横浜から伊香保・草津へ

7. From Yokohama to Ikao and Kusatsu.

Ikao, or Ikaho, a beautiful and popular summer resort in the splendid Ikao Mts., 2600 ft. above the sea (in Kotsuke Province), on the steep northeastern slope of Haruna-san, 7 hrs. by rail from Yokohama, celebrated for its fine, bracing air; its many hot springs which gush from the hills and plunge down innumerable gorges to the lowlands, its charming views, grand old forests and its Imperial Reserve, is one of the most accessible and thoroughly delightful of all the Japanese hill- stations. None possess more diversified scenery, a greater profusion of exquisite wild flowers, a more picturesque town, and a wider range of interesting walks and rides. It unites nearly all the most desirable requisites of an ideal summer outing place: a quaint, clean, comfortable, non-luxurious, semi-foreign hotel (English spoken), where good food is given at reasonable prices (one replete with Japanese charm, and from the balconies of which one enjoys one of the most magnificent prospects in nature); a comparative immunity from mosquitoes; a multiplicity of trails leading through forests to entrancing peaks, ferny dells, sparkling brooks, and steam-

IKAO

Flowers*

ing gorges; and a gem of a lake (excellent skating in winter) stocked with big carp and trout. Hard by, in a green and romantically picturesque gorge, is one of the most bizarre temples in the Empire. The entire region around Ikao is studded with roaring waterfalls, and rent by deep gorges from which steam rises incessantly. On rainy days, when this hangs low above the town, it imparts a decided Plutonian aspect to it. Hissing hot medicinal water straight from the seething heart of the adjacent hills is piped directly into the many bath-houses, there to be tempered by cold water from the same hills. The town is built on a series of terraces reclaimed from the sloping hillside; and the main st., Odori, comprising a score or more flights of stone steps 20 or more ft. wide, is one of the quaintest in Japan. The air is crisp in April; cool in May; delightful in June (barring the rains); and cooler in July and Aug. than one finds it at the seashore. The season begins usually about July and terminates with the Oct. (20th) festivals. During this period rooms in the hotels or inns should be engaged in advance (telephone and telegraph connections). At the beginning of the cold winter crowds of peasant pilgrims begin to arrive — folks who aim to get lower rates at the inns and who profess to believe that in the cold weather one gets more benefit from the baths. The best skating on Lake Haruna is in Feb.

In the vicinity of Ikao the hunter (open season Oct. 1 to April 1) will find copper pheasants ( yamadori ), quail ( uzura ), wild pigeons ( yamabato ), whose booming notes ring musically through the green woods; green pheasants (kiji) and a wide variety of smaller game. The flower-lover will find so many exquisite flowers growing wild that he will be reminded of the celebrated region roundabout Cape Town, in South Africa, which ships tons of everlastings each year to England. White magnolia; the Paulownia imperialis; a wealth of wistaria; azaleas; Jack-in-the pulpit; white dogwood; spiraea; Cherokee roses; wild hydrangea; fox-lily; rhododendrons; columbine; several varieties of clematis, iris, and lilies; funkia; peonies; several rare ferns, and a host of other flowers grow wild in the woods and dingles, along with specimens of nearly all the trees represented in the Japanese flora. Owing to the frequent rain — a dampening characteristic of most of Japan's hill- stations — every inch of the mt. slopes is carpeted with green, while the deep gorges are literally choked with vigorous plant life. The immensely tall cryptomerias and the lithe pines which often reach up the sides from the very bottoms of the canyons, arc always attractive, but particularly so when they are interspersed with flowering trees, wild raspberries, and the strong, sinewy, suffocating wistaria vines — the lianas of the Japanese woods. The frail pretty pink flower which grows so profusely in the interstices of the massive walls

Maps: Environs of Ikao; Ikao, Kusatsu, Karuizawa, and Nikko

IKAO

The Hot Springs.

throughout the town is the Saxifraga sarmentosa (Japanese Yukinoshita). The display of cherry blossoms in April is charming. 1

The Rly. from Yokohama to (80 M.) Takasaki is described in Rte. 6, p. 66. An Electric Line runs hence to (1 hr.) Shibukawa where one transfers into another electric line (densha) which climbs the mt. (2000 ft., about 1 hr.) to the town.

Trains on the Ryomo & Joetsu South Line of the Imperial Gov't run frequently from Tokyo to Shibukawa direct. For fares consult the time table.

The Electric cars start from a point near the rly. station. The climb is picturesque, with fine views. The Ikaho Station is 10 min. walk below the town. Conveyances meet trains. Low fares. Hotel coolies will be awaiting the traveler who announces in advance his arrival.

The Japan Tourist Bureau (head office in the Tokyo Central Rly. Station) will cheerfully furnish the traveler any information he may desire relating to the Ikaho region.

Hotels. Ikao Hotel, semi-foreign, with foreign food, good baths (free) and attendance; from 8 yen and upward; small reduction for 2 pers. in one room; special rates for a long stay. — Kogure Budayu Hotel, 5-6 yen. There are 40 or more native inns, rooms in which can be had for about yen 10 a week, and a special price arranged for food. The Chihira has fine views.

The name Ikaho means 'High Mountains' and is derived from the huge Haruna Range rising behind it. According to the local tradition (which should be taken with a grain of salt) the springs were discovered during the reign of the (11th) Emperor Suinin (b.c. 70-a.d. 70). The 12 chief families (who have adopted for their crests the 12 signs of the zodiac) trace their lineage to famous personages of the 6th cent. The uninteresting Ikao Jinja on a terrace (2716 ft.) back of the town is intimately associated with the early history of the place, and the present (modern) structure is said to stand on the site of one erected in 834. The large Buddhist temple, the Tenshoji, erected in 1583 on the site of the present school house, was burned during the last decade. The Imperial Preserve, opposite the Ikao Hotel, is the favorite summer retreat of a Prince of the Imperial Household. The Yachiyo Park and Athletic Ground is at the lower end of the town, near the rly. station.

