日光とその周辺

14. Nikko and its Environs.

Arrival. The rly. station (see the accompanying plan) is near the foot of the single street which serves as the main thoroughfare of the long, thin town of Hachi-ishi, at the top of which is the chief hotel, the temples, etc. The Daiya River flanks this st. on the right.

The * Kanaya Hotel (Tel. address, ‘Kanaya, Nikko'), on a commanding position (see the Nikko Plan, D, 3) on a verdant hillslope (superb views) at the left of the Red Lacquer Bridge, about 1 M. from the rly. station, is one of the best, most picturesque, most widely known and liked hotels in Japan. Under exceptionally able management, with excellent service, good food, a library, spacious lounges, public and private diningrooms; 80 bedrooms (many with private baths) steam heated in winter, cooled in summer, with telephones and all the best and most modern fitments of a metropolitan hotel. The landscape garden is delightful, and the flowers grown in the hotel greenhouse lovely. Tennis court, etc.

The English-speaking proprietors, Messrs. S. and H. Kanaya (brothers of the popular and widely known manager of the Fujiya Hotel at Miyanoshita), have studied the best hotel systems in America and England and know how to cater to the wants of discriminating travelers. Rates, American Plan (including board and room) from 12 yen a day and up.

The hotel Garage contains 40 or more excellent motor-cars at the traveler’s disposal, and by telephoning ahead one can be assured that a good car will be waiting at the station.

There are many places of interest in and around Nikko, and weeks can be spent to advantage visiting them. Some of the walks are the most delightful and diverting in Japan. The trout-fishing in certain of the lakes and streams roundabout is unexcelled in the country. The hotel management will furnish guides and help the traveler plan his excursions.

The Nikko Shops are numerous and beguiling. Local specialties are Nikko peppermints, and kuri-yokan, a sweet bean-paste mixed with chestnuts.

Turned-wood articles in great variety, and wistaria walking-sticks, are sold in many of the shops; the plates are sometimes made of a tree-fungus called Boletus versicolor, and known to the Japanese as Saru-no-koshi-kake, or Ape-stool. It clings to the trunks of old foliaceous trees in mt. forests and often attains great dimensions. Bizarre plates varnished black, with their upper part hollowed and lacquered in red, and with borders showing 2 or 3 growth-rings of the mushroom in all its natural irregularity, are sometimes seen. The easily worked wood of the horse-chestnut, or tochi-no-ki (the tree which gives the name to the prefecture in which Nikko is situated), is much used in making furniture and small articles. Various other pretty objects are made from the black fossil wood found near Sendai. The dainty little trays, and cups and saucers (made usually of magnolia wood), finished in black, red, or gold-lacquer (the latter tarnishes), are very fragile, since they are sawn against the grain and therefore chip easily. Most of the small articles turned from camphor-laurel, alder, etc., come from Hakone. Roots and branches of the rhododendron are here hollowed out for bowls, ash-cups, water-dippers, and what-not, then lacquered on the inside.

Nikko (‘sunny splendor'), a mt. town (pop. 8000) in the N.W. part of Shimotsuke Province, perhaps derives its name (a corrupted and contracted form of the Chinese Nikwozan) from Nikko-bosatsu, a Buddhist divinity who resides in the sun. While not included by the Japanese in the.‘three great sights' it nevertheless appeals strongly to most

foreigners. The solemn and impressive grandeur of the lofty, forest-belted mts. which tower above it; the barbaric splendor of the temples and mausolea enshrined in their noble groves; the austere charm of the plunging, brawling, ever-changing river; the cool climate; the proximity to many lovely waterfalls; to the near-by Chuzenji and Yumoto lakes, and to other resorts, make it a sort of Mecca not only for resident foreigners, but for travelers from many parts of the world. In few places have art, nature, and religion worked together with such harmonious results, whence the oft-repeated expression: * Nikko mirumade, Kekko to iuna!1 — * Until you have seen Nikko, do not say splendid! 9

History. Nikko came prominently into history when the Buddhist bonze Shodo-Shonin (‘pioneer of the mountain ’) erected there (in 766) a small shrine which he called Shihonryu-ji (‘ Temple of the Four Dragons ’). Prior thereto the region had been shunned by the timid because of a superstitious dread of the fierce storms which whipped it from time to time, and which, according to oral tradition, rushed from a dark and fearsome cavern — the noisome home of certain malign spirits — on the slope of Nantai-zan, which overlooks Lake Chuzenji. Shodo-Shonin declared the old Shinto deity of the mountain to be only a manifestation of Buddha, and this so pleased the simple folk that in 808, Tachibana Toshito (then governor of the province) rebuilt the original temple on a larger scale and called it Honryu-ji (‘Dragon Temple*). Two years later, Kyobin, a disciple of Shodo-Shonin, built the Mangwan-ji, which became the chief temple of Nikko; Kyobin was established as its first superior in 818, and its head bonzes were named by the emperor. In 820, Kobo-Daishi visited the region and changed the original name; of Futa-ara-yama (applied to it because of the storms above-mentioned) to Nikko-zan (the name of the present range of mts. on the N.W. boundary of Shimotsuke Province). The pious bonzes will remind the scoffer that from that day the evil dragons which foregathered in the cavern on Nantai-zan ceased to scourge the district with hurricanes, albeit Nikko remains to-day the home of mist and rain.

In 850, Jikaku-Daishi erected 3 large temples and 36 smaller ones at Nikko, and thenceforward it became a sanctified place to which many devotees made annual pilgrimages. Several emperors and shoguns made grants of land to the temples, which eventually (about 1220) possessed 70 villages with a yearly revenue of 180,000 koku of rice. In 1590, Hideyoshi confiscated the temple domains with their incomes, leaving only the village of Ashio which yielded but 600 koku. All but 9 of the temples were demolished or transported elsewhere, and Nikko declined greatly. Its second rise began in 1617, when Hidetada, the 2d shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, erected here a superb mortuary shrine as a repository for his father’s body, then temporarily enshrined at Kuno-zan (Rte. 24), a lovely spot near Shizuoka. Under the able administration of the high-priest Tenkai, Nikko from that time gradually recovered its former prosperity. In 1645, the Emperor Go-Komyo conferred on Ieyasu the posthumous title of Tosho-daigongen, and decreed that every year an Imperial messenger should carry presents to his tomb. On the death (in 1651) of the shogun, Iemitsu, his remains also were brought here and a temple was erected to his memory. In 1654 a son of the Emperor Go-Mino-o was appointed high-priest of the Tendai sect of Buddhists and established himself at Nikko in the primitive Mnngwan Temple, which •was thereafter called Rinno-ji, and became known as its principal house. Since that time its superior has always been a prince of royal blood, who was called Rinno-ji no Miya. In 1871, the temple took its former name of Mangwan-ji, only to be again (in 1884) re-named Rinno-ji. It has lost much of its original splendor, and is now commonly known as the Sambutsu-do.

Nikko’s prestige received a second shock at the time of the Restoration; Buddhism was disestablished, all the ecclesiastical revenues reverted to the State; the temple of Ieyasu (or Toshogu) was shorn of much of its magnificent Buddhist paraphernalia, and of its glories of ritual; the 200 priests

which gave it animated splendor were scattered; and it was converted into a Shinto shrine. The temple of Iemitsu remained Buddhist. The first foreigners who were permitted to visit Nikko were Sir Harry (and Lady) Parkes, Great Britain’s representative in Japan in 1870.

The Mountains — green, lofty, and copper-impregnated — which half-encircle Nikko town from the N. toward the S.W. and overshadow it with their mighty bulk, are an ever-present delight. They seem all to be holding hands, as if better to keep in touch with the holy patriarch, Nantai-zan. Belted with forests of splendid conifers and a host of other evergreen and deciduous trees; deeply gashed with green, verdure-choked ravines into which plunge scores of lovely waterfalls: flaming with fragrant and beautiful wild flowers, and peopled by deer, monkeys, pheasants, and other game, they hold, land-locked in their higher reaches, exquisite, dark-green, mirror-like lakes drowsing in endless serenity and heedless of the imperative call of the ocean thousands of feet below. For a great part of the year the highest peaks are clothed or patched with snow, and at all times, from their easily scalable passes, one may enjoy prospects of Nature which leave one speechless with admiration. At the right (N.) of the town rises the low. thickly wooded and relatively isolated Toyama, surmounted with trees and a small rest-house. Hard by at the left, but a trifle higher, with patches of forest on its bold, grassy slopes, is Akanagi-yama (8000 ft.), linked by a knife ridge to the equally imposing Nyoho-zan, mentioned hereinafter. Below this, at the left, with patches of bare earth showing on its sides, is Ko-Manago; smaller, as its name implies, than its big brother, O-Manago (7666 ft.), which stands at the left and is conspicuous for the bare gullies which gash it. A graceful line sweeps downward from its lofty shoulder and forms a vast arete that joins it to the sacred Nantai-zan — the monarch of the region. The twin hummocks on its near side, close to Nikko, are called Futago-yama (‘twin mts.’). The steepish hill behind the Kanaya Hotel, crowned by a little tea-house and approached by a good path whence superb views are obtainable in retrospect, is Daikoku (‘good-luck’). The entire region is washed by the Daiya River, a right-hand tributary of the Kinu-gawa, which comes in from Sanno-toge. — The species of marble quarried in certain of the hills is called Nikko roseki.

Climate. The summer climate of Nikko is not quite in keeping with the sunny suggestiveness of its name. Fine crisp days often characterize April and May, but when spring glides into summer the rains become steady and nerve-trying, At this period many of the rivulets become raging torrents, and the waterfalls miniature Niagaras. When they all merge their muddy waters with the tumultuous flood of the raging Daiyagawa, it threatens the entire region with watery destruction.

and requires the combined efforts of most of the townspeople to dam it and curb its furious whims. At such times it dominates the town like an evil spirit, roaring and tumbling through the gorge and smiting the high retaining walls with a rage that is awe-inspiring. Travelers who plan mt. excursions on days which open sunnily should go equipped with rain-coats, for the afternoon may see a vast rain-soaked blanket of clouds sagging above the mt. tops, with a regular sizzle-sozzle pouring from a million pin-holes in it. Thunderstorms are features of the afternoon rains in midsummer. The rains slacken in Sept., and Oct. and Nov. are usually beautiful. Heavy snows mark the winter, with a minimum temperature of about 12° F. above. May is perhaps the best of the spring months, and Oct. in the autumn. Travelers at all seasons should carry heavy clothing, as snow flurries not unfrequently occur in April-May. The almost unexampled wetness of Nikko stimulates the plants to sustained activity, and produces a luxuriance of vegetation scarcely equaled in the same latitude anywhere. Even the tiny pores of the fence-stones and the granite monuments send forth vivid green Protococcus viridis, and one sometimes sees fat old carved stone Buddhas with thick and grotesque wigs of bright green grass or close-clinging green lichen all over their otherwise bald pates!

The Flowers are legion and are all beautiful; the plum blossoms of March are followed by those of the cherry in April, and by the lovely drooping wistaria in May. June is a glory of azaleas, clematis, and iris; wild varieties of the latter idealizing the hillsides as late as July. The autumn maples are superb and must be seen to be appreciated. Scores of wild flowers grow in wanton profusion on the mountain-sides, those which love the higher slopes and the cooler air looking down upon warm ravines wherein flaming azaleas strive to emulate their lofty example by rising in tree-like bushes 20 ft. or more high. Splendid conifers, maples, tochi-no-ki, lacquer, and other trees add their different shades of green to the general plan. Nature demonstrates her charm most strikingly in Nikko in the towering cryptomeria trees whose gigantic proportions, unusual height, purity of, form, and sumptuous development of foliage harmonize grandly with the gleaming, gold-flecked, green copper-bronzed roofs of the temples and the brilliant vermilion of the fences, pagodas, and shrines. Some of them are 20 ft. or more in girth 3 ft. above the ground and proportionately tall, and the majestic double-columnary avenues formed by them seem to stretch out into infinity and to encourage the lagging pilgrim by their grateful shade. They form regal approaches to the sacrosanct shrines, and once arrived they cluster around the temples as if to serve as a background and buffer between them and the mts., rising in Echelon behind them and giving the temples themselves the height which they

lack, and which deficiency the terraces partly supply* Man feels like a pygmy as he walks in the solemn shade at the foot of these faultlessly straight and superbly tall, pyramidal trees, which seem peculiarly fitted to shelter the glittering pomp and pageantry of the one-time gorgeous shogun and daimyo processions. They add immeasurably to the soothing charm which broods above Nikko, and they repress with a dominating personality the sometimes too garish tones of the temples and shrines.

The Sacred Red Bridge (Mihashi), one of the most striking and picturesque objects in Nikko (and which is sacred to all but the small boys who, monkey-like, scoot over it at night), is 83 ft. long, 18 ft. wide, and rests upon two monolithic, torii-shaped, gray granite pillars which stand at either end. Between these the bridge leaps in one graceful sweeping arch across the “rhyolitic gorge cut by the river below. Lacquered a rich, deep Indian red, which shines lustrously in the summer rains; adorned with black metal clamps and gilded washers that impart a tri-color effect; flanked at each end by wide-sweeping wings and closed (and locked) gates that are resplendent in black, red, and gold, the bridge makes a fine bit of color amidst the dark green of the surrounding trees and the soft gray of the rocks beneath. The restless, crystal-blue river which raves unceasingly below it refuses to reflect the warm red shape which a quiet, glassy pool would love to hold in its embrace. The effect imparted by the structure is that of one built on a slight curve. It is arched in the center; and along this ridge (from which the two sides slope gently) is a line of black iron that contrasts harmoniously with the lacquer which is laid in many thick coats (red above and black underneath) upon the massive keyaki floor-beams. The ten giboshu (p. clxxxvi) which crown the upright posts of this and many other bridges in Japan, impart a funereal aspect to it. It spans the river 112 ft. up from the tram-car (and foot) bridge of the commonalty, and is used by the public only when the lower bridge is out of commission. General U. S. Grant was invited to walk over it when in Nikko in 1879, but protested that it was too sacred to be thus defiled by him. It has been widely copied in native art, and many counterparts exist in the Empire. The original mihashi was constructed in 1636, and for many succeeding years it was opened only to shoguns' envoys of the Mikado, and (twice yearly) to pilgrims. According to the record it was erected to commemorate the following miracle: —

When Shodo-Shdnin was searching for Nantai-zan, the sacred mt. of his dreams (just as the wandering Aztecs sought the symbolic eagle, snake, and cactus in the Valley of Mexico), he reached this point in Nikko to find that the rapid waters of the Daiya-gawa barred further progress; thereupon he fell into a state of profound meditation, and he prayed long and fervently that the propitiatory gods might aid him. Like Santa Rosa de Lima, his wisdom and saintliness enabled him to converse with the birds and beasts of the

fields, and as he sat on the near bank of the stream where it is now spanned by the sacred bridge a dragon appeared to him and questioned the motive of his prayer. Learning that his wish was to cross the stream, the dragon retired to the little shrine of Jad-Gongen (or Shad-jinja; which still stands at the opposite end of the bridge).whereupon the god of that shrine emerged holding a red and a blue dragon in his hands. Placing them at the edge of the ravine he bade them form a bridge, which they did by stretching themselves to the other shore and permitting a path of rich green grass to grow instantly between them. Upon this miraculous and heaven-sent structure Shonin quickly passed over. From this circumstance the bridge is often referred to in old histories as the Yartta-suge-no-ja-baski, or ‘mountain-grass-dragonbridge.’ The original red bridge was destroyed Sept. 23, 1902, by one of the most singular catastrophes in the history of the region.

The June rains continued far into the autumn and the entire region roundabout suffered under an almost interminable downpour. Land-slips occurred on several of the most precipitous peaks of the environing range, but the most serious (one that made an ineffaceable record in local annals) was that of the sacred Nantai-zan, overlooking Chuzenji Lake. The morning of Sept. 23 opened lowering and sullen, with such thick sheets of rain that even much of the atmosphere was closed out, and one had to gasp for sufficient breath. The priests and bonzes were praying fervently in the little temple which stood on the mt. flank, near the edge of the lake, and were assisted by many pilgrims; a sentiment of impending disaster possessed the usually cheerful people. Suddenly, at about 8.30 a.m., a wide area composed of sodden ash and volcanic tufa thickly covered with forest trees and underbrush, detached itself from a point near the mt. summit and began to slide down its steep side; an instant later it gained the momentum of millions ol tons of matter in space and plunged down the slope with unthinkable swiftness and force, leveling or carrying along with it the forest in its path. The doomed priests and their panic-stricken suppliants heard the awful roar of the oncoming avalanche, but before they could even reach the temple doors it had lifted the whole area — buildings, trees, graves, shrines, torn, monuments. and what-not — and hurled it, along with the people, into the cold depths of the lake; there to bury it beneath other acres of debris.

As this huge mass suddenly plunged to the 500 ft. bottom of the lake, a _ corresponding body of water leapt upward, and, as if terrified at the invasion, hurled itself in blind panic over the Kegon precipice. When it hit the 300 ft. bottom of this abyss it bounded down the mt. side and shot seaward like a small world sundered from the law of attraction. The whole of the Nikko mts. seemed to tremble beneath the furious impact and the mad rush of the crazed monster. At the Uma-gaeshi tea-house — which was kept by an old woman and her small daughter and two grandchildren — - a peasant had just stepped up to buy a pair of waraji and a tiny cup of tea; the little granddaughter was tying on the sandals; the daughter was singing at her household chores, while the old woman and the young grandson were gathering brushwood on the adjacent hillside.

