The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-06

faces the creek This place shows the ma
tive customs well L IS opsn rom very
early n the morning 60 L. o'clock noon.
Vegetables are sold IN me evening Slso oy
auction
IRE water reservoir OF <he YckonaHA
a1ueducfs IS on the Noge hIli TIE woIA
was begun N lsSS and composed IN 4N..
The reservoir proper IS fsz feet sons, -
feet VIDE and 21is feet deep The uiSerl-s
pond is 10 feet ions. 7eia feet vice ana
reet deep. The water comes from The 70
saigawa river. Ia RI. nearly ~ HA4ess
northwest from Yokohama
The creraaxson-grou1d. called aushuSAlA,
s. divided into two parts, che fore saa
back grounds When a funeral taAes
place thu coffin Is received IN the Saokoao
(oushiing for burning incensel N the to.e-
ground. where the scriptures are reSo oy
the Officiating priest. and the relations Sno
friends of the deceased burn incense. LIS
Saokodo Is IS by u feet in size the coA1n
- then carried 10 the background AAa -
put into one OF the crem&ting ovens. lie
building over the ovens % - reeS fons snu
Is feet wide, and contains two ovens ios
arst class funerals. four for second class
and twelve for third class The puiidshs
and the ovens are buIat OF brick Inc aEss
class ovens are feet long ana va tsSs
wide, the second and fnose OF sas thaEo
class. l-6 fest long and feet VIDE. IN 9Ae
interior. When the comm = par ahoo ohs
1hS inner doors are covered with c}ay 10
make them fireproof. and the outer doors
are locked and the key is handed 70 tho
nearest relative OF the deceased. The taei
(wocd) is burnt at the back OF the oSen'
the body being crernated by the Tame. the
smoke passing through the underground
channel 70 the large chimney. IN which
coke IS burnt with isctle coal 10 carry on
the oaor OF the escaping gases. IL requires
about four hours TO cremate one person.
The aShes. together with the CRATE. arc
conveyed from the oven 70 the kotsu-ageoa
place for picking UP the oonss). where the
near relatives OF the deceased put me
ashes into an urn, picking them up with
two long slender Sacks, which are used n
the same manner as chopst.cks- The per-
son who has the Urn receives the ashes
with his sticks from the sticks or those
who pick them up. Hence. al meals tho
Japanese avoid giving and receiving any
food from chopsticAs to chopst.cks as sug-
costing an unpleasant fact. When the
ashes are gathered into the urn. the latter
ss placed on one OF the shelves IN the keg-
sudo (bu.lding for the ashes) temporarily.
Sometimes II Is sent home. Sometimes the
teeth alone are sent home. and the ashes
buried IN the place. In case OF infectious
disease those who are present at the fun
eral are conducted to the Shodoku-ji Ids
injecting ROOM, where they are provided
with bath, and their clothes fun gated
with sulphurous vapor. There are two
kilns built of brick. each covering tsuoo.
where the unciean things OF the deceased
ara burnt. The fee for cremation. at pres
ent. is as follows: Seven yen for the first
class. 2 yen 90 sen for the second. and yen
IS sen for tho third. For first class funer-
ais the establishment is decorated with
curtains and lanterns. Visitors from tbs
Grand hotel viii be admitted and shown 20
every part OF the establishment. An offer
Of NJ EnnStlere1
polite.
The cemetery stands appropriately near
the cremation ground. The first thing
that strikes foreign visitor In Japan
esq cemetery Is the closeness OF the tomos
one TO another. This 10 explained by the
fact that most OF the deceased are inferred
In sitting posture. and consequently tho
coffin 10 Is inches square and feet high,
or Il Is large tub having IS inches In d.
ameter and feet in nelght. They usually
shave the head OF the deceased. washed
beforehand IN cold water as a sign or his
becoming disciple of Sakyamuni. and
dress him in white linen coat, armlets,
leggings and stockings. The coat has on
the back the characters Namu-amida-
butsu Q1ail TO the Buddha AmttabaD or
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT CHa.l to the Sutra
MyonerongeD. both OF which are taken
from the ski. Acknowledgment bud dhaya.
and Observation-Disclosures SUIT
dhist pilgrim, and rosary Is Placed
around the right arm. and the hands put
together "a in Offering prayer. the reia-
tiyes of the deceased write on paper nun
dreds OF sets of the same characters as
those on the coat. and put the papers on
the knees Of the deceased They Ill the
remaining space in thu coffin with mako
"a kind OF incense) or lime. The noble
class sometimes use verm.liiou In filling up
the coffin; this was very frequent In an
cent t8nles. Sometimes a large earthen-
ware pot Is used for a coffin, and some
times the dress of the deceased is the best
clothes he wore In life time. When the
coffin reaches the cemetery, after the cere-
monies In the temple. 1t 10 borne 10 the
building which is q little further on. where
the Buddhistic scripture 10 read by the
priest, and incense Is burnt by the rela-
tons and friends who are present. After
the service the coffin lis inferred very deep
In the cemetery. On the next day all the
relations go TO the temple. where a service
IS held, and visit the grave. and come back
either 20 ths temple or the house OF the
family, and are served with refreshments
made OF vegetables. For seven weeks tho
children and some OF the relations visit
every day the new grave, which Is decor
ated with flowers and lanterns. and offer
flowers, cakes, fruits and water, and burn
incense. At the end OF every one OF the
seven weeks a short mass Is held IN the
temple, and a toba or sotooa "a long sor-
row tab.et having a text OF the scripture
and the name of the deceased written on
~ Is set up near the grave. AT the end or
the seventh week high mass Is held. and
the relations are called 90 dine with the
family OF the deceased, or in the temple.
the dishes being all made OF vegetables.
To those who being called do not come 10
she dinner, the dishes are cent. The chill
dren OF the deceased sometimes visit the
grave every day to the hundredth day
after the in,erment, when tea-leaves and
cakes are sent to all those who were pres
ent at. the funeral, and from that day On
during some years the grave - visited on
the death day OF the deceased. On the bth
OF January and July and during the higan
of the spring and autumn the whole town
visits the cemetery; from the l4th 20 the
18th OF July there being a shoryo-matsurf
In every family OF the town. when the de-
parted souls are supposed to come back 10
the family. Whenever a mass Is observed
in the temple for the dead. the tomb %
visited and to-ba g set up. Among tho
ssornbs the visitor may observe some which
have, or are carved, IN ths image of Jizo-
bosatsu (Skt. ksh.tigarbha Bodh.sattva)
in the form OF o priest with long cane sn
one hand and bali IN che other. These
are the 4ornbs OF children. According 20
the vulgar form OF Japanese Buddhism. ft
10 believed that the souls OF children 60.
after death, TO Sai-no-kawara tnorthsra
dry stony river bed IN Hades, where they
remain I'll they arrive a. maturity, under
the care Of J:zo, w-so stands IN the center