Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1890-09-20
A REMARKABLE TEMPLE.
SHRINE OF THE BUDDHIST COD
DEss OF MERCY, IN JAPAN

o01 ~
DEss OF MERCY, IN JAPAN
colossal Wooden Gods. of Hideous
Visase, Stand Guard at Its Gate
"A Favorite Resort.
Asakusa, pronounced A-sack-sah, IS
the name of a sacred piece of ground in
the northerly part Of Tokyo, famous for
centuries for its temple SensoJo, on t1c
hill Of the Golden Dragon, kin-rin. Ia
this temple is enshrined q miraculous
mirage of kwan-on, the Buddhist god
dess Of mercy.
The legend has ut that early il tn
thirteenth century, during the reign OF
the Emperor Suiko, a certain noble,
HASH no Nakatomo, was banished from
court and lived on the Golden Dragon
Hill with two retainers, and being with
out means became a fisherman. One
morning, having cast their nets into the
Asakusa River, they took no fish, but at
every haul found a figure OF the Buddhist
goddess Kwan-on in the net, which thc-
threw back into the river, and tried their
luck in another place, but nothing did
theg catch except the same figure OF
Kwan-on. Astonished bv the miracle
they carried the image to Golden Dragon
Hill and cnshrined it in a temple which
they built. This was afterward enriched
by costly gifts from pious and wealthy
people, till it became the finest temple in
Yedo. Tradition says the figure Of
Kwan-on brought up by the net was one
inch and eight-tenths IN height.
I visited this temple one day and found
it and the grounds around thronged with
people, old and young, rich and poor, in
their holiday clothes. The approach is
through a narrow paved street over 1000
feet long, lined on both sides with small
shops where toys and other trihing things
are sold. The entrance gate with b
lofty curved roof is guarded by colossal
wooden statues of the gods Mo, red and
hideous, which stand on either side; an
other gate with similar statues Of the
wind god and thunder god was burnt a
few years 90.
The temple itself reminds me in form
of an oblong square brass wire bird
cage. Wooden supports lift the temple
from off the ground about five feet, SO
that except for the screens you could pass
under it anywhere. The floor projects
!: all around the building, forming outside
a rallied in gallery about tive feet wide.
The openings from this corridor are nu-
e merous and large. The main room Is
about sixty feet square by forty feet
> high, enriched by lacquer and bronze
and gold. The coppered ceiling is bright
in color and elaborate in design. Mats
{ and polished wood of the sacred Hi-no-ki
q tree form the floor, before stepping upon
V (which every one leaves sandals and shoes
outside. Large images Of the Kwan-non fill
p several shrines. The smoke Of the incense
issued from several large ancient koro or
incense burners. Venerable priests were
mulnbling their prayers, frequently bow
ing their heads to the mats while they
held :heir hands in the attitude Of devo-
+ ton, softly rubbing the palms together
| and at intervals striking with muffled
c sticks soft-toned rim bells. Other priests
! were selling fuda-sacred charms and
i, images. Before each shrine aud before
+ the entrance to the temple are immense
a wooden boxes, the top of each made Of
open work bars of wood. Into these
i boxes the devout throw money, some
times wrapping it in paper.
F.. One mounts to the temple on a broad
! stairway made of solid timbers. In the
$ grounds, covering many acres, arouno
/ the temple is q fine grove of cedars and
other trees, in which are many handsome
: tea houses for refreshment and rest, the
v walters, pretty little girls, in charming
: costumes. There is also a garden con
5 taihing a number of animals peculiar tc
Japan and a fine specimen Of the Korean
;. tiger. | saw also there a number o
: the red faced japanese apes, the wild
= boar and three specimens of the long
tailed rooster of Japan. They wer
r cooped up in narrow boxes so that the,
J. could not even turn around, and were o.
IS a roosr about eight feet from the ground
Food and water were within reach, bu
they could not leave the roost.
! In the grounds in front Of the tempt
o numbers of old women were selling peas
a beans and rice in little cups. one-tent.
e, Of one sen in price, which childre
Al bought and scattered among the hun
= dreds OF tame doves dying ABOUT. Othe
!. persons make a living by catching littl
- birds and selling them in the grounds o
a the temple to the pious, who liberat
re them and thus gain the favor of tn
u gods. The grounds abound with man
y amusements for children. acrobats, con
il jurers. fortune-tellers and the like. Tn
day | was there it was warm and SUM.
8 and thousands of children in famil
! groups and school professions, led By Il
~ teachers, made the place seem like
e- children's festival FIRE Press.