日光から中禅寺・湯元へ

15. From Nikko to Chuzenji and Yumoto.

*Lake Chuzenji, 8 M. from Nikko and 2460 ft. higher, is one of the loveliest spots in the Japanese highlands, and should not be omitted.

The broad highway connecting it with Nikko is unmistakable and is practicable for jinrikis, horses and chairs. For cost consult the hotel manager. A coolie is necessary only when there is luggage to be carried. A walk thither on a bright morning is thoroughly charming; the mt. scenery is inspiring, and one usually meets many courteous and happy folks trudging between the two places. Although June with its myriad wild flowers is beautiful, the season customarily begins about July 15 (at which time hotel rooms should be engaged in advance) and ends in mid-September. The maple display in Oct. is wonderful. The air is considerably cooler than at Nikko. Pedestrians can save about 4 M. on the outward journey by taking the tram-car from Nikko to its terminus. The greater part of the walk is beneath shade, and the last ½ M. is over a fine level road through a forest.

Beyond Futamiya, where a settlement clusters about the works of the Nikko Electric Copper Refining Co., the tram-cars proceed to Iwa-no-hana, near the river. The road follows the stream with a trend to the right. The power-station of the Ashio Copper Mines Co., far up the hillside at the left, beyond the river, marks the terminus of a big tunnel leading from the Kegon Waterfall — where there is sufficient of an intake to develop 10,000 horse-power. The present end of the tram-line is at Uma-gaeshi (pron. mahng-eye'-she) or ‘horse-turnback’ (so called because the old road was so steep that horses could not go beyond this point), where the small Tsutaya Inn (¥2) supplies light refreshments. Beyond this point, the excellent road (maintained by the Gov't) lies through a wild and rugged canon down which the river brawls and plunges furiously. The long screes which scar the hillsides, and the wide talus heaps below, point to the destructiveness of the stream. From the Misawa tea-house, the road zigzags sharply upward to (about 15 min.) a ridge called Kengamine, with twin waterfalls (Hannya and Hodo). Another 20 min. brings one to the Naka-no-chaya, or halfway tea-house, picturesquely situated on a small terrace overlooking a stupendous chasm and many miles of mt. and valley. A puny little waterfall dribbles down the face of the cliff at the left. The local ‘sight’ is a huge stone beside the road, called jishaku-ishi (lode-stone), which evidently is not magnetic, as it fails to flutter a compass held against it. The deep, somber ravine just beyond at the right, with walls of ominous purple, is suggestive of plutonian regions. The agile and sinewy natives utilize many of the short cuts (shikamachi) which lead off from the main road and rejoin it higher up. A 2 hrs. leisurely ascent from Uma-gaeshi brings one to the edge of the beautiful woodland plain on which Chuzenji and the lake repose. Nantai-zan rises majestically at the right. By making a short detour to the left and climbing (5 min.) the ridge on which the New Park is located, one may enjoy a marvelous panorama of a deep canon with a silvery river wriggling through its depths and a mass of cyclopean mts. rising grandly beyond. Near the point (⅓ M.) where the side path regains the main road, the latter forks; that at the right leading to (15 min.) Chuzenji, the left going (2 min.) to