The chief constituents of the Ikao springs are bicarbonate of calcium; magnesium and ferric oxide; sulphate of calcium; magnesium and sodium; chloride of sodium; silicic acid and minor solids. Some are more strongly impregnated with iron than others, and some are decidedly sulphuric. Their temperature ranges from cold to 113° F. The waters run out of the mta. in little clouds of steam, through open conduits or into bamboo pipes, a multiplicity of which criss-cross the town and lead into the different houses. The gorge at Yumoto is stained a bright yellow by the precipitations from certain of the streams, and these give rise to a valuable loeal industry — that of dyeing cloth. The natives believe that belts saturated with the metallic deposits have medicinal qualities, and that kimonos so dyed and worn are equal to a course of the baths. In many of the shops small bolts (14 in. wide by 280 long) of cotton crape of different patterns, dyed in ( Takasaki ) the

IKAO

Birds.

characteristic yellow hue, are sold (¥1) to the pilgrims as local productions. The yellowish-bronze sediment is cleared out of the pipes twice yearly and sold to dyers and to those persons who wish to benefit by the Ikao waters but cannot come to them. The natives bathe in the A.M., at noon, and after supper. — Other specialties of the town are turned woodwork articles in many forms; pretty basket-work, and a superfine charcoal made from the wood of the Nara, a species of oak. In many of the shops will be seen bizarre and distorted specimens of petrified wood which has been so converted, it is said, by the chemical action of the waters. The power obtained through the many big overshot and undershot wheels which creak all over the place is used to turn lathes for the workers in wood.

Dozens of greater and lesser peaks, rounded and wooded hills, and deep ravines environ the town, and from the crests of some of the loftier mts. extensive and awe-inspiring views are obtainable. Because of some odd slant in the native mind the local authorities have not added English to the many guide-posts which point the way about the region to those who can read Japanese, but on some of these thoughtful travelers have penciled instructions in English that are an aid to the pedestrian. The hills are grid-ironed with a multiplicity of well-defined trails, and the author has tried to make his observations regarding these as clear as possible. The visitor whose time is limited is advised to take with him on his rambles, as guide and carrier, one of the native boys about the hotel; as a rule they are willing to give a day's service for 50 sen, and certain of them have a scattered knowledge of the lore of the woods, the birds, and the flowers. The Birds are as numerous as the latter, and on any stroll through the forest one will see cuckoos (hototogisu); lovely Japanese blue flycatchers ( ruri ); woodpeckers (kitsutsuki; wagtails ( sekirei ); bull-headed shrikes ( mozu ); Manchurian great tits ( shijukara ); Japan jays (kakesu); silver-eyes (mejiro); the sweet-throated uguisu, or Japanese nightingale (p. ccii); and many familiar and unfamiliar birds. Beautiful pheasants rise from the bamboo grass on the hill-slopes, and the wild pigeon imparts music and mysticism to the cool forests. The common people call the cuckoo kakkodori from the similarity of its call to the word kakko. The numerous skylarks ( hibari ) are of a species known as Alauda japonica.

Walks and Excursions (see the accompanying map). There are enough of these to occupy one's time for weeks; the most popular only are described below. The local guides, obtainable through the hotel management, get ¥1.20 a day, and are supposed to provide their own food, besides carrying that of their employers. The woods are said to be free from poison ivy ana its concomitant miseries.

To (1/4 M., 15 min.) Yumoto ('Source of the Hot Water'), a picturesque spot back of the town whither pilgrims go in the early a.m. to drink of the evil-tasting water. The walk can be included in the one described below. Proceed from the hotel to the main st., turn up left to the foot of the steps leading to the Ikao Jinja, then bear round to the right along the edge of the Yusawa ravine, beneath overhanging cliffs clothed with vegetation. There are some pretty shops, a good view of the gorge (right), and a quaint bridge. On reaching the latter turn abruptly to the left on the near side, and follow the steaming hot stream to its source. The dell is romantically and wildly picturesque, though very suggestive of the sullen demoniacal forces which lie but a few yards beneath one's feet. At one place under the green tunnel there are seats and a dipper — the latter to be avoided. The water tastes of iron and is unpalatable. Scores of rills rush noisily out from as

Excursions. IKAO

many crevices in the hillside, and leave yellow, plushy tracks where they have passed.

To Kompira-san (or Monokiki-yama, 1/2 M.; 1 hr. stiff climb over a good road beneath trees), Miharashi (1 M.), Mushiyu (3 1/2 M.; chair for the round trip, ¥2.40), and Yumoto. Kom- pira is the name of a deserted shrine 10 min. walk down left from the point (beyond the bridge and post-office) where one turns off the main road and begins the ascent of the hill; the path is well defined, with stone steps at intervals. Keep the rocky gulch at the right; the glades are lovely and primeval, and usually echo to the cuckoo's call. At the summit there is a tiny shack of a tea-house oblivious to a view that holds one spellbound by its immensity. Far below, wriggling along the valley floor backed by towering foothills of the Nikko Mts., goes the Tone River; a silvery streak which farther up at the left is stained by the untidy inflow of the petulant Agatsuma * gawa. Cutting the E. skyline is the lofty Tsukuba Mt., rising 2925 ft. from Hitachi Province. Akagi-san (5000 ft.) is nearer, while trailing away at the left, their giant ridges threatening the sky, are Komochi-yama, Onoko-yama, and a half-score formidable humps and cones, with Shirane-san (7500 ft.) lording it above them. The delighted eye takes in hundreds of sq. miles of valley land hemmed in by bulky hills, planted to various grains that reflect all the shades of green from that of sprouting rice to the more somber hue of brooding pine trees. At this tea-house one may, perchance for the first time, be offered a tea-substitute popular throughout Japan. It is made of parched barley; is called mugiyu [mugi is a generic term for barley, wheat, oats, and rye]; has a dark amber tint; a taste true to the grain; is said to be less injurious than tea, and is drunk extensively by Japanese soldiers.

At the right of Kompira-san (path at the left), on a bold, bald bluff (20 min. walk) called Miharashi, one may enjoy another remarkable panorama. Thither the trail descends the hill at the right and soon joins the long path winding across the elope to Mushiya. Notwithstanding the houses of this (uninteresting) place are visible, the walk is deceptively long (l hr.), as the last portion rounds a number of hills and incipient ravines. Malodorous sulphurous gases issue from pipes stuck in the ground and- supply a sort of al fresco bath for rheumatic rustics. Returning, one descends into the ravine and bears round to the left, skirting on the way the base of the twin peaks of Futatsu-dake (chair to the summit and return to the hotel, ¥4.20). A 20-min. walk brings one to the 1st tea-house on the Haruna road, whence it is 30 min. back to the hotel. Yumoto can be included in this trip, the whole of which can be accomplished in one forenoon. If one elects to return to the hotel from Miharashi, the path to its intersection with that from Kompira-san should be followed, thence downward

IKAO Benten Waterfall.

for 20 min. (keeping the ravine on the left) to a hill behind the Ikao Jinja.

