibuses than any to be
found on our
A
lines
train leaves
—being
Yokohama
every hour of every day mails
;
hence, while
apart, there
every day.
is
small in size and entered at the end. for in
Tokio, and Tokio for Yokohama, the year, and
Yedo and Yokohama
a delivery of letters
in
every train are
eighteen
carries
miles
both places every hour of
JAPAN
lo
These
ARCHITECTURE,
ITS
:
and indeed
places,
the towns of Japan, are now-
all
connected by telegraph wires, by the agenc}' of which messages character or in most of the European
can be sent
in the native
languages
but for conveying a message
;
extra fee
The
a strange tongue an
in
very reasonably demanded.
is
from Yokohama to Yedo
line
the greater portion of
length
its
the bay throughout
skirts
and the scenery along the
;
though curious, presents few features of marked
who happen
female peasantry
dresses, however, of the
route,
The
interest.
to be
in
holiday attire are quaint and pleasing, while the flowing robes of
men contrast favourably with our set and inartistic dress. At Tokio, I am met by General Saigo and Mr. Sekisawa, latter being a gentleman who was one of our part}' from San
the
the
General Saigo has with him his carriage,
Francisco to Japan.
which ''
runner
in
of European
is
more
make, and
common
recently been
introduced
For centuries the inhabitants of towns have been in
that
fact
into
Japan.
the habit of
in
the middle of the streets, for no Japanese town that
member has
a
England
in
rendered necessary by the
is
horse carriages have but
walking
but
;
This practice of employing a running groom
early days.
precede the carriage
to
drawn by a horse
is
precedes the carriage on foot, as was
"
properly
made
footpaths at the sides of the roads
;
I
re-
and
wells imperfectly protected are often situated in front of the shops.
General Saigo
is
a
man
handsome appearance, and
of
bearing, of about thirty-seven years of age
he
is
by no means small of
reach,
the
is
a
room
carpet,
which
in
and
in
it
I
am
in
stately
southerners,^
The
the English style.
received
covered with a
is
"
floor of
tapestry
"
stands an American stove, which can scarcely be
regarded as beautiful, though is
many
His house, which we soon
stature.
wooden building
;
like
it is
probably
of European character, but surely of
The
useful.
furniture
American make, and
in
pattern resembles English furniture prior to 1862.
As we It
sat
on European
had been arranged that
ministers
;
chairs, tea I
should
but Japanese etiquette ^
General Saigo
is
was served
visit
demands
in native
Mr. Sano that
— one
style.
of the
a note be sent
a native of the province of Satsuma.
ART,
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
immediately before the reception
which
I
to ask
visit,
things are ready for the
all
if
General Saigo therefore writes the
;
ii
Japanese
first
letter
have seen written.
His writing-box
is
about
inches in width,
i i
and 2 inches deep, and contains a
i
inches long,
2
somewhat
of fibrous paper
roll
bibulous in character, a stick of Indian ink, a slab on which to
mix the
small water vessel, and a few brushes formed of
ink, a
From
vegetable hairs.
box he takes the
the
roll
of paper, an
inch or two of which he unrolls and arranges as flatly as possible.
He
next mixes a small quantity of ink, and then holding the
of paper in
his
left
viously dipped in the Indian
The
the paper.
first
a vertical column
and so on at the top
the
left
upon the spread out portion of
ink,
character
is
made
at the
second follows immediately under
corner, the
is
and
finished at the
bottom of the
of the previously written columns.
roll,
and folded, and the
box, round which the writer the
box
box the
letter
letter
is
a silk cord.^
ties
to the house of the receiver,
answer comes
and so on,
formed, then a second column
till
written,
is
sheet,
and being
When
the letter
is
by the writing
is
completed, the portion of the paper occupied torn from the
upper right-hand it,
each case the new line of writing being commenced
in
;
roll
hand, begins to write with a brush, pre-
who
placed in a lacquer
A
servant carries
himself takes from the
which has not been touched by the messenger. in like
form saying that
Mr. Sano's house, which outskirts of the
city.
is
to
all is
ready, so
we
An
drive to
a fine old Japanese building near the
Two rooms
Japanese residence are furnished
at
in
least
of this
European
thoroughly
fashion,
and of
the residences belonging to Japanese ministers, or high officials,
which ing,
I
happened
to see, this, as a
was one of the most
specimen of European furnish-
successful.
Mr. Sano was the commissioner representing the
Government
Japanese
at the Vienna International Exhibition in the year
1873, a-r>d during his visit to Europe at this period he seems to have studied most carefully the art industries of the west, and the
nature of our '
manufactures
These boxes are sold
in
;
for
England
the suggestions which he as "glove-boxes.
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
12
made
own people upon
to his
return appear to have proved
his
very valuable to the industries of Japan.
During Mr. Sano's residence
government
his
to
at
make purchases
have an interest
as he thought likely to
the view of their being placed in a
be established
in
Vienna he was requested by of such manufactured objects
Tokio, much
Japanese, with
for the
museum which was about
after the plan of our
to
South Ken-
Museum. Unfortunately the goods selected were lost in Yedo Bay by the foundering there of the vessel which was charIn spite of this dire calamity, an tered to convey them to Japan.
sington
museum
excellent
has been established in Tokio, of which Mr.
Sano was the head and
chief,
the post in favour of Mr. Machida, a in
now relinquished gentleman who has travelled
although he has
Europe, and who both speaks and writes English Mr. Sano
is
a
man
well.
of aristocratic bearing, and decidedly of
He
large stature for a Japanese.
interests himself especially in
the advancement of the art industries of his country which have in
taste through his exertions.
European After
had determined
I
friend Mr. Philip Cunliffe
that
I
from the corrupting influences of
saved
a large degree been
should do what
to leave
Owen (now
my
old
Sir Philip) suggested to
me
England
for
Japan,
could to repair the loss sustained by the
I
Japanese through the wreck of the vessel containing the specimens of European manufactures. I therefore appealed to my manufacturinar
friends
and the
;
was that
result
I
took with
me
to
a collection of objects such as could only prove valuable
Imperial his
Museum.
Sir
Owen gave me
the
introductions to
Excellency Mr. Sano, General Saigo, and other Japanese min-
isters,
friends
and
it
whom
The
is
to
him
I still
visit
I
am
among
indebted for the the leading
men
many
valuable
of Japan.
presentation of this gift from our manufacturers to the
Japanese Government was the object of
to Mr. Sano.
Mr. Sano received (which
that
retain
representatives of the
my
Philip
Tokio to
we
me most
kindl}-.
carried on through the kind
of Mr. Sckisawa) tea was served
During our conversation and
careful
in natixe fashion.
interpretation
After a sump-
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
luncheon, served
tuous
European
in
me
wines, General Saigo takes
Mr. Sano
in
and with European
style
where Mr. Sano and
to the Castle,
Mr. Asami (another of our American party,
13
who
is
engaged under
European works pertaining
translating
met
tures into the Japanese language)
manufac-
to
us.
The Castle, which dates from the year A.D. 1355, was formerly an immense building enclosing gardens. It now stands in the centre of the more modern town of Tokio, which was founded in the year A.D. recent
1
600, and was ultimately built around
wars have destroyed much of
civil
Although
it.
some
this ancient castle,
huge towers and immense battlements, formed of stones of extra-
The
ordinary size remain.
Castle enclosure
broad moat, on the inner side of which
and
fortress:
Europe
is
if
as
ficial
surrounded by a
we may judge from its appearance, no The water of the moat
castle
in
broad,
is
on the outer side considerably above
it
Inside the walls there
a pleasure ground
officials
is
the vast walls of the
more impregnable.
and the roadway skirting its level.
rise
is
during the
of the Government.
a charming garden, used
summer months by
now
the high
In this garden there are small
arti-
lakes and streams of water, which are crossed by picturesque
bridges,
and are
part sheltered
in
by greatly contorted
here also are one or two charming the Castle grounds are not year, General
little
trees
;
and
Although
tea-houses.
usually open at this period of the
Saigo has not only had the gates unlocked for
us,
but has also had the tea-houses opened, and tea prepared for our refreshment. It
is
the 28th day of
December
;
I
looking as fresh as
were summer.
it
we saunter through
see trees laden with camellia blossoms
these beautiful grounds if
yet as
General Saigo gathers a
bunch of these beautiful flowers and presents them which my companions return to their homes and British
Embassy, where Mr, Mounsey
me
Legation) presents
to
staying to dine with him.
Sir I
to me, after I
go to the
(the First Secretary of the
Harry Parkes, and return to
insists
Yokohama by
on
my
the ten
o'clock train.
The morning
is
clear,
bright,
and
slightly frosty,
while the
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
14
With Prince Liechtenstein and Prince Montenuovo I start for Tokio, where we meet Mr. and Mrs. Mounsey, at whose invitation we were to-day to visit
air
the
pure and bracing.
singularly
is
Two
capital.
Temple of of the
carriages convey us
Shiba, which
As
city.
situated
is
by
beyond
rural
this
bordered on
is
it
and
trees,
fields,
kinds
various the
district
upon leaving a densely-populated
for
we approach
or gardens as
fields
spreads
city
Shiba
in
lies
district
while
a
huge
as
itself
which
upon
receive
most
is
me
beautiful
in
Buildings
delightful.
detail,
striking
so
reached
is
The impres-
station.
as
so
we
step
rich
in
symbolism,
in
Had
before seen, or even dreamt of
It
beholding the magnificent
first
temples and shrines standing before carriage
curious,
is
come upon
often
the north-east quarter of Tokio.
now
I
we
in
vegetation,
the centre of the town.
by a pleasant short drive from the railway sion
outer side
its
of
journey from one side of Tokio to the other
ring, a
town,
the Castle stands in the centre of the
and the moat surrounding part
Buddhist
the great
to
a richly -wooded suburb
in
from our colour,
have
I
so
never
a Gibbons been employed
on the wood -carvings, had the colourist of the Alhambra done his
a
utmost to add to forms, which
new charm through
themselves are almost perfect,
in
the addition of pigments, and were the
whole of such details subordinated architectural
worthy
edifice
to
fitting
places
in
a vast
no more
architects of the Parthenon,
by the
could be produced than that of the buildings on
effect
my eyes now rest. The Temple of Shiba,
which
to the service of
which
may
another
same
is
like
Buddhism, consisted of seven buildings, one of
be regarded as more strictly in
all
relation
to
Christian church.
cases a pagoda,
the
Buddhist
and
I
am
—
in itself tJie
Temple, while
the pagoda bearing
edifice
that
a spire
much
does
the
to a
Unfortunately the chief building of the seven
has been lately burnt by, aries,
most of the large temples dedicated
is
it
informed that
than any
now remaining
beautiful
than those which
;
yet
believed, revolutionary incendi-
this
building was more beautiful
how any
have
building could be more
escaped,
I
am
at
a
loss
to*
ART, understand.
(Fig.
AND ART MANUFACTURES. 1
6 gives the water-tank
in
15
the courtyard of
this temple.)
We
walk through the courtyard inspecting the long rows of
stone lanterns,
>
'^''
7"
and viewing the exteriors of the various buildings
r^, >'''f^
^.
^f-
L&
^.%;
'^^l
-1.
Fig. 16.
With
its
The Water-Tank at
Shiba,
monolith cohimns, on the tops of which festooned draper}' in colours and gold
on which we find
birds, flowers, water,
is
painted.
and clouds carved with a
tenderness and boldness scarcely to be surpassed, and so coloured that each object retains parts
combine
its
produce an
to
ment of the natural objects
individual beauty, while the various effect is
almost perfect.
The
art treat-
semi-conventional, the carving
is
of the crispest, and the subjects are chosen with the view of symbolising the
Shiba
power of the Buddhist's god over
is
not
minster Abbey,
is
only a Buddhist
shrine,
all
but,
created things. like
a resting-place for the mighty dead.
our West-
Here
five
of Japan's great Shoguns (also called Tycoons) were buried, and the
Shogun (who was
practically the temporal
ruler
of Japan)
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
i6
was of the Buddhist described
the
as
Shoguns found
Mikado (whom we have
while the
faith,
was
ruler)
spiritual
We
are looking
when
us
and wondering
entering
we have
it
we should
comes forward
to put off our shoes.
were
do,
mounds
of earth.
at all the loveliness outspread
a shaven-headed priest
the largest of the edifices which
into
religion.
tombs of great beauty, while
their resting-place in
over the ashes of the Mikados are heaped mere
before us
Shinto
of the
to
conduct
now
remain.
Before
This
it
was
right that
only because the balcony to which the
it
steps before us lead, and
the floor of the temple
The
polished black lacquer.
surface of these floors
are of
itself,
may
be com-
pared with that of the best papier-mache tray that Wolverhampton ever made.
There
little
is
the
in
Japanese temples or houses ings
more
will
be said when
way ;'
of wall in
but of the structure of their build-
we come
However, the building before us
by a massive
to consider their architecture.
a large enclosed space, covered
is
supported on uprights, between which are what
roof,
we may regard
as
movable shutters
;
—
the columns and shutters
The
forming the boundary of the building. extends about six balcony, and
being
bright
it
is
and
joists
we
Internally
not visible.
decorated
;
balcony which
this
The
black.
floor of the
temple
beyond the central enclosed part as a
feet
balcony and protects rafters
connexion with either
roof
of
I
the
have just mentioned as temple
overhangs
the
from the weather, while the constructive
it
which support
it
are
left fully
exposed to view.
have a ceiling of which the structural features are
The
ceiling
is
panelled out into small squares, and
red, blue, green, white,
and gold being applied to
it
is
in
all their intensity.
might be thought that such a system of colouring as
It
could only produce a coarse and vulgar effect for the
;
but this
is
not
overhanging roof which approaches within about four
this so,
feet
of the railing of the surrounding balcony does not permit the
entrance of any excessive amount of light ultimately reaches the
black
floor.
ceiling
is
all
;
and the
reflected,
light
which
and that from a
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
We
17
now taken by our shaven-headed priest to see the In front of each tomb stands a square
are
tombs of the Shoguns.
building or shrine, one of which by his orders
back and
front, that
am
I
we may
much
so
look on the
kindled,
that
my
my
to
the
see
SACRED name
have
of these
interior
but
;
am
I
now
of the
whose remains are entombed behind.
my
I
told
that
can enter these sanctuaries, as each
officials
building contains the
both
enthusiasm has been already
art
desire
sacred shrines becomes almost irresistible
none but great
at
behind.
pleased with the one temple which
been permitted to enter, and so fully
opened
is
monument
deified
Shogun the holy
believe that
I
enthusiastic
admiration of the art of the
edifice for religious enthusiasm, as
he somewhat excitedly exclaims,
father
"
You
mistakes
great
are
which few,
Shogun," and allows
me
to
enter
a
building
any, Europeans have up to this time been permitted
if
to inspect.
These shrines are
as beautiful as the larger temples
which we
But
have already seen, and their details are as perfectly wrought. as yet I
fail
the sacred
to
name
comprehend the object of these
is
deifies
God
heroes.
that
see
to
be,
I
do not understand.
throughout Japan there
Buddhism and Shintoism
Buddhism,
what
in its purity,
;
for while
does nothing of
Nevertheless, as the Mikado, while yet regarded
the kind. the
me
strange confusion of
a
Shintoism
Shogun may
of a deceased
Ultimate inquiry led
buildings, for
incarnate of the
Church, offers
Shinto
in
public
as
on
certain days of the year prayers for his people at certain Buddhist shrines,
it is
not to be wondered at that the leading sanctuaries of
Japan should betray a blending so inconsistent.
Upon
the death of a famous Japanese, be he daimio (baron),
hero, benefactor, or
when
his
name
Shogun, he
in the
sacred and unpronounceable tablet
of about
two
feet
in
exalted to the rank of a god,
is
god world
is
allotted to him.
by mortal
lips,
is
This name,
inscribed on
a
length by four inches in breadth,
bordered by a richly carved margin
;
and
it is
this
god name which
the shrines in front of the Shoguns' tombs are intended to encase
and preserve.
Every precaution C
is
taken to insure the safety of
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
1
these tablets, as in the beHef of the Japanese the gravest calamities befall the nation if
might
On day"
this
my
in
any should be
memorable day, which history, I
learnt
many
have certainly beheld, enshrined
lost or destroyed.
will
always be a "red
facts of
deep
interest,
letter
and
I
cryptomerias and other cone-
in
bearing trees of vast proportions, an amount of architectural beauty
such as evidence
I
have never before seen of
the
liberality
;
of the
and
I
may
here mention as
Buddhists, that
when Lady
Parkes applied to the high priest of Shiba for permission to have the Church of England service performed in one of the chapels
connected with this great shrine, her request was at once granted.
Hence
Christian worship
of Buddhist temples.
is
offered every
Sunday
in this greatest
ART,
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
CHAPTER —A — Eating a
Yokohama
fire
II.
— A Japanese banquet — — Music — Hara-kiri—The Mikado — The New Year— Tokio firemen
in the hotel
live fish
Japanese matting
^Japanese dancing-girls
— The Hamagoten
palace.
This 30th of December was spent sent director of the
personages minister.
my
chiefly in receiving official
arranging for an interview with Mr. Machida, the pre-
visits, in
was not
19
in I
Tokio Museum,
Tokio, and
to pass without
sleep
by the cry of
my
the door of off in his
its
Yokohama
excitement.
I
Upon
was awakened from
putting
search of a fire-engine.
nightshirt in
A
but the night
;
my head outside saw the manager of the hotel hurrying
I
haste, I found that our hotel
the floor above me.
hotel at
" fire."
chamber,
upon important
calling
dining with Sir Harry Parkes, our
in
my
returned to
in
was on
fire
Dressing
and that the
fire
large hole in the skirting-board
showed that the
interior of the partition (which
but a lath and
plaster "
danger of our
position,
studding I
")
was
all
is
buckets,
ablaze.
I
was
in
and wall
not truly a wall
shouted for water, and
Japanese servants could bring the
in all
Seeing the before
rushed
into
the the
bedroom and seized the poker, to the consternation of a lady who had just stepped out of bed. With this poker I hacked nearest
down in
the wall as high as
flames.
timbers,
I
Water was now
could reach, and found plentifully
and a ladder enabled which the
me
all
the joists
thrown on the burning
to climb to the ceiling of the
was rapidly spreading, but after some hard work we succeeded in overcoming our enemy. In this passage
in
incident
I
fire
was struck by the
fact,
that while
no engine came
till
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
20
was out not one visitor in the hotel, whether EngHsh, American, German, or French, offered any help, while a great
the
fire
whom
gaping lubber, of the hotel,
day
had
I
energy
yet
;
part of
my
by
thanked
for the service
posure
During the following
stood calmly looking on.
was
I
found to be the proprietor
afterwards
I
of the
hotel
had rendered, and even the lady whose com-
I
so
I
the inmates
of
several
much
complimented
disturbed
me on my
was informed that our landlord considered
duty to put out
on
fires
his premises,
it
no
and that he was
well insured.
The
fire
market, for I
saw
being out, it
was now seven o'clock
piles of octopuses
inspect the native fish
sallied forth to
I
the
in
;
Here
morning.
some heaps being of reddish
hue, while
others were of leaden aspect, but the tentacles of these strange creatures
say the
gave the heaps a look of motion and
least,
Here are
was strange.
inches in length, which
in
and
stalls are
a tub live
saw offered
At
also bivalve molluscs, ten
some
ten feet in length,
including the royal tai ; while on tables
fish,
ranged some of the oddest monsters which
for food in
any
a money-changer, from
whom
get
I
a silver and paper currency after the I
left
ever
return, sits
I
some picturesque
obsolete, the former coinage having been
A.M.
I
land.
the entrance to the market, through which
At 9
which, to
can only regard as over-grown mussels,
I
large creatures of the shark character,
and
life,
coins,
now
entirely superseded
modern American
by
fashion.
Tokio, having been invited to partake
for
of a native banquet to be given by certain foreign secretaries of
Each of our
legation to the Austrian princes.
was
to invite
one
friend,
Hon. James Saumarez.
and
I
hosts,
I
understood,
was the honoured guest of the
The luncheon was
served in the most
fashionable of Japanese tea-houses, being that in which the ministers
have state dinners, and
in
every respect according to the
highest rules of Japanese taste and etiquette.
At
the Yashiki
linguists, is
the
(spread out houses)
brothers
as familiar as
Siebold, to
of those accomplished
whom
any European language,
the I
Japanese tongue
met Prince Henri of
ART,
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
21
Liechtenstein and Prince Montenuovo, Baron Rosen, Baron Gold-
whom
schmidt, and Dr. Roritz, to the latter of
of gratitude for kindness which
removed from European
I
owe a
when
far
to the tea-house, where, taking
house
stairs (for this
two
is
thing unusual in Japan), and entered
in height, a
vast debt
Our party being formed,
civihsation.
we accompanied our hosts our shoes, we ascended the
I
afterwards received
off
stories
the banquet-
room.
As
banquet was
this
attempt to describe feasted, so far villa that
of the
characteristic
The room,
it.
nation,
will
I
we London
or rather rooms, in which
resembled the front and back parlours of a
they were formed into one for our use by the removal of
certain " slides,"
of small English
may be said to represent the " double doors " houses. As we entered the room, we saw, attached
which
more or
to the right-hand wall, a slightly-raised dais,
less
shut off
from the main portion of the room with a sort of enclosed
on which sure
is
rice-ears rested as
an offering to the gods.
arranged with scrupulous care
wood stands
as an upright at
its
;
an unbarked stem of cherry
outermost corner, the dimensions
of each plank, upright, or other piece being determined
This
is
the
"
" (or
sacred niche
altar,
This enclo-
by
rule.
enclosure) which the Mikado, as the
god incarnate of the Shinto Church, would occupy were he ever to visit this hotel, and through an opening at the end of the partially-enclosed dais his food
could
not,
would be served by those who
through the smallness and position of the opening,
see his face.
The greater portion of the cupied by a window of about the floor of the room, but
which
it
is
intended, as
collected together for chair, table,
it is
all
wall facing us as
three feet
enter
any entertainment
The
oc-
is
height, resting on
high enough to serve the purpose
Japanese kneel upon the
nor anything that
native Japanese room.
in
we
;
indeed, there
we can regard
floor is
for
when
neither
as furniture in
any
left-hand side of the apartment
is
by a continuous series of windows, outside of which there is a balcony and these windows are so high that we The can readily walk on to the balcony when they are open. entirely occupied
;
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
22
room
other sides of the
consist of plastered walls, the plaster being
of agreeable texture and colour.
rooms
But although these European rooms, there
is
bear a certain
resemblance to
nothing European about them
indeed,
;
they are not only of purely Japanese character, but are constructed according to the most rigid laws of Japanese etiquette.
The windows
frames
consist of light
filled
with a delicate
in
and beautiful wood lattice-work covered with thin paper impossible to look out without moving one of the
it is
sashes
but as
;
one can
slide
matter.
The
window-sashes
all
past another floor is
window-sashes,
in
window
Japan are so arranged that
horizontally,
this
covered with matting
is
not a difficult
the ceiling, like the
;
entirely of unpainted wood,
is
hence
;
and altogether the
room has an air of cleanness and beauty which is most pleasing. When we entered the room the window-sashes were almost all
removed, but the sun shone brightly although the
A
cold.
square was placed object
air
was
cushion about one inch in thickness and fourteen inches for
each of us to kneel upon, but the real
cushions
of these
of
that
is
indicating
positions,
the
place of honour being that next to the Mikado's dais, and from this position the seats gradually decrease in value.
These cushions
were covered with a cotton material of indigo-blue contrasted
the
very pleasantly with
Four Hibachi
(or this
lined
with
in
fire-holders)
case
soft
were placed on the
wood-ash, of course
floor,
incombustible, and
half
on
full
little
the centre of this
The
and certainly fails to alter room to any perceptible degree.
heat,
the temperature of a Japanese In an English
wood
of a heavy
ash rested two or three small pieces of ignited charcoal.
Hibachi gives out but
walls.
each of
a square vessel formed of dark
Each Hibachi was
metal.
yellow of the mats,
and the green-gray of the
gray-buff of the wood,
which was
the
which
tint
room such a contrivance would be highly dangerous,
as the carbonic acid gas resulting from the union of the burning
charcoal with the oxygen of the air would render the atmosphere
almost poisonous
owing
;
but a Japanese room
to the slight
manner
in
which
is
so perfectly ventilated,
its
sides are constructed,
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
that no such danger
may be
to be apprehended.
is
23
Indeed, the Japanese
said almost to live an out-of-door
life,
the house being
the ground with a substantial
rather a floor raised above
roof
than a series of rooms properly enclosed by substantial side walls.
When we in
were seated, or rather arranged, on our cushions
a kneeling posture, a female attendant placed beside each of us
bamboo
a smoking -box containing a small
of which was
intended
a
body bordered by
two
yet
whiffs,
cut
is
and
of
With
tion.
tea
the
exceedingly
is
— metal manner. — much the
richest
shreds
finer
emptied out and the opera-
is
was
continued at discre-
is
first
served, the cups being
blue-and-white porcelain of about two and a half inches
of
diameter
;
being
cup,
saucer elevated on the guest, but
remaining
in
filled
with
a
On
foot.
the guest
hand of the serving -maid.
the
girls
in
till
artistic
which flat
general here
bows rendered
cosmetic.
The
hair
:
it
firm is
bamboo
resembling
No
:
is
a
offered
stand
the
sugar or milk
pure condition.
enter,
and passing
to
the
on their knees and prostrate themselves
fall
heads nearly touch the
of dresses, and their hair is
its
gorgeous apparel
centre of the room, their
stand
stand the cup
this
in
was placed by the
simply takes the cup
used, the beverage being drunk in
Two
tea-kettle with
tea,
on a small maroon lacquer
serving -maid
to
Banko
the tea was in a small
The
handle.
is
work
pipes at
and
round,
stem
the
in
finest
This process
repeated.
filling
and the
the tobacco-pipes are charged
:
second whiff the ash
after the
tion
A
pipe). lid
most exquisitely made with a
the very
of here
is
tobacco for more than
sufficient
Damascened
into
than anything we know
the
was passed
rim,
mouthpiece and a bamboo
unfrequently
not
The tobacco
from
Japanese tobacco-pipe
generally
is
it
metal bowl and
being
A
bowl not holding
the
small,
metal
a
charged.
bamboo cup
both the
lacquer, with
finest
bottom
cup, in the
pipe (the
a
emptied
ash
the
receive
to
tobacco-box of the
pipes were
water, and
little
is
is
stiff
by a
floor.
They wear
the
most
braided in the quaint fashion
and smooth, being formed into
lavish
jet-black, and
use of strange -smelling
two hair-pins form the
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
24
Powder
ornaments of each peruke. but no attempt
made
freely used
is
on the
face,
powder
disguise
the
fact,
ends with a regular and well-defined
line
which extends down
The
lips
are
is
to
back part of the cheeks.
the
being
red,
portions
central
with
painted
gold bronze
of the
pigment,
brightest
while
the
accented by lustrous touches of a green-
are
— happily
;
most potent
a
for the
kissing
unknown
is
Japan
in
One
!
of
the girls wears a broad green sash of the richest and most mellow colour
;
this
a charming art work, and over
is
of the gourd,
worked
of this spray
is
in
perfectly marvellous, having
beauty of the living plant, while of the surface which
Two more behind the pair enter plainly,
it
girls
first
two)
servers
The drawing
all
the vigour and
is
yet a consistent ornament
the
same way and kneeling and now a third
it
decorates.
