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

ftS1c&c4lk 70 Scl =. 1e 1aS1eE%4 nome. a<4
soon erected shrine dedicated 60 Il. On
THE side Of the p-omonto-y and called 8
Junitea. lie and his successors became
Tae priests % the shr.ne. On The 18th Of
June, the Gay On which the statue vas
caught up from she SEA. according so the
old calendar, q festival u celebrated every
year ~ the shrine. On that day they have
a boat race. SIX boats are ftted ous from
TIE SIX Villages near by, each boat having
from - 20 - fishermen IN s.. TIE villa gers
make Xxx TyGues' ld-agon-ao-sesl. WI
garry called onnasana. OF ruskes. and
pace one OF them DC each boat Tie boats
start from the foot OF the prorTsontory and
are rowed seaws-d 20 an appointed SPOT.
where. when tneF arrive. they are ranked
n one Ene- Then. 81 q signal gwen rhs
r0wers sarow she 1raSon-horses Into the
SEA, and qrsckly turning the boats coast-
ward compete with each other 70 arrive
- ezse p-orontory the h-s-- On tae coSst
stand the rowsrS' parents. wives. children.
trends and rsla..ons. who scream Their
hurrans 20 encourage the rowers- The
boat which Reaches tbs promontory nrss
n said 70 bring fair crops and paenTeoas
ns1l12g tarougn the year 90 cne village 70
which Il belongs. The boats are carefully
kep< on hand during ordinary days. When
a boat wins the race. the villagers 10
whom y belongs. dance. sing, oea, their
drums, Play on sarn.sen. and Tend the air
with tassr rejoicing The image IN tia
shrine Is placed with Its back towards the
peopie who go there. being considered TOO
holy TO be seen by the face
Oaxuma-sana, or more properly Azunsa
Gongen-saa. about five minutes walk from
the Junitsn. Is a shrine dedicated 10 Iye-
yasu. the founder OF the Tokugawa Sho-
gunase. The Image kept in the shrine Is
OF the form Of warlor IN armour and
holding q sword IN ne right hand When
Iyeyasu was defeated n a battle. fought
in hadzusa, he ned alone 10 Kisaradzu.
crossing the hill Kinone. On the way he
was tired and very hungry. 50. entering a
farmers cottage. asked for food. Tho
farmer. not thinking the wear.ed soldier
10 be a man who was to command the mil
tary OF entire Japan. gave him some badly
made milist-cakes tawa-uaochil. The hun
cry Iyeyasu ate the cakes and with a low
very good what do you call these
oakes?' he asked. 'sLon't you know the
manner replied the farmer in a tone OF
scorn- You samuraI wage war against
one another and ravage the country for
the purpose OF increasing your own power.
We farmers bear your expenses, with our
fields damaged by you. and are reduced TO
eat such poor cakes as those. We are
fallen into extreme poverty for your sake.
aAH1 ycdt ~ ACdsSIS. AOs hhS" SfSA t-iD
name OF things We are forced 10 take as
our daily food. II you find those shabby
cakes good, give up your profession and
become one of US, and you shall know the
misery OF war" Iyeyasu was quite hum
bled by this honest outspoken rebuke. and
thanked the farmer for the food and the
lesson When he was made Shotgun, the
farmer learned that he was no other than
the hungry soldier who once asked for
49, TT. g.
then made an image of the soldier and
erected a shrine for 1t near K.saradzu.
Some years afterwards. the shrine which
we now see was erected On the
nth of January and of August a
festival IS celebrated, when there ID
wrestling by amateurs before the
shrine. Robust youths gather there from
kaZusa. AVA and Miura to exhibit feats
of strength. On these days, millet-cakes
have the power of healing the sickness Of
children and hyster.a- Thanks for the
cures are expressed by the healed IN offer
ing uillet-cakes.
Walking around the foot OF the hill on
the coast of Honmoku, we come TO the
shrine OF Negishi, where, led 10 by a steep
stone stairs, 3 q temple OF Fudomyoo. on
the Bluff. The sheep, straight stairs are
called Otokczska (acclivity for mem and
right side Of the straight ones. are called
Onnazaka (acclivity for women). Standing
at the front OF the temple, the bay sur
rounded by hills IS one of the most lovely
views in this part OF Japan. The bay. as
seen from this spit, Is called Mississippi
bay from one OF the ships OF Commodore
Pery's feet. On the left OF the temple
there is small waterfall, into the basin
of which believer plunges and holds his
hssaS ftpdar fhA 0f n
ance. He then walks TO and fro q hum
dred times between the temple and the
stairs. This Is called H.yakudo ma!r5 "a
hundred times visit). The visitor may go
down the stairs. and pursue his course
southwestward around the hsn, where he
Will see something OF japanese village life.
There are several Japanese theaters IN
the native quarter, OF which the chief are
the Misazota, Isutaza, Hagaoromoza. Isa-
mia and Nigiwaiza, the first-named being
the largest.
One OF the first things that strike one as
curious IN a Japanese fheater is the shape
OF the stage, which projects on ether side
at right angles with the main stage about
half way into the auditorium. These
tongues are each about six feet wide and
are used by the actors as a part OF the
main stage, that Is to say. they walk along
them. and carry on their conversation Just
as they would IL they were standing be-
fore the footl. ghts. Almost the whole
stage, the two tongues" just mentioned
excepted, rests on rollers, and. like the
turri-tabis OF a railway. Is turned around,
actors and all, when a change OF scene Is
wanted, until the rear becomes the front
The working behind the scenes Is very
simple: everything 10 done by hand. ana
there f. not much in the accessories OF n
spectacular play. but more IS made up for
what Is wanting in gorgeous effect. by the
wonderfully realistic way in which they
fiil in the minor details that add 50 very
much TO the proper conduct OF a piece.
Thus II man h run through with a sword
the weapon Is withdrawn. not bright and
unhiemished as il was before u was sup
posed TO fFavs pierced his body, but actual
" dripping with most perfect imitation
of blood. And in countless other ways OF
the same kind. nature ID folloseed so close
Nv that really at tines one Is startled by
the ufe-Eka way IN which things are done.
The principal actors are escorted by one or
two servants. each bearing long stick at
one end OF which IS stuck a lighted candle.
The spectators have only 10 Follow the
combined movements OF the two lights 20
know Al the right moment what they Aaye
10 admire: II the expression or the face OF
the actor. or his attitude, or his motions.
or sometimes also certain details or his
costume or head dress
The pit - divided into a number OF
square portions. each fenced OF from
those that surround Il. looking something
like a great chess board; each section
seats four psople comfortably, and along
the pops % the divisions. stretching IN ey-
cry direction. are narrow planks, along
which vendors OF fruits. candies. etc.
walk and sell their wares.
The gallery. when - the part OF tbs