To the Nanae, or Seven-Fold Cascade (1/2 M.; chair, ¥1.60); BENTEN-DAKI (2 1/2 M.; chair, ¥2.40); and the (near-by) Odaki Cascade (chair for the round trip, ¥3). The walk can be made leisurely in about 2 1/2 hrs. and allow 1/2 hr. for a rest at each place. Descend the steps of the main st. (picturesque view in retrospect) to the bisecting path at the foot, then turn left and go down through the cryptomeria forest to the torrent flowing through the gorge. Thence the road leads up the slope beneath lines of immensely tall trees rising from the flank of the hill. The path is idyllic and recalls certain of the heavily shaded roads through the Karlsbad region. Beyond the summit of the ridge the trail descends abruptly to the left; the bypath leading back up the hill-side goes to Baron Kawasaki's country villa where a sign-board forbids admittance 'unless on business.' A few minutes' walk down the charmingly irregular and rocky path brings one to a series of pretty cascades seen to the best advantage from the tea-house facing the lower one. As we shall approach this later from below, we now cross the small bridge at the foot of the first fall and climb the path at the left. Fine views at the right as we cross the glades. Many lovely flowers and some wild raspberries (yama-ichigo) grow hereabout. The hamlet at the far right, on the brink of the stream below Odaki, is Yunokago. Avoiding the numerous confusing by-paths which branch to the right we follow the main trail as it hugs the hillside, anon descending and ascending, trending always to the left until the roar of a waterfall is borne in from the right. The last path that leads sharply down at the right before we reach (15 min.) Benten-daki, must be returned to later and followed to Odaki. The long steel flume below the waterfall here conducts the water which generates the electricity used for lighting Ikao.

The Benten-daki (Waterfall of the Goddess Benten), about 18 ft. wide and 40 ft. high, stands at the upper end of a rocky and picturesque gorge. The water comes from Lake Haruna, and after falling with a deafening roar into a turbulent pool, it dashes down the ravine to form a number of insignificant rapids and then the Odaki ('Big Fall'). The inevitable teahouse with its highly colored sweets and insipid, non-exhilarating mugiyu, shrewdly extracts the customary toll (in lieu of fees) by occupying practically the only vantage point from

which the falls can be seen satisfactorily. Above, on a considerably higher level, is a foot-path which leads (about 2 hrs. going up; less returning) to the head of Lake Haruna. — Returning along the trail to the first by-path at the left (so narrow that it resembles a watercourse), a sharp 10 min. descent is made between overhanging trees to the river-bed,

LAKE HARUNA

Haruna Jinja.

Sections of the path beyond to Yunokago village are a bit roughish and are not much liked by ladies; for some distance the trail is indistinct and leads through the river-bed (right). After the woods-path is picked up again, a slight climb brings one to the rather insignificant Odaki fall (20 ft.; 50 ft. across). The village is a few yards farther down the stream. Instead of descending to it, we turn up at the right to (5 min.) another path (leading right) which should not be followed. The main trail continues (5 min.) to a deserted shrine at the upper end (right) of a twin line of splendid cryptomerias — the largest measuring 13 ft. in circumference just above the base. Hence the path bears round to the right, crosses a small brook, and reveals the Nanae Cascade. The return to the hotel is along the trail pursued on the outward journey.

To (5 M.) Lake Haruna and the (6 1/2 M.) Haruna Jinja (horse, ¥2.20; chair, ¥4.20). A beautiful walk to which a leisurely day should be devoted. The first I is along a steady incline to the plateau; the 2d, a gentle descent to the lake; and the last lap, an abrupt descent (good wide road) into a wild and romantically beautiful ravine where the temple stands. The return is a steady 45 min. trudge out of the gorge; a gentle uphill walk to the 2d tea-house; thence a descent of 1 hr. to the hotel. The whole is easily equivalent to 15 M. on a level. The views from the mt. ridges are glorious, and the lake is a gem of beauty. Steps can be economized by taking a lad from the hotel (50 sen) to carry the luncheon and rain-coats, point out the different mt. peaks, and set the right pace so that one may not have stiff muscles the next day. By starting at 7 a.m. (breakfast can be had as early as one may wish it) and walking methodically, one can easily reach the temple at 10; 2 hrs. to inspect the fine carvings, the gorge, and the village; then a leisurely walk of 1 hr. will bring one to the tea-house on the lake shore. The luncheon can be pieced out here with hot tea, etc., and by ordering this sent to the back veranda one may enjoy a delightful vista of water and mts.

Beyond Yumoto, where the bridge spanning the gorge is crossed, the zigzag road (several short cuts) leads to the 1st tea-house. Futatsu-dake looms up bulkily at the left, and the hills resound to the liquid whistle of meadow-larks, the booming note of wild pigeons, and the answering call of the cuckoo. In summer the slopes are decked with a glorious display of day-lilies; on rainy days one passes through dense clouds of mist that fill the canons with great rolls like cotton-batting, and hide the mts. behind an impenetrable veil. The vast, silent upland plain, which stretches from the top of the ridge and the 2d tea-house to the shore of the lake, is strangely beautiful. Great herds of cattle could be pastured in the deep grass that grows, unchecked and uncut on its gentle slopes.

LAKE HARUNA Haruna Fuji.

and charming pictures could be painted of its unforgettable views. The sub-soil is volcanic ash, and should one happen to pass here (as did the writer on one of his trips to the lake) when the distant Yarigatake is erupting, and the wind is blowing in the right direction, one will experience the curious sensation of walking beneath a steady fall of fine ashes. On the other hand, if the above phenomenon be present and is added to by rain, one will be reminded of similar predicaments in towns of N. China, when the sand from the great Loess combines in the air with the water and precipitates a fluid mud upon the just and the unjust.

Haruna Lake (called also Kami no se, and Ikao-ko)» a deep, pear-shaped body of water approx. 4 M. in circumference, is thought to fill the crater of a long-extinct volcano, and is well stocked with salmon troutrnasu) and carp (hoi). It freezes solidly in Feb. (the coldest month of the region), and, besides affording fine fishing and skating, supplies ice to Ikao and neighboring points. At the Kohantei Restaurant on the beach, boats can be had at 50 sen an hr., along with, fishing-tackle ( tsuridogu ). The fish sometimes attain to a good size (5 lbs.; 18 in. long) and afford good sport for line fishermen; the catch can be cooked to order in tne restaurant. The tall, conical peak at the right of the lake (1 hr. to the rocky summit) is the Haruna Fuji (so called for its resemblance to Fuji-san ). The bold cliff at the left of it is Eboshigatake; the one farther along, Bingushi-yama; and the odd pinnacles at the left, Suzurigatake. Beyond the tea-house the surplus water of the lake flows through a tunnel seen after crossing the pass. The flat patch of shore land at the edge of the plain, at the right as one approaches the lake, is beautiful with multicolored irises in summer. From the meadow end of the lake the road winds along the base of the hill under a tunnel of green foliage. On the near side of the restaurant it turns up sharply to the left and ascends to the Tenjin Pass (1000 ft. above Ikao), flanked on both sides by small tea-houses. From one side here a splendid view is had of the lake and the surrounding mts., and from the other an equally extensive one over the semi- tropical gorge in whose lower depths the Haruna Temple stands. The big red torii under which we pass marks the rear entrance to its domain. The gradual descent along the winding, well-kept road, over quaint bridges spanning plunging waterfalls, with alluring vistas ahead and constantly rising mts. behind, is beguiling. The precipitous slopes are covered with growing things which the wild wistaria and honeysuckle bind in an almost impenetrable jungle. After sampling the wild grapes which abound one is usually tempted to refer to them witn the Cockney's pronunciation of the a.