Suddenly there broke on the quiet morning air a roar that froze the blood in their veins. Then the twain saw the vast wall of onrushing water, boulders, earth, and forest trees strike their little home and hurl it hundreds of feet into splintered nothingness, carrying with it all their loved ones and all their earthly possessions. It had come in a moment, and in a moment it had gone, but the scars it left are still to be seen in the sorrowful face of the old woman (now installed in a new tea-house built by her friends) and in the • seared lines along the river’s bed. The only warning Nikko had of the coming of the formidable Frankenstein which the sacred mountain had startled

out of Chuzenji's depths, was that ominous and inexplicable calm which often presages disaster, and which so depresses human spirits. Just at 9 a.m. a thoughtful schoolmaster, feeling that his little charges would be happier at home than in the big schoolhouse across the river (below the present bridge), convoyed them across the lower of the (then) three bridges, and sent them scurrying to their respective nests. A minute after the hundreds of children had crossed the bridge safely, the terror was seen plunging down the gorge with a shriek that was hysterically synchronized by every electrically charged wire in the town, and by every temple bell and suspended gong within the sacred grove. The huge bells moaned as if in

anguish, and they hummed and buzzed angrily for minutes after the thing had gone. As the monster approached the Red Bridge, it reached out octopus-like arms and gathered in many of the humble homes of the people along the river’s edge. It picked up a dozen or more of the great stone Buddhas, which for centuries had gazed vacantly at the stream from the Gamman-ga-fuchi bank; wrenched the dainty little temple of Dainichi-do from its moorings in its exquisite little garden; spun it into position, and then, with diabolical frenzy, hurled it, along with the ponderous granite Buddhas, crashing against the lovely, shrinking, sacred bridge. The structure leapt from its base as if blown up by dynamite, dislodged the 2d, and then the 3d bridge, and shot downstream later to be splintered into a thousand fragments and strewn over a hundred miles of lowland and sea. Fifty lives were lost, 3 bridges, and 200 houses were wrecked in the vicinity of Nikko, along with several of the waterfalls which had hitherto been noted for their beauty.

The ♦Temples, indubitably the finest of their kind, may be said to be divided into two groups: the Ieyasu Shrines, the first up at the right from the nether end of the red bridge; and beyond, at the left, the Iemitsu Temples. The former are under the supervision of a Shinto abbot (office at the Shamusho; see the accompanying plan); the latter a Buddhist abbot of the Tendai sect — under whose control (office in the Rinno-ji compound, near the Sambutsu-dd) are also the Kyozo; the Sambutsu-do; and the Museum of Iemitsu Relics (all in the Ieyasu group). By mutual agreement the entrance fee of 80 sen (tickets at the Kanaya Hotel or at the ticket-offices of the respective groups) admits one to both sets of buildings, although in some, additional 5-sen fees are exacted. Application for admission to those structures closed to the general public must be made to the respective abbots. The court of last resort is the Imperial Household Department at Tokyo. Customarily the buildings are opened at 7-8 a.m. and closed at 4 p.m.. albeit some of the auxiliary structures close earlier. One cannot reenter on the same ticket, which must be relinquished when the 2d group is visited. Morning is the best time to inspect the buildings, and if possible a bright day should be selected, as the ceilings are low and floods of sunlight are requisite for a critical examination of the interiors — which on overcast days are dark and gloomy. Hats, shoes, umbrellas, walking-sticks, outer-coats, etc., must be left at the Karamon gate of both mausolea, where they are kept for a small fee (5-10 sen is ample for a party). Dogs are excluded, and smoking is strictly forbidden. Unusual precautions are taken against fire in all the buildings. A special appointment (p. 273) in advance is necessary to gain admission to the Holy of Holies of the Ieyasu shrine, and a special permit (sometimes obtainable of the Imperial Household Department, or through one’s minister or ambassador) and appointment for that of the Iemitsu temple. — - Cameras are permitted in the temple grounds, and pictures can be taken of the exterior of the buildings only on a previous payment of ¥1 for each group; the privilege applying only to the day and hour. Without this permit cameras must be left at the gate. Good pictures are possible only on bright days, as the wide overhanging eaves cast heavy shadows. — Fees to the temple attendants are unnecessary unless one makes special demands of them. Japanese usually deposit a few sen in the contribution-boxes (which because of their size can't be overlooked), or before the altars. In the latter case they often twist a wisp of paper round the coin before tossing it on the floor — an ancient custom that appeals to the economically disposed, since it masks the value of the offering. — For a clearer understanding of the chief structural features of the buildings the traveler is referred to the chapter on Temple Architecture (p. clxxii). The art motifs are alluded to in connection with Buddhism (p. clxxxix.

The Mausolea owe their being to the Tokugawa shogun, Ieyasu, who commanded his son Hidetada to choose a site and erect a suitable structure to receive his ashes. When Ieyasu died in 1616, Hidetada (who had succeeded to the shogunate in 1605) began the work — which outwardly was completed the following year. On April 20, 1617, the cortege (one of the grandest in Japan’s history) bearing Ieyasu's remains left Kuno-zan. and reached Nikko, May 8. There a choir of Buddhist priests in full canonicals intoned the classic scriptures ten thousand times. It was ordained that ever afterward the chief priest of Nikko should be a prince of the Imperial blood, with the title Rinno-ji no miya. An envoy of high rank was subsequently

sent by the Emperor to the shrine once a year, to offer sacred gilt gohri (p. ccxix). Tokugawa Iemitsu (Hidetada's eldest son) amplified his grandfather’s wishes by building several beautiful adjuncts to the main shrine. The belief is held by certain secular historians that this splendor-loving sovereign had a double purpose. Besides erecting a sumptuous sepulcher for himself, he tried not only to dazzle the daimyos by the fertility of his own imagination, and by his practically limitless power and wealth, but also to impoverish them in their competitive efforts to contribute to the beautification of his costly undertakings. For so long as they were in straitened circumstances rebellion would be difficult, and none could venture to erect structures half so magnificent or impressive. That the wildest extravagance is displayed within and without the temples and shrines the traveler will be able to note.

The temple records contain no estimate of the original cost of the various structures, the careful work on many of which was contributed by mikados, shoguns, daimyos, etc., at different periods. Even the names of the great architects and artists who produced here the finest religious architectural expressions east of Agra have been forgotten. The traveler who finds himself puzzled at the application of Buddhist enrichments to Shinto [shrines, and vice versa, will wish to remember that when Buddhism was disestablished, its material separation from Shintoism was sometimes impossible. In those cases where a division was impracticable, either the Buddhists or the Shintoists withdrew, leaving always the impress of their distinctive personality. The flexibility of Buddhist fanes (which formerly were put together without nails) sometimes facilitated their removal bodily from Shinto precincts. This was the case with the colossal Sambulsu-do, which 50 yrs. ago stood near the Futa-ara shrine, and which was taken apart (along with the Sorinto) and moved to its present site. Though under Shinto control, and with a corresponding ritual, the Ieyasu mausoleum is essentially Buddhist in all its externalities; as is also the Futa-ara shrine and the beautiful Yakushi-do. The thoroughly gorgeous Revolving Library, though Buddhist, is within the Shinto compound. — A general restoration scheme, begun in 1905, is still in progress: ¥320,000 arc being spent in rejuvenating the buildings — sometimes to the detriment of the fine old colors. The four chief priests of the Ieyasu shrine are appointed by Gov’t. The 7 lesser ones and their subordinates are local appointees.

The Annual Procession which commemorates Ieyasu’s birthday is gorgeously spectacular and falls on June 2. Ancient costumes are worn, and queer palanquins and armor are features of it. The State palanquins proceed to the Futa-ara shrine on the afternoon of June 1, w here a special ceremony in which Imperial envoys take part is celebrated. At 11 a.m. of the 2d, the procession proceeds hence to the Otabisho, where the sacred dance (azuma-asobi) is held. A somewhat similar festival, in which many of the townspeople join, falls on Sept. 17, and is supposed to celebrate the anniversary of Ieyasu" s death (albeit he died in May). His deified spirit, with that of Hideyoshi and Yoritomo, is supposed to occupy the palanquins during the procession.

There is a recessive beauty about the mausolea which does not appear at the first, or even at the second visit, and few indeed arc the travelers w ho can at once sense the fine undertones or appreciate the strange asymmetry which governs the general plan. As the gorgeous structures blazing with gold burst on the sight from the deep-green, sequestered groves which so lovingly enshrine them, the effect is so dazzling that many of their softer graces — the shy, subtle touches, the deepening of shade, the correspondence of things remotely related, that give depth and elegance to the whole — are overlooked. Most tourists will wish to visit them again and again, for each approach reveals some fugitive charm previously unnoted, and each time one gets nearer in spirit to the sentiment of the great artists who here recorded their finest achievements for the admiration and appreciation of future generations. Whosoever finds himself in Nikko when the moon is full, and who fails to see the temples when Luna sheds her pale, gossamer radiance over them and pencils deep shadows beneath the great, overhanging eaves, out from under which glare the golden eyes of the minatory dragons: or when she lays slender, searching, silvery fingers between the outspread branches of the giant trees and traces elfin shadows or lace fretwork on the

graveled walks beneath, loses something out of his life which not even the Taj Mahal by moonlight can ever quite replace. Then, save for the rush of the distant river, a solemn stillness broods above the spot. Silent are the great bells and the erstwhile noisy rooks — which now sleep in their nests high in the topmost branches of the tall cryptomerias. The great torii and the fine pagoda loom much larger than during the day when the sword-like sunbeams cut the clinging shadows from about them, and with the somberly lustrous, copper-sheathed roofs with their gilded crests blinking at the face of the moon, make a beguiling picture which one does not soon forget. Under the bewitching influence of this radiant orb the memory hearkens back to the glittering daimyo and shogun processions which anciently wound beneath the great trees and up the terraces, and one can almost hear the soft, rhythmical tramp of ghostly feet, the hushed swish of brocade robes, the murmur of long-dead voices and the chant of the priestly ritual that accompanied the processions of gorgeous palanquins and mailclad samurai.

The Ieyasu group of shrines and their accessories stands within a series of courts occupying graduated terraces one above another on the side of a hill called // otoke-iwa (Buddha’s Rock). No central axis commands the approaches and communications; the courts rise one behind the other, and with the exception of the Yomei-mon and the Kara-mon 'their great gates are not so arranged as to lend to each other a beauty of perspective which no other art would have neglected; we are in the presence of a play of imagination that verges on caprice, that seems to obey no logical law; and that, nevertheless, creates pure beauty with the marvelous elements it brings to its work.' The last and most sacred inclosure is the highest of ail, and behind this rises the stately forest, high up in the wooded heights of which, reached by a roundabout walk, is the tomb of the great shogun. No distant, all-embracing view enables the traveler to get a definite idea of the general effect; it is only when he finds himself beyond the first great gate and at the foot of the 2d terrace that the multiplicity, the majesty, and the almost overpowering beauty of the structures and their sequestered setting flashes upon him.

Then, as he ascends through the marvelous maze of barbarically beautiful architecture, beneath torii and gateways each more attractive than its fellow; past towers and lanterns and detached buildings loaded with grace and ornament and clamoring for attention; progressing to the final sacrosanct holy of holies like some devout pilgrim passing through successive incarnations to the radiant nirvana, he can almost believe himself in some fantastic fairyland. To the artist, and the architect in particular, the almost unexampled richness of the exterior decoration, the wonderful range of artistic conception, the beautiful cementless walls, the constructional expedients employed in the pagoda, the amazing vigor and boldness of the carved panels of the terrace inclosures, and, above all, the commanding beauty and dignity of the mass appeal strangely and potently.

Scarcely less imposing than the temples themselves are the sacred groves of colossal cryptomerias which enshrine them. Pleasant and cool on the hottest days, musical with the cawing of rooks, the twitter of birds, the whimpering of crystalline brooks which race downward through them, the harmonious voices of the great booming bells, the subdued chant of priestly litanies and the staccato, reverberating notes of Buddhist drums, and oftentimes fragrant with the clouds of incense which float outward from the temples and drift like gray ghosts through the arms of the trees, they add a charm and a restfulness to the structures which no other vegetation could give. A long dynasty of abbots and bonzes sleep with the shoguns beneath the damp mould at the feet of the stately giants, and many of their tombs are moss-grown and lichen-covered. The traveler soon begins to regard the temples and the groves as one blended masterpiece of imperishable charm, as indeed they are, for the buildings were designed to harmonize with their surroundings, and the rich coloring of each of the structures is in striking accord with the wonderful green of the softening, enveloping foliage.

The Mausoleum of Ieyasu, with its numerous dependencies, is about 1 M. from the Kanaya Hotel. Beyond the Red Bridge a long, finely shaded, upward-sloping avenue, called

Nagasaka, leads to the left, while a few ft. inward is a more abrupt one which joins it near the crest of the hill. The lane leading to the right goes to the temple office. The 3 small, shrine-like structures in the loop formed by the 2 roads constitute the Olalrisho, the terminus of the procession referred to above. Passing the Choyo-kwan, or Imperial Summer Retreat (left), facing a noble avenue 60 ft. wide and i M. long which leads straight to the final inclosure, we come to the Nikko Park, with a pretty lakelet spanned by quaint bridges and flanked by parterres of flowers. The footpath which crosses it affords a short cut to the Iemitsu Mausoleum. The gray monolithic slab on a slight eminence near the head of the pond was erected by the Hoko-kwai, or Nikko Preservation Society, and bears a spirited appeal to the public to assist in preserving Nikko and its natural beauties in their original state. Within the inclosure at the right of the wide avenue stands

The Sambutsu-do, or ‘Hall of the Three Buddhas/ so named for 3 colossal Buddhas which occupy a large part of the great nave. The huge red-and-gilt structure, 88 ft. high, 65 ft. wide, and 102 ft. long, faces S. from a wide terrace where the original Mangwan-ji once stood. The wide-spreading cherry tree at the right of the entrance is said to be over a hundred years old. The two gigantic, gaudily painted Nid in the vestibule (admission, 5 sen) are ascribed to Unkei (p. ccxli) and are classed with the best examples of wood-carving in Nikko. The vermiculated, leprous-looking figurine in a baby’s cap and bib, at the left of the striking bronze incense-burner, is the indiscreet Binzuru (p. ccviii). The 3 circular brass pictures above the bamboo screen which cuts the nave in halves portray Yakushi, the Medicine God. The immense roof is supported by 64 splendid keyaki wood columns 3 ft. or more in diameter and hewn from single great boles. The kakemonos which the priest offers to visitors (50 sen to ¥5) bear a portrait and the precepts of Tenkai-Shonin (Ieyasu's friend and counselor). The hackneyed admonitions urge one ‘To be slow in anger, firm in duty, thin in color, spare in diet, and broad of heart.’ The seeker after Buddhistic wisdom is informed ‘that the more one gets, the more one wants; hence, blessed be he who. unfilled, is yet content! ’

The three immense images (Amida, 15 ft. wide and 27 ft. high, in the center; Senju-Kwannon at the right; and Bato-Kwannon at the left) sit on wide lotus-flower bases resting on lacquered platforms; are attributed to Jikaku-Daishi, and are excellent specimens of Buddhistic carving and gilding. The poor light of the darkened interior interferes with a detailed inspection of them. A smaller figure of Fudo sits at the right, and one of Yakushi before the Amida. At the left are carved figurines of Tenkai - and Shodo-Shonin. The hand-painted mandara, or silk and lotus-fiber scroll hanging against the wall,

is old, remarkably preserved, and greatly venerated; the symbolic figures of the border represent the Wheel of the Law. The 16 Buddhas and bosatsus in the outer ring, the 12 in the central square, and the inner portraits of Shaka Nyorai and Taho Nyorai are painted with considerable skill. At the rear of the nave are some uninteresting carved wood figures — veritable blue devils — of Fudo and other ruffianly demons.

At the rear of the Sambutsu-dd, on a higher terrace, is a small Buddhist temple dedicated to Ryo-Daishi (the two Daishis, whose tombs stand on the hillslope behind the Futatsu-do). The tiny images of deities for sale by the priests (10-50 sen) are carved out of grains of rice.

The SorintS, or ‘Evil-averting Pillar/ a hollow, cylindrical copper shaft rising 44 ft. from a stone plinth 30 ft. square at the left of the Sambutsu-dd, is said to penetrate the socle (8 ft. sq.) to a depth of 2 ft. 4 in., and to have been erected at Nikko in 1643 as a companion of the Sorin Pagoda which once stood on the summit of Hie-zan, near Kyoto. The faded gilt ideographs on the shaft (3 ft. 9 in. in diameter) refer to its history and its functions. The various Buddhistic symbols at the top all enter into the mystical process of keeping demons at a Safe distance. The heavy open-work gates of the granite fence are carved out of single blocks. The two elaborate and strikingly handsome, heavily chased, bronze lanterns (20 ft. high) near the steps date from the 17_th cent, and were presented to Ieyasu’s shrine by a guild of Osaka silk mercers, with the request that they be placed within the shrine inclosure, but the social status of merchants at that period precluded the realization of the wish. From this vantage-point one may get a comprehensive view of the great proportions of the Sambutsudd, with its wide eaves from which pend bronze wind-bells.

The Bronze Bell, whose grave, sweet, penetrating notes mark the fleeting hours between dawn and twilight, swings from a weather-beaten belfry surmounting a stone platform in the Sambutsu-dd compound. It is about 6 ft. high, with a mouth 49 in. wide and lips 6 in. thick. A curved dragon hook holds it in space; gilded Tokugawa crests adorn it, and there are other special raised crests to receive the impact of the huge swinging beams with which it is struck. A notice on the belfry warns the traveler that the bell must be touched by none but the man who comes out from a near-by house and sounds the hours as they come and go. The great beam hits the hollow bronze, a great, buzzing, angry roar issues from the wide mouth and warns all Nikko that old time is flying. The bell sounds cracked when heard near to, but at a distance the tone is very pleasing; a melodious voice surcharged with memories of the hallowed past. The other bell which the traveler usually hears twice a day, and which sounds the call for the priests

and bonzes to foregather for their frugal meals, hangs in the belfry of the Ritsu-in.