The *Kegon Waterfall (Kegon-no-taki), which now serves as an overflow for Lake Chuzenji, but which is gradually cutting its way down through the doleritic lava strata and may some day drain it entirely. The view of the Daiya-gawa (here about 10 ft. wide) as it pours through the narrow cleft, spreads like a magnificent sheet shot with green, and plunges with a thunderous roar 350 ft. to the wide vortex below, is superb. The tremendous impact sends up clouds of spray which catch the rays of the sun and fill the noisy canon with spectacular rainbows. From the right and left, numerous tiny waterfalls spurt out of the sheer sides of the cliff and form beautiful pictures as the wind-blown water gyrates to the bottom. A fine view is obtainable from an artificial terrace and a sort of mid-air platform suspended among the trees down at the left of the tea-house. A still better one can be gained by scrambling (15 min.) to a point almost level with the pool, where the vista of the down-rushing water is awe-inspiring. The fall passed on the way is called White Cloud Fall (Shira-kumo). When the lake is low, the main fall slackens to a contemptible trickle, and in the dead of winter it is often represented by a few exaggerated icicles that cling to the lip of the precipice. A short distance down the canon is the intake tunnel mentioned above. — Kegon has an irresistible attraction for love-lorn natives possessed of the suicide mania. The habit of penciling erotic odes on near-by trees, then jumping into the resistless current, has become so strong with certain high-strung persons that a police guard is stationed here to prevent the exchange of a fairly stable earth for an uncertain eternity.

The Lakeside Hotel (English spoken) stands near the Kegon Fall, at the S. end of the lake, amid beautiful surroundings. Moderate rates, on application. (Telephone connects Nikko.) Lower in winter than in summer. Special terms for a long stay. Boats and horses can be hired of the hotel manager. A number of native inns stand on the lake shore; rates from ¥4 and up per day (Japanese food). Nantai-zan rises in solemn grandeur at the right; fragrant forests stretch away over minor hills at the left; the pellucid waters of the lake, reflecting the surrounding mts. with all their glorious coloring, spread away from the foot of the front lawn; while far away on the sky-line is discerned the Konsei Pass with its attendant giants. There are many delightful walks in the vicinity.

Lake Chuzenji, or Chuzenji-ko; called also Setsu-ro-ko (‘Clear snow-water lake’), 4460 ft. above the Pacific Ocean and almost equidistant between it and the Sea of Japan, is said to measure 2½ M. from N. to S., 7½ E. and W., and to be 560 ft. deep near the center. This very considerable depth aided by strong winds prevents its sweet water from freezing. Originally it contained no fish. At present it is well stocked with

salmon-trout from the Hokkaido; American rainbow trout; a native trout, and minor fish. A license (procurable through the hotel manager; ¥1 a day) is necessary before they can be taken. The revenue derived is applied to the support of the fish hatchery near the N. end of the lake. The surroundings are among the most beautiful and perfect in Japan. Forest-clad hills encircle the lake and rise to an imposing height. In May and early June, when a wealth of pink, white, and purple azaleas decorate the environs; when the giant trees are festooned with lovely wistaria clusters and trailing Lycopodium sieboldi; or in Oct., when the subtle alchemy of Nature paints the maples and other deciduous trees with the gorgeous tints of the sunset's richest afterglow, the scene is entrancing. The most beautiful time, however, is midsummer, when the tranquil pool drowses like a lapis-lazuli mirror in a faultless green frame and reflects every soft outline of the billowy clouds that ride lazily above it. Then it recalls nothing so much as a gigantic porcelain plaque with a myriad shy beauties visible beneath its translucent glaze. At that time the days run softly; the hours are long and sweet and satisfying; the increasing complexities of life are removed to the remote limbo reserved for all forms of strenuosity; and a renewal of youth becomes a reality. When the first heavy snows of winter fall the environing woods are beautiful beyond compare, — silent, ghostly, and inspiring, — but usually there are few to enjoy them.

Chuzenji Village (or Chugushi) consists of a single long street which flanks the E. shore of the lake as far as the Futa-ara Shrine; its few score houses and shops cater chiefly to the wants of the travelers who make the place a summer rendezvous. The crystals, iron pyrites, and other mineral specimens on sale come from the Ashio Copper Mine. The Futa-ara Shrine, believed to have been founded by Shodo-Shonin in 816, stands behind a big bronze torii at the N. edge of the village and contains nothing of interest. Beyond it is the great scar left by the landslip of 1902. A duplicate of the Buddhist temple which was swept into the lake at that time can be seen on the other side of the lake, beyond the hotel. At the right of the shrine is a closed and locked gate which marks the foot of the road to the summit of Nantai-zan.

