Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-06-27


are very extensive, and, Judging by the size of
the trees, must be very old. 1t seemed very
strange that in the mikado's own city, the tenn
Piles of the foreign Buddhism should, in number
and in magnifcence, surpAss those Of the ma
tional religion nevertheless the amount ex-
pended in building and maintaining the Bud
hist temples, can hardly be less than five times
that devoted to similar purposes by the adher-
enis of the shintoo faith, and this helps one to
understand how difficult the government will
find it to do away with Buddhism, even by a
gradual process, as it professedly aims to do.
The population of the city has declined con-
siderably during the past few years, but 1t is
still supposed to number 100000 persons, who
are largely engaged in manufactures Of various
kinds, the principal of which are those of cot
ton, silk and pottery. The silk-weaving, judg-
ing by the streets devoted to 1t, must give en-
: ployment to thousands of the inhabitants. We
visited one house where they were weaving a
kind Of Grape, and another where several pieces
of elegant brocade silk were in progress, and
which were unrolled very obligingly for our
inspection.
We did not have an opportunity to visit the
potteries, which, we ascertained, were very nu-
merous, and which turn out wares of all kinds,
from the coarsest jar TO the finest painted or
gilded porcelain. This ware is not considered
quite equal, | believe, to some made in the
island of Kiusiu, but it is very good, indeed,
and many of the designs are every way credita-
bic to the artist who prepared them.
The morning after our arrival we visited the
exhibition, which we found to be held in three
large temples situated at some distance from
each other. The whole is so extensive that it
would take near six hours to walk through it,
and examine even in the most superficial way
the great variety of objects of interest spread
out on all sides. The contributions from for
egners were of little account, of course the
principal interest would in any event attach to
the purely japanese part.
Ia the first temple were to be seen specimens
of ivory carving, old coins, musical instru-
ments, hardware, bamboo work, chairs, &C.,
bronzes, a large assortment, pottery, &c. Some
of the ivory carvings were well worth seeing as
specimens of microscopic work. Among the
musical instruments, the guitar, harp, violin,
fife, all had their representatives, though they
instruments of similar nature. The strings were
generally of oiled silk. There was also sort
of portable organ, bundle of dozen pipes,
with mouthpieCe, the music of which was not
unlike that of flute. The collection OF japanese
coins, gold, silver and bronze, was large and
apparently quite complete, and would have
afforded opportunity for an interesting study.
In the second temple were displayed old suits
of armor; swords in immense variety, as may
well be imagined might be the case in a country
where every fourth man was in the habit of
wearing two-some of them so cheap that they
might be bought for few dollars, others which
could hardly be bought for hundreds and posi-
bly, thousands. There were silks of all kinds,
from the cocoon and the hank to the most costly
brocades. Also, paper of all sorts and articles
manufactured from it, as umbrellas, oiled cloth
ing, kind of floor cloth, etc.
In the third temple were exhibited paintings,
woven and embroidered tapestry-of these sever
al represented the death of Budha; old manu-
scripts, medicines, minerals, plants, besides sun
dry articles made in imitation of those brought
from abroad such as lanterns, lamps, soaps of
various kinds.
As one can see by the order that have given,
and which is not specially different from that in
which the various articles are shown TO visitors,
the arrangement was not always the best con-
ceivable; still it was good enough to do away
with confusion and to enable one to find, with a
good degree of facility, anything TO which he
desired TO give special attention, and am sure
that no one who was at all interested in the
people could fail to be interested in the exhibit
ton.
1t was very fair index of the present condi-
ton of the country, in an industrial point of
view, and it also showed plainly enough that
change had come over the face of affairs, that
new influences were at work-for there were
numberless articles which, there is reason to be-
lieve, had been unaltered for hundreds of years,
which were now taking on new FORMS as lam
terms, umbrellas, mattings, surgical instru-
ments; some Of the latter would have done no
discredit to any establishment in Europe or
America.
IT is thought by some that this exhibition was
gotten up in part to prepare the way for
the opening Of this region to foreign trade
trade, and that 1t will never be closed again.
This was the opinion of many intelligent jap
anese with whom we conversed, and certainly
the whole demeanOr of the people towards us
was as kindly as we could wish. They seemed
glad to see us, and apparently expect, not with
out reason, that new impulse will be given to
the business of the town by intercourse with for
eigners. We hear now that the closing of the
exhibition is to be postponed sixty days, which
report strengthens the impression received
while in Kioto, that the town will never be again
sealed. KIYosHI.