(dressed
in
make
their
obeisance,
These
and prostrate themselves.
are
spreads a spray
it
lustrous plumbago-black.
of food, and
give
last,
dressed more
each guest a square
to
black lacquer salver about fourteen inches in diameter serving- girl food,
which
enters is
gaily-attired
a taiko
small
(or
bearing a
large
tray
;
another
with saucers of
The
placed on the floor of the room.
more
four
girls now leave the room, and soon re-enter with drum beaten with two sticks), two tsudzumu (or
drums beaten with the (or banjo), and a coto
samasin
The music now
fingers),
a yokobuye (or
flute),
a
(or horizontal harp).
begins, all the instruments being played but
the coto, the musicians kneeling on the
and two
filled
At
at the left of the door.
the
two at the right same time viands are
floor,
handed round, one saucer being placed on each of our These saucers each contain a lump of covered with a fine bright-green
flour,
soft,
trays.
dough-like substance
a circular piece of semi-
transparent plastic matter like a sectional portion of fancy sugarstick having a red exterior
and a white flower
in its centre,
a piece of white gelatinous matter of oblong shape.
and
Immediately
after the distribution of these luxuries a serving-maid enters bear-
ing another oblong tray other
articles
of food
filled
— an
with saucers of confections and
orange preserved
in syrup, a
small
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
opened and spread on a
fresh fish (like a sprat)
fashion, an
and
colour,
oblong object about three inches
crenated margin.
that
of food
with the chop-sticks which
how they were
but on seeing
mouth
soon found
I
convenience of the person eating.
for the
try to eat the putty-like
compound with green
attempting to bite a piece from the mass
my
that in removing
my mouth
saucer from
exterior, but
encounter a serious
I
of being wholly successful in
difficulty, for instead
find
used,
but Japanese etiquette allows a bowl or saucer to be
;
raised to the
in
;
a red
could pick up single grains of rice as well as larger pieces
I
I
black in
of white gelatinous matter with
slice
failed signally at first
I
me
of rice saddle
in length,
with white seed-like specks (exceedingly hard),
filled
and a semicircular were given to
roll
25
my
attempt
am
I
I
drawing
out an attenuated string of the ductile dainty, and that the portion in
my mouth
on the the
The more
floor.
more
my
now
connected with the larger mass
still
is
I
resting
try to separate this connecting cord
difficulty increases,
and
I
verily believe
that one
mass of such food could be drawn into a thread which would span the Pacific but even then
effort
I
in
I
try the
must take a
The the lady
I
more first
agony,
I
I
swallow the mass,
I
can break the thread
Being
floor.
satisfied
try the gelatinous rice-cake
part consume.
being so pretty that but
on the
to the dish
mouthful of this dainty,
an
my
seems an age before
it
me
which binds
at last, in
itself:
The
do not think
red it
inviting confections,
morsel
is
with one
which with
passed over,
right to venture
upon
amongst which the orange
place.
strangely weird, but somewhat exciting, music being over,
who had performed on
which she held on the
left
the small hand -drums (one of
knee and the other on the right shoulder)
lays aside these instruments for the coto or horizontal harp, four
it,
more musicians
each with a
—
—
who can sing as well as play banjo. The music now began
girls
samasin or
accompanied with singing
;
and
enter,
again
and the singing was even more strange
and weird than the music.
Two
basins of clean
warm water were now
slightly-raised lacquer stand,
and placed on the
brought, each on a floor in the centre
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
26
With them came two
warm
sachi,
one
being dry and the other sweet, while the sachi-bottles were,
like
of the guests.
bottles of
the bowls, of blue-and-white porcelain, and each rested in a
lacquer frame.
now
are
Small porcelain sachi cups, such as we
and one of these was
familiar wnth, were then brought in,
placed on the tray belonging to each of the more important
who It
dips
is
it
in the
warm
water, and holds
expected that the guests
who
it
up
visitors,
to be filled with sachi.
are thus
served
first
swallow the contents of their cups quickly, rinse them of water, and throw them across the
little
England
in
shall
in the basins
room to the friends with owing to this custom that
whom
they wish to take wine.
sachi
cups are frequently covered with basket-work, especially
when they
are
made
It
is
of egg-shell china, for this covering prevents
their being readily broken.
Music
now being performed and
is
the sachi cups are
quently passing across the room when soup
being brought in cover,
is
soups, but in
float a
it
number of
what resembling the mushroom, but different in flavour.
The
the chop -sticks
fungi
the
basin
is
pale
brown
bowl
from the
the tray and replace the cover so as to keep
The music being rise
over,
and prepare I
the
begin
four
for the
will for the
and we rearrange ourselves so that samasin players
and with I
:
observe
we should
dance
moment all may
warm.
it
girls :
who
first
brought
they move into the call
the back parlour,
see them.
The
four
a plaintive lay which they accompany
with their instruments, and the dancers begin the dance.
rhythm and pantomimic gestures characterise and the motions of the
and very
distinct in aspect
raised to the mouth,
are got
eye,
their
Measured movements,
which are very singular and conspicu-
ous, play a large part in the art of the performers.
Now
to
some-
After each sip they return the bowl to
a wine of rare vintage.
smaller room, which
The
common fungi,
that the Japanese sip their soup slowly and carefully as
instruments
fre-
the soup
placed on each of our trays.
is
but with a sediment not unlike that
soup
game
—
black lacquer bowls, each of which has a
little
and one of which clear,
served
is
comes the viand of viands
—
the most dainty of morsels
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, the bit that
is
what the green
to the Japanese epicure
alderman, a dish that
turtle is to the city
of the
fat
none other than a
is
Resting on a large Cutane dish
living fish.
27
mat formed of
a
is
rounds of glass held together by plaited threads, on which living
fish
reality a
in
green
algae.
with
nished
A
and mouth moving regularly
gills
bank of white shreds resembling damp
a
rises
with
colourless sea -weed, while
In front a
the
fish
radiating
of
tuft
is
with the
now
isinglass,
but
itself rests
on
front of
rest, till
the pile
of the upper side of the
and simply picked up
fish,
which
I
all,
now saw was
the
disgust, the
raised the skin
already loose,
;
nay, even the
of flesh already served consisted of the lower half of the
pile
creature's body.
There
a refinement of barbaric cruelty in
is
consummate
of the Japanese, for with
the fish has been so
skill
carved that no vital part has been touched the
liver,
and the stomach
on which the
intact,
left
is
;
the heart, the
gills,
damp
algae
while the
keep the lungs
fish rests suffices to
sume
its
own body
and rarely
;
a living presence at
practised only
(.'')
to man's sensual
This
by the
No
rich. ;
living fish ever
but the
infliction
makes of such
on one of the lower creatures causes, probably, no
who appear
reproach amongst a people
death with dread.
may
but, if being eaten
;
that rarest of opportunities.
appearance on the poor man's table
suffering
we con-
given to any creature to put
most miserable of victims
to be buried, this
is
it
own entombment
its
pleasure actually enjoyed cruelty
is
The
in action.
miserable object with lustrous eye looks upon us while
As an
illustration
^
self-
to regard neither pain nor
of Japanese hardihood,
say ,that over seventy persons, two of
committed hara-kiri ^
all
which contrasts strangely with the geniality and loving nature
this
its
living
from the living creature,
after slice
slice
my
Then, to
consumed.
is
which, although alive, had been already carved
is
leaves.
placed on a saucer and passed to one guest, and so
serving-maid, not having enough in the pile for
in
fish gar-
bamboo
variegated
a
back
at its
a pile of small slices of raw
is
portion of the raw fish from the pile in
victim
:
is
whom
were women,
only six weeks prior to the date of which
Hara-kiri does not consist, as
many
in
England suppose,
in
I
I
opening the abdomen,
28
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
write, because
they had been defeated in a small insurrectionary
movement.
With
the living
came on another
fish
On
also of Cutane ware.
large saucer-like dish,
were two kinds of
this
A
browned, the other white, but both baked.
fish,
the one
portion of each
was served on a large saucer simultaneously with the live quiverbut the living fish is the luxury, and each morsel is ing flesh ;
dipped
Feeling that by
soy and swallowed like an oyster.
in
added no pang
tasting
it
flavour
and delicacy
I
music, were a
fit
I ate,
and certainly
in
surpassed any of the preceding dishes,
this
The slow and solemn
to the victim,
dance, and the weird strains of tremulous
accompaniment of a dish so ghastly
as that of
which we were partaking.
But what have the Japanese to swallowing
live
oysters
We may
.?
wonder, about our
it
cannot suffer
becomes
;
reason
is
receive at our hands,
by the
we
worse than ourselves after
is
treat-
inflict
So, perhaps, the Japanese are not
there can be no doubt.
a
pain.
acute as the organisation
less
eating live molluscs, and
yet that by ment which some crustaceans
more simple
is
much
such a creature suffers we do not know, and there
to suppose that feeling
pain
much
all.
The music which now the
I
argue that an oyster
creature of low organisation, and that
What
say,
followed was more
lively,
but
still
of
same weird character. The girls danced more briskly, and in pantomimic motions simulated lovers busy at love-making,
their
while boiled slices of vegetables.
These
bamboo
slices
shoots were served as a course of
were strung on
little sticks,
they were eaten, the sticks serving the purpose of our
came more
soup, with deer flesh in
it,
from which fork.
Then
as well as fungi, served in
covered earthen bowls with pattern in blue and white.
To
the fungus employed in the flavouring of Japanese soups
but in thrusting a sword through the neck behind the windpipe with the edge outwards, and then in grasping the sword with both hands, pushing it forward till the throat
is
entirely severed
the Japanese custom of
and
falling
making
upon
it.
The misunderstanding has
arisen from
certain scratches over the region of the bowels before
committing the fatal act, in order to symbolise the reason for their death. A large volume of some hundreds of pages has been written on the etiquette of the " happy despatch."
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
29
the characteristic odour of
of Japanese
soups a
all Japanese things seems to be attrimust now be familiar with the smell boxes, fans, and fabrics. On taking these
In England,
butable.
trays,
all
could scarcely convince myself that
I
compound
was not sipping
I
Hakone
consisting of a small stewed cabinet, a
and a length of Kioto
fabric to
which a
had been added, with the view of giving body to the on the question of food, Bull
among
not
is
the
But
liquid.
have prejudices, and John
nations
all
bigoted
least
tray,
packing material
little
his
in
views on dietary
matters.
Now
our music results from two samasins, but one
This bow
time played with a bow.
first
with a heavy lash, the bottom of which
A
performer. edification,
and now we have more
something
strips of
like
also brought
filled
now
down
We
with
and
again one of the waitresses charges a pipe, the bowl of
tunes to one of the singing it
Duck
and smoked, while every
which would not hold an ordinary pea, and hands
puts
for our
served,
lively dancing.
Yorkshire pudding are
the diminutive tobacco-pipes are
now and
is
and a large drum are
fife
for the
is
much resembles a whip held to the bow by the
so that
it
may
girls,
who
it
between the
takes one whiff and then
be made ready for the next performer.
were now told that
it
would be
polite of us
small bits of food with our chop-sticks in the
girls'
to place
mouths, and
and accordingly we did so. Our trays were now again changed, and we received two black-andto throw
them the
sachi cups
;
gold covered lacquer bowls, one containing soup, and one It
may
here be remarked that
at a Japanese feast
:
it
vulgar to eat
the upper middle classes use
article of food,
but to the poor rice
buckwheat and
millet taking
a saucer of
is
powdered
its
fish-roe,
is
it
rice.
much
rice
as a chief
a luxury almost unknown,
place.
Following the
rice
over which was sprinkled
came finely
cut and delicate looking vegetable stems, like small attenuated celery, but without flavour
viands being it
still left.
;
our saucers of
Now
a large light dumpling, and
becomes more
lively,
live fish
and other heavy
followed another bowl of soup, and in
some green vegetables. The music more brisk, strange innuendoes not
the dancing
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
30
admissible in English society were indulged ness
;
yet without coarse-
in,
and while the dance and the repast (which have lasted four
hours) were drawing to a close,
we were
receiving assurances that
the highest virtue was maintained by our lady performers. jinrikishas
Our
were soon bearing us swiftly away to Mr. Mounsey's
Embassy compound. After staying with Mr. Mounsey to
residence in the
within the the
New
sallied
New Year
see the
Embassy
and spent
enclosure,
this,
the
cortege on
in
way
its
of the
the direction
the palace
to
shops,
(the
I
day of
first
see
Having
the
British
palace was
old
also
is
Year, in seeing some of the sights of Tokio.
forth
went
in, I
Honourable James Saumarez, which
to the house of the
burnt
when about fifteen thousand houses Harry Parkes, Mr. Mounsey, and Mr. were consumed by fire). Sir Saumarez being about to pay their respects to the Mikado. The nobles of Japan pay their homage to the emperor on the first day
down about
of the year
weeks
six
;
—
since,
the ministers and persons of higher order having
access to his Majesty, while those of lower rank simply leave their cards.
The
dress in which these ceremonial visits are paid
ordinary English evening attire
;
and
is
the
indeed absurd to see the
it is
some of the nobles owing to the strange One little nobleman I met cut of their European habiliments. walking to the palace in a costume which must have been very ridiculous appearance of
He
uncomfortable. at
least
wore mittens, and the sleeves of
six inches too long, hence
arrangement of
folds,
and
it
by keeping
trousers were as his
hat,
much
elbows
his
akimbo, that the mittens, which were evidently not to be hidden from view, were kept
his coat
somewhat
articles of clothing
visible.
The
legs of his
too long as the sleeves of his coat
which was much too large
were
was only by a judicious
for his
;
while
head, was kept in
its
place by a handkerchief rolled into the form of a ball, and carefully placed
between
probably, like stances,
owing
many
his forehead
other
and the
nobles,
to the changes
rim.
greatly
This youth was
reduced in circum-
which have arisen from the over-
throw of the baronial system, hence he had ordered suit
his
with due regard to his possible corporal development
Court in
the
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, future.
It
a truly pitiable sight, to see fine
is
our miserable dress, and that looking
costume
Every
so graceful,
is
will
artist
for the
grieve
worst,
its
31
men
arrayed in
when the
native
and lends great dignity to the wearer. such a change having taken place,
at
we may almost term
Court has thus achieved what
the
national degradation of dress.
This being holiday season, tellers,
I
saw
one of whom seemed to enjoy special popularity. time to watch him and his hearers,
for a
plot of his yarn
;
but soon
all
uproarious laughter ensued.
tried
I
"
ment.
Where ignorance
came
I
great
was
clear that
I
had now become
bliss
'tis
folly to
top-spinners
much amuse-
be wise."
Farther
—
who were certainly clever, ^jugglers of who perform wonderful feats, and men
across acrobats,
skill,
Stopping
eyes were turned towards me, and
It
is
tale-
to gather the
the butt of his remarks and the unwitting cause of
on
some
the streets
in
with peep-shows for the children.
The morning of the day had been cold, yet bright but later the sun warmed the atmosphere, and the scene became more and more gay. From every house hung two or three white flags with ;
the red ball in the centre, and the people flocked into the streets in
holiday
the
its
the reception
for
belfry,
Many made
attire.
Asakusa with
I
nights since, the ;
Godowns
seemed
great drums,
five
Beneath us
thousand houses, only two
(fire-proof storehouses) its
only remain-
unsullied cone.
to be muttering incantations,
fires
Temple of
followed in their train, and from
and yonder rose proud Fujiyama with
priests
to the great
various shrines, huge coffer
of the pagoda got a fine view of Tokio.
was a space caused by the burning of ing
way
its
tanks for ablutions, odd-looking
of offerings,
and dignified pagoda.
summit
their
vast red gateway,
The
boys were beating
blazed in the centre of the building, incense was
burning, and small coins were thrown by handfuls into the sacred enclosure, while the grounds of the edifice were filled with stalls,
on which nick-nacks,
prints,
offered for sale.
now
I
sweetmeats, and toys of every sort were
visit
one of the shrines around the
Temple of Asakusa, where, one
after the
sfreat
other, the worshippers
take hold of the knotted rope hanging in front of the gong, and
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
32
by
it
make
the
gong produce a booming sound which is supposed god to the prayer about to be offered.
to call the attention of the
to perform their devotions, but
Most stand outside the shrine
man
and remains motionless
few minutes, with his knees, his
for a
hands, and his forehead on the the
one
with shoeless feet prostrates himself just within the Temple
streets
father,
is
mother,
sisters,
and brothers,
from one to the other,
The
floor.
great
game played
till
one
knock the shuttlecock
will
fails
to hit
it,
when
rush at
all
him, or her, and give a slap with the bat as a punisliment. is
game with
also a favourite
in
the
alike.
The
hissing
a
sound.
These humming
always hollow, and are not unfrequently cylindrical
On
is
kites are often
a in
but the strangest are those which, while high
;
make
air,
Ball
the children, while kite-flying
sport enjoyed by old and young
the form of birds
in
and shuttlecock, and a whole family,
battledore
are
kites
in form.
moat outside the Castle hundreds of wild ducks were The artillery were practising, and when their guns were
the
floating.
ducks rose almost
fired the
In the
in clouds.
moat
saw leaves
I
and bent seed capsules of the beautiful Nelumbium, or Buddhist
(Buddha
water-lily
of this plant).
is
In
always represented as sitting on the flower
summer
gay flowers and broad
not bigger than a cherry are
Going
I
reach
I
noticed beside the road a baby age,
smoking
his
pipe.
at six.
the following morning the sun, which had been shining
was overclouded by ten
brightly,
By two
Oranges
here.
more than two years of
Yokohama
On
common
to the railway station
boy, certainly not
moat must be covered with the
the
foliage of this beautiful plant.
the
fall
was
o'clock, then
considerable, but all
snow
fell
heavily.
had now become bright
as before.
The
princes are to-night to leave for Siam, after visiting which
country they are to return to China, where
about three months hence evening
in
;
Japan, with me.
I
am
to
meet them
so they dine and spend this, their last for
it
was
that
I
had
During our short intimacy,
only on the journey from San Francisco to
Yokohama
the honour of making their acquaintance, they have shown
me
the
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
33
Both of them have undoubted
most friendly courtesy.
art taste.
Both are well informed on even some of the recondite questions connected with Eastern ornaments, and Prince Liechtenstein has
made
with lanterns
ten
o'clock the
honour of our
in
The
off.
At
friends.
careful record of
what he has seen
indeed a pleasure in a foreign land to
It is
travels.
make such them
and
a most elaborate
during his
hotel
little
was ready
illustrious guests,
gay
boat,
oars were plied, fireworks sparkled in the
to take air,
and
the boat was soon lost to view.
Next day
(the
the successor of Mr. at Tokio,
him
me
at
show me
to
offered
Mr. Sekisawa.
wonderful
a
collection
of
which are the private property of the Mikado, and
Nara
are housed at for over a
first
Mr. Tanaka Yoshio, the curator, and
Machida
Mr.
antiquities
Yokohama to receive Mr. Sano, Mr. is what we should call the surname), Sano as the director of the Imperial Museum
stayed at
I
Machida Hisi-Nari
in
the building which has contained
thousand years.
It
was arranged that
Nara on about the 26th of
that the
Mikado
will
give
me
He
month.
this
them
should meet
I
an audience before
I
also told
leave this
part of Japan.
At given
the incoming of the
up
cottage
and
to
is
feasting
decorated
in
place in
fir-tree find
New Year
and
the native town
rejoicing.
some fashion or other all.
Two
is
entirely
Every house, shop, and ;
but the
bamboo
bamboos, with richly foliated
tops and about twenty feet in height, are planted in the earth
about twelve
feet apart, while
a branch of the the
At bamboos
fir-tree.
ground these
immediately
in front
of each stands
the height of eight or ten feet from are connected
plaited rice-straw, in the centre of which
is
by a deep
fringe of
a curious group con-
sisting of a crawfish, an orange, fronds of a fern, a plait of straw
having the form of a twisted
loaf,
a
row of dried percimmons on
a stick, and a piece of charcoal and a chestnut each wrapped in paper.
Grouped
in
a picturesque manner, these are attached to
the upper margin of the straw fringe, from which are also pendent certain pieces of white cut paper religion.
Some
—
the
emblems of the Shinto
rich persons place at either side of the
D
door simply
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
34 three thick
bamboo stems with
the tops cut off slant-wise, with a
piece of a fir-tree in front.
In
these cases the central
about three
in
height, those
six inches
feet
three feet, while the
New Year
These
about two
fir is
bamboo
feet three inches in height.
devices vary, however, in character, but even
bamboo
the poorest of the people seem to crave after a piece of
and of
fir,
be
it
is
the sides about
at
ever so small, as eagerly as our poor look for a
spray of holly and a bit of mistletoe at Christmas.
The next day cising,
I
hear at Tokio that the firemen are exer-
and that the sight
The
the ground.
is
worth seeing, so
make my way
I
to
exercises consist mainly in causing ladders to
stand in a vertical position by the aid of hooks which grasp the "
rounds," and are driven into the earth, and in the performance of
strange acrobatic
One man ascends
feats.
a ladder, and stands in
an inverted position, with his head on one of the side uprights
;
another ascends and, grasping one of the side supports with both hands, maintains himself in a horizontal position
on by
his
feet,
and while
body extends
his
another holds
;
from
laterally
its
support brandishes in both hands a chopping instrument such as is
used for destroying walls when a
the exercise consists in the the Japanese acrobat, did of firemen a lantern.
emblem,
is
all
that
London.
In short,
" Little
Alright,"
Before each corps
which being hollow acts as
a sort of badge of the corps as well as a religious
from each hang pendent the cut papers which sym-
bolise the Shinto religion. in
in
carried a peculiar device,
It is
for
men doing
when
spreading.
fire is
their construction,
and
I
Much ingenuity has am almost as much
been displayed interested with
these ornamental contrivances as with the exercises themselves. I
noticed that
many
of the coolies had
mentioning the matter to a Japanese
who can
possibly afford
it
buy
new
friend,
clothes for
I
New
clothing, but
was
upon
told that all
Year's Day.
The
poor, however, are but scantily clad at best, yet they appear a
hardy and strong
race.
Pantaloons formed of a sort of calico
of indigo colour form the only covering loose blue jacket, on which
is
to
their
legs,
either a strongly-defined
or a badeie a foot in diameter, constitutes the dress.
while a pattern,
The
feet
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
naked or are protected underneath by straw sandals,
are either
but these are far from being durable pairs
worn out
sant
men wear
—
35
indeed,
;
I
leather coats of buff
and
have known three
Some
one day, during a long run.
in
of the pea-
rich golden-syrup colour
the lighter tint being that of the pattern with which they are
These coats are both picturesque and durable garments. While we boast of the convenience of our attire, I notice that
figured.
the Japanese dress has an advantage over mine, in one particular
The
at least.
inch or
shops are covered rather with mats than
floors of the
matting, for the matting
padded underneath
is
to the thickness of an
more with straws which are regularly arranged.
pean steps upon a
floor thus covered, the
Hence the European has
penetrate and spoil the mats.
on the edge of the raised Japanese,
floor
who wear wooden
If a
and take
clogs,
can
Euro-
high heels of his boots
them
sit
down
boots, while the
off his
slip
to
moment
off in a
without the use of his hands, as they are held on only by a sort of thong which passes between the great toe and
its
four lesser
neighbours, and by a strap which passes over the fore part of the foot.
When who,
I
was
out shopping,
I
was sometimes surprised
were English merchants, walk
told,
boots on, and stamp over the floor as though
The anxiety
destroy the mats.
it
common
with their great
were their purpose to
of the poor shopkeepers under
such circumstances was quite distressing, and drugget, a
in
men
to see
I
have seen a
bit of
blanket, and other things hastily brought and
spread over the mats, to prevent their being ruined by these un-
No
gainly visitors.
none are worse
one,
I
many
the heartlessness of
fear,
can
Japan without perceiving
visit
of the so-called foreign merchants, and
in this respect
than
appear to find special enjoyment
in
my own
eigners often speak to the Japanese as inferior creatures
as
;
and
if
harm
make
if
to the country from
Such persons do
which they
For-
they were altogether
of low class they sometimes treat
though they were dogs and not men.
able
Some
countrymen.
annoying the Japanese.
hail, as it is
them
incalcul-
they
who
the stranger odious.
On January
6th
I
left
Yokohama
to
become
for a
few days
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
^6
the guest of Sir Harry Parkes at Tokio.
me
and Mr. Asami met
Mr. Sano, Mr. Sekisawa,
two carriages
at the station with
in
order
show me some of the places of interest in the city. I now learn is to Japan what poor Frank Buckland was to
to
that Mr. Sekisawa us,
and that he
engaged
is
establishing for the
in
Japan of the ova of salmon and other
for the transport to
which he has now just received, and these
and
place
standing the
first
in beautiful
place visited.
residence
now
it is
building
it is
fish,
intended to hatch
The Hamagoten, a palace grounds which border the Bay of Yedo, was
native
the
in
Government
In America he had arranged
a regular system of fish culture.
streams.
Having been formerly a Daimio's
(baron's)
became the summer palace of the empress, while
it
used for the entertainment of illustrious strangers.
The
old and of purely Japanese construction, but the
rooms
is
and corridors are covered with European carpets with patterns of little
To
merit.
the European eye the rooms appear to be scantily
furnished, as they contain but chairs chairs
are of black
pattern which was
common
as a dining-room and
and
tables,
lacquer they are of the
and while the
old round -backed
with us some twenty years since both
bedroom
chair.
In the garden surrounding the palace
a lake of the greatest
is
purity, a
running stream, and a small waterfall, while over the
stream
a
the
is
bridge
continues at
most curious bridge, turns
at
for
when
half across the water
a right angle to the
left,
and then again
former direction, while a railing which
its
one side of the bridge
is
then continues on the other
series of
diminutive, yet old, trees, and from the is
only placed
side.
Surrounding the lake are a
bay of Yedo
is
on the right hand up to the bend, and
in full view.
One
mounds on which stand top of every mound the
old and gnarled pine-tree, the
branches of which descend and wind amidst rocks,
is
almost snake-
Such trees are particularly admired by the they remind them of the drawings of the dragon way amidst stones and rocks, with which they have
like in its character.
Japanese, as
winding
its
been familiar since their
earliest infancy.
Stretching far over the lake, and supported on a light
bamboo
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, trellis, is
a westeria creeper, which
perfectly
charming
fact
when
in
37
blossom
must
but what interests the Japanese most
;
that the whole
grounds
look is
the
represent a Chinese landscape in
miniature.
We
next visited the beautiful temple of Uyeno, where, as at
main building has been destroyed by
Shiba, the
remains are in
is
indeed splendid
some
;
What
fire.
but while the buildings
standing
left
respects not quite so fine as those of Shiba, the rows
of great lanterns (each pair of which has been given by Prince or Daimio) are
I
some
finer.
Having described one of the great Buddhist shrines of Tokio, will not attempt here to give any details respecting that of
Uyeno, as
I
shall
of the country.
two
have to notice Its
shown
ceilings
it
when speaking of the
architecture
character may, however, be judged of from the in Figs.
17, 18.
In the evening there was a party at the Embassy, for
Christmas
Day
—
The Prime
the 6th of January.
Sanjo Saneyoshi, with his wife and his deputy
it
was old
Minister
— Mr.
— Mr.
Iwakura,
were present, and other great personages, ladies and children, the latter being entirely in Japanese dress.
For the
ladies
and
Christmas tree which
children, presents filled
gentlemen were
amused by a magic
European
and buildings.
cities
in
lantern
;
guests
I
robe than what
ladies
who were
thought peculiarly beautiful.
we know
the surface were strewed
as a dress little
danced.
dance, as they can hire others
present in their
costumes looked very gay and interesting
particular
the Japanese
having views of
The European
The Japanese never themselves The Court to dance for them. native
were arranged on a large
the centre of the hall
;
its
It
one
:
dress
was more of a
ground was white, but over
summer-like flowers
in
the softest
of varying pinks, with here and there a speck of tender green,
while the whole was rendered lustrous with gold. all
Japanese
had like
it
ladies
is
jet-black,
and most of them
dressed in Court fashion, spread into a large
The
hair of
this
evening
flat
butterfly-
bow of less than an eighth of an inch in thickness. The next few days I spent in wandering about Tokio, looking
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
38
at shops, picking
the people
up
on the
;
art objects, i i
th
and watching the amusements of
we had
a slight shock of earthquake.
—A
Ceiling in thk Shrine of the ShSgun Tokugavva Ivemitsu. connexion with the Buddhist temple at Uyeno. A. gives the section of crossing members. B. gives the ornament at the crossings complete. Fig. 17. It
was
built in the year 1681 in
At one
o'clock on
this
Parkes was to take
day
me
the minister of the interior that
the
mail
Harry
;
but finding
was leaving he got the
appointment deferred day.
Sir
Mr. Okubo,
to
till
the following
we viewed a small memory Mikado's soldiers who fell in the
In the afternoon
Shinto temple, erected to the of the ^-
revolution
of
1868:
it
is
a
building
of which
formed of plain uncoloured wood,
in the centre
slightly raised dais bearing a large
European mirror and a small
is
a
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
vase formed of a joint of floor
temple
of the
bamboo and
covered
is
Brussels carpet of large panel pattern
more hideous European white
filled
with a ;
39
The
with flowers.
white ground
common
on the dais
spread a
felt carpet.
is
Besides the mirror the
temple contains about eighteen caned European arm-chairs.
Part of the Ceiling of the Temple of Uyeno
Fig. 18.
From
in
Tokio.
a model presented to the Author by the Japanese Government.
This temple course, from the
situated on
is
high ground close to the race-
bottom of which we get a splendid view of Tokio
with the bay beyond.
The
aspect of the city
is
very remarkable,
The
as the Castle rises conspicuously in the centre of the town. streets being broad,
and the majority of the houses only one story
high, the space occupied
houses,
when seen
in
by Tokio
is
very large.
All Japanese
masses from above, have rather the aspect
of hovels or a thatched Irish village, than of English towns. is
only when we view them
and
in
many
cases
it
is
in detail
the interior which
rather than the external aspect. carriage,
we
see proud
that
Fujiyama
we is
It
see their beauties,
calculated to
charm
Turning round to re-enter our rising as a rich purple
cone drawn
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
40
on a glowing sky, although
it
some sixty
distant
is
or eighty
miles.
On
the next day
Harry Parkes
Sir
Okubo
Mr.