Three hrs. out from Ikao one passes beneath the weatherbeaten outergate flanked by a wooden sign depicting two mus-

THE HARUNA TEMPLE

kets crossed, and skirts the side wall of the terrace leading to the inner gate. The setting of the structure is so unique that one is usually unprepared for its astonishingly fantastic appearance. Nothing in Japan is quite like it, and it bears a striking resemblance to pictures of gnome-land or the hidden glens that Rip Van Winkle saw in his weird dreams. The narrow canyon through which a tumbling torrent (the Numa-ogawa) rushes like some wild thing flying for its life, is choked with cryptomerias and Chamaecyparis so immense and so tall that they appear to rise for a thousand feet in an effort to reach the heat and light. To trace their upward passage one must stand still and throw the head far back, and even then the tops are scarcely discernible. High above the quaint temple, and seemingly ready to topple over and crush it, rise moss-covered, craggy, granite spires, ever-menacing but strangely beautiful. Across the great rift in the earth rises the opposite wall from which many of the original trees have partly detached themselves, and as if unable longer to maintain the perpendicular on its sheer sides, hang head downward awaiting the freshet or the axe that will dislodge them. A delightful coolness pervades the place, and white-clad pilgrims glide quietly to and fro in a setting that any artist would love to paint.

A tea-house stands on the edge of the lowest terrace, while higher up, on a broader one, are the priests' apartments. From this point a flight of stone steps leads up to a fine gateway in the natural wood ( keyaki ) with doors, posts, and panels (both sides) covered with wood carvings (the work of Miyaguchi Genzaemon in 1830) so noteworthy in detail, so broad in scope, and so effectively presented that one ungrudgingly ranks them among the best in the Empire. Mythological dragons, impossible quadrupeds, birds, animals, men in fighting armor, and warriors on horseback and on foot, are all here portrayed in high and low relief with a crispness and vigor that amaze and attract. The bronze fitments of the gateway and the involved dragon rosettes on the panels of the doors are also worth noting.

The Temple proper, a Shinto structure erected in 1725 and dedicated to Homusubi (said to be the Shinto God of Fire) and to Haniyasu-Hime (Goddess of Earth and Growing Things), shows the effect of a moist situation and of great age. It backs up squarely against a sheer rocky wall, in the depths of which, entered through gold-lacquered doors at the back of the inner shrine, is a sacred cave, very moist and gloomy, but withal too sacred to be profaned by ordinary eyes. Here centuries ago were found a strangely fashioned bronze horse, a Chinese metal mirror, and other things preserved in the reliquary, but which the amiable bonzes show with beaming faces to whosoever is genuinely interested. Conspicuous among these relics are some sculptured kakehotoke, or Hanging Buddhas (metal disks with ears carved with

THE HARUNA VILLAGE Bottle-gourds.

figures of Buddha and of Kwannon); some Chinese (or Korean) nickel mirrors made more than a thousand years ago and bearing a striking resemblance to those in the Shoso-in at Nara; a remarkably preserved sword about 2 ft. long made by the celebrated master Okazaki Masamune in 1330; another one forged for the celebrated Morinaga-Shinno (1308-1335, son of the Emperor Go-Daigo ), and a number of minor objects. The big sculptured and gilded ascending and descending dragons on the side beams of the porch are said to be carved each from a single piece of wood. Black lacquer and gold are the prevailing tones of the interior. The 60 panels of the coffered ceiling are painted with flowers and winged dragons; the characters adorning the circle inclosing the four central ones represent the cardinal points. Around the inner shrine are some painted dragons and bold carvings. At the left of the temple yard is a much-prized lantern made of a special imported iron ( Namban-tetsu ) and ascribed to Nitta Yoshisada. The detached buildings contain nothing especially interesting. The tall rock at the left of the gateway is called Hoko-iwa (halberd rock). The pinnacle rocks which rise in such grandeur above the temple all bear fanciful names — Thunder-God Rock, Armor Rock, Tortoise Rock, etc. Of the thousands of pilgrims who visit the temple each year, many come during the great festivals of May 8-15.

A few yards below the temple, on the near side of the (red) Bridge of the Gods ( shinkyo ), in a high cliff at the right, is a cave which stood formerly at the rear of a temple erected in the 14th cent.; the roof marks are still to be seen against the wall. Farther along is a 3-storied, time-stained pagoda. The flagged walk is pieced out by stone steps as it descends farther into the chasm, across which, high up at the left, is a curious natural stone arch called Kurakake-iwa, or Saddle Rock. Still farther down the stream is a huge gateway, and beyond it a big bronze torii marking the upper end of Haruna Village ( machi ). This is referred to as the ni-no-torii, because 3 M. farther down is another big wooden one, the first. In years gone by a succession of torii marked the 17 M. of now wretched roadway to Matsuida (see Rte. 6), and up it from the companion temples at Myogi-san there trudged each year perhaps 3 times the 40,000 that are said still to come to this hoary old temple to pray to its divinities for good crops and prosperous times. To aid in this desideratum each pilgrim brings with him a gourd 1 which he fills with sanctified water to take back and scatter over his little realty holdings. Near the 2d torii are the ruins of several temples that were in their prime 300 yrs. before Columbus discovered America, and when the entire gorge was

1 The dried bottle-gourds ( hyotan ), which in China are tied to the backs of children on the boats to assist them in floating if they should fall overboard, are common in Japan, and pilgrims usually carry them on their journeys.

Funao Waterfall IKAO TO KUSATSU

a scene of Buddhist activity. The red, metal-trimmed bridge, the moss-grown stone lanterns, and the multiplicity of dismantled stone-work are relics of those palmy days. The rushing stream that seems to whisper of vanished glory, the singing birds, the lovely flowers, and the park-like aspect of the sequestered place, so many miles removed from the strenuous world, axe all very charming and restful.

