Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-01-17
A Weekly Letter From the Orient
FURNISHED BY THE RECORDER SPaO-
IAL CORRESPONDENT, Who Is
MAKING A Tour OF THE EAST
ERIN COUNTRIES.
Especial to Recorder.)

Nthhei dalo't h"Su"
festival Of Ieyasu took place as ad
vertised. A slight shower passed
and the day was faultless. Mid
way up the grand avenue the no
tel had provided benches and re-
freshments, aud there we sat and
waited at noon. With piercing
shouts men and boys appeared.
dragging large pine tree up the
avenue, followed by multitude OF
people eager to secure branches as
charms against evil spirits. So
great was their success that on
reaching the summit the stalk WIS
bare. The echo of these shouts
bad scarce died away when the en-
trance way YVES thrown open, and
the religious procession was seen
to leave the grounds and proceed
down the avenue. If you wish to
see something that will divert You
you should see this procession. 1t
is a religious masquerade. The
procession approached with music
and waving banners. At the head
were priests, mounted on the sa-
cred ponies, and clothed in gold
brecaded robes, or in crimson silk
chasubIes and white ca>socks, fol-
lowed bY u retinue in bright vel.
low gowns and black lacquered
caps, holding aloft huge temple
fans on long, curious and charac.
teristic poles. Warriors, dressed in
ancient style and carrying the old
time arms Of Japan, played their
part also in this fantastic show.
Then came men and boys, wear
ing masks and quaint costumes OF
300 years ago, belonging to the
temples and worn only on festal
days. They waved banners and
curions flag shaped ornaments
used in temples; others carried live
birds and monkeys. or walked in
pairs partly hidden under skins OF
ferocious beasts. Scattered at IN
teryals were the sacred cars, huge
structures built on wooden wheels,
with temple like roofs, black lac.
quered bodies, yallenses of rich
needle work, gorgeous odd draper
les of red and yellow silk, and
drawn along by strings OF devotees.
Bands of music in the procession
made most horrible din with
gongs while scores of primitive
flutes and fifes squeaked out their
part of the terrible noise that the
Japanese call music.
The procession was at least a
mile long, and along the avenue
on both sides flowed an immense
crowd which had congregated
from every part OF the country to
enjoy this festival. The process
sion marched slowly over the RED
bridge and through the town
holding high carnival until eve
ming. The fete lasted but one
day. and closed that night with
grand illumination of the>ctenpls
and grounds Innumerable huge
gay coIored, paper lanterns flashed
light from every building anC
gateway, the pagoda, the trees
that line the stairway to the tomb
and the tomb itself. Hundred
of bronze and stone lanterns add
ed their quota to the light, and thu
vast crowd carried small lanterns
Of paper. The soft breeze swayet
the golden windbolls, and from
the main avenue hoated upwart
the deep tones Of the great bronz
bell, struck by its wooden ham
mer.
| walked up through this ma
terialized falkland to the summit
Of the hill and looked down owe
the long green vista of the pine
| oyer the brilliantly lighted grounds
It was sight rare and impressive
The most beautiful spectacle
have ever beheld. 1t seemed as j
the town with all the temples, an,
all the forests near by had bee
converted into n land Of fireflies
Dancing lanterns bobbed abou
the rosdwaYs. swaying trees scat
tered leaves of light, while swayin,
lanterns Of the houses and temple
seemed TO give to tile whole TN
appearance Of light flowing llk'
water over uneven rocks. Thi
too,,k: far into the night. AM