Almost facing the Sambutsu-do is a group of buildings called Rinno-ji, wherein dwells the Buddhist abbot under whose immediate jurisdiction the Buddhist fanes of Nikko are assembled. The traveler with special permits, or a letter to the abbot, should crave permission to see the charming little landscape garden, as well as the beautiful private shrine with its choice treasures, both of which are within the residence compound.

The Abbot’s Garden, with, its tiny winding lakelet, its lovely dwarf trees, quaint bridges, summer-house, and adorable perspectives, is patterned after the 8 views which have made Lake Biwa celebrated. In the springtime it is a blaze of delicate plum and cherry blossoms; thence through the summer and autumn — when it is a glory of lovely maples — it shows in sequence many of the exquisite flowers for which Japan is noted. At all times it is a tranquil, sequestered spot, but it is particularly so at twilight, when the environing groves are redolent of fragrant piny odors, and a spirit of peace seems to brood above it. From the pretty little hill and arbor at one end there is a view of the holy Nantai-zan. — The Private Shrine, a charmingly refined specimen of Buddhist art, is well worth seeing; in one of the chastely beautiful apartments leading to it are some handsome old screens portraying a host of strangely clad figures that take part in a sacred dance held in Nikko twice every century. Fourteen abbots of royal blood have worshiped here, and their mortuary tablets, artistically inscribed with jet-black ideographs on a gold ground, repose in 14 black and gold-lacquered reliquaries at the right and left of the high altar. Against the wall of this sacrosanct room are some kakemono depicting Buddha and his disciples, painted with rare good taste and a wonderful fidelity to detail. Under a strong glass what appears to be delicate tracery is shown to be hundreds of amazingly perfect, microscopic heads. In a lateral shrine are some noteworthy sculptured wood figurines, covered with copper, of Fudo and 36 of his followers. The almost priceless (Chinese) seigi bowl which one may sometimes see in front of the altar was a gift from the ill-fated Prince Kitashirakawa before he set out upon his Formosa campaign. One of the most cherished possessions of the Tendai-shu in Nikko may also be seen here (when it is not stored in the godown) in the form of a splendidly illuminated mandara, 4 ft. wide by 8 ft. long, of the Buddhist Paradise, perhaps the work of Kano Motonobu (p. ccxxvii). Buddha is shown in the center, with Kwannon on his right and Seishibosatsu on the left, amidst scores of deified temples, saints, clouds, scroll-work, and other heavenly attributes. Though now somewhat defaced by time, the picture is extraordinarily

masterful. — The fusuma of the altar-room are choice specimens of the finest modern work; the 12 polychrome saints and demons are portrayed on a ground of gleaming gold foil, and are remarkably effective. The hikite, or metal insets, are of the finest damascene work. In an adjoining room are some valuable old screens (by Matabei, p. ccxxviii) illustrating ancient processions leaving the Sumiyoshi Temple at Osaka, and presented to Jigen-Daishi by the Emperor Go-Yozei in 1590. — The various apartments are finished in flawless hinoki wood and are faultless expressions of a cultivated taste supplemented by fine spirituality.

The Museum of Iemitsu Relics, in the Rinno-ji garden, at the right of the Sambutsu-dd (open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; admission, 8 sen; shoes must be removed), contains a number of personal belongings of the shogun and others presented to his shrine. In the rainy season the most perishable objects are wrapped and stored in the near-by godown. The malarious-looking idol which faces the entrance is the guardian of the museum and the god who cherishes all precious things. The illuminated kakemono (about 300 yrs. old), hanging against one of the walls at the right, shows Buddha on his death-bed surrounded by the myriad creatures that loved him, and the heavenly spirits awaiting his entry into nirvana. Some better specimens of (modern) Japanese illuminated scroll-work may be seen in the glass wall-case in the first room at the left. The three long panels representing ancient Buddhist festivals carry hundreds of tiny figures in gorgeous apparel, glittering daimyo trains, temples picked out in gold, gods and goddesses, and a host of religious symbols on their silken surfaces, and indicate amazing patience, and a noteworthy technique. Near this is a large silk kakemono of Yakushi-Nyorai, painted on a blue ground. On this floor there are some old kakemono painted by Kano Tanyu; a number of swords, arrows, and other war implements, musical instruments, a fine big rock-crystal in the rough, a handsome lacquered and mother-of-pearl inlaid palanquin on which (it is said) the bones of the shogun, Icyasu, were brought from Shidzuoka to Nikko, and many articles of minor interest. The series of 10 panel pictures of the Buddhist Judgment are by some unknown Chinese artist. — A collection of articles of greater merit occupy the 2d floor; the several pieces of gold-lacquer are fine and rare; the smoky rock-crystal is worth looking at, as is also a well-painted Buddhist picture roll (makemono) about 12 in. wide and 50 ft. long. Here also is a wood figure called the Laughing Yakushi} carved with a pocket-knife, by Shodo-Shonin; a shapely bronze lantern, and a lovely (modern) set of illuminated scripture rolls setting forth the tenets, in exquisite ideographs, of the beliefs of the Hokkc sect (p. cci). The ends of the flawless, hand-made paper rolls — which are kept in handsome lacquered sutra-boxes — are

tipped with rock-crystals set in chased gold. The set of 16 bronze bells which once formed a part of this collection are in the museum of the Ieyasu Shrine on the first terrace.

The fine avenue which is flanked on the right by the Rinno-ji and the Sambutsu-do and on the left by the park, leads up between a towering line of grand old cryptomerias, some of them centuries old, to a colossal stone torii, an outpost to the shrines beyond, and an essential feature of Shinto architecture. It is 27 ft. 6 in. high with columns 3 ft. 6 in. in diameter, and it was presented by the daimyo of Chikuzen Province, in 1618. Besides being unusually massive, it is one of the first granite torii to be erected in N. Japan. At the right, at the other side of the vermilion fence inclosing a grove of tall trees, stands a small group of buildings which serves as a sort of subsidiary temple outfit, -called O Kari-den, where the image of Ieyasu is housed when the main shrine undergoes repairs. At the left of this is an attractive bronze tomb beneath which are the ashes of a treasure-godown which burned some years ago; to prevent a repetition of the disaster the ashes were collected and buried here. The wide avenue leading from the left of the torii terminates at the Iemitsu Temple; the one at the right of the pagoda leads to the Futa-ara Shrine.

The Pagoda (p. clxxxiii), a richly decorated, five-storied structure, dates from the 17th cent., is 105 ft. high, 42 ft. sq., is one of the finest of its kind in Japan, and was presented by Sakai Wakaza-no-kami, a stanch adherent of the Tokugawa. Its peculiar construction renders it immune against minor earthquake shocks (from which Nikko is not free), as the immense central pole (in this instance in 3 pieces) is 102 ft. long and 24 in. in diameter, swings within 12 in. of the ground, and acts as a sort of huge gyroscope. The rich vermilion of its sides (now hushed into pleasing tones by time and the deep green of the environing trees), the graceful, upturned corners of its multiple, quadrangular roofs with bronze wind-bells a-swing from each corner, its positive, polychromatic decorations and metal fitments, add a decidedly picturesque note to the temple group. The carved and multicolored groups (3 on each side) in the niches formed by the highly ‘tinted compound brackets, represent the 12 signs of the zodiac. The screw-shaped metal finial at the topmost point, is about 15 ft. high and serves as a lightning-rod and a demon-arrester. In the lower story is a small shrine encircled by a narrow ambulatory with a coffered ceiling; the carved and gilded figure which faces the court and sits with back to the shrine is Dainichi - Nyorai; that at the left is Yakushi; Shaka sits on the right, and Amida at the rear.

A flagged path leads hence to the steps of the Nio-mon, at the foot of which (right) is the ticket office — where cameras must be left, unless one has a permit to introduce them.

Admission tickets must also be obtained or shown here. The road leading around the shrines to the right of the big gate goes to the abbot’s office (where permits for photographing can be obtained).

The Nio-mon, the grand entrance to the successive terraces beyond, is reached by 18 stone steps and has for its chief features the two customary sculptured wood Nid (attributed to Unkei and brought hither from the great gate to the Iemitsu Mausoleum). They stand in covered loggias 7 ft. sq., and i their threatening attitudes, furious eyes, convulsed mouths, clenched fists, and huge, nervous feet, seem rather to menace than to welcome the faithful/ In similar cages behind are the usual araa-and koma-inu (p. clxxvii), likewise shown with mouths open and closed. — This magnificent outpost to the gorgeous structures beyond was almost annihilated by a huge cryptomeria which fell across it during a heavy tempest in 1909, and much of it, including the striking ornamentation, dates from 1911. The gracefully curved, copper-bronze roof flecked with gilded disks bearing the Tokugawa insignia, the huge, emblazoned antefixes that resemble automobile fronts, the massive ridge-pole gleaming with yellow gold and flashing crests, and the flaming, rich Indian-red lacquer spangled here and there with gold and backed by a somber foil of black, make of it an extraordinarily striking and picturesque object. Reds, blues, greens, blacks, and gold leaf are used unsparingly in the marvelous decorations, which are charmingly enriched by a wealth of metal fitments. The black and gold of certain of these, — in the form of bosses, rosettes, and hinges (the latter for appearances only), — applied to the lustrous red of the massive doors, produce an unusually harmonious note. The doors themselves swing on huge pivots let into soffits above and below, and the general effect recalls certain of the newly decorated doors of those Mexican cathedrals dominated by Mudejar influence. The big bolts which aid the two surly giants to keep out demons and other undesirables are 6 ft. long and 4 in. sq. — The richly chased brass sockets in which the beam-ends are sheathed serve as ornaments and for preserving the wood from insects and the weather. The cross-beams are embellished with a striking diaper-pattern in a medley of colors, while below, at salient angles, are gilded heads of the mythological baku and clusters of sculptured flowers. In the spandrels formed by the grouped supports of the elaborately decorated compound brackets are polychromatic kirin and brazen Dogs of Fo, while beneath the cross-beam on the inner side of the passage are panels of tigers carved in high relief. It is worth while to step to the ends of the structure to observe the maze of gilding, wood-carvings, intricate tracery, fabulous beasts, peacocks, and what-not which adorn them. While the general decorative scheme of this structure is duplicated on

some of the buildings of the upper terraces, its proportions are more pleasing than some others, it can be observed from more points of vantage, and certain of the carvings are subordinated to truer architectural positions.

.The First Terrace, a neatly pebbled, irregular court inclosed by wood fences and stone walls (the latter worthy of attention), is conspicuous for the temple storerooms which stand at the right; the central building, an extraordinarily elaborate structure with 5 porch tie-beams surmounted by groups of splendidly carved and gilded phoenixes, contributes one of the 4 sights ’ of the inclosure, in the form of a pair of grotesquely carved and decorated elephants in the act of trying to retain a precarious foothold on a narrow ledge beneath the gable roof. The curious position of the leg joints, the ring about the ear of the darker beast, and the fact that the tails and toes are not those of known species, suggest that their talented portrayer, Mr. Hidari Jingoro,1 never saw a real elephant. The walls of the edifices look squashed by the weight of the massive roofs, and the metal enrichments make them appear not unlike gigantic accordions. The Greek key-pattern in all its purity occupies a prominent place amid the maze of arabesques, diaper-work, crests, and tracery.

The Treasures of the Ieyasu Shrine are preserved in the building with the elephant panel. Open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; admission, 8 sen. Shoes must be removed at the foot of the steps. The splendid gold-lacquered chests in the twin glass cases near the entrance belonged to Ieyasu; his covered palanquin with a bullet hole in the roof stands at the right. The ancient costumes in the cases at the left were worn in the dance pictured on the gilded screen near by. The 16 small bronze bells in a red- and gold-lacquered frame, belonged to Ieyasu, and though alike externally, when struck they produce, with fine effect, the clear, sweet tones of two octaves. They bear the name Minamoto Shigemune, and are interesting in that the musical scale of the Europeans was not employed by the early Japanese. The key to the case is kept by the abbot and can be obtained only as a special concession. The large lacquered box in the upper case once held the shogun's correspondence. The small metal badge was employed by him as a clepsydra (mizudokei), an article in common use in Old Japan.

1 Hidari Jingoro (1594-1634) was a son of Itami Masatoshi, and a samurai in the service of the Ashikaga. His trade was that of a carpenter, but he early developed a talent for carving wood, and he rose to be one of the most celebrated sculptors in Japan. He was left-handed, hence his name Hidari. These two elephants, and his sleeping cat, referred to hereinafter, are famous in Nikko. Some of his finest work may be seen in the Nishi-Hongwanji Temple at Kyoto. Because of a whimsical turn of mind, he was fond of carving cats, some in an attitude of sleep, others crouching and watching. A number of the latter are scattered throughout Japan, and certain of them are so lifelike that real cats ‘ have been known to put up their backs and spit at them.1 /• I

The 3 bronze vases and the incense-burner are early Korean work. The relics in the succeeding eases comprise head-dresses, mirrors, ivory maces, a dressing-case used by Ieyasu’s wife, 10 finely tempered swords presented by different shoguns, some clothing (including Chinese shoes) worn by Ieyasu; metal lanterns that lighted the shoguns through the holy of holies in ancient times, silk-reels used by Imperial consorts, a big drum employed in the sacred dance, and a 7-ft. elephant tusk given by some one to Ieyasu.

At the left of the Nio-mon, surrounded by a stone fence, is a koya-maki about 10 ft. in circumference, which is said to have come from the famous monastery of Koya-san, to have been planted here by Ieyasu, and to be the largest of its species in Japan. Near it (with a curious slope to the roof) is the one-time Btable for the horse (recently deceased) which carried the illustrious Prince Kitashirakawa in the Formosan campaign of 1895. The monkeys in the carved panels of the building are mentioned in the footnote.1 The small red structure next to the stable is called the Red Watch-House, wherein the guardian of the terrace dwells. Next in line is the elaborate

Stone Water Basin {On Chozu-ya)y an immense rectangular basin of fine gray granite 92 in. long, 48 wide, and 40 high, presented in 1618 by Nabeshima Naoshige} feudal lord of the fief of Saga, in the province of Hizen, from which place (nearly a thousand miles distant) it was brought to Nikko. It weighs several tons, but its surface is leveled with such precision, and it is adjusted so evenly on its base, that when a surplus of water (which comes in from one of the mt. cascades and is sold to pilgrims for the purification of hands and lips before entering the shrines) is admitted it wells evenly over the sides like a sheet of glass. The resplendent baldachin which shelters it is supported by 12 monolithic columns of varying dimensions. The tops of these, as well as parts of the horizontal tie-members, are encased in hammered metal sockets, diapered in fine patterns, and ornamented with the shogunal arms. Almost every shade between white and black has been drawn upon to furnish the decorations of the superstructure, and this medley (which blends admirably when seen from a distance) is further enriched by tinted carvings of winged dragons, and a series of curious but characteristic brackets supporting a graceful, sweeping roof with rounded gables. The twin dragons above the gorgeous tie-beam are particularly noteworthy. The sumptuous red building near by is

The Kyozo, or rinzo (Library of the Sacred Books). A special permit must be obtained from the abbot at the Rinno-ji,

1 This Simian trinity is called Koshin, and represents the 'day of the monkey' in the old Japanese calendar. The native conception is that these monkeys (saru) will neither see, hear, nor speak any evil, whence they are called blind (mi), deaf (kika), and dumb (iwa). They are often portrayed in the native art.

as the building is closed to the general public. Few structures in the Nikko group are better proportioned, and the slight upward tilt at the roof corners imparts a piquant touch. A system of complicated and profusely decorated compound brackets fitted to a nicety support the roof, which is sheathed with copper-bronze, hung with brass wind-bells, and tipped with a continuous course of antefixes that resemble ancient cannon and are adorned with gilded Tokugawa crests. The granite plinth from which the edifice rises is 50 by 50 ft. The exterior is a harmonious blend of blue, green, and gold on a ground of rich Indian red, and black lacquer. When it was finished it appeared so perfect to its designer that he feared to incur the wrath of the gods, and to insure his personal safety he inserted several warped uprights in the front divisions, which were also made of unequal widths. The gracefully curved windows, the profusion of metal, the handsomely embossed doors swung on pivots let into soffits, are all worthy of attention; also worthy of notice are the multi-colored decorations — which continue quite around the structure — and the well-painted flying phoenixes in the panels under the eaves. Tigers, elephants, rabbits, birds, dragons, flowers, the mythological kirin, butterflies, and a multiplicity of geometrical designs — many of them sculptured — are expressed in low and pleasing tones. The carved elephant in the panel above and at the left of the door is accredited to Hidari Jingoro. The ornament on the topmost point of the roof is the demon-arresting hoshu-no-tama.

The cheap and lurid decorations of the Interior are strangely at variance with those outside. When the outer doors are opened, inner ones of sloe-black lacquer with wire screens instead of panels, are revealed, and when these are slid back one sees the smiling and apparently blinking sculptured wood figures of Fu-Daishi (p. ccix), with his sons Fuken and Fujo 9 seated near the Revolving Library (which is said to contain the complete Buddhist scriptures). Because of the presence of this idol the building is often called Warai-do. The gaudy bookcase (20 ft. high by 15 ft. in diameter) is pivoted, and despite its great mass and weight a strong push will set it to revolving. The flying dragons in the lower panels suggest Chinese influence. The raised platform which extends around 3 sides of the inclosure shows gamboling shishi on the lower panels. Huge dull red pillars support the roof. The panels in the clerestory are adorned with flying tennin on a gold ground; those of the coffered ceiling have painted phoenixes on a pearl-gray ground. The sepia dragon on the big cross-beam is by some painter of the Kano school.