Minister of the Interior.
to the
visit
went with
I
unusual stature even for a southern Japanese, and
head
and
than the average Tokio man.
taller
his
manners are
less set
while his conversation
now
a European building, like those
Government
The room
officials.
man
a
is
of
more than a
is
His bearing
is
dignified,
than those of some of the ministers,
most homely and
is
pay our
to
His house
genial.
is
fashionable with the higher
into
which we were shown was
and was carpeted and furnished
in European style. Here the servants do not prostrate themselves before the
upstairs,
Minister as Japanese servants usually do, but behave as Europeans.
Okubo
Mr,
is
in
European
and so are both Mr, Sano and
dress,
Mr. Asami.
Our conversation turned factures
;
chiefly
and the Minister requested
on the native
me
to
art
draw up a report on it
may
the
fact
Japanese commerce with Europe, and the means by which be increased.
my
During
visit
I
attention
called
way
that
much might be done
in the
fires
with which Tokio
so frequently visited,
is
and
the
tungstate of soda, or in
Tokio are most
some
Indeed,
it
is
formed, with
destroyed every ten years by
The fires number
said that a
number with those forming the
of houses equal in
entire city are
fire.
Mr. Okubo, although the Minister of the Interior,
is,
in reality,
the leading spirit of Japan.
He
took
revolution of 1868, in which
the
Mikado was brought from
seclusion
Okubo
an active
and restored to the government of
fought his
way
all
their construc-
are
chemical substance.
allied
disastrous.
by compelling in
of which the windows
paper
to
of preventing the disastrous
owners of houses to saturate the wood used tion,
manu-
to power,
his
part
in
people.
the his
Mr.
and when the Mikado assumed
the reigns of government was raised to the high office which he
now
holds,
To
Mr.
and which he justly won by
Okubo
duction of a
is
his
primarily due what
European
civilisation
prowess
we may
into Japan.
in the field. call
the intro-
And no man
ART,
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
41
have been more alive to the value of certain European
could
Japan now boasts
contrivances than this accomplished minister.
a telegraphic system as perfect as that of any European country its
coast
system
rendered safe by numerous lighthouses
is
being rapidly developed
is
towns are already place of useless
been established
lit
by gas
;
two railways have been constructed
;
due to Mr. Okubo.
mention here certain did not occur
till
sion to refer to
my
After
my
him but
may
I
and
;
return to England.
England
Of Mr. Okubo's
Mounsey.
from Mr. Mounsey's
now dead. Okubo
received from Mr.
I
following
letter the
my
is
friend Mr.
extract the passages which relate to Mr.
I
to
2(ith
of id nionth WtJt year Meiji.
Dr. Dresser.
"Sir
—
January of
In
sent
articles
last
by Mr. Owen
loth
to our
year
Meiji,
museum, and
April the articles have been exhibited to
I
you have
am much
brought
all
the people, and
the
obliged that you
After your returning
have taken the trouble to arrange them.
all
me
:
'•
"
a
a copy, while
Okubo's sad end, and to the report which he requested write
be
have occa-
I shall
which was shortly followed by another from
letter
may
perhaps be permitted to
rarely in this book, he being
return to
good roads
;
all this
respecting Mr. Okubo, although they
facts
after
larger
its
system of police has
a regular
are being made, and excellent bridges built said to be
some of
steam fire-engines have taken the
;
pumps
little
the streets of
;
;
postal
its
;
I
home
last
have notified
through the country your \aluable informations regarding to the important
you have given
of industry, which
points
during your
kindness that
visit to I
could
make
all
were obscure heretofore, and
make
the officer
to
several industrial establishments.
I
industrial
men
to
It
who attended you must be
your
for
understand the points which
can assure you that
in the future
time they
will
and bring that interest upon the commerce. " During your visit you have requested our museum to make the models of ornamental ceiling of several temples at Tokio, and now they have been a progress
finished.
" Although they are very trifling and not enough to compensate your last service,
I
present
them
to
you through Mr. C.
accept them as the token of
my
highest regard.
J.
Strome, and you
will
please
— With compliments, "
Okubo Toshimichi,
" Minister of Interior Department."
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
42
" Yedo, July
"Dear letter of the
Dr. Dresser i
—
I
have to thank you very cordially
7th May, as well as for
its
most interesting enclosure
You
which you have addressed to Mr. Okubo.
9,
for
—
1878.
your kind the report
have learnt by the papers
will
was brutally assassinated on the 14th of the same month
that that gentleman
His carriage was driving to a Cabinet Council at the Mikado's palace. was stopped by six men armed with the sharp deadly swords you know so They first hamstrung the well, who had been lying in ambush for him. Poor Okubo tried to get out of his brougham horses and killed the coachman. there were two men with drawn swords at the door, he tried the other side A fearful moment the poor man must have there were as many there too. as he
They pulled him out and hacked had when he thus saw death on all sides. to pieces, and then went and delivered themselves up at the Palace, pro-
him
claiming that they were actuated by purely patriotic motives. the
ministers are accompanied by escorts of
drawn swords.
Ito
Since then
mounted men, who
has succeeded Okubo, and he told
me
the other night that
he had just received your report, but had not yet had time to digest
"...
all
ride with
it.
must now congratulate you on having so clearly pointed out to the Japanese Government the sort of way in which they can augment their exports. With regard to the articles which you instance as certain to sell
in
1
our markets, they ought to be most grateful to you for the care you
have taken
in
their description.
...
think and hope that the Japs will
I
find your information so valuable that the)' will ask your advice again before
long.
Harry Parkes begs me thank you for having sent it to the Legation, Saumarez read it with great its contents most useful and valuable. and agrees with me in admiring your story and the way you tell it.
Sir
and thinks interest,
and
I
may add
that
Mrs.
Mounsey perused
it
with
much
Mrs. Mounsey desires to be kindly remembered to you, and
pleasure. I
.
.
.
remain, yours
Aug. H. Mounsey."
truly,
This was indeed a sad ending to a great of his removal from the
work which he had
in
life,
and the
effect
hand cannot yet
be accurately estimated.
The
receipt of
my
report
was acknowledged by Mr. Okubo's
successor, who warmly thanked
me
for the
trouble
I
had taken
in its preparation.
My
time during the next few days was occupied chiefly
paying necessary of these
Russian
visits
visits
was
to
and
in
studying the manufactures.
Madame
Ambassador (now,
I
C. de
regret
in
One
Struve, the wife
of the
deceased).
This
to
say,
ART, lady was
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
43
an assiduous collector of teapots, of which she had
more than seven hundred specimens, no two being alike. On the morning of the i6th January General Saigo and Mr. Asami called to take
me
other important places.
Mr. Asami kindly acted as interpreter.
The
to the arsenal, the
some
mint, and
arsenal occupies a portion of a garden arranged two or three
hundred years ago by a family from which the In the buildings of the arsenal for the first
time
I
Japan, and
in
hum
of machinery
cannot help feeling that while
I
may be encouraged by
the art of war
Shogun sprang.
last
heard the
the arts of peace
its aid,
and industry can only thereby lose the charms which they have small arms altered, but the
first
and
in
made and
In the factory guns were being
hitherto possessed.
all this
was no
place, there
had but
little
interest for me.
In
merit in the things produced
art
the second, the processes emplo)-ed were
;
European.
all
The garden surrounding the factories is, however, xcxy beautimany of the most celebrated in Japan, represents Chinese scene. In the garden are some lovely miniature a in summer pavilions, their little lattice windows being most charming and, like
ful,
in
Yet these are
design.
perishing for
all
while the lattices are falling, bit by is
indeed lamentable that such
to ruin, yet fatal to it
should be so
away with in design
tures
;
European
finest
cannot divine.
I
structures
civilisation
monuments
of
attention,
upon the ground.
exquisite
ancient monuments.
its
is
likely to
of the country
No
It
go
should
:
prove
but
why
nation can afford to
do
If they are of great excellence
they tend to uphold the character of national manufac-
and by attracting
they spend if
fear that
I
some of the
bit,
lack
in the
visitors
to a country the
land contributes to
the magnificence of
its
wealth.
money which
I feel
some of the great temples and
sure that shrines of
which Japan can boast were widely known, many would journey even from Europe to see them are beautiful
apparent
in
From which,
up
beyond
almost
the
but while some of the temples
description signs of deca\- are but
too
all.
the arsenal to
all
;
we went
time of the
to the great
revolution
Confucian Temple, in
1868,
was
the
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
44
Japanese university where 4000 students
and daimios
—were
Confucianism, it
need scarcely say,
I
has no concern for a future
As
he knew nothing.
man
relation of
The
with man. all
no
although
natural
sciences
express
it,
Now
from
its
The Japanese had
observers
great
of
nature,
and
This great Confucian
small.
as that of
resulted, as the
Oxford
Japanese
being dedicated to learning.
is
no more.
of mathematics, and of fucianism, and
;
of Japan, as taught in
The The study
things are changed.
all
religion
provides only for the
Japan what a university such
to
and the university
men
it
classics
and the glory of the building
to us,
no way a
in
is
Confucian writings.
knowledge of mathematics was
Temple was is
the sons of nobles
of which Confucius said that
life,
a system of ethics
the universities, were
their
—
educated.
languages, has
students are dispersed of the natural sciences,
replaced that
of Con-
European professors have supplanted the learned
of the nation
;
but the wheel of fortune
again moving, and
is
Japanese professors are teaching the natural sciences which they
have learned from Europeans.
As
a building the great Confucian
sombre,
wood is
:
consisting
internally
of
Temple
nothing
is
in
a high degree
but black
lacquered
the columns are black, the walls are black, and the ceiling
black
;
and the only
relief
which
is
given to this monotony
is
afforded by the bronze sockets which encase the bases of the
columns
;
yet even these are dark in colour.
however, this edifice in
Japan, for
its
roof
differs is
from
all
In one particular,
others that
I
have yet seen
of open structure (no ceiling), while in the
carving (though this exists in but small quantities) representations of animals are
much more common than those of plants. is now the great national library of Japan, and
This edifice
some thousands of volumes, a catalogue of which was kindly given to me by the worthy librarian. Leaving the university building we visited a large temple which seems to have but few worshippers but here I was pleased with the almost interminable passages, the numerous
here are already collected
;
rooms, and sweet
little
gardens connected with the building.
On
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
45
the altar stands a pierced earthen vessel of celadon ware, which is
and contains the ashes of burnt incense and a carved branch of the Nelumbium (the Buddhist
lined with brass
here also rests
Egyptian
lotus), strikingly
Fig.
;
in character (Fig.
1
To
9).
Object carved in imitation of a spray of the Buddhist Lotus. Buddha is said to hold this in his hand when he prays for his mother.
19.
subsisting between the arts of the ancient Egyptians I
shall
have frequently to
We
now
visit
Japan
the likeness
that portion of the mint in
bank notes are printed
;
which Japanese
but here the subtleties of electric etching
At
and European methods of printing are practised. at the mint,
and
some weeks
later,
at
and that of
call attention.
one weaving factory
in
the arsenal,
Kioto which
I
European mechanism was employed
no other instance did
I
see
;
visited
but
in
any indication of the native methods
being superseded by European appliances.
The next morning was occupied unpacked which
Museum.
The sky but at
I
Nearly
five in
and
out
England
from
to
the
National
happily, proved to be in sound condition.
morning was
this
and by eleven snow
overcast,
the afternoon the heavens were once
while, later, there cold,
took
all,
chiefly in seeing the things
was a glorious
sunset.
The
more
fell
;
cloudless,
night was bright,
starlight.
January
1
Yokohama by
8.
— This
the 8.15
morning train,
went with Mr. Mounsey to
I
where we engaged jinrikishas to
take us to Kamakura, a town about seventeen miles distant on the
other side of the
promontory which
boundary of Yedo Bay. acter, it
and
lies
The road
is
through a long valley of
passes over a high
bluff.
forms
the
southern
of a very imperfect char-
rice-fields,
while in one place
In Japan the rice-fields in
some
cases
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
46
extend of the
for
many
miles together, and are even terraced on the sides
This terracing of nearly empty mud-ponds,
hills.
for
such
the rice-fields look at this season of the year, as the fields are
all
sunk below the banks which separate them, and the water has run off
from the
soil,
gives to the landscape a strange aspect.
we approach
Rising from the valley as
seem
the bluffs or sandbanks which
its
head,
north side of the promontory from that of the south.
resembles the sandbanks with which
Deal
ingen, Ostend, and
and
:
of the carex or sandgrass.
may
It
we
to
the
at
This bluff
are familiar at Scheven-
these
like
Japan has no true grass which
we come
to separate the land
with the roots
filled
is
be worthy of remark that
will serve as
fodder for sheep.
The rough carex covers much of the country but as this dies down to the ground in winter many hills become bare during the ;
months of the
cold
year,
and give an uninteresting character
The absence
the landscape.
dear in Japan
is
(it
about
of grass causes mutton to be very
2s. 6d.
per pound in the open ports
where alone meat of any kind can be had, save
European ideas
the largest towns in which
in
one or two of
are being adopted), for
the sheep have to be fed in China and taken to Japan.
however,
is
follow with our tiny carriages
;
we walk
over the
till
it
and they
disappears altogether.
by-path traversing a bank which separates is
bluff,
but after passing the summit the
road becomes narrower and narrower
rice-fields
Beef,
only 5d. per pound, as oxen will eat the coarser food.
In order to ease our coolies
A
to
two
groups of
the highway over which our jinrikishas carry us
but as this road
is
by two stones the
cut
;
by many watercourses bridged over only
ride
becomes
exciting, for
we have
often to
consider whether the space between the wheels of our jinrikishas is
greater than the width of the bridge.
These
little
difficulties
once a great city little
time.
—
more than a It is
surmounted, we come upon what was
the town of village,
situated on
Kamakura.
is
is
now
a lovely island -studded bay, the sands
of which are rich in shells, and reminds
Here
This town
although larger than Yedo at one
a temple recently restored
me
of Bantry in Ireland.
and somewhat vulgarly
re-
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
47
decorated which boasts of presents received by the
from the Crown as is
Buddha
to the Great
We
back as the year
far
i i
Shogun
first
but our pilgrimage
;
or Dai-butz.
soon approached richly wooded land, and through an open-
This Dai-butz, formed of
ing in the trees beheld the colossal figure. bronze,
80
is
forty-seven feet in height, although in a sitting posture.
has been formed of parts of about six feet square, which have
It
been brazed together, and thus the whole figure now consists Figures of Dai-butz rest usually
of one huge mass of metal.
on a is
Nelumbium)
(the flower of the
lily
;
but
in this case the
base
represented by only two petals of the flower which lean against
the wall to the right and
The
completed.
figure
left
of the figure, for
representing
a boss
From
our Scriptures
—
am
" I
light
backs
downwards,
being
The
position.
figure
only the bosom altar,
on which
vessels for
leaves
the
draped
is
In
two bronze
rest
thumbs meet
while
exposed.
in
a
assume a
stands
it
feet
height, while
in
are even higher
still
when compared with the
right
;
table -like
and two
Nelumbium), which
lotus (the
the
brazen
yet the altar with
lilies
The
cast.
altar
with their vases
flowers looks small
its
the vast figure against which they are seen.
and to the
left
inspected this figure externally is
vertical
vases each contain a group of
of the figure there
pedestal-lantern, of about ten feet in height.
hollow, and
a
vases, a bronze censer,
and flowers of the Buddhist
six
of
manner, leaving
graceful
of
in
at their points, the
fingers
front
The bronze
flowers.
The hands
have been beautifully modelled and charmingly
is
supposed to
is
the light of the world."
the figure are so placed that the
To
most
and which symbolises an idea similar to that expressed
flow,
is
a
forehead protrudes
its
which
jewel from
a
repose with
dignified
in
sits
placid expression of countenance.
has never been
it
fitted
we walk
into
is
Having
a bronze carefully
interior, for
its
up within as a shrine or chapel.
it
On
approaching the altar we see the results of an act of snobbery
which
is
in
the highest degree contemptible
;
for
on the forehead
of one of the figures which stands upon the altar or
American
cad
has written
his
name
in
some English
ultramarine
blue.
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
48
An
so
act
cannot be too strongly condemned.
disgraceful
I
cannot help feeling that only a snob of a very low type would write his
name on any work
of
desecrated the offender would be at a cart-tail
but when a sacred altar
art,
is
thus
punished by being dragged
fitly
and whipped through the town.
Climbing the ladder, we ascend to a platform within the from which a view of the surrounding country and bay
figure,
be had
can
through an
descend to luncheon
in
opening
the open
and afterwards
the head,
in
air.
With the back of a grouse in one hand, and bread in the other, I wander around the figure, and notice over the shoulderblades two large metal loops, the nature and object of which
as
myself, appeals to his native
The
question
but
shine,"
how
is
as
at
this
the word
is
once
" for
the
by the
answered
I
puzzled with them
and asks
interpreter
their use. " for
words
the
throws no light upon the matter, we ask
spelt,
when the
reply
and with
shine,"
is
Varying
s-h-i-n-e.
we only arrive at the one we are obliged to be
the question in every possible way,
answer,
much
Mr. Mounsey, as
to understand.
fail
this
content.
To
the right of the
Buddha
find at religious places in
who
priest
evil,
figure,
The cost some
while the figures sold are in
as they reveal the origin of certain
Buddhism and
Christianity.
stall
of Daikoku
prints.
The
such as
little stall
This
Japan.
pictures
— and other sacred
trifling,
a
drawings of the sacred
sells
charms against Japan
is
—
maps
me
god of
of these things
but
is
cases of great interest
common
to
from which immunity can
be purchased by the charms are of almost every kind
charms appear to
often
of the district,
a favourite
symbols which are evils
we
attended by a
is
;
but the
to be simply folded bits of paper of about
four inches in length and one inch in breadth so
gummed up
that
they cannot be opened, and bearing an inscription which specifies the evil guarded against, and a red stamp, which
be the sacred seal of the temple.
One
may be
said
of the charms which
to I
bought was against smallpox, another against the dangers of travel,
another against
evil generally,
and so on
;
but the ailments
AND ART MANUFACTURES,
ART, to
be
by a small expenditure
averted
49
at this holy spot
are
legion.
On
our homeward journey with images
adorned
ance,
Buddha — and
we
visited a
of
the
they look
strange indeed
temple of great import-
five
hundred
—
as well
of
disciples
by three
as
magnificent wood -carvings by one of the greatest carvers that
Japan has ever seen, and some beautiful lattice-work. We were on the point of leaving this edifice when our
The us, and exclaimed now understand what he attempted "
an image straight before
We
shine!"
inter-
beaming countenance and excited manner, pointed
preter, with
shine
!
to
the
explain
to
when we were viewing the great Dai-butz, for the head of this figure is encircled by a Nimbus, and what we saw on the shoulders of the great figure were the fixings for this appendage to the
Kamakura.
colossal figure at
We had
upon our alighting
insisted
we had
that
tions
scarcely re-entered our jinrikishas
just
when our
interpreter
at a tea-house, in spite of our protesta-
sumptuously.
fared
Although he had
shared what to us had been an ample meal, he seemed dissatisfied
with the cake and tea
now
offered to him,
and ordered three raw
eggs, which were speedily brought in a saucer, together with
soy to serve as a sauce. placed them on the
floor,
some
Taking the eggs from the saucer he and breaking the
its
contents on the dish, adding a
to
his
little
soy,
shell of
one he poured
and putting the saucer
mouth, swallowed the morsel as we should an oyster.
Having treated the others in the same way, he drank sundry cups of tea, and then said calmly that he was ready for the journey. This little freak of our worthy interpreter was the more remarkable as the Japanese eat often and but
Japan
is
generally
a
land
little
:
a tobacco pouch
and
of
the is
littles.
little at
a time
air
indeed,
Their most beautiful objects are
knob of a
stick or the button
(netsuki)
of
often an artwork of the highest elaboration,
their dainty foods are served in small portions.
country
;
gave our guide an unusually good
Possibly the
appetite.
On
our
asking what should be paid, the interpreter explained that to ask for a bill
would give the greatest possible offence to a Japanese
E
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
50
You
hotelkeeper. for the
light
never pay, you simply give
pence or twopence-halfpenny
We
;
and the present
refreshment of tea and cake would be about two-
return to
in
our money.
Yokohama by
road,
and reach Tokio by a
late
train.
A
my
message respecting
me
brought to
Mikado was
presentation to the
next day by Mr. Sakata, an old friend
had the pleasure of entertaining some years ago
at
whom I had my house in
The meeting was a pleasure and a surprise to both, as when he came to make his official call he had not the slightest expectation of seeing his old London friend, thinking it was some one else of the same name, nor I of seeing him. His message was that the Mikado would give me audience at two London.
on the following
o'clock
private interview,
He
day.
me
and gave
that
said
was
it
to be a
a copy of the speech which the
Emperor was to make, asking me to be ready with a short reply. Of this speech I asked Sir Harry Parkes to let me have a translation.
January 20.
— Morning
as fine as ever, sky almost cloudless,
sun bright and warm.
The following is the English of the address which the Mikado is to make this afternoon Speech of His Majest}', the Tenno (ten-Heaven, no-Emperor also called Tcnshi, Ten and Shi-child), to Dr. Dresser, January "We shall long preserve in our memory the remem20, 1877. :
;
—
brance of a collection of articles manufactured other
countries,
Museum Museum
in ;
been made at the
having
in
England and
South Kensington
your country, and presented thereby to the Japanese
and also of your own kindness
in
coming
to
Japan
to
display to the eyes of our people the nature and appearance of articles
the
manufactured
road
trust that
in
Europe
leading to advance
your
visit
to
;
and
to point out to their
and improvement of
Japan may be
free
arts.
minds
We
from accident, and a
pleasant one."
To of the
this speech,
which
Mikado usually
is
are, I
said to be longer than the speeches
prepared the following reply
:
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, " I
me
Majesty has done "
The
in
honour
the
appreciate
feelingly
me
giving
small present, of which
your
Imperial
a personal reception.
have been the bearer, to your
I
Museum was
Majesty's National
which
51
got together at the suggestion
Museum
of Mr. P. C. Owen, the director of the South Kensington
London.
in
and
who gave
Co.,
Nephew, Lewis,
"
of
and
am
I
indebted to Messrs. Londos
London
For years past
Messrs.
Ward and Cope
and Co. of Kidder-
my
life
is
now
real-
your Majesty's most charming country.
humbly beg
that your Majesty
means
national
their
Jno.
have been an admirer and collector of
I
the adoption of such
people
Mr.
of Nottingham.
Japanese objects, and the greatest desire of " I
and
Elkington,
to Messrs. Jno. Brinton
;
to Messrs.
ised in visiting
Green and
the greater number, to Messrs.
Doulton,
Messrs.
all
minster,
For the objects
arts
may
be pleased to order
as will preserve to your Majesty's
in
a
form
unpolluted by European
influences, for the ornamentists of our western countries feel it
is
humbly
their privilege
that
your
to follow the great artists of
Majesty's dominions. " If
will
your Majesty
from
time
time
to
Museum specimens
allow
will
me
forward
to
the honour of so doing,
your
Majesty's
National
of our most recent manufactures, and
be of any service to your Majesty's industries, or be the
I
if
I
can
means of
promoting the commerce of your Majesty's country, either during
my
stay here in Japan, or
beg that your Majesty services at " I
when
will
I
allow
have returned to England,
me
the honour of placing
my
your Majesty's disposal.
thank your Majesty most humbly and sincerely
great honour
About
I
you now do me." o'clock this morning Mr. Sakata
I I
answer, so that
Arrayed
in
might be translated
it
for the
called
for
for
the
this
Mikado.
my
evening dress according to
instructions,
I
was taken by Mr. Tanaka, the vice-president of the museum, and Mr. Sakata, who the palace, which
At
is
a
was ten
also
in
minutes'
English drive
evening dress, to
from the Embassy.
the outer gate sentinels gave us the European royal salute.
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
52
and driving through a garden, we passed a second gate and Here large low doors stood open,, drew up under the portico. and four servants conducted us along the corridors of the house, at
one side of which
a boundary-wall and the other window-
is
like " slides."
The temporary
palace of the
down)
recently burnt
Mikado
the old palace was
(for
a large Japanese house (yashiki) of the
is
The
usual simple construction and one story in height.
passages,
and such rooms as I saw, have their floors covered with European some tapestry and some Brussels, but in most cases the carpets
—
pattern
room
is
such as we should consider
into
An
artistically bad.
which we were shown had a black
slate
ante-
chimney-piece
decorated with coloured ornament and an open European grate.
The
wall slides, although of Japanese character, were covered with
a cheap French wall-paper, and the ceiling had a paper of similar character with an elongated geometrical pattern. of the
room was a
table over which
In the centre
ample
in
fell,
folds, a cloth
of soft low-toned green-yellow colour enriched with the figures
The
of dragons arranged as circular devices.
circles,
about six
inches in diameter, were
irregularly distributed over the surface
of the cloth, so that, in
some
cases,
they came nearly together,
On
while in others they were four inches apart.
The
table stood a cigar-box.
Around
was of miserable pattern.
carpet
the table was arranged six European chairs with carved
The
ogee legs and curved and open backs.
were covered with terry with a pattern
was
By
the centre of the
silk
in velvet
seats of these chairs
of imperial purple colour, and figured
or plush, and
when
velvet
this
looked upon from above gold was visible in the side of the
a
stood
table
hibachi
simple character, the stand of which, worked
(or in
fixed,
like
about two inches below while
The stand
of
plain pine-wood,
of a sieve) at the top, three legs, which were attached to
hibachi,
ground.
its
fire-holder)
hoop about three inches wide (resembling the hoop
consisted of a
circular disc
figure
of
the
rim,
it,
and a
the hoop, between the three legs, but it.
by
On
encircling
the hibachi was
disc
this
it,
of such
rested
prevented
the
brazen
its
falling.
a height that the
fire
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, was brought
same level as the table, and through downward direction the danger of up-
to almost the
the legs spreading in setting the
53
a
was diminished.
fire
This was the entire furniture
of the room.
Two
gentlemen
one being favoured with a
Having been presented the household, then
monies,
where
am
I
two
its
who
the former,
throne -room,
the
to
by the Mikado.
sides
the minister of
is
the master of cere-
is
by them
enter our room,
lace than the other.
who
to the latter,
conducted
to be received
room, having
more gold
little
first
to
am now
I
now
gorgeous Court dresses
in
It is
formed of paper
a long, narrow the end
slides,
which we enter open, and the opposite end closed by a
My
partition.
instructions are that
I
am
spot at the centre of the open end and
advance one step and bow again four steps
—
to
;
that
advance three yards
piece of furniture in this
room
is
I
—and
come
to
bow
that
;
am
at
solid
to a certain I
am
then to
then to take about
bow
again.
The only
a European arm-chair, evidently
belonging to the same suite as the small chairs in the anteroom,
and covered with the same material. of the
centre
This throne stands
end of the room
distant
front of
in
in the
the solid
partition.
We
now
return to the anteroom, when, in about two minutes,
who had remained behind, enters us. Mr. Tanaka walks first, Mr, Tanaka does not, however, enter the
the minister of the household,
and says that the Mikado I
second, Sakata
royal
advancing,
I
On my little
last.
Following
presence.
my
instructions as to
myself about eight
find right,
nearer the
will see
Emperor than
emonies, while on
feet
and close to the wall
my
left,
1
from the Mikado. (or wall slides),
we have done, and
and a
am, stands the master of cere-
and opposite
to the
monies, stands the minister of the household three times as
bowing and
:
master of cere-
both have bowed
both, having taken their places,
stand with bowed heads.
age,
The Mikado looks to me is of medium height for
to be about twenty-seven years of
a Japanese (short for us), wears a
solemn expression, and stands, as
I
sec him, in
a slightly stoop-
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
54
He
ing posture.
gold
wears a European military dress, bright with
lace.
When we
entered the throne-room he was standing with his
face towards us in front of his throne.
He
bent his head slightly
but did not bow, and at once began to read his address (Fig. 20),
Knowing
audibly, distinctly, and apparently with feeling.
that
1
could not understand the language in which he was speaking, he
#v il -y
\V
^^
t.
*
^T
*
*
+
;i
#f
#.
g
1^
1
1^
7
oA-
'"J
J"j
'^
i-t
^^]
^ d
^
it -^ f ^H
=i
J^
^U X
*
i
>
?
If
f^
^'^
^ y^
5
X
^^^
K
T 2-
FiG.
20.— Facsimile
The day
following
the very Address from which the Mikado read. sent me the ver>' paper from compliment. My interpreter informed me that this is the first
in
reduced
size of
my
reception
by the Emperor, His Majesty
which he read as a special
time that such a thing has been done to any foreigner.
must have been aware that he was wasting his royal " sweetness on the desert air," yet his manner in no way indicated now read in English my reply to His I any impatience. Majesty's address, and then handed the translation of interpreter,
who
read
tones, being only a
names.
it
little
Emperor
it
to
my
and
respectful
puzzled with some of the
European
to the
in
soft
This done, we bowed and walked backwards out of the
royal presence.
