The Irish standard., 1904-05-14
JAPAN IN TIME or PEACE.
The Inhabitants of the Island En-
pire Are the Happiest Peo-
pie in the World.

AT 1OkOnama witnessed the annual ,
feast Of boys" says writer in the Re-
vue de Paris. Con that day the jap
anese stick up bamboo poles in front
of their houses. On the tops of these
poles are attached enormous paper
fishes of the most brilliant colors, and !
these fishes swell out and flutter in the
breezes. The number of fishes attached
to each pole signifies the number of
boys in the house. In this way the
parents express the wish that their
boys may be able to ascend the current
of life, overcoming all obstacles, just
as the carp goes up the rivers in spite
of the current All the inhabitants go
to the tops of the neighboring hills to
enjoy the queer spectacle of the city sur
rounded by these singular fishes. Album
dance of healthy and cheap amuse-
ments is one of the characteristic traits
of Japanese life.
The Japanese are singularly fond OF
long walks in the country. They ad-
mire all the changes which they find in
the land and the clouds, the reflections
of the scenery-all the different colors
of the moon and the brilliance of the
snow. They follow with the eye of an
artist the movements of an animal, OF
a bird, or even of an insect. have
seen Japanese Of very humble station
in life standing for several moments adj
miring the storks gliding among the
pine trees, and the lanterns of pub
lie garden. They know how TO take an
interest in things to which the most
sensitive Of Europeans are Indifferent.
For flowers they have a particular devo-
ton. The most popular festivals, the
national festivals, are celebrated, not as
they are among us, to mark the ami
versaries of bloody battles or of
wretched revolutions, but to welcome
the appearance of certain flowers. They
move along in joyous bands, from the
beginning of the month oe February, to
admire the blossoms of the plum tree
and to enjoy their odor, which is cele-
brated in their old songs. They go to
see the cherry trees in blossom, at the
beginning of April, the azaleas, the
glycns at the beginning of May and the
lotus in the month of August. In au-
tumn the red leaves Of the maple trees
become the objects of their delight. The
first week in November is the time for
the chrysanthemums.
"In the suburbs of the great cities
each village is remarkable for the num-
ber of it's flowers. The public and priv
ate gardens Of the Japanese are alto
gether different from ours. They have
graveled walks bordered by pines and
naples. There are immense trees, dwarf
trees and shrubs chosen for the color of
the leaves or flowers. There is lake;
there are streams, bridges, rock work,
stone lanterns and tiny Shintoist
, chapels, all of which form the indispens-
They are arranged like picture, follow
ing the rules of refined aestheticism dat
ing from the fifteenth century and vary
ing according to the different schools.
In the garden of a tea house of Osaka
a japanese friend said to me: In two
,, weeks all Osaka will come here in the
morning to witness the opening of the
; iris
"Frequently in some spot, famous for
the beauty of it's flowers or for the mag
nificence of the landscape, a woodland,
an island, lake or a cascade, temple
.. is erected. japanese families love to go
there. They bring the old people and all
the little children. At first they go to
! salute the gods. The gravel spread in
front of the temple crackles under the
feet of the pilgrims. and in this notifies
the gods that visitors are approaching.
, These visitors ring little bells and clap
, their hands to call up the gods. just as
, they do in the taverns to call up the serv-
ants. Then, with smiling faces, they say
a short prayer and drop their contribu-
tions into the boxes, after which they
, visit the temple and admire the antique
sculptors and the eilded lacquers. Final
, ly they all go off in family groups to
+ chat and to laugh in the tea houses es-
tablished in the neighborhood of the
, hOly DlaceS"