The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-12-30
NEW YEARS IN JAPAN
GREEN ARCHES DECORATE EVERY
PORTAL.

The Ship of Wealth and Seven Gods of
Fortune and Happiness-Japan's Venus
aud santa CIaus-OId Man Of LorGeV
tty-Quaint Legends of Antiquity.
In Japan the glad new year" is
season of much tcstivity and innocent
mirth Every portal is decorated, and
each object of which the decoration is
composed has a symbolic meaning The
usual form of the decoration Is a green
| arch On the right Is placed small
pine tree with reddish stem and on
the left one with black stem Fancy
has attributed to the light one femi.
nine and to the dark one masculine
sex. Also this hardy tree symbollzes
stalWart age that has withstood the
storms and struggles OF existence. Close
to the pines on either side are set grace
full stems of bamboo, which. rising erect
with succession of rings, forms "a tit
symbol of bale life and tullness of years
The distance between the plnes-about
six feet-is spanned by grass rope,
beneath it This, according to. its sym
bolle purpose, debars all unclean and
evil things from crossing the threshold.
Among the decorations hung IN the
| arch is the iakara bune, the ship of
wealth, a miniature ship of twisted
straw IN which are seated the seven
gods of fortune and happiness. The
II 10
OF fortune are worthy of attention
FukurokuJl, the first figure which at
tracts notice Is an old man with very
tall head He is known as the ancient
star of the south pole the umlnary
which presldes over human life and by
Its appearance announces peace to the
world
Blshamon, the next figure, is the heav-
emily protector OF priests and the special
patron OF all who wish to become expert
sWordsmen. horsemen and scholars He
stands, armed cap-a pie, grasplng a long
spear in his right hand, while in his
LETT he holds miniature pagoda which
contains the soul of the devuut Those
who pray to him are told that "he can
than the flight Of an arrow from the
bow "
Near to this oriental man is Benton
the Venus OF the company, "a comely
woman holding strlnged instrument
OF music, the emblem of harmony AC
tors and people who make their living
by amusing the public look to her for
Of Oh
wealth
Hotel, the least dignified of the sew
en-, but the greatest fayorite of the
populace at large, Is supposed to have
been a priest. remembered for his portly
form, his love of children and for a
large cloth bag, which he always car
rled He is the japanese Santa Claus
a merry old fellow whose heart retains
a boylsh freshness Notwithstanding the
wrinkles on his brow, sharing with zest
the sports of children who take liberties
with HIM as with playmate and claim
him as their own. His bag, always full,
may be put to many uses. 1t may be a
bed upon which he can rest his limbs at
night, or receptacle for the thousand
precious things which he has gathered,
or trap for little boys and girls who
are entlced inside to see the marvellous
things 1t is supposed to contain, or the
treasury from which he dispenses gifts
TO all good children for he Is of keen
discernment with eyes IN the back of
his head, and, able to see around cor.
ners, he can easily distinguish the good
from the bad
Ebisu, short figure with Jovial
countenance Is the guardian Of markets
and trades He Is the third son OF liza
nagl and lzanami no mikoto, the crea-
tors of great Japan and the progeni
tors of the mlkado but he reflects little
credit on his lllustrlous parentage for
he Is a cripple He is represented i'll
pictures as sitting by the sea Oh a rock
with a fishing rod III his hands and n
large red tail, the turbot of the Japanese
banquet, under his arm, and on his
head a cap worn by persons of rank
Daikoku the god of wealth, Is a
short stout, we'll to do looking figure
standing upon pair of rice bales, hold
ing large mallet i'll one hand and with
the other grasplng the mouth of a bag,
filled with wind, slung over his shout
der He is painted blue the color of
heaven, wears black cap the crown
of which projects forward over his brow
and is attended by a rat with which he
sometimes amuses himself The moral
is, human nature is prone to ambition,
therefore a low figure and humble attn
tude are most befttlng it. The bag
sluug over his shoulder represents
wealth, hard to be acquired, like the
wind, not easy to be controlled and
ready 70 escape, therefore to be held
fast The cap coming we'll over the fore
head prevents too high looks and keeps
the eyes intent upon the realities Of
life. without which there can be no sue
cess The mallet is the symbol OF labor
by which wealth is acquired, and the
bales of rice on which he stands show
that he Is the patron OF agricultural
prosperity All classes OF the people
honor HIM, aud his image Is IN every
house.
.IiroJin, the seventh of these gods Is
the duplicate OF FukurokuJu He's rep
resented as a venerable man of dign-
fed bearing, clad III long robes of by
gone time, bearing fan and supporting
his footsteps by "A crooked staff from
which is suspended a manuscript roll,
while by his Side are the stag, the stork
and the tortoise emblems of longevity
III.