ART,
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
„JiUUU
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
56
town.
ascend the
I
But
and enter a box.
stairs
let
no one
for
one moment suppose that the box of a Japanese theatre has any Both the floor and Hkeness to that of a European opera-house. the gallery of the Japanese
may be
theatre
boxes, which yet are rather pits than boxes.
arrangement
A
^
stood
if I
said
to consist
of
Their character and will
be better under-
compare them
to a series
of regularly arranged "pens" in one of our cattle markets. The
Theatre.
tops of the partitions
(a a) form the Aisles.
and
as their floors,
are
There are two entrances
22.— Section of Box or Pit of
Fig.
left,
and the
level
visitor
to the
theatre,
one to the right and one to
the
of the street face, with earth
left
with the road.
purchases his
ticket.
Here the native clogs
A
platform, running
across the whole width of
the
theatre,
extended
is
downwards
throughout
the length of the building as
two
which
aisles,
their turn
meet a trans-
platform
verse
inner end
of
an
To
aisle,
is
of
left,
may
and
close
be,
to
the
a series of boxes,
pits,
or
may
call
in
the right
or to the
as the case
arranged wall,
regarded
extension of the
stage.
the
the
at
the house,
which may be as
in
cells,
whichever we
^
them, and square
shape.
These boxes Fig.
are
separated
from
one
23.— Plan of Gallery of Theatre at Yedo.
Behind the bamboo screen (a a) the "gods" stand.
another by narrow branch aisles,
and have
their floors level with the street
;
thus
it
may
be
said that the places assigned to visitors are seats in square pits
ART, about
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
inches below the level of the aisles, and into which
fifteen
you jump when you take your
we have similar
At
our theatres.
in
57
boxes such as
place, rather than
the opposite side of the theatre
is
a
row of boxes, and between the two principal longitudinal arranged
aisles are
in
rows a considerable number of these square
boxes, while the gallery
is
portioned out in a like manner (Figs. 2
i,
22, 23). It is curious to see the visitors
walking along the broad
aisles
and then balancing themselves on the narrow planks which are only the is
tops of the partitions separating the boxes
flat
;
and
it
equally strange to see the people kneeling on the matted floors
of their
little cells in
family groups sipping tea, eating sweets, or
even boiling water in a
The
stage
is
our own, but
its
kettle.
seen from the auditorium almost precisely as
back
is
formed of a plain curtain, and
scenery consists of actual models of the objects required
all ;
the
houses
nearly as large as ordinary dwellings, and trees and other things
When
being placed on the stage.
in proportion,
to be changed,
it
swung on a central pivot, and that as much of curtain as
in front.
is
while the play
is
is
is
it
a vast circle
is
behind the
This arrangement has one advantage, for
going on new scenery
distant half of the stage
necessary
the scenery has
becomes apparent that the stage
;
and
is
being arranged on the
change the scene
to
all
that
is
the pulling up of the curtain and the twisting round
There
of the stage.
is
this
theatre, that the actors enter
further
peculiarity in
a Japanese
behind the audience, coming through
black curtains with white figures, near the doors where the public enter.
It
must
also be
remembered
that no
women
are
employed
on the Japanese stage, men taking women's parts as well as own.
their
Having
entered, the
actors
acting during their progress,
till
advance along the main
platform and the adjoining stage. this
aisle,
stage
is
I
saw a horse brought along
which was a make-up exactly
stage horses.
Behind those boxes
a screen
formed
aisles,
they reach the inner end of the
after the
in the
of vertical
fashion of our
gallery which face the
and
horizontal
pieces of
58
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
ART, are
artist
small
a
AND ART MANUFACTURES. piece
of
porte-crayon, about fourteen
charcoal
held
a
in
59
bamboo
light
inches long and very slender
flat
;
brushes formed of deers' hair, varying in width from three inches to one inch and three-quarters, while the hairs protrude from the
socket about three-quarters or seven -eighths of an inch, round
brushes in bamboo, and formed of white vegetable
about half an inch
in
Indian ink with
accompanying
There
much
is
its
indigo,
is full
seems as great as
gamboge, crimson
who
artist
is
in
whom
I
colours.
ultimately
of innocent humour, and his ability
His colours are Indian
his fun.
lake,
and red
One
earth.
ink,
of the other
to paint
first
comes forward, bows
ese fashion, and takes his place in front of the paper. elderly gentleman,
become
pigments a kind of dragon's-blood colour.
artists includes in his
The
and a few
slab,
one old flower-painter
interested, for he
as an artist
and
fibres,
diameter, plenty of water in a large bowl,
and
after
in
Japan-
He
is
an
having looked thoughtfully at the
paper for a minute or two, begins his work.
Taking the porte-
crayon, he touches the paper with the charcoal point at four or five places, so as
his
flat
just
to leave a perceptible dot
brush three inches
broad,
charged
;
and then with
with
Indian
ink,
makes on the paper, by an almost instantaneous dash, a large irregular mass of gray-black colour. With a smaller brush he
now
close proximity to the gray mass,
indicates, in
what appear
to be a few feathers, next, at a little distance, the
branch.
end of a pendent Then, beginning at the top of the paper, he works the
branch downwards drawn.
Now
till
an eye
of colour, and
we
it
is
is
in the line of the
drawn, then a
see completed
cock and hen pecking
in front of a
in
bill,
less
than
branch of a
a great portion of the white body of the hen
than drawn
mass of
;
for as the
this colour
the white hen
is
body of the cock
which was
first
end which was
then
is
come
fifteen tree, is
first
a few bits
minutes, a
and, curiously,
rather indicated
gray (being the large
placed upon the paper), and as
seen against the black cock, the stopping of the
black gives the form of a great portion of the hen's body.
was kindly presented to me by Mr. Sano. The same artist next drew a small landscape but
This
interesting sketch
;
it
is
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
6o
scarcely necessary to say that Japanese landscapes lack the
of their drawings of birds,
The
and
fishes, insects,
whom
old flower -painter, of
I
have before spoken, now
took his place before the paper, and after looking at
he were picturing
in
own mind
his
charm
flowers.
it
as
though
a group of flowers already
painted, made, like the former artist, two or three dots with the
charcoal upon the paper, and filling a brush with
some green
pigment, began by forming here and there certain pseony leaves
one
leaflet at a
touch
;
but although from time to time he some-
what varied the colour leaflet
differed
pseony flower, little
in
the brush, no two parts of the
in
With another brush he formed a red
tint.
—shading
same
each leaf by a dexterous application of a
water to the paper before the red was wholly absorbed.
Rolling up the paper at the bottom (a practice which
all
the
artists
adopt when they wish to work at the upper part of the
sheet),
he draws petals of an unfolded bud.
Now
with faint
Indian ink he forms both flowers and buds of the magnolia, then
he arranges pink petals into groups, resembling the flowers of the
almond, and afterwards forms clusters of red masses, so that they ultimately appear as the peeping petals of red flower buds.
The masses
of colour being thus carefully distributed with
due regard to the laws of composition tribution of masses
may
which
be
(a
regard
commended
for the
dis-
to the authorities
of the art schools at South Kensington), the stalks are so drawn that
all
skill.
the isolated parts are brought together with marvellous
Then
the calyces
are
added, after which comes a
little
touching-up, as the formation of veins in a few leaves, the addition of certain bits of pure colour, and a spot of dark here and there.
my knowledge of European artists, I doubt whether any one could produce a sketch of such excellence in anything like the time in which our Japanese artist produced his work Judging from
;
and although
I
myself
am
a trained draughtsman, and
young man engaged exclusively in studying flowers, I own my utter inability to produce comparable with that which is now before us.
A
young
lady,
who
is,
I
was as a
plants and drawing so rapidly a sketch
understand, a flower-painter to the
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
Empress, now made a sketch of a our winter aconite, but market, for the root
yellow flower allied to
little
appears as though just bought
it
up
tied
is
6i
in a
This sketch
bit of paper.
took the lady about ten minutes to complete.
the
in
She was followed
by a young man, who made a drawing of a flying duck, which is " worked " much in the manner of the first sketch but the ;
with which the body, with
skill
its
shade, and outline,
light,
was
managed, was truly marvellous. A brush of considerable breadth was dipped in water and drawn between the fingers of the artist nearly dry.
till
the
ink,
was then dipped
It
a thin wash of Indian
in
of the brush being bent outwards, so
portion
central
that the hairs of the brush
The
assumed a crescent-like form.
convex or centre portion was now hastily dipped into dark Indian
and the brush was allowed to straighten
ink,
now
three hairs were
Two
itself.
or
separated from one side and dipped into
dark ink, but these remained detached from the other part of the
By
brush.
a dexterous
hairs
making the
movement
the artist produced with one
body of the duck and an
stroke the shaded
latter,
outline, the
few separate
while the shading resulted from the darker
ink of the centre not having fully spread to the sides of the brusli.
A eye
bill is
is
now drawn,
then
feet,
added, then follows a neck,
when an admirable sketch of a
and
legs,
flying
then
baize,
and begins what we
drawing simply
man produces same method.
in
all
Indian ink.
After what
is
before us.
made
the middle-aged
fowls, kneels again in front of the
take to be a sea-piece, which he
Like the
a tint and an outline at the
when we expect
An
and a few finishing touches
duck
After two or three other drawings are
man, who painted the domestic
tail-feathers.
we take
to be
last artist, this
same
time,
waves are
the artist to place in the water
is
gentle-
and by the
finished, and,
fish,
or upon
it
junks, he simply adds a few dots and dark touches, and signs his
name. sketch
It is is
now
held up to view, when, to our astonishment, the
that of a train of rats, with one or two
party straying from the others.
What we
members of the
took to be waves prove
only to be a background, against which the rounded white rats appear;
backs of
— the uncoloured paper forming the animals.
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
62
Fans were now offered
to the various
and on these
artists,
sketches were soon placed, the crenated character of the surface
apparently
in
no way increasing the
difficulty of the work.
Having had tea in an adjoining room, we returned to see an amusement in which Japanese artists often indulge. A sheet of paper being spread on the baize one of the company goes forward, and dipping a brush in Indian ink makes some simple device. In this case a cross was formed in the middle of the paper about
two
by
feet in height
called to the paper
fifteen inches
told to
is
in width.
One
draw a lady so that
in
a very admirable
visible,
in three brief minutes,
manner
somewhat marred
ment had been intended, tunately an engagement
;
but the cross, being
for the
to dine with
a few
he finished his work
a very excellent sketch. I learnt,
cross shall
With
become an unobtrusive portion of the drawing. dexterous strokes, and
of the artists
this
still
The
slightly
entertain-
whole evening.
some
friends forced
Unfor-
me
to
While in tear myself away at 6.30, very greatly to my regret. Japan Mr. Sano contributed much to my enjoyment, but nothing that he did gave
me
tainment provided for
the pleasure that
me
this afternoon.
I
derived from the enter-
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
CHAPTER Preparation for long journey
— By water
to
next
two
or
—
days
three
III.
—
Kobe Entrance of the Mikado The Mikado's antiquities.
Awadji, Sanda, Arima, Nara
The
63
were
spent
into
Kobe
Yokohama
at
in
arranging for a long journey into the interior, for through the
kindness of the authorities
I
am
permitted to travel in any part
of Japan, and the ministers insist that during the rest of I
shall consider
my
journey
I
very imperfectly appreciated
the favours and the inestimable advantages which
through the preparations so thoughtfully made
and well-being by the Japanese Government. manufacturers of the town
before
me, and
stay
myself the guest of the nation.
Before starting on
the
my
I
had an
interesting either in the
in
which
I
I
was
my
for
to reap
enjoyment
Wherever
I
went,
stayed were brought
opportunity of seeing whatever was
way
of architecture, antiquities, or
manu-
factures.
Mr. Tanaka of the Tokio Mr. Ishida and Mr. Sakata,
my
future journeyings in
finance
and
interpreter.
the
may
my
arrived at
are to form
country, Ishida
duties, while
official I
Museum
who
my
hotel with
escort during
undertaking the
Sakata acts as
my
guide and
here say that no two gentlemen could have
acted with more kindness and consideration than they did through-
out the whole of our travels, nor could any have more faithfully served the Government in whose service they were. is
now
and as
dead, or for
I
Sakata,
Poor Ishida
should wish him every advancement possible I
can only hope that he
that will reward his faithfulness.
;
will rise to a position
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
64
At 2.30 we stepped
into a boat at the custom-house pier,
with Mr. James Saumarez,
days of our
first
who
will
accompany us during the few
Bidding adieu to Mr. Tanaka, we
travels.
pulled to the ship on which
we have taken passage for Kobe. This steamer, which belongs to the Japanese Government, must be considered as fairly comfortable, and is built on the plan of an American river-boat. us
—he
having the upper berth and
from mine, "
stay
or rod
"
between
his
I
have a cabin between
the lower
I
but his differs
;
being some inches narrower and having an iron
in
passing through
occupant must
A
Saumarez and
on
lie
such a manner that
in
it
its
back with the rod passing upwards
his
leo-s.
o evening than
finer
A
never was.
this
a glorious setting sun, a sky steeped
few fleecy clouds, hues,
liquid
in
a
cool
breeze of most refreshing air, and Fujiyama rising in all its grandeur above the horizontal belt of cloud which so generally envelops its base, combine to give the waning day a charm quite inexpressible.
The
now
glory fades and darkness comes on apace, but the moon,
two-thirds
night sky
full,
softer than the island,
it
is
At 8.30 we
are opposite a round undulating
an active volcano
from being awe-inspiring,
is
;
the highest
by no means
is
in its side, issue a
calculated
changing
its
mountain.
burning moun-
and
From (which as we
also from
its
small fissure
a
few flickering flames, such as might come from in
the
air
is
cloud
a
constantly
form, and which, fiery and glowing, hangs over the
As
the
flames
rise
and
fall,
extinguished
are
rekindled, so does the cloud brighten or darken.
coursing
cast to the
to
in eruption.
portion of the island
conical),
Somewhat higher
bonfires.
"
but the
preconceived notions of a volcano
all
the centre of see
first.
on which
tain," far
winds
gives brightness to the deep azure of the clear
thus one glory succeeds another, the second being but
:
way down
see
or
no lava
precipitous declivities, and no vomiting
forth of surging matter, nor
the changing and
I
fitful glare,
is
any noise
audible.
own
such as one of our
produces, characterises this burning mountain
;
Nothing but blast furnaces
in fact, the effect
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
produced by the blast furnaces of Lowmoor or
is
inferior to that
of
many in the Cleveland district. The next morning was as lovely
We
it.
65
as the evening which preceded
ran near the land, and there Fujiyama, as immaculate
as ever, rose above the horizontal stratum of cloud which appears
to divide
it
but above
Below the cloud
in tw^o. is
it
has the colours of earth,
it
The
pure as heaven.
air
the sea
cool,
is
is
calm, and w^e go merrily on.
me
Mr. Saumarez introduces
gentleman who speaks English of great
information,
matters.
We
it
to Mr. Samishima, a Japanese
well,
and who
both respecting
and
;
certainly possessed
European
commerce of Japan, and of how
talked long of the
can be extended to Europe
is
Japanese and
I
am
struck with the sound-
ness of his views concerning the future of his country.
In the year
1878, while I
minister to dine with
him
I
at his residence in the
Champs
was most graciously received, and the face seemed
where
with
my
could have met
I
dinner was half over
to
Paris as a juror at the
in
whom
Kobe.
I
I
host
this
The day wore
its
Japanese coast near which
\\q
good
strange
that
on,
my
which
but
When
host was Mr. Samishima
my way we
Yokohama
from
w'ere friends.
glory was not dimmed, and the are running
We
Swiss scenery. effect
Elysees.
familiar,
could not remember.
time up to his death but
of the
I
recollected that
so long conversed while on
From
Inter-
received an invitation from the Japanese
national Exhibition,
results
was
only
from
some
as fine as
have here, as
the Alps,
in
an
atmosphere
untainted by smoke and unsullied by the vapours of factories indeed, here
upon
hills,
we have rugged
heights, deep ravines,
mountains upon mountains, and valleys sunk
with that play of
light,
:
piled
hills
in valleys,
shade, and shadow^, w^hich only such a
country under a bright sun and cloudless sky can give.
no town during the day, but the
hills
are in
some
cases
We
pass
wooded
to the very sea.
By
6.30 the next morning
had anchored
at 2 A.M. in
was on deck, and found that
I
Kobe
harbour, w^hich
and sixty nautical miles from Yokohama. F
is
w^e
three hundred
Cannon were
firing,
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
66
way through
rockets of various kinds were ploughing their air,
the
and the ships and junks were gay with fluttering flags. All this excitement is due to the fact that the royal yacht
hourly expected, for the Mikado
way connecting Kobe with
coming
is
Kioto.
I
to
open the new
as
have
certainly
special
assumes I
we smoke which they generate
Europe, and the
in
appointment
somewhat
take them to be the day fireworks of which
I
heard
rail-
watch these fireworks, which
are being discharged in rapid succession, with interest,
is
and
strange
learn
not
are
To my
dis-
fireworks,
and
forms.
fantastic
these
that
day
that the Japanese like letting off ordinary fireworks in sunshine. If this
is
so, it
is
almost worth letting some off
in
sunshine, for
the circles of smoke formed by some, like the rings of phos-
hydrogen that we used to make when playing with
phuretted
chemistry as boys, are very curious.
At
the custom-house the officers searched
the luggage
The
Mr. Saumarez and Mr. Sakata, but passed mine.
of
practice of
when brought from one port to another of the same country seems strange, and is certainly attended with much searching baggage
inconvenience to passengers.
A
foreigner travelling in Japan
the journey
is
to be anything
must have a passport
more than a
and
;
brief excursion to
if
some
town not distant from a treaty port (where alone a foreigner can reside) he must apply to the minister of the countr}' to which he But the difficulty in the belongs for the necessary permission.
way
of a stranger visiting the country
the passport he must not only
name
is
this.
In order to get
the provinces through which
he wishes to pass but the towns that he wishes to
He must
roads along which he intends to travel.
purpose of his
make
visit
;
and when
in the
interior
valid agreements with natives, nor purchase
danger of their being confiscated. extremely
difficult
for the
These
visit,
he can neither
goods without
restrictions render
stranger to travel in Japan.
Murray nor a Baedeker
and the
also state the
it
There
him what to see, and he can form no idea as to the roads along which he must travel hence, if he is resolved on seeing the country he must be content is
neither a
to
tell
;
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, to wait
treaty ports
at the
67
he can gather from European
till
him
residents sufificient information to enable
to arrange a route
after this the getting of the necessary permission
:
only a matter
is
of time.
The
restrictions respecting the validity of
agreements and the
who
purchasing of goods are met by Europeans
(called a bantd)
who makes purchases and
on
the
behalf
of
practically of
Hence,
European. inconvenience
little
yet
;
trade, the necessity of even a passport
as broadly as possible, being
me
ministers have, in fact, granted
and
please,
see whatever
to
I
restrictions
as all restrictions
me
for
passport
a
unaware that the Japanese for
my
The
journey.
permission to travel wherever
choose to inspect
and
;
and we hear that
arrives;
time the Mikado, with his rhinisters, will proceed railway station the procession.
The
to few,
if
wherever there
unoccupied
;
is
Japan,
orders
shown
to him. is
still,
the Japanese
is
we can view
six
feet apart.
is
It
kept clear by lines
seems strange that
an upstairs window, or an elevated position,
but
upon the Mikado
in state to the
place from which
seek a
in a short
roads are densely lined with people eager
some
of soldiers placed
All
we
so
;
Majesty, and the central space
to see his
learn that
I
;
no man
in
were
given
for the in the
see walking in the
black-faced European
that
Mikado
this
is
The conduct
approaching.
and only about
;
fifty
am
of
but immediately
yards
most slouching manner two (I
visited
same respect should be
highest degree respectful
workmen
it
Japan may look down
and when the Duke of Edinburgh
in front of the procession, I
limit
any other than myself, has such a privilege been granted.
The Mikado's yacht now
is
are
to be regretted.
is
Government have made every provision
to
the
enters into contracts
these
Harry Parkes has kindly procured
Sir
I
in
by taking with them a confidential Japanese servant
interior
worded
travel
in
filthily
advance, dressed,
afraid English) with torn
caps hanging half over their eyes, short pipes in their mouths,
and
hands
irritating
in
their
pockets.
and disgusting.
The
sight
is,
I
confess,
both
While such strange conduct might,
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
68
a case like
in
be accounted for by ignorance, another act
this,
of disrespect which
me
witnessed cannot be thus excused.
I
Beside
stood an English missionary with the broad-brimmed
worn by many of our
who had
many
hats (for
On
clergy.
But
heads.
their
this
Christian gentleman availed himself of a step in order to
and nodding
himself conspicuous,
hat all
of the male natives do not wear head
uncovered and lowered
coverings)
felt
the arrival of the Mikado,
head
his
defiantly,
one
make
declared
audibly that he would not acknowledge the heathen sovereign. I
had always thought that royalty was entitled to respect wher-
ever
was
it
standing
and
seen,
can
I
our streets while royalty was
in
that
a Japanese
passing,
and loudly
think
scarcely
averring that he would not uncover to a Christian
infidel,
would
get off without reproof, for even our street roughs, ill-behaved as
they
would
are,
that such an insult to royalty should not
feel
pass unnoticed, and even the cloth would have failed to protect
mob
from
Although not of combative
law.
disposition,
I
felt
almost irresistibly impelled to give that missionary a lesson in
manners such
as he
would not
respect for the feelings of that prevented
the
way
living
my
my
so doing
my
of revealing
easily forget,
and
it
was only
my
honourable friend from the Legation but
;
if
contempt
could do anything in
looks for
this
individual
who was
on the charity of those who desired that he should teach
the doctrines of kindness and love,
I
must have smitten him
to
the very quick, for a look of most sincere contempt must have
my
characterised
features
when he
thus
publicly
insulted
a
sovereign of high gentlemanly feelings and the greatest refine-
ment. I
If this
is
the
manner
confess that while in Japan
condemn,
wonder
or ill-bred If
answer
in
at
those with
illiterate
in
which our missionaries act (and
saw
I
whom
little
came
I
men who may be
workmen, acting be asked
in
much
to admire, but in
contact),
we cannot
stokers on board a vessel,
defiance of right and order.
why
such things are permitted, the
it
should
is
that in the open ports of Japan foreigners have
termed an extra
territorial
to
right
;
that
is,
the
what
is
Japanese have
opened a certain number of ports called treaty ports
in
which
1
ART,
may
foreigners
is
69
reside without being placed under the jurisdiction
of Japanese law.
here
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
In other words, the foreigner while resident
subject to the courts of his
own country
thus in the eyes
;
of Japanese law he can do no wrong, and the judge by
must be
tried
is
his
own
whom
he
travel
in
consul.
The English complain
bitterly
that
they cannot
Japan without a passport, while the Japanese can travel through any part of England without restriction. I cannot help thinking
commerce
that restrictions to travel injure the
yet
when speaking
of any country
;
to the Japanese ministers respecting the open-
ing up of the country, they invariably said that with the class of settlers
them up
which are now
the treaty ports,
in
claim
their
reasonable.
to
If a
extra
territorial
;
and
I
am
and
rights,
and has that regard
at all times
is
sure that no
man who
impossible
is
Japanese comes to England he
wherever he pleases, but he law
it
to allow travelling in the interior unless the
foi;
Europeans give this is
seems but
free
amenable
to travel
to
English
conducts himself rightly,
for the feelings of others
which
all
gentlemen
should have, need fear any molestation from the Japanese.
The
procession having passed, Mr. Ishida went to the govern-
ment house
to report our arrival, Mr.
Saumarez
to the
English
consulate to try and get a steam yacht for an excursion which
wished to
make
the next day, while Mr. Sakata and
I
the mountains to see two waterfalls, the one called the
we
walked up
Male
Fall
and the other the Female.
Kobe
is
one of the treaty
ports,
and
it
occupies a strip of
and the
ground lying between a range of rocky
hills
and the sea-shore being
was intended that Hiogo
parallel.
should be open to foreigners the
purposes of foreign
;
It
sea, the hills
but as this town was not suited to
commerce, Europeans were allowed to
town at the north side of a river which now separates Hiogo from Kobe, Kobe being the new town, and Hiogo the old.
erect their
The same thing occurred
at
Yokohama, where a new town
has been built at the distance of about two miles from the port originally
opened up, the new town being Yokohama, the old
town Canagawa.
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
70
From
we ascended we had
the hills which
a charming view
of Kobe, of the bay, of the island of Awaji, and of the ocean
beyond
and
;
we intended In of the
was
it
to the island
which lay yonder before us that
make our excursion on the morrow. the evening Kobe is beautifully illuminated in honour Mikado's visit. As the illuminations consist wholly of to
coloured lanterns, which are here used with great lavishness, the effect
is
very charming
myriads, as
mingling
and the
;
interest
and
now being
bobbing,
visible,
These are the lanterns carried by the in
Japan
by the
heightened by the
that
it
is
now
and
effect
is
one
also heightened
a feast day at one of the great temples at
Here we have blazing beacons, the burning of
Kobe.
eclipsed.
sight-seers, for every
The
carries a lantern after dark.
fact
is
appeares to me, of moving lights which are inter-
it
incense, the
sound of music, the throngs of worshippers, and much that calculated to add interest to the scene.
manifestation
of
life,
worship, and
The whole
a
is
is
brilliant
enjoyment, such as
could,
probably, be seen in no other country.
The steam launch having been
secured,
we
are astir at 6.15
The island for which we are bound is that of Awaji in the Hiogo Ken (province), and we propose landing at the chief town, Sumoto, which, we are told, we shall reach in three hours. It may be interesting to know that before the revolution of 1868 Awaji belonged to the
A.M.
It
is
dawn, and the morning
just
is fine.
Daimio of Owa, and that the ex-Daimio was educated and now
resides
in
London.
On
to
this small
bamboo which to see certain
numerous
villages, of
Sumoto.
While cotton and
30,000 which
the island there are
houses, distributed in five towns and
3000 belong
at Oxford,
stuffs
tract is
and cotton thread are made on the
of land can boast a
found
in
potteries,
no other of which
" fluted "
district, I
shall
island,
variety of the
our chief purpose was
speak more
in
detail
hereafter.
was 7.30 before we were fairly under way, and we had not when the sky became overcast and the clouds lowering, yet we steamed on grandly. The scenery was very beautiful It
gone
far
;
ART,
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
indeed, as seen from the sea the island to which
looked almost Alpine
At
in its
71
we were
steering
grandeur.
we had not yet even reached the island, and At the town of Sumoto is situated almost at its other side. twelve we had luncheon (tiffin), so as to economise time, for we half-past ten
were told that after we reached Sumoto we should have seven English miles to traverse potteries.
It
before
in jinrikishas
we could
get to the
was one o'clock when we reached Sumoto.
The landing of Columbus could not have produced a greater effect upon the Americans than our landing in Sumoto did upon these islanders. Adults and children, rich and poor, young and old, flocked to see the strange creatures that had come to their shores. They followed us as the street arabs follow a Punch and show in London. Even in Tokio a foreigner cannot make Judy a purchase without a score
him
;
Entering the
may
we waited
post-office,
here remark that in
hotel, the post-office
the
more persons gathering around
or
but here the whole town was astir with excitement.
has to
accommodation of
;
jinrikishas
make such arrangements
We
visitors.
portion of our journey
for
as
first
very good,
The
abound.
hillsides
lies
are
I
no
can for
we were
told
fifteen.
The
along a valley where paddy
fields
wooded with camellias and dwarf
bamboos, but ferns are abundant
we see a palm-tree. At a tea-house about
it
is
soon started on the inland
but the potteries, which
were seven miles distant from Sumoto, proved to be road, at
and
;
Japanese towns where there
all
in
the shady spots, and here and
there
stopped for
five
minutes to
eight miles along the rest,
and tea was
road the
men
politely offered to us,
by the mistress of the house. The road became more we advanced. What was formerly a mere track is now being made into a good highway. Some of the new bridges are in every sense excellent, and they are sufficiently broad for a as
is
usual,
difficult
as
cart to cross them, while the old bridges
than
a
jinrikisha.
through the fields,
there
We
rice-fields, is
now
leave the
and as the path
some excitement
were
in
is
little, if
main road
any, broader for a
raised above the
the thought that
if
path
muddy
one wheel
72
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
•
of the jinrikisha should shja over the edge of the narrow bank the occupant would find himself in the sludge below.
matters rendered pleasanter by the fact that the bank
Nor
are
cut
by
is
frequent streams spanned by two planks or two narrow stones.
While crossing one of these primitive bridges one wheel of my it rested, but owing
carriage slipped from the plank on which
Hence some
slush. less
fortunate than
and
all.
An
my
and
in
be
was, are lifted over these bridges, carriage
now happened which might have been serious, The man in the shafts let go his only laughable.
backwards.