Nantai-zan (8460 ft.; 2d highest monarch of the Nikko Range), known variously as Chuzenji-san, Futa-ara-san, Kurogami-yama, Kita-Fuji, and Nikko-san, rises steeply from the N.E. side of the lake and is covered with timber to its rounded peak — the one-time vent of an active volcano. The Futa-ara Shrine at the summit is the objective point of several thousand pious pilgrims who climb to it each year.

For the ordinary tourist the mt. is opened officially May 15 and closed Oct. 15. For pilgrims it is the scene of strenuous penitential exercises between the 15th and 22d of August. In order to view the sunrise from the

summit on the opening day, the pilgrims foregather in numbers at midnight of the 15th, at which time the gate is thrown open. The scene is unusually picturesque; each penitent is clad in spotless white and equipped with a pilgrim's hat, staff, and lantern. As the long, thin, ghostly line toils skyward in the pitchy blackness, rendered even blacker by the great massed trees, the trail of dancing lights resembles a huge fiery dragon or a procession of fairies. The ascent occupies about 5 hrs. The admission fee is 35 sen, and when this is paid at the temple office, each pilgrim is given some pressed rice-cakes and a paper stamped with a crest and an admonition from the gods. The hotel manager will arrange for a guide (80 sen for the trip) and provide food and a bottle of water (unobtainable at the top). By leaving the hotel at 2.30 A.M. a good climber can reach the summit before sunrise. The ascent is toilsome but not risky. The road is a sort of inclined corduroy, of saplings placed horizontally and held in place by stakes driven deeply into the ground. The last section is steepish, but the tired climber is helped out by iron chains. In former times, women were not allowed to make the ascent, but they can do so now for 3 days after Sept. 20. The scene at the top, as the line of tired but happy people streams upward and over the gigantic crest in the gray dawn, trembling with emotion at having attained the cloud-capped goal of their religious desires, and waiting in hushed expectancy for the marvelous panorama that soon bursts upon them, is one that never fades from the mind. The view is sublime. Shirane-san (loftiest of the Nikko Range) rises grandly at the W., surrounded by many giant peaks, while beyond the plain on which Tokyo stands is the matchless cone of the yet more sacred Fuji. A dozen or more minor peaks shoot up in pointed grandeur from the four points of the compass, and when the first sunbeams gild their summits, the effect is enchanting. When the beams drop to the valley of the Daiya-gawa and bathe the sacred groves of Nikko in their mellow splendor, they pick out the glittering crests along the temple roofs, and erelong scores of golden heliographic signals seem to be flashing upward to the mother shrine on the crest of the hallowed mountain.

About 10,000 pilgrims make the Nikko-Chuzenji circuit each year, climbing first the bulky Nyoho-zan, then Ko-manago, O-manago, and finally Nantai-zan. When they have thus made their peace with the gods, and flouted the devil, they proceed to Yumoto to soak in the sulphurous waters there, and talk it over. If they can scale any of the sacred peaks in that circuit, they consider that they have added that much more to their accumulated merit, and when they walk jauntily down to Nikko, they radiate happiness at every step and feel purified, sanctified, and at peace with the world. — Many charming walks are possible in the vicinity of Chuzenji. A list, with distances, coolie hire, etc., will be found posted in the hotel lobby. A short popular excursion (a pleasant day's outing) is to the Nishi-no-ko, a small lake 3 M. from the W. end of Chuzenji. A boat may be taken to Senju (at the W. end) whence the level road leads through the woods.

