The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-09-25

der at such grotesque magnit1eence IN
such surroundings. The paneled cell
ings are wrought with patient, pains
taking workmanship in soft and har-
monious colors. But the images that
guard the gates are in hideous colors
and distorted forms. The idols, or rep
resentatives OF Buddha, are huge mon
strosities and the ideas they are sup
posed to represent are so various as the
different ideas of observers and inter
prefers Fudo. the God OF Wisdom, is
so represented that he is commonly
called the God of Fire. The shrines are
wondrously similar TO those used in
Roman Catholic worship; the genufec-
tions, the incense, the intonations, be-
long to the same style of religious serv-
ices.
The side-shows are Of special inter
est, such as the fiye-storied pagoda, 1O4
feet high, IS feet square, with the IL
signs OF the Japanese zodiac, 3 on each
side; the Sorinto, a bronze column, AZ
feet high, with wind bells in the shape
of lotus flowers; the drum house; the
bell houses; the treasure houses, where
are kept the vestments, standards
masks and other articles used in the
annual professions. Two store rooms
are open for exhibition, where are
shown various belongings of the great
Iyeyasu, like the camp equippage Of
George Washington in the Patent Office
galleries. A huge stone basin, followed
out of one single block OF granite, 81
feet long feet broad, 81 feet high,
furnishes holy water for publication
before worship. 1t was presented by
the Prince of Hizen, A. d. 1919, and
brought Is miles from his quarries to
its present location. We saw a gang
OF so coolies carrying a huge stone,
slung on poles, up the temple road.
The bell struck every hour, was
more in the shape like a candle extin-
guisher than our bells with their wide
lips. 1t was struck by huge beam of
wood, hung opposite its side, and gave
out a muffled boom as the beam struck
it. The second drum OF tiger skin is
beaten at a. M, when the priests
enter to say their visions, and again at
4 D. m, when the temple is closed. The
priests live in the many residences that
surround the temple Enclosure. Those
that we saw seemed perpetually drink
ing tea and smoking tobacco, sitting
around a brazier of charcoal. The old
priestess, who with fan and rattle, pos
tured and bowed for us before the
shrine of Iycyasu, seemed old enough
10 be decrepit, but performed her SOL
emn function with dignified gravity, if
not with agile grace. Two sen paid |
for candles to be burned before the |
Buddhist Trinity, as that would insure |
us against accident or disaster on our
journey. One sen paid for picture of |
Buddha, that pinned against the wall |
upside down, would make any thief
that entered our house unable to use
his feet. Forty sen was the high price
we had to pay for a carved image in
wood Of Fudo with his two attendants,
only half an inch in height, yet exquis-
itely carved. and this carried about the
person would insure us success in all
our lawful undertakings.
The curiO shops are full of fossil
wood and curious knots, carved into
cups, and so on indefinitely. ] bought
for % cents each set of three mon
keys, carved in wood, called Koshin,
and popular objects of worship at way
side shrines all over Japan. One covers
his eyes with his hands, another his
ears, the third his mouth, symboliZing
the needful object lesson in all coun-
tries, that one must not see, hear or
speak evil. Photographs are ridiculous
ly cheap. Colored ones, by 5k, are
only 20 cents a dozen. The traveller, in
this way, can preserve for future refer
ence views of scenes that he has Wis
lIcu, anu IO lOOh Iucul OftI 10 dluQOSJ
like travelling again over the many in
localities that he has been
privileged to see.
This afternoon it rains, and it rains,
and it rains, as it does most of the
time in Japan. There is nothing to be
done but sit at the window and watch
the stream of travel passing up and
down the valley. Jinrikishas, umbrel
las, rain coats of hempen mats, rack
horses, tram-cars carrying freight up
TO the Ashew's copper mines. or bring
ing down the ore, while the rushing
streamlet, tumbling over the stony bot
tom under a cloud OF blueish gray mist,
with it's roar and rustic, takes away
the stiffness which else would make
the scene depressing in it's desolate-
ness At night, electris lamps will CLINT
through among the trees on the wood
ed hillside opposite, far up the road to
the temple is a line of telegraph poles,
utilized for electric lighting, the rush
ing water turning small dynamo that
furnishes electric light for street and
dwelling. H