The traveler so inclined may vary the return trip and lengthen it a bit by diverging from the main trail (right) about midway between Haruna Lake and the 2d tea-house, and proceed to (4 M.) Garameki, which has a mineral spring and whence the shortest way back to Ikao would be to descend the path to Mushiyu, thence via the 1st tea-house, or over the Miharashi trail. The Futatsu-dake can also be ascended over one of the several clear paths to the summit. Haruna Fuji is scalable, and a guide (¥1) can be obtained at the lakeside teahouse. The summit is not so needle-pointed as the natives love to picture it, but the views from it are inspiring and are worth the climb. Soma-yama (4850 ft. above the sea, 2250 above Ikao), the highest of the Haruna peaks, is near the 2d tea-house; the trail is clearly defined and a good walker can reach the base in 25 min. Another 1/2 hr. of stiffish climbing (chains fixed in the rocks help one over the worst places) will bring him to the summit, whence Fuji-yama is visible at the S., beyond the Chichibu Range. A small shrine stands at the top, and to this many devout pilgrims go each year, usually via the considerably harder and roughish trail from Mushiyu. A half-score chains and a ladder help one to the top on this side, but a greater spiritual reward awaits one because of the increased difficulties of the ascent. The trip from Ikao to the summit and return can be made in one forenoon by getting an early start. The return journey can be varied by proceeding first to Benten-daki, then Odaki and the Nanae Cascades; also via Mushiyu, Miharashi, and Kompira-san.

The walk down to the (2 1/2 M.) Mizusawa Kwannon Temple (1 hr. via the Shibukawa jinriki-road, thence through the woods at the base of Sengen-yama; chair, ¥2.40; horse, ¥1.30) will not repay one unless time hangs heavily. The Buddhist temple is weather-beaten and as uninteresting as the idols it contains. Beyond it (2 M.; 1 hr.; chair, ¥2.60; horse, ¥1.60) is the attractive Funao Waterfall, but the last part of the journey is tiresome. The traveler with time to spare will find the walk down the old highway to Shibukawa prolific in panoramic views; some travelers walk this (delightful in the early a.m.; time, 1 hr.) on leaving Ikao, and send their luggage down in the electric car (chair, ¥2.60; jinriki, 50 sen).

Ikao to Kusatsu (a 3-day trip). While the all-day (30 M.) ride in a tram-car, basha and kayo, is apt to prove a bit wearisome, the countrv through which one passes is magnificent —

IKAO TO KUSATSU Agatsuma River.

the scenery ranking with the grandest in the Empire. Kusatsu, in its primeval volcanic setting high-poised in the Kotsuke Mts., with unusually interesting hot mineral baths, is unique. No place is just like it, and the curious phases of life one sees there are unforgettable. While one quarter of the town is crowded with lepers, the visitor need have no fear of contagion (possible only after long and frequent intercourse), as the sulphurous (and other chemical and diabolical) stenches that hiss out from the seething subterraneous furnace below it act as correctives and curatives. Few places of the world will remind one so much of what one imagines the nether world to be like. The hotel is clean and comfortable, with delightful sulphur baths.

Several routes are practicable from Ikao, but the best, easiest, and most popular is by electric tram (43 sen) to Shibukawa, thence basha (p. xci) to (¥1.50) Tatsuishi, and from there up the winding mt. road ( kago, ¥2.50; horse, ¥1.50) to (5 M.) Kusatsu. Before undertaking the trip one should have the manager of the hotel at Ikao telephone to Nakanojo and Kusatsu and ascertain if the road is open. The Agatsuma River is powerful and capricious, and is subject to devastating floods. That of 1910 wrecked the road so badly that 2 yrs. were required to put it back into commission. When it washes out the bridges the traveler is obliged to ford and re-ford the river (wire-rope ferries), walk long stretches, and make wide detours over tallish hills. A clear day is necessary to the full enjoyment of the mt. views, and an early start is advisable. The 6.30 a.m. tram-car from Ikao reaches Shibukawa a little after 7, and the basha leaves (or is supposed to leave) at 8. The horses are fed with such frequency en route that one cannot hope to reach Tatsuishi before 6 p.m. (or 7), and the walk or ride thence will consume 2 hrs. more. Those who dislike walking should telephone ahead to the hotel at Kusatsu and ask to be met at Tatsuishi by coolies, ponies, and a kago — the latter very uncomfortable for any one weighing over 100 lbs. Unless one is met there, a guide and lanterns should be taken along, as the road through the canyon at night is of a blackness similar to that of Erebus. [The basha are expected ultimately to make Kusatsu their terminus.] If one can find an idle horse in Tatsuishi, it can be had for the trip for 75 sen. If there are several in the party, it is advisable to hire a special basha from Shibukawa (¥8-10), for when the ordinary vehicles are crammed with the proletariat they are almost as uncomfortable as a Black Maria. The seat up near the driver is usually the most sheltered from rain. The lurching of the crude conveyance is apt to pitch one (particularly when drowsy) out from the rear seat.

By telephoning from Ikao to the basha baiting-stable at Shibukawa, a boy will meet the Ikao tram-car and carry luggage to the stable for a small fee. The basha proceeds to the N. end of the town, thence to Kanai Village, where the roaring Agatsuma-gawa is crossed to the shore town of Koizawa. At' the right hereabout the Agatsuma pours its cold mt. water into that of the Tone River, known for its trout. The diverging tramway at Koizawa goes to Numata and forms a link in the trip from Nikko hither over the Konsei Pass (Rte. 16). Beyond the bridge our road turns abruptly to the left and fol

lows the river almost to its source (near Kusatsu). Ikao and the commanding summits of Futatsu-dake are soon seen perched high in the mts. at the far left. Although the highroad here is good enough for motor-cars, the instability of some of the bridges farther on — particularly those propped on brackets against the granite walls high above the swirling river — should

Nakanojo.

IKAO TO KUSATSU

make the motorist think twice before proceeding. While stout enough to bear up under a loaded basha weighing a ton, they might collapse under a 2-ton automobile. In the springtime the fields by the wayside are brown with ripening winter wheat, which contrasts sharply with the tender green of sprouting rice, the more somber green of the lofty pines which clothe the hill-slopes, and the yet richer hues of the omnipresent hemp (plant and product called asa), widely cultivated for its fiber (which is made into a stout linen). The power generated by the many water-wheels seen along the route is used for cleaning rice and hulling wheat and buckwheat (soba), much of the flour of which is made into a kind of macaroni called soba (and sobakiri ). Roses, hydrangea, spiraea, honeysuckle, and a host of wild flowers deck the countryside and enliven the humble cottages of the peasantry. Striking features of the highroad are the swift mail-carriers one sees sprinting lightly along with small bundles of mail-matter strapped to their shoulders, or piled in a light hand-cart which they pull rapidly after them. Tall mts. flank the entire route at the right, and into gashes in their sides the road winds frequently, to round gulches or to escape the undermining effect of the greedy river. The capricious nature of this has necessitated massive and expensive granite revetments, swinging bridges suspended by coarse wire, and miles of costly riparian work of the style known to the natives as 'serpent-baskets,* and referred to in Rte. 25. Even these do not prevent the rapacious waters from eating deeply into the paddy-fields and the mulberry plantations that flank the stream on its opposite bank. Adown the swift current one sees occasional rafts of logs that swing round the wide bends with grace and speed and shoot the rapids with ease and safety.