The Ashio Copper Mines, one of the largest and most productive groups in Japan, are accessible from Chuzenji and lie about 8 M. S., at the end of a trail impracticable for vehicles. A good walker can compass the fatiguing outward trip in 3–4 hrs. and if he so wishes may return over the 15 M. stretch to Futamiya and (3 M.) Nikko. The trail leads along the S. shore of the lake to (15 min.) Ase-ga-hama, where a new temple, the Tachiki-no-Kwannon, overlooks the lake and commemorates the original temple destroyed by the landslip from Nan-

tai-zan. From the summit of the Asegata Pass the eye sweeps over a magnificent stretch of forest-clad mts. and verdure-choked valleys. The entire region is primeval and spectacular. The highest part of the mine (discovered in 1610) stands 4400 ft. above sea-level, the office being in a valley 2000 ft. below, at the upper end of the village. About 7000 men are employed. The copper used in the Nikko and Shiba mausolea is said to have come from this locality. The 4 chief mines are the Honzan, Ariki, Kotaki, and the Tsudo. The ore is referred to at p. cxlix. A permit must be obtained to inspect the mines — which are owned and operated by the Furukawa Mining Co., Yaesu-cho, Kojimachi-ku, Tokyo.

Yumoto Village and Lake with hot sulphur springs and baths, 7 M. from Chuzenji and 640 ft. higher, constitute a popular excursion. The good road affords delightful scenery and passes two of the finest waterfalls in Japan. A leisurely walker can compass the outward trip in 3 hrs. with time to spare. Basha (p. xci) leave twice daily (2 hrs.; return in ½ hr. less) from a point near the hotel (fare, 50 sen). A boat can be taken from the hotel to (3 M.; 1 hr.; 60 sen) Shobu-no-hama, and the remaining 4 M. done on foot. The highroad leads through the village and along the E. shore of the lake (beguiling views). For a mile or more it passes beneath a veritable green tunnel of splendid birch, maple, and chestnut trees, and is flanked by semi-tropical bungalows. Wild flowers abound. A leisurely stroll of 1 hr. brings one to Shobu-no-hama, a non-descript fishing-hamlet at the edge of the lake. A few min. beyond (left) is the Trout Hatchery, prettily situated amidst tall trees and near a rivulet called Jikoku-no-kawa (‘Hell River’). The 5 pools are connected by sluices down which the larger fish are permitted to run to a big circular pond almost choked with rainbow, and other species of trout. Just beyond this tiny settlement and the relay station with its many pack-animals, is the lovely Ryuzu-no-taki (‘Dragon's-Head Cascade’) which roars and rushes down hundreds of feet of rocky incline and forms one of the finest scenic gems of the region. At the foot of the steep slope, the churning waters hurl themselves against a huge boulder which divides them and sends them seething onward in two streams, between high rocks. A byway diverges from the main road and continues (⅕ M.) along the cascade to its head, before rejoining the main road. Midway up, the stream is 50–60 ft. wide, and the great volume of water, leaping down the sharp slope in a transport of passion, is extraordinarily impressive.

The well-traveled road now winds over an incline called Jigoku-zaka, and Hell River, whence it derives its name, plunges down a gorge at the right. A lovely wooded stretch is crossed before one emerges (about 1¾ hrs. from Chuzenji) on the old battlefield of Senjo-ga-hara, a wide meadow crossed by