The statuesque bronze torii which stands on the same terrace with the rinzo has Greek tracery round the base and on the tie-beam and is studded with gilded Tokugawa crests. The many stone and metal lanterns were gifts by various daimyos. The

two near the foot of the steps, 8 ft. 5 in. high and perforated with the sun, the crescent, and the swastika, were made (about 1630) of namban-tetsu, or ‘foreign iron'; were presented by Date Masamune, the feudal lord of Sendai, and, like the famous iron monument at Delhi (India), have withstood for nearly 300 yrs. the corrosive effects of an unusually wet climate. Ferns and grasses grow from the old stone lanterns, which are marked with the name of the donor and are hoary with age. — Twenty-two stone steps leads hence to

The Second Terrace. At the top of the stairs, at the right and left are two weather-stained corbel-like stone shishi in an attitude of leaping downward from the lichen- and moss-covered stone balustrade which flanks the edge. Each, with its attached pillar, is carved from a single block of stone, and according to local tradition they so pleased the shogun, Iemitsu, when he came from Tokyo to inspect the work of his architects, that he forbore to pass adverse criticism on the remainder. The Bronze Bell swinging from the massive metal baldachin at the right was presented by a one-time king of Korea, and it is known locally as the ‘Moth-eaten Bell* because of an air-bubble which broke through the casting and left a jagged hole near the top. The ponderous elephant heads, with gold-plated eyes, at the salient angles of this and the companion baldachin across the walk, attract attention. The roofs of the canopies are lighter in color than the bronze of the temple roofs, and the credulous believe that gold was mixed with the metal. Hard by is a Bronze Candelabrum presented by the King of the Loochoo Islands; behind it is a tall, metal-studded belfry used as a storehouse for odds and ends. The fine cryptomerias on this terrace are noteworthy; the one at the right measures 21 ft. 9 in. in circumference, 3 ft. above the base, and is a trifle smaller than the larger of the 2 on the opposite side (left) — which measures nearly 26 ft. The one behind the tower is 25 ft. 2 in. in girth; the fine red of the cedar shows where the bark has been chipped off. At the left is a drum-tower, a companion piece to the opposite belfry; near it is a bronze candelabrum (inclosed) brought from Holland and presented to the shrine by the Dutch Resident of the Deshima factory at Nagasaki. Near this is an elaborately twisted Bronze Lantern evidently of allied origin. It turns on a pivot in its base and is celebrated locally because the series of bronze Tokugawa crests, which adorn the upper part, are turned upside down; the trefoil leaves being cast (because of the ignorance of the maker) in reverse order.

The Yakushi-do, or Temple of Yakushi-Nyorai (p. cciii), was made in imitation of the Horaiji-in in Mikawa Province, and is dedicated to Yakushit who was the patron saint of Jeyasu. It stands at the extreme left of the 2d terrace and is at once the most beautiful, architecturally satisfying, and splen-

didly preserved funerary temples of the Ieyasu group. A superbly rich red lacquer porch adorned with brass ornaments and black giboshu encircles the building, which, because of its interior splendors, its air of solid worth, and elegant richness, appeals strongly to the visitor. Until quite recently the public was debarred, as the interior was considered too sacred to be exposed to public view. In the general outer decorations it resembles others of the Ieyasu shrines, but the workmanship of parts of the interior is finer and more opulent. Its plan is a square, like that of the Rinzo, and its only defect is that it stands on a pitifully restricted area, flanked on one side by a high (but beautiful) stone wall whence a good perspective view is impossible. This frowning wall and the towering trees contiguous so darken the interior that twilight reigns on the brightest day. The richness of the edifice is such that many days would be needed to inspect it in its minute details, to obtain an insight into the aims of the masters who decorated it, and to understand those decorations in all their mythological intimations. The material expression of the artist's thoughts are expended on the exterior in the shape of writhing dragons (note the white ones wriggling along the 3 huge tie-beams between the 4 outer posts of the porch), gilded elephant heads, carved groups of polychromatic birds, flowers, and animals; and such a wealth of decoration and ornament, carried over every inch of exposed surface, that the eye wearies in following out the intricate patterns. What involved and profuse carvings are to certain of the most highly decorated old Buddhist fanes, the wealth of arabesques in colors are to this. Yet carvings are not wanting; in the niches formed by the network of pink-tinted compound brackets there are (17 on the facade, 11 on the right, 17 in the rear, and 11 at the left) clusters of such excellently sculptured birds (including some solemn owls), flowers, and animals, that each one is worthy of close study.

Mounting the broad, lacquered steps the visitor finds himself in the wide vestibule separated from the nave by a series of black-lacquered, sliding, lattice-work doors, heavily banded with finely made damascene-work remarkably preserved. While these doors impart a note of mourning to the maze of bright exterior decorations, all the varying suggestion of color was taken into consideration by the painter, and they are quite in keeping

with the character of the shrine. The superstructure of the vestibule, particularly the immense tie-beams, exhibits such intricately ornamented surfaces that the flawless wood resembles costly native brocades. Though rich, the colors are quiet in tone, accented with much gold, in pattern and ornament, with designs so carefully and symmetrically balanced and worked out to an ever-disappearing end that one marvels at the fertility of imagination and the admirable technique of these old master-craftsmen. One also applauds their man-

ifest restraint, for the poise of the opulent ornamentation is judiciously maintained, with a fine subordination of the artistic to the Orientally fantastic. — The 12 painted hawks ranged around the vestibule show the birds in their different feathers from Jan. to Dec. [Hawking was a favorite pastime of Ieyasu, and this building, which is said to have been erected before his death, was his favorite shrine.] The mythological phoenix, carved, colored, and shown in many graceful postures, forms the classical subject of the magnificent panels of the architrave, the work of which is admirable and indicative of a talent of no mean order. The Tokugawa crest adorns the central panels of the richly coffered ceiling — thus supplementing the classic with the political, and completing the cycle of early Japanese thought. The bronze gong which sits on a stand at the left of the entry conceals a surpassingly sweet tone; when struck a* strong blow it gives forth a surprisingly melodious and tenacious note, the dying echoes of which linger in the air for several minutes.

A fee of 5 sen is customary when one passes behind the sliding doors to the rectangular, sacrosanct interior — which is of a surpassing luxuriance. Twenty-two massive keyaki pillars of noteworthy asymmetry — some of them 21 in. in diameter, covered with red lacquer and then with gleaming gold foil in such profusion that they resemble great uprights of solid metal — support the huge, regally decorated cross-beams, each of one piece and each covered from tip to tip with intricate polychromatic tracery. Such an abundance of grotesque decorations in gold and colors wanders over the walls and up to the ceiling that minor beauties and effects are lost sight of, and the brain wearies in its efforts to assimilate the picture. The floor is of heavy black lacquer polished like a piano top, and along one side of it there rises an elevated platform, also heavily and showily lacquered, with side panels of excellently carved Dogs of Fo and lotus-flowers. Resting upon this dais is a wonderful object in the form of a treasure-shrine, of sumptuous gold-lacquer ornamented with chased metal, and dove-tailed, with no nails in its construction (a characteristic of many Japanese temples). Inside the reliquary (closed to the public) is a beautifully sculptured, and expressive, gilded figure of Yakushi - Nyorai backed by a handsome pierced mandorla completely covered with heavy gold foil after the style of the finest Borromenisco work. At each outer corner stands in full war panoply one of the Shi-Tcnnd — Jikoku, at the East; Zocho at the South; Komoku at the West, and Tamon at the North. At the right and left of the shrine, 6 on either side, in unusual mythological fullness, stand highly colored, superbly chiseled, figures of the 12 signs of the zodiac. Some repose in front of pierced and gilded mandorlas, and the zodiacal signs — in the forms of the animals which represent them — are cunningly

concealed in the helmets, or about their habiliments. There are also other figures representing celestial bodies, while hanging before the shrine is a massive chased metal tengai, a present from the wife of a one-time feudal baron of Saga Province.

Not the least interesting of the interior enrichments is the unusually large dragon (drawn in Chinese ink, by Kano Yasunobu) which almost entirely covers the immense ceiling — itself 54 ft. long, 18 ft. wide, and made of hinoki-wood planks one inch thick. Albeit Yasunobu’ s dragons are usually enveloped in clouds, this one is bare, and because of this peculiarity it is called the Naked Dragon. By standing beneath its head, and clapping the hands together, a spooky sound, considerably like a death-rattle, is heard all over the temple. No sound other than a hand-clap will evoke it, nor can an answer be elicited unless one stands directly beneath the head. From this peculiar quality, it is called also the Crying Dragon.

On leaving the Yakmhi-dd, pass clear around to the rear of the structure and note the chaste beauty of this, as well as that of the sides. At the right is the finest stone wall in the inclosure, erected and presented to the shrine in about 1630 by Dale Masamune. The corner stones are monolithic in proportions, while those of the center measure on an average 30 by 36 in. across the face. Like most of the Japanese walls of this character the stones are so accurately chiseled that neither mortar nor cement is needed to hold them in place, and in some instances the joining is so perfect that the most aggressive vegetation finds difficulty in getting a foothold between them. The splendid state of preservation after nearly 3 centuries of use is attributed to a thick sheet of lead which is said to have been placed originally at the back to keep out moisture.

The Yomei-mon, or (2d) great gate, stands at the edge of the Third Terrace, 12 steps up from the 2d. The natives love to call it the Higurashi-no-mon, or 1 Sunrise-till-dark ’ gate, because an entire day can be spent studying its wonderful details. It is one of the most elaborate structures in Nikko, and is 24 ft. high, 22 long, and 15 deep.

The manifest aim of the artist who designed this Oriental masterpiece was that it should be observed from a distance, in contradistinction to the interior of the temples, whose amazing decorations will usually bear the closest scrutiny. It is sculptured with an almost incredible wealth of detail, and when seen from the terrace below it is strikingly barbaric and opulent, shimmering with a splendor that kindles the enthusiasm. So viewed, its minor crudities — perhaps inseparable from a work of its class, but which bring a shade of disillusionment if analyzed too closely — are subordinated to the general harmonious effect, which unequivocally is appealing. To help the critic to a proper appreciation of his work, the skillful designer adroitly placed on the 2d terrace, at just the required distance from the gate, both aa regards height and angle, the two striking but less elaborately ornamented drum- and bell-towera, whose superstructure, it will be noted, though astonishingly complicated and attractive, does not hold the eye and rivet the imagination with the tenacity and forcefulness that seem to radiate from the

pate itself. To heighten the general effect, and perhaps to act as a spur to the imagination, the smaller (and sometime), more jewel-like Kara-mon was so placed, beyond it, that the Yomei-mon served as a superb frame for a daintier and more attractive picture. And in this shrewd adjustment the beguiling artifice was employed of making just enough of a winsome disclosure to awaken a desire to have more disclosed. The resultant effect is that of twin angles gradually converging toward an apex in which, with studied carelessness, the flawless gem of the group is naively placed. That both gates, when viewed from a short distance, are rich and glowing segments in an extraordinarily attractive group, — one that deftly reveals a hitherto undreamed-of symphony of form and color, — the average traveler will doubtless admit. He will also no doubt conclude that the Yomei-mon — which is distinctively and purely Japanese — is far finer than the Kara-mon, — which is Chinese in conception and perhaps in workmanship, — and also that both are unquestionably the floridly barbaric expression of a high ideal in structural art.

The gateway itself, though sadly mauled by the hand of time (re-decorated in 1911), is a marvel of architecture and of wood-carving enriched by metal fretwork deserving of close study. It is two-storied, with long and elaborately decorated wings, on whose outer side are many boldly sculptured panels; on the inner side there is a finely lacquered (red) and simply decorated corridor 11 ft. wide and 676 ft. long, with a key-pattern in blended colors serving as a string-course. In their respective loggias at the right and left are seated figures of Sadaijin and Udaijin, ancient guards in all the panoply of war. Behind them, in corresponding cages, are upstart Korean lions, whose belligerent attitude is evidently inspired by the intensity of the colors applied to their pelts. The side panels of these cages are deeply carved and represent large peonies; the narrower panels above them show aquatic birds and phoenixes. The groups of carved and vari-colored flowers in the niches between the gilded brackets of the roofs are not unattractive, and they are supplemented by painted tennin on panels. The sepia dragons in the roof of the portico are attributed to Kano Motonobu. The multiplicity of ornamentation is carried even to the pickets of the cages, which are sheathed in chiseled brass sockets.

The major part of the lower structure is of a creamy white enriched with numerous metal fitments that blaze in the sunlight. At the right and left of the loggias are carved wood panels of frolicsome shishi, in basso-relievo, whose coats have preserved the soft, light patina of the original white paint. The huge Dogs of Fo with gilded eyes, teeth, and nails, which seem ready to leap down upon the visitor from the crossbeams of the gate, have wires sticking in their muzzles to add to their fierce mien. They are the most striking ornaments of the massive beams, above which, in niches formed by the angles of the highly decorated compound brackets, are successive and slightly projecting groups of indifferently carved figures, in high relief and with elaborate robes, of Chinese sages. Another line of gilded Dogs of Fo extends above these, and, with the upturned ends of certain of the brackets, support

a metal-studded balcony in the panels of which are other groups of Chinese boys at play amidst flowers; some ride hobby-horses, others carry youngsters pick-a-back, while others read books or play upon musical instruments. These designs run quite around the structure, but at the rear both big and little men seem to feel out of sight, and, laying aside the dignity which is supposed to clothe persons so enshrined in art, they are seen to be riding upon huge fishes, dragons, cranes, phoenixes, and what-not, and to be indulging in various ludicrous pranks.

The upper story (reached only by a ladder) is given over to huge white and gilded, crimson-throated dragons in almost every conceivable attitude: there are terrific dragons with cruel-looking claws and spiny tails; others with hoofs like horses; ascending and descending dragons; dragon heads and dragon tails; involved dragons and simple dragons; but so many of them that one suspects the artist’s fertility of invention suddenly deserted him, and dragons and more dragons was all that he could think of. A few graceful, carved, and gilded howo in low relief, and in different positions, occupy niches below the brackets, and are seen painted on the supporting roof-beams above. Metal wind-bells pend from quaint hooks at the corners under the eaves. The elaboration of the minor detail of the structure is uniquely intricate. Carved flowers, arabesques, groups of figures, tinted clouds, waterscapes, diaper-patterns, and ornamental compositions drawn by the brush, hammered up in metal, and wrought by the sculptor’s tools are so arranged that the whole is pleasing in proportions and of a striking color-harmony. The graceful, curved gabled roof is sheathed with copper-bronze and provided with gilded antefixes of crests and other designs. The upright pillars are of peculiar interest to the Japanese, to whom the odd and bizarre appeal quite as strongly as the artistic. Of massive keyaki-wood, they are carved all over with a minor geometrical design into which, at intervals, are inserted carved medallions of birds, flowers, mythological and other animals. Prominent among these (note the central pillar at the left) is a medallion showing a pair of frolicsome tigers, the fine stripes of whose coats are formed ingeniously by the delicate and splendid veining of the wood. The next pillar (inside, left) is called the Ma-yoke-no-Hashira, or 'Evil Averting Pillar’; its claim to fame rests on the fact that the basic design is (when compared to that of the others) carved upside down, and the cicerones who conduct hundreds of pilgrims, foreign visitors, native soldiers, students, and others through the shrines, elicit gasps of credulous amazement by explaining that it was done purposely, to avert the just anger of the gods at having erected such a magnificent structure! The fact that the numerous carved medallions are upright, and that the minor carvings

only are reversed, smacks more of error than of design. — The sculptures of the side wings of the gate are bold, crisp, and decisive, and they must have been very beautiful when new. The left wing is shorter than the right; the sloping roof or coping extends 3 ft. over the side, but it has not protected entirely the carvings or their decorations from the attacks of the weather. Each wing carries two series of panels, the upper ones (7 at the left and 15 at the right) displaying sculptured phoenixes, flowers, bamboos, storks, etc.; the lower series, of pierced work, ovaliform and with lacquered margins, carrying aquatic fowl — ducks, geese, herons, etc., in repose or in flight. Above the upper row are horizontal connecting beams diapered with a hexagonal pattern and ornamented with metal fittings. Higher yet is a series of narrow wave-work panels. Consummate skill is a salient characteristic of all the work. —

' In former times no merchant was allowed to pass beyond the gate, and samurai were obliged to leave their swords without. The ancient sign which still stands at the right of the steps, near the foot, requests royalty not to ride horses through the gate nor permit themselves to be carried in in chairs!