The Nakanojo baiting-station is usually reached about 10.30, and as the Shibukawa basha turns back here, the traveler must wait (sometimes 2 hrs.) for the corresponding basha to come in from Tatsuishi. The time can be passed to better advantage in one of the several tea-houses, the Takeno-ya (where the coach stops), the Fukuda, Nabe-ya, etc. In the former a palatable soup, rice, eggs, tea, and some minor native dishes are served for 25 sen. If the amiable proprietor quizzes the traveler as to his destination, etc., it is usually with the laudable intention of telephoning ahead to the hotel manager at Kusatsu to apprise him of approaching travelers so that he may have horses and kagos in waiting at Tatsuishi. Beyond Nakanojo the road bears to the left, crosses the Yamada-gawa (a tributary of the Agatsuma-gawa), and continues along the right bank of the latter. Haramachi (Inn: Tachibana, ¥2) is reached about 1 p.m.; beyond it the road climbs into the hills, which are marked by many cascades and plunging waterfalls. For the following 3 hrs. the scenery is extraordinarily grand; the road

KAWARAYU HOT SPRINGS Tatsuishi.

rises gradually to a point hundreds of feet above the angry river, which anon spreads out in wide, fan-shaped rapids, or tears with a sullen roar through deep gorges so narrow at some places that a goat could almost spring across them. Here Nature shows herself in one of her wildest and most unbridled moods. With every mile the prospect changes; at times the hills slope back from the roadway, showing tiny houses and shrines perched high like those of the Austrian Tyrol; at others they rise sheer hundreds of feet, and the creaking stage-coach has to crawl gingerly along on narrow terraces cut from their soggy sides. In the angles of some of the awe-inspiring gulches the hard granite has so repelled encroachment that the rickety wood bridges are swung on stout piano wires over spaces down which one looks 500 ft. upon miniature Niagaras or slanting cascades. Tremendous rifts in the earth's crust, awe-inspiring mts., dense forests, yawning chasms, and fetching views mark the road to a point (reached about 4 p.m.) where a foot-bridge spans the river and a road leads left to (1/2 M.) Kawarayu Hot Springs (Inn: Kawarayu ¥2.50), a popular and highly picturesque resort perched on a beautiful and lofty terrace above the river. Here pedestrians who make the short-cut overland trip from Ikao to Kusatsu usually stop for the night. (Horse from Ikao and return, ¥5.) Farther along another bridge leads across to the town.

The river now broadens and we traverse a tunnel gouged through a rocky scarp with a perpendicular drop of hundreds of ft. to the river below. The stone retaining-walls hereabout are 50 or more ft. high and were built at great expense. Above this splendidly massive work is thrown a suspension bridge below which the river rushes at tremendous speed. Naganohara (Inn: Otsu-ya, ¥2), 7 1/2 M. from Kusatsu, is reached about 5.20; hence to Tatsuishi the road is fairly level and uninteresting. The poor town of Tatsuishi is the junction-point of the trail from Karuizawa (p. 75). A limited range of food can be had at the inn, where the basha stops (and whence it starts back to Nakanojo at 8 a.m.), but whosoever plans to sleep here in order to climb to Kusatsu by daylight must be equipped with a good flea-powder or be prepared to share his bed with numerous bizarre and biting entomological specimens. Here the side-road to Kusatsu goes up (N.) the gorge at the right — unless washed out by the violent torrent which rushes down it and merges its muddy waters with the trickling head-waters of the Agatsuma-gawa. In such a case a roundabout trail is followed across the hills. The scenery is wild and picturesque. The first 3 M. are between the high, sloping sides of the canyon, which are densely wooded, fragrant with wild flowers, and dotted here and there with charcoal-burners' huts. The wild wistaria is a glory in early June. The trend is steadily upward, and about 1 1/2 hrs. out from Tatsuishi the road emerges from

KUSATSU HOT SPRINGS

the ravine and skirts a series of tall hills at the left. The views across the wide country at the right, to the lofty Shirane-san are splendid. The traveler who tramps downward over this trail in the early hours of a spring morning will be charmed by the beauty and brooding solitude of the place.

Kusatsu (4500 ft.), celebrated for its hot sulphur springs, bears practically the same relation to North Central Japan that the Hot Springs of Arkansas do to the Middle West of the U.S.A., since it is the rendezvous for rheumatics; those unfortunates afflicted with the dread disease which No. 606 aimed to cure; lepers and other physically infirm persons. The fastidious may not like some of the sights they will witness in the baths to which the members of the leper colony go, but these can be avoided. The small, scattered town (more like the resort of the 'Old Scratch' himself than of humans), is built on the sloping sides of a V-shaped ravine through the bottom of which flow streams of steaming water that paint their runways with all the colors of the spectrum, and distribute a stench which delicate nostrils find some difficulty in assimilating. The gulch is on a lofty plateau surrounded by plains and hills which shut in the town in such a way that one enters the upper end of the main st. almost before one is aware of its existence. On moist, lowering days clouds of steam hang over the gorge and impart an infernal aspect to it. Great clouds of steam nse from the baths which flank the central square, and when one approaches this at night the scene is weird in the extreme.

Hotels (comp. p. zziz). The Shirane Hotel (English spoken), in semi-foreign style, stands at the extreme W. end of the town, in a semicircle of hills higher than the town proper, and facing a gorge down which rush streams of scalding sulphur water. This water is piped direct into the hotel baths, which are clean, and free to guests. Rates from ¥5 a day and upward, Am. pi.; 5% reduction for a week or more. A small room by the month, ¥4 a day; large room, ¥4.50; Japanese room with foreign bed, ¥3.50. There are a number of inns in the native style, but they are apt to house guests (10,000 repair hither annually) with whom the traveler might not Like to come into contact. Rates from ¥3 to ¥3.50 a day; native food. — Certain of these hostelries have elaborately sculptured facades in which the turtle figures as a symbol of the longevity assured by the cure.

