Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-08-15

) ade is one of the great features Of ia
pan coming once year. The des-
; cription as given us being in Japan
csc characters we are unable to give
/ farther description of what it is in
: tended. From the enthusiasm of the
} Japanese it must have had more to
it than we could discover.
In the evening We went to the
Cherry Blossom dance. This dance
is given for one month at this season
of the year and is looked upon as one
of the great events of the year.
1t was held in a large theatrical
room most all seats being in the
floor surface only few other seats
being provided, and these sold as ex-
ira first class. These seats gave a
fine view of the parade as l cannot
name it a dance The dance is per-
formed by the Geisha gir.s, 80 dane
ers and 20 musicians. The entire per-
Torrance was to us very childish, but
pretty. 1t was only parade with
bows and GESTURES, coupled with fine
scenery and music so odd that to the
last day of my life-I shall remember
its dull thud Before the perfor
nance cerimonial tea and some odd
glutinCus cakes were served. The
daughter of the king occupied a seat
near by and it seems that all the aris-
trocracy of the country were there
to see the performance. l will have to
say it was very pretty.
One day we went to the imperial
palace as this is yet recognized as
one Of the capito.s OF japan, as when
they removed from here to Tokyo
they still kept their summer palace
here AID it is here the king is coron-
ated. We had secured special per-
mits from Tokyo to go through the
palace as one can only get permission
through Tokyo.
The park surrounding the palace
has a number of hundred acres and is
kept beautifully; on entering through
the gates to the palace grounds, these
are very roomy, a guide escorts US
through buildings and rooms so en-
tirely different than we would look
upon as comfortable, but we had to
acknowledge the rolling paper screen
paintings as fine, they were describ-
ed. as the finest artists in Japan exc
cuted them. AS in all Japan there is
no furniture, but only long halls with
sliding doors from one TO another
with decorations on all sides, the
floors kept polished. Before enter
ing as at all places in Japan we were
obliged to take off our shoes, over
coats, and hats, and in air at a tenn
perature of about forty degrees, en-
Joy ourselves as we might.
In one room is the coronation stands
: one for the Emperor and one for the
empress. It was in this room that
three years since the emperor and
; empress were coronated. The emper-
or is now A vars Old. The two
: thrones are located about forty feet
: apart To the north of this palace is
the main palace of cedar and cypress
and having many paintings by their
greatest artists.
| For over 1000 years this was the
: ;,,,ror;ol racidopoa I'm m 1893 whom
r the capitol was removed to Tokyo,
2 but this still remains the residence OF
4 the emperor for portion of the year
and is still termed the western capt.
toll.
A half mile ride from the palace
took us to Nigo castle, an immense
= large building. the interior decorat-
} ed with much gold leaf and having
the finest paintings we saw in Japan,
2 most of them over 400 years old.
A twenty minutes ride from here
| took us to the largest temple in ia
pan. the Hongwanji temple. The orig
e inal temple built in 1892 was des-
l troyed AID the present built in 1895
This temple covers $4,000 square
: feet. The decorations are massive
: especially the lotus flowers on the
great gold panels either side of the
alter wherein the founder is en-
; shrined. Built by contributions, by
far the most impressive is the great
coils of rope made from human hair
5, 100000 of the women Of Japan
: sacrificed their hair to make this
rope. there are 20 coils 80 feet LONG
AID nine inches in circumference, al
the time Of construction these coils
were used to lift the great beams to
place. Hemp rope would have serv-
ed the purpose but sentiment and SUI
perstition is natural to the Japanese
AS the Japanese ladies prize their
hair above any other adornment II
i will easily be seen the sacrifice.
n this temple we saw great
throngs worshiping, as they enter the
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