At the right of the Yomei-mon (on the 3d terrace) stands a dainty, richly, decorated building called the Kagura-den. wherein a comely virgin priestess (who looks the part, and who wears a white surplice over a brilliant skirt, with a nun's bonnet on her head, and carries a wand in her hand) goes through a few clipped motions of the sacred dance in exchange for the sundry coppers which travelers and pilgrims toss into the room. Metal hooks hold up the side blinds, and the Imperial 16-petal chrysanthemum crest is noticeable amidst the polychromatic decorations. The structure is an attractive blend of black, red, and gold, barring the highly tinted basket of flowers (evidently an afterthought) on the gilded panel at the right-hand corner. Directly opposite this edifice is

The Goma-do, or Incense Hall, with a handsome porch and a brilliantly decorated facade blazing with brass and gold foil. On the panels above the porch-beams a number of big-eyed fish are sculptured. Groups of carved and tinted pheasants in high relief adorn the niches of the compound brackets, and the green panels, or pickets, with metal end-sheaths, that form the window-bars, impart a not unhandsome look to the black and red lacquered structure — which because of the perforated ceiling that allows the smoke from the cedar-wood incense to escape, is often called tengai. The 12 painted hawks in the interior are replicas of those in the Yakushi-do, and they show the birds in the twelve periods between Jan. and Dec. Some merit is claimed for these pictures, which were painted by Sakai Tadakatsu (1587-1662), one of the four principal lieutenants of the shogun, Ieyasu. The priests here offer for sale (the commercial idea is strongly developed in the bonzes of

the Nikko temples) painted kakemono showing Ieyasu and a facsimile (with an English translation) of his precepts: the cheapest scroll costs 15 sen; the ordinary ones, ¥1, and the silk ones, ¥5. The large gilt panels in the room are the work of Kano Tanyu. — The handsomely decorated edifice across the courtyard from the Ydmei-mon, at the left, is the Mikoshi-do, or Palanquin House (closed to the public), where the palanquins employed in the annual procession are stored.

The Kara-mon, or Chinese Gate, so called because the design and general decorative plan are Chinese, and the rare woods used in its construction were imported from China, stands on the Fourth Terrace, is 3d in the series of gates, and is reached by 5 short steps which lead up from the court below. It is smaller than the Yomei-mon less ornate, and more dilapidated. It was re-decorated in 1911, but its pristine beauty was not restored. Shoes, canes, outer wraps, umbrellas, etc., must be left here (cameras also, sometimes) before one can inspect the inner side of the gateway or proceed to the honden. The traveler who wishes to inspect the exterior sides and rear of the honden must come equipped with slippers, else he must walk around the yard in his sock feet, as the ground is too holy to be trodden upon with shoes! — A long dynasty of writers, accepting the dictum of some earlier authority, have worked themselves up to a fine frenzy over this gate, describing it as a miracle of proportion and ornament, the exquisite acme of Buddhistic achievement — and what-not. While showing traces of former beauty, it is now so decrepit, and so badly defaced by time and the elements, that it is apt to strike the critical traveler as crude and decayed. The wings at the right and left form an interior corridor 12 ft. wide and 522 ft. long, which extends quite around the inclosure. Dragons, plum branches, bamboo, and the like are entwined about the upright columns of the gate and are affixed thereto with brass nails; this ornamentation extends from the uprights over the lintel, whose brackets are tufts of deeply carved chrysanthemums. The sculptures in general lack delicacy; they cover almost every inch of the remaining pillars and panels, the motives being medallions, rosettes, and flowers. The latter are particularly noticeable between the series of horizontal members superposed one above another, the upright panels of which are formed of, and covered by, flowers and aquatic plants. Just beneath these is a procession of indifferently sculptured figurines supposed to be the adherents of the founder of the Chinese monarchy. Above them, under the gracefully curved roof, are larger carved panels; on the right a sacred cow reposing tranquilly amidst flowers; on the left another Chinese sage. Rabbits chiseled in high relief form the salient features of the upper panels on the inner side of the structure. The pierced and gilded panels are each cut from one piece

The carved tennin in the panel above the portico is attributed to Hidari Jingord. The roof is topped by two bronze dragons and a shishi held down by metal clamps. Elaborately chiseled metal sockets sheathe the beam-ends, and the panels are arranged with a correct understanding of the laws which govern the distribution of ornament. The gate is barbarically rich-loooking when seen from a distance, and the cream-white effect of the pillars enhances its charm. The general decorations of the wings, with their many carved panels and geometrical designs, differ but little from those of the Yomei-mon. On the terraces above the corridors, at the right and left of the court, are maple trees which are a glory in autumn. A short covered way leads from the gate to

The Honden, or Oratory, the outer room in the last of the shrines at the top of the series of terraces. It is a marvel of wood, metal, and paint so artistically distributed and adjusted as to make of the structure the most gorgeous and attractive of the Ieyasu group. It is also a record of the finest achievements of those long-dead masters who poured out their very souls in this physical expression of Buddhist art interpreted by Japanese genius and fancy; happily, not in vain, for the traveling world has paid its homage and expressed its sentiment before this masterpiece for upward of half a century, and will no doubt continue to do so as long as the building retains its present shape. Natives know it as the Toshogu (which by extension is often applied to Ieyasu himself). As is so often the case with Japanese temples, this one is so hemmed in by fences and trees that its wonderfully decorated exterior and its fine physical proportions are seen at a genuine disadvantage; a narrow, pebbly strip of land flanks it on its four sides, while the mt. with its crowning forest rises so abruptly at the rear that it gives the impression of being ready to slide down upon it at any moment. To get the right perspective on the rich decorations just beneath the eaves one must scramble up the hill at the back or view the side from the steps leading to the Shogun’s Tomb higher on the hill. Even there the view is obstructed. — The great front porch is upheld by square cream-white pillars of flawless keyaki set in elaborately chased metal sockets, and of a grain so fine that it is employed as a subsidiary aid in the intricate carvings of its surfaces. The pillar at the extreme left is much admired and is called the 1 Licking-paw Tiger ’ pillar from a sculptured medallion in which a tiger is shown in the act of licking his paw; the hair and the stripes of the animal are formed skillfully of the fine lines of the wood. Other carvings are of bamboos, pine trees, butterflies, and animals inclosed in small medallions which stand out from a background of tracery so delicate that it resembles true vermiculated work. The immense single-piece tie-beams of the porch simulate flying buttresses and are fp£jp#d pf writhing

dragons sculptured with consummate skill and supplemented by dragon heads that protrude from every angle. The cross-beams are cream-white, richly carved, and carry superimposed Dogs of Fo.

Black with gleaming gold decorations and brass trimmings are the most striking notes in the outward aspect of the building; along the architrave birds, flowers, and much geometrical tracery form the motives. Six metal-sheathed steps lead to the landing and the elaborately ornamented doors, which are a maze of carved, painted, or gilded flowers and arabesques. The front and sides of the outer room have many slatted windows which are held up by long metal hooks. We penetrate first to

The Honden, a rectangular room 30 ft. wide by 48 ft. long provided with a smaller chamber at each end. The soft rush mats are of the finest quality and are edged with silk brocade; the beautiful coffered ceiling (which is said to be a copy of that in the Ming Palace at Peking) contains a hundred or more recessed panels, on each of which is painted a wriggling dragon in an attitude differing from all the others, each executed in Kano Tanyu's best manner. The corners of the panels — which resemble sunken lunettes — are covered with elaborately chased metal ornaments, and there are intermediate channels of gilded lattice-work over a warm crimson ground. The effect is unusually rich and is in close imitation of a harmonious red-and-gold mosaic. Discreetly arranged around the cornice of this room are 36 painted panels (the work of Tosa Mitsunobu), each with a seated figure of, and an ideographic reference to, Japan’s most celebrated poets before the 11th cent. Objects of minor interest are the dragon drum — which shows its Chinese origin in the 5 claws of the dragon painted on it — and the gold-plated gohei presented by the Emperor. The big circular mirror which usually hangs above the gohei is about 2 ft. in diameter and is symbolic of Shinto shrines; the gilded panels around the room are by Kano Tanyu. The ceremony preceding the entry into the Holy of Holies is performed in this room.

Gilded sliding fusuma, adorned with exaggerated Dogs of Fo and attributed to Kano Tanyu, admit the traveler to a 3mall room at the right, originally the private oratory of the shogun. It is 13 ft. long by 30 wide and it contains four handsome large, inlaid, framed panels carved in several woods in the natural color, with phoenixes glued and nailed on to the background; the finely penciled, gold-lacquered frames are worth looking at, as are also the cross-beams, which are decorated with an elaborate diaper-pattern resembling precious silk brocade. The brackets are black and gold; the minor adornments are similar to those of the honden, and the wood Used in the ceiling is the kind of which incense is made. — The

room at the left is still more elegant. The fusuma carry painted peonies and Dogs of Fo on a dead gold ground (the work of Kano Tanyu), and instead of phoenixes the carved wood panels (each 47 by 66 in. and cut from a single slab of kwarin wood — Cydonia sinensis — imported from China). carry sharp-eyed eagles which stand against a background of delicate and complicated tracery. The metal ornaments of the cross-beams are of choicest damascene work with 5 pieces superimposed, and all very rich-looking. The beams themselves are entirely covered by a riotous wealth of florid, brocade-like decorations. The admirably chiseled Buddhist angel on the ceiling is picked out polychromatically in a strikingly naturalistic way, and surrounded by scores of sculptured and painted chrysanthemums and recessed lunettes of a dark wood. Beneath the gold and black brackets are spirited carvings of birds and flowers in high relief — the former seeming just ready to fly out of their tinted retreats. Few carvings in the temple are more animated and attractive. The capitals of the pilasters — of keyaki lacquered red, then covered with gold foil — are unusually sumptuous.

At the back of the honden 4 steps descend to a sunken apartment 12 ft. deep by 30 wide, called the Stone Room because the lacquered floor is said to rest upon a single large stone. The bonzes usually invite the traveler’s attention to the carved,, lacquered, and gilded rococo sheaths which almost cover the 4 supporting columns. Though elaborately executed, the assemblage of fantastic scrolls and other conventional work is feeble and meaningless, and impresses the beholder by its costliness (¥80,000) rather than as an expression of a high order in art. The ceiling is lovely. Each of the 28 large and 17 small sunken panels bears a beautifully painted mythological phoenix (the work of Tanyu) on a blue ground covered with superb tracery, and each flying bird is pictured in an attitude different from its fellows. The two deeply recessed panels serve as trap-doors to the loft. Not an inch of the walls and ceiling but is richly and extravagantly decorated with a host of indescribable forms. Specially noteworthy are the gold-lacquered panels behind the sheltering screened doors at the right and left of the descending stairs, and in the same relative positions at the top of those opposite. Three kinds of lacquer — Chinese, Korean, and Japanese — have been used in their composition, and they are admirable expressions of coherent opulence. At the landing of the 6 metal-sheathed steps stand 2 solid silver vases (presented by Tokugawa Ienari, the 11th

shogun) weighing each 150 lbs. and containing sprigs of bamboo of a gold alloy; plum branches of virgin silver; and pine twigs of shakudu — an alloy of copper, antimony,.and gold. The finely inlaid lacquer tables flecked with Tokugawa crests are worth looking at. Above the triple set of regal folding

doors with elaborate Chinese locks are carved brackets and friezes enriched with chased metal fitments. The uprights and cross-beams are finished in the rich brownish-gray of the natural wood. Above the doors runs a line of complicated compound brackets with 8 huge protruding elephant heads, open-mouthed and menacing. At the right and left of the room are gorgeous gold panels embellished with flying phoenixes, and twin pierced panels said to be made of single slabs and which sift a diffused light. The bonze who usually sits at the left of the stairs serves sanctified sake from small antimony or red-lacquered dishes for a trifling fee.

The Holy of Holies of the Ieyasu Mausoleum, the Ultima Thule of the shrines; at once the richest and most coveted sight in N. Japan, occupies 3 rooms (which may be converted into one) at the rear of the last building on the upper (and last) terrace, called respectively (1st) Go Heiden, (2d) Go Naijin, and (3d) Go Nai Naijin. Refined imagery and an exquisitely tender and delicate fancy characterize the wonderful decorations, and as the suite is considered the most sacred of the Nikko temples and shrines, the general public is barred therefrom. Entrance is obtained only by a special appointment (which can be made by telephone from the hotel) and a fee (payable at the door of the honden) of ¥10 for one person, or ¥7 each for two or more. There is no extra charge for a guide or an interpreter, nor is the regular entrance fee of 80 sen exacted. The special ceremony (Kitosai) performed by Shinto priests in full canonicals — attractive robes, gauze caps, and whatnot — within the honden and the Stone Room, before the doors of the inner shrine can be opened, usually occupies about 15 min. Although days, and even weeks, might be devoted to an appreciative study of the interior decorations, from ½ to 1 hr. is the time generally given to it by travelers. Though usually brought up in the shadow of the holy precinct, the bonzes who conduct the visitor through the inner maze are healthily unconscious of the beauty, the sentiment, and even of the names attached to the various decorations, and they must not be looked to for accurate information. The honest ones generally acknowledge a frank ignorance of the structure and all its details; the others proffer data which are misleading. Shoes, men's hats, wraps, etc., must be left outside. The aspirant is invested with a ceremonial robe (usually green) which he must don and kneel, as do the bonzes, during the impressive ritual. Whether or not the traveler follows the native custom of bowing the head until it touches the floor, and of scrupulously imitating every genuflection of the leader. is a matter of personal taste; but a strict observance of the custom and a due reverence for the sanctity of the spot are not only tributes deserved by the honored dead, but add a piquant charm to the memory of the act. The red- and gold-lacquered cups from which the holy sake is drunk are sold at 35 sen (the antimony ones cost 20 sen), and they make pretty souvenirs of a unique experience.

The first part of the ceremony is enacted in the honden. A number of priests clad in ancient and picturesque costumes file into the room, and, kneeling, go through various evolutions of a religious import, while 3 of their number evoke a series of wailing cries, convulsive notes, and ‘dissonant squeaks ’ from a flute and two native reed-instruments called sho. Another sits by and beats a drum. The cadence is solemn, as befits the occasion, and the effect is weird — particularly if the great bell in the Sambutsu-do compound sends out its deep-tongued challenge to the auditors during the ceremony. Then the bonzes intone the mystic ritual and strike their hands together with a sharp, dry sound, to summon the holy spirit to witness the ceremony. The offerings to the shades of the gods — comprising various specially prepared vegetables, and rice cakes with the Tokugawa crest stamped upon them — are now brought forward and are carried into the go-heiden by white-clad acolytes with shields tied across their mouths to prevent the breath from defiling them. Gohei and other paraphernalia are also introduced. [A 2d ceremony of bringing these out is conducted after the visitor departs.] After receiving a lighted paper lantern bearing the Toku -

oawa crest, the visitor follows the priests into the outer room where the sake and food-offerings are spread out on a long table. Partaking of these, and thus being duly sanctified by the holy rite3, the inspection of the shrine is begun.

The Go Heiden, so called from the gold gohei therein, is about 12 ft. deep by 42 wide. Because of the wan light which filters through the latticed windows, it is less dim than the other two rooms, where inky darkness usually prevails. One must strain the eyes to inspect properly the opulently rich, time-defying decorations which adorn every inch of surface of the superb walls and ceiling. The latter is coffered, and each sunken panel carries an artistically painted and illuminated phoenix a shade richer than those on the ceiling of the honden. The panels (7 by 7 in.) of the sliding doors which separate this apartment from the inner inclosure are of brass, plated with gold and perforated in the center with a fylfot several inches square, and the tempered light which shines through them produces a pleasing effect. The large, hand-painted silk screen at the left end of the room shows an ancient horse-race, on one side, and, on the reverse, two gamboling Dogs of Fo, by some unknown artist of the Kano school. At the extreme right and left of the dividing wall are two large gold-foil panels of keyaki, with polychromatic howo in striking attitudes. The chrysanthemum crests at the four corners of the frames formed by extensions of the mural decorations, have 12 instead of 16 petals. The 4 upright pillars which support the superbly and daintily decorated cross-beams, and which carry alternate carvings in relievo of chrysanthemums and peonies, rank among the best of this class in Japan; the oak-like wood is the timedefying keyaki. The long line of split bamboo sudare which stretch quite across the room and form the removable partition between it and the interior, are heavy with elegant metal adornments and are of the finest quality, as is also the cream-white tatami of the floor, with the edges of the omote neatly bordered with silk brocade. An up-rolled sudare at the right gives access to

The Go Naijin (or Naijin) whose beautiful coffered ceiling at once attracts attention by being different from that of any of the other temples. Each recessed panel is covered with gleaming gold foil, and over this is artistically arranged a delicately and beautifully pierced wood panel which resembles heavy lace, through the interstices of which the eye picks out the gold as it reflects the lantern’s rays. The curved panels at either side carry skillfully painted chrysanthemums and peonies in their natural colors. Along the architrave are some strikingly sculptured and tinted birds in high relief, poised as if for instant flight. Between another series of superbly carved keyaki pillars in the natural wood is a set of folding doors with sculptured and gilded panels enriched with such exquisite superimposed damascene-work that one marvels at the skill

of these early craftsmen and speculates as to how they learned the subtle manipulation of a metallic art which originated so far from their country. Every bit of the wood about the doors is so heavily lacquered as to make it resemble massive gold, and the effect attained is superlatively rich. — At the left end of the room, let into the front wall, is a gold-foil panel about 8 ft. 6q. covered with a bizarre painting of Bishamontcn, looking very much like the prototype of Blue Beard, in his wonderful painted draperies. Near by, on the base-board of the side wall, are two long gold panels carrying pictured Buddhas in whose placid faces eternal repose is expressed. Though singularly effective they are surpassed by others in the adjoining room. Rich creamy silk habutaye protects all the panels from the rude contact of any one moving about in the dim light. Farther along, on the side wall, is one of the finest paintings (artist unknown) in the building. A beautiful gold figure of Amida, the source of boundless light, is shown surrounded by wonderfully effective clouds through which float celestial beings with musical instruments in their hands. As the Supreme Buddha of the Paradise of the Pure Earth of the West, Amitabha sits in the high heavens and from that exalted place sends from his all-seeing eye a glorious beam of light downward to illuminate the earth. It will be noted that of the 12 bosatsus (or perfected saints — usually pictured as men), 11 are women. One, a ravishing being, strikes her biwa with an ivory plectrum; another plays upon a harp; while others still, in diaphanous draperies, hover about the central figure and produce a bewilderingly beautiful effect. Another big mural painting at the end of the passage contains 15 strikingly executed figures, while in a companion picture at the end of the opposite aisle are grouped the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean demons that safeguard all the temples in the land. The groundwork of this picture is especially noteworthy, as it shows a complex arrangement of intermingling squares into which the habiliments of the figures blend so ingeniously and harmoniously as to form a sort of shadow design, which the eye does not register at first. The large panel at the right suggests demonology gone to seed, as some of the black devils on a flaming ground have several heads, arms, and legs, and such a multiplicity of members that one grows tired of counting them