The Hot Springs, which came prominently to the fore in the 16th cent, and which range in temperature from about 75° to 160° F., contain a large percentage of sulphur, alum, iron, arsenic, and a combination of mineral acids, and are much extolled for their curative properties. Some of the cold springs are of corrosively acid water. All issue from fissures in the volcanic breccia, and where the hottest of the waters run down through open gulches or bamboo pipes to the primitive bathhouses the rocks are in some places stained vitriolic blues, brilliant yellows (with thick incrustations of flowers of sulphur), jade greens, and copperas streaks that present a beautiful appearance when the sun shines upon them. In the pools the

THE KUSATSU BATHS

sulphur flowers cover everything several millimeters thick; many of the near-by rocks are hot to the touch. In the center of the town the steaming water is led into wide evaporating- pans where the sulphur deposits are collected. The sulphuretted odors which rise all over the town are said to keep mosquitoes and noxious insects away and to be antiseptic and disinfectant. The town records show that the place is remarkably free from infectious diseases other than those brought by persons seeking the cure. Nor does the steam which floats up constantly in many quarters appear to increase the summer temperature, which rarely rises above 80° F. Although the winters are cold, and heavy snows lie on the surrounding mts. for months at a time, snow rarely remains long in Kusatsu, as the underground rivulets melt it quickly. The curative properties of the waters are said to be remarkable, and while they seem to have no effect upon leprosy in its advanced stages, unfortunates afflicted with the pathogenic organism known as Treponema pallidum appear to get prompt relief. The searching qualities of the acids in the waters find every little abrasion of the skin, and so efficacious are they in healing skin-diseases and wounds that many of the soldiers injured in the Japan- Russia War were sent here by the Gov't to find relief and health. Persons afflicted with rheumatism and gout are cured of them. According to the Japanese proverb, 'Love is the only grave distemper against which the waters of Kusatsu can effect nothing.'

The Baths, scattered all over the small town, in many ways are the most interesting in Japan. Their average temperature ranges from 100° to 118°, but in certain of the houses, notably the Netsu-no-yu described below, the coldest bath is 114° and the hottest about 125°; the latter are the promptest in their action and effect, and they quickly bring out blisters on the tenderest parts of the body. To avoid these the timid seek the cooler waters — which are best adapted to those with weak hearts and lungs. The hot baths cause palpitation of the heart and pronounced lassitude, but the latter is usually offset by the tonic crispness of the mt. air. The blisters (which do not come unless one bathes several times daily) presage their arrival by slight fever and loss of appetite. At the end of 4-5 weeks they become red, swell, exude pus, and then heal. The first stage of the cure (10-14 days) is free from them. It is when they are at their worst (3d-5th week) that the unfortunate possessor is unable to walk without pain and is the subject of humorous allusion to what is known locally as the 4 Kusatsu walk 9 — a ludicrously inelegant gait which must be seen to be appreciated. As the chief active substances in some of the baths are free sulphuric acid and arsenic that bite into the suffering flesh like hot steel pincers, the men patients move about slowly and painfully, with the legs well apart; planting

THE FEVER BATH

Lepers.

first one foot forward, then edging the other and the torso round to it, assisted by a cane and facial contortions. The axillae come in also for a visitation of the sores, and the arms are sometimes held wide like the wings of a vulture drying its feathers in the sun. Ointments are forbidden, and to protect the raw and stinging blisters from too virulent attacks of the acid, bathers usually swathe them tenderly in cotton wool — an operation performed au jour just before entering the bath. Great fortitude is required to resist the inclination to discontinue the baths when the blisters begin to appear, for the agony produced by the contact of the acidulous waters is acute. Even the stoic Japanese writhe under the treatment. The bather who once gets the acrid water in his eyes will be willing to forego a repetition of it. There is no special dietary regime, and no medical treatment is prescribed, as at foreign spas. Six or 7 weeks and about 120 baths constitute the cure; mild diseases require from 3 to 5 baths a day; serious ones from 1 to 3 (3-5 min. in the hot water each time). The weak condition of the patient usually prevents his taking exercise. Foreigners should seek medical advice and undergo a physical examination before attempting the more powerful baths. Persons who have gone through a course of treatment at Kusatsu sometimes repair to the milder baths of Ikao to clear the skin of the irritation caused by the stronger waters.

The most interesting and typical of the several baths is the Netsu-no-yu, or Fever Bath, under gov't supervision, in a squat frame building facing the central square. The Goza-no-yu, where the Lepers bathe, is farther down the gorge; the sights and the human misery one witnesses there are so repulsive, and are such a drain on one's sentiment, that squeamish persons had better stay away. The stranger unfamiliar with the time-honored customs of rural Japan will be impressed curiously by the promiscuous bathing of the sexes in all the baths, but he cannot fail to note the natural decorum which everywhere prevails. He may also wish to remember the statement of a witty writer, to the effect that 'in Japan the nude is seen but not looked at.' If this be borne in mind one will have no difficulty in gaining admission as a spectator; cameras and notebooks are, however, excluded. Five baths daily, called Jihan-yu, or time-baths, are the rule in the Netsu-no-yu, the hrs. varying with the season. In summer the first is usually at 5 a.m.: the others at 8 and 10 a.m. and at 2 and 5 p.m. When all is ready a bath attendant goes out into the st. and blows several long blasts on a brass horn, and soon the bathers are seen ambling painfully across the square. In the bathhouse they mount to a platform which rises round the central pools and disrobe to a thin white shirt or tunic. From 40 to 60 can enter the pools at one time, and when this batch is out a second group is admitted. All bathers must submit to a sort

NETSU-NO-YU

of semi-military discipline, and must enter and leave the water together, at the word of command of the bath-master. The ratio of men and women is about 4 to 1. Against the walls, in racks like cue-racks in a billiard-room, stand scores of deal boards about 8 ft. long and 1 ft. wide; each man takes one of these, then all range themselves in a row around the outer edges of the sunken pools. A curious performance now begins and lasts for 20-25 min. One end of the plank is dipped into the water and by a deft wrist-motion a corner is lifted and with it about a gallon or more of water, which is flopped to one side with a splash; then the other side is raised with a like result, the rim of the pool giving forth meanwhile a resounding smack as the plank strikes it, first on one edge, then on the other. In a minute or two a concerted rhythm is attained; bodies begin to sway in unison, and to the 40 or more resounding whacks is added a vocal chant which soon rises to a roar. The sound of the voices and the noise made by the water and the boards is deafening. Air is supposed to enter the holes made in the water, and to cool it — bringing the temperature down from about 135° to 125°. The spirit of joyousness evoked by the rhythmical shouting and by the belief that they are beating the heat out of their common enemy inspires the bathers (now in a lather of perspiration) with a sort of Dutch courage, which, be it said, does not evaporate when they slip their tender bodies into the scalding liquid. During the performance the planks are turned about and the cooler ends put in to whip the water. At a given signal the boards are withdrawn, placed upright in their racks, and heavy beams to divide the pools into aqueous lanes just wide enough to accommodate a line of bathers are placed in position. At another signal the bathers — who are now joined by women who have taken no part in the cooling operation — kneel in rows along the beams and pour each a hundred or more big dippers full of the hot water over their heads and necks — to prevent congestion and syncope on entering the water. By this time rising steam has filled the room with a thick gray mist, and any clothing seems as heavy as if one were in a Turkish bath. Many of the naked backs of the bathers show moxa scars as big as a silver 50 c. piece, usually near the spine. During an interval of about 10 min. the patients rest, or swathe their loins with an exaggerated clout of cotton wool, and prepare for the scalding ordeal.

