Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-04-21
Japan, the County of Per.
fumes, Real and Artificial



There Is much incense, of ono kind
and another, in Japan, Full has not
smoked in some time, nearly n cen
fury, but once It poured out vast
volumes of vapor that noated laEily
skyward Japan has been called by
many names. Including The Land OF
the Rising Sun" Tho Japanese
themselves call Il Nippon--compo
cd of Nitsu. meaning "tho sun" and
hon. meaning "hegnning" or origin"
and themselves Nihongins, But in this
brief article suppose we give II the
title of Tho Land Of lncense"
We shall not find much incense In
the flowers of the country, except
Stoddard, the lecturer, speaks of never
having seen In Japan u real flower gar.
den such ms We have In America,
Surely few of our choice roses and
yiolets and fragrant blossoms are cul.
tiyated there The eight hundred odd
varieties of chrysanthemum grown IN
Japan arc without fragrance Their
pconies and tulips and many other
blossoms are likewise scentless and
the tourist wonders how the native
can attach so much romantic value To
them, True, their lotus nowers send
mp from the ponds where they grow
cloying, sielSly oxhalntion that we as
socinte with the atmosphere of cathe.
drnl ON easter day Not always,
though; of fresh spring morning |
have found the perfume of the lotus
delicious.
But the Japanese Idea of flowers diff
fers from ours, An autumn maple
leaf, touched with tho flaming dyes OF
sunset, III as much a flower To thom as
Is the geranlum TO u.s. They put aho
In the Same category their dwarf trees,
which they train TO grow In many fan
tastlc, grotesquo. and sometimes at
tractlvo shapes. But thelr cherry and
plum blossoms are the pride OF tho
Japanese Some varieties of those
are fragrant. but this attribute Is
secondary to the delicate tints OF
white and pink. These have been
likened to velvet snowiiakes." They
are not cultivated and cherished for
their fruit, but only for their beauti.
full blossoms.
There is the incense which the tour
list burns Mt the feet OF Japan, In the
fern of wild euloRlos and panegyrlcs
Such praise Is sweet to the recipients,
no doubt but II helps to spoil them
The more in their favor they hear
the more polite these ochre.hued chill
dren get. but one cannot help feeling
that much Of their courtesy Is lnsin'
cere, and based. as II largely IL In
France on the Idea of relieving the for.
eigner of his money. To say fattorlng
things to You and rob you at the same
time. IN tho way of trade or by excrbl-
tant charges for services and SO forth,
u game they play With great pa
tiance and address a man should
not 20 to foreign country expecting
10 be heeced and laughed nj IN the
same minute II sets bad precedent,
and there are numerous travellers who
must count their pennies To DO
stranded IN Japan fancy, would be
the ne plus ultra OF misfortune
Mr. iafcadl0 Hearn has told MS In
MS delightful way about the incense
Of the temples. He says. 1T makes
one element Of the faint but complex
and naycrto.be forgotten cdor Of the
far east II haunts the dwelling house
not less than the tomple-the home
Of Tho peasant not less than the yas-
kiEl Of the prince. shlnto shrines. In.
deed are free frcm II, incense being
an abomiratlon 70 the elder gods.
But wherever Buddhism lives thore rs
incense IN every house containing
q Buddhist shrine or Buddhist tablets
incense Is burned at certain times, and
In even tho rudest country solitudes
You viii find inconge amcldoring be.
fore wayside images--lIttle stone flg-
urea of Fudo, Jlzo. or Kwannon.
The eostlier kinds Of incense IN
stead 81 III reds. come In the form
either Of pastilles. waters and lozenges,
or loose powder and thus take the
place Of the western lady's sachet. The
japanese are so fond Of artificial
perfumes ulat they have popular
game which proves an amusing as well
al certain test for the keenness Of
their olfactory nerves. In one Of his
books Mr.. Hearn has described this
game so beautifully that | shall not
attempt to do so here may add
that In the matter of soaps their IA
vorite scent IL sandalwood Y.
Times