Evening star., 1924-01-21
EAST is EAST
= BY FRANK III. HEDGES
isles Of blest Japan.
should your Yamsto spirit
strangers seek TO scan
Ssy-scenting morn's sunlit sir
BLOWS the cherry wild and fair ~

! isles of blest Japan!
should your Yamato spirit
stfangers seek to scan
Ssy-scentpg morn's sunlt air
Blows the cherry wild and fair
AS the gold OF each April dawn
breaks through the mists OF the east,
thousands Of the tender cherry tree
buds of Japan burst into the glory of
bloom to add their delicate beauty
to the pink clouds that enfold the
empire in the month when the world
is young: with each summer-bearing
breeze there drifts to the earth a
shower Of myriad pale pink petals.
The single cherry blossomi Yamato
Damashi, the soul of Japan. here
mas visfbly expressed it's exquisitely
beautiful culture, its simplicity, its
loyalty to the august mikado and to
the gods who dwell on the plain of
high heaven" it's oriental acceptance
OF the ever-present and not-to-be-
dreaded death and its Joy in the deli
cate fragrance and perfurned glory of
nature.
Motoori. leader of the historical
school whose Shinto- samurai ffery
faith In the divinity and sanctity Of
the mikado helped lead to the down
fan of the Tokugawa and the resto-
ration of power 10 the Emperor
his people when he called on the
stranger to look on the Wild cherry
scentinS the morning sun.
n u y
The plum. emblem Of virgin woman
hood, blossoms while the SHOWS still
whiten the brown earth OF Japan,
but when the cherry trees bloom the
whole world is once more putting on
the garment of sheer green that
breaks at the base of Fujiyana in
allegiance to the SHOWS that are
eternal on the sacred mountain.
Along the banks OF the moat be-
tween tho. British embassy and the
gray walls OF the imperial palace in
Toxic each April there is tunnel Of
pink blossoms mingled with the green
of graceful willows; lining the sweep
ing drives of the high plateau Of
Uyeno Park hundreds of hama ken
about or sip their amber sake; on
the broad stretches Of the Sumida-
gawa the light tinted blossoms are
reflected in the clear water that flows
toward Toxic bay.
All Japan Is en- fete. AS the thou
sand and one cherry trees Of Toxic.
fof Kyoto, of Nara and OF the Tokaido
break into misty clouds of pink, the
toll and the burden and the cares OF
life in the crowded empire are for
got, and the Japanese are once more
the children of Jimmu Tenno In the
days when the land was young and
the gods were close. Trooping forth
they go. by the hundreds. by the
cherry blossom season is at hand
and nothing else matters. A storm
may come tonight and the fragrant
beauty be shattered; today is the Joy
of life.
| Up the Sumidagawa go the boats.
Barge after barge moves slowly and
gracefully on the waters OF the
broad stream, each decorated with
lanterns. flags and gay banners.
Even more gayly decorated are the
crowds they bear, for in the time Of
the cherry flower the dress of every
day is laid aside for bright colors
and grotesque masks. Here is barge
laden with geisha, dancing on the
prov in the bright sunlight; there a
| multitude of schoolboys raise both
| hands high overhead in salute as
their cIear-voiced ''Banzai!" noats
across the water.
Up the sumidagawa 70 the Ara.
| kawa. The rivers bank is lined
with colored boats moored to gray
jetties. The broad acres OF Ara
kawa and its high green dykes are
swarming with the happy mummers
and the whole world is IN love with
tho toy OF the season. Sake. sam
isen and dance all blend to perfect
the one time when the Japanese
loses himself in the spirit Of plea
In Kyoto the multitude OF temples
are ehibowered in the pink blooms
that brnd lovingly to kiss the thatch- :
ed roofs and the majestic columns
Of the, visible triumph OF Buddhism.
The stately white or soft brown of
a severely simple torii glinlmers
through the pink Of cherry; the soft soft
somber green II the pine. The
miyako- odori, the great dance OF the
Home of the Mlkado," inprisons for
Meeting moment the beauty OF the
blossoms and transforms 1T into the
When Nara became the hrst true
capital OF Japan, at the time that
Alfred the Great was uniting the
Angles and the Saxons into one
Kingdom. the beauty-ioving Japanese
| blossoms. In the "Time OF Peace
they reveled in the glory OF tho pink
and white blooms. The great Talho
rebuilt a temple and hung the fences
from HlOmOyRnd 10 bdiEO duu tHUSt
around the cherry clad hills with
silken curtains for his flower viewing
double blossoms that the Taiko and
the Japanese loved. but the single
bloom. "as simple as a country maid" "
for the fourteenth century priest
Kenko wrote that the double cherry
is an oddity. and so exaggerated and
eccentric that 1t should not be cul-
tixated at all"
Tho cherry blossom season grows
in swelling beauty from morning to
morning. Spot after spot in the
Isles OF Sunrise Is transformed by
the pink glory OF bloom. One night
the sun goes down, a rain or wind
rises. and the day dawns onca more.
The pink petals float on the sur
face of the little lakes The ground
is carpeted with the tiny, soft leaves.
The clear air Is filled with the fiut-
tering beauty OF color as the bios
SONS yield their lives. for their time
Of glory and their mission is fulfilled.
"The cherry flowers, too. have
their seasons OF blossonfng and fad
| ing. What is there for the Japanese
soul to regret in deathT' The sam
uraf bowed his neck to the sword
to pay forfeit for the. life Of the
Frenchman no had killed TO- pre-
vent the defilement of sacred Japan.
| 'In this world Of Ours
Soon the blossoms fading fIst
T.nca fhefr dainty tint.