In
moment my head was on the righted, and we went on our
a
many windings we
After
two
about
may
But the vehicle was soon
ground.
way.
they
fear that
weight being behind the wheels, the jinrikisha was
overbalanced
are
I
was saved a ducking
I
who
of the party,
accident
but turned out hold,
my men
promptness of one of
to the
potteries,
reach the village of Igano, where
one of which was founded by Kashiu Mimpe,
years since, for imitating
fifty
the
Dutch ware of
Delft.
The
present potteries belong, one to the son of the founder, whose
real
name
Mimpe, but who has assumed the trade name of
is
Mimpe
Rikita, instead of the second
the
nephew of the
first
Awadji
During our inspection of the fall,
and
boiled eggs.
and a
now
is
it
I
slice or
unknown
in
;
the other belongs to Sanpe.
potter.
six o'clock P.M.
We
should have been glad,
I
two of bread-and-butter
make
a hearty meal on
confess, to
have a
in addition
;
little salt
but bread
is
Japan, save at the open ports and at one or two of
the large towns which have
become partly Europeanised
common
those
who
think that rice
know
little
of Japan, for to the poor, as
is
heavy rain begins to
potteries
is
the
I
;
arid
food of the people
have already
said, rice
an almost unknown luxury.
When we and close
re-entered our jinrikishas, the hoods, which open
like the
hoods of our Victorias, were spread, and over
our laps a sheet of oiled paper was placed as an apron.
It
must
not be supposed that the Japanese oiled paper bears any close
resemblance to a sheet of English paper which has been greased.
ART, for oil
it
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
has pliability, toughness, and a fibrous character, while the
which has been applied to
making it European
The hood
greasy.
proportions,
and
I
renders
it
waterproof without
it
had
to
in
sit
a cramped posture.
and the driving
This, with the cutting wind
we had
during our homeward ride
rain,
rendered the Occasionally,
to cross the beds of large
mountain streams which, containing but boulder stones.
my
of the carriage was too low for
journey back to Sumoto anything but pleasant. also,
73
little
These river-beds usually
lie
water, are rich in
at a level
ably below that of the country which they traverse
consider-
and, although
;
impassable during the rainy season, are readily crossed at other
The
times by the aid of stepping-stones. the crossing of one of these streams
sensation produced by
remarkable, especially
the jinrikisha acquires an impetus increasing each
men who draw
Hence
the
than
guides and masters.
its
it
when
Descending the
place in the darkness of the night.
this takes defile,
is
moment.
are rather servants of the vehicle
The boulder
stones also cause an
unpleasant jolting, and further difficulties are presented by the
stony bottom and the upward ascent.
With
the view of turning to good use the speed gained during
the descent, the
man
in the shafts,
the vehicle, lets the carriage
rush
who is now alone in charge of down at an alarming pace,
aiming at the stepping-stones, across which he runs, while the wheels of the vehicle are on either side of these stones trundling across the bed of the stream,
moment in
to find the
—and
the occupant expecting every-
bottom of the carriage torn
off
by coming
contact with a stepping-stone, or to have a ducking in the
water through the upsetting of the vehicle.
Our journey late to
is,
however, completed by 9.30
;
but as
it
is
too
steam to Kobe, we take supper on the launch and return
to the post-office to sleep.
We may
be,
are
now shown
one room
is
are favoured
However
considered sufficient in Japan
contain enough beds on I
to our rooms.
its
floor
with a room
occupy another apartment.
;
to
but
if
it
will
but
in this case
Saumarez and
while
the Japanese
ourselves,
Our beds
large a party
are
now
prepared, that
is,
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
74 are spread
upon the
we might term
three
and each of these consists of what
floor,
wadded
coverlets, each
blue -and -white
cotton fabric.
figured
about six feet long,
These are covered with a
three feet wide, and one inch thick.
In consideration
of the
wants of us foreigners, a fourth coverlet, rolled into the form of a pillow,
is
On
produced.
was placed a
a stand beside the bed
lamp, the feeble light of which proceeds from a small rush wick
hanging over the side of a saucer suspended
This,
in its centre.
with the beds, forms the whole furniture of the room. It
now 10.30, but although a bed know what to do with it. Which
is
exactly
the covering
Am
?
Or am
to
I
uncovered
?
Am
me ?
coverlets over
to
I
make
I
on the
lie
to
After
who only
partially
pleased.
do not
the bed and which
is
is
and have the three
floor
on one and have two as covering?
lie
over
puzzling
Hence
I
removed
it
my
by
my
bed a new trouble
me
telling
my
is
my
friend
I
seem
Sakata,
do exactly
to
bed and two
arises, for
until
difficulty
call for
I
determine, as the night
damp, that one should be in
I
of the three a soft bed and spend the night
threatened with abject despondency,
when
me
before
is
as
I
cold and the air
my
bed and
But
covering.
my
bed-clothes
same narrow dimensions, hence it is impossible to the coverings and owing to their want of pliability, I
are each of the
tuck in
;
only succeed
keeping the cold wind, which howls through our
in
room, from one side of
my
my
soundly
difficulties,
somewhat
stiff
I
slept
and
sore,
body
but this
at a time. till
is
dawn.
due
in
Still, in
On
spite of all
rising
we were
part to our
cramped
posture during our journey yesterday, and only in part to the
hardness of our beds.
The
shutters being
removed from the outside of the balcony,
we open the paper slides which form the front boundary-wall or window surface (for it is both) of our room. Here is a lovely little
garden, over the end of which hangs a tree
golden oranges.
On
laden with
the balcony stand two chairs, each bearing
a copper pan of about twelve inches in diameter and three inches in
depth, with water for us to
Japan.
Pendent from
the
wash
eaves
of
in.
the
Soap roof
is
unknown
hangs
a
in
little
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
trapeze-like contrivance, which
is
hand
at
in
a large
huge boulder-stone and has a
During our ramble which concerns
itself
Some
houses.
the towel horse
but this
;
is
empty,
own towels. A further supply wooden bucket which rests on a
Japan carry their
for travellers in
of water
is
75
ladle lying across
after breakfast
it.
we soon come upon
a shop
only with the making and selling of Jos
of these are very interesting, and they are
Then we
marvellously cheap.
all
see a cabinet manufactory, where
such cabinets as the Japanese must use for the storing of their clothes (although
never saw one
I
are so absurdly cheap that
The
sent to England.
home was I
bought
it
I
in
;
hence what was absurdly cheap where
was absurdly dear when
The sun was
These
afterwards
I
cabinet cost thirty shillings, but the freight
seven pounds
Having made the
any house) are made.
purchased one, which
reached
it
circuit of the town,
its
destination.
we returned
to our boat.
bright and the sky clear, but there was a strong
cold breeze blowing. We were soon under way. After tiffin I went on deck, and surely scenery never was more lovely than that which I now beheld. There was that soft drawing of mountains
on the skies which
and the scene was It
I
have never before seen out of Switzerland, enchanting.
in truth
must not be supposed that our steam launch
vessel.
although
A it
little
paint would have improved
has a deck with a cabin beneath
it,
and the cabin
for while there
is
is
reached by
a hole in
cabin, appears as a hole
it
nor
rail
— —any well
a model ;
a stoke-hole,
it,
engine-room, the deck has neither seats upon
is
appearance
its
and
and
around
means you please, when you are in the there are no steps by can be made therefore
the deck which,
in
its
ceiling,
which either the descent or the ascent
;
getting from the deck to the cabin, or from the cabin to the deck, involves the performance of acrobatic feats of no
The
mean
order.
stoke-hole and engine-room are reached from the cabin
through an aperture about two
feet
by
thirteen inches.
Windows,
which should have consisted of twenty-four panes of glass ranged in
longitudinal series, form the sides of the cabin
twelve panes at one side six are broken,
five
;
but of the
being entirely out.
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
76
This, although of
little
importance had the craft been nestling
on the bosom of a small inland lake or of some placid might prove serious
if
caught by breakers from the broad
river,
Pacific,
it is on the fringe of this ocean that we float. Lounging on the deck of our little craft, I am lost in admiration of the lovely scenery as it is lit by the last rays of the setting-
and
sun
but while comparing our speed with that of a Japanese junk
;
which we overtake and reverie
am
pass, I
by a sharp and curious
my
suddenly aroused from
noise,
which
followed by clouds
is
Our
of ashes and steam rising from the entrance of the cabin.
boat stops, for the boiler has burst
put out the
We
fire.
now
are
any kind.
sailing gear of
in
the fire-chamber, and has
perfectly helpless, for
Perceiving that the night
and that without assistance we must speedily
mighty ocean,
my
first
impulse
Saumarez
proceed to do.
is
little
So
all
which
and
is
out into the I
at
once to
finds to his sorrow but
deck, one having brought with
immediately held out as a signal of
it
gets nearer,
Our Japanese
him the
made
at snail's
friends
fast to the
distress, while a
very
The junk
ap-
now only fifty yards off, but it passes shout that we will giwt much money for its effect.
A
rope
thrown, and we
is
junk and towed towards the shore, but only
pace, for the tide
ever, boats
table-cloth,
it is
This produces
their help.
we
on,
tinned meat, half a pot of jam, and one or two biscuits.
come on
proaches,
are
coming
instinctively drops into the cabin
chorus of shouts asks aid of the junk near by.
by.
is
to hail the junk, which
ascertain the nature of our food suppl}^,
a
drift
we have no
come from
against
is
us.
In a short time, how-
the land to our aid, and stepping into one
leave the steamer in charge of our sailors, and
row
straight for
the lights of Kobe.
Our next excursion is to much Celadon ware is made ;
desire
to
Japan, and at
which
visit. I it
am is
Little
is
yet
the
Sanda pottery
a district which
known
I
district,
where
have a special
of the Celadon wares of
informed no European has yet visited the potteries
made.
The Awadji
two days since have only been
potteries
which we
visited
—
one visited by two Europeans Englishman and one Frenchman, but these were in the employ of
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
the Japanese Government, and,
77
understand, were not interested
I
in potter's wares.
January
31.
—At 6.30 we
by 7.30 we have started
in
are astir; at 7
we
breakfast
our jinrikishas for Shidewara
the centre of the district in which the Celadon ware
;
Sanda,
in
made.
is
and
As
our journey, we are told, will take about four and a half hours
we
calculate that
may
night
men
we have an easy
be spent
day's
work before
and that
us,
our comfortable beds at Kobe.
in
Three
are engaged for each jinrikisha so as to economise time.
For several miles the road ascends and borders a rocky
The
the bottom of which flows a mountain str.eam.
defile, in
highest point
being gained, the road becomes easier, winding through paddy fields
but while to ing from
me
Kobe
gallop on,
the work of pulling us up the long incline stretchto the
summit of the pass seemed
run as though they could never
Shidewara at twelve
o'clock,
have brought with
me
killing, the
men
and with occasional cheery shouts
are yet as jocular as schoolboys,
I
Our men
and amidst well-cultivated gardens.
Still,
tire.
we do not reach
instead of being at four.
it till
Japan a pedometer with the view
to
of roughly ascertaining the distance traversed in out-of-the-way
and on unknown tracks
districts is
;
but an imperfect instrument,
utterly
long
the
for
useless,
but, while the
pedometer
in this particular case
strides
it
at best
proved
which these coolies
took
during their wild and joyous gallops were most unfairly recorded as so
many
make
a mile
how many The coolie in
ordinary steps, and I
have no
idea.
of their giant strides the shafts carried the
instrument, which, at the end of the day, recorded twenty-three miles as the distance run
toilsome pull up the
;
hill,
but
I
at the
am
persuaded that the long and
commencement
being considered, the speed did not average
less
of the journey,
than
five
miles
an hour.
At Shidewara we
learnt that here,
there are five potteries, but that to
be the
case.
assistants, appears district.
A
all
and
in villages
are small,
and
this
near by,
we
find
master with his son, or with one or two
to be the entire staff of each pottery in the
In Shidewara itself there are two potteries, one of which
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
78 is
exceedingly small
we
interest,
make wares
but as neither
;
by a track
leave the town
of any special
or road, which leads to a
plateau of moorland on the ridge of a high mountainous
little
We
hill.
have traversed about a mile and a half of ascending
we come to three small potteries near to each other, owned by various branches of one family. Here we rest for and road when
a time and inspect the wares of the different manufacturers the shades of evening seem to hint that return
viewing the scenery around the
hills
and
on the one
in the
we
dells
and
side,
us,
which
is
till
time for us to
a few minutes in
grand and
lovely.
On
get shadows mingling with vapours
of roseate light on the other, while
tips
across yonder valley rises a vast range of hills
now
is
we cannot go without spending
but
;
it
whose summits are
of glowing pink as the last rays of the setting sun
fall
on
their snow-clad peaks.
Our
coolies start
on the return journey with an
by the bracing
tread, induced
air
elasticity of
and a descending road, which
soon brings us to Shidewara, where we find Mr. Ishida (who had stayed behind somewhere on the way), and, to our surprise, the
Government
who had accompanied us to Awadji seated in Where the Government official can have sprung
official
a tea-house.
from we cannot imagine,
his first
is
we must
returning, as
stay the night here
we
are in no
;
but Saumarez and
way prepared
and have not even a tooth-brush with the dangers of the
and worse bridges,
staying the
night
beautiful town,
as best
In
we
is
carried on
we can
we consent
on
for a two-days' journey,
To
us.
his pleading that
thus
is
near, that the village in
very beautiful, and that by
see
to remain
is
another
industry and
a
and to get through the night
can.
front
of every Japanese hotel,
greater portion of little
insist
;
industry
this
I
way are considerable, owing to the bad roads we turn a deaf ear but when we are told that
the chief seat of the basket manufacture
which
appearance amongst
Ishida informs us that he has secured us rooms, and
us to-day. that
for this
its
length, there
is
and running along the
a sort of seat which, although
more than a continuation of the
floor
beyond the
sliding
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
partitions, constitutes the
place,
windows.
and here we have our dinner
This ;
is
79
the travellers' resting-
but to our sorrow most of
we brought with us have disappeared, and what remains in the way of provisions is chiefly a pot of jam. It was a happy thought of Saumarez putting that jam in the basket, for in most places rice can be got for money and although poor the sandwiches which
;
water scarcely forms of
rice boiled in
gives
makes
a relish and
it
since the time of which
only jam and a
and
rice,
monument ought
I
I
it,
now
jam
a satisfactory meal,
Very
at least, palatable. write,
have
often,
made my meal
I
of
soon came to the solemn conclusion that
Saumarez for first introducing jam when on an inland journey
to be erected to
the practice of carrying English in
itself
Japan.
The wayside place,
—
hostelry or rural inn of Japan
is
an interesting
scrupulously clean rooms separated only by sliding
its
paper partitions,
raised
its
on which the Mikado would
dais,
sit
should he ever select this apartment as his resting-place, the side-
opening
the
in
which
partition
rails
off this
domestic throne,
through which his food Avould be passed, the balcony outside the
room with the garden beyond, and the
bath, which
for the refreshment of the traveller, give
to
cannot
fail
is
deemed necessary its
hotel look slides
are
supplied
enclosed in a separate room, which generally
within sight of the central
within
is
a character which
to please.
While the bath lies
it
damp
courtyard or garden,
that the process of unrobing
precincts
;
and
here,
where
all
may
all
the rooms,
I
is
not
be conducted
the rooms of the
upon the one enclosure, and where the
removed from
it
front
window-
observe two of the
newly-arrived occupants of opposite rooms undress, and wearing literally
nothing but a smile, walk along the balconies
the public rooms in the most unconcerned
manner
neither noticing, nor being noticed, save
by the rude
in front
possible
;
of
and,
foreigner,
proceed towards the bath-room, which the one enters while the other remains on the balcony awaiting his turn. tainly a
There
charming simplicity about the Japanese, who,
condition he
may
be,
has never
\'ct
in
is
cer-
whatever
discovered that under any
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
So
circumstances he
me were
is
naked.
have seen
I
indeed strange sights
but
;
at
many
what
hotels
to
never saw a lustful look,
I
a lewd act, nor any manifestation of ill-advised emotion, incon-
may seem
ceivable as this
European mind.
to the
we
After our meal, which consisted chiefly of rice and jam,
ask for a
brandy or wine, as we thereby hope
little
but nothing of the kind
digestion
;
heard of
in this
we
known
happy and innocent town.
clap our hands, for this
manner
the
is
Our beds
called in Japan.
are soon ready
Saumarez and three
lets for
is
for
to encourage
or has ever been
Being ready
in :
for bed,
which the servant
is
there are three cover-
me, and to each
allotted a
is
bag
of rice husks for a pillow.
We
are scarcely in bed
when
a girl enters our
walls of most rooms consist of movable slides, readily be pushed aside, one
nothing
a
in
to take
any of which can
always being surprised by the
is
some unexpected corner, for there is Japanese room that represents a door or fixed place
entrance of a servant
of entrance,
room
In these strange houses where three
a pillow out of a cupboard.
— people
in
enter
most convenient to
at
the
point
we we
rise,
and on pushing aside the
themselves.
At
seven
in
the morning
window-slides in front of
us,
perceive that
been placed on the open balcony
in
a small tub has
front of our room,
beside this stands a large vessel of water covered with
ice,
while
and that
a towel hangs from the pendent towel-horse, for Mr. Sakata has
explained that
we were unprepared
home.
Hot water
and
added
this
shiver
is,
for
spending the night from,
however, brought us
to the cold
in
a
little "
serves at least to melt the
and wash, and dry ourselves as well as we
Japanese towel,
should be remembered,
it
is
piggin,"
ice.
can,
We for
a
only a piece of thin
blue-and-white cotton cloth, of three feet in length and ten inches in
width,
pattern,
purpose
it
and while
it
is
adorned with an
often
interesting
appears to the European but imperfectly to serve the
for
and on two
which little
it
is
Our beds
intended.
are cleared away,
trays about twelve inches square and supported
on legs three inches
in
height,
is
borne our breakfast, which
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
consists of tea, boiled
a
in
large
The
room.
of the
eggs,
covered wooden tea
and
rice
the
being brought
rice
iron frame over a hibachi (fire-holder) resting
the
in
supported
a teapot
in
is
—
which stands
vessel
8i
on the
centre
by a small
The
floor.
eggs are in saucers, one of which occupies a corner of each of
our trays, and with the exception of an empty bowl, a diminu-
and a pair of new chop-sticks Avhich
cup,
tive
fill
three other
corners of our trays, they constitute the entire settings of our breakfast-table.
A
serving
girl,
who
brings with her a small tray,
behind the rice-box, and holds out
one at a time. of a
flat
to
kneels
one and then to the
place on
it
our rice bowls,
Putting into the bowl a portion of rice by the aid
wooden spoon, she hands and
solely to serve the rice
choose to ask
first
we may
other her tray in order that
now
We
for.
it
have some
breakfast, for as there are
to
owner, her duty being
its
anything that a guest
to bring
may
eating our
little difficulty in
neither egg-cups nor egg-spoons,
we
have to adopt a method of peeling and sucking and sucking and
which would scarcely seem elegant
peeling,
European breakfast-table
At
eight o'clock
we
;
and worse than
are there, for the morning, which
and
frosty,
little
if
practised
we can
at
get no
a
salt.
are on our road for Arima, the seat of the
basket-manufactures, and a lovely road
we
all
hence our coolies run
is
we
travel.
fine
and
Arima
well.
is
In two hours
clear, is still cold
a most charming
Swiss-like village, beautifully situated on the side of a valley
where a mountain torrent dances between moss-grown stones and winds beneath the shade of rich overhanging street of the
The
foliage.
chief
town consists almost wholly of basket-manufactories,
bathing establishments, and charming tea-houses, and here nearly all
the buildings are two storeys in height.
A
more
esqueness of
beautiful its
town than
this I
never saw, for the pictur-
buildings and their delightful cleanliness would of
themselves render
it
most
attractive
;
but here
scenery, lichen-covered crags,
moss-grown
and
impetuous
withal,
indeed
is
the
rushing
Arima, that
I
of
feel as if
G
stones,
waters.
we
find
plumose
So
lovely ferns,
beautiful
weeks could be spent here most
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
82
After
happily.
room
tiffin,
tea-house of the town,
in the chief
principal street
which was prepared
for
us in an
upstairs
we walked through
the
and inspected the basket manufactories, the chief
Here we
industry of the town.
many
see baskets of
kinds and
shapes, baskets both large and small, baskets so dainty that the
highest lady in any land might boudoir, be
it
give
to
ever so carefully arranged.
tion of beautiful baskets
them a place Japan
my
the land of baskets, and while up to the time of
Arima work had found
common
of a
all
kind
its ;
way
and
it
her
Indeed, such a collec-
never before met with.
I
in
is
visit
into the
London market,
was not
until
I
truly
much it
was
pointed out to
the Japanese that the better kinds would find a ready sale in
Europe that they were introduced
We
now
discover that
Arima
into England.
one of the most fashionable
is
watering-places of Japan, and that
possesses mineral springs
it
which have a great reputation
for healing virtues.
one of the bath-houses, which
in
Lukerbad
in Switzerland,
some
and here
We
look into
respects resembles those of
ladies are enjoying themselves;
but they have dispensed with even the most simple apology for
They
a bathing costume.
however,
are,
in
no way abashed by
our presence, and, to our astonishment step from the water to hear particulars of the foreign visitors.
Much is
beautiful straw-work
indeed so abundant that
But
here.
about
I
that
it
is
I
offered for sale in Arima.
thought
all
it
must be manufactured
brought from Tagima, a town
is
now
so far spent that
we
are obliged, though most
reluctantly, to take once. more to our jinrikishas,
return journey.
On
paper of an inferior character been
collected
Upon
wetting.
paper-mill
;
but,
first
feeling
start
little
on our
caravan
which we are approaching much is
made from waste paper which
and reduced to pulp by
entering the village
we stopped
little
at the
more than door of a
on being told that there are two much larger
manufactories farther
Our
and
the road Sakata stopped our
to explain that at the village
has
It
miles distant and directly inland.
fifty
Time
find
is
down
the village,
was of wonder.
we went
If this
to
one of
these.
be one of the largest
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
what must the smaller
mills vat,
83
mills be, for here there
is
but one
and that no larger than an ordinary washing-tub, one hand
frame on which the paper
made, and
is
only seventeen inches
this
by twelve, while one woman and a boy constitute the
entire staff
of the establishment.
The frame which the woman uses has a margin of wood, while a layer of bamboo threads, about as thick as the shank of an ordinary pin covered by a sheet of hard
She was
ogram, and inches deep
in ;
size
silk
which was
sitting in front of the vat,
three feet six
in
forms
its
centre.
shape a parallel-
by two, and about eighteen She had the " frame " in
was the pulp.
in this vat
her hand, and by her side rested a pile of the wet paper which
had just been formed .
;
but here the sheets were not separated the
one from the other by layers of flannel or any other substance.
Having
stirred
the contents
of the
simply dipped her
vat, she
frame into the pulp and collected as much as she wanted, and by a dexterous
movement caused
of the frame.
Allowing
the water to drain pile
it
to flow evenly over the silk surface
to rest for a few minutes to give time for
she added this newly-formed sheet to the wet
by inverting the frame, and thus went on making sheet
On
sheet.
placed, is
off,
it
after
the top of the pile of wet sheets of paper a board
and upon
this a
is
few large stones, thus a quantity of water
squeezed out from the newly-formed sheets
;
and the
fact that
these sheets do not adhere the one to the other must be explained
by the great length of the small
amount of
at this
used
I
crushing
is
The
manufacture.
size
employed
obtained from a small conical root
do not know the name, the glutinous matter being
by soaking
extracted
of Japanese paper, and by the
fibre
in its
paper manufactory
of which
A
size
it
for
long
a
time
in
water
and
then
it.
sufficient quantity of
paper, the
water having been pressed from the
boy brings a plank of wood of about
and thirteen or fourteen inches
in width,
six feet in length
and then removes the
boulder stones and the board from the newly-formed paper, then separating from the heap the uppermost sheet, and placing this
on the plank, he presses
it
down
so that
it
adheres by
its
own
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
84
moisture to the board on which
and a
third sheet.
and leans planks
operation
In one instance
by
and so with a second
placed,
I
is
disposed of in this primitive manner.
observed that an economy of space was secured
six sheets of paper being stuck to the one board
each side
air
continued with other sheets and other
is
the whole pile
till
is
in a slanting direction against the side of the house.
it
The same
it
This done, he takes the board to the open
—
three on
but this board was outside one of the small factories of
;
The paper
the village, which probably was not so rich in boards.
being dry,
simply peeled from the boards and arranged
is
it
in
bundles for the market.
We after
now go on our way, and our men run
well.
a twenty-five miles' gallop they scamper
through the town, and appear as fresh as
if
At Kobe
like wild
Arabs
they were beginning
instead of ending their hard day's work.
Our next whole of
my
journey, one of the most interesting during the
Japan, was to the ancient city of Nara,
travels in
me
where Mr. Okubo invited antiquities
to inspect the rare collection of
which have been the private property of the reigning
Mikado from very remote ages. The time at which it was formed unknown, but the collection probably consists of presents given to the early emperors by the envoys of foreign potentates, and of the spoils of war. Whatever its origin may be this is certain, that an inventory of the main body of the collection was made more than a thousand years since, and that this inventory still is
exists with the objects therein catalogued.
We
are astir early, for
now saying by
train for
Osaka
from Osaka we thirty-three
we have our packing At ten
adieu for the time to Kobe.
— an
hour's run
and a half English
half an hour on the road our
they began
by
start in jinrikishas for
it.
go through the suffering fatigue.
To me toil
it
is
rail
do
we are we leave
as
on the way to Kioto
Nara, which
miles.
to
o'clock
is
;
distant about
With but one stoppage of
men end
the journey better than
perfectly astounding
how
the coolies
which they do, and that without apparently
Fancy a heavy man
about thirteen stones), wrapped
(for
in thick coats
my
weight was then
and a
fur rug, seated
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, in
85
a carriage with a large heavy dressing-bag at his
dragged by the same men rate of
between
thirty minutes
being
feet,
and a half miles
for thirty-three
at the
and six miles an hour, with only stopping
five
The
on the journey.
exertion necessary for the
superhuman
fulfilment of this task seems almost
yet these feats
;
my
inland journey.
As though our poor coolies had not dragged already, we were told at Nara that the hotel was
us far enough
of endurance
I
shall often
have to record during
Having reached and inspected it, hotel, and that we must go
the other side of the town.
Sakata said that back to another
was not a good
it
the town
in
my
but
:
suspicion
prietor has an aversion to foreigners, for in
way
half a mile on
that the pro-
is
some of the
out-of-the
where a foreigner has never or rarely been seen the
districts
Japanese seem afraid of him, and Sakata himself brought up to believe that
if
me
tells
that he
was
ever a foreigner caught a
Japanese alone he killed and ate him
;
and when he was nine
years of age he had the firmest conviction that the belief was literally
borne out by
While the hotel
fact.
for
distant, the coolies start
from a long
rest,
as cheerfully as
No
A
people that
Japanese
is
I
a
is
good mile
they were just fresh
if
and with shouts and laughter bolt
astonishing speed. the Japanese.
which we have to make
know
most happy as
off at a
of are as
never to be angry, and
said
must say that although we were often
most trying positions
in
I I
never once saw Ishida out of temper, and
I
Sakata in the smallest degree angry, while
was frequently almost
boiling with rage.
The Japanese
are said never to scold, and
never to punish their children, yet
such happy, well-behaved children,
I
never but once saw.
I
—
heard a child cry save when actually
never in
my
before
life
so cheerful, so merry.
in
bodily pain.
Is
it
I
because
the Japanese are almost exclusively a herbivorous race while are largely carnivorous
By
we
?
six o'clock, having run thirty-four
and a half hours, we
saw
never
are
housed
in
and a half miles
in six
our hotel, a grandly quaint
building of true Japanese character, with the kitchen open to the street,
and a courtyard with a gallery
all
round.
We
dine in true
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
86
Japanese fashion on the
floor,
a recumbent position, for
Nara country. I
is
writing has to be done in
neither chairs nor table.
one of the oldest and most interesting
Prior to the revolution of
have already
signifies
my
and
we have
said,
i
means southern
capital,
of the
cities
word Kioto, as while the word Tokio
868 Kioto
(the
northern capital) was for seven hundred years the capital
of Japan, and for some years previous to this the Mikado's resi-
dence was at Nara, which was then the imperial
was
It
city.
during the imperial residence in Nara that the rare collection of antiquities to
was placed
the house where
in
remains, and
still
it
Okubo has kindly obtained for me but many objects were old even when The city also is full of antiquities of
inspect this collection Mr.
the Mikado's permission
brought together
in
;
Nara.
the greatest interest.
Up
to
two years since these
antiquities of the
Mikado had
never been seen save by those immediately connected with the
emperor himself
but then for a short time some of the treasures
;
what we might
were exposed,
in
great temples
of the
people by
railings.
call
the cloisters of one of the
town, in glass cases protected
This
is
the
first
time,
I
believe,
from the
on which
they have been shown to any foreigner, save when they were
open to public exhibition two years
since,
and
is
it
certainly the
only occasion on which the foreigner has been allowed minutely to inspect
and to handle them.