running streams, surrounded by green mts., and dotted here and there with blasted trees. The sanguinary battle fought on this upland plain in 1389 between the partisans of the Ashikaga shogun, Yoshimitsu, and the troops of the Mikado of the Southern Dynasty, was followed by the rout of the army at Kyoto and the dissolution of the schism which for 56 yrs. had divided the country into two hostile camps. A good view is had, at the right, of the lordly Nantai-zan, which here is seen to be much less symmetrical than when viewed from Chuzenji. O-manago, Ko-manago, and Taro-zan form a part of the valley-wall, which is marked at the far left by the adorable Yu-no-taki; from this distance looking like a thin white line against the green. Overshadowing it at the left is the somber and treacherous Shirane-san. Near the center of the meadow, at the foot of 3 lofty pines, is a tiny tea-house. The road forks here, the trail at the right leading (5 M.) to the Nishizawa Gold Mine: that at the left continues to the base of the hill, then bears to the left before climbing the slope. A by-path soon descends (left) to a (5 min.) tiny dell where the Yu-no-taki (‘hot-water fall’) can be seen in all its splendor. A lovelier sight could scarcely be imagined. From a point 200 or more ft. up a green and shaded slope, there glissades swiftly but with wonderful grace a thin chute of snowy foam 50 or more ft. wide, 6 inches thick, and resembling crinkly silk crape. The angle is about 50 degrees, and the smooth runway is picked out here and there with trifling irregularities — hummocks and indentations — which the descending water finds and converts into outspread fans and other alluring figures. Clouds of cool swirling mist fill the echoing dell and impart a delicious freshness to it. The wild beauty of the sequestered spot is inexpressibly charming. The water is the overflow of Lake Yumoto (‘Source of the Waters’), and after passing this point it goes to the aforementioned Dragon's-Head Cascade. By following the zigzag path flanking the side of the flume, we soon come to a silent lake of bewitching beauty.

Yumoto Lake (or Yu-no-umi), which stretches from the cataract to the village at the upper end, is 5100 ft. above the sea; about 1 M. long by ½ m. wide, irregular in shape, shallow, and stocked with fat salmon-trout which keep as far away as is possible from the pestiferous steaming sulphur runnels that trickle into the water below the village, or bubble up from the lake-bed there. The liveliest imagination could scarcely picture a more perfect sheet of water. Entirely surrounded by green and lofty hills that hold it in a loving embrace; flanked on all sides by giant trees, some of them lightning-splintered, others fire-charred, and most of them dark and somber, and which seem never to tire of glimpsing their own graceful shapes in the blue-green waters; it is exactly the sort of lake that fits a painted birch-bark canoe with a silent, swarthy, softly-

paddling Indian in one end, and a broad-antlered dead buck in the other, moving noiselessly through the lengthening shadows of eventide to some quiet tepee and camp-fire on a near-by shore. The polished surface of the tranquil waters reflects every surrounding object like a magic crystal, and the broad road which winds along the right (E.) shore, beneath giant trees, seems to lead not to Yumoto, but to Elysium.

The Village consists of a small hotel (Nanma; open from April 1 to Nov. 30; ¥5 a day and upward; English spoken), several inns (Kama-ya, etc., ¥2.50), and bath-houses that cluster near the upper end of the lake in a horseshoe depression overshadowed by lofty hills. From many holes in these hills, piping-hot streams of stenchful, sulphurous water bubble and spurt, and indicate the presence of internal fires. The waters are said to be efficacious in rheumatic ailments, and many natives repair hither in season to bathe in them. Several times during the long, restful days men and women foregather at the slatted bath-houses, disrobe to the last stitch, stew themselves together in the malodorous, yellow-tinted liquid; sit on the edge of the pools to dry, and exchange gossip; then parboil again. Bamboo pipes admit the steaming water into the hotel baths (free) side by side with other pipes that bring ice-cold water from the same hills. A license (50 sen; obtainable through the hotel manager) is necessary before one can fish in the lake. The neighborhood affords many pretty walks; a list of the most popular ones, with distances, time required, etc., is posted in the hotel lobby. Kirigome, a silent tarn in the mt. fastness, 1 hr. to the N. and 5600 ft. above the sea, is pretty. From a near-by ridge (40 min.) the view includes the Shiobara Range and Bandai San. Hence to the Nishizawa Gold Mine (follow the road across the flat behind Yumoto and cross the ridge at the right) is about 1 hr. Lake Suganuma, a popular all-day excursion, can be included in the trip to Ikao. The display of maples on the hills behind Yumoto is gorgeous in late Oct. and early Nov. On a fine day in spring or autumn the walk hence, through Chuzenji to Nikko, is delightful.