Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-11-26
A JAPANESE FESTIVAL.
A Scene Whose Gorgeousness and Charm
Battle Description.

Scene Whose GOrgeousnesS ana Charms
Battle Description.
The day that we reached Kioto was
the last day of the Gion nsatsu,i, a fes-
tival which lasts for month and serves
as a pretext for getting all the popula-
ton out of doors and in one quarter
of the city during the evening. The
Gion temple, an cdifice reared for the
worship of Shinto believers, lies at the
foot of Maruyama, and from the court
yard of the temple a Babel of music
and voices arose as soon as the
sun had fallen. With each hour it in
creased, and finally drew us'irresistibly
down the steep and shady road and
through the great stone toais to the
courtyard of the temple. The noise,
the lights and the people were then fur
ther on, and pursuing them, we went
down through the great gateway and
stood at the head of the main street.
The view there was dazzling and the
shouts and the chatter of many
voices deafening. On either side
the narrow street was lined with
rows of white paper lanterns, hanging
over the house doors, and at the curb
booths hung round with lanterns and
men with wares spread on the ground,
surrounded by torches, made walls of
light on either side of Sae street.
Crowds surgcd up and down between
these rows of lights, nearly every man
carrying paper lantern on the end of
a short bamboo stick, the women carry
ing smaller lanterns, of white paper,
and the children delighting themselves
with red and gaily colored' paper shells
for tiny candles. Boys marching and
running in single file and shouting az
measured chant as they cut their way
through the crowd, whirled giant LAM
terms or torches at the endof long poles:
All the people out on this gala night
were arrayed in their holiday Clothes.
and the gay colors of the women's and
ehilaTen's dresses added to the brill
h;sney of the lanterned scene. Being.
bafeheaded, with THEM. glossy black
hair glued in the big loops Of the latest
Kioto style, twisted with scarfs of bright
red or blue Grape and stuck with silver,
shell or flower hairpins, the graceful
women of the old capital were all in
harmony with the surroundings, of the,
great night of the great midsummer
fete.
From the Gion temple the SAijo street
Only runs u few hundred feet until it
reaches the Shiia bridge, but crossing by
that long viaduct it then cleaves its way
with few curves out to the fhrthest sa-
burbs. For alb its length tie Shijo street
was IA wavering, glittering line of light
for the Gien festival. It narrows just
before the bridge piers, and on that Last
block either side of the street is lined
with theaters, peep-shoxs and juggler
shows, each with its gaudily painted
banners and pictures, Its rows of torches
and lanterns, and shouting ticket sellers
Wanting the merits of the show within.
On the night of the ssGts,tri there were
more lights and lanterns and more vocal
displays in this narrow reach, and
people were crowded solidly from
wall to wall. A louder shout and
stronger chorus heraAded the
advance of twenty OF more men
carrying between them giant bamboo
! pole blazing at one end like Brobdig-
| Magellan trick, and the crowd surged
back to the house walls and parted