Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-11-15
A MODERN UTOPIA.
A LAND ALMOST AS ENCHANTING
AS A DREAM OF PARADISE.

A LAND ALMOST AS ENCHANTING
] AS A DREAM OF PARADISE.
Pleasing Characteristics of the Japanese
PeopIe-A Country of Many Holidays.
The Poor Never Observation-Disclosures
FestivaIs-Sacred Mountain.
Living in such scenes of enchantment these
people are as light of heart and sunny in dis
position as children, and 80 polite and pleas
ure loving aS to excite the admiration Of even
their French and Italian visitors. There is
no dwelling 50 humble but it has spot for
trees and flowers, The rich have gardens in
which are faithful reproductions IN miniature
Of their variod Landscapes, hidden in tr,rs and
Towering ShrubIcry. Every farmers plot
of land Is beautiful and adorned The gold
of the ripenei rice and wheat i, contrastcd
against background Of green foliage. What
ever name may be given to the religion of
that people, and Whatever crNedS and doc
trines may have been engrafted upon their
beliefs, the main feature of their worship is
an intense love, amounting almost to an ado
ration, of nature. This appears IN their
whole life They have built their temples on
the sides of the great mountains, embowered
/ them in overhanging groves, and surrounded
them with everything Of Towering shrub
! The sites of these command beautiful views
of the surrounding country, and usually are
near fountains and waterfalls. The village
/ shriDes are located in the most charming spot
of the neighborhoOd, and no labor is spared
/ TO adorn and beautIfy them. The highways
are bOrdered by rows Of trees planted cen
turies ago, whose branches form an evergreen
arch over the head of the traveller. The road
TO Nikko, where the temples and tOmbs of the
tycoOn3 are situated, has a grand avenue OF
giant frs. For sixty miles one may ride in
the shade of these wide branching trees
From Yokohama south of Kioto. the old Cap
ital, 400 miles, the road is one continuously
shIded avenue, winding along the ocean
SD ore, around narrow bays and inlets and
oIer high hills and mountain sides
No LACK OF HOLIDAYS.
Unlike their neighbors, the Chinese the
Japanese take time from their toll to enjoy
all this. Their government may have been
deSpotic and arbitrary, but it never over
worked its labOrlng population. It gave
them more holidays than any people under
the sun ever enjoyed. They had what was
known as the "Ichi-roku7 days-that is, all
the days in the lunar months that were deSig-
mated by one or six. Thus the LIST, 9th llth,
10th, 2lst and 18th days of each month were
legal holidays. In addition to these the
birthdays of the ruling emperor and empress
and also of several of tie greatest of their
predecessors of the ruling dynasty, which
reaches back through 200 years. are holi-
days. Every village has holidays in honor
of its patron saint, and the saints of the
famous temples and shrines have festal days
On all of these the people, in their holiday
dresses, gather at the temples and shrincs for
thanksgiving and to admire the beauties of
earth and sky. Pilgrimages are a marked
feature of the japanese lite, but they are not
characterized by the austerity of the Chris
tian and Mohammedan world No school
children, liberated from long study, could lie
happier and gayer than these people as they
60 along the shaded highways Whole neigh
borhoods turn out their population, leaving
only enough people at home TO care for the
households, and go sometimes hundreds OF
miles on what may appropriately be called
these religious piCnics. They walk along the
shaded avenues, talking, laughing and sing
ing. They rest when weary from walking in
the shade Of the great trees by some clear
stream or some huhhling >priu- All these
great highways Gm, lined WITH tea booths, |
where tea, rice, e-.~ Oh rakgs can be had for |
an incomparably low price.
In the villages, which are almost continu-
GUS along these roads, there are numerous |
hotels where these pleasure seeking pilgrims |
get their dusty feet bathcd on arrival, bath |
before retiring, two meals and bed for ten !
or fifteen cents for each person. Forty miles |
east from NeddO are the temples Of Narrita, |
situated in 4 picturesque spur Of the great |
central mountain range. The road leading
there is one long avenue Of trees planted SO
years ago 1t runs through green, fertile
fields with the Bay of Nedlo, dotted with
countless white sails on the one hand, and the
great mountains on the other. During hall
the year this broad road is lined with parties
of pilgrims on their way 10 or from these
temples. Every mile OF two has its village
of hotels for the entertainment of these
people Some of the>e caravansaries accumO-
date COO guests. The number of people visit
ing these shrines annually will reach more
than 100000. In the spring, when the rice
las been planted, the national rice festival
takes place. This festival continues for six
days The people go out into the fields into
the valleys, or on TO the terraced hill and
sil,S to the shrines Of the patron
saint of agriculture, and there give thanks
for the sun and rain that have given such
promise of an abundant harvest At night
every town is brilliantly lighted, and rejOic-
ing with music and dancing is heard till long
into the night.
FLOWER FESTIVALS.
The spring and summer bring the flower
festivals, when city and village streets for
miles are filled with the most beautiful floral
exhibitions and crowds of admiring people ,
There is no more beautiful sight than one Of
Li.-lt.l