Certain of the most precious. relics of this almost priceless reliquary are usually kept in this aisle; to see them a special letter from the Imperial Household Department at Tokyo, to the abbot in charge of the mausoleum, is necessary. One of them, sometimes shown to visitors, is an exquisite sword presented by the Emperor to Iemitsu. The rich Indian red-lacquer box in which it is kept is beautifully inlaid with Tokvgawa crests and wave-patterns in iridescent mother-of-pearl, with richly

chased gold clasps at the edges, bound by massive silk cords and wrapped in choice old brocade from an Imperial loom. Swinging from the hilt of the sword are several gold rings inlaid with multi-colored enamels, and a solid gold fish, 3 in. wide, 7 in. long, and ½ in. thick, so perfectly wrought that almost every scale is distinct. Inlaid on the gold lacquer of the scabbard are mother-of-pearl howo, the peacock blues of whose tail-feathers gleam with opalescent sheen in the lantern’s light. — Passing round to the right aisle we there inspect the huge wall-panel depicting Fudd with his mace and aureole of flame; at the extreme end is a companion picture, with slight variations, to the one at the end of the opposite aisle. At the right is a charming complementary piece to the Buddhist Heaven, also with slight variations. The other panels here are similar in their religious import to those of the other passageway. The capitals of the supporting pillars and the diapered cross-beams of the room are marvels of decorative art. We now bend low and reverently pass beneath an up-rolled sudare into the sacrosanct Go Nai Naijin, politically one of the most revered spots in Japan, and to the artist one of the most enchanting and at the same time the most disheartening: for in this restricted space (about 20 by 20 ft.) is concentrated the highest achievements of Japanese Buddhist art of the 17th cent. The eagerness of the art-lover to understand and assimilate it all, and to grasp and hold its subtly fugitive sentiment, becomes almost painful. For the wish brings with it the overwhelming conviction of its own futility, since the long-dead artists left no clue as to how, or why, they accomplished these marvels of gold-lacquer, diaper-work, intricate arabesques, masterful paintings, damascening, and the myriad minor subtleties which add so much charm and grace to the whole. Generation after generation have looked upon them again and again and have gone away to be haunted by them. It is doubtful if Aladdin’s magic lamp could disclose more bewildering beauties than does the modest paper lantern which the traveler brings into this darkened retreat. Occupying most of the space in the room is a gorgeous gold-lacquered shrine (10 ft. high, 25 across the front, and 8 on the side) of a form called Takamikura — similar to the throne constructed for the Emperor for the coronation ceremony. Two fierce gold-lacquered and painted Dogs of Fo guard it. It was made outside, brought hither and assembled, and it is of such exquisite workmanship that few others in this land of art surpass it. Within its ultra-sacred depths are sculptured wood images of Ieyasu, Hideyoshi, and Yoritomo, barred from public view by a quaint metal lock made by a celebrated swordsmith, and called funajo from its resemblance to a boat. To the casual eye the structure is almost a counterpart in shape of the finer mausolea, but. the art-work is much daintier, more refined and

more beautiful, a little masterpiece admirably wrought. The corner posts are of selected keyaki, of wonderful grain and natural color, sculptured like those in the outer room excepting that these carry rich overlays and carved insets of various colored woods held in position by the extreme nicety of their construction. The slim upright panels between them and the doors are adorned with ascending and descending dragons whose flaming scales and graceful sinuosities expressed in faultless gold-lacquer, are raised several millimeters above the gold background. The doors are finished like jewels in a rich and costly setting. At the intersections of the finely lacquered bars are damascened rosettes superimposed sometimes with as many as five layers of metal, one above the other, but wrought with such art and disposed with such grace that they resemble lace drapery rather than metal. Around the base of the columns, in rich gold on a sloe-black ground, is a continuous key-pattern string course — very simple and elegant. The doors swing on pivots let into swelling sockets sheathed with embossed metal overlaid with delicate tracery. Above the narrow architrave, in niches formed by the elaborately painted compound brackets, beneath the massive but gracefully curved roof, are sculptured polychrome hawks in high relief. Protruding from the salient angles, as if ready to fulminate intruders with their basilisk eyes, are open-mouthed Dogs of Fo, minatory dragons, and other beasts. The multiplicity of miniature roof-beams which radiate outward are sheathed in metal and covered with decorations, while between and around them run endless traceries that lead from and to hidden sources which the eye cannot detect. On narrow panels carved in the natural wood are sculptured disks tacked on with gold-headed nails — perhaps the only ones used in the construction. The double side doors are as elaborate as the central ones, with panels displaying arabesques, bamboos, and such an infinity of gold-lacquer enrichment that a detailed description of it would only weary the reader.

The coffered ceiling of the room is of unexampled splendor. Below it runs a maze of compound brackets painted a brilliant black and penciled with fine gold lines. The series of round nickel mirrors which adorn the architrave, the gold gohei and the gilded branches (in vases) of the sacred sakaki (presented by the late Mikado), remind one that the shrine is Shinto despite its Buddhistic opulence. The entire left panel is covered with an exquisite painting of a seated Buddha surrounded by his disciples, crests, ecclesiastical symbols, etc., extraordinarily rich in color-tones and with an intricate latticework of lustrous gold covering the background. Against the opposite wall is a beguiling companion painting showing Shaka and his disciples. While examining the marvelous coloring of this antique gem note the depth of the rich cobalt, medium

which was imported from China at the time such pictures were painted, and which was then so costly that it was more precious than pure gold. Two and a half centuries of Stygian gloom, broken only by the fitful and fugitive lantern flashes which inquiring travelers have directed at this flawless masterpiece, coupled with the almost unthinkable vigilance required to

preserve it in a wooden building exposed to a damp climate have kept this priceless relic of an ancient art as fresh and glowing as if it were finished but yesterday; with its companion pieces it is attributed to Hokkyo Ryotaku. If there be a trace of foreign art in these pictures, it shows only in the dress of the figures, for the technic is wholly Japanese, and of an order which ranks high.

At the end of the narrow passage is another large and symmetrically balanced composition with numerous figures displayed in a perfect riot of gorgeous colors; standing on the heads of each of these, or half-concealed in their clothing, are 7 of the 12 signs of the zodiac. By pushing open the narrow door here, at the right, one gets a beguiling glimpse of the back of the inner shrine and its protecting wall — both of rich, luminous gold. The panel on the right of the opposite aisle depicts a Thousand-handed Kwannon overlooking a long procession of figures below, with the Thunder God at the left and the Wind God at the right. That at the end shows the immortal Buddha and two of his closest disciples, while on the figures below are the 5 zodiacal signs lacking in the picture across the room. The general effect of this is barbaric but fine. The panel let into the side of the shrine is similar in detail to its companion across the way; the figures and the Buddhist symbols are beautifully drawn. The two panels measure 46 by 60 in. and are of finely seasoned hinoki.

On emerging from the honden, pass round the outside of the building and inspect the maze of rich gilding, carvings, sculptured heads of mythological animals and the like which combine to impart such a wonderful richness to it. Beneath the wide porch, at the foot of the brackets, are handsome carved and painted groups of waves and chrysanthemums. The structure at the rear — which enshrines the Holy of Holies — rests upon a massive gray granite plinth formed of monolithic stones chiseled to represent upper and nether ones, and from this rise in graceful curves group after group of compound brackets finished in a fine and expensive black lacquer known as ro-iro, which requires from 6 to 10 hand-polished coats before it acquires the brilliant surface which is its distinguishing feature. Flowers, birds, Dogs of Fo, hammered brass, painted panels, and many refinements of Oriental art have been employed in the outer surface decoration of this precious reliquary, and most of the colors of the spectrum have been drawn upon to complete it. At the side and rear are some big

gilded panels of Korean lions which originally were painted by Kano Tanyu, but which, during repeated re-decorations, have lost their original lines and therewith their artistic interest. The carved and gilded doors are worth looking at, as well as the steps at the rear, which are sheathed in polished brass and embossed with crests. The maze of decorations of the porch here extends to the smallest interstices of the roof-beams. From this point one gets a near view of the encircling fence (522 ft. long and 6 ft. high exclusive of the stone wall), with its painted panels and metal-sheathed coping tipped with gold foil and edged with Tokugawa crests. The tall tree in the yard at the left is supposed to act as a lightning conductor; those within the fenced inclosure are (at the left) a hinoki, and (at the right) a koya-maki, or umbrella pine, and were planted by the reigning Emperor.

a The Tomb of Ieyasu stands on a small terrace high up on the hillside behind the main shrine. Turn to the right after passing beneath the Yomei-mon, proceed between the Kagura-dcn and the Goma-dd and cross the richly decorated, red-lacquered corridor (which is 11 ft. wide and forms a quadrangle 720 ft. long) to the gateway beyond. Above the entrance to this is the locally celebrated Sleeping Cat (Nemuri no Neko), a sculptured grimalkin interesting only because it is attributed to Hidari Jingord. From this gate 5 steps lead to another one called Sakashita-mon, carved and attractively decorated in white-and-gold. Beyond this is a succession of easy steps (200 in all) and landings — 25 steps to the 1st; 10 to the 2d (which is 201 ft. long); 38 to the 3d; 58 to the 4th; 52 to the 5th; and 12 to the 6th. From the long stone terrace splendid views of the fine forest trees are available; some of them are seen to have their lofty, wide-spreading arms covered on the upper side with a dainty drapery of graceful ferns and. flowers, which, apparently too delicate to sustain the fierce struggle for existence amidst the ranker and more vigorous plants on the ground below, are upheld by the stately trees and thus form a sort of Babylonian hanging-garden, hundreds of feet above the sodden ground and nearer to the vivifying sunshine. Nourished by the constant moisture, magnificent rhododendrons grow on the hill-slopes, and behind these are other colonnades of great cryptomerias between whose trunks one gets enchanting views of the bronze and gold roofs of the temples below — the gilded crests of the ridge-poles of which wink sleepily in the face of the searching sunbeams. From here one gets also a comprehensive view of the fine gabled end of the main shrine. The stone 'walls along the stairs are green with moss and hepatica, and the soft, mellow radiance which filters through 1 lie lofty trees is lovely. Save for the whimpering of a mt. stream rushing downward to the sea, a tranquil silence reigns in the thick forest, and the pinv-odor of balsam boughs soothes the senses.

The sign on the bronze torii at the top of the steps is a facsimile of the original one inscribed by the Emperor Gomino-o (1612-29). At the right of the steps is the first (so it is said) wholly copper godown ever built in Japan. The Mortuary Shrine, which faces the tomb on the terrace above, is also copper-sheathed. The small interior is decorated sumptuously and has a tessellated ceiling with 16 rows of 9 panels each and 56 two-inch squares, each with a tiny chrysanthemum crest painted in 5 colors. The whole surface carries 8064 of these polychromatic flowers, every one of which has a line of gold foil around it. The diaper-work of the architrave is intricate, the panels above it being covered with gold leaf and phoenixes painted in pleasing tones. — Passing to the rear we come to the massive copper gate of the august tomb, here guarded by Korean lions of fiercely aggressive mien. Tokugawa crests in gold, cranes, peonies, and the mystical Wheel of the Law are chiseled artistically against the rich brown metal, which is cast in a solid piece and is darker than the tomb proper. The phoenixes sculptured on the inner wings are worth looking at. The pagoda-shaped tomb (of a light brown color said to have been obtained by an admixture of bronze and gold) occupies a sequestered site overlooking the mausoleum, and is 8 ft. high and 4 ft. in diameter. It replaces an original one of granite (destroyed by an earthquake) which was so massive that the united strength of 6000 coolies was needed to drag it to its position. Giant trees rise solemnly behind the inclosure, to which the mournful tones of the great Sambutsu-dd bell float up in unadulterated sweetness. A simple stone balustrade surrounds the funerary plot, which is backed by a cyclopean stone wall. Facing the tomb are the customary (brass) religious symbols — an incense-burner, a candelabrum in the form of a tall stork, twin vases with lotus-flowers, and the protecting lions. The shogun who lies buried here is often referred to as Gongen Sama, from Tosho-daigongen, his posthumous title. [Gongen is a name given in Ryobu-Shinto to certain of the Shinto gods, who, according to the Buddhists, were the temporary manifestations of Buddha.]

The Iemitsu Mausoleum and its auxiliary shrines stand on terraces cut from the hillside at the end of a noble avenue (28 ft. wide and £ M. long) of towering cryptomerias leading away to the left of the stone torii which faces the Ieyasu group. The immensely tall trees arch gracefully above and mingle their branches over the avenue (5 min. walk) in such a way as to make of it a green and fragrant tunnel on the pebble-strewn floor of which the filtered sunbeams sleep quietly. The temples and their respective tombs are charmingly situated in the heart of dense groves, musical with the sound of rushing water, but otherwise more peaceful and sequestered than those or Iemitsu’s august grandfather. The locality is beautiful with

wild flowers in spring, and with superb maples in autumn. The traveler who has already paid the entrance fee to the Ieyasu shrines preserves his ticket and gives it up here at the ticket-office at the left of the big gate. A pleasant way of reaching the mausoleum from Nikko town or the Kanaya Hotel, is by following the path which leads across the park. Another by-road leads from the Ieyasu shrine past the far side of the Pagoda, and brings one to

The Futa-ara Jinja, a Shinto shrine on a slight terrace crowned with splendid trees, and dedicated to Onamuchi no Mikoto (God of Peace) a descendant, in the 5th generation, from the God Susano-o. The outer structure is in the severe Shinto style, but the one at the rear, with which it is connected by a short passage, is a brilliant reminder of the halcyon days prior to the disestablishment of Buddhism, and when this creed worked hand in hand with Shinto for the uplifting of the Japanese. In the vestibule of the former is a bizarre painting, done in clashing colors, showing a kite alighting upon a Japanese warship; — the work of a naval officer, who, before leaving his native town of Nikko for the Japan-China War, prayed at this shrine for success. The exterior and interior decorations of the second building are inferior to those of the Iemitsu and Ieyasu shrines: the paintings on the inner side of the heavily gilded doors represent Sadaijin and Udaijin — the sanctum guardians. The bonze who conducts one about the shrine usually serves sake in shallow saucers, for which one is supposed to pay a few sen. The few relics which were formerly kept here have been transferred to the Hongu Shrine. In the yard at the left of the honden is a mutilated bronze lantern, referred to as Bakemono-Toro, which (according to the legend) anciently possessed the ability to run around the countryside after nightfall and terrorize the good people by its unseemly actions. A valiant wight who encountered it one night dealt it several shrewd slashes across the head with his sword and completely cured it of its impious conduct; the gashes remain to confound the credulous who come to see it. The gilt crest, so much in evidence on the shrine represents the Life Principle. The road which leads up beneath the trees at the right of the shrine goes to the Gyoja-do, mentioned hereinafter. Facing the Fvta-ara Shrine, at the foot of the road below (left), is a round building called the Memorial House, containing a panorama (admission, 20 sen), etc. Among other things on the ground floor are framed pictures illustrating processions; war-scenes, etc., during the Tokugawa shogunal era; also the dragons which formed the bridge for Shodd Shonin. On the upper floor an immense canvas, aided by set figures, portrays scenes in the celebrated battle of Sekigahara. Farther along the road toward the mausoleum, at the left are

The Futatsu-do (‘Two halls’), low, beautifully red-lacquered connecting structures known also as Yoritomo-dd, because one of this celebrity’s bones is said to be enshrined here. Observe the droll demonlets in whimsical attitudes astride the posts just beneath the eaves at the corners. The lovely green-bronze dragon-fountain which stands on an irregular stone base in the recessed court or bay was (along with the stone lantern) presented to Prince Kitashirakawa's tomb (farther up the hill) by the municipality of Utsunomiya. The position of the twin temples, at the base of the perpendicular green hills surmounted by giant trees, is singularly attractive. Shoes, which are left at the door of the first building, are usually taken by the servant to the exit of the. adjoining one, as travelers generally inspect the two by passing along the corridor from the first to the second. The immense overhanging eaves, the finely proportioned portico with its massive uprights and its black metal ornaments, and the general decorative scheme of the structures, leave a pleasing impression. The first temple is dedicated to Amida, whose richly gilded statue is seen within, accompanied by many others of the Buddhist pantheon. Conspicuous among these is Bishamonten, Jikaku-Daishi, Daikoku, 12 polychromatic figures representing the signs of the zodiac, and many big and little divinities and devils, some enshrined, others with mandorlas, and still others as the central figures of small altars. The interior is over-decoratcd in vivid colors, and the roof is supported by. immense red keyaki columns. Enshrined in the adjoining building is Fugen bosatsu (on an elephant) with 11 statuesque female attendants clad in gorgeous draperies painted to imitate flowered brocades, and each with a halo befitting her virtue. Two gilded tigers guard this chaste and somewhat tasteless group. The tombs on the hillside may be reached by passing beneath the arch in the passageway connecting the two buildings.

