# Jinrikisha Days in Japan

* information about this edition.
* sister projects: Commons category, Wikidata item.
By the Woman Who Shaped National Geographic: Scidmore, writing with much affection and respect of Japan and all things Japanese. (Though that does not prevent her from poking gentle fun, once in a while.) The accompanying photographs are possibly by the author herself, a photographer as well as geographer.
Layout 2
MOUS MI
Jinrikisha Days in Japan
BY
ELIZA RUHAMAH SCIDMORE
“Waga kuni no Yamato shima no ni idzuru hi wa;
Morokoshi hito mo, awoga zarameya.”
“In the ancient Yamato inland, my native land, the sun rises;
Must not even the Western foreigner reverence?”
Ancient Japanese Poem.
“I cannot cease from praising these Japanese. They are truly the delight of my heart.”
St. Francis Xavier.
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK
HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE
Copyright, 1891, by Harper & Brothers.
All rights reserved

### PREFACE

The aim of this small book is to present, in outline sketches only, something of the Japan of to-day, as it appeared to a tourist who was a foreign resident as well. No one person can see it all, nor comprehend it, as the jinrikisha speeds through city streets and country roads, nor do any two people enjoy just the same experiences or draw the same conclusions as to this remarkable people.
The scientists, scholars, and specialists who have written so fully of Japan, have necessarily omitted many of those less important phases of life which yet leave the pleasantest impressions on less serious minds. The books of ten or twenty years ago hardly describe the country that a visitor now finds, and in another decade the present aspect will have greatly changed. Bewildered by its novelty and strangeness, too many tourists come and go with little knowledge of the Japan of the Japanese, and, beholding only the modernized sea-ports and the capital, miss the unique and distinctively national sights and experiences that lie close at hand.
This unassuming chronicle is the outcome of two ​visits, covering nearly three years’ stay in the Island Empire, a period during which a continued residence was maintained, by turns, in each of the larger ports, while many weeks were spent in Kioto, Nara, and Nikko. Its object will be attained if it helps the tourist to enjoy more satisfactorily his stay in Japan, or if it gives the stay-at-home reader a greater interest in those fascinating people and their lovely home. Unfortunately, it is impossible in acknowledging the kindness of the many Japanese friends and acquaintances who secured to me so many unusual enjoyments and experiences, to begin to give the long list of their names. Each foreign visitor must feel himself indebted to the whole race for being Japanese, and therefore the most interesting population in the world, and his obligation is to the whole people, as much as to particular individuals.
To Mr. John Brisben Walker, of The Cosmopolitan, thanks are extended for permission to reprint the chapter entitled “The Japanese Theatre,” which first appeared in the pages of that magazine.
E. R. S.
CONTENTS
* CHAPTERPAGE
* I.THE NORTH PACIFIC AND YOKOHAMA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1
* II.YOKOHAMA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................10
* III.YOKOHAMA—CONTINUED ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................20
* IV.THE ENVIRONS OF YOKOHAMA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................28
* V.KAMAKURA AND ENOSHIMA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................38
* VI.TOKIO ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................43
* VII.TOKIO—CONTINUED ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................53
* VIII.TOKIO FLOWER FESTIVALS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................65
* IX.JAPANESE HOSPITALITIES ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................86
* X.THE JAPANESE THEATRE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................96
* XI.THE IMPERIAL FAMILY ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................111
* XII.TOKIO PALACES AND COURT ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................125
* XIII.THE SUBURBS OF TOKIO ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................134
* XIV.A TRIP TO NIKKO ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................140
* XV.NIKKO ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................147
* XVI.CHIUZENJI AND YUMOTO ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................162
* XVII.THE ASCENT OF FUJIYAMA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................175
* XVIII.THE DESCENT OF FUJIYAMA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................183
* XIX.THE TOKAIDO—I ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................189
* XX.THE TOKAIDO—II ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................I97
* XXI.NAGOYA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................206
* XXII.LAKE BIWA AND KIOTO ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................216
* XXIII.KIOTO TEMPLES ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................226
* XXIV.THE MONTO TEMPLES AND THE DAIMONJI ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................236
* XXV.THE PALACES AND CASTLE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................244
* XXVI.KIOTO SILK INDUSTRY ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................255
* XXVII.EMBROIDERIES AND CURIOS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................267
* XXVIII.POTTERIES AND PAPER WARES ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................277
* XXIX.GOLDEN DAYS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................285
* XXX.SENKÉ AND THE MERCHANTS' DINNER ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................296
* XXXI.THROUGH UJI TO NARA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................304
* XXXII.NARA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................320
* XXXIII.OSAKA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................331
* XXXIV.KOBÉ AND ARIMA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................340
* XXXV.THE TEA TRADE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................350
* XXXVI.THE INLAND SEA AND NAGASAKI ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................358
* XXXVII.IN THE END ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................368
* INDEX ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................377
ILLUSTRATIONS
* PAGE
* MOUS MI ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Frontispiece
* FUJIYAMA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................5
* JAPANESE CHILDREN ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................17
* AT KAWAWA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................30
* THE SEMI'S CAGE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................55
* AT A FLOWER SHOW ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................67
* A UYÉNO TEA-HOUSE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................71
* IN A FLORIST'S GARDEN ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................75
* WISTARIA-VINE AT KASUKABE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................79
* IN DANGO-ZAKA STREET ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................82
* THE FLORAL KWANNON ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................83
* SLAYING THE DEMON ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................85
* CHOPSTICKS—FIGS. 1 AND 2 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................88
* CHOPSTICKS—FIG. 3 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................89
* THE NESANS AT THE HOISHIGAOKA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................93
* MATSUDA. THE MASTER OF CHA NO YU ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................94
* SCENE FROM THE PLAY OF THE "FORTY-SEVEN RONINS" ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................107
* IN THE PALACE GARDENS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................115
* IN THE PALACE GARDENS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................117
* IN THE PALACE GARDENS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................12I
* PLAN OF EMPEROR'S PRIVATE APARTMENTS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................127
* IMPERIAL SAKE-CUP ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................129
* INTERIOR OF THE IYEMITSU TEMPLE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................151
* GATE-WAY OF THE IYEYASU TEMPLE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................155
* FARM LABORERS AND PACK-HORSE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................163
* PUBLIC BATH-HOUSE AT YUMOTO ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................171
* THE SHOJO ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................213
* THE GREAT PINE-TREE AT KARASAKI ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................219
* THE TRUE-LOVER'S SHRINE AT KIOMIDZU ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................231
* THE THRONE OF 1868 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................248
* KABE HABUTAI ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................262
* CHIRIMEN ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................263
* EBISU CHIRIMEN ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................264
* KINU CHIRIMEN ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................265
* FUKUSA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................270
* MANJI ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................272
* MITSU TOMOYÉ ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................273
* IN NAMMIKAWA'S WORK-ROOM ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................288
* PICKING TEA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................305
* IN THE KASUGA TEMPLE GROUNDS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................317
* IN THE TEA-HOUSE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................324
* FARM LABORERS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................347
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1928, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 95 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse