The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-05-19
The Festival OF the Cherry Bios
sons Style OF Cookery -Japanese
Hotels and Restaurants Odd Dish
es, Beverages &c.



IL IS i'araiy possible taag the annual birthday
OF the vegetable world can be as lovely i'll any
orhef part Of the world as it is i'll Japan or that
thefe are any oFher people on earth who ODD
serve the event with sosnuoh enthusiasm The
opening Of Spring Ill the far East is always the
occasion OF srea6 rejoicing and the commence
'il9nt OF Chain of HOVER feges which are ie-
lariy observed uhai the close or the 1oWeflnS
season. inc very existence OF tne gay japanese
sS7i's 10 DE- poGa UP WIFI now efs iiti susiiiiie
Vi the many hover fetes which Jhey celebrate
daring the summer, the one just closed is by Iaf
Dhe most lmpor5anG ana IS known as 6he hesCl-
val cfehe Cherry Blossoms, We may pc Tainli
lar with cherry blossoms at home but we nave
no conception OF the beauty OF the cherry BIOS
SONS OF Japan In color they are white. shading
INTO a delicate she'll piaR with double rather
than single petals, and such is 5he profaSlon OF
she blossoms that each single branch IS a per
feet plume, and the entire tree a mass of rosy
light. Suitable spots have been selected for the
growth Of these trees and the greatest care IS
bestowed upon their cultivation for their bios
SONS solely FOR they are destined never to bring
forth fruit. Sometimes they line ali avenue as
they Go along t.at which borders the beautiful
river, Sumeda, (Which flows through the city of
Tokyo for many mites. Sometimes they form
the border OF the rice fields, but wherever they
are found there at their Towering season. is to
na found tj:.oegs OF enthusiastic admirers. The
largest AM iiies5collection OF these highly priz
FL trees, however, are to be found in Tokyo's
great Park Ytleno pronounced Wano) Yueno
Park is to Tokyo what Central Park is to New
York and is q grand Park, both in its propol-
lions ana It's appointments.
It contains q group of ancient and highly ven
Grated temples and the gorgeous mausoieums Of
many of the great Shogunate rulers. tt has
its grand Crytemeria trees six hundred years
old, it's sacred Oaks it's Oriental Palms ana its
matehless Naples. All OF these objects of inter
ests this great park hive their day and come
in for their share OF adoIation-but for one
week out Of the flrty-two the Cherry stands glo-
rfed above everything else.
10 the stranger such immense gatherings of
the people as he witnesses at Yueno Park on
such occasion suggest some social Iead-stone
but none exists The Cherry blossoms alone are
the attraction It would be strange indeed if so
much beauty should receive no recognition b,,t
it is even more strange that this recognition
should be so complete and so universal as ii is
From peers to popuIace-eyerybody -the com
mon people as weis as the upDer classes join in
this flower worship. ana are sensitive 10 IFS
beauty The carnival Of Tho cherry blossoms
lasts one week and during this period very little
work is performed A part of this pariod is self
2, ~ holiday ST
lamation and this wear Included three DAYS. be-
inc the 18th. 18th ana l7hr of Anril. tho latte,.
fall;,,, tr,,on Faster. Sunday ana III wee t,,is a
That we selected TO ion a crowd of ,ra,, Ja,s1,esa
for a trim to Tokyo to see these wonderful bloc
SONS The ride Of eli lteen miles from Yokoho-
ma to Tokyo BY the Tokaitlo railway is over a
nIa;, devoted almost wholly ia ,.ica cu1ture r,t
it's u,onofo,,y is n,,,,h relieved fv ana many, n;o
turaso,,e villages through which, tn 9 road masses
and the ,nany pretty tbatehed cottasres Of tha
farmers 10 b.. seen from fine cal, window. s,r
rf,nnded tx pe3 trimmed nod ,es from, ,,a;.ind
which we. canl1 ,oras;nnallv srat n .,1i,nrsa of
e,oisita blossoms set Off bv a bacl ground of
the .,a,t groom saIis.o of the native ,,,es
NO., o,c1oo.- ana We ara ~ tio Iio,lt in rro,x
l,rt ~ 10 ,.e+ "a, ae,.,x, ~ i,i, 40 +,,.,,
is xoa,,,li,,, it's Inc nsr an1 We .c,ao
,a1,11, as "a ~, e. ~,
t,,,t yo VII eaa on. Of tha missio, ,o
a,,, +4a,,o,, ,,, t,,a 1s.sta,. ea,;l..,s ,,aea,o
ioi,,,, II, +,o ,,,.,.s,,;,, ~ f,,.is,,a7
,.itb tra ~ ira+;,., ~, t
,1oa W., found ~ saryi.as .n,,,o,,.i,+ 70 tba
49,, a1-.,1z. in ,,,.,r,oc. o,,7 49,, ,, ei,1,
With ~, ,,,,ost ma ,,,.eia,j,, a,,-l;,nos -
Jananese A GRAY haired ana e.ra,. h,a,f,ea no
triarcs ff teir own race ac,1,ial, 4,,a ,1s, ana
in a., e,rnes+ and jmn,.easivo manner 4o1d fha
sto,,. or tho ,ae,,ractia, !, his naive +o,,.,o
AZ NO conol.eio, Of t,,a ear,,,,, tha larpar
mart Of tha conrratsation ioaea in the holy
comm 1nion-439Yt of this s,.rsnispt NOT in
remembrance of H,1tidha. but Of Him who died
that they might live The scene described as
liayiu.r taken place at thfs Mission church
american Episcopal occurred almost within
the shadows Of the great Sheha Ten pies deGi-
Gated TO the worship of q heathen god, and the
same people whom wo saw to-day kneelins
around az altar dedicated to q religion founded
by Christ, but recently worshipped at the shrines
dedicated TO religion founded by Buddha.
This is suggestive and one Of the encouraging
facts within my personal experience which
%ould justify the hope that the land Of the lis-
ing sun may yet be brought into fellowship with
the other nations Which believe i'll the gospel
as taught ny our lord jesus Christ
Later iiad aicef the native congregation had
als'ersed a lew OF the e8iies ana wanderers in
1iiis LII away laiu sa5hefeu around the same
ai1aF TO iisVeh 20 the same story tha5 mad just
beeil 'old-1u0 Ihls Time by apfother OF winter
SKIN ana IN q diilerent tongue. But have been
lsfess4ii@, anu 10 return 10 the SUBJECT OF the
Hes0iYai Oh tie CHERRY AioS sons gu can
Aacs "ii's1 slSh9 II iiltlSt nave baeh upon en-
0eTliis Vslls great P;lfS me vast multitude
streaming 70 ana no. bhelf picturesque cos
iailes contrasting Wi6h the soilpfo homage OF
ote ME old Sfypbemeflas- ne cherry trees
"ilieh nave Gohhca tRelf oflaaif ROBES ana whose
hapUlsls WIFI bi1e opening spring, these simple
leafGeu people nave come 10 celehrate-the
many coiored nags ana banners, the feasting,
Tea drinking and general merry making furnish
scene not easy to 10 Justice in descriptions. !
It is season of good cheer The brain-b;lzziiy
Sake (the native beverage of apali-pronounced
sack-ce) flows like water-b1;t its erect though
plainly noticeable loads to nothing ilidecorous-
tnat stately etiquet and that inborn polite f,
ness is III no case forgotten. The blue coated
police and the Imperial soldiery are pres e,it in
force, but their services are not required Ger |
taiuIy not less than one hundred thousand of |
5l csc PEOPLE we've scattered through this vast |
park on this occasion aud so far as / know not |
a single breach of order was committed, This |
Scene or merry making and flower. worship is |
rot confied to Yueno PARK but spreads itself (
out over other parts Of this great CITY esnecial
~ along the Sumela river where az avenue two !
miles in length is arched over With cherry bios
SONS
Along this river as well as in the park are |
many tea houses CT restaurants where refresh |
ments may he obtained Some of these places /
are permanent others Temporary erected only
for the occasion. They are generally built OF |