The Nio-mon of the Iemitsu Temple is a colossal structure (re-polished in 1910) of brilliant Indian-red lacquer, 24 ft. wide, similar in design to that of th Ieyasu shrine, but a shade richer and more imposing. The huge, muscular Nio in the covered loggias at the sides are attributed to the tireless Unkei. Big shishi-heads project from the salient angles, and the bright hammered-brass ornaments add to the dazzling effect. The great doors, swung on pivots let into soffits above and below, are gorgeously decorated in red, black, and gold, and are grandiose in effect. Just within the gate, at the right, is a splendid old cherry tree so beautiful in the spring that to appreciate it one must see it; the tree at the left is a Bodaiju, a species of banyan, the wood of which is used by the priests for rosary beads. The storehouse at the left of this once held the treasures of the temple, but these are now kept in the museum near the Sambutsu-do. Farther along, at the right, is a handsome gran-

ite water-basin (8 ft. 3 in. long, 4 ft. wide, and 3 ft. 5 in. high), similar in design to that on the 1st terrace of the Ieyasu shrine, the faded dragon on the ceiling above it is by Kano Yasunobu. The canopy is decorated elaborately and is supported by 12 granite uprights. Note the elevated stone aqueduct which leads back to the bronze dragon from whose mouth streams the water which supplies the tank. Instead of proceeding along the central flagged path, which leads to the Ryukd-in, where the priests reside, we ascend the steps at the left to

The Niten-mon, a strikingly rich and harmonious gateway of lustrous red lacquer, blazing with gilded crests, metal-work, leaping Dogs of Fo, carved and tinted mythological animals, and highly decorated compound brackets. The fierce figure in the cage at the left is Komoku, and that at the right Jikoku, both beneficent devils (2 of the Gods of the Four Directions) who belie their scowling aspect and keep friendly guard over the temples above. In the cages behind are equally repulsive figures of the red-haired Thunder God (p. ccvii), with his string of thundering drums above his head, and the Wind God, who is painted green, and who carries his hurricanes in a big, sausage-like bag swung over his shoulders; both of these figures formerly stood in similar positions at the Yomei-mon. In addition to the Tokugawa crests, many Rimbo crests adorn the gate — decoratively and architecturally one of the finest in Nikko. The 36 stone steps which lead hence to a wide landing (pretty views) are succeeded by 37 more, reaching to a terrace where there are many bronze lanterns and an ornate bell- and drum-tower. Nineteen steps conduct one hence to the

Yasha-mon, or Demon Gate (25 ft. wide and 15 ft. deep), guarded *by four offensive ruffians, with saber-like canine teeth, who scowl from their respective loggias. The structure differs from others in Nikko in that the supporting columns, of red lacquer and geometrical designs, are clustered and fluted. The customary baku heads and Dogs of Fo are the salient features. The panels in the sides of the loggias are sculptured with excellent foliated peonies. The long corridors that stretch to the right and left are funereal; the handsome lanterns were gifts of various daimyos.

The Kara-mon, or Chinese Gate, stands at the top of a flight of 10 steps and is flanked by long wings, or corridors roofed with copper-bronze, edged with gilded crests, and decorated in white and black with a profusion of polished brass enrichments disposed at intervals. Painted birds sculptured in a spirited manner form the themes of the long panels. From the gate (where shoes must be left) a narrow corridor extends to the main door, which is enveloped in a blaze of gold accentuated by a maze of crests, ornaments, wood-carvings, and swinging metal lanterns.

The Honden (52 ft. long by 21 ft. deep) occupies a terrace slightly above the gate and faces N.E. from a strikingly picturesque location. Cyclopean moss-covered walls inclose it on 3 sides, while behind it rise tier after tier of majestically solemn cryptomerias and pine trees. The grassy slopes flame with azaleas, rhododendrons, and other flowers, and maples, in season. The gold enrichments of the handsome roofs gleam enticingly from their green environment. — The indescribably rich and dazzling Interior conveys the impression of a room encased in solid burnished gold. The superb coffered ceiling carries 140 large recessed panels, each with a gold dragon wriggling over a fine blue ground with delicate-colored tracery at the corners. Soft rush mats cover the black-lacquered floor. The most conspicuous object is the abbot’s seat, surrounded by sumptuous gold-lacquered furniture used by Buddhists, and placed beneath a luminous and gorgeous metal baldachin. The traveler will note that the priests here wear Buddhist ceremonial robes (koromo) in contradistinction to those of the Shinto cult at the Ieyasu shrine. These sacerdotal garments (made, it is said, of mokuran, or magnolia fiber) are often of a beautiful shade of brown, and are sometimes so nearly the color of the oval, finely patrician faces, and the shaven and polished polls of the wearers, that the ensemble produces a striking symphony in creamy old ivory. — The 6 large gold panels let into the walls of the room, exhibiting exaggerated Dogs of Fo, are ascribed to Kano Tanyu and Kano Morinobu. The quaint bronze lanterns (perhaps Korean) with a semi-transparent substance in the doors which resembles laminated horn, but which the bonzes say is tortoise-shell, are worth looking at. The tall bronze vases (gifts from the feudal lord of Kii Province), with gilt sprigs of willow and cherry rising from them, are curious, in that the polished lacquer planes which rise flush with the lips are so brilliant that their surfaces reflect the twigs and impart the impression that they are growing in water. The bronze storks were gifts from the lord of Owari, and the two bronze vases with metal lotus sprays from the lord of Mi to. — The cross-beams carry pleasing decorations of conventional, multi-colored butterflies, and the panels of the architrave show phoenixes sculptured with fine skill. The upper series of panels, also with carved phoenixes and other birds, are very effective. Many rich hangings adorn the room, which is a maze of beautiful diaper-work, crests, and intricate tracery. The narrow passage which connects it with the Holy of Holies at the back is adorned like the outer room, besides containing a number of handsome sutra-boxes and a fine coffered ceiling with phoenixes on the sunken panels. The three strikingly attractive bronze incense-burners, in the form of subjected demons, who seem uneasy at the simplicity of their task, are worth a close inspection.

The Holy of Holies (or Naijin), which unfortunately is not shown to the general public, is decorated with great richness and stands at the end of the passage connecting it with the Go Heiden. If the visitor to Nikko brings a special letter to the abbot permitting him to inspect this sacred and secluded spot, he should pass from the Go Heiden to the encircling porch (rather than traverse the interior passage) in order to glimpse the amazingly rich exterior ornamentation. The structure will be seen to rest upon a massive gray granite plinth, well up off the ground, to be two stories high, and to exhibit such an extraordinarily sumptuous lot of gilded ornaments, sculptures, paintings, diaper-work, and apparently endless arabesques executed with infinite pains, as almost to overwhelm the observer by their multiplicity and opulence. In detail this decoration is somewhat similar to that of the Ieyasu shrine, but as the structure was erected after that one, the experience gained enabled the artists to give added splendor and lavishness to it and to make it even more striking than its highly ostentatious prototype. The interior is in the form of a square about 30 by 30 ft., with a narrow ambulatory around 3 sides of a slightly raised dais marked off by a wide black-lacquered sill or marginal board inclosing a space 24 ft. wide. From this lustrous margin rise 8 charmingly symmetrical keyaki pillars 16 in. in diameter, very tall, and’ so heavily coated with gold foil that they resemble solid gold. When the mellow beams of the sun slant through the latticed windows and strike dazzling sheets of yellow flame from them, the effect is lovely. Let into the surrounding walls are many similar pilasters, while at the right and left of the sacrosanct shrine (at the rear of the dais) are two pillars even more massive, with capitals draped with fold after fold of sumptuously painted arabesques, and enriched with Greek key-patterns, crests, and such a wealth of magnificent tracery as almost to overwhelm the senses with their barbaric splendor. Unlike many of the other Nikko shrines the ceiling here is high, and is decorated to its farthermost point. The effect of this, coupled with the gold pillars and the equally gorgeous walls, — which also blaze with gold, — can scarcely be imagined. Above the first group of cross-beams, likewise so covered with arabesques that they seem draped with gold brocade, stretches a series of sculptured multi-colored panels about 15 in. high and 8 to 10 ft. long, cut from single pieces of wood. The decorative motives are beautiful flying tennin bearing musical instruments or Buddhist symbols. The consummate skill shown by the artist in the treatment of the floating draperies, and "the general harmonious effect, cause these angels of the Buddhist Paradise to rank among the finest wood-carvings in Nikko: the work strongly suggests Uidari Jingord in his best manner. Above these graceful forms, inclosed between other narrower but equally elaborate beams, are lines

of slim panels completely covered with red and gold decorations and carrying a number of wood disks, of carved birds and the like, about 12 in. in diameter, fastened to them. Still higher, between other beams, is a series of pierced panels displaying richly carved and painted phoenixes in high relief; then come other decorated beams resting upon the capitals of the supporting columns — certain of the lower beams being upheld by brightly painted brackets which reach out like arms and clasp them in a tight embrace. All have hammered, embossed, or damascened metal fitments at the ends and at various intervening points. Gold foil is the groundwork upon which the decorations are traced, and here and there it shines out between the lines with brilliant effect. Above the final beams — also diapered — begin series of compound clustered brackets, gaudily painted in reds and blues, whence the roof slopes and narrows to a big central disk from which a bright-eyed wriggling dragon, in sepia, the work of Kano Tanyu, looks down. Many slender tie-beams, flying buttresses, gold-covered rafters and cross-pieces are features of this glowing and bewildering superstructure — which is almost as rich in detail as the work below it.

The floor-mats are of the finest texture and are edged with silk brocade. Along the luminous golden walls are many rich hanging emblems, above them gold panels with painted phoenixes. At the ends of the side aisles are exquisite gold-covered panels with other Buddhist angels whose draperies show a profusion of the costly imported cobalt. Here also are doors giving exit to the rear balcony, so heavily plated with gold as to resemble solid metal. The massive brass baldachin which swings above the abbot’s seat is unusually ornate. The interior shows four groups of deeply carved tennin riveted to the canopy and looking like fused masses of solid gold. Most beautiful of all the objects in the interior of the mausoleum is the striking, two-storied inner shrine, of the costliest gold-lacquer, and in which is a sculptured and sanctified wood figure of Iemitsu. It is temple-shaped and it stands upon a superbly lacquered base of lustrous Indian-red lacquer said to be the finest in Nikko. The 12 small door-panels carry crests, gambolling shishi, and peonies, all of superimposed lacquer (of the kind called makiye) in so many layers that they stand several millimeters above the groundwork end can almost be said to represent basso-relievo work. At the right and left of these doors arc narrow panels with ascending and descending dragons in a similar style of work. The gold panels at the right of the shrine show tigers, howo and bamboo, while those at the left have shishi, flowers and birds — the latter with very long tails. The figures at the 4 corners are the Shi-Tenno; the bronze vases in front contain metal sprigs of ground-pine, chrysanthemum, bamboo, plum, and Camellia japonica. At the

rear of the room is a narrow passage blazing with gold foil. In the center is a large panel (about 100 by 100 in.) and a number of smaller ones all displaying huge peonies. Formerly there hung before the central panel an immense kakemono (by Kano Tanyu) showing Shaka and his disciples. The detached building seen at the left from the porch in the rear (itself a wonder of carving and decorations) is where the sacred food for the gods is prepared.

Near the inner shrine are numerous boxes in which some of the most precious relics of the shrine are kept; among them are 36 rolls of the Buddhist Sutras, each about 12 in. wide and 30 ft. long, so exquisitely illuminated on silk, and so wonderfully traced in gold ink on a dark ground, that because of their peerless beauty alone they seem doubly sanctified. The ends of the rolls are adorned with brilliantly polished rock-crystals set in a lacework of yellow gold, and the rolls themselves, each swathed in a piece of creamy habutaye, repose in a gold-lacquered box that is a dream of dainty beauty. The inner side of the boxes show gold-lacquered Rimbo and Tokugawa crests; the illuminations at the ends of each roll portray Shaka, in different versions, surrounded by his disciples. Others of the priceless relics of the dead shogun are swords of wonderful temper from the forges of the early craftsmen who brought this art in Japan to the highest pitch of excellence in the known world; lacquered boxes and jewel-caskets; flawless rock-crystals in whose mystical depths more than one superstitious ruler mayhap has read or misread his destiny; dainty belongings of the winsome, long-dead consorts of these same vanished shoguns; — and many other things considered as too sacred to be viewed by casual eyes.

The Tomb of Iemitsu is reached by passing round to the right of the mausoleum and ascending the long flight of steps leading up the hill. The gate at the foot is called Koka-mon, and is of unique shape, with rounded shoulders and decorations in white, black, red, and gold. The tennin in the panel of the ceiling is by some pupil of the Kano school; the white side panels display crimson-lipped Korean lions. Twenty-five steps lead hence to the 1st landing, whence one gets a more satisfactory glimpse of the gate below than is possible at the narrow entrance; 37 steps lead thence to the next landing, thence 6 more to a small, Haiden, where pilgrims worship the tomb — which is visible through and beyond the shrine. The gilded figures are (right) Yakushi and (left) Amida; the big metal baldachin almost fills the small room. The massive bronze gates to the tomb inclosure display gilt Sanskrit characters which even the priests do not understand. Many ferns grow on the hillside amidst the giant trees; good views of the temples below are obtainable here. Descending to the lower terrace we pass behind the drum-tower and follow the path along the crest of the hill to

The Temple of Jigen-Daishi, a celebrated Buddhist sage (died, 1643), better known as Tenkair whom Hideyoshi appointed abbot of the Td-ei-ji Temple at Uyeno (Tokyo) in 1625, and who thus was likewise the director of the Nikko temples. The building is small but elaborate and displays many pieces of black furniture beneath the baldachin; the

Wheel of the Law is the most prominent crest amid the intricate tracery above the architrave, and the general aspect of the interior recalls certain Egyptian temples. In the sunken panels of the coffered ceiling are peonies and 16-petal chrysanthemums. The tomb is stupa-shaped and stands behind the shrine in the midst of 6 curious old life-size statues of various Buddhist gods. Hard by, in an inclosure reached by 25 stone steps, are a number of tombs of abbots of Nikko who were of the Imperial blood. — At the left of this, on a lower level, is a small building with some relics (saddles, clothing, and other personal belongings) of Prince Kitashirakawa. In an adjacent building is a striking sculptured wood figure of the Prince, mounted upon the charger which carried him through the Formosan campaign of 1904-05. The statue is well worth looking at, as certain bits of the carving — particularly the figure of the man — are excellent; the whole is mounted on a massive granite pedestal. The Prince's tomb is at the left in an inclosure at the head of several flights of steps, and is faced by the usual mortuary shrine. Note the angle of the roof of the building at the rear (similar to that of the stable on the 1st terrace of the Ieyasu shrine), which housed the Prince's horse until he died of old age. Many pilgrims, among them not a few priests, daily climb to this spot to reverence the spirits of the departed abbots and that of the Prince, who is now deified.

The Hongu-Jinja, a Shinto shrine on a terrace up at the right from the far side of the sacred Red Bridge, contains nothing of interest. The original structure is said to have been erected by Shodo-Shonin in 808; among the small lot of treasures (to see which 3 sen is charged) is a wood sign carved by Kobd-Daishi; an immense sword with an 8-ft. blade, and two smaller ones, said to have belonged to the famous Yoritomo and to have been forged by Rai Kunitoski; a prehistoric pottery vessel dug from the top of Nantai-zan; some metal mirrors; a small rock-crystal; and a metal sake-pot which tradition says was found jumping around the mountain-side, from which circumstance it is called the ‘Jumping Pot! ' An older shrine stands at the rear, near a tawdry, 3-storied pagoda, now closed.

Excursions. The environs of Nikko are unusually picturesque and many walks and excursions are possible in the neighborhood. The adjacent hills are ribbed with trails, many of which lead over slopes whence superb views are available, and to ferny glens idealized by sylvan brooks, lovely waterfalls, or quaint shrines. The country is safe; the woods are sweet, undefiled, and glorified by hosts of lovely wild flowers, and many a cool sequestered pool at the foot of a gentle cascade invites the solitary pedestrian to a plunge such as the woodnymphs might envy. To many of the places one can easily find one's way alone.

Of the threescore or more waterfalls which are said to exist in the vicinity of Nikko, none are so beautiful or so artistically satisfying as the splendid Kegon, the superb Dragon's Head Cascade, and the ravishingly beautiful Yurno-tahi, all passed on the trip to Yumoto.

Some of the streams in the region contain mountain trout, and the traveler fond of such fishing can, with the advice of the hotel manager, enjoy a sport he will not soon forget.

Hunting is also possible. Consult the hotel manager.

To the Kirifuri-no-taki (3 M.), thence (2 M. beyond) to the Makkura-daki. The first part of the excellent road to the former (one of the prettiest short excursions in the neighborhood) is practicable for autos. If the traveler prefers a jinriki, 2 men should be taken, as part of the road is steep. If both falls are to be visited (the latter is not worth the trouble) one forenoon should be devoted to them, and a coolie should be taken along to point out the way, as the indistinct trail is crossed by many footpaths and leads through a rocky gorge and across a runnel subject to overflows. The trees which at one time enveloped the fall and darkened it (whence the name) have been cut away. To Kirifuri, li hrs. on foot; guide unnecessary.

