Evening star., 1900-07-14
Visit to the Castle of One of the
Great Daimios.
LIFE DURING THE FEUDAL PERIOD
Artistic Features of the Home of
Rich Banker.
BEAUTY AND COMFORT
Copyright, 1900, by C. Frederick wriGht.)

VnpNrlEht- lHp- by CI- FrCderlck WriCht)
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
KOBE, Japan. April 20. 1900.
Searching for the moraines of the glacial
period in Japan is disappointing, for there
are none. But the numerous castles which
fast going to ruin may we'll be consid-
cred as historical moraines. representing
and social life which has come to an end
within the present generation.
These castles were the strongholds of the
daimi1s who correspond closely to the feu-
daI EarOHs of national Europe. In the
Furnishing days of the old regime there
were about two hundred of these in Japan.
each one residing in his own well-defined
territory, where he exercised authority over
the people. and gave support to the mikado
in matters pertaining to the general well
fare. Not all of the daimios We're impor-
tanJ enough to build castles but more than
one hundred did so. and study Of these rel
les is one of the two best ways by which to
gel a conception of the condition of the
people before Japan's adoption of foreign
NE thO,iS in government
The castle at Okayama is one of the few
which is both well preserved and open to
the public without restrictions. PhotOg
raphers are prohibited from practiCing their
ar in the castles which have been taken
under government control. Okayama is SIT
Uased near the sea in the southern half of
IT,. Island Cf Nippon. about :'hO miles south
Cf the present capital. Toxic. and about
Il" miles south of Rioto. the old capital.
l-ISr most others the castle il built upon
small river. which furnishes a part of the
protection upon one side. Here about
square mile is inclosed by a massive stone
wall and bread m0at flied with water.
Inside Of the wall and moat are two other
Enclosures. one within The other. both pro-
ViG-d with strong walls Of solid masonry
and protected by broad moats. Still fur
n.- INSIDE aud all iS he Ia pgp
ard picturesque wooden building in which
the daiIniu and the garrison took refuge in
time OF war.
Massive FortificntiOns.
The extent and massiveness of the ancient
japanese fortifcations never fail to sur
prise the visitor The outer walls at Toxic,
which inclose the residence of the present
emperor. are fully eight miles in extent,
while the inner walls would altogether
measure about as much more. The meats
are fully two hundred feet wide; the walls
from fifty to one hundred feet high, and of
great thickness. So well built are they
that. as the trees growing upon them show.
they have stood for three or four hundred
years with little need of repair. The wood
en- building of Okayama is three hundred
yaarS old
The most surprising thing of all is the
sic Of some Of the stones wrought into the
walls specimen at Okayana would
weigh about one hundred and twenty tons
yet it must have been brought over
level country several miles and set up in its
place Ey the primitive engineering methods
Of the middle period Of japanese history.
The largest stone in the castle wall at
Osaka is 3Gx20y10 feet in size. and would
weight about three hundred and sixty tons
This Stone was brought from an island
many miles away. and elevated fully two
hundred feet from the shore. Several 9TH
ers We're nearly as large. being surpassed in
size only by those in the celebrated ternrle
Of B0olhick- Their removal and erection in
castle walls indicates that Japan, too had
its lost arts"
4 Picturesque View.
The view from the summit OF this six
story wooden castle reveals at once the
beauty Of the situation and the source of