The Southern herald., 1888-09-08
JAPAN.s CHERRY FESTIVAL.
Poetic and Picturesque Phases Of Spring.
Time In the MikadO's Land.

Time in the MikadO's Land.
Under the cherry trees roamed hun.
dreds and thousands Of people-men
women, little children and babies on
the backs of the elder ones. The gray
boards were lost in serene contempla-
tion Of the lovely trees, and to dohonor
to the blossoms the young girls and
children were dressed In the gayest
and brightest of their holiday grapes
and silks. No little girl could befound
in all Uyeno without cherry blossom
hair-pin ornamented her elaborately
dressed head, The day was warm and
sunny enough for barefooted and half
clad people to seem in place, and even
the wee toddlers, taking their first
steps, were trotting about In barefoot.
cd joy, Japanese babies are the droll-
est and oldest mites, and their gar
ments are identically those Of their
parents, reduced In size, but not short,
ened. On such a holiday their tiny
kimonos, with big square sleeves,
rivaled the rainbow in colors, and un-
der the trees these gayly-colored groups
completed the picture. Family parties
came in the morning with lunch
boxes and spent the day, and from end
to end Of the park happy picnic groups
were scattered. On the high ridge,
under long grove Of cherry trees, the
tea-house benches were close and
many, and the people as thick as at a
mass-meeting. While tea and sake
flowed freely all were happy, peaceful,
friendly and courteous to one another,
the most advanced sake-drinker being
only little redder, little happier, and
giggling a little more steadily than any
one else. Rulers of all European coun-
tries may well envy the Emperor of Ja-
pan, whose subjects gather by thou
sands in the parks Of the capitol, not
to riot for bread and demand the divis-
ion Of property, but to peacefully ad-
mire the blossoming cherry trees, and
indite poems to their loveliness.
Over one mass Of blooming trees
peeps the gilded halo round the head Of
the colossal Buddha, and down an ave.
nue. of stone lanterns ranged beneath
giant cryptomerias is a glimpse oi
thatched temple-roof and drinking foun-
tain and clouds of blossoms. 1t Is aques
tion which is more picturesque and ex
quisite, the deep-curved gables Of th'
richly-toned thatch standing in relic
against the clear vaporous masses o
pink blossoms, or the sharp outlining
of heavily covered branches agains
dark thatch or somber forest greens
From the open point where Genera
Grants sturdy little pine tree stands
one looks up the great arch of an ave
| nue. of old trees to a plantation OF youni
cherry trees, with which are other bios
l soming fruit trees-almond, peach an
quince-that run the shades of pink +
l the deepest rose and bright vermilion
The love Of the cherry blossoms is
trait among all classes of Japanese, an
! from highest tolowest this blossom sea
son claims its holiday. The beggar
a bask in the temple grounds where tn
8 cherry blossoms are thickest, and tn
, highest Ministers Of State take formt
I leaves to go and see the blossoms at som
r favored spot. 1t is announced with tn
greatest dignity that Prince Sanjo ha
Il gone to Nara to the blossoming tret
Q there; but one can fancy the bewilde
It ment Of readers across the water, If tt
d morning papers told them that Bi
g marck, or Gladstone, or Secretary Ba
9 ard, had left their respective capita
d and gone away for few days to 81
G some cherry trees in bloom. Evel
one who has a garden with cherry tire
1t gives a garden party at this time, al
a legations, peers and rich citizens a
!, showering the foreign residents wi
l decorated cards, bidding one to the
D grounds on certain afternoon to vie
1t the perfect blossoming of their below
10 trees. These esthetic fetes continue
ct o fortnight from these initial days
l. Uyeno, and after them come Vista
lg and Iris festivals in their favored a
p famous spots.-From RahamG'S Toll
In Letter.