The road circles the schoolhouse beyond the Daiyorgawa, crosses the wide, rock-strewn bed of the tributary Inari-gawa, and mounts the successive flights of stone steps on the far hillside. At the crest, sitting back in a clean yard studded with lofty trees, is the dainty Ritsurin, a Buddhist temple upward of a thousand years old (one of the most aged in Nikko). The combination gate and belfry is modeled on the lines of the white gate at the foot of the steps leading to Iemitsu’s tomb. The clear, sweet, optimistic tones of the vesper bell which so often ring through Nikko emanate from this belfry, and the millennium which has passed since they first echoed over the hills and dales has not dimmed their mellowness nor tinged them with melancholy. The fragrant garden — an ideal monkish retreat — flames with azaleas, wistaria, and other flowers, and reminds one of an oriole-frequented garden of Louisiana. A short cut to Toyama Hill leads through it. Many of the native pilgrims to the Nikko shrines sleep in the great raftered rooms of the monastery, which provides austere accommodations for such. By following the path between the temple inclosure and the grove of young cryptomerias at the right, then turning right, one soon strikes the main road. A prettier way is to turn abruptly to the right at the top of the hill, and go down through the little plum orchard. At the far end the path slopes abruptly, then turns sharply up at the left, crosses a wooden bridge spanning a narrow gorge, and zigzags up the opposite slope. Beyond the crest a wide road goes off at the

to a charming little lake on a terrace, below a clean dwelling

surrounded by irises. A far-reaching view opens out from the summer-house on the terrace overlooking Nikko and the river. Rounding the hill the main road dips between paddy-fields, then ascends to the (1½ M.) waterfall. Signs at intervals warn hunters that game must neither be snared nor killed in the Im-

Imperial Preserves (which extend for 60 M. hereabout and end beyond Chuzenji). Many purple thistles flank the highway, along with honeysuckle and numerous flowers for which Nikko is celebrated. The prospect widens as the trail ascends, and lofty green mts. cut the sky-line on every side. The view from the tea-house overlooking the falls is wide and attractive. Both the upper (ichi-no-taki) and lower (ni-no-taki) falls are seen to the best advantage just after a heavy rain, when a huge volume of water plunges with a thunderous crash to the swirling pool. The mist which gives it its name is not always in evidence.

The bridle-path to the Makkura-daki leads through the teahouse garden and round the falls (right). The country is open, with wide views, but the multiplicity of paths made by charcoal-burners are confusing. Only an occasional hunter or a wood-chopper is seen traversing the lonely region. The trail soon leads to the edge of a deep gulch, far down in which, at the right, is a cluster of small houses and some caverns that have been converted into charcoal-kilns. Two streams unite their waters here and flow as one to the Kirifuri Falls. That at the right comes from the Makkura-daki, but the bridle-path at first zigzags down into the ravine and follows the stream at the left. From this point the execrable trail crosses and re-crosses the stream and occasionally merges its identity with it. By following the dizzy knife-ridge trail at the right one soon comes to the falls (50-60 ft. high) — imposing only in the rainy season. One familiar with the locality can find a crosspath (1 hr.) over the hills between Kirifuri and Nikko.

A comprehensive excursion to which one forenoon can be pleasantly devoted (best made on foot) includes the Jakko Temple and Nana Waterfall; thence back over the hill behind the mausolea to Gyoja-do; thence to the Takino Temple and the Vermicelli Cascade, whence it is but a few hundred yards to the San-no-miya and the grave of Shodo-Shonin. The round trip is about 7 M.; the path presents no difficulties, and the wide views of Nikko and the surrounding mts. are pretty. The climbing is less if the places are visited in the order named.

A coolie to point out the way and to carry the lunch basket is advisable. Impracticable for jinriki. The road leads up past the right wall of the Imperial Villa, and parallels the car-track to the Shaka-dd Shrine, where 5 retainers of the shogun, Iemitsu, committed harakiri when their lord and master crossed into shadow-land. In the red structure in the comer of the yard is a pretty miniature shrine. A swift mt. rivulet courses round

the corner on the top of the terrace wall, and a sign-board points the way to the fall. The main road dips here, then crosses a bridge, and continues onward toward Futamiya. As we turn up at right angles to the road, 2 streams are soon observed coursing down the small gulch at the left; the path to Jakko — which resembles a dry river-course — leads up between them; another and cooler footpath winds up at the right through thick underbrush and overhanging trees, and is more desirable on a hot day. The woods are a veritable tangle of fragrant honeysuckle (which runs riot everywhere and binds portions of the undergrowth into a tousled jungle), columbine, lovely double deutzia, wild hydrangea, spiraea, Jack-in-the-pulpit, and a host of sweet-smelling flowers. The dingle is usually alive with bird trillings. Despite the many intersecting paths one cannot go far astray, as the rounded hills are just at the right, and the falls are naturally near the source of the water. At a point (15 min.) where a bisecting, gulch-like path strikes across the main one, turn to the left, cross the little stream, walk back 2 min. to the left, and join the main road leading up at the right. A leisurely walk of ½ hr. brings one to a corduroy bridge thrown across the stream; a few yards farther along there is another one and some stone steps; the falls are soon visible high up on the cliff ahead. A stone torii several flights of ruinous stone steps almost covered with minute plant life, some fine trees, and a deserted shrine on a hill now come into view. The path to the falls leads down at the left to a cool, romantic, and inviting spot. The waters tumble (about 80 ft.) down the hillside in a succession of short leaps, and, after falling into the pool, race down a second series of rocky terraces to a lower level. The vegetation is luxuriant, the adjacent slopes are densely wooded, and the views are pleasing. [An obscure trail bears round from behind the shrine toward the left, and a stiffish walk of about 1 hr. will bring the traveler to the Urami Fall, mentioned hereinafter.]

Returning to the midway intersecting path we follow this (left) up the zigzag horse-trail to the bare crest of the hill, where an extensive view is had of the wide valley backed by towering mts. At the right is a shallow ravine, and flanking it is a thin line of young cryptomerias which continue in single file for some distance up to, and around, the top of the tree-choked gorge. From this point the views over Nikko and the stony bed of the Daiya-gawa are beguiling. The trail now bears round toward the right; on the crest of the bulky hill at the left is a large stone {Sesshd-seki)w\th an inscription warning hunters off the hills. The towering O-manago and Nyohdzan (good trail) are seen at the right. The narrow path now descends gradually through a woodland. At the right and left are some precipitous slopes clothed with groves of noble trees.

the depth of the great gorge comes the sound of plunging water. The trail (left) down to it (at Takino) is precipitous, and a better one descends through the beautiful primeval forest at the right — the barrier at the rear of the Nikko mausolea. Many of the huge trees are twins and triplets; others grow in fantastic, family groups, as if all sprang from the same parent root. Moss, orchids, lovely ferns, and other plants grow on the higher branches; the voice of the cuckoo is heard, and anon the booming call of the wild pigeon challenges the resonant, penetrating notes of the great temple bell as they ride upon the wind. A downward scramble over roots and through underbrush soon brings one to

The Gyoja-do, a tiny shrine containing a repulsive figure of En no Shokaku accompanied by two ugly demons. Swinging from the doors are many rusted metal sandals hung there by pilgrims ambitious to* acquire the sinewy legs and the enduring lungs which enabled En no Shokaku to pursue his obsession of mountain-climbing. — The broad, tree-shaded avenue which leads down at the right goes past the FiUa-ara Shrine to the Futatsu-dd. The lower one, which the stone steps leading at the left from the shrine soon join, goes to

The Takino Temple and the Vermicelli Cascade (Somenga-taki). The former stands on a terrace at the right of the cascade and is reached by a succession of stone steps. The only statue worth looking at in the interior is the gilded Kwannon. The ugly, squat figure at the right is Daikoku; that at the left is Bishamonten. Beyond the temple is a group of neglected shrines, stone bridges, torii, and the like, now tottering to their fall. The stream of crystal water and the noble trees roundabout are all that make the spot attractive. The cascade is often called Shiraito, or * White Thread Cascade,1 because of a fancied resemblance to threads — or to vermicelli. At the foot of the fall sits a stone idol whose poor old head is covered with short green grass that makes it ludicrous. — Returning we follow the main flagged walk between superb cryptomerias and many neglected tombs. One at the left is said to stand above the spot where a favorite horse of the shogun, Ieyasu is buried. Farther along (left), at the base of some giant trees, is a huge boulder called the ‘Hand-touched Stone/ from a silly belief that it was sanctified by Shodo-Shonin. The neglected shrine behind the stone torii (right) was once sacred to Sugawara Michizane. Behind the decaying Kaisan-dd, with some rubbishy idols, within a fenced inclosure, is the forgotten, stupa-shaped tomb of Shodo-Shonin, with others of his disciples in the inclosure at the right. Near by, in a shallow cave cut into the base of the hill, stand a number of Buddhist images (Holoke-iwa) from which the hill derives its name. Hard by at the left is the poor San-no-miya, with an outstanding torii on which credulous women place small, wedge-shaped blocks of

wood inscribed with prayers to make parturition easier. The abundance of water which courses through this section brings many lovely wild flowers into brilliant life. In early summer great blotches of coreopsis, blue and white hydrangeas, spiraea, and other plants gladden the eyes.

Gamman-ga-fuchi, a shallow pool in the (1 M.) Daiya-gawa overlooked by a short path, at the edge of which stand a number of stone Buddhas (known locally as the Hundred Jizo), lies within a 25-min. walk of the Kanaya Hotel and the Red Bridge. Autos and jinrikis are available for non-walkers. The road traverses the town of Iri-machi, at the foot of which a crude wooden bridge stretches across the river; the powerhouse of the Nikko Electric Light Co. is seen just beyond — below the big steel flumes. At the far end of the bridge, turn sharply to the right and continue on between the twin lines of native dwellings. The street soon merges its identity into that of a narrow woods-path, at the side of which are some dilapidated stone statues and mortuary tablets. It bends to the right farther along, and leads to a deserted shrine on a terrace overlooking the river. Just beyond is a single line of moss- and lichen-covered stone statues, tombstones, and tablets; below, at the right, the impetuous river raves and dashes in swirling eddies over rhyolite, between high banks. The statues are of many sizes; the heads of some are new, and contrast oddly with the older trunks to which they are cemented; some are covered with short gray moss surprisingly like wigs, while others have paper prayers pasted on them. Fatuous vacancy characterizes their expressionless faces rather than the Buddhistic calm and the great, nirvana-like peace which some writers like to attribute to them. — Farther along the river is a 2d line of (33) stone figures and some unoccupied bases from which other statues have been whisked away by the river at flood-time. The site must have been a favorite one in the old days, for on the jumbled rocks which project midway into the stream are other bases which once supported idols that have now disappeared. Immediately opposite the point, on a concave rock surmounted by a tree, is a half-obliterated ideograph, thought to represent the Sanskrit word II Amman (of which Gamman is said to be a corruption). Albeit a man standing in a moored boat or working at the end of a rope could easily chisel the character on the stone, the fervid native imagination has attributed it to a miraculous action of the renowned Kobo-Daishi (upon whose unfortunate head everything of a like nature and of doubtful paternity is heaped), who is thought to have accomplished it by launching his chisel from the opposite side of the stream against the rock!

Retracing our steps to the gash in the hillside between the two groups of statues, and ascending a few yards, we come to a fine and deep stream of water which hurries out of a dark

tunnel hard by and races down the sluice to the flumes above the power-station. At the right, on a high terrace overlooking the river, is a quaint old Buddhist graveyard with many bizarre monuments mottled with age and inscribed, in some cases, with Sanskrit characters. Continuing along through this charming and sequestered spot, then* crossing a narrow plank bridge, we follow the trail in its upward trend and obtain attractive views of the river as it boils and tumbles through its rock-ribbed bed below. Tail mts. rise green and majestic at the left. The intake of the Electric Light Co.’s tunnel is hereabout, and the swift and remarkably clear water is seen to rush in through a big wood sluice-gate. By continuing along the path for about 20 min. we come (left) to a narrow valley which in May and early June is a glory of brick-red azaleas growing on huge bushes 15-20 ft. high, and lovely pink-and-white ones on sizeable trees. The species (called Yashu, from the Chinese name of the province in which Nikko is situated) is said to be found of such size nowhere else in Japan. Scattered among the trees are many tall lacquer trees, — the residue of a sort of plantation started here sometime ago. — Returning to Irwnachi, one may spend a few minutes advantageously by inspecting the little Joko-ji Shrine which stands in a long yard containing many Buddhist tombs, bronze bells, and what-not, about midway of the 1st street which turns up at the left from the bridge. Scattered among some grumpy-looking figures of Jizo are several chiseled statues of a seated Kwannon which attract attention by their nonchalant attitudes — the right knee being raised to support the elbow, while the cheek rests in the palm of the upraised hand; a position at once languid and pensive. — The charming little temple of Dainjchi-ddy and the celebrated garden which enshrined it, were swept from their site on the river opposite the stone Buddhas, by the destructive freshet of 1902. — The somnolent town of Iri-machi attained to considerable importance during the 17th cent., when the mausolea were being constructed. Many of the workmen dwelt here, and not a few of the streets ('Carpenter/ ‘Stone-Mason/ etc.) exist to recall the period. — The Imperial Villa hard by is not open to the public, and is occupied during the summer months only. The Botanical Garden (interesting specimens of mt. flora) behind it, on a spot called Hana-Ishi-Machi, is an adjunct of the Tokyo Imperial University.

Urami-ga-taki (4 M.) and the Jikwan-no-taki (7 M.). Autos, coolies, horses and jinrikis available. The first waterfall is pretty and is within a leisurely 1J hrs. walk of the Kanaya Hotel. Jinrikis can go £ of the way over a good wagon-road. The last portion of the trail leads over a steepish hill and down into a shallow ravine. A guide is unnecessary, but a coolie should be taken along if the 2d fall (2 M. beyond, at the end of

an execrably hot, ascending horse-trail) Is to be visited (scarcely worth a special effort, as its one-time beauty was spoiled by the flood of 1902). We follow (for about 30 min.) the car-track that leads past the upper town to the open country (to the first wide road sloping upward at the right). The zigzag trail visible on the hillside at the far right goes to the Takino Temple. On a spring morning the meadows are deliciously fresh and sweet — vocal with the voices of meadow-larks and the answering calls of cuckoos. After reaching a copious rivulet that plunges through a gorge at the left, the road follows the gap (right) until it assumes the form of a canyon. The wooden footbridge stretched above a series of falls is crossed before the Jikwan trail is entered. — Urami is about 5 cho (10 min.) beyond the little tea-house (light refreshments) high on the river bank, on the near side (right) of the stream. The trail leads in front of the house and zigzags up the side of the low cliff. The rickety sapling bridges suspended by galvanized wire look risky, but are safe. The path is gouged from the base of the hill, and the water which trickles steadily down its face brings many tiny lilies into fragrant life. To reach the falls one must descend to the river, cross it, and climb to the tea-house which, as usual, straddles the path where the best view is obtainable. Passing through the house (small fee expected if no tea is bought), one proceeds along a narrow terrace and stands beneath the fall (about 60 ft. high) — which plunges through a horseshoe gap before precipitating itself into the churning pool below (an awe-inspiring sight in the rainy season).

To reach the Jikwan-no-taki we return to the bridge, cross the stream, continue along the trail for a few yards, then turn up the well-defined path (right) lying between and beneath tall forest trees. It grows more perplexing as one ascends, and is apt to be bad during and just after a heavy rain. The narrow, V-shaped gully into which it soon merges is rocky and stuffy. Exuberant vegetation rises on every side. After ½ hr. the trail forks, a half-blind one leading to the right, up a defile, the main-traveled one to the left. [By following this upward through alternating woodland and over solitary upland meadows covered with bamboo-grass, one comes (about 1½ M.) to a narrow, lonely gorge from which the trail goes over the high ridge and leads eventually to Nantai-zan.] Bearing to the right, we soon come within sound of the surging river. A good view into a deep gulch is had at a point where the trail crosses a rocky river-bed. Beyond this it follows another V-shaped arroyo with many woods-flies and other abominations. The last stretch is the best, the path lying between a deep canon at the right and a shallower one at the left. The tall bamboo-grass makes ideal runways for the fine copper pheasants which breed here, and frequently one stirs them up and is treated to a

flash of iridescent glory as they hurtle down the valley ringing with their harsh, metallic cries.

In early summer the rounded hill is gorgeous with wild fleur-de-lys, creamy lilies, and such a host of other wild flowers that the face of Nature is rosy with their blooms. The song of the lark echoes again and again across the immense valley inclosed by stupendous hills. At a distance the slopes of these resemble beautiful trimmed lawns, with here and there a bunch of bushes or a tree so sharply defined as almost to convince one that they were planted by the hand of man. Barring the fierce-eyed hawks which wheel and skirl overhead, the solitude is complete. The falls are soon descried far ahead, beyond a deepish valley; they are much more imposing when one stands quite beneath them, but they are now but a simulacrum of their former glory. Twin ridges run clear across the valley where the water comes into it, and over them it tumbles to a rock-strewn gulch. In the dry season, the falls (which are named after a Buddhist priest who brought them into prominence) are meager and insignificant.

The Ascent of Nyoho-zan (8 M.) represents a long, hard day’s work (about 6 hrs. up and 4 down), while the view from the summit, though wider, is but little better than that obtainable from some of the lesser peaks; it is inferior to the view from Nantai-zan. The way leads past the Gydja-dd, from which point one ascends the narrow path mentioned at p. 291. It is impracticable for horses or ‘chairs,’ which usually go up the zigzag path at the right of the road leading to the Jakko Waterfall. As both paths are apt to be overgrown by the vigorous bamboo-grass which clothes all the hill-slopes around Nikko, a local guide (¥1.80) is advisable. Water should be included with the luncheon, as there is a scarcity of it on the mt. A curious feature of the summit is an immense crawling pine tree which covers a wide area with its multitudinous roots — that strike into the ground from wherever an elbow of the great tree touches it. A woman unused to stiff climbing would find the trip arduous,

Toyama Hill (1½ M.), which stands beyond the Inari-gawa and the Ritswdn Temple, can be climbed in about 1 hr. and the trip (coolie, 45 sen) presents no difficulties. A small rest-house stands on the summit, whence the view is but a trifle more extensive than that obtainable from the hill behind the Kanaya Hotel. A short cut to Toyama lies through the Rilsu-in garden.