Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-15
Temples at XedO.


The glory of the city of Yedo is in its temples.
Notwithstanding the general substitution Of the
Shnto religion for the old gorgeous Buddhist
ritual the great fanes still remain; and an adj
ditiOnal charm is lent to the contemplation of
them by the fact that they are. for the most
part, decaying and deserted, forgotten and
overlooked by the people in the midst of whom
they raise their gigantic roofs. When the noise
and the dust and the smell of the great thor
oughfares, render locomotiOn unpleasant it is
delightful to turn aside for an hour or two into
the enclosures Of the mighty temple of Shiba
Every visitor to japan goes to see Shiba yet
their charm to the oldest resident. to the man
who knows every inch of their grass-grOwn
courts aud every dark recess and corner under
their vastroofs. is never fading The explorer is
struck mute by the colossal scale upon which the
japanese temple-buiders did their work Just
as the chefs-d' cuVre Of our grand old cathe-
dral architects dwarf and throw into the shade
the work of modern ecclesiastical builders. 80
do the temples of Shiba at YeGo stand out alone
majestic and unapprOached, above everything
else around them. There are tiimSy houses Up
on the European model running their roofs
close up to the once sacred Enclosures, there are
huge tea houses and squat ''Co-downs,H or
warehouses. cheek by jowl with them: but in
their tree-guarded precincts the temples seen
to eye the approach of common. every day Yedo
much as lion might watch the approach of a
mouse. In the great gateway Of the Zoioji
temple-the ancient burial place of the
Shoguns-the tailest man is but pigmy
OF the hOly-water basin just within
very fair-sized swimming-bath could be
made: the very lanterns suspended to tine
cross-beams of the temple are like balloons: and
when the SUI shines upon the great slantn q
roof it gives it the appearance of vast sheet of
gold. Doubtless the travellers who infiamed the
curiosity OF Columbus and his companions with
tales of the gOld-roofed palaces of the kings of
Zipangi had seen the roof of the Zoioii temple
at Shiba. The interior of the temple is suitably
dark and mysterious but when the eye gets &C
custOmed to the gloom. after the blaze of sun
shine without, it rests first on the colossal
statue of the god; protected from mpious or
curious hands by a lattice-wOrk of iron. and
then wanders amidst the maze OF curious cary
Ing, colOring and gliding which adorns the re-
hottest corners of the edfce-fOr the old
temple builders were as minute and as earnest
as they were gigantic, and did not consider that
because spot was scarcely to be seen it should
be left bare and unoInamental All round the
interior are hung eX vOtos in tine shape of painted
strips of wood and wisps OF hair. But even more
interesting than the temple itself are the
quaint hooks and corners surrounding it. Be-
sides the tombs of the old rulers Of Japan, are
huge stone lanterns. quaintly-carved monsters,
and Acknowledged deites dotted about. all
weather stained, moss-grown and neglected;
and behind all is background of noble trees,
which seem ever to be wailing the fallen estate
OF the monuments before them. The only Wis
itors to the dozen or more temples of Shiba are
foreigners and country folk: the Yedo citizen
prefers the simple mirror of Shintoisn to the
pOmp and display of the old faith. The moss
grows between the stones of the court-yards:
the roofs cape in many places: the cOlOring and
gliding are fallen away piecemeal, and innumer-
able families of pigeons. attracted by the sOli-
tude and quiet Of the place, have made their
homes amidst the quantity carved timber wark OF
the roofs. Save in one instance where Ser
is statue gifted with marvellous curing e> AZ
ties. to which mnltitudes of cripples and inva
lids 90 for the purpose of rubbing themselves
upon it, it is doubtful whether a score of wor-
shippers visit the temples of Shiba per diem.