Suddenly the stentorian voice of the bath-master asks if all are ready. The last vestige of clothing is now whipped off, hastily twisted into a bundle and thrown to the platform, and primitive Japan is represented by youth and manhood, matrons and maidenhood, fat and slender, winsome and otherwise, who lower themselves slowly into the almost boiling water, until hues of shiny black polls and slowly purpling faces

Excursions.

SAI-NO-KAWARA

only are to be seen above the boards. A silence like that of the grave ensues, and is broken only by the loud ticking of the time-clock and the echo of plashing boards and chants and roars in other near-by baths. The bath-master now tells them they will have to stand the ordeal but three short minutes, and he chants a sort of deliberate doggerel, to animate them. An anguished ai of lamentation or a rippling moan is the only response; these three minutes mean almost an eternity to the exquisitely tender, sore-flecked bodies into which the hot acid is biting zestfully, but the Japanese suffer it with accustomed fortitude. When, at the end of the first minute, which in the tense silence seems much longer, the bath-master assures them that but two minutes remain, a thin cheer surcharged with eager agony ripples through the room. The clock ticks with awful slowness, and when the prompter tells them there remains but a single minute a score of parboiled bodies almost pop out of the water, so vehement is the response. Not a few of the grim faces look as if they could not stand the ordeal a split-second longer, much less a minute. But they do, and with the final ringing shout, 'Get out of the water s-l-o-w-l-y,' — starting at a point high up the scale and descending to a rich basso profundo, — the threescore bodies rise like corks that have been held below the surface, and with such amazing unity that it would be a good watch that could register the fraction of time between the first and the last. The torso seems to be the part they want most to release from the grip of the acid, for many of the bathers stand waist-deep and mop their dark red, steaming bodies with towels which a man or a woman attendant brings them. And such bodies! Those who think that the etiolated tint is the finest for the human animal should see a group of these bathers as they sit around 'in their bones' after an immersion in such waters. They are not all scarred or diseased; many in fact take the cure for some little rheumatic tinge; a fancied ill resulting from the national scourge, dys-

Kia; or as a preventive against the future. This is particu- the case with the women, who outwardly are as fit as any human animal could be. The rosy bronze of the skin when it begins to lose the rich red hue imparted by the heat is comparable only in beauty to that wonderful crimson the oculist with his special light sees at the back of the human eye. It registers a new color harmony, the exact counterpart of which one sees under no other condition. The hopelessness of a correct definition becomes apparent when a faultlessly symmetrical maiden sits tailor-fashion, like some beautiful nude goddess, in the pearly haze that filters through the paper shoji, and drowsily awaits the return of sufficient strength to dress herself!

A number of Walks, and Excursions on Horseback, are possible in the Kusatsu neighborhood. A favorite short stroll is to (1/2 M.) Sai-no-Kawara (p. 52), a volcanic spot where

SHIRANE-SAN

there are some stone images of Jizo and little piles of rocks commemorating dead children. A number of hot springs bubble out of the conglomerate rock or run from holes in the cliffs. They evidently flow over the banked fires of a slumbering volcano, since the waters — in many instances scalding to the touch — hold considerable sulphur in solution, which they deposit as an almost impalpable powder in the many pools roundabout. These are the haunts of innumerable tiny flies; the pebbles of jade-green, blue, and yellow resemble semiprecious stones. The views of the gorge with its steam and its stench are very curious. The big stones in the river-bed — often dry in summer — are so loosely anchored that many will wobble to the touch of a hand. By following the ravine (W. from the Shirane Hotel) and leaving the line of torii at the left, one soon comes to a point (marked by a stone Jizo) where the stream bifurcates. The path at the left goes to its source, through the Sai-no-Kawara. The trail which winds over the hills (right) from a point 1/2 of the way, goes to (2 1/2 M.) Sessho-gawara near the foot of Shirane-san.

Shirane-san (7500 ft.), a recently active volcano 7 1/2 M. N.W. of Kusatsu (horse, ¥2.25; coolie to act as guide, ¥1), is usually approached from this point. The path from Sessho-gawara is rough and overgrown, and climbers will do well to diverge to the left about 1 hr. before reaching Shibu-toge. A 4 hrs. steady ride and climb from Kusatsu will take one to the summit (no difficulties), where there are 3 lakes in 3 separate craters, 2 of them cold, the other boiling hot; the latter holds free sulphuric acid in solution, to which constituent the baths of Kusatsu owe their efficacy. Prior to 1882, Shirane-san was regarded as a dead, innocuous volcano, but the eruption of that year, during which the central lake was greatly agitated and threw up a column of boiling water, mud, and stones to a height of 50 ft., was the precursor of later ones. 'The surface levels of the lakes are subject to frequent and sudden changes. In 1875 the water of the central lake lay 140 ft. below the crater lip: in 1882 it rose to within 20 ft. of the top, and in 1907 it had fallen to 100 ft. All the lakes are now shrinking in size.'

At Shibu Village (17 M. from Kusatsu; horse, ¥4; 9 M., 4 hrs. from the Shibu Pass) there are hot springs and a good inn ( Kanagu-ya, ¥1.50) where travelers are often presented with a pot of the delicious quince jelly (marumero) made in the locality. From Shibu westbound travelers may proceed to (12 M., basha in hrs., 35 sen) Toyono, a station on the Shin- etsu Rly. Line (Rte. 6). The intervening scenery is fine.; — Travelers from Kusatsu to Karuizawa will find a list of charges for a jinriki, kago, or horse posted in the hotel lobby. Foreign saddles can be obtained here, but there is usually a disproportionate charge for them.

The Return from Kusatsu to Tatsuishi should be made

in the early morning, as the trail is then beautiful. Breakfast can be had at 4.30; jinriki, 80 sen; 2 men ¥1.40. A good walker can compass the downward journey easily in 2 hrs. Several trails branch off at the left, near the top of the st. leading out of the Kusatsu gulch. The road which trends right and skirts the base of the hills should be followed. Another trail leads off at the left just before the gorge is entered. From this point to Tatsuishi is all down grade.

The Overland Trip from Ikao to Nikko presents fewer difficulties if taken in the opposite direction, for which reason it is described in Rte. 16.