Hearing that they were to be
opened, Mr. Saumarez asked that he might see them at the same
time with me, and this permission was readily granted.
The following interesting Mai/ of ]une 12, 1875
extracts are from the Japan Weekly
:
"
Nara was
the residence of the
after this date the
remained down
to our
four were females.
Mikados from
a.d.
708
until 782.
Imperial residence was fixed at Kioto, where
own
Their
times. rule,
Seven sovereigns reigned
at
it
Shortly
has since
Nara, of
whom
with some slight interruptions, was a prosperous
and glorious one, distinguished by the cultivation of the arts, literature, and religion. In the reign of the empress Gemmio Tenno (a.d. 708 to 715) copper was first found in Japan. In 718, under the succeeding empress, a collection of laws in ten volumes was made, and shortly after a history of Japan in fifty volumes was composed.
The Mikado, Shomu Tenno
(a.d.
724
to 748),
had
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
87
relations with China, and in his eighth year two Buddhist priests arrived, one from Southern India, the other from Siam. About the fifteenth year of his
reign a colossal
Buddha
in the province of
of copper, overlaid with gold, was erected at Sitaraki,
Omi, by the exertions of a
priest
named
Kioghi,
over the whole kingdom to collect funds for the purpose. this statue
was transported
there to this day.
known
better it
will
It
Nara, and
to
is
the famous Dai-butz which exists
being three feet higher than the
fifty-three feet high,
is
Dai-butz at Kamakura.
thus be readily understood
It
who went
In the year 745
was cast
how such
in
a number of pieces, and
a colossus could be transported
from Sitaraki
to Nara. Little of the gilding anywhere is now visible. The head also of the statue is of more modern date than the rest. The temple having been burned in the sixteenth century, the head was so injured that it
the present face is much coarser and sterner than Kamakura Dai-butz, and is probably not an exact reproduction of the original. The religion of Buddha was making great progress in Japan at this time. In 746 died a priest named Gen-bo, who had brought from China
required to be replaced
;
that of the
thousand volumes of Buddhist books, and
five
many
images.
749 an
In
imperial edict was issued forbidding the slaughter of any animals in Japan.
Poetry was also
much
cultivated,
and some compositions of
this class are
still
extant.
The
"
last
sovereign of the seven,
Kwonin Tenno, died
782, and his
in
successor determined to remove the seat of Government to another place.
was some time before a to
locality
Kioto did not take place
till
was permanently 794.
fixed upon,
furniture
and property of
all
in
which the imperial
kinds was disposed.
" This building exists to this day in complete integrity.
It is
massive timbers laid horizontally, being raised from the ground on solid trunks of trees eight or ten feet high.
every
sixty-first
year since
Nara
Previously to the Court quitting
an immense wooden magazine had been erected there,
It
and the transfer
its
building, that
It is is,
said to have been
at the
made
of
pillars
of
examined
beginning of each cycle,
when necessary. What is more astonishing is that the objects deposited there by the Mikados have been kept in perfect safety from the eighth century down to the present time, having escaped the danger of fire, and repaired
robbery, and turbulent times, those destroying agencies which in no other part of the world, probably, have ever allowed any building of importance, less
have
a wooden one, to remain intact for so long a period. in the course of centuries
been added
Some
much
fresh objects
to the original collection, but those
which belong to the first deposit are all named in an inventory made in the eighth century which was deposited with them, and they can thus be identified
and distinguished from recent additions. " This being the age of exhibitions and popular the head of some antiquary that it was time to bring
it
came
to light the long
into
hidden
Nara repository. Hence the Nara exhibition, which has been by many foreigners during the present summer, although we suspect
treasures of the visited
instruction,
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
88
had any idea of the extraordinary character of the objects We have, it is true, in Europe marvellous collections
that very few have
exposed
to their view.
of the antiquities of
all
ages, which have been brought together piecemeal.
The genuineness and exact date of some of these objects can be ascertained, but how many of them are damaged and mutilated from the vicissitudes they have undergone, and of how many is the history and origin more or less open to question
What would
.?
the antiquarians of
Europe say
if
an ancient building
containing the household furniture and effects of Charlemagne, with a catalogue
same made under
of the
opened
for the first time,
preservation
But of such a kind
!
now
that monarch's immediate' direction, ^ were
and the contents announced
now
the exhibition
is
to
be on view,
to
be
all in fine
oft'ered to the
eyes of
Japanese antiquaries. "
The temple The
of Dai-butz affords a convenient locale for the display of these objects brought from the royal magazine are arrayed in the
curiosities.
area immediately round the great statue, on each side and behind outer galleries or cloisters which form the exterior of the temple
is
it.
a
In the
still
more
extensive collection of antiquities, contributed by various temples or by private
To some
possessors.
of these objects a
that of the contents of the
still
higher antiquity
is
attributed than
Nara magazine, and the very remarkable character
we have inspected induces us to think that this belief is well know exactly what external evidence of their age
of several which
founded, although we do not exists.
"
Amongst
century
which there
is
screens,
pictures,
books, sculptures, masks, of
a very large collection, pottery, and glass, copper bowls and
dishes, spoons, soap
(!)
round cakes the
in large
and ornaments,
scratchers, beads dresses, hats,
Nara Mikados of the eighth
the curiosities belonging to the
may be mentioned
and nondescript
bells,
articles.
size of quoits, tortoise-shell
weapons and
back-
utensils of various kinds,
Probably the larger part of these things
The
are of foreign origin, and principally Chinese.
eighth century was the
middle period of the great Tang dynasty (a.d. 620-907) and the books and pictures here collected
are a rich field for the
Some
literature during that time. likely to
poetry which
be Indian or Persian than Chinese.
A
study of Chinese art and
we saw
struck us as
more
jug or ewer of white glass,
about a foot high, excited some incredulity as an object of the eighth century. We were told by one informant that it was not to be found in the original inventory, while another antiquary,
assured us that
it
is
there.
able for the freshness of
been
just
cloisters
^
him
is
said to
is
engaged
in
studying the collection,
—
The miscellaneous collection in the outer various ages, from some alleged to be one
mill.
embraces objects of
number
who
specimen of Chinese writing paper was remarkappearance smooth and unstained, it might have
produced from the
Charlemagne of the
its
A
have been so particular that he had an exact
of eggs which the hens laid
upon
his property.
register furnished
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, thousand
hundred years
five
The most
old,
down
89
to those of the time of
Taiko-sama.
antique of these curiosities are certain bronzes which have an Indian
and some statuettes of clay (?) which remind one of Greek work more than anything else. Some wooden statues, of nondescript physiognomy character,
may perhaps be
We
Corean.
of remarkable
artist,
saw one picture ascribed
The
merit.
pictures, on
best
and there were many specimens of
Corean
whole, are
the
The Japanese
attributed to Chinese artists, or copies from such. lovers of autographs,
to a celebrated
those
are great
this class of relic
notably writings by Yoritoma, Taikosama, and lyeyasu.
It would be imposfrom two days' cursory inspection of the Nara exhibition to give more
sible
than the faintest idea of the value and curiosity of
its
contents.
evident
It is
that here are the materials for the study of Indian, Chinese, antiquities,
such as are not likely to
satisfactory to in
and Japanese be congregated anywhere else, and it is
know
that Japanese antiquaries of high attainments are
engaged
cataloguing and describing the collection.
We
have been reading and preparing ourselves
morrow and was first found
of the -gold
it
may
in
Japan
;
made
of Nara, which was
Shomu Tenno,
in
the fifteenth year of the reign of
was covered with
hence the gold employed
metal,
year 749, the great Dai-butz
in the
or in the year 739,
entirely brought
in
start with
my
work had been
vast
this
this precious
from foreign countries.
Saturday the 3d of February 1877 great day in
for the sights
be worth while to mention that while
We
history.
one of the
Museum
are
up
officials
always remain a
will
at seven,
and
after breakfast
from Tokio, who has been
sent to conduct us to the treasury and the sights of the town. First,
we
here, as fire.
see
a
temple
everywhere
else
consisting in
Japan,
of
much
buildings
several
but
;
has been destroyed by
Originally the garan or complete temple
(or,
as
we should
group of temples) consisted of a number of buildings, one of which was the main temple or kon-do, one a pagoda or to, say,
one the eating-house or shioku-do, one the saidono, and one the bath-house or yuya.
been destroyed by
fire,
or nanyen-do, has been
have been added, and
while
eastern
Some
southern
From time to whole were now
rebuilt. if
the
would consist of a pagoda or nanyen-do, an
one, the
golden
lecture -room
to,
a southern
temple
or
or
of these have
round temple time, buildings
standing,
they
round temple or
tokin-do,
a
western
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
90
golden temple or saikin-do, a chief temple or kon-do, a lecture-
room
or ko-do, a northern round temple or hokuyen-do, a bath-
house or yuya, a building termed an anteroom or hosodono, and a
refreshment -house called shioku-do
now remain
but
;
pagoda, the eastern
the
are
of these
golden
that
all
temple, the
northern
round temple, and the southern round temple which
has been
rebuilt,
have been
but the three old buildings which
in existence
Under each of the main temples of one of sacred buildings material
of this
;
these groups of
indeed, the Buddhist scriptures enjoin the performance
The
rite.
materials prescribed for this purpose are pearls,
the Japanese shako, which
and a kind of
shell
by
called
appears to be that of the Sqiiilla
new or southern round temple is a great Buddha Buddha of which we read last night), but although
In the
mantis.
(not the great
proportions are colossal,
in a large
and
ill-lit
it is
building,
not very
where
it is
visible,
being enshrined
seen only through white
In front of this colossal figure are
curtains partly drawn.
sacred vessels, indeed, so many, that with the image and
roundings the temple is
remain
customary to bury seven pieces of precious
it is
gold, silver, agate, coral, amber,
its
still
about twelve hundred years.
filled almost to the door,
is
allowed to enter the building save the
sur-
and no one
The
priest.
many
its
disappoint-
ment to me caused by this arrangement was great. The northern temple of this group contains another Buddha and a number of other idols, besides an immense pile of blocks used for printing the Buddhist scriptures, but this Dai-butz
comparatively small.
The
are about twenty inches
and a half
in
long, nine inches
The
thickness.
is
blocks used for printing the scriptures
grain of the
broad, and an inch
wood runs through-
out the length, and they are engraved on both sides, the engraving,
however, only extending within two inches of each end.
much
These blocks are engraved print wall papers, that
is,
and produce the impression vening wood inch.
is
cut
away
like
those
the portion which is
to the
left
is
with which
we
to receive the ink
standing, while
all
the inter-
depth of about one-eighth of an
The unengraved end -portions
of the block are reduced
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
to the thickness of about three-quarters
of an
91
inch,
and serve
only as handles.
may be
It I
thought that
speaking of these printing-blocks,
in
ought to have compared them with the blocks from which we
woodcut
print our
illustrations
but the reader
;
I
woodcuts are engraved upon wood with a
vertical grain,
the
blocks of which
woodcuts also parts
are
are
but
I
under-
will better
stand their nature by the parallel which
have drawn,
for
our
whereas
Our
speak have a longitudinal grain.
engraved with great fineness, and the sunk
little
below
general
the
surface
of the block,
both our wall paper blocks and the Japanese blocks
whereas of which
I
speak are cut more deeply and
in
a
more simple
manner.
many
In this temple are also there
indeed,
are
piles
of such,
small gods formed of
wood
;
they being
the remains of a thousand figures, which were
formerly arranged together in the manner of the
members of
concerts .
;
the chorus at one of our great
and of the old arrangement of these
gods they show us a model.
I
am
struck with
the simplicity of treatment which these figures present,
and with the crispness and beauty of
their folded drapery, indeed, the treatment of
the drapery reminds
me by
its
simple excel-
lence of the best sculptured works of our
mediaeval times
own
and between some of these
and those with which we are familiar
figures in
;
own
our
cathedrals there
is
a striking reFig.
semblance (Fig. 25).
Seeing
these works, the priest presents
They
my
interest in
me
25.
Small God, or
Stati'e, carved
in
Wood.
with two.
are about eight inches in height, and while one
perfect the other has in part crumbled
away through
is
tolerably
the effects
of time.
In the eastern golden temple there
many
curious idols,
some of
life size,
is
another Buddha, and
some larger, which evidently The priest now tells us,
represent peoples of various nations.
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
92
these idols were presents from China, others from
some of
that
and that
India,
uncommon
not
is
it
Japan
in
presents
to find
of this description in the great Buddhist temples.
This
temple,
much
is
A
decay.
to
the
like
out of repair
we were permitted
last
indeed, what
;
is
here stored
number of coarse earthen
hundred years
and resembling
since,
often served
is
(only in
this
enter, falling
made about
vessels
a
form a modern tea-cup
in
on which the
of the country, with a particular form of stand
cup
to
is all
case,
cup and the stand
the
are larger than those of the present day and are united together), are
as well
here,
as
such as
I
saw
Tokio
in
mace -like
one of those curious
consisting of a bent stem of the (Fig. 19).
Nelumbium
censers,
Buddhist lotus)
(or
This censer has a flower and
leaf at the end, the flower ascending
and the
while in the centre of the stem there
a
is
leaf descending,
young and unexpanded
leaf.
This object was made about a hundred years ago, and
while
I
have only seen
Buddha holds
it
and that incense Seeing priest
my
presents
in is
his
it
left
upon an
altar,
I
am
hand when he prays
sometimes burnt upon
informed that for his
mother,
it.
admiration for both the cups and this censer, the
one of the former and the
latter to
me, and
have no compunctions of conscience about taking them, is
here perishing
will
;
and soon, unless things greatly change,
be ruin and desolation.
Under
the Shogunate
I
for all all
rule these
monuments of antiquity were carefully preserved but the present Government seem to consider it no part of their duty to guard ;
from destruction these ancient buildings and their contents. We next visit the pagoda, which is a splendid structure of
remarkably
fine proportions.
There
is
the pagodas of Japan and of China.
always uninteresting and possessed of
a great difference between
While the little
beauty, those of the
former are invariably both graceful and beautiful. ever, the
Our
in
In China, how-
form than
in
Japan.
priest-guide opens for us the door of the pagoda, and
entering,
By
pagodas are much more varied
latter are nearly
we
find a
few idols
climbing, scrambling, and
arranged
on
its
basement
upon floor.
squeezing through spaces which
ART,
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
are almost too small for
me
to pass,
I
93
reach the upper gallery,
from which we have a magnificent view of Nara and roundings.
am now
I
informed that
who has been permitted the
to
first
whom
the
I
am
the
to ascend this pagoda,
eastern
golden
sur-
its
European
first
and that
I
am
temple has ever been
opened.
Time temples
is
;
hence we
passing,
we must not
but
cannot tarry longer without
leave
at
these
inspecting an
old
— Lions of Corean workmanship, guarding the gateway of the great Temple of Todaiji in Kioto. It is impossible to view these without the thought
Fig. 26.
of the lion and the unicorn being
coniferous
tree
the
in
awakened
of
old
trees,
cone-bearing plants
especially ;
the mind.
grounds, the
horizontally with great grandeur.
fond
in
branches of which spread
The Japanese
of the
species
of
are particularly fir
and other
propping up their branches with great care
and securing them so that neither storm nor tempest
them
off.
From
tip to tip
shall lop
the horizontal branches of the tree
before us measure one hundred and forty-eight
feet.
We
now
give a subscription to the temple, bid adieu to the priest, and leave.
Walking nearly a quarter of a mile we arrive at the temple This of the Great Buddha (Dai-butz), the largest in Japan. is
the
years
temple of Todaiji, built eleven hundred and thirty -one since.
At
the gateway stand two stone lions (Fig. 26)
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
94
supposed to be of Corean workmanship.
In the porch, at the
=
gateway, are two colossal standing gods or niwo with a club of a form
name
is
common
mitsshaku kongo
Fijian weapons,
in
first
kings, one
and whose
the other bearing a brazen mace, such
;
hand while praying, and named
as a Buddhist priest holds in his
narayen kongo.
This porch,
many
is
which these
in
deities
have
for so
wooden uprights in height by twelve feet in one hundred feet (or pillars) being Having passed this colossal gateway we go circumference. years stood,
of vast proportions,
its
chief
through a second of similar proportions, then across the courtyard to the temple
Buddha, for
itself,
wherein the great Buddha
fifty-three feet in height,
almost
This
enshrined.
is
the enormous temple,
has a nimbus eighty -seven feet in diameter, on which rest
it
sixteen images, each eight feet high.
by
fills
broad
nine feet six inches
;
Its face
sixteen feet long
is
shoulders are twenty-eight feet
its
seven and a half inches broad, while nine hundred and sixty-six curls
adorn
head.
its
The temple posture)
in
has been
which twice
great
this
figure
by
destroyed
fire.
rests
sitting
(in
During the
last
fire the head of the figure was much injured and loosened, and shortly afterwards it was thrown down by an earthquake, when
a
new head was
The head
cast.
of this figure
nearly so well as that of the Great Dai-butz
much inferior to that The new head was cast in the
and indeed figure.
Our
it is
visit
to this temple
enough met with here he be
any student of the
days
if
is
not weeks
first
past,
but as
;
is
whether
we
are
to
inspection of the collection of ancient objects in
Buddha.
;
sixteenth century.
destination and renewed our acquaintance with him,
the
Kamakura
of the other parts of the
show us the great collection we must hurry on. Having reached our
keeping Mr. Machida (who of antiquities) waiting,
at
like
necessarily short, while there
is
to interest
artist or antiquarian, for
do not
I
we begin our
Nara, and find
part in corridors surrounding this temple of the great
The
objects here displayed are arrayed chiefly in plain
pine-wood glass-fronted cases, so fastened that the contents
may
any tampering with
easily be detected, for, instead of being furnished
ART,
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
with locks which, as
made
in
may
Japan,
95
be easily picked, they
simply fastened by twisted strips of tough paper
are
strung
through two clasps and knotted together, while a red stamp
The stamp used
impressed upon the folds of the knot.
purpose somewhat resembles our old-fashioned
formed of wood, and the part which
and not sunk.
raised
This seal
is
it
is
to yield the impression
is
charged with a kind of red
is
paint,
and then pressed upon the knot of the
It
obvious that a contrivance of this kind
is
in the
way
of keeping out a thief;
but
it
it
of adjustment to bring
soft paper-string. will
cannot
whether the case has been tampered with or has once been untied
for this
only
seals,
is
do nothing fail
not, for
show
to
the knot
if
would be quite impossible by any amount all
the parts of the impressed seal again
together in proper relation to one another.
Through the kindness of Mr. Machida these seals are broken whenever I wish to investigate any object, and I feel it to be indeed a privilege to handle and examine these rarest of antiquities. Here are sword blades one thousand three hundred years old,
which are made of copper, but these belonged to the gods
(idols),
and came from a temple called Horiu-zi
There
is
(zi
means
church).
a large iron shield about six feet in height, in every
On a saddle, way well wrought but its age is unknown. known to be about one thousand years old, is a conventional ;
Persian -like
A
good.
peacock, wrought
repousse brass, which
in
is
very
Chinese vase, which has been here preserved for over a
thousand years, and has a black ground, with a spray of bamboo
and certain rocks wrought upon are
wood
it
in
gray,
carvings of lions executed with great spirit
but the ages of which are
unknown
one thousand three hundred years thousand years of age.
There
is
;
two old,
by
sceptres, the
ings of
There
" feeling,"
one being is
one
a thin iron bowl most beautifully ;
this
is
a thousand
such vessels were formerly carried through the streets
;
priests,
and
while the other
shaped, the bottom of which has been patched years old
interesting.
is
who
held them out for the purpose of receiving offer-
rice.
One
piece of bronze-casting, which has been preserved in the
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
96
Mikado's collection ever since the inventory was made a thousand years since, ever seen.
as perfect a work, of
is
It
any that
kind, as
its
I
have
the frame of a sacred gong, and consists of
is
two dragons entwined together and standing on the back of a In another work a lotus flower cast in bronze springs
griffin.
from an ornament consisting of flames superposed on water water and the heat producing vegetation spirit or
god (Buddha) that
work
on the
sits
The age
Another
which the petals are
a crystal drop (Fig.
the
reaching up to the
flower.
unknown.
is
age, in
—
of this
lotus of great all
tipped with
and a small clay
27),
figure with the hair so arranged as to resemble
exactly what
we know
as the jester's cap with
which have been added *"m7';^''^t'/'''^°'"'' (Nelumbium) Flower, preserved in the Imperial treasury, with crystal drop in metal socket hanging from its
apex.
Each
is
in
of the
a tunic, evidently of Chinese workmanship, -T'
^y[^\^
-'
'
^ nchly-embroidcred collarcttc in gold
and colours
long shoc-Hke stirrups on which
;
of the outer
flower
had
things
later years there
i
petals
Of
occur in the collection.
ass's ears,
•
1
i
''"'^''^'
about
five
hundred years
since,
the
earlier
form of stirrup where the front part of the foot was incased
There are one or two simple pieces of
truncated cone.
j
thc foot would rcst, and which supci'sedcd,
being chairs and a small cabinet, six hundred years
old,
in a
furniture,
both used
on ceremonial occasions, and several pieces of armour which belonged to that warrior to whose
Kobe
(Hiojo),
and
in front of
memory
which
I
a temple was built at
saw the beacon
fires
during
the time of the illuminations a few days since.
There was
also an entire
row of Chinese Celadon vases (each
of about twenty-two inches in height),
some having the sea-green
glaze on white, and others on red, earth.
Certain of these bear
bands of Chinese ornament or sprays of foliage wrought upon them, while the ornament on others
But the most curious object singular formation (Fig. 28).
a rat which
sits
is
obviously Indian in character.
in the collection
Here the
upon the top of a
oil is
is
perhaps a lamp of
stored in the
body of
Half way down the pole
pole.
and resting on a projecting bracket
is
a
saucer, in the centre of
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, which
a pin that connects
is
saucer
with the bracket on which
it
and leaning over
saucer,
this
in
is filled
with
a lamp which exhibits no peculiar
qualities
till
most of the
oil
has been con-
a
stream, which
Then suddenly replenish
to
suffices
now
the
rests
:
the
is lit
we have sumed.
it
When
a wick.
side, is
its
and the wick
oil
97
nearly
ex-
hausted saucer, issues from the mouth of the
The
rat.
saucer being
discharged from the
no more
full,
mouth
rat's
oil is
till
it
is
again nearly empty, when the kind creature sitting "
up
and so on
store of oil
till its
The manner
in
which
this
the
effect
although
simple,
a further supply,
aloft " yields
curious, for
achieved
produced
cannot run from a vessel unless
admitted to take rises
air
is Fig.
The peg which
place.
its
it
on which
to the support
terminates in a knob or cap
;
on which the rat
but the peg
as is
is
hollow and
the rat
by a tube which runs along the bracket and then ascends
perforated immediately below
its
above the bottom of the saucer. oil
hole
therefore
From
is
oil
It is
this
oil
can run from the
part of
the collection
some two hundred yards
much more
is
distant,
should be noticed,
exposed
no further
oil,
The
body.
obvious, then, that
to run out of the rat's
again covered by
no more
it
rat's
cap, or about half an
sinks to a point at which this hole
and thus allow the this
rests, as well
connected with the body of
is
pin which stands in the centre of the saucer,
the
pre-
by the detail, A. The lamp about two feet in height.
through the stand to the upper portion of the
is
Lamp,
indicated in the rat's body and in the upper part of the stem
rests
it
28.— Curious
served in the Nara treasury. The construction of the lamp is
the centre of the saucer and at-
in
taches
is
whereby
principle of the vent-peg or pipet fluid
is
only an application of the
is
it
exhausted.
is is
rat's
is
when
air will enter
mouth
air
inch
;
but when
admitted, and
mouth.
we walked
to a
building
which contains a second and
interesting series of objects.
This portion
is
arranged
in a
kind of entrance-hall and
H
in
one
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
98
Machida informs us that everything in the room is known to be at least twelve hundred years old but all the objects are not Japanese, nor is he able to say whence many Some, however, are obviously Chinese, and of them have come.
large room, and Mr.
;
some
while
Indian,
Indian
and half
which are half Chinese
several,
character, are perhaps from Tibet, Yarkand, or other
in
inland country lying near to India and China.
we have
In this room
a magnificent collection of art objects,
which have found their home
But what
years.
in
me most
interests
perhaps
woven
the
is
and are thoroughly mediaeval and
Had
their patterns.
made
I
certain specimens from
sington
Museum had
were more Arabian
One of a
not
known
but a cursory examination, the
and had
I
should have supposed that
collection
in
the South
Ken-
been lent for exhibition here, while others
in character.
of the Arabian-looking
fabrics
reminded
me
strongly
in
which a
VArt Arabe,
in that magnificent work
plate
the style of
in
to the contrary, I
Bock
Italian
fabrics,
preserva-
for these, while of this great antiquity, are in perfect tion,
hundred
for at least twelve
Japan
portrayed (see plate entitled Etoffe dc
similar fabric
is
XI I.
In the specimen here at Nara the pattern consists
"^
sicde).
of circles
ientiirc,
regularly distributed, both horizontally and vertically,
and separated from one another by a distance equal to about half their diameter.
These
circles are fringed
by
a sort of Arabian
ornament, of such width that these fringings of the various almost meet. face,
circles
In each circle are two conventional lions, face to
while in the spaces intervening between the circles are other
Red and
small animals.
dull yellow
is
not an
uncommon com-
bination of colour in these Arabian-looking fabrics here. fabrics of this
There are printed cotton the
figure
the
colour of
a
is
usually white, on
pattern
to
the
agent,
figured
while
" resist."
ground
others
appear to
portion of the fabric having
tected from the action of the dye
a
period also, where
plain coloured
Belonging to
;
having, obviously, been removed by
the ground
colour -discharging
some
this
by what
is
owe
their
been pro-
technically termed
remote age, there
is
also
a very
ART,
by two
piece of leather, about fifteen inches
fine in
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
of white lines arranged in the form of well considered
and a
scrollwork,
enamel
cloisonne
dish, with the wires projecting
from the body about one -sixteenth of an in
six inches
feet
of pleasant yellow-brown colour, and with a pattern con-
size,
sisting
99
the cells
The enamel
inch.
however, concave, for the surface has never been
is,
Of
ground down.
same age are
the
most excellent
certain
metal mirrors, some being circular, and one being square
some of these (probably all but one) The one that is certainly Japanese
now
and about
circular, its
fifteen
back closely resembles
One from
be found on similar objects.
to
but
are of Chinese manufacture. is
inches in diameter, and the pattern on
those which are
;
China has
its
character
but the Japanese mirror has a case covered with a
red
;
fabric of
silk ;
back figured with a geometrical pattern of Celtic
mixed
colours,
—
gray-white, yellow, blue, and dull
of which are outlined with black, and
all
The
ground.
of
pattern
Persian and that kind of
this
flat
fabric
is
in
ornament which
background of pre-Raphaclite
pictures.
on a green
fall
between
character is
general as the
There are some grand
pieces of Indian embroidery, in which the simplicity and purity
of the ornament
is
delightful.
These certainly surpass
in
tender-
ness of line, precision of form, and just distribution of the parts,
have before seen of the kind
anything that
I
been
for
in
Japan
;
There are vases of various kinds, some Greek Arabian
in
and they have
twelve hundred years.
character,
in
form, others
some Chinese, and some Japanese.
One
with black ground and bands of incised red lines might be a
work of the best Athenian characters with which
its
age, were
surface
glass ewer with a well-formed
lip,
is
it
in
not for certain nondescript part, covered.
There
of very pale blue-green colour, and rather rough texture (like of our pickle bottles), but the Japanese
came
;
they only
emperors obviously closely
know
that
it
a
has been
some
do not know whence in
it
possession of their
for
one thousand two hundred years.
an
Arabian
work,
is
and somewhat elaborate handle
To me
it
is
and the appearance of the glass
resembles that of the pendent enamelled lamps which
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE, have during the
few years been brought from Egypt and
last
purchased for the various European museums (Fig. 29).
There
is
a metal jug of
having around
its
proportions and Persian shape,
tall
body a row of
gilt
animals with engraved
Japanese metal water-bottle with
outline, a
by a
low and curious spout covered
and
I
may
lid
;
here add that a spout rising to
the level of the orifice of a vessel seems to be a late invention in
not
observable,
so
far as
Japan I
;
for
see,
on
it
is
any
native vessel in this collection.
There
are
leather bags, such as were
around the wrists of archers to prevent
tied
the arrows cutting them, a double-headed trident used in ancient times for the catch-
Rough Sketch of a
FiG. 29.
Glass Ewer, preserved
ing of
in the
Mikado's treasury at Nara. It undoubtedly an early Arab-
madmen,
a
box covcrcd
witli
baskct-
.
work aud
is
part lacqucrcd, a
itt
;y/(??/j"j/
brass
tray of sixteen inches in diameter, with a
stag in high relief in
centre,
its
two very wonderful basso-relievo
carvings in white marble, and as perfect and sharp as the day they
were
cut.
