Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-09-19
PICTURESQUE JAPAN ISLAND
Where Death Iias Never Come and
Where Pocsy DwclIs,

Where Pocsy DwclIe.
Miyajina Is an island midway IN the
Indian Sea, lying SO far within the
bend of the Aki shore that it cannot
be seen from the route of the large
ocean steamers that pass through those
enchanted waters. TO reach 1t mos.
appropriately one must take enc of the
tiny coasting steamers from Osaka,
and. touching at Il dozen quaint little
ports on the matchlcss voyage. ut last
see the mountainous green island. with
temple roofs showing here and there
through all the dense foliage of the
heights. and. standing far out in the
water. heroic tori, fit gateway to that
ideal place where death has never
come: where religion and landscape
loneliness. legend and pocsy. still dwell;
where the simple villagers, the gentle
old Shinto priests. and the tame deer,
protected by the gods and loved by the
people. maintain an atmosphere for.
eign to the busy new japan Of rail.
roads. parliaments. imported military
tactics and modern war vessels Or
to Hiroshima. ard then n jinrikisha for
twelve miles along i,s bay. aihl he fer.
ricd across a narrow strait to this isle
of the blcst. which will impress tho
more with its Arcadian features when
one comes to II from all the bugling.
parade and din of mimic war that goes
on In .bc shadow Of Hiroshima's pic.
turcsquc castle keep. and ut It's port
of L jina. chief naval station OF the en-.
rirc. and, during that victory year Of
1894, port of departure Of transport
ships TO Corca and China. Then one
can accept the legend that Miyajima
grew from one Of the CONCEALED drops
that fell from 1zanamrs jcwclcd spear.
and that Itsukushima and her two sis.
tiers. daughters of the god of the sea.
APPLY chose 1t for their favors; that
their temple rose from and floated In
from the sea. and that the great water
tori grew with the tides as naturally
as any coral reef.
There is small village ut the foot
of green bank, but that Is off by Its
commonplace. profanc self, and the
tempt, u Cmbaycd in an nmphithcater
OF the hills. with shore n nd water
foreground AZ it3 own. On the shore.
linc at the edge of the village n noble
tori Of bshina granite. each pillar and
crossbcam "A single stone. marks the
entrance 10 sacred ground: and this
road. following the curve Of the shore.
Is lined for a quarter of n mile to the
temple with tall stone lanterns. the
same alignment of votlvc lights cor,tin.
uing for half n nile along shore at the
other side of the great shrine.
The water tori Is the unique and
great feature of Miyajinm's shrine. and
one grows very familiar with II from
Its representations by Japanese artists
In every line. The colossus Is formed
Of great beams. each hcwn from the
single trunk of camphor tree, and
strengthened at the base by cross.
beams Joining low parallel columns.
which give II balance and solidity and
most Impressive effect. These beams
are covered below the water line with
such n heavy growth Of barnacles and
marine plants that the torli seems very
reasonably u part Of the sea gods king
dom ana creating. This skeleton gate
In the sea Is so delicate and fairylikc In
first distant view that one IL not pre-
pared for It's great size. and the i'm
pressivc sense Of It's proportions, when
one floats In between Its great cam.
phorwood piers, rs massive and sole
as masonry. Sculling through this
notable gateway, and across the water
court of approach, at high tide, one
may visit every part of the temple. ana
penetrate 20 the farthcst labyrinth.
passing beneath galleries ana bridges.
and floating before the open fronts of
the great shrincs. The galleries con-
Meeting the different parts Of the tenn
pie have, strung along their leaves.
hundreds Of quaint little b.onzc and
iron lanterns, all votlvc offerings. us
also are the pictures that hang IN line
above them and form famous gallery
of ancient art.-Century.