Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1888-07-21
THE GRANDEUR OP NIkkO
a JAPANESE CITY THE IDEAL CT
BARRARIC BEAUTY
/
The Grandes, Shrine 9n Ear,h-A
Gate Gorgeous in Gold and Bronze
The Sacred Bridge

traveller n Japan writes IL the Tart
toTd Cum. concerning his visit 10
Nikko n this wise Al i've O'Clock vc
took 'inri .shas and several DAYS pro
visions for here We hade good BY -
European food and starred on This. or
most delightful picnic in Japan \
feH miles from [ tsunom Va ws entered
through q ante tori, or gateway. the
approach to the sh!iues OF Aihko Which
are twenty one miles away Ali tenn
pies IS | have written before, must have
al approach through grove of trees.
and tie builders Of Nikko. III order 10
have their avenue the grandtst that
cou 4 be conceived Of, made it twenty
one miles long.
Nord, cannot express the tree grand
eur 9 this approach. Twenty one miles
gent an almost strai ght ascent up the
mountain side over a road smooth as
foor, with magnificent cryptomeria
cedar} trees planted four deep on eth /
de Of the way, trees two hundred years
Old grand, royal III then beauty, meet
ing Their giant arms over the roadway,
making god like shade, a running
stream on either side Of the road, q re
/ liIious stiffness IN the air. It WAS
Atwenty miles OF natures own oathc-
aral aisle. Twenty one miles Of lucar-
! nae rest, repo>e, rel. gipn.
The town OF \ikko has nothing re-
/ markable III it. but Just beyond The
| town we crossed d beautiful, Qa~hin-,
4 blue mountain stream and entered the
temple grounds. The stream Is spanned
by two bridges; one of which is Travelled
| b. ordinary moitals, the other a red
lacquered span which once year Is
crossed only By the high priest The
only other mortal who has ever been al
lowed to cross it was General Grant.
The Japanese love a warrior and SO they
1 Icr'aitted Grant TO pass over their sacred
arch.
Nikko is the burial place of two Of the
greatest shoguns Or Prime ministers
which Japan has ever knoWn-lyeyasu
and his grandson Iyem!t>u. Their
graves.and bronze monuments are h:gh
up on the mountain de, and all these
grand temples are simply shrines before
these two tombs. Other bronze monu-
ments there are, and granite ones thou
sand or more in the shape Of lanterns
but these are here only because 1t was
an h,nor to be lowed a place in \ikho
for a monument The real cause Of
building all these tcmpe' was that the
sLoguns were buried there. and the
. Qnde>t shrines on earth were erected
in honor Of their memory. | sag grand
est shriues on EARTH for where else IN tne
world are there built scores OF great
temples and gateWays as approaches and
snrnes for two tombs, the whole led UP
to by an avenue of magnificent cedarS
twenty one miles Of shady, cain.
grandeur.
After entering the grounds we walked
through the pebblcd and admirably Kept
walks passing through several minor
gates, each beautiful and grand. til W.
came to the great gate Of all ono
Man the name Of which Mean> .'stano
all day and look upward. Every part
of the gate is gorgeous in gold, and lac
auer, and bronze, and rich cab orate
carving, and all so beautifully wrought
and harmonized that the eve rercls il
the delight of color and carving rut
riot Day after day ] went and locke,
upward for hours at this marvel o1
beauty. 1t lives in my soul now as tn
most beautiful work Of man that | eve
saw. ] will not except any.
Passing through th, We came 10 on
# the temples, and when describe ont
/ describe all for ali are magnificent an'
regal. The steps to the temple arc COY
cred with hand wrought plates Of bronze
We tookSeaf our shoes and put on gree
slippers that were allowed jl~ and ea
tered We were fil>t shown the var on
rooms set apart for the use Of the Nlkad
when he comes here. the priests, AMI 81
guests as General Grant. aho was her
accorded the highest honors The,
rooms were approximately fifteen f.
,uarc, aud marveis Of graud decoration
The walls were painted, giving Nariou
n views Of Japan, all sort, Of tree sh .pe
5 and adornmeuts OF blossom, and tio,1
ers. and the whole lacquer,d With Il
richeat gold lacquer
!. The decorations were over two hur
; dred years Old, and set tie gold an
r CoiOrs were as brilliant a, when fIr~t n
\ On. The enT4nfcs were hung with ii
/. most heavy and riCh broeaicI an4 Ell
) broidered silk curtains hich lapi
), could produce The oeI!n2, wer
y paneled with rich carved flowers ~
q birds. golden phea an. beng the pr
5 dominant bird. Wheu thet waa.ed
e introduce sorbre lEe tDeE Iu, II
yeacock OF bird Of paradise. and 1et =
tn magn ticenCc 0! cO.or aCd -9!i AZ
z carving was in perfect good 'aste "n
! the geneFalAetfe was 4H.et rather tha
81 loud
-e Pass.nc through these rooms '
!, entered the great room q the temp.
and here my power II description -
le o 1, the f fpor matted w.,a -ne so.' n4a
ting. the walls god .ac4aer. the =
meHsc wooden pillars lac 4e 81 - Il
chey looked Ike columns o. hu-n 81
:, god. carving esery here, bronze wor
Q a king, ransom before the alta-s
q shInes. immense curtains Il Six 3:
5 Co1d-ns@ mind vta-ies ss attempt
r ~rsrc a6N>ut tbs mt-niticcace. which
!: the tine delighted NY vesg sou! IS 3
q he'd il. AID eft ca!El lnl oa,hed i
Il preston throughout uy 'ery 1e.a
n Those we're grand I'D men y ho bali. !
ie enpleS a. Mako
d :. ter leaving he tempe We ascena'
n the iran t. Stars up tie mountain. -
: huad cd aud slxty step - t.-e toE4h
q .-4t~-~4vf. rsz.x ~