Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-01-10
A Weekly Letter From the Orient
FURNISHED BY THE RECONNAISSANCE
IAL CORRESPONDENT, WHO Is
MAKING A TOUR OF THE EAST
ERN COUNTRIES.
Especial to Recsrder)

ERN COUNTRIES.
Especial to Recsrder)
Mike, Japan, Aug. 81 In my
last letter | told OF the various por-
tions Of the temple dedicated to
I+yasu All The srIendor of those
decorations is forgotten when one
sees the tomb itself, which is of
massive stone. surm' united by a
pagoda shaped OF finest gold, and
silver and copper bronze. In 'front.'
on a low table, are a bronze IN
canse burner, a vase of bronze with
lotus flowers and leaves OF brass,
and bronze tortoise supporting a
stork. This ornament is seen FREE
onen'ly in temples all oyer the en-
pire, and typi6es length of DAYS
The enclosure is surmOunted bV a
lofty stone wall with ia'ustrad-,
and shaded BY grand. old crspto-
nlarias and luxariant growth OF
azeliar and bamboo grass. Ihls
uuadorred tomb Of the mighty
shotgun, standing in silence and
shade behind the splendid red lac
auertd temples raised in MS hon Dr.
is a stately finish to his exquisite
creation. Massive sialrwa's OF
stone, each gray with llch"n, lead
to the tomb, each stone being ht-
It'd with such exaclness az to stanc
without morter the wear and ie"r
of nearly three centuries without
the slightest Displacement.
The temples of Iemitsu. in Close
proximity to those of lela su. arr
cached BY an avenue that bran
ches from The grand approach
On the right are two temples SHIN
to faith, plain, butlof much inter.
est. On the left is a red lacqnerea
building dedicated to Amida IL
which are preserved the bones Of
Yoritoma; founder OF the shotgun
ate. A flight Of. steps leads to the
gate, guarded on, each side by 81
gantic wooden figures painted
bright red, and standing IN inches
In the inner court is massive wa
ter basin.
AS there is much misunderstood
ing regarding the religion OF Japar
it NAV be well to say eomethlns
about it.. There IS no Japanes'
religion in the sense that We, ordl
narily understand the term. The.
worship no gods. japanese reilly
ion, or Shintoism, is simply re'er
euce for ancestors. They do no
pray to them nor do they WORSHIP
them. They deeply reverence then
and erect temples to them. to whlcI
they make pilgrimages, not IN tn
sense Of worship, but to do homo
to the memories Of departed reIa
t;yes and heroes. There arr n
Japanese gola, neither is there
japanese heaven or hell. All theS
temples, aud the emli'e is covere
with them, have been ereete
lin honor of some one who has pas
sed away, and whose relatives
friends and admirers have take
this means Of honoring him. Bnc
|dhism is taught BY many priest
and is believed in BY many Japi
nes.. but it is an imported religlo
and does not belong to the peep
except as it has been instilled I'M
their minds. There are hundred
Of Buddhist temples, but they a.
NOT the ones on which create
reverence is lavished Buddtls
as a religion appeals to Orienta
as no other religion can, but Jap
nese put above all religion the
reverence for their ancestors.
Near Yokohama The image
the Great Buddha stands in a gro
,, and it is a most sacred spot. II
first view of this image is mo
! startling. 1t is composed OF go'
e silver, copper and bronze formIl
! a figure nearly fifty feet high. II
mouth is three feet, two inch
wide and all other parts are in &C
responding proportion. The e,