The
subject of these
and conventional clouds.
and of great excellence. in
There are two plates (each
in
yellow,
and an earthen bowl, the top of which
green and the sides striated, the stripes being due to the run-
ning
down
of the marginal green glaze over the white ware of
which the bowl
is
There
formed.
brown pattern printed upon in
fifteen inches
diameter) of white biscuit- ware, with pattern consisting of goose
and flowers is
a snake, mythological animals,
is
These are undoubtedly Indian works,
a
number of
it
is
but
;
a coarse white fabric with I
was specially interested
pieces of thick felt each four to five feet square,
which are well made and have most charming and simple patterns of true Indian character
wrought upon them by the entangling
of woollen yarns with the hairy surface of the fabric. fabrics
arc
now made
in
Persia
;
Similar
but the patterns of these old
works are simple and pure, while those now manufactured are figured with ornaments indistinct
and of complex character.
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
As
the process by which these
been practised, so it
as
we here
find
a floor
may
briefly describe
Japan,
kind that
I
I
have ever
made
felted, or
is
seen.
unwoven
into an
being sprinkled with water to which a
and then
made has never
spread a quantity of short hair, generally that of
is
camel, which
the
in
cloths are
specimens which, although twelve hundred years,
old, are the best of the
On
know,
far as I
felt
toi
cloth,
by
acid has been added,
little
rolled with a stone roller or beaten with stones or clubs.
This beating or
rolling,
when continued
for a sufficient time, achieves
the close intermingling of the hairs, or the felting of the fabric.
But before the
felting
is
quite complete, coloured woollen yarns
but imperfectly spun are arranged loosely upon the surface of the
now
nearly formed fabric, and by manipulation of the
finger (which
is
in
protruding hairs of the process, a
by the completion of the
felt that,
homogeneous
fabric
formed with figured
is
Leaving the large room, we now go exhibition
of old quite
European and Persian
be from
to
five
to
There are here also many cloths types, but
examined the
as
collections
where they came from
carefully
the circumstances, for Mr. Machida,
dared not leave
us,
and
was
I
no museum of antiquities
half so instructive to the
Where
else could
and, although as
where the
is
unknown.
I
is
felting
surface.
to the hall,
consists wholly of fabrics, believed
hundred years of age.
eight
thumb and
part a twisting process) are so united with the
we
who
is
in
him
as
more than a thousand years
Persia, Central Asia, China,
first
left
old,
their makers'
and Japan
know,
I
this rare collection at
see fabrics printed, embroidered,
on the day when they
There
out.
world, so far
the
European as
charge of them,
in
afraid of tiring
under
possible
as
?
Where
and
Nara. felted,
almost as fresh
hands
in India,
else could
we
see
these strange connecting links between the arts of Egypt, India,
China, and Japan, that
we
find here
?
We
now taken
are
massive structure which has sheltered and preserved this of wealth for over a thousand years, and, strange to say,
to see the little
it is
world
a mere
large oblong building formed of triangular logs of ivood (Fig. 30).
These logs are arranged
like those of a
Russian timber house,
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
I02
and ends
after crossing at the. corners protrude like the sides
and
"
of an
on a
The
Oxford picture-frame."
series of circular
Fig. 30.
—The
old
Wooden
Building in
preserved for twelve hundred
years_.
and two
feet
upon a stone building
in ;
diameter, and
the roof
upon the building when second, and
this, in
its
hundred years back, and one hundred and a portion of a
height
first
erected.
This
is,
probably, the oldest
in the world.
of
is
each one of these rests loosely
tiles,
but that which
The
comparatively modern.
is
five feet in
Nara in which the Mikado's treasures have been The roof has been renewed from time to time, but
the other parts of the building remain as
wooden building
building thus formed stands
wooden columns of about
tile
fifty
it
was
turn, this
first
now
covers the
roof which was placed
erected was replaced by a
gave place to a third about
five
was replaced by the present about
years since.
Mr. Machida kindly gives
from each of the two
me
latter roofs.
In looking at this ancient building one
is
perhaps most struck
with the fact that wood which has existed for a thousand or more years,
and has been exposed to an atmosphere
as trying
at least
as that of Great Britain, should have endured to the present time
more surprising still, the wood is was when it was first placed here.
and, it
at this
In
worn by the action of the weather, indeed, a log
was exposed
it
moment
some I
as
cases
was three or four inches
less
Japanese seem to have an almost imperishable wood. ;
but what
is
it is
much
observed that where in
than where hidden, yet the wood was not decayed
of our oak
sound as
;
diameter but the
We
boast
oak when compared with wood that has
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
103
actually resisted the storm and the blast for over twelve centuries,
and
as sound as
is still
ever was.
it
Mr. Machida now orders the large and curious padlocks to be
Upon
taken from the doors of the storehouse.
we
find
divided into three compartments,
it
with large wooden
chests
and
;
is
it
To my astonishment
find
I
of which are
all
for so
many
only
one -third
that
centuries.
Mikado's rare treasures at Nara have been unpacked. vast
number
many
may
of great trunks
in all probability there are
now
subjects
contain
filled
these chests that the
in
Mikado's antiquities have been preserved
passing the entrance
of
the
What
this
cannot possibly say, but
I
here objects which would throw light on
imperfectly understood, and would do
much
towards perfecting a history now unknown to the world.
We
were about to bid our host adieu, when he begged us to
we saw
return to the building where
This he terms a pagoda, but
wood, some six inches
in
in height,
reality
to
little
object
lies
in
its
accept.
a turned piece of
is
it
me
It
is
hollow, and the orifice
by a pear-shaped wooden stopper, but the great
closed
of this
desires
with a base and discs protruding
horizontally one above the other. is
the oldest of the treasures,
was a small object which he
as here there
interest
containing a specimen of the
first
printing ever effected in Japan.
When first
the art of printing was introduced to the country the
work performed was the reproducing of one passage of the
The
Buddhist scriptures. these
million of
copies of this passage were incased in
pagodas and deposited
little
them were placed
I
in the
when
I
number of these
temple at Nara, and
and
this
letters
toil,
little I
it
I
However,
pagodas did
at
that a
difficulty with difficulties
said to be the
found that it
is
it
of
god had
certain that a
one time exist
in
the
could believe anything respecting Japanese
but unfortunately they have nearlyall disappeared;
most interesting
on the
much
is
language and
inspected
only sixteen of these appendages.
patience and
It is said
was once shown a god which was
of a thousand arms, but
vast
a temple.
here, but there
numbers, owing to peculiarities translation.
in
little
gift is
enclosed
roll
worm-eaten and decayed.
Yet the
of paper are readable to this day.
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
I04
CHAPTER The
sacred dance
Having
visited
hotel and to
—A
feast night
one or
IV.
— Kioto— The royal
two
collections
we
other temples,
— Osaka.
return to our
we go by
a native dinner, after which
invitation
of Mr. Machida to see a religious ceremony consisting of music
and dancing
—
a ceremony the performance of which
—but our
at considerable
expense
prepared for
and has sent some Government
pany us
purchased
officials to
accom-
to the temple.
It is
streets
us,
is
good host has had everything
the night of a sacred festival, and
are also decorated, as the
town within the next day or two.
Nara
all
The
is astir.
Mikado is expected to visit the Bamboos stand at either side
of the streets at distances of about twelve feet apart, and these are connected
by festooned straw bands which hang
of six feet from the ground.
From
We
cut papers symbolising the Shinto religion.
an avenue of gigantic cryptomeria
have ever seen which are sold
—where
by an avenue turning on the never forget. colossal
Here
coniferous
is
feet,
turn into
— the grandest avenue
and other
right,
now
hang the
gay with trifles.
we behold
lanterns,
Leaving
a sight which
I
I
on
this shall
one of the most lovely of groves, formed of
trees,
lanterns at either side. to ten
trees,
are stalls rendered
toys, sweet stuffs,
at a height
these straw bands
with
innumerable
These lanterns vary
and nearly every one
two thousand
is
lit
(I
stone in
monumental
height from four
afterwards learnt that
two hundred lanterns in this grove.) Every now and again we come to little flights of rude steps, for the avenue ascends the slope of a rounded hill. This rising there
are
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, ground, the flocks
gaily dressed
of
who
people
105
going
are
to
the temple to pray, and the strange aspect of this vast forest of
stone lanterns, produce a scene in the highest degree surprising.
At
the top of this beautiful grove, amidst a vast crowd of
lanterns, rises the its
temple called Wakamiya.
It
celebrated for
is
thatched roof, the thatch being very thick and regular, and con-
sisting of layers of the inner
most perfect of
kind
its
containing a god, which enter
service
is
is
Facing
abode.
its
the road,
what
bark of a
Japan
in
;
so sacred that even
this shrine,
which we have come to see
This house
The room
that
we
is
enter
is
may
a priest
its
a parallelogram.
side Its
with coarse lattice-work, over which no paper frames, hinged at the top, open inwards, and
to
the
road.
windows, which
is
filled
These
strained.
when open
are sup-
a horizontal position by hooks from the ceiling.
in
On
not
In this the religious
form the entire road-side of the room, are heavy frames
ported
the
to be performed.
long building with
a
is
is
a shrine
is
but at the opposite side of
called a " priest's house."
is
This roof
fir-tree.
and near the temple
this
the
evening of our
visit
the whole
of these
side
windows are open, hence whatever takes place within the room is
visible
to
those
the performance
and thousands congregate to
outside,
of a
service
in
which they evidently
all
see
take
interest.
At
the distant end of the room, as
we
enter, four priests are
kneeling on the floor behind small deal tables or
altars,
and
front of a large folding-screen, on which deer are painted.
has a
flute,
in
One
another a small hourglass-shaped drum, another small
cymbals, and the fourth curiously shaped pieces of wood, which are
knocked together Facing the
priestesses
and
in the
street, five
and
manner of our at the side
"
bones."
of the room, are three
female children, while along the open
side,
or facing the priestesses, are five small tables, like those in front
of the priests
;
these tables bear the rattles, or sistrums, from the
handles of which streaming ribbons are pendent.
The
priestesses
beauty, which
is
wear red under
chiefly white
;
dresses,
and a robe of great
but here and there
is
dispersed
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
io6
over
surface
its
a
spray of the westeria creeper
little
with a touch of colour,
—
with the red of the under of about
in
green
the green contrasting most pleasantly
Each spray occupies a space
skirt.
four inches square, while six or eight inches of space
Fig. 31.— Back view of dress of priestess of
Fig. 32.
— Front view of
Fig. 33.
— Hair of priestess of Nara.
dress of priestess of
Nara.
Nara.
intervene between the groups.
When
seen from the back, and
when the arms are held at right angles has much the form of the letter T (Fig.
to the body, the dress
31); but what
we may
term the shank part does not surround the body, but merely falls
as a broad sort of streamer, which, were
it
sufficiently long
to rest on the ground,
In front,
would form a train. the shank portion of the T is
as a sort fabrics
;
the centre,
while, arranged
of habit-shirt, there are folds of red, white, and
(Fig. 32).
colours
down
split
and the two parts are crossed over the chest
employed
The whole in
it
dress
is
most charming, and the
are the Court colours
are priestesses of a Shinto temple,
lilac
;
for the wearers
and the Mikado
is
the head
all
Japanese,
of the Shinto Church,
The
hair of the priestesses
intensely black.
It
is
is
long and, like that of
not plaited or braided in any way, but
flows loosely
down
the back; only being
by a curious
flat
gold band (Fig. 33).
tufts of red
and white flowers which
pins take the position of horns.
bound together
at the top
In the front two
stick out at the
little
ends of long
Close to the priestesses, as they
ART,
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
107
kneel against the side wall of the room, stand two hexagonal
boxes of about eighteen inches
in
height and eleven inches in
diameter, which appear to contain fans.
The boxes
with leather-paper of golden hue, and the room
supported on oil
We
by candles
is lit
candlesticks standing on the ground, and b)'
tall iron
lamps which
are covered
on small brackets projecting from the
rest
who have been
enter the building together with others
rows across the end
invited to the service,
and range ourselves
most distant from the
priests, leaving a large clear
in
walls.
space between
them and ourselves. Now all prostrate themselves, for it is supposed that the god is leaving the shrine opposite and coming into our midst. esses
The
up
priests strike
and two children
their music,
when
very slow and solemn, and the priestesses,
room with slow and
the three priest-
The music
and begin the dance.
rise
who walk
rise, lifting
grace and dignity,
across the
stately step, yet with a slight dancing gesture,
prostrate themselves to the very floor in front of the
They now
is
little
tables,
much
the sistrums from the table, and, with
move
in
a rhythmical, yet most solemn and
impressive, manner.
For about ten minutes these beautiful motions are alternated with prostration before the
little
tables on which the rattles arc,
while at other times the rattles are employed in the dance.
After
prostrating themselves with, the deepest humility before these tables or altars,
where they remain
still
little
as death for a few minutes,
with the rattles in their hands, they return the rattles to their places on the tables, rise
and again kneel
they originally occupied by
The next dance in
is
entirely
dances, for there are five in
of the
The dances not to
rise
from
the positions which
all,
five
children
just described,
;
but
it
differs
and the following
are merely slightly varied repeti-
All are equally solemn, equally impressive,
first.
and alike beautiful
in
by the
no important respect from that
tions
in
the wall.
in
the highest and purest sense of the word.
over, all
prostrate themselves
our places.
A
priest
;
now comes
but
we
are told
forward, bearing
one hand a small tray of clean unpolished and undecorated
pine-wood on which are a
few rough, unglazed, small earthen
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
io8
and
saucers,
other
the
in
and of the
(Japanese wine),
brazen
a
size of a
vessel
containing
two semicircular spouts, and a long wooden handle small
of the sacred wine (about a
quantity
poured into a saucer by the
whom
of those for
priest, is
Fig. 34.
Used
taken from the tray by one
The
drinks.
recipient
Brazen Vessel with Wooden Handle. we use the flagon at our Holy Communion.
bows and
second portion, in his turn,
we have
The
priest then passes to
at the Shinto Sacrament as
the next, pours wine into another saucer, this
A
(Fig. 34).
dessert-spoonful),
the dance has been performed.
now bows and
of this wine
sachi
small saucepan, but having
when the drinks,
partaken of this Shinto sacrament.
all
that the dance
is
supposed to have
was
I
spiritual efficacy,
of
recipient
and so on,
till
aware
and that the
wealthy have such dances performed as a means of grace, but
was not aware that Shinto had
We been so
we
its
I
sacrament.
now return home from the sacred house in which we have much interested, by the lantern-lit grove, but on our way
diverge a
little
from our path to see the chief Shinto temple
of Nara, that at the top of the grove being only the second in
importance
in this
Here we
town.
find eight
eaves of the roof, and is
hundred metal lanterns pendent from the
all
ablaze with light.
a large raised wooden platform which
this
is
And by
there, opposite,
scores of lanterns
the playground for the children, and from
sound of the tramping of voices.
is lit
many
feet
All seems brightness and joy and mirth. I
unkind look,
are thoroughly happy.
all
comes the
Amidst the
do not hear one cry of sorrow, nor see one
crowd of children
—
it
and the ringing of cheerful
AR T, AND AR T MA NUFA CTURES. Much
we have seen to-day has been
that
and never within
possible interest,
my
09
the greatest
of
much
experience has so
been crowded into a few brief hours as on this visit to
1
day of our
first
Nara.
have learnt that more than a thousand years since fabrics
I
were made which so closely resemble the during the
last
two or three
be told from the other
:
finest
—That from some
works of Arabia one can scarcely
centuries, that the
part of Asia cloths were
derived, so similar to those of Italy immediately preceding the
time of Raphael, that the one would pass for the other.
found that Chinese embroidery was as perfect years since as
it is
were
in style
the
only
fifty
more
pattern
now, and that the patterns on Indian fabrics
same
as those produced in the
purer
years since, but
beautiful to
colour;
in
in
that the
Saracens were conquering Spain than
Thus we have the strange centuries
fact
of
art
at
it is
greatest purity of design,
and giving
felting
the
time when the
moment.
at the present
brought before us that twelve
produced fabrics bearing
ago India
same country
form, better in design and
was better understood
felt
have
I
twelve hundred
and without any
patterns
of the
Hindoo orna-
taint of
ment, and that the art of India was at that period better than is
We
now.
know
it
though a
had
I
highest
what time Indian ornament development
?
it is
it
at this
would seem as
art of
day
;
in
manufacturing metals was as
both China
far
advanced
that the art of forming cloisonne enamels
back as
it
is
was then formed into ewers by some Asiatic people
could be
it
we now
this.
as perfectly understood twelve centuries glass
for
as
however gradual, has been taking place from
have also learnt that a thousand years ago,
and Japan, the as
its
decline,
day to
that
ask, then, at
now ;
;
was that
that iron
hammered into the most beautiful and thinnest of bowls made metal peacocks with spreading tails that
that the Persians
;
wood-carving was as well understood
in
years since as at almost any later period
;
Japan twelve hundred that sculptures in marble
were as perfect then as now; and that the manufacture of porcelain in China was as thoroughly understood and as successfully practised
no
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE. Thus we
then as recently.
find
from the collection here at Nara
that twelve hundred years have passed over the Eastern world
without bringing about any great improvement
most of the
in
manufactures, while in some retrogression, rather than advancement, is
painfully apparent.
The
fact
also
is
brought before us that but few new manu-
factures have been invented during the time that these things have
been hidden
we
the Mikado's treasury, for
in
here find illustra-
tions of weaving, felting, embroidery, porcelain, glass, metal- work,
hammering,
chasing,
casting,
and
damascening,
engraving,
of
lacquer-work, wood-carving, inlaying, stone-cutting, block-printing,
of leather- making and leather- stamping, and of
my
which time does not permit of
recording
;
many
other arts
and beyond these
but few manufactures have been invented even to this day.
There which
up
is
one specimen
me much,
interests
in the collection
although
of antiquities at Nara
have not even mentioned
I
We
are
which are
Bombay sandalwood boxes
those
familiar with
all
inlaid with tesserae of white metal, ivory, either white or
These boxes.
stained green, and sometimes with deep red wood. Sir
it
to this time.
George Birdwood
tells us,
are but copies of works produced in
Yet the Persian work
Persia.
from that of
Bombay
differs, in
one essential particular,
for while in the latter the
;
inlaid
tesserae
are brought close together, they are invariably separated in Persian
work by a surface.
fine
brass ribbon, the edge of which appears on the
am
not aware of ever having seen a specimen of this
I
Bombay work which modern happen
;
could be regarded as anything more than
but of the Persian work
I
have not only seen, but
hundred years
;
aware that we can trace the history of however,
I
find in
Nara
hundred years of age knows.
I
example which may date back some two and beyond some such date as this I am not
to possess, an
In
this
;
this
a coarse specimen
manufacture. of this
Here,
work twelve
but where the specimen came from no one
example the
tesserae
are
in
form elongated
hexagons of about one and a half inches from point
to
point in
the longest direction, and seven-eighths of an inch in width, and a
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
metal line separates the hexagons.
iii
we have evidence
Here, then,
of the existence of a manufacture, though, in this case, in a crude state,
which, so far as
I
know, we have only been able to trace back
two or three centuries
for
art,
so
it is
collection
most and just as this specimen what we have regarded as a modern
at the
reveals the ancient origin of
;
possible that were the other two-thirds of the Mikado's
open to our inspection, they would exhibit to us
more advanced stages of its development. While speaking of Indian manufactures, I may make a box in the collections at Nara, as it was formed of
this art
in the
to
bamboo arranged
the
on boxes
common
bamboo used
in
in the
The narrow strips and the manner
India to this day.
manufacture of
this object,
formed the original of the porcupine
the
find in the
more probable,
of
in
boxes of India, or that
quill
The
Mikado's collection.
for while
of
probable that either this
it
these Indian boxes suggested to the Japanese the
we now
strips
precisely as porcupines' quills are disposed
which they are placed together, render
as
reference
most of the
arts
making of such is by far
latter
which have been
practised in Japan are traceable to the Asiatic Continent,
I
have
not yet succeeded in tracing any Japanese influence on the arts of China,
India,
Persia,
Asiatic
Turkey, or any other Eastern
country.
Inspection of the Nara collections also reveals this fact
—
brought prominently into notice during a long journey
fact
Japan —
in
that while the Japanese are the most subtle and delicate
of workmen, the most accomplished of handicraftsmen, the most conscientious of race.
There
is
a
artists,
they are yet by no means inventive as a
good deal of truth
in
the statement
that the
Japanese have originated nothing, but have improved upon
ever}--
thing which they have seen.
Throughout Japan
traces of Indian
while Chinese objects of better class
most of the nobles
in
the land
;
art are constantly found,
may
and
I
be seen
in
the houses of
have also found patterns
of Persian, Egyptian, and even Celtic character on native work
but of these things
We
I will
;
speak hereafter.
must always remember that
at
an early period of
its
112
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
history Japan
was successful
in
invasion and
the
conquest of
and this is certain, that many of the arts of Japan, as some of its best architectural features, were derived from Corea. Through this peninsula many objects of Chinese manuCorea
;
well as
some from the more
facture, as well as
hands of the Japanese.
into the
that at Nara,
collection which, like
central parts of Asia,
Indeed, there is
is
came
Kioto a
in
the property of the
also
Mikado, consisting largely of things brought to Japan from Corea
by the conquerors of the country. the
relations
Nara
of this
mention
I
collection
now only
this
that
manufactures of
the
to
may
Japan, as well as to the industries of the world,
be better
understood.
To-day has
mony
also brought us face to face with a religious cere-
of special interest, and a
We have here, in
Japan.
a sacrament which
is
ceremony peculiar
in itself a fact of
no
little
most striking circumstance connected with the to-night
is
to in
interest
which reference
dance of
religious
by the
As, however, this matter
an old number of the Japan Weekly Mail
from that excellent journal a portion of an
extract
is
made
in
but the
;
likeness to the rites formerly performed
its
priestesses of Isis in ancient Egypt.
referred
Nara
to
connection with an early form of religion,
is
I will
article
in
to this ceremony.
Speaking of Nara, the writer says said to be second in antiquity
:
—
"
Here
is
a Shinto shrine,
and importance only to that of
Ise.
In a building not far from this shrine, and probably connected
with
it,
we witnessed
religious
handsomely and
three
young
girls).
girls,
Their movements were of a very solemn
their use of the sistrum or rattle recalled the
priestesses of Isis, of
unfailing
The performers were
dressed, but perhaps less showily than the ordinary
Geyslia (dancing kind,
a posture-dance performed as a species of
ceremony.
whose performances
accompaniment.
another a drum, and the
Three third
priests
this
Egyptian
instrument was the
—one
playing
occasionally beating time on the two simple pieces of
accompanied the dancers. of this kind were paid for
We
a
flute,
chanting with his voice, and
wood-
were informed that performances
by devout persons much
as masses are
ART,
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
"3
paid for by Catholics.
There are eight dancers or priestesses
attached to the temple.
They are the daughters of priests or of we presume, the office is considered
respectable inhabitants, and,
a highly honourable one."
We
The next morning we rose had not got far when our
early
and
strolled
through the town.
attention was attracted
by a
care-
roofed wall, the lower portion
fully
of which was built of a black rag-
and the upper and major part
stone,
of plaster tinted to a pleasant yellow-
ochre colour, along which were drawn
On
white
parallel
five
any
rounded
(Fig.
35).
lines
we were with
told
that
the
yellow wall
white lines running through-
five
length denotes that the build-
its
ing
or
and ruling white
it
mere caprice of the owner,
a
is
building,
special
whether tinting
out
lines
our asking whether this wall sur-
belongs
nected
to,
with, the
or
is
directly
con-
Mikado, and that
none but those of royal blood can have
a yellow wall
upon
it,
while the
with any lines
number of
Fig.-
3^.— End of Wall. The Wall is of This colour, and the lines, indicate that a
yellow-ochre colour. five parallel white
lines
employed indicates the relationship
person of royal blood owns or administers this property.
Emperor.
to the
Some
few years back, when about to send an assistant to
Spain and Morocco to make sketches of
my
good
Spain
is
friend
Mr. George
the land of nails."
kinds of art objects,
all
Augustus Sala
My
said,
"
Remember
assistant sent me,, from
country, sketches of the grandest nails that
I
had ever
this
seen,
and
even some of the nails themselves which he had managed to pick up at curiosity shops. But Mr. Sala was but imperfectly informed on this matter, for Japan
Spain
:
and
walked with
this
is
the land of nails and not
he would have been the
me around
first
to
admit had he
the old city of Nara this morning. I
Here
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
114
the temple doors are positively bestudded with such nails as are in
the truest sense ornaments,
A
huge hinge
is
'^6.
Fig-.
here sometimes attached to a temple door
with nails havingf heads from half an inch to an inch and a half
Old Nails from Temple-doors
Fig. 36.
in diameter,
Naka.
while every available part of the door
cases occupied
With
in
by
strained to stay
I
am
and note
while thus engaged
I
know
some
heads three and a half inches across.
nails with
these nails
itself is in
positively delighted,
forms
their
that
But here we have not only
am
I
nails
hinges two to three feet in length.
in
my
And
metal plates and bindings on the doors.
my
con-
feel
I
sketch-book
a drag on
but hinges
and
;
yet
companions.
— grand
hinges
besides hinges
we have
In Nara the old metal-
work would supply the art student with material for study, and examples to copy, for weeks and in no town in the world that ;
I
know
much that is interesting in this way be found. are many bell-pulls, knockers, and door-handles,
of can so
In Troyes there
which are place,
is
rich
in art
glorious specimens
metal-work of
;
and
hammered -iron
in
St.
Gothard, for a small
Frankfort on the Main,
still
remain to us
from
Nara you are everywhere impressed with possessed by the town in its metal-work.
medijeval times the riches
Andermatt on the
interesting.
;
but
in
ART,
We with
now have another
115
look at the great temple of Dai-butz,
and the more we look at it the more we are The columns of the gates, as we noticed yester-
vast gates,
its
lost in
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
wonder.
day, are one hundred feet in height
by twelve
feet in circumference,
while each consists of but one piece of wood, and the building
was erected eleven hundred and thirty-one years
since, or in the
year 750 A.D. It
difficult
is
hundred years of wood, and
to conceive of
any building existing
in a perfect state, especially
is
exposed to the atmosphere
here before me, although
it,
when ;
it is
for eleven
formed only
yet such a building
is
unlike the old treasury, has doubtless
been at times restored.
When
such facts as these are considered
understand
why we
should
seems
it
now be persuading
difficult to
the Japanese to
and not of wood, especially when
erect buildings of stone
it
is
remembered that Japan is a land of earthquakes. What buildings can we show in England which have existed since the eighth century and are yet almost as perfect as
when
and yet our buildings
and not on earth
which
is
rest
on a
solid foundation,
first
built
?
constantly rocked by natural convulsions.
Besides this
Japanese have, by the medium of wood,
the
produced a characteristic and beautiful architecture.
In the great
temple of Shiba we have a development of architecture perhaps equal to anything that has been produced by any people in any
Why
age.
then should
we
lead a nation, which
adopt new methods by which
it
can only be
made
Moreover, when a nation that has erected
traditions of the past.
in itself great, to
to appear small
its
?
habitations in
more solid material, it retain in the new method of building the Thus the Egyptians formed the columns
any simple manner, has begun invariably appears to
is
to build in
of their stone -built temples in the form of bundles of Papyrus
reeds
;
centre,
the roofs of
many Chinese
and thus perpetuate
in
buildings
sway down
in
the
form the bent pole which formed
the ridge of the original tent -dwelling, while the walls of the
Alhambra
at
complete,
for,
Granada
are
mere Arab shawl patterns with borders
while yet nomads, the Arabs formed their primitive
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
ii6
dwellings of the rich tissues which they wove.
we
find the
more
solid building
In
all cases,
embodying the thought
then,
or idea of
the original abode of the people.
But history supplies us with a
more rem.arkable instance
still
of the perpetuation in stone of an earlier method of construction, for
many
of the rock-cut temples of India are simply copies of
works or of a
While
style of
mere copy,
work which had pre-existed
wood.
in
not desirable that any stone building should be a
it is
either actually or in
wooden
of a
spirit,
structure, a
nation which would produce a noble architecture must erect such buildings as express the sentiments, faith, and wants of
and the buildings erected must be adapted conditions of climate, and
result
"
We, however, have
wrongly and
foolishly.
we have
fifty feet ?
gateways and huge temples
Hence
I
Can we teach them how in
to
stone so that at the end
cannot help thinking
it
standing?
I
only right that
we
still
from obtruding our advice upon a people who know their
own wants better than we We now walked to the gaiety and
life
;
do.
avenue, which
Here we
of food, such as the deer the deer
like,
come and
so
night
last
is
it
see deer running about,
Poor
as dogs are with us.
call,
we saw
the noble cryptomerias of which
gigantic indeed.
our
to erect
high, on small bases, so that
of eleven hundred years they will find them fear not.
acted both
Can we show the Japanese how
they will withstand the earthquake
tame
pro-
and these the natives
;
In this matter
imitate.
buildings one hundred and
raise vast
"
work-house architecture
expected to
refrain
particular
Tokio, the capital of Japan, one or two of the worst
in
specimens of are
people,
from a legitimate use of the
material most suited to their erection.
duced
the
to
its
in
such
formed are
and almost as
women offer to sell us little balls we make a purchase and then, at
eat out of our hands.
