Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-02-26
NIKKo.
The Japanese City and Its Beautiful
TEMPLES.

The Japanese City and It's Beautiful
Temples.
Japan has several beauty spots
of the show" places of the earth, and
which are said to rank with most any
Nikko is one Of them. So enthused
have the Japanese people become
with Nikko that some old shogun or
peotical diamio created proverb
which runs like this: do not use the
word magnificent until you have seen
Nikko."
Nikko did not get on my sense Of
] the beautiful quite that bad, but 1t
is beauty spot which is justly ia
| nous. Chuzenji, Nikko and Miyan-
oshita are words to conjure with in
Japan, and 1t would be difficult to find
three summer resorts in any country
about which tourists rave so much
as they do about this Japanese trio.
My friend Bob Mannheimer liked
them. but he said that the near
mountains did not make particular
hit with him after hobnobbing with
the rockies and the cascades, and
| that Chuzenji ran bad third to Min
netonka. But Bob is from st. Paul
and the business habit was overculti-
waited In his ancestors.
Nikko has a charm that Is all Its
own, and the associations are such
and the glamour Of Its exquisite col
orings, the mysticism Of its ancient
temples, the fascination OF Its scenery,
the solemnity Of its majestic avenues
of cryptomerias and the singing har-
mony and, the beauty of its many
waterfalls are sensations which grow
with closer acquaintance and which
make the place one which Is eagerly
sought by natives and tourists alike.
Nikko is really the name OF a
mountainous region which is located
about 100 miles north of the capital,
but 1t is the name which by common
usage has been applied to the spot
where stands the magnificent temple
of Mamgwaji and the mausolea Of the
Shotgun Ieyasu. founder Of the Toku-
gawa dynasty and that of his grand
son Iemitsu.
According to all accounts the old
shoguns had a pretty good time Of
1t ruling Japan through the middle
ages and on down to 1867, when the
Mikado again asserted himself and
became the chief actor on the Japa-
nese national stage.
Used to the best there was while
life lasted, the shoguns picked out the
choicest places In which to have their
temples erected and their remains re.
pose. So 1t is that In order to reach
the tomb of Iemitsu 1t is necessary to
ascend a stairway made up Of several
hundred broad stone steps, fianked
on either side with stone balus-
trades and leading up the steep side
| of beautifully wooded mountain. On
either side of the stone stairway Is q
row of huge and ancient cryptomerias
under whose grateful shade the old
shoguns were won't to be borne on
their way to worship.
This unique and winding stairway
seems ito serve double purpose, for
by climbing 1t the pilgrim does ample
penance for one day and has gained
one of the finest views to be had In
all Japan. The tomb is Of bronze,
and as the Japanese have been unex-
celled workers In this metal for ages,
the climb is we'll repaid.
From the tomb on all sides extends
vista whose beauty the shotgun.
whose remains now rest there, is said
to have enjoyed times without num-
ber. In every distance extends sue
cession Of exquisite and tiny valleys
threaded by winding and picturesque
| streams On every side, likewise, are
the hills and the mountains with their
| restful vestment Of deep green, with
their woods. which as the seasons
change have their endless variety Of
coloring and with their flowers scat
tered thickly by a spendthrift nature,
Undoubtedly Iemitsu was a philan-
thropist. for he must have selected
this place for his tomb, thinking
thereby to give countless thousands
who ascended there to offer prayer
glimpse of an earthly paradise.
Anyone who comes to japan must
spend a portion of his or her time In
delving into dark and ancient tenn
pies. Many devote the greater por-
ton of their sojourn in this more or
less interesting undertaking. II you
are not specially interested in ancient
religions, nevertheless 1t Is in the
temples that one secures the best idea
and the best examples Of numerous
arts as practised by the early Japa-
nese.
Those who understand these things
seem to unite in declaring that the
finest temples in japan are at Nikko,
although there are one or two In To-
kio which the temple seeker cannot
] afford to overlook. The beauty OF the
| temples at Nikko is due largely to the
fact that wood carving and painting
on wood are Japanese arts which
reached their zenith during the sew
enteenth century. in which the mau-
solea of the shoguns were erected. To
see the interesting place 1t Is neces-
sary only to undergo a railway jour-
ney of five hours from Toxic, or less
than six hours from Yokohama. 1t
can be done In three days, II neces-
sary, giving a full day and half at
Nikko. The exchange Of tickets
which the Great Northern Steamship
company gives the passengers OF the
Minnesota and the Dakota are good
only to Toxic, but the expense OF the
Journey from there is trifiing. Nearly
every one leaves the train at the first
station below Nikko, call 1maichi,
with a view to enjoying a rickshaw
ride Of four miles along the Reihei-
shi Kaido to Hachiishi. the true name
of the place which is popularity known
as Nikko.
The Reiheishi Kaido is a magnifi-
cent highway lined by cryptomerias.
The avenue is so named because Rel