Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-08-10

out encountering them. So here. II
was no surprise to find schools Of
children tranping up the great stair
way to the main temple. visiting the
votive hall and the temples in the rear
and looking out over the ancient CAPT
tai and through the lovely gorge clad
In naples, which two weeks hence
will be flame Of glory.
The lesser shrines are often quite
as interesting as the main temple.
Thus, behind Kiyomizu-Dera Is a little
shelter with its hundred stone figures
Of Jizo. Queer things they are, the
object of popular love and devotion.
On the base Of many of them stand
little heaps Of pebbles which have
been piled up by kindly visitors. 1t
seems that children after death are
often robbed Of their clothing by fe-
male demon who sets them to work
at piling up stones on the bank Of the
death river. The task is endless, but
the little ones are helped by all who
choose to place pebbles at the feet of
Jizo. Here. too, is a statue of Bin
zuru, worn smooth by the hands Of
poor sufferers. | never tire of watch
ing these figures; whether of wood or
stone or bronze, makes no difference
their features and outline are al
ways worn smooth by repeated rub
bling. You need not wait long to see
some poor old woman lettering along,
who stops and with a word of prayer
upon her lips rubs her hand over the
head of the loved figure and then
upon her own aching brow; a mother
brings her little one and strokes the
part Of the old god which corresponds
to the ailing member of the child, and
then rubs the baby for healing; or
some helpless person, knotted with
rheumatism or crippled, is brought by
kindly hands to rub the figure and
get relief from suffering.
From the platform of the great tenn
pie, projecting far over the precipitous
bank and supported on its stately
crutches, the faithful II is said may
precipitate themselves unframed. In
these days of doubt and unbelief the
experiment is seldom tried, but not
many years ago one bold devotee
made the attempt. It is said that he
was not successful; no doubt his
faith was shallow. We did not throw
ourselves from the platform, but took
the more prosaic means OF climbing
down the back stairway coming at
last into the little gorge famous for
Its maple trees. II was q scene of life
and action. Everywhere little plat
forms OF bamboo were being erected
or repaired. A few days from now.
and all of them will be occupied by
groups and parties of picnickers out
will be unoccupied. and 1t is worth
while to come here to see the Joyous
autumn foliage. Not an available spot
to inspect the famous beauty OF the
scene.
But meantime we must not forget
the Jidai Matsuri. II was really a
fine procession. The streets approach
ing the TaiKyoku Den were crowded
with people who desired to sec the
pageant as it approached its destina-
ton. The procession consisted of six
sections representing definite periods
OF time from the date OF the city's
founding to the disappearance OF the
Tokugawa shogunate Each section
was gotten up with careful reference
to historic accuracy: marvellous cos
tunes. things almost Uncomfortable in
these present days were here to be
seen. First came the civil officers of
the Euryaku era on their way to the
imperial court. This era extending
from 7S2 to sos comedies with the
founding of the city. The second sec
ton represented military officers of
the same era going to the front. The
third represented civil officers Of the
Fujiwara dynasty going t. the I'm
perial court The fourth group repre-
sented officers on horseback equipped
for shooting arrows-one of the most
graceful exercises ever developed In
Japan. The five sections were the Of
flcers OF Nobunaga coming to Kyoto.
Which is the greater In the history of
"a nation-the originator of a policy,
or the man who develops 1t to full
fruition? II is the old topic of the de-
batting club: which was the greater.
Philip of Macedon. or Alexander :he
Create Which was the greater.
Juarez or Diaz of Mexico?" Three
great men built Dai Nippon-Nobuna-
ga, Hideyoshi, Iyeyasu; which was
the greatest? We'll, 1t was Nobunaga's
officers who were here represented.
The sixth group showed the repre-
sentatives of the Tokugawa Shoguns
coming to Kyoto. They were the men
who ruled Japan from Iyeyasu to
1868. when they fell. and their repre-
sentatives ceased to go to Kyoto. the
emperor resumed his own, and the
capital was changed to Tokyo.
Copyright. 1910. by w. G. Chapman)