Evening star., 1900-07-14

An hours stroll through its deserted halls
is most impressive and instructive. The
timbers CT the frame work are of Immense
proportions. The living rooms are all in
the interior and numerous enough to &C
commodate a great multitude after the
japanese style of living. There are no
chimneys. The Japanese depend wholly on
braziers for worming their rooms. When a
Japanese warns his hands he thinks he Is
warm all over. Around the outside are the
windows through which the whole sur
rounding country can be seen and through
which missiles could be discharged upon an
enemy that should get within close range.
Broad shelves to hold the shields and small
armor completely surround the outer halls.
while racks to contain the swords and
standing places for their long bows and
spears were interSpersed at appropriate in
tervals
In one room was large collection of
elegant sedan chairs, suspended upon poles
and made to be carried by men at each
end. In them the daimios and their court
could travel around the country in luxur-
ious ease. In olden times the routes of
travel were along the crests of mountains,
when they were not too high and too rug
ged.
One thing to the lasting credit of these
| old-time barons was their love Tor the
beauties of nature. This is still visible, not
only in the adornments of their castles
and of the parks surrounding them. but in
the long lines of pine trees which mark the
old roads of Japan. Often these can be
seen from afar, along the crest of some
mountain ridge, where the trains of the
daimios wound their slow length along as
they went to pay court to the emperor at
his central place of residence. The joy of
such Journeys. to those who love natural
scenery as the Japanese do. goes far to
compensate for all the discomforts of such
travel in other respects. When one rldeS
through the contracted valley, in the stuffy
railroad coaches of the present regime and
breathes the dense clouds or tobacco
smoke that fill first and third-class coaches
hot q
blessings of life in Japan are with the
present generation.
Home of n Japnnese Banker.
The house of Taishakwan is one of the
oldest in Japan. Its present head Is ki-
wabata. one of the wealthiest bankers In
Osaka. Through the kindness of one OF
the foreign physicians of the place, VINO
had been frequently consulted by them in
cases Of dangerous Illness l was permitted
to visit the Taishakwan residence and 10
examine its numerous objects of interest
Such an opportunity is so rare that 1t IS
worth describing.
To begin with it should be remembered
that the family are Buddhists OF the strict
est tvpc Two immense golden fish. twelve
feet long adorn the highest corners OF the
roof The house stands upon conspicuous
bluff commanding the city. the surrounding
fertile plain and the encircilnS MOUNTAINS
but il is rather a series of low buildings
connected by verandas, all surrounding
Japanese garden on the side hill nearly an
acre in extent. In this garden there Is
every ina ginable variety of dwarfed and
Towering trees and shrubs. and of land
scapeS in miniature, really making a word
in itself Family life is strong in Japan,
and otter several generations dwell to-
gether under one roof In this household
there were 10 members. We were met at
the door by servants. They summoned the
two sons. who at present have general su-
perintendence Of the house and grounds.
These were pleasant hammered young men.
who had been educated in the Buddhist
schools of the city, and had never been far
away from home. According to Japan Gus
tom, We took off our shoes at the doors,
ard then were shown around through the
bewildering congeries of rooms in which
everything was scrupulously clean.
We went down stairs and up stairs, and
through sliding doors innumerable. un-
til We lost all sense of direction. There we
looked into a most gorgeous Buddhist
shrine where the master of the house pays
his daily devotion There we passed through
a room with the national bird. an enormous
stork. carved on the ceiling and stretching
from one side to the other. We were shown
two rooms where the emperor and empress
are entertained when visiting the city. In
another room the furniture was 500 years
old.
Art In Everyday Life.
From the sitting rooms on various sides
and at various heights we caught glimpses
of the garden and of elegantly attired la
dies of the household wandering through
it's mazes; and ever and anon had broader
views the city and plain and mountains
beyond. Aesthetic art could go no further.
Beauty and hOmely comforts We're COM
bined in perfection. The sleeping rooms all
opened from the second story with sliding
doors upon the sunny garden inclosure.
We were to take train early in the af-
ternoOn and were getting nervous. We