Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1890-04-05
JAPANESE LIFE.
,arios and Flowers as Seen by
American Ewes,

A correspondent writing from Yoke
lama has much to tell of the curios of
Japan. He says: "Out here there are
little gods, big gods, good gods and bad
gods They can be had from 80 cents to
b1O, 900 each. They are made from every
material known to man, from clay to
crystal and gold. OF course the wood
Buddhas, as they are called, are the
oldest and most unique Good old Bud
lhas can be had from $15 to S35 Mex.
These are prices here. 1t is always the
ocst way to figure that an article costing,
say, $40 Mexican here will cost the pur-
chaser $40 gold landed in the United
States.
IT think Japan is the most beautiful
country in the world. The people are
quaint and picturesque; the flowers are
marvellous. At present writing see be-
fore me two plum trees about twenty-four
inches high, in full bloom, each tree
about ten years old. A few days ago we
had little snow, and it was sight to
see roses, geraniums, plum and cherry
blossoms, all in full bloom, with snow on
them. Next month we will have the
camellias, which are now in bud. They
IRE all out in the open air, and in April
the large cherry trees, ranging in size
from eight feet to forty, though many
Japs. assure me that there are cherry trees
eighty feet high. I have never seen
them, but it would not surprise me if it
were true, as I firmly believe Jap gar
dencr can do most anything with trees
and plants. I suppose youngsters will
come that way some time in the future.
In August we have the lotus flowers;
these also are worth travelling thousand
miles to see October and November
the favorite flower, chrysanthemum, for
month. This is the flower show Of the
year.
sThere is a little place called Dayo-
zaka, near Toxic, where they have the
chrysanthcm,m shows, and they are, for
all the world, the same as old English
fairs. Two cricrs at the door, clapping
together two pieces of hard wood-this
is to call attention TO the show within
then you plank down two cents and get
your ticket, which is piece Of wood
about two inches wide, six inches long,
and half an inch thick; they are made
this size so as to last few years. / never
tire visiting these quaint places. have
had several invitations to visit the Sh-
biya (theatre) at Toxic when the great
Danturo acts. This man is called the
Booth of Japan; his pay is $40, 900 for
twenty-one nights.
ssThe costumes of the company are tho
most lovely things ever saw; they are
beyond description. l really came out
here to form another japanese village,
together with japanese opera company
composed entirely OF japanese ladies and
gentlemen. with brass and string band
combined. I am sure of all except the
opera part; although there are sixty
graduates from the Conservatory of Music
lin our music), they cannot sing. My
idea was to do The Mikado with Il jap
ancsc company and proper costumes not
one of the companies at home ever cos
tuned the piece properly.
"The brocades one sees ont here are
perfect dreams, particularly old priests
robes. We have paid as high as $3.50 for
a full suit. If had como out here ten
or fifteen years ago, could have attained
the finest collection in the world for my
little money that would have been worth
half million at this moment. There arc
several men who came here twenty-five
and thirty years ago who bought little
odds and ends from time to time at
very small prices, and find now their col
lections to be worth from $3.50, 600 to
$4,000 Pieces of gold lacquer work
that cost a mere trihe ten to twenty years
ago are now worth hundreds of dollars
each"