The deer have
the free run of the town, and wander wherever they
like.
Little
images of these deer are the popular toy of the place, just as the bear
is
dominant
We now little
visit
in
Berne.
a temple for the purpose of purchasing certain
netsukies which are peculiar to the town.
Many
of these
J
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, are
form of the deer
the
in
grotesques, while
pecuHarity consists
their "
others
" cuts,
clean
the
their being
are
but
;
formed by a number of
surfaces.
man brought
After our return to the hotel, a
An
which we eagerly bought.
fans,
or
lobster
the Httle carving consisting thus of a series of facets
and not of rounded
Nara
some
crawfish,
recumbent posture
in
represent in
117
us
old
some
priest
beautiful
from the
temple to which we yesterday gave a small subscription also
mark of
and, after greeting us with every
called,
respect and kindness,
begged our acceptance of some beautiful oranges arranged on a most charming tray.
The
cloth with which the oranges were
covered was a thing to be coveted.
must certainly be
oranges
the
common
basket.
It
is
Presented better
in
than
such a manner served
if
from a
interesting to notice the beautiful objects
which a Japanese, when he wishes to show either Ins own wealth, or respect to another, will bring from a house that appears to
contain nothing but a few domestic utensils.
now wished
Mr. Machida
us adieu and
and promised to get copies made nails,
which
had to-day seen
I
The Japanese
for
in the
love antiquities
me
of
a
pleasant journey,
some of the grand
old
temple doors. for
own sake and
their
for
the sake of the objects with which they have been associated, and there
much
is
in
the Shinto religion which
calculated to stimu-
is
late this veneration.
My old
;
admiration of the art was mistaken for veneration of the
hence Mr.
by getting
nails
Machida, instead of
made
expense and trouble,
in imitation in
fulfilling
his
engagement,
of those at Nara, went to great
order to procure genuine pieces of old
metal-work from some ancient building of especial interest after letter
my
return to England,
from
of language,
my "
heads, used in irons
to you."
old
and
I
friend,
I
in
received a
;
box with a charming
which he says
in
the quaintest
present two ornamental coverings of nail-
Rashomon and Congoshuin, and twenty-one
To
thus
our great amusement, the
"
irons " proved to be literally " old irons," so far as
with the exception of one or two only.
But
I
old
twenty-one old
we could
see,
value them for the
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
ii8
sake of the giver, and the day
knowledge present
am
I
As we
may
I
discover in
may yet come when, by increased them points of interest which at
unable to perceive.
Nara
left
for
The road
Kioto the sky became heavy.
was new, having been prepared
Mikado, who
for the
to visit
is
town in a few days. On our journey we stopped for refreshment at a little wayside inn, where the inevitable eggs and rice
this
appeared
;
now welcome,
but they were
and half melted snow had been
At
this
for
was
it
some time
Mikado
hotel the
little
for
falling.
on
to stop
is
bitterly cold,
way from
his
Kioto to Nara, and for his reception a new room has been preThis room
pared at the back of the house.
nished pine-wood with the usual paper
consists
of mattress -like pads, also
openwork
simple
the paper slides, for in circulation
is
stocked with
There
is
fish,
is
feet
in
any of which you may
made
for
A
tops of
provision for the
In this case the
In the garden
diameter, which select for
a charming simplicity about
preparations have been
this
peculiarly simple. four
is
top of the room as a
the ceiling and the
the slides be closed.
small fish-pond of about
floor
a raised dais, which
covered with matting.
rooms there
all
of air should
pattern of the lattice
is
runs along the
lattice
of frieze, intervening between
sort
and the
slides,
Near one end
covered with matting.
of clean, unvar-
is
all
is
a
well
is
your dinner.
No
this.
costly
the visit of the emperor, no
elaborately fitted rooms have been prepared, no expensive furniture
purchased. at
a
little
The Mikado comes wayside
But that room
is
formed are of the there
is
inn,
its
way
:
the materials of which
and the workmanship
a look of cleanliness about
it
which
any country, and impossible Looking at this room and admiring
to equal in
it
is
faultless,
would be
it is
while
difficult
to surpass. its
beauty,
our surprise at the simple taste of the Mikado. that the food which he will partake of
is
that prepared for the guests at the hotel.
To
that a
and stays
with only one small room as his abode.
perfect in best,
as one of the people,
we expressed
We
were told
exactly the same as us
it
seemed strange
monarch should content himself with such simple surround-
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
and such common
ings,
fare
must have a marked
this
yards
find
which has been
in length,
Mikado
to be ready for the
At
but on a people like the Japanese
effect.
we
Farther on the road
;
a bridge two hundred and built in twenty-seven
days, so as
we reach Kioto, cold and which we have been obliged
the end of a seven hours' journey
as
sit,
foreigners
in
the hoods of the jinrikishas
up our abode
Mariyama Hotel
at the
make
their
European Hotel, yet it
fifty-
to pass over.
wearied with the cramped position to
119
home it is
We
were spread.
—
take
the house at which most
while in Kioto.
It is often called the
a thoroughly Japanese building, although
possesses tables and chairs, bedsteads and washstands.
After a
semi -English dinner, Mr. Saumarez leaves us to join Sir Harry Parkes and the other foreign ministers palace, in
morrow
in state at
the reader
months
make
order to
a Yashiki, or Daimio
in
preparations for their appearance
may have
gathered, trains have been running for
some
past.
While
this
hotel
by no means
is
small,
it
uncomfortabl)'
is
of visitors, owing to the influx of people desiring to see the
full
ceremony. justified in
I
have a bed, however, but
saying that
I
have a bedroom,
I
should
for ray
we
six-fold draught-screens, such as
scarcely be
bed
of a room, divided off from another portion which
by
to-
the official opening of the railway, on which, as
is
use in our
is
in
a strip
also occupied
own rooms.
Early the next morning, on pushing aside the window-slides,
was more than surprised
The
spread before me.
wooded
hill,
From
base.
and
at the magnificence of the
hotel stands high on the side of a richly-
my room
faced the plain which extends at
the balcony surrounding the building
on a grand old spreading
wooded
slope, while
I
view which lay
fir-tree,
I
looked
its
down
a lovely garden, and a richly-
yonder lay stretched
far
over the plain a vast
Here and there rose pagodas of beautiful proportion and elegant shape, while beyond the plain were snow-clad mountains, city.
mingled with cloud and
As there
is
I
looked from
mist.
my
balcony,
I
could not help feeling that
a likeness between the lovely view before
me and
that
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
I20
may be
which
obtained behind the Salt Lake City in America.
But while the town case,
presents but
itself
of the highest interest
is
it
interest in the
little
The
the other.
in
one
Lake
Salt
City has a half finished appearance, and consists largely of insig-
wooden
nificant
greater
vastly
houses, while Kioto
Both
size.
rounded by mountains
much
same
of the
;
most picturesque and of
is
however, stand on plains sur-
cities,
both cases the mountains seem to be
in
and
height,
in
both cases the city
much
is
nearer the one side of the plain than the other.
This
a gala day here
is
the shops are closed, business
:
is
suspended, and the streets are decorated, while people in holiday
So dense
crowd the chief thoroughfares.
attire
the railway station, that
am
I
is
the throng near
compelled to give up the notion of
getting within view of the pageant, and to content myself with
being a general sight-seer. In her Voyage in the Siinbeani,
opening of
this railway.
Lady Brassey speaks
curious that
It is
we were both almost
that, while
little
beyond the
spare time,
day to Osaka, which two
was
The
hours.
I
to be
of the railway,
treading in each other's foot-
we should never have met during our
Finding that
Thomas and Lady
Kobe end
Brassey) were observing those at the
steps,
should see the Kioto
while Mr. and Mrs. Brassey (now Sir
festivities,
and
I
done
sight-seeing,
I
sojourn in Japan.
Kioto
in
which
for
moved on
could
I
the following
reached after a railway journey of
distance
of the
less
than
Japan
forty miles, but the trains in
is
run slowly.
Osaka towns
and
in
is
probably the most important of the manufacturing
the country.
has, for this
there
is
very
rather regard
Here
I
reason, been
little it
take up
It is intersected in all directions
called
my
Amsterdam than
abode
canals,
Yet
the Venice of Japan.
likeness between the
as the
by
two
places,
and
I
should
the Venice of the country.
at the Jiyutei Hotel, in
the quarter of
the town called Kawakuchi, a building two stories in height, and called
the
European house
are furnished floor is
much
like the
;
but although the rooms upstairs
Mariyama Hotel
without furniture, as
is
customary
in
at Kioto, the
ground-
Japanese houses.
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
The manufactures bamboo-work is made and
wood-work
lattice
of Osaka here,
like
those
also toys
and cabinets
Much pierced in
hard
37.— Part of a Window.
and white
of China, tea-trays, bronze
carved lac-work, and
kettles,
many kinds. of many sorts,
of
(Fig. 37), vase-stands
Fig.
wood,
and
are
121
many
metal
other things.
After studying the manufactures of Osaka for about ten days, I
left
it
by
jinrikisha
for
Wakayama,
the
chief
town
of the
We
province of Kishiu, distant about forty-two English miles. start
at
10
A.M.,
and
in
two hours (twelve miles) reach Sakai,
one of the two towns of Japan
we
visit
in
which carpets are made.^
a temple reached by a bridge, the road over which
convex that notches have to be cut without them
it
would be impossible
help of the handrail with which ^
Carpets were formerly
ceased at the time of with,
Here
tlie
made by
it
is
for the feet to
to cross
it,
rest in,
is
so
and
even with the
furnished.
the Prince of Hiezen, but this private manufacture
revolution in 1868, as the
Daimio system was then done awav
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE.
122
Soon
we approached
after leaving Sakai
a distance of four or five
miles, a
the sea, and saw, at
range of mountains,
glorious
On
which must either be an island or a promontory. about the same distance,
running towards the end of the
go through a
left,
is
its
background
truly wonderful
turn to
when
source, cross the ridge,
its
and lakes
it
Here a
upon the view.
bursts
mirrors
like silver
green surface, has a range of snow-clad mountains as ;
and yonder a
at
are
not unlike that of Linton in North
vast plain, having rivers traversing
breaking
left,
we
we
In thirty miles
this ridge.
defile,
Devon, and following a stream to a scene which
our
another mountain chain, and
is
little
village nestles
beneath
us.
its
We now
begin a rapid, zigzag descent by following a sort of Saint Gothard
The moon
road on a small scale, and reach the plain at twilight. is
new, but
clouds flecking
There
is
and the
it,
stars
come out with
Our road
for the
common.
next mile
lies
form mighty torrents.
become contracted the river-beds,
As
or, in
some
unmercifully jolted,
;
it
;
but
little
which flow
rain
rivers
gradually centres of
dry up.
In the middle
we have been most which we cross by means
to the river,
This carries us and our five jinrikisJias
indeed
I
In this valley the cold seems
never before
felt
cold at
seems almost to stop the action of the
preparation for a thoroughly cold drive,
I
to
any
in the
I
all
approachYet, in
heart.
had dressed myself
thick tweed suit, thick underclothing, a flannel over-shirt, a silk
at
over which
across the stream at the same time.
almost unbearable
is
in the late
and, collecting in the
rapidly-running
cases, entirely
we come
of a flat-bottomed boat.
fall,
there
to small streams,
of this strange, stony valley,
it
such valleys are
:
During the rainy season (which occurs
other time of the year these
ing
great brilliancy.
across a vast river-bed, con-
sand and innumerable boulders
spring time) vast quantities of water valleys,
fleecy
little
a fine "afterglow," but this beautiful light soon passes away.
sisting of a little
here
sky has a few
its entire circle is visible, the
dressing-gown, and a very stout topcoat, while over
had a large wadded possum skin
rug.
But with
in
a
wadded
my
all this
knees I
had
borrow from one of our coolies a blanket which he was not
using to wrap
my
head
in.
AR T, AND AR T MANUFA CTURES. At
a
little
we reach Wakayama.
eight
before
excellent Japanese hotel, where, after a
and
English,
in part I
I
write
difficulty of
keeping
most
warm
cases,
them, but
this failed to
vails in this part of
underclothing, wear
manage
to
to
keep out the
Japan
so
;
I
my wadded
myself round and round
keep out the
I
to take with
wadded dressing-gown and
But even
in part
in
an
Japanese
have now overcome the
me
wear
was obliged
my
good
friend
while travelling a
it
night-dress.
a
as
terrible cold
which now pre-
to retain
my
thick
dressing-gown, and
then wrap
By
I
the fur rug.
cold.
is
Japanese beds and of the
of the
in
good meal,
Here
23
diary and go to bed.
through a suggestion of
me
Saumarez, who advised thick
my
have already spoken
difficulty, in
1
these
means
just
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
124
CHAPTER The Japanese Calendar zan
— Splendour
Return
To-day
to
Osaka
V.
— Wakayama— Japanese cold and Japanese vegetation — Koya— Sakai — News of Satsuma
of shrines and of scenery
— Feast of
being the
revolt in
the god of riches.
February
15th of
Japan according to the old Calendar.
is
The
New
Year's
system of dates was only adopted a short time since
now keep both
Most of the shops
days.
in
is,
according
to
Japanese
beginning of their empire. been, as far as last year,
far this
for
is
It
is
known, anything
chronology,
when one was proclaimed by
Sabbath
the
This year,
in
has
Japan
Government
;
proclamation has affected only the Government
shops are open and business
is
have
2537, from
strange that there like a
in
hence some
;
Wakayama
been closed to-day, and general holiday has been kept. 1877,
Day
Julian year and our
transacted on
all
the
never until
but thus officials,
days of
the year, save on the great holidays and on the feast days of their favourite gods.
Under the old system of recording time many difficulties arose, for the same year was constantly recurring, and to specify any particular year reference had to be made to the reigning Mikado
as well as to the
name
of the year
;
and, curiously, the
hours of the day bore the same names as the years in a cycle.
The Japanese
day, however, from midnight to midnight, was only
divided into twelve hours, each as long as two of ours.
Their
clock also differed essentially from ours, time being here marked
by a small horizontal hand, which that of our thermometers.
slid
down
a scale, resembling
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART, The names to
which
125
of the years in a cycle and the hours in the day,
added the hours of our
latter are
t
me
Ne, mouse
indicated, are 12 at night.
Ushi, ox
2 A.M.
Tora, tiger
4 A.M.
Uw,
6 A.M.
hare,
Tatsu, dragon
8 A.M.
Mi, snake
Uma,
10 A.M.
horse
1
.
2
noon.
Hitsuzi, sheep
2 P.M.
monkey
4 P.M.
Saru,
Tori, cock Inu, le,
The year
6 P.M.
dog
8 P.M.
boar
A.D.
:
10 P.M.
1877
the year of the boar, the preceding
is
year
being that of the dog.
Wakayama but
is
it
is
a town of
medium
especially celebrated for
its
size with several
industries,
oranges, and here in the
garden of our hotel, bitterly cold though the weather trees laden with
golden
For the strange tropical plants, will
cold
I
grow
semi-tropical
that
in a
can account only
of
frost
the
little
are two
fruit.
fact
this
preceding
way
as, in
even
in
almost
all
:
and
night,
and almost
fruits,
country where there
in
winter the sun yields such heat the
is,
thus
is
such intense
the
depth of melt
cases, to
the
cold
never
icicles
a yard
penetrates deeply into the ground. I
have seen pendent from the eaves of a house
in length, rise
;
yet
which have been formed between sun-down and sunI
never saw ice on which
once, and that sun's rays
might venture to walk, save
I
was on a small pool
by an overhanging
entirely protected It is also
rock.
highly volcanic country like Japan subterranean heat
something
to
do with
keeping
the
varying depths have here been
made
of
roots
Whether any observations respecting the
earth's
or not
from the
possible that in a
I
may have
plants
warm.
temperature at
cannot say
;
but
the fact remains that we have the orange luxuriating, the teaplant flourishing, the
bamboo
acquiring colossal proportions, and
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
126
here and there a palm-tree in a sheltered spot, while the cold
experienced It is
is
sometimes almost Polar.
morning
is
very cold, and
the sky
;
ice
is
almost cloudless, but the weather
is
we perform our
everywhere, yet
ablutions
on the open balcony.
Our a
business to-day
Estuary
village,
The scraffito
Some have work
Kuroye-mura, or Black
called
which we reach about mid-day.
lacquer wares
quality.
lacquer manufactures at
to see the
is
town ten miles distant
little
is,
made
here
cheap and of medium
are
patterns given to
them by
ceased, and the inferior
unimportant places,
am
the
work of
is all
that replaces
better form, has
its
and of a few other
this village
so far as
it,
European that has ever
first
in
Since the overthrow of the
baronial system that beautiful manufacture, in
I
made
however, very inferior to that formerly
the dominion of the Prince of Kaga.
This
scratching.
I
know.
this town,
visited
and
At
the whole of the inhabitants turn out to see the wild beast.
Awaji the excitement caused by the appearance of the foreigner was indeed great official
;
but here
two policemen join us
They
at
Wakayama
Kuroye-Mura
are certainly useful in clearing our
On
way back we saw one
our
A
knows no bounds.
it
has accompanied us from
for
for the
Government
my
safety,
same purpose.
way through
the crowd.
of the thirty-three Japanese
temples of note belonging to a particular sect of Buddhists.^ stands high on a mountain-side, and
The building in splendid camphor -wood steps.
mountain, plain, bay,
sea,
itself
tree
and
and
It
reached by three hundred
is
not very remarkable, but the
is
front
in
islands,
of
which
it,
it
and
the view
commands
of
more
are
lovely than words can express.
On
beginning
the
descent
I
felt
utterly
terrified
at
the
appearance of the steps by which we had reached the temple, although accustomed to heights
;
a staircase consisting of
for
hundred steep steps in an unbroken line, same size, is something fearful to look upon.
three
the
This
is ^
all
of exactly
no peculiarity of the temple of Kimee-Tera.
The
great temple of Asakusa in Tokio
is
one of
the thirty-tiiree.
Many
ART, temples
in
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
Japan stand on rocky eminences, or wooded
high above the road, and almost
and beautiful
On I
situations.
our return to
Wakayama
preferred to go and see
I
have to speak
for
but hearing that a pottery
;
is
Of
it.
made
is
only two miles
the manufactures
I
shall
hereafter.
At
the hotel
my
inspection
found specimens of the native industries sent
I
by order of the governor of the town.
what we might describe
these are
round the town, where
strolled
I
which the well-known Kishiu ware
away
slopes,
temples have commanding
all
found large cabinet manufactories
in
127
Amongst
as cotton flannels both plain
and
chequered, bed-tickings, a kind of arrowroot, Japanese isinglass, preserved oranges,
and
manufacture resulting
tanned
ox hides
—
new and
a
smal*
from the introduction of the beef-eating
European into the country. Here, for the
by the natives the in
which
first
"
time,
Hand
saw the
I
"
of Buddha."
a series of finger-like
fingered orange," called
This
is
a peculiar variety
members protrude from
the upper
parts of the fruit to the length of three or four inches.
from
strange variation
this
of
form
it
differs
little
Apart
from the
ordinary orange.
Our next excursion was terest
—
to a city of the greatest possible in-
a city consisting almost wholly of temples, and nestling
summit of a vast mountain. This High Field Mountain, can be reached work we were therefore actually on our
in a slight
depression on the
city, called
Koya-Zan
only by a long day's
or
;
road by 7.15 A.M.
Our way
for the first few miles lay in the direction of
but instead of leaving the river as
we should do
town we followed the bank of the stream
for
Osaka
;
to regain this
twenty-seven or
twenty-eight miles, crossing and re-crossing the water from time to time.
We
we were
told
were now at the small town of Miozi-Mura, where that
proceed farther. prepared
;
we must take
We
here have
kagos, as jinrikishas cannot
tiffin
but after an hour's delay
five miles farther
while the kagos are being
we
are told to
go four or
and then get them, and that jinrikishas can go
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
128
on,
though with
We
difficulty.
but soon find our carriages
start,
we run
of Httle use: the road, or bank, on which
is
narrower than
we walk. Kamuro-Mura may be
the vehicles, so they are carried, while
The kagos
supplied
us
to
at
thus
a circular disc of basket-work with a slightly
described.
Each has
raised rim
suspended by four ropes from the centre of a pole of
wood about twelve three inches in
feet
length, six or eight inches deep, and
in
Extending from the centre of
thickness.
pole to the right and
a
left is
this
while a board ascends as
little roof,
a back rest from the basket to the hindmost part of the canopy.
To
take a seat in this vehicle
is
a
much more
The Japanese
than might be supposed.
and through being accustomed
to squat
infancy their joints have a pliability
perfectly happy.
My
feet will
After
hang
out,
many
and
I
floor
from being cut by the raised edge of
success
of mine
We
is
is
;
earliest
Hence my
to ours.
my
my
and appear only
partial.
and save them
legs,
seat.
Three men are engaged to carry the burly suffice for
men
obliged to get the coolies to
form two stirrups of string to support
two
from
sort of ball
my
efforts
am
on the
unknown
companions double themselves up into a
matter
difficult
are chiefly small
foreigner, while
each of the other members of the party
;
thus one
always resting while two are at work.
now
start
on our march, a
man
bearing each end of the
enormous pole, from the centre of which the scale-like contrivance depends with one of us seated
in
it.
The men walk
and
steadily
with firm step, stopping to rest about once every hundred yards
but when about to stop each
man
At every
pole a strong stick which he carries for this purpose.
stoppage one of
my men
is
released, the spare coolie taking his
Uncomfortable though
place.
I
am, the
air
is
hill
When we
started in the
on the right bank of the
me up
I
do not know.
river,
I
am fall
kago we were ascending a high and how the poor men carried
Yet they talked and laughed as though
they were simply amusing themselves. half an hour the scene
I
soon
so cold, and
so tired from the exertions of the last few days, that asleep.
;
places under his end of the
is
When
simpl}' wonderful.
I
awake
We
in
about
are on a
little
AND ART MANUFACTURES.
ART,
path skirting a mountain slope, and down some
beneath
feet little
us,
wrapped
village
To
in palm-trees
the village in
We
now I
down below numerous
manufacture of paper, for the
much higher hill than that The path soon becomes so
just passed.
The peeps
vast stony bed,
its
Sometimes we look down
shall never forget.
I
the centre of
that seems bottomless,
defile
around are cryptomerias of huge proportions.
all
We
way through
tortuous
between the trunks of trees into a while
we have
the trees in a forest, and the river that
as
deep
into the valleys
the views of mountain peaks, which are here as
repeatedly crossed winding its
in the
dried lean against every wall.
get out and walk. us,
a
and bamboos.
begin the ascent of a
we have
over which steep that
it is
dell, nestles
hollow we descend, and here every
this
house appears to be engaged boards on which
hundred
fifteen
a strange and most precipitous
in
129
now
gain the edge of another picturesque valley, at the
other side of which
is
we reach by
a village, which
mountain and making but a
This
slight descent.
is
skirting a
the village of
Kamiya-tsuji, and as there are no hotels in the sacred city to which
we
we should have been
arc journeying,
for the night
obliged to remain here
had not the governor of the province
despatched a policeman to give notice of our preparation might be
my
kago once again, but
becomes perfectly
my
in
fearful
;
our sojourn
for
so
than
less I
in
fifteen
the city.
I
so that
now
try
minutes the ascent
again alight, to the great joy of
coolies.
This mountain for,
made
goodness
in his
arrival,
while
it
differs
much from any
towers to a great height,
with immense timber trees to
its
that is
it
I
have before seen,
most richly covered
very summit.
Here are
also
great vine-like stems, rising from the ground to the lower branches
of the trees, and then in a hundred festoons leaping from to bow,
—
a thoroughly tropical habit.
Westeria-creeper plant
is
in
its
native abodes
here thoroughly tropical,
which at
this height
The snow
gets
I
we
;
am
told that this
is
bow the
yet while in growth this
are getting to ice
and snow,
cover the ground to a considerable thickness.
more
slippery, the path
K
more
steep, the ravines
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
I30
deeper,
have
as
trees
they surpass anything that
till
down
looked
I
I
now
to such a
The bottoms
do.
feet, fill
pushes
me
my mouth
snow, and stars of
On
with
so steep that
My
thirst
More
snow.
toil,
is
so great that
more
exceeding brightness above our
left
is
more
moon and
a few
we reach
the top.
and
until the revolution of ten
city,
foreigners have yet visited this most remarkable of
the
Englishman that has
fifth
Harry Parkes being one of the
We
are
set foot
is
on
and but few all cities.
sacred
this
soil,
I
Sir
five.
now met by two more
private (the one with us
years back,
For ten centuries no female
passed this spot.
had entered the hallowed precincts of the sacred
am
gladly
a small temple, and on the right a Dai-butz.
years,
woman had
us,
I
lovely views,
the late twilight, with the crescent
in
I
so a coolie, having straw sandals on his
;
from behind.
For a thousand no
it
plumous vegeta-
rich
its
The path now becomes
towers far above.
can scarcely climb
many hundreds
of valleys are
of feet below us, yet the mountain, with tion,
Never
have before seen.
I
depth between immense trunks of
— —and
policemen,
a corporal),
a sergeant and a
a priest, and, by
the lights of lanterns, are conducted to a great Buddhist temple,
where we are to lodge It
up our abode or at
for the night.
must not be supposed that
its
in
in
the sacred edifice
lodging itself.
in a
temple we take
Around
back, yet immediately connected with
it,
the building, are arranged
living-rooms, which are to the Buddhist priest what the parsonage-
house
is
The
to an English clergyman. living
The ceilings woodwork of
rooms placed
at our service are
most charming.
are in square panels of plain, clean wood,
the walls
is
also without paint or varnish.
and the
The
slides
forming the partitions between adjacent rooms have landscapes
drawn upon them in a heavy horizontal clouds in
solid
beautiful,
though conventional manner
;
cross the mountains, but these clouds are
gold, with a raised outline
and diaper-work upon them,
the diaper and the outline being rendered visible only through their surface being raised
An
excellent meal
is
above that of the ground.
now
prepared, but no eggs, no
fish,
and
i
ART,
may
no meat
Being exceedingly hungry,
four.
One
be sold on the mountain.
1
3
profane policeman
me
brought with him ten eggs, of which he gives
has, however,
my
AND AR T AIANUFA CTURES.
eat without scruple, enjoying
I
meal, and drinking freely of the hot Japanese tea.
Although everything European
Japanese,
is
and so thoroughly
so pure, so clean,
influence
invaded
nevertheless,
has,
paraffin
lamp of the
brought to me.
I
felt
wretched specimen of
and commonest
form
ugliest
make was
that the place was desecrated
Brumagem
art
the
common
precincts of this city of temples, for in the late evening a
by
this
and apart from the question
;
of taste, the danger of introducing paraffin into such an inflam-
mable building
am
I
in
as a Japanese house
very great.
is
the town of Koya-zan, a town consisting chiefly of
temples, of which four hundred and forty tain,
now
exist on the
moun-
while formerly a thousand such buildings nestled amidst the
which here surrounds
rich foliage
In the town there are one
us.
hundred and ninety-nine houses and shops not connected with the temples, and the population
whom
three hundred
one thousand and ninety-five, of
is
and eighty-five are
Here
priests.
is
the
largest university for the rearing of priests in Japan.
February
18.
— By
we
seven
are
astir,
and by eight have
breakfasted, and are ready to see the temples. bitterly cold,
my this
and the night has been intensely
bed was the largest Hibachi that
I
towel,
which
I
Yet, Avhen
had spread beside
it
buckram, while a bottle of water near
With
I
awoke
to dry,
my
the town.
Passing the
and interesting
things,
shops, where
I
have never
the morning a
in
head was
I
stiff
as
solid ice.
we
started to see
purchased a few old
and trudging through the snow, under the
shadow of cryptomeria
we entered
little
Japan, and
in
was frozen as
the chief priest of the temple as guide,
is
Placed near
so.
have yet seen
contained a pile of glowing charcoal, such as
seen before in this country.
the
The morning
a vast grove
trees a
hundred and
fifty feet
where gigantic coniferous
trees
in
height,
spanning
roadway and meeting together form one vast cathedral nave,
under which monuments to ten thousand of the great dead find shelter.
JAPAN: ITS ARCHITECTURE,
132
This grove
magnificent beyond
is
all
All the larger
to twenty feet in height. in form,
is
The
top-
a compressed sphere, the fifth a cube.
is
Then comes ing,
\l____7
a
the base, consisting of a lotus mould-
and a slab or
hambra
38.— Monument IN THE Sacred Grove at kova-
a 11
;
and here and there richly orna-
elaborately coloured
as the Al-
Granada.
at
