The historic times. [volume] (Lawrence, Kansas) 1891-1891, 1891-10-03
THE JAPANESE MEcns
Kioto, the Holy and Macrsa-
City Of the Empire. =
4 Brief Description Of IL.
features Of Interess-Ths TO-
Of Emperors-TheG Grand p
cession Of the Priest.


i oto is the holy city Of tba -,
the one where can be seen -
Nippon. It is Q kind Of intrs~. ]. i !.
camp and Mecca of BUDDHISM i
merly it was named Myako--.sh..1 ~ !,
THE Capital" For MANY ear -. =
says the Chicago Mail. the -, -. i.
resided there surrounded By eon -
whose great preoccupation was e -.
eff their eyebrows and to keen Co.
teeth well ''lacqucred.a The 49,. -
priests made OF the city d vast - 81
where they ruled like kings -
nothing in order to dazzle the 49, ~
inspire fear and respect. II i So
despite the fire which Cleroured !.
ton Of Kioto, during the strupplas NJ
the attempted restoration in lsss q 4
imperial power, that people mus !. =
they are anxious to see japanese - =
lecture in all its splendid luxurr -
to understand the degree OF fansai.s..
prevailing among certain Bnan.-
sects. Here is, for instance. -
andzi, the principal temple 60
''Monto'' sect. 1t Is divided L =
parts; one is the temple proper 4
other is the residence Of the -
priest or supreme pontiff. Tha tess.s.
proper is IN immense wooden hulls;s.
supported by columns three feat :
diameter. But it is not there TIL -
must look for ornaments and lurrvs
Buddha did not need them, ana ~
grand priest has reserved them tor him.I
self. Its residence is covered insids -.
outside with admirable sculptures. -
great reception parlor Is twentF.era
feet long and thirty-five feet wide. ~
the throne of the pontiff at the srrtAer
end. The walls were painted III ~
most celebrated artists of the thirteensh
century. The hall of fans has il CO
ings entirely covered with fans ii cserr
imaginable shape and color. There -
also the hall of books, the hall II eFanee.
and many others, in which the aecorar
ting artists have displayed inersdlblc
patience and erudition. Their wurss
represent the tales Of strange -.
thology.
The grand priest of Kioto i = power
which the government must lahe insel
account. lie can at any moment ~
formidable army of monks, and -
history Of Japan Is filed with the nAr.
ratives of civil wars fomented hy tie
BONES of Hongouandi and Hlyemn.l
Every year, in the months Of My anA
June, there are in Kioto some two hun.
dred thousand pilgrims, who come from
I'll parts of the country, having Travelled
sometimes five hundred or six hundred
miles ON foot, begging along the road
for few handfuls Of rice. 1t Il custom
arF for the grand priest to pass process
sionally on horseback once year
through the streets Of Kioto; and ell
those who are so fortunate Is 70 see
him, or even a portion Of his yestnents
are purified from all their sins through
that mere contemplation. On these oc-l
c1aiops the pageant Is gorgeous IN the
extreme, and the whole city keeps up
thc festival SO long as the pilgrims re-
rain at Kioto. The excitement u % IN
tense that it would not be safe Tor =
foreigner to mix too freely IN the
throng. The inhabitants Of the prov
inces of Yamato, Yamasio and Ise 80
strong families; and foreigners mnst
exercise great circumspection, taking
care especially not to trespass upon tie
rites. iii II member o. the czarowitz's
escort smiled unintentionally during =
religious ceremony, or trod with b.
shoes upon the sacred mats on the floor
Of tile temple, IL would have bess
enough I'd incitc fanatic 10 avenW
Bna3ha. IL Is on account Of an IN
prudence Of this kind that Mr. Nor
minister of public instruction. who "
known to DE a Protestant, was assaszi'
mated two years ago. 1t II 70 BE- -
mcrah rea also that In the beginning q
tAla Ecar Tile Russian legation n Iokio
was stoned by band Of ''soshL' %
longing to the lowest class Of people
uacse fSed idea Ii TO prosecute To-
ci ru4rs.