Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-03
THE NIKKO TEMPLE.
BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL
STRUCTURE IN JAPAN.
Extends Over Hundreds of Acres and There
Z Are Miles of Stately Avenues-Many
Other Interesting characteristics of the
Country and Its People.

Other Interesting Characterfstlcs OF the
Country and Its People.
The moro 1 see of Japan, the more it
fsscinates me. The cultivated parts are
a continuous garden, every square foot
utilized Where the land rises above the
level of possible irrigation pine trees are
planted. Mulberries, for the food of the
silk worm, and fruit trees give variety to
the stretches of rice. millet and vegetables.
These level and terraced fields are bounded
by wooded heights. Often between the
fields are hedges-not to make a barrier,
but rather TO indicate boundary. There
are no fences seen in days ride-that
is, no real fences. Sometimes one comes
to 4 light latticework of bamboo, like the
work of children. The trees range from
the slim ard symmetrical bamboos, with
tops as graceful as ostrich feathers, to
massive pines. camphors and cryptome-
rias, uniting elegance with amplitude.
The people interest me more than the
landscapes. They present to the traveller
constant adaptation of means to ends APP
preaching perfection. Most of them are
poor. but without squalor, half naked, yet
not ashamed; industrious, but not with
out leisure and its fruits. Everything
they have. from the bamboo cutters and
.opdnctors on their simnle houses nm to
the hest nroducts of their art. serves its
,ur,osa admirably Even their wooden
n.ttens and clogs. their straw rain coats
md oiled paper umbrellas. seem to be the
very hest for Them They have arrived nj.
their mathaas Inv long experience If their
civiI;z,fion ia not of the highest character.
Il 10 comnIete Add 10 this their urbanity
and cbeerfulness the bappiness of the
cbiJdren tho ncrfect manners of the maid
eDs and indeed of the whole populatiop.
and one Gets the immersion that here is
, naon,a who can teach the missionaries
sent To them many rseful lessons
After returning from Atami to Yoko-
hama and snendinp one dav in irving to
DIGEST what we bad seen and Welding to
the foundations of curios which are never
1unlio.tad lint olwavs new and original
wa etorted ona morning for Nikko. At
Nikko are tba most famous and the most
eleyant temnles in the highest state of
nreservation' nlaced in scenery at once
GRAND md beautiful. These costly works
of art are not so much temples today as
national monuments No words can con
vev nm idea Of their elegance or the rich
ness of their decoration. No European ca
tbedroI ar n,Iaca can comnare with them
in the latter respect. OF course they lack
the majestic nronortious of the famous
Cb-istian churches. Int, in variety. origi-
nalitv and richness of ornameutation they
snrnoss the Finest nroductiops of European
builders MANY of them have substruc-
tures of STONE INIT the rich effects are pro
duced Inv bronze and LACQUER work. and
hv .ucb c,rvip, 40 only Jananese artists
have ACCOMPLISHED The carvings are gen
orally on the exteriors. Many are gro
teso,Ie Init NIL are full of life and action.
7 rec,ll =, frieze of LARGE monkeys. one of
which nresses his paws upon his lips, an
other on his ears and Il third on his ewes.
AIso , sleer;ny cat over ~ gateway. so life
like that one expects to see her move if
disturbed. Outside and inside the most
charming harmonics of color arrest the at
tention
We advance from court to court through
these wonderful patevavs. finding each
more beautiful than the others. And
around all and among all the stately cryp-
tomerins. adjoining n stone stairway here
and stretching to right and left in grand
avenues. Nowhere else have seen such
combinations of nature and art. Aswe adj
vance we constantly ascend. opening new
yistos continually. and after we leave the
last court of the tempIe there are 200 stone
stens divided into four great stairways,
which lead unto the mausoleum of Ieyasu.
The tomb itself. SHAPED like a small pa
cod. 10 n single bronze casting of n light
color nroduced bv the admixture of gold.
The accessories include "a stone table bear
inc nm immense bronze stork with a brass
candlest;ck in its month. an incense burn.
or Of bropya ,nd , vase with artificial 10.
fms flowers and leaves in brass
Turning from this. we pass on to other
temnles through other stately avenues
and snacious courts. to the malsoleum of
Jemitsu eouallv beautiful. though less
hrofuselv decorated You mist imagine
tori those peculiar tenple gates of gran
ite and bronze. great stone lanterns. huge
hollis stone fountains So finely leyeled
that the water flows over every inch of
their circumference in n silver film, the
rich colors of the bronze and the lacuue-
worl-the latter sometimes wildly red
le.n;ng cascades colossal sculptures. and.
above all the enormous trunks and the
graceful foliage of the trees
The floors Of the temnIes arc either shin
inc with lacouer or covered bv immacu-
late mats and the visitor ia Obliged TO re-
move his boots at the threshold. putting
nm , nair of soft soled sinners
When I tell nm that these structures