Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-01-15
FESTIVAL OF IEYASU
DESCRIPTION OF UNIQUE CEREMONIAL
OF JAPANESE.
DR.. Edwords Letters More Interesting Each
Week. Series is Being Eagerly Read
by Public Opinion Subscribers.

| OF Ieyasu took place as advertised A
slight shower passed and the day was
faultless Midway up the grand
avenue the hotel had provided benches
and refreshments, and there we sat
and waited at noon. With piercing
shouts crowd of men and boys ap-
peared, dragging large pine tree up
the avenue. followed by a multitude
of people eager to secure branches as
charms against evil spirits. So great
was their success that on reaching the
summit the stalk was bare. The echo
of these shouts had scarce died away
when the entrance way was 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 yon you
should see this procession. 1t is re-
ligious masquerade. The procession
approached with music and waving
banners. AT the head were priests,
mounted on the sacred ponies, and
clothed in gold brocaded robes. or in
crimson silk chasubles and white cas-
socks, followed by retinue in bright
yellow gowns and black lacquered
caps, holding aloft huge temple fans
on long, curious and characteristic
poles. Warriors, dressed in ancient
style and carrying the old-time arms
OF Japan, played their part also in
this fantastic show
The I came men and boys, wearing
masks and quaint costumes of 300
years ago, belonging to the temple
and worn only on festal days. They
waved banners and curious flag
shaped ornaments used in temples;
Others carried live birds and monkeys,
or walked i'll pairs partly hidden
under skins of ferocious beasts. Scat
tered at intervals were the sacred
cars. huge structures built ON wooden
wheels, with temple-like roofs, black
lacquered bodies, vallenses of rich
needle work. gorgeous Did sdraperies
of red and yellow silk, and drawn
along by strings OF devotees. Bands
of music in the procession made a
most horrible din with gongs while
scores of primative flutes and flies
squeaked out their part of the terrible
noise that Japanese call music.
The procession was at least 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 procession marched slowly over
the sacred red bridge aud through the
town, holding high carnival until
evening. The fete lasted but one
day. and closed that night with
| grand illumination of the temples
and grounds. Innumerable huge, gay
colored. paper lanterns flashed light
from every building and gateway. the
pagoda, the trees that line the stair
way to the tomb and the tomb itself.
| Hundreds of bronze and stone
| lanterns added their quota to- the
| light, and the vast crowd carried
| iohtVih ho VI ptpOi. l. nC SOlJ
bronze swayed the golden windballs.
and from The main avenue floated
upward the deep tones of the great
bronze bell. struck by it's wooden
hammer. l walked mp through this
materialized fairland to the summit.
of the hill and looked down over the,
long groom vista of the pines overlehe
brilliantly lighted grounds. 1t was a
sight rare and impressive. The most
beautiful spectacle have ever, beheld.
| seemed as if the town with all the
temples. and all the forests neag. by.
had been converted into o lap3 of
firefiies Dancing lanterns Il 7bobbed
about the roadways. swayingsa trees
scattered leaves of light, whHeps%ay-
ing lanterns of the houses and temples
seemed to give TO the whole atheh ap-
pearance of light io&ingWlikesl~ater
over uneven rocks. elTlAs cohvMued
far into the night, std1i Ysteksh it
as it died dowalE first, the, ,dApring
little lanterns bf nths >bedestrialsD be-
coming fewer, then disappeariBgMfol,
lowed slowlys5M larger efIla5aatstss Ila5aattstss ON
trees and hapsasl with fhe great trstone
and bronze lanterns of the temples re-
mainingT gTorvifG end, land dnssly dying
out, le,iSMgstHe Sliolv ocisypdp OZARK
moss Inob Doy III ybsysileT ed nao
ib,sk @ iS She, 5aiIssatl ,sisal l}at fpa SAs sigEr
rielrhS tb&as lsIiiSatbf Xss6se 4BA{hRed
Sapt,s'ssssss ssioss sssSptss 1HEis
foot bridges over ,ths, 81 fSalhs, ,%as, ,yhe
strangest sight have ever sesh,' And
.A the I;sg Y Fs$"ln ~ Me;ra ns lans ans
,faah6t HI dn19 srKats4t taJ6M sRartiiynbring
finiyssH tdr reafizei thAst ali tiieutiRht
I n III saahgedo bS ffit sERtae hssophsssibth
EIXyhgM Z Ahit shf I . Safsct 4. 4 iievesssiayid
aeI1i sioeT1oo ii az eldgoTt 10 n2fs
stb s'1i2iTH sinevsIq bns ssitirslp
